699A/N: If you enjoy my work, please pop into my Discord server at discord dot gg slash ABfg74C
The smell was the first thing that registered. I'd never been hospitalized myself, but visiting older relatives impressed the unmistakable smell of antiseptic on my memory. Next was the equally-unmistakable feeling of an IV drip, recognizable from the times I'd donated blood or plasma. The susurration of distant voices underlaid the whirring and beeping of nearby machines. My mouth was dry, but I declined to open my eyes just yet, trying instead to remember how in the hell I ended up here.
Did I get in a car accident?
I didn't think so… I didn't remember anything like that. I was also pretty sure that being hit by a car would probably fucking hurt, and that however long I'd been asleep, I would still be hurting now. I didn't feel sick either, and I wasn't nodding off again, so I was at a bit of a loss as to how I'd wound up hospitalized.
I heard a small Ping! noise, like an alert on a smartphone, of the type I always shut off as soon as I got a new device.
What's the last thing I remember…?
My head spun, and it occurred to me that despite all the associated memories that allowed me to identify a hospital and an IV, I didn't actually remember any of my recent history.
Shit… How the fuck did I wind up here?
I decided I should probably alert a nurse or someone that I'd woken up. I lived alone, halfway across the country from my folks, so unless my buddy from work was somehow aware of what had landed me in this bed, I wasn't expecting anybody to be in the room.
I opened my eyes, and immediately had… so many questions .
‹?›
LV ?
Indigo Arc
In order, they boiled down to: What the fuck? Who the fuck? How the fuck?
And then once more just for good measure, What the actual fuck?
Deciding to ignore the words that seemed to be floating above the woman's head, I squinted at her appearance instead. She was probably in her early twenties, and looked to be above average height. Blonde hair with dark blue streaks in a shoulder-length cut, under a nice-looking beret that was also dark blue, edging on purple. She wore a studded leather vest over a shirt of the same color as her hat. The shirt was tucked into leather pants, which themselves tucked into combat boots. She also had a pair of headphones around her neck and, incongruously, a pistol holstered openly at her hip, which struck me as odd, given we were in a hospital. Even in Texas you couldn't do that.
And I was damn sure I'd never seen her before.
Just then, I heard the Ping! again, and rolled my head back to a neutral position to regard… the glowing blue boxes filled with white text in front of me. They looked two-dimensional, and were semi-transparent and sort of ethereal, like they weren't actually present. Frowning, I read the most recent one.
[A skill has been created through a special action! Continuous observation has created the skill [Observe] to gather information!]
As I mentally acknowledged that, the box vanished, replaced a moment later with a description of the skill.
[Observe (Passive/Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%]
[An ability to examine minute details and gather information. More details can be gathered with experience or familiarity with the target.]
[50% increased visual acuity.]
[ACTIVE: 10 MP]
[Gather information on the target.]
[Range: 10 meters]
This… I'd seen this somewhere, hadn't I?
Shifting my focus to the other boxes, I slowly cleared them out of my vision in, presumably, the order they had appeared.
[Loading save… Failed!]
[Previous save data corrupted.]
[Attempting recovery... Failed!]
[Searching for alternate save data…]
[Alternate save file found!]
[Alternate save file incompatible with current wetware version.]
[Debugging mode initialized.]
[Creating new save file… Done!]
[Importing alternate save data… Done!]
[Attempting to recover good sectors from previous save data… Synchronizing… {Ongoing in background}]
[Settings updated for current version.]
[Exiting debugging mode… Error! Save file settings incompatible with current world.]
[Assimilating… Done! Assimilation of previous save file resulting in stat point gain. Distributing stat points based on previous specialization…]
[Exiting debugging mode… Warning! Access to the interface will remain active.]
[Recontextualizing… Designating as 'Semblance'.]
[Exiting debugging mode… Success! Entering interface mode. Beginning recovery…]
[You have slept in a bed. Your HP and MP have been fully restored. All ailments have been cured.]
[Your near-death experience has left you with a scar.]
Well, that certainly explained… precisely fuckall, for the most part. Except…
This all looked a hell of a lot like that Korean webtoon, The Gamer. And the word 'Semblance' was familiar, too, from another web series, RWBY. I'd liked both quite a bit, though hadn't exactly kept up to date with either as life got away from me. And come to think of it, there was a character with the name Arc in RWBY, who had a large family that never appeared on screen…
That thought was interrupted by another Ping!, which I now realized was one of the boxes of text appearing. This one read:
[Quest Alert!]
[Who, What, When, Where, Why, How (the fuck)?]
[You have awoken in the hospital with no memory of how you got there. Figure out what's going on, where you are, and why.]
[Bonus Objective: Keep your new Semblance secret from the medical staff.]
[Time limit: Until Completed.]
[Reward: 1,000 EXP, 1,000L, answers, quest continuation.]
[Bonus objective reward: Immediate discharge from hospital.]
[Failure Penalty: 300 XP, confusion, frustration, remain in hospital for up to another week, quest continuation.]
[Accept/Decline]
"As if I had a choice," I muttered aloud, which was apparently enough to constitute accepting the quest, for that option was highlighted momentarily before the box disappeared.
It was also apparently enough to awaken Indigo, for her eyes shot open and locked on me immediately. "You're awake."
"Could've fooled me," I said instinctively, blinking at her.
Those dark blue eyes narrowed, and she seemed remarkably cogent for having just woken up, especially considering the dark shadows under her eyes that weren't entirely makeup. "You must be feeling better, if you're being a little shit already."
"I feel fine," I replied truthfully. "But I have a question that you're not going to like."
Indigo sighed. "Yes?"
May as well get it over with. "Who am I?"
Indigo rolled her eyes. "That's not funny."
"You'll note I'm not laughing," I shot back. Sad to say, I wasn't even acting; even if I was just hallucinating these boxes, I couldn't seem to remember my name.
We stared at each other for a moment, but eventually, Indigo blinked first. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack," I replied. "Or whatever it was that landed me in the hospital, at least."
Her eyes drifted to the side of my head, and I immediately reached up with the arm that didn't have a drip in it. Ah, there were bandages wrapped tightly around my head. Hrmm. I traced a finger along and noticed they crossed my nose, and the right side of my forehead, though both my eyes were uncovered.
"Serious as a head injury, apparently," I amended. "I knew I was too young for a heart attack. I guess we'd better call a nurse or something."
Indigo didn't move, her eyes still locked on mine, but something shifted silently. I glanced down to see… her shadow. It reached up, rippling across the bedspread, and somehow pressed the Call button despite being, y'know, a shadow.
"What the fuck…?" I murmured again, out loud this time.
