Eldritch Jaune 4.1

Patreon note: I'm considering posting segments I finished of upcoming chapters early for members. Are you guys interested? If so, I'll post future segments after writing them and before the full chapter is written out. 

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This world - Remnant - was an interesting place, Jaune thought. The two that had created it abandoned it a short few hundred thousand years ago and seemingly decided not to return, leaving their creations to fend for themselves against the castoffs of their sibling rivalry. Even now these Humans and Faunus found themselves harried by the creations the so-called Brother Darkness unleashed on his playground.

Jaune simply didn't see the point of it. While they'd accidentally destroyed a civilization or two in their eons of existence, it was always just that: an accident. They never understood beings that liked to be summoned so they could destroy the world. What was the point of that? They at least understood the concept of being worshipped, but mass destruction always seemed so wasteful to them.

Regardless, the laziness of these so-called Brothers had proven a boon to them. Any self-respecting entity would have taken umbrage with their appearance in their world, even if they did so under the guise of a perfectly Normal person, but their abandonment meant that Jaune didn't have to worry about the both of them trying to end their existence.

Not that they did worry. Among the cosmic scale, the brothers were nothing more than children swatting at their betters. If they came back to try and force them off this world, Jaune would've had no problems ensuring they were removed from the cosmos permanently. They hoped it wouldn't come to that, however. They were having so much fun being Normal and they'd hate to end it over some being's temper tantrum.

"This meal is very enjoyable, Friend Jaune!"

One reason for their (or rather her currently) newfound enjoyment was her new friend. Penny was very excitable and focused on Normality, just as she was. She'd had also introduced Jaune to the wonders of the Remnet. While she'd delved into the minds of mortals many times in her eons of existence, and done so prior to their arrival in Remnant, the Remnet was an archive of profane knowledge that would drive even other cosmic entities mad were they to gaze upon it.

Yet despite the madness that lay in its archives, it was also a font of knowledge more valuable than the tome of eternal darkness. She had learned so much just by barely scratching the surface with her spindly human fingers. Such as asserting dominance by spreading their arms. It was apparently a very common thing to do and many of the Beacon students found themselves shrinking back when she greeted them with her arms outstretched.

And she had Penny to thank for that.

"Indeed, Penny. This meal is very enjoyable." Jaune grinned and shoved another spoon of pizza into his mouth. This