Princess Blake - Jaune x Blake oneshot

Per the vote, here's Princess Blake. A Blake more like her RWBY comics counterpart who apparently grew up sheltered, innocent, and naive rather than protesting when she was like 7 according to the canon show.

If people are interested, I may make a second chapter. This was just a short thing to keep the juices flowing.

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Vale was such an interesting place!

That was the thought that ran through Blake's mind as she looked up at all the towering buildings. Everything was so big. Menagerie buildings were short and mostly made of wood out of necessity. Even her own house, the biggest building in Menagerie, paled in comparison to everything here. Instead of simple wood structures bunched up together out of necessity, just about everything was made out of brick and mortar. Another rarity you wouldn't normally see in Kuo Kuana.

And there were so many people! Menagerie had a lot of people too - sometimes too much for what space they had - but they were all Faunus. Here, there Humans and Faunus. Blake stared at a human family and their child walking by. It was so odd seeing people without animal traits. There were Faunus with subtle traits like her friend Ilia, but the ones she'd met could be counted on one hand. Now they were everywhere and Faunus were the exception. How strange.

Blake took a deep breath and coughed. Even air in Vale was different from home. Dust pollution in the air led to an artificial taste that made her throat itch, "Ahem." She sniffed and wrinkled her nose, coughing into her dark kimono's sleeves. The clothes were different too. Menagerie style was either traditional or made with the tropical weather in mind. Practical. Fashion wasn't really a consideration back home. Clothes like her kimono were the exception, not the rule.

She was about to go to the closest shop - From Dust Till Dawn - when she heard a cough behind her, "Excuse me. my lady?" She turned around and saw Jaune giving her that sweet, awkward smile, "Maybe we should stick to the schedule? We're supposed to go to the restaurant first, and then check three shops maximum."

"Come on, Jaune!" Blake pouted, "This is the first time I've ever been outside of home! I don't wanna be stuck on some strict schedule. We can go eat later." She gestured to the shop, "Look at all that Dust! Back home, everything's imported and assigned."

"My lady-"

"And stop calling me my lady! My name's Blake!" She laughed. Jaune was so sweet, but always so formal too. She knew that he was assigned by her father to keep an eye on her, but she didn't know why. She could take care of herself! She was trained by actual Huntresses and fought Grimm that endangered Kuo Kuana. If anyone tried to attack her, she'd send them packing.

"Lady Blake." Blake huffed. He was so stubborn, "Your dad gave us a schedule and said we should keep to it."

"Well he's not here right now, is he?" Blake pointed out reasonably, "Besides, I'm not saying we should go on a crime spree or anything, just explore. We have a whole week of being in Vale before I go to Beacon. This is a chance to have fun!" She never thought about being an actual licensed Huntress, but then she realized it was her chance to both get a licsense and explore the world past Kuo Kuana's walls. So she took the chance with both hands.

"But-"

"Come on, stop being such a buzzkill." She held his hand and dragged him to the store. Dad gave her some spending money and warned her to be careful. The big city was full of temptation, he said. One day you could have a wallet full of lien and then then the next you were missing your right shoe. She promised him she'd be careful. Probably. Maybe. Okay, maybe not, but she was smart enough to set aside a portion of funds as necessity and give it to Jaune in case of an emergency.

Blake stepped inside with a bright smile on her face.

Next to her, Jaune Arc was feeling a lot less enthusiastic.

The blonde sighed as he was dragged along by his charge. How did he get into this mess, he wondered again. It was all supposed to be simple. Dad and Ghira Belladonna were apparently old friends and dad voluntold him to help out their daughter as part of his punishment for trying to sneak his way into Beacon. Cause apparently trying to sneak into a Huntsman Academy without even knowing what Aura was put him on the hotseat with the rest of his family. Except Saphron; she found it funny.

So this was part of his punishment. Babysitting a girl with Huntress level training but somehow had less street smarts than him; and that was saying something considering he once called someone homeboy unironically a year ago. But even he made Blake look world weary. For someone who could spank Grimm with her hands tied behind her back (literally, he saw her do it once),

"Jaune, look at this one!" Blake grabbed a Dust crystal and presented it to him like it was a prize. Despite everything, Jaune smiled. Blake wasn't a bad person, she was just...sheltered. From what Mr. Belladonnatold him, she'd been cooped up in Menagerie since before she was born and never left before today. Even he'd gone to Vale and Mistral a few times on trips for the family business. That practically made him a wise mentor by comparison.