"…Jaune?" Indigo's voice sounded plaintive now. Her shadow reached toward me, but stopped shy of my arm.
I looked back up. I knew the question was going to hurt her, but I had to confirm. "Is that my name?"
That was… Was that my name? It didn't sound quite right to me, somehow, but this woman was talking like she knew me.
Indigo stared for another moment, tears starting to gather at the corners of her eyes, when the doorknob suddenly turned. She blinked, and instantly composed herself, her shadow slipping back off the bed and returning to its expected position based on the lighting in the room.
A moderately-attractive woman in a labcoat swung the door open briskly. "Ah, you're awake!" she said, sounding pleasantly surprised, though she didn't miss a step as she swept across the room to examine the instruments and monitors on the other side of the bed from Indigo. "We hadn't expected you to come around quite so soon. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty well, considering," I answered politely. Bearing in mind the bonus objective of the quest I'd just accepted, I consciously avoided glancing at the name over her head. "I feel totally normal, actually. What happened?"
"You don't remember?" she asked, still immersed in whatever she was seeing from the machines. "You were admitted a few days ago; apparently they found you out in the woods. You had some lacerations to the cranium resulting in moderate exsanguination consistent with a Grimm ambush. Given the potential for TBI, we kept you under sedation until last night."
"I know what all those terms mean, you know," I pointed out, and the doctor paused, glancing down at me.
"Nerd," Indigo interjected, apparently automatically.
"Sorry," the doctor told me, smiling slightly at the interaction. "Most people who ask, don't actually want to know what happened. They just want to hear that they'll be okay, but they expect a bit of jargon or they get antsy."
I ignored that, focusing on something else she'd said. Grimm ambush. This really was fucking RWBY, wasn't it? I wondered for a moment why I wasn't more concerned, or excited, but I had a sneaking suspicion I knew the answer. I could confirm it later, though.
Instead, I asked, "So I was out alone?"
"So it seems," the doctor replied more slowly. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Yes, Jaune," Indigo said pointedly. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Waking up in this bed," I replied.
Both women waited a moment, before the doctor seemed to realize I wasn't going to say anything further. "You don't recall going into the Emerald Forest?"
"Doctor, he doesn't recall his name ," Indigo growled.
I shrugged. "She's right. I don't know who I am. Or who she is, which I think is upsetting her slightly more. I don't know where I am, other than 'in the hospital'. I do know I'd like this IV out, if we could?"
The doctor started. "I suppose so," she said, busying herself withdrawing the needle. "You recognized medical terminology and abbreviations, and you're not slurring your speech," she muttered, apparently to herself. She put a hand under my chin and stared into my eyes. "No pupil dilation…" she added. "Are you experiencing any dizziness? Blurred vision? Tinnitus?"
"None of the above," I answered truthfully, flexing my arm now that the drip was out. "I don't feel concussed. I could do with a drink of water and a trip to the restroom. And maybe a mirror, so I can find out what I look like. Can these bandages come off?"
"They can," the doctor said, busy scribbling away on a semi-transparent device she'd pulled from her pocket. What were they called?
I must have unconsciously used a skill, because a small box popped up:
[Scroll. Personal computing and communications device. This model is tablet-sized.]
Ping!
[Observe has increased by 1!]
Ignoring the boxes, I waited for her to finish.
"You'll need to be careful, but it's good that you're ready to get back on your feet. Just call if you start to feel disoriented." With that, she started unwrapping the bandages from around my head. "There will definitely be some scarring," she noted. "If you get your Aura unlocked, they may fade a little, but you'll probably carry them for a while."
The last bit of cloth fell away. They still looked clean, so whatever injury was under them wasn't oozing, at least. I shrugged. "Hope it's not too disappointing."
Swinging my legs out of bed, I started to get carefully to my feet. Indigo jumped up and caught my elbow, steadying me as I wobbled slightly. My legs weren't shaky or anything, but the ground seemed further away than I was used to.
Indigo helped me get my own balance, and remained hovering as I tottered toward the bathroom door. "Are you sure you're good?" she asked, clearly reluctant to enter with me but definitely willing to do so.
"I think I can manage the toilet," I said. "I mean, as long as… There aren't gonna be three seashells in there, right?"
Indigo just stared. "You remember that garbage movie but not your own name? " she asked incredulously.
"Hey, that movie is a classic!" I defended instantly. "And I didn't exactly get to pick and choose what I'd remember, you know."
Ping! Ping!
[A skill has been created through a special action! Lying about what you remember has created the skill [Deception]!]
[Deception (Passive) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%]
[A skill for leading others to believe what you want them to believe. There are many ways to deceive others; by lying, by manipulating information, by omission, by half-truths, by gaslighting.]
[Passively increases CHA by 1%]
[1% increased chance to deceive a skeptical target.]
[Deception has increased by 1!]
Ignoring the popup for the sake of shutting the bathroom door behind me, I flipped the lightswitch on and met my own gaze in the mirror over the sink. In the space of a blink, the mirrored text flipped so that I could read it.
‹The Gamer›
LV 1
Jaune Arc
Well. Don't that just beat all?
I was still pretty sure that my name wasn't Jaune, or at least, that it hadn't been Jaune before. It was as good a name as any, though, so I was pretty okay with answering to it.
Until or unless some more memories come back to me… I guess I am Jaune Arc. And… The Gamer. In which case…
"[Skills]," I murmured quietly, and a new box obediently appeared. There were five small images, which clearly resembled Jaune as he'd appeared in RWBY: a picture of my head with eyes closed, my flexed arm, a screen or monitor in a darkened room with Jaune's face on it, a close-up of my opened eye, and my head again but with the mouth open, showing a glint of silver.
No sooner had I rolled my eyes and wished for a List View did the pictures shrink and rearrange, with names appearing beside them. Oh, thank everything, I wasn't stuck with a horrible interface. Seeing that the last two skills were the ones I'd obtained since waking up, I focused on the first three. At the top were the two I'd been expecting, but I checked the descriptions of all three to make sure there weren't any surprises.
[Gamer's Mind (Passive) LV MAX]
[Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind.]
[Grants immunity to psychological status effects.]
[Gamer's Body (Passive) LV MAX]
[Grants a body that allows the user to live the real world like a game.]
Pretty much as expected, yep. The phrasing of [Gamer's Mind] was also telling, and it settled a debate that I remembered raging among fans of The Gamer – it 'allowed' a peaceful state of mind and rational thought, meaning that the emotional-dampening was optional. All the emotions of the human mind were still there, but I was capable of operating sort of… around them. There would be no question of feeling my own emotions, or ending up like some kind of unfeeling machine.
At least, not any more than people already thought I was.
By contrast, the immunity to psychological effects, as well as the entirety of [Gamer's Body] , was 'granted' . I couldn't 'turn off' those effects, even if for some reason I wanted to. If this worked the way I expected, then my body was now basically an avatar. Nothing would affect it permanently; afflictions would become status effects that I could shrug off, pain would fade as soon as the source disappeared, and any damage would just be relegated to my hit points. That… was something I should probably test in relatively safe conditions.
The Gamer webtoon was damn clear that laying low wasn't an option, because people would inevitably find out that I wasn't normal and come after me. And hey, Jaune wanted to be a Huntsman, and what nerd hasn't wished they could become a superhero? I was definitely going to try to get stronger, and that meant I was probably going to draw good attention and bad. Plus, I had a good idea of what would be coming, and staying as a civilian would just mean dying helpless when Vale Fell. Even ignoring the fact that I hated being a bystander, that was not acceptable.
Resolved, I looked at myself in the mirror once more, curled a fist, and punched myself in the jaw, hard enough that I thought it might bruise.
[You have lost 5 HP!]
Well, that answered that, I thought, as I leaned closer to the mirror and prodded at my cheek. At the very least, it should have been a little tender, but I felt completely normal seconds after the hit.
With that settled, I turned my attention to the last skill I hadn't read yet.
[Outsider (Passive) LV MAX]
[Acquired by importing previous save data. Grants the perspective of a newcomer to Remnant – you likely know things that nobody expects you to know, but you also lack information that others consider common knowledge.]
[Grants the use of knowledge from previous save file. Allows importing of skill experience from other save files.]
[Assimilation of previous save data granted immediate stat point distribution:]
[+15 base INT]
[+5 base WIS]
[+10 base CHA]
'Previous save data'… Was that the Semblance's euphemism for my life? Did that suggest that Jaune Arc, the real Jaune, was my… reincarnation, or something? I thought back to the messages I'd awoken to again. [Previous save data corrupted.] … [Importing alternate save data… Done!] … Something had happened to Jaune, presumably the Traumatic Brain Injury the doctor had danced around mentioning outside the acronym. The System couldn't recover him, so instead it pulled data from the 'Alternate save file'. Me.
Or, I supposed, Maybe I really am Jaune, having lost my own memories and…what? Hallucinating someone else's memories?
They didn't feel like remembering a dream, though; it felt like remembering my life. It came to the same thing in the end though: whoever I happened to be, I was still me. And I had to keep moving forward.
That said, since I could remember around double Jaune's years lived, not to mention being a bit of a nerd, it seemed the Semblance incorporated 'my' knowledge and experience as INT and WIS. Which, if I recalled The Gamer correctly, would not only make me smarter and more insightful than Jaune had been, but would also correspond to more MP and MP Regen. The CHA boost was a bit harder to account for, since I didn't exactly consider myself a hugely charismatic man, but maybe it was just a matter of genuine self-confidence. Most adults were more certain of who they were than teenagers, after all.
I'd been in the bathroom for a while already, though, so I decided to check on my current stats later. Dismissing all the windows, I splashed some water on my face, then combed wet fingers through my hair, drawing the floppy mess – what remained after the hospital had shaved the left side of my head to stitch my wounds – backward to leave my forehead uncovered. I ran a hand over my smooth chin, already missing the goatee that I'd worn for most of my adult life on Earth. Still, it wasn't a total loss, I thought. Jaune was taller than I remembered being, and I wouldn't have nearly as much an uphill struggle to get in shape again.
Which wasn't to say that I wasn't having a weird, creepypasta sort of experience, looking in the mirror. The hair and eyes and skin color of my reflection were all way off what my memory said they should be. So much so that if the guy in the mirror hadn't been moving when I did, I wouldn't have identified it as me. It was downright fucking eerie.
All in all, though, I had to conclude that I looked a lot like what I assumed Jaune Arc would have looked like, if he hadn't been a Poser model. I gave the mirror a sheepish smile, and the image was complete. Jaune Arc, consummate loser, audience surrogate, and comic relief.
No thank you.
I dropped back to a neutral expression, which didn't suit Jaune's face quite as well as my old one, then tried a confident smirk. It also didn't quite fit, but didn't look completely forced either. Maybe I needed to boost my Charisma stat a bit more for that to work?
Sitting down on the toilet, which was remarkably easy given I was wearing one of those damn hospital gowns, I let the quiet talking from the next room wash over me. Sounded like Indigo was questioning the doctor on what to expect, and when or if my memory would come back.
Ping!
[A skill has been created through a special action! By trying to focus on a distant sound, you have created the skill [Eavesdrop]!]
[Eavesdrop (Passive/Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%]
[An ability to hear distant or muffled sounds, or pick individual sounds out of a cacophony.]
[50% better hearing.]
[Range: 10 meters]
[ACTIVE: 10 MP/min]
[Increases range and clarity by 50%]
"–nd fortunately, he's not showing any signs of anterograde amnesia," the doctor was saying, "Meaning he seems perfectly capable of forming new memories. His symptoms aren't exactly consistent with typical retrograde amnesia either, though; most retrograde amnesiacs retain their identity, but lose facts as well as past experiences. This seems much more precise, like all his personal and emotional memories and metamemories have been erased, while leaving behind at least some of the knowledge attached to them. In other words, he probably has a great many facts in his mind, but he won't be able to remember how he learned them, or even that he should remember how he learned them. To him, it will be as if that knowledge was simply instinctive, and always present, like the need to eat or drink. That being said, it's very likely that there will be basic knowledge about history and society that he no longer has, and he won't necessarily realize he doesn't have it."
"Could the memory loss be the result of a Semblance?" my, presumably, sister asked. "An attack on the Arc's only son, while he was alone? Stealing his memories and leaving him for the Grimm?" Remarkably, she managed to make that theory sound plausible, rather than like someone grasping at straws.
"We can't rule that out, I'm afraid," the doctor admitted. "But there's also little that anyone can do, if that's the case. For the most part he should be able to function normally, and I would encourage you and your family to try to act as normally as possible. Some of his memories may yet come back, but at the moment it's best to act as if they won't. Consider him like a newly-adopted sibling. One from a tiny village on another continent in terms of things you'll have to explain to him… but otherwise treat him like an adult."
"He's only seventeen," Indigo said, sounding puzzled at the final instruction.
"He doesn't act like it," the doctor said, and I could picture her shrugging. "I don't know what he was like before, but he easily understood a five-syllable medical term and pointed it out with a dryness that's beyond most teenagers I've met. Tailor your behavior to how he acts, but try not to expect too much for him to behave like he used to."