Case in point...

Jaune's eyes flicked to the side to check on the rest of the store. The shopkeeper was tending to the register as usual, but he saw the security guard by the door eyeing the Dust crystal Blake was holding with a slight glare; as if she was about to run off with it in her hands after showing it to him. His hand drifted towards his nightstick, and for just a second, he almost hoped he'd try something so Blake could kick his butt.

Jaune felt a burst of annoyance for his client. Racism back home was rarer compared to the big cities. They had some old timers who ranted about how they "should've won that war", but they were a loud minority. The kingdoms were different. Safety behind the walls meant that people didn't have to worry about the Grimm overruning them. Which meant they made reasons to find problems. The Faunus were just the easiest target. Even if Vale wasn't as bad as Atlas and Mistral (there was a reason those two places weren't picked), they still had their prejudices.

Blake, bless her heart, didn't notice the looks. She just kept showing off the crystal, "That's a really nice color. You planning to buy it?" he asked

"Hm, maybe..." She held it up to the light, "My Semblance can use Dust crystals, the purer the better. I'm guessing I can get at least half a dozen uses out of this? But I'm not sure its worth it..." She put it back on the shelf. The guard was still giving her the side-eye. Jerk, "I was hoping to get some upgrades for Gambol Shroud too. Oh, and maybe a new combat outfit."

"What's wrong witht he one you packed?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, but that was the stuff mom and dad wanted me to wear. Who wear's their parents' hand me downs while training to be a Huntress?" Her ears flattened against her head. Cute, "Maybe you can help me pick out an outfit? You look like you have a great sense of fashion!"

Jaune smiled again and rubbed his nose cockily, suddenly feeling a lot less tired, "Well, I don't like to brag or anything..." he said, sounding just a bit smug. He was supposed to keep a professional distance, according to dad, but mom told him that was dumb. Professional didn't mean being cold. Plus calling her 'My Lady' and 'Lady Blake' felt weird even if she was basically Menagerie's princess. Last he checked, most princesses couldn't fight Nevermores.

"Teach me your ways, Master Jaune," she said, looking up at him with stars in her eyes.

Master Jaune...he liked the sound of that. Not in a weird way or anything! "Well...okay." He was being totally professional about this. He was just helping out his client to prepare for Beacon. Nothing wrong with that!

An hour later and he and Blake went to his favorite clothing store. He knew a lot about fashion because of his sisters. You'd think with seven of them they'd have looked to each other for advice and girl talk, but no, they dragged poor little Jaune into their shopping sprees. He'd seen enough skirts, blouses, and women's fashion to last a lifetime.

So of course, he made sure that Blake would be different.

"Uh...Jaune, are you sure about this?" She spun around slowly.

"Of course I'm sure." He rubbed his nose again and grinned. He'd gone all out. A black hoodie with a cat logo at the front, baggy jeans, and sneakers. The ultimate in fashion. Who needed all those fancy combat skirts and accessories? What you needed was loose, comfy, and easily replacable! You could buy a dozen jeans for the price of one combat skirt! Who needed all that expensive crap? Huntsmen let their skills and weapons do the fighting.

"But..." She raised her right arm and the sleeve rolled up slightly, "I dunno, this feels kinda...basic, doesn't it?"

"Basic?" Jaune gasped, "You said I have a great sense of fashion! Were you lying?"

"N-No, of course not! It's just..." She looked down at the hoodie again, "This style really works for you, but I'm not sure if it works for me. Your sense of fashion isn't bad. Just different from me." She kicked her leg experimentally, "My fighting style focuses a lot on kicks and acrobatics. Hoodies and loose jeans can get tangled up or grabbed. Actually, hold on." She disappeared - literally just phased out like a shadow - and came back half a minute later with a bundle of clothes, "I wanna try this!"

He didn't get a chance to say anything before she went back to the dressing room and closed the curtain. Jaune sighed and sat back down on the nearby bench. So much for being the fashion master. Plus the casual usage of her Semblance reminded him that he was less a bodyguard and more a babysitter. Oh well, maybe he could use this as proof that he wasn't a total screw-up. Helping the daughter of Menagerie's chieftain get to Beacon intact scored a lot of brownie points, right?