"My sister and I will keep an eye on him," Indigo said firmly. "Our parents are on assignment, but we've left them a message. None of them are going to be happy about that scar, though…"
I felt a strange twinge, and realizing it was the MP cost, I shut off [Eavesdrop].
[Eavesdrop has increased by 1!]
I got up and flushed the toilet, then washed my hands. Leaning forward on the sink, I took a closer look at Jaune's — my — face. Blue eyes, pale skin, no acne blemishes to speak of. A damn sight better than I'd been as a teenager, and definitely had the potential to be handsome with a bit more time and effort. Then I tilted my head a little, focusing on the scars the doctor had warned about. There were three thin lines of hypertrophy angling down across my left temple, one slash dividing my left eyebrow, another ending just below the eye, and the third about an inch from the corner of my mouth. They had clearly been expertly stitched to minimize their visibility, and perhaps had some kind of healing Semblance applied as well, since they looked much older than the few days I had supposedly been in the hospital.
Judging by the angles of the cuts, they were probably made by the claw of a Grimm, and it was a damned miracle it hadn't gouged out my eye or torn off my ear.
Tracing each line with my fingers, they all ran toward my temple, and there was yet a fourth line running from behind my ear back around the base of my skull. That one seemed to have some sutures still in it. The ones on the side of my head were still red, but didn't seem inflamed, so I figured they'd probably fade to white like the ones on my face pretty soon.
Damn, but that must have been a nasty injury when it was fresh. If I had to guess, just based on the scars, the doctor had probably been exaggerating when she said she hadn't expected me to come around this soon — they were probably shocked I was even alive.
Hmm… If [Gamer's Body] worked the way I thought it did, it was a little weird that I had a scar at all. But perhaps it was already present before my Semblance kicked in and granted the skill. Or, thinking back to the messages that had appeared when I woke up, maybe it was a 'narrative' thing. [Your near-death experience has left you with a scar.] That would probably mean that almost-dying again, even with the Gamer Semblance fully active, would result in another scar.
I immediately resolved not to test that theory.
There was a knock at the door. "Jaune," called Indigo. "If you're feeling all right, they're going to let me take you home. Do you want your clothes?"
"Please," I said, opening the door. "Like I said, I feel fine. As soon as you get me out of here and get some food in me, I'll be on top of the world."
She didn't smile, but her lips twitched, and she nodded.
Shutting the door, I glanced at the pile of clothes in my hand. Thank whatever gods there might be, Jaune was also a boxers man. I pulled off the hospital gown and hung it on the door, then paused as I remembered something that had happened in The Gamer webtoon.
"[Inventory]," I said softly, and sure enough, a new window appeared, complete with a picture of me, equally-naked, but strategically covered with what I assumed were equipment slots. Picking up the boxers, I pressed them against the model in the correct slot. The cloth vanished from my hand immediately, and when I looked down, sure enough, they were now snugly on my hips. Nifty. Shrugging, I equipped the tee-shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, and belt. I would have preferred an A-Shirt under the tee, but it wasn't a dealbreaker. I'd just have to go shopping at some point, if Jaune didn't have any decent workout clothes.
Glancing at the hoodie, I shrugged and manually tied it around my waist. While it was very much Jaune's style, I wondered if Indigo assumed I'd want to put the hood up to conceal the worst of the scar. Maybe that's what Jaune would have done, but personally, I didn't see anything to be ashamed of. Trying to hide it completely on a regular basis would be a pain in the ass, considering it wrapped around half my head and a good quarter of my face. I was never a pullover guy, anyway; I preferred something I could unzip and get out of more easily, since I tended to run warm and overheat quickly. I'll want something nice for winter, though. Mental note, put a nice coat on my shopping list.
Ping!
[Note created: My Shopping List]
[• A nice coat]
Snorting, I added [• Workout clothes] and set a reminder for the following day, then shut the window.
Opening the bathroom door, I walked out much more smoothly than I'd entered. "Thanks, Indigo," I said.
She hesitated, then nodded. "The doctor said you're good to go, as long as you're still feeling okay."
"Still ready to get out of here and get some lunch," I confirmed. "Or dinner. Or even breakfast. I'm not picky and I don't actually know what time it is." I moved over and pulled open the door to the hall. "After you."
Indigo looked at me for another moment, then led the way out of the room. Checking out seemed ridiculously easy to me; there wasn't a bit of physical paperwork, just a digital acknowledgement that I was being discharged and a swipe of Indigo's own Scroll acting as a signature.
As she did, I heard a small jingle.
[Quest Complete!]
[Who, What, When, Where, Why, How (the fuck)?]
[You have gained 1,000 EXP and 1,000L!]
[Level up! Your level has increased by 1!]
"Was that a normal checkout?" I asked as I dropped into the passenger seat of the car she led me to.
"Not exactly," Indigo answered with a yawn, starting the engine. It was quieter than I'd expected, though it still hummed a little louder than the EV I'd driven back on Earth. "But as a member of your family, your current legal custodian, and an active Huntress, there aren't many obstacles unless I was checking you out AMA. You could have done it yourself if you were in combat school."
I nodded, accepting that. "Food, please?" I requested again as Indigo pulled out of the parking lot.
"Sure," she said. "It's actually barely past breakfast. What do you want?"
"What's around?" I asked.
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, then named off a series of restaurants. "Redd's Table. Simple Wok. Der Alte Baron. Hong Futou."
I gave her a look. "Thanks. I don't have the context for any of that, so maybe what food do they sell?"
Ping!
[Persuasive action caused your CHA to increase by 1!]
Another sidelong look got a different list. "Burgers and fries. Noodles. Atlesian deli sandwiches. Chicken and rice."
"Let's go with that last one," I said. The restaurant name sounded Mandarin, but since China didn't exist here, 'chicken and rice' could mean anything from curry to paella. But, it was also pretty straightforward no matter what cuisine it was modeled after, so it should all be edible.
Nodding, Indigo reached into the backseat and grabbed something, dropping a backpack in my lap. Blinking at it, I recognized the rabbit mascot from the hoodie I had declined to wear, and presumed it was Jaune's. Mine. Whatever. Opening it, I found a wallet, keys, and a collapsed Scroll, as well as a pair of wireless headphones similar to the one's around Indigo's neck, though in white.
"No knife?" I grumbled, and mentally added [• Fixed-blade knife] to [My Shopping list]. Weapons seemed pretty free to carry, judging by the gun at Indigo's hip, so nobody should look twice at a dagger.
Putting the first three items in my pockets with a bit of squirming, I stuffed the hoodie in the backpack instead and tossed it back into the backseat. "Thanks, Indigo," I said again.
Indigo gave me another of those sideways looks. "You said that earlier," she said. "You remember my name?"
Shit, she hadn't given it and neither had the doctor. I had just read it from over her head.
"Not exactly," I shook my head. "It's the color of your shirt and it just… sounded right? I guess it clicked, in my head."
"Hm."
Ping!
[Deception has increased by 1!]
And yet, I don't feel proud of the fact , I mused, as the car pulled to a stop.
I would probably have to tell Jaune's sisters about my Semblance, if only because I was working at a disadvantage in terms of information and I was desperately going to need allies if I wanted to try upsetting the canon timeline. Which I did, because it went to garbage after Volume 3. Or, in terms of the character's lives, during Volume 3.
Ping!
[Careful decision-making caused your WIS to increase by 1!]
Yeah, yeah…
'Chicken and rice' turned out to be what I would have called Chinese food, although since China didn't exist in Remnant, I presumed the cuisine was called something else. I looked over the descriptions, and gave my order to the tall, white guy behind the counter, who was wearing a suit and red sunglasses that looked vaguely familiar. Indigo paid another man in a similar suit, and we stepped out of the way, pausing at a spot where I could see into the kitchen.
I ended up with what I would have called kung pao chicken, prepared the traditional Sichuan way; the chicken stir-fried almost dry with just leeks, chilis, peanuts, and peppercorns, and served over fresh steamed rice. It smelled damn good, and was enough to put the lingering question of where I recognized the outfit from out of my mind.
There were no tables, so Indigo and I wandered a few blocks to a bench facing a park. There weren't many people around, the only ones in sight being a guy with his arms around two women, who were watching the river. Balancing the takeout container in my lap, I snapped the chopsticks apart and promptly started inhaling the food. Cut me some slack, I just got out of the hospital.
Indigo was staring, too, and I made an effort to pause. Swallowing, I asked, "What?"
She tilted her head, her first bite still halfway to her mouth. "I don't think I've ever seen you use chopsticks successfully," she said, finally. "It's been a running joke for years."
I blinked. "Really?" I glanced down at the chopsticks in my hand, clacked them together expertly, and then picked up a peanut, which I popped in my mouth. "Seems pretty easy. Weird."
It ought to be easy, frankly, considering I'd learned to use chopsticks when I was younger than Jaune was now. I guessed mechanical skills carried over, but how much of a klutz had Jaune been?
Ping!
[Skillful action caused your DEX to increase by 1!]
Well, all right then.
Starting to eat again in a somewhat more controlled manner, I considered how to go about figuring out where the hell I was in the RWBY timeline, and what things in this reality were different from the web animation I was familiar with.
"So, pretend I'm a long-estranged cousin, coming to visit," I said, then got into character. "Hi, I'm Jaune!" I managed not to stumble over the name. "You're Indigo, right? Tell me about yourself."
Exactly as I'd planned, Indigo stopped looking deeply concerned by my sudden chopstick prowess to roll her half-hooded eyes. She picked at her food for a bit, then said, "Indigo Arc. Sixth of eight children of Jacques and Isabella. Graduated Beacon Academy two years ago."
"And your Semblance is your shadow?" I asked, glancing downward. Her shadow leaned out from under the bench and nodded, though Indigo herself didn't move. I waved, and it waved back. "Guess that answers that."
"Jaune… What are we going to tell everyone?" Indigo asked me, putting her chopsticks down again.
"The truth?" I shrugged, scraping the bottom of my takeout container. "Whatever happened, we can't pretend it didn't. Something tells me, by your reactions, that I don't act like I used to. I'm guessing everyone's going to rumble pretty quickly that something's different about me. Are you going to eat that?"
Indigo shook her head and passed her mostly-full box to me, which I promptly began demolishing with just as much gusto as the first. "This is really good. I actually don't know if I could make this better."
"You think you can cook now?" Indigo snorted.
I paused. "I… think so?" I said. "I feel like I know a bunch of recipes. I guess it might turn out horribly. Wanna be my taste tester?
"I'll pass," she said, leaning back on the bench and tilting her head up to look at the sky. She closed her eyes, and I took the opportunity to hit her with [Observe].
[Name: Indigo Arc]
[LV ?]
[Title: ?]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 23]
[Job: Professional Huntress]
[Class: ?]
[Semblance: Shadow manipulation?]
[Background: Sixth of the eight scions of the Arc family of Vale. Graduated Beacon Academy. Active Huntress.]
Ping!
[Observe has increased by 1!]
She looks exhausted. Is that just how she always is? Or was this because of her brother's hospitalization?
Fuck, her brother was basically dead, wasn't he? I was here now, and I wasn't really Jaune. Part of me wanted to confess it immediately, to make sure the whole family knew, right away, so that they could mourn their son and brother. But if I did that… Was I expecting them to just let me go? Ignore the stranger walking around wearing Jaune's face? I could keep that part to myself without much difficulty — I had a ready-made excuse in the form of 'amnesia'. Even so, was it ethical to conceal it; to hide my actual identity from the family of the body I'd inadvertently snatched? I'd have to deliberate on this more, when I had some time to myself.
Ping!
[Careful decision-making caused your WIS to increase by 1!]
Once again, not something I can really feel good about, I grumbled internally.
"Shall we head out?" I asked aloud, stacking the empty takeout containers to throw in the trash.
Nodding, Indigo dragged herself to her feet, and we trekked back to the car.
The Arcs lived in a village outside of Vale proper, and on the outer edge of the village at that. Presumably because with the city to one side, the sea to another, and the mountains on a third, the only way to approach the village of Ansel other than through Vale itself, was to pass by the Arc house, and the numerous Hunters that lived there.
The village was… idyllic, in a word. Like a New England small town where everyone knew each other, but was only a quick train ride from the big city.
I'd managed to get the names of all Jaune's sisters out of Indigo, as well as their current deployments, on the drive home.
The eldest, Bianca, was stationed in Vacuo. The second, Violet, was in Mistral with our maternal grandmother. Sienna, the older of the twins, was in Atlas, while the younger, Shani, was in Vacuo with Bianca. Next was Azure, who had been fast-tracked into the Specialist program in Atlas and had moved up to live with Sienna. Then came Indigo, who usually stayed in the family home. And finally, the youngest daughter, Olivia, who had an apartment in Vale but came home for dinner several nights a week.
None of them knew where their parents were currently deployed. It had been more than six months since their itchy feet had led them to request a long-term mission. Apparently they had felt comfortable doing so since their youngest child, Jaune, had been sixteen and 'obviously' not planning on a Hunting career, since he had never asked for training and wasn't enrolled in combat school.
Well, never let it be said that canon Jaune wasn't brave, if reckless. Or perhaps 'stupid' was a better word, but I didn't want to speak ill of my apparent reincarnation.
Pulling Jaune's keys from my pocket, I [Observed] them, gaining another level in the skill thanks to practicing it on the way home, then selected the front door key and let us in. Indigo raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it.
"Hello the house!" I called out the moment the door was ajar, before swinging it open. It was a habit I'd gotten out of, since I'd lived along for a good few years, but announcing yourself when unexpectedly entering somewhere was simply polite.
"Welcome home," came a reply from the top of the stairs. Looking up, I saw the youngest Arc sister, wearing a simple green dress, with her hair damp from a shower and loosely tied back.
‹?›
LV ?
Olivia Arc
Huh, once again, no information. I'd been able to see the names and (usually single-digit) levels of people on the street. One of the people at the restaurant had even been level 10. But I got nothing off either of my sisters.
Indigo brushed past me. "Your turn to deal with him," she grunted as she mounted the stairs, though she winked at me over her shoulder, so I didn't take too much offense. "I need a nap."
"Sleep well and wake!" I waved sarcastically at her back, and her shadow gave me the finger as she turned the corner.
Olivia stifled a giggle as she descended. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty well," I answered, "Except for the amnesia and this terrible haircut they had to do, to stitch up my head. I don't suppose you could help me even it out?"
"I probably can," she said, coming up to me and tilting my head to the right so she could look at the scars on the left side of my head. Then she paused, and her fingers clamped around my chin as she pulled me back around to stare into my eyes. "Wait. What did you just say?"
"This haircut is terrible," I repeated obediently.
"Before that," she growled, eyes flashing.
"I said I feel pretty well," I smirked. Her nails dug into my skin slightly, and I sighed. "Except for the amnesia," I finished. "Long story short, I don't really remember anything before this morning, or anything about myself. The doctor isn't sure it'll ever come back, so you should basically treat me like a competent adult from another country."
Ping!
[Deception has increased by 1!]
Hush, Semblance.
"Or maybe more like someone from a parallel dimension," I offered when Olivia raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Ping!
[Deception has increased by 1!]
Oh, shut up, Semblance.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Olivia said slowly.
"I mean, I still know how to walk and talk, but I couldn't tell you the name of this language," I explained. "I know how to do calculus and drive a car, but I can't remember ever sitting down in a classroom or behind a wheel on…Remnant? That's the name of the planet, right? I know how trains work but not where the stations are or where each line goes. I know things that I shouldn't, given what I've forgotten, but there's also things that should be common knowledge that I'll need to have spelled out for me. I had to pump Indigo for the names of our parents and all our siblings, and I think she's still coming to terms with it."
Ping! Ping! Ping!
[Figuring out how to lie while telling the truth caused your INT to increase by 1! Deception has increased by 1! Deception has increased by 1!]
Enough, Semblance!
"Not to blatantly change the subject," I said, blatantly changing the subject, "But I really do need a hand with this haircut."
Olivia snorted inelegantly, but let go of my chin and jerked her head toward the kitchen.
"Sure, come on." She steered me into a seat at the counter, then left the room for the stairs.
As I waited, I let my eyes drag over the room, popping [Observe] on basically everything in what was fast becoming a habit. Most of the popups didn't tell me anything interesting, and the resulting EXP gain was pretty negligible. On the upside, I now knew which cabinets contained the cookware, flatware, and silverware, so if I decided to try cooking I wouldn't have to stumble around the kitchen looking for things.
"What do you want to do with it?" Olivia asked, bustling back in with a comb, brush, clippers, and scissors. She dragged the trash can over beside my chair and propped it open, but didn't lay down a sheet or anything to catch the hair she'd be cutting.
I tilted my head. "There's no saving the left side with how much they had to trim it to stitch me up," I said, brushing what was barely more than stubble behind my ear. "I guess trim the rest of the right side to match it, and maybe we can clean up the top for a decent undercut?"
Olivia frowned slightly, circling me. "I don't know if that really suits you," she said finally, "But it's gotta be better than the mop you had before."
I rolled my eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"Any time, Bro-bro," she ruffled the longer hair on the top of my head. Then she paused, her frown deepening again.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You usually hate it when I do that," she said, eyes widening as she realized I obviously no longer remembered that.
I shrugged. "I'm not crazy about it," I admitted. "Seeing as you're kind of a stranger to me. But I know intellectually that you're supposed to be my sister, so I'm forcing myself not to mind it."
She jerked her hand back as if burned. "Sorry."
I gave a half-smile, meeting her eyes easily. "It's fine. I'm letting you near my head with sharp objects, aren't I?"
She considered that, looking between me and the scissors, before she nodded firmly. Nevertheless, she took up the clippers first, and was a bit more gentle than was really necessary in tilting my head down so she could get to the back.
As soon as the clippers touched my hair, I felt… something. It wasn't exactly brand new, as in a sudden sensation; it was more like something I'd been feeling constantly, abruptly strengthened. My eyebrows creased as I tried to figure out what the hell it was. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before, meaning it probably wasn't something I'd ever felt on Earth, so… Aura?
[A skill has been created through a special action! Identifying the sensation you have been passively detecting has created the skill [Detect Aura]!]
[Detect Aura (Passive/Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%]
[An ability to detect the presence of life around the user, by sensing the metaphysical pressure of others' souls. Not effective on those without Aura, as the Aura surrounding them will mask the void they make.]
[Range: 10 meters.]
[ACTIVE: MP: 25/min]
[Increases range by 10x.]
Ah, apparently I was detecting Olivia's Aura, which meant she was probably plying her Semblance. Flicking my eyes to the side, I saw a very slight ripple in the air, as all the hair that she was trimming away suddenly fell sideways for about two feet before dropping sharply into the trash can. How the hell did that work? Telekinesis? Aerokinesis?
I didn't have enough data to make a good guess, but I did remember The Gamer inventing his own spells in the webtoon, so I made a mental note to [Investigate Skill Creation], and set the reminder for tomorrow morning.
Trimming the hair on the sides of my head was a quick job, and a few moments later Olivia passed me a hand mirror, and started twisting her fingers through the hair that was left on my crown. "What do you think? An inch or two off the top?"
I pondered it. "Start with half an inch, but layer it a bit on the sides so it's longer on top. I'm probably going to keep sweeping it back like I had it."
This took a bit longer, and since Olivia ended up right in front of me, I went ahead and subvocalized [Observe], wondering if I would get anything more than I had from Indigo.
[Name: Olivia Arc]
[LV ?]
[Title: ?]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 22]
[Job: Professional Huntress]
[Class: ?]
[Semblance: Telekinesis?]
[Background: Seventh of the eight scions of the Arc family of Vale. Graduated Beacon Academy last year. Active Huntress. Aspires to a teaching position in one of the major Academies.]
Question mark for her Semblance, because I'm not sure what it is yet? I thought, before, Ping!
[Observe has increased by 1!]
Curious, there was a bit more description for her background than there had been for Indigo. And [Observe] suddenly leveled again, despite me looking at dozens of things on the way home with barely a blip on the experience bar. So, I get more EXP for Observing people? Or is it powerful people?
My sisters were definitely strong — if I remembered the rules of The Gamer correctly, he could only see the levels and titles of people within 50 levels of himself, meaning my sisters were at least level 53. Though, I don't think he could see descriptions of them either, at least until he raised Observe's experience.
"How's that?" Olivia asked, bringing my attention back to the moment.
I held up the mirror again, raking the fingers of my other hand through my shortened locks. "That's about what I had in mind," I grinned.
Like I had done earlier at the hospital, I couldn't help but picture the Poser model. Something like this would look weird in the web show's 3D-anime style, I decided, but it worked well in real life.
She smiled back, leaning away slightly and examining me critically. "It actually does look good."
"You don't have to sound so surprised."
Olivia snorted. "Between the haircut and the scars, you look older. Although, it's still hard for me to believe my baby brother's going to be old enough to start Beacon next year."
"Next year?" I asked. "How old am I?"
"Still seventeen, Bro-bro." She reached out to ruffle my hair again, but caught herself. "It's a good look though; between this and the new attitude, you might even land yourself a couple of girlfriends."
"So Beacon starts at eighteen?" I confirmed, ignoring the last thing she'd said. I was pretty sure it was seventeen in the web show, but that had never really made any sense to me.
"Well, seventeen or eighteen depending on your birthday," Olivia explained, apparently adjusting reasonably well to having to explain things that I should have already known. "Academies count your age from the new year, not your actual birthday, so plenty of first-years are seventeen. Your birthday is coming up before school starts, though."
I hummed. "When is my birthday, exactly?"
"27th March," came the answer immediately. "Ten days before classes."
"And today is…?"
"23rd July."
"So I've got almost eight months to get into shape," I pondered aloud. It would be tight if I was a normal person, even by Remnant's standards. I'd probably have to pull canon Jaune's transcript gambit to get away with it, though I was pretty confident I'd be more prepared than he was, since I wasn't allergic to asking for help. But given the Gamer Semblance as a variable in the equation… If it worked for me as well as for Han Jee-han, I might be leaving the other students in the dust by then, depending on how obsessively I was willing to grind.
Not that I had a problem with that.
"Are you serious?" Olivia interrupted my train of thought, and I blinked, returning my attention to her. "Jaune, you just got out of the hospital today ; a Grimm almost killed you because you don't have any training, and you think you'll be ready in time for Beacon's entrance exam?"
I grinned. "Wanna know a secret, Liv?" I asked, trying on a nickname. Seeing her grimace, I immediately backtracked. "Olivia. Sorry. But as I was saying… I'm planning to tell the family, but you guys absolutely have to keep it to yourselves."
Looking intrigued despite herself, Olivia leaned in.
"I may have lost my memories," I told her, "But I'm pretty sure I gained my Semblance."
There was that skeptical eyebrow again. "And what's that?"
I quirked my lips in a half-smile. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I haven't finished testing it yet, either, so I'll tell you what: Ask me tomorrow and I'll tell you and Indigo, once I have a better idea of what I can do. But I'll bet you right now I can get into Beacon for the next school year."
"And what's in it for me?" she was grinning now. "Not much of a bet if there's no forfeit."
I shrugged. "What do you want? I don't have any context for what would tempt you. Surprise me."
Olivia tapped her finger to her lips. "You'll have to be my errand boy," she decided. "Until the next school year, when you can try again." She held that finger up. "You'll have to clean my apartment, wash my clothes, cook my meals — well, maybe not that last one." She looked mildly green at the thought.
"Actually, I'm fairly confident I know how to cook. Dunno how that works, if I was hopeless before. But sure, that sounds fine for a forfeit. If I get in, you'll have to buy me a weapon."
"Really?" Olivia looked shocked. "You always said you were going to use Great-Great-Grandad's Crocea Mors…"
"What's that?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
Ping!
[Deception has increased by 1!]
"A sword," she answered simply. "The sheath can expand into a shield. It's very… Classical," she finished diplomatically.
"Uh, sure, sounds great," I said, not entirely dishonestly, because I was definitely down for sword-and-board, but still… "Did I have any plans for range? A rifle? Hell, a bow ?"
She shook her head. "Not that you ever mentioned."
"Well, fuck that–"
"Language!" Olivia interrupted me immediately.
I gave her a dry look. "You're not my mother," I reminded her. "Anyway, I'm going to want a gun, and if I get into Beacon then you have to pay for whatever I design."
She considered it for a moment, apparently judging how serious I was. "Done."
I held out a hand, and we shook on it.
[Quest Alert!]
[The Shining Beacon]
[You are angling to beat the odds, and go from untrained civilian to Huntsman-In-Training in just eight months. Train hard, and legitimately pass the Beacon Academy Entrance Exam, so that you can stay on top of the events to come.]
[Bonus Objective: Keep your Gamer Semblance a secret.]
[Time limit: Beacon Entrance Exam, 20th March.]
[Reward: 100,000 EXP, 1,000,000L, new weapon "?", Job "Beacon Academy Student", quest continuation.]
[Bonus objective reward: 50,000 EXP, skill book "?", remain below the notice of ?, ?, ?, and hostile forces.]
[Failure Penalty: 10,000 XP, become Olivia Arc's errand boy, humiliation, possible quest continuation, destruction and mayhem, likely death.]
[Bonus Objective Failure: ?, ?, ?, and/or hostile forces may take notice of you.]
[Accept/Decline]
So, no fuckin' pressure, then, I thought sourly, accepting what was obviously the 'storyline' quest. I probably had a small shot at disrupting Cinder's plans from outside Beacon, but being on the scene would give me so much more information and opportunities there was no comparison. In the end, it was the kind of choice that wasn't one, given I knew where things were headed before that school year ended.