Not that that was the only reason he was doing it, of course.

The curtain slipped and Jaune was completely speechless when Blake walked out. He knew she was pretty - Mr. Belladonnaproudly said that she took the best from both himself and Mrs. Belladonna - but he was still surprised by how effortlessly beautiful she looked. She'd changed into a purple tank top, a sleevless black hoodie (that still had the cat logo), a black combat skirt, and purple stockings. She kept the sneakers he suggested from before, which he found flattering for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

"What do you think?" She smiled and twirled for him again. The skirt swished with the movement, but true to the product description, didn't ride up or expose anything at all, "I figured a blend of both our styles would work best."

"Wow, Blake. You look...great."

"Really?" Her smile was so bright that he almost looked away.

"Really." He nodded.

"Great! I'll go buy it and wear it out." She bundled up her kimono and made her way to the register with Jaune following. At least this time, there weren't any guards giving her dirty looks. Not for the first time that way, Jaune found himself sad for Blake. She didn't do anything wrong, but people saw her cat ears and immediately judged her for it. It always felt so...dumb to him. It was like if someone saw his blonde hair and immediately started treating him like garbage.

They barely made it outside before Blake bumped into someone, "Ugh, watch where you're going!" a high, haughty voice said. The owner of the voice looked like she stepped right out of a fairy tale. Pale skin, snow white hair, and a dress that just screamed money. Atlesian by the looks of her. He'd only seen them a few times when some clients went to buy certain vintages from their winery. Always the rich types with a lot of money to spend.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Blake bowed politely.

The girl's face, already set in a frown, puckered even worse when she saw Blake's twitching cat ears. Uh-oh, "We're really sorry," Jaune cut in before it could escalate, "We weren't watching where we were going." Not true, but he wasn't going to pick a fight when the job was to keep Blake out of trouble.

Her eyes narrowed as they shifted to him. Before he could drag Blake out, the white-haired girl scoffed, "I'm surprised you let the cat walk around without a leash."

...

Jaune almost punched the girl in the face even with the rapier hanging from her side that marked her as a Huntress (or a really dedicated cosplayer). Some guys were told to never hit girls. Mama Arc and seven sisters told him that it didn't matter what someone had between their legs if they were being jerks.

The tense atmosphere was interrupted when Blake gasped and turned to him, "Jaune, you have a cat? Why didn't you show me? I love cats!"

Jaune blinked, then blinked again. He knew Blake was sheltered, but still. He didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed that the insult flew completely over her head. Even the girl looked shocked, her mouth parted but without the expected second insult. Jaune took it as a chance to slip away. He grabbed Blake's left hand and tugged her away before the girl could let out another barb. This time, Blake might not miss it.

He seriously hoped Blake didn't see that girl again. She was definitely a bitch.

"Jaune, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! Just...feeling hungry! We were supposed to go to the restaurant first, yeah?" he said with a forced grin. The crowd suddenly felt suffocating and he gently tugged her into a nearby alley to get some breathing room. Thinking about that girl was giving him an aneurysm.

"Oh! Yeah, I lost track of time. Sorry." Her cat ears wilted. Jaune winced. Please don't look sad! His heart was already in pain! "You've been really nice to me, Jaune. I know it's your job and all, but thanks."

"C-Come on, it's not just because it's my job." Jaune stopped and turned to face her, "We're...We're friends, right? My mom always said strangers are just friends you haven't met. And we're not strangers anymore!"

Blake's eyes widened and she suddenly held his right hand with both of her's, "That sounds great. Yes, we're definitely friends." She laughed, "My first Human friend. Hopefully I can find even more at Beacon. I heard that it's mostly Humans there."

"Well...there's definitely gonna be some Faunus there too."

"Sure, but I don't want to just make friends with Faunus." Her ears perked up, "I want to make friends with all sorts of people from different kingdoms. If they're anything like you, I can't wait." Ugh. Why was she so pure? This was so unfair, "I just wish you could come with me to Beacon."

"I do too." The reminder of his failed transcripts made his shoulders sag, "But I don't have any training or Aura."

"Oh, that's easy." She clapped her hands, "I could teach you like mom, dad, and Adam taught me. As for your Aura, I could unlock it." She said the last part like she was commenting on the weather. Jaune waited, then waited a bit more for...what? The other shoe to drop? For Blake to tell him she was kidding? No, Blake didn't do things like that. If she said she'd train him and unlock his Aura, she'd do it.

A big part of him wanted to scream yes and get on his knees thanking her, but another part reminded him that he wasn't supposed to take advantage of her. His only job was to keep her out of trouble until she went to Beacon next week. After that, she'd attend the academy and they wouldn't see each other again outside of maybe some scroll calls and the occasional visit to Domremy if she felt like dropping in. His dad and Mr. Belladonna made it clear that they'd have a...talk with him if he went any farther than that.

Especially Mr. Belladonna with those big arms of his...

He didn't get the chance to say yes or no (he didn't know which) when a new voice cut in, "Huh. Couple of lovebirds over here, huh?" The words came out in a raspy snarl. Jaune turned and felt his stomach sink at the sight of half a dozen thugs walking towards them. And yes, they were thugs. He was taught to never judge a book by the cover, but what else would you call a bunch of guys dressed in chains and tattoos while brandishing switchblades and crowbars.

And all of them were Faunus. At least today was being equal opportunity in how crap it was. He looked back and winced at the sight of two thugs camping the alley entrance. Not out of fear, but something else.

Blake tilted her head to the side, "We're not dating."

One of the thugs, probably the boss judging by how much bigger he was, blinked, "That's not- fuck this." He raised the switchblade higher, "Give us your money, catgirl. You too, humie. Play nice and we won't have to cat either of you two."

"Money? Do you need help?" Jaune almost slammed his head against the wall as Blake fished her wallet out of the hoodie, "I guess I could give you some lien, but I need to keep at least some of it for myself. I can't spend all of it before I go to school."

"Does this look like a negotiation to you?" Another one of the thugs growled, "Your money, all of it. And give us that thoodie too for being such a smartass!"

"My hoodie? No, you can't have it. I can give you some lien, like I said, but-"

"Blake, they're mugging us," Jaune said bluntly.

Blake blinked and then made a soft "oh" sound, "Ah! Dad warned me to be careful about Humans. He didn't say anything about being mugged by other Faunus." Blake put her wallet back into her hoodie, "I get it. Jaune, please wait a couple of minutes."

"Ugh, I promised your dad I'd keep you out of trouble..." Jaune groaned.

"Don't worry, it'll be our little secret." Blake winked.

"Hey, bitch! I said-"

Jaune turned away and sighed as Blake absolutely demolished the gang. It took less than a minute for them to go from cocky and threatening to crying for their mommies as Blake completely stomped them. Sometimes literally, in the case of one Walrus Faunus who was kicked into the air before Blake jumped and stomped on his back to send him crashing back down hard enough to make him bounce. He almost felt sorry for the poor bastards. Blake was sheltered, but she was trained by the very best in Menagerie.

"Wait, wait, I'm sorry! I just-" The head thug, a Wolf Faunus judging by his pronounced canines, was dragged back before he could escape. That was another thing she was taught by that Adam guy, apparently. Retreating wasn't surrendering. Mr. Belladonna wasn't happy, but he at least made sure she didn't kill people.

It didn't even take a couple of minutes. He timed it. It was at the 1 minute, 27 seconds mark that the last thug was left sprawled on the ground. Blake lectured them about setting a bad example for their fellow Faunus while calling an ambulance to make sure they could get medical attention. And saying that they tried to mug the two of them so the cops would be notified too. He could only hope that Dad and Mr. Belladonna didn't find out about this.

"Mmmgh." Blake stretched her arms above her head with cat like grace. Wait, did that sound racist? "Sorry it took so long, Jaune." She wiped some dust from her skirt, "Let's go eat and then I can unlock your Aura when we get to the hotel. We can set up a training schedule after."

"Huh? But I didn't say-" Blake grabbed his hand and dragged him along, leaving the thugs on the alleyway floor like discarded trash. Jaune looked at Blake's beaming face and just sighed, letting her drag him around. It could be worse, he figured.