A hundred, maybe hundred-fifty grand in EXP and a million Lien, plus my new weapon? And the skill book, too, for the bonus objective — I had no intention of leaving any of that on the table, considering I definitely didn't want Salem or her people aware of my Semblance. Especially if it had the potential that I thought it might. I would also be avoiding notice from other persons or groups unknown. I assumed Ozpin's Guardians were one of them, but fuck only knew who the others were — I was beginning to get a feeling, based on some offhand comments that both my sisters had made, that my own presence was not the only way this world differed from the web show called RWBY.
Standing up, I picked the hairbrush off the table and gestured for Olivia to take my seat. "Your hair's dry; I'll brush it for you."
Looking bemused, she humored me, and I gently tugged out the tie holding back her ponytail, slipping it around my wrist as I started to work on her hair, brushing out a few tangles and checking for split ends.
Ping!
[Importing Outsider save data… Save data loaded successfully!]
[Synchronizing with previous save data… Done!]
[You have remembered the skill [Hair Brushing]!]
[Hair Brushing (Passive) LV 47 EXP: 84.19%]
[Far more than just moving bristles through hair, this skill covers all aspects of hair care and styling (but not cutting), from comb to brush to updos to product.]
[Increases hair care capability by 94%.]
[Increases hair styling capability by 47%.]
Hmm… I guess it synchronized Jaune's experience as well as importing mine, I thought, continuing mechanically. I had worn my hair long for a few years, all the way down my back, so I had practice doing it for myself, and it seemed like Jaune had probably been roped into doing his sisters' hair at some point.
Setting the brush down, I gathered Olivia's honey-blonde tresses into three bunches, and wove them quickly into a simple braid, the way I'd once worn mine. Rolling the tie off my wrist once more, I wrapped it around the tip of the braid a few times. Satisfied it wouldn't fall out or tug, I tossed the braid over her shoulder so she would know I was done.
"You're at least as good at this as you used to be," Olivia commented, running her fingers over the braid.
"Muscle memory, maybe," I mused.
Ping!
[Deception has increased by 1!]
I get it already, I'm becoming a pathological liar, I grumbled mentally.
Running my fingers through my own hair again, I tilted my neck one way, then the other, until the vertebrae popped. "Think you can show me my room and bathroom?" I asked. "I want to get cleaned up and play with my Semblance, see if it works the way I think it might."
Olivia smirked. "Sure, just wash your hands after you're done, before you come down for dinner, kay?"
I rolled my eyes, but declined to respond beyond that.
My room turned out to be third on the left at the top of the stairs, directly across from a bathroom that I nominally shared with Olivia and Indigo, but since there were three bathrooms on this floor alone and none of our other siblings were living at home, we had each taken one for ourselves. I also noticed as I stepped in that sounds from the rest of the house were curiously muffled. Wonder if soundproofing like that is standard for Hunting houses?
Jaune's room was… a bit of a disaster area, frankly. Ugh, teenager, I thought, uncharitably. I wasn't the neatest dude, being a bachelor, but I didn't leave clothes and books scattered all over the floor.
"Washing machine?" I asked, before Olivia could leave.
"Off the kitchen," she called, turning into her own room. "See you for dinner."
Poking around, I eventually found a hamper, and loaded it up with all the dirty clothes on the floor. The washing machine had a brand name I'd never heard of, but water and detergent turned out to be pretty universal. Starting a load of dark clothes, which fortunately included socks and athletics shorts, as well as Jaune's many pairs of jeans, I blinked as I noticed a timer for the cycle appear in the corner of my vision. Convenient.
Climbing the stairs again, I decided against stripping the bed, and instead set about picking up all the novels and comic books that were scattered around, setting them on the shelves where they presumably belonged.
Pausing as I passed by the bed again, I sighed and lifted the mattress. Predictably, there was a magazine, Enchantress , that looked to be somewhere between Penthouse and Hustler in terms of its content. I tossed it into my Inventory without a second glance. Also under the mattress was a small book that looked like a diary.
I picked it up and fanned through the pages curiously, but it looked like Jaune had never written in it. I placed it in my Inventory as well, since it was still open, and promptly got an alert.
Ping!
[Physical journal detected. Synchronizing mental notes and quests.]
[Unlocked [Journal] function. Quests, notes, and codex entries will be recorded in the [Journal] automatically. The [Journal] can be accessed via the HUD or by withdrawing the physical book.]
Hmm, more interface stuff, I mused. I'll need to check into that later. Maybe I can link other real-world things to the interface as well.
The room now basically clean, I trooped back down the stairs to start another load of laundry while the dark load went into the dryer. Seeing the dryer start a longer timer in my HUD, I decided the room was clean enough to sleep in, and I was ready to shower.
Tossing a few clean outfits into my Inventory as well, I spent a few moments experimenting with the hot and cold taps before getting under the spray. Jaune's shampoo was unfortunately cheap, and I immediately added [• Good hair product] to my [Shopping List].
Taking care to wash all suds away from my scars, I patted them carefully dry before toweling off the top of my head and the rest of myself normally. Standing there in front of the mirror, I opened my Inventory again and started flipping through it, eventually equipping a pair of boxers and a gold-colored tee-shirt, before toeing on some house slippers.
I had about half an hour before the laundry needed another rotation, so with a sigh, I threw myself onto Jaune's bed. It was… mediocre. I immediately wanted a nicer one, and after mulling it over a moment, I added [• Queen+ bed] and [• My own apartment] to my growing [Shopping List]. The last one wasn't necessarily important, but depending on how easy making money ended up being for me, I might go for it anyway. I'd probably see about getting my own transportation first, though. Maybe a motorcycle?
Rolling over to stare at the unfamiliar ceiling, I figured there was one more thing I should check on before I started making plans.
"[Status]."
Name: Jaune Arc
Level: 2 (Next: 77.78%)
Title: Newcomer
Race: Human
Age: 17
Job: None
Class: The Gamer
Semblance: The Gamer
HP: 250/250
MP: 335/335
STR: 10
CON: 10
DEX: 11
INT: 26
WIS: 17
CHA: 22.9 (21)
Points: 10
Money: 1100L
Status: Cursed – Yellow Death [Highest]
A/N: So this is possibly the most self-indulgent thing I've ever written. I don't even keep up with where RWBY has gone, but I will forever carry this torch. Happy birthday, Monty.
The more well-read among you may recognize I'm borrowing the names of Jaune's family from The Games We Play. This will probably include their Semblances, since the Arc kids' battle royale was one of my favorite parts of that story, and I like doing homages like that.
Also, for the record, while this is supposed to be an SI with knowledge of both RWBY and The Gamer, I am specifically excluding knowledge of the aforementioned fic, so that Jaune doesn't feel tempted to develop along the same lines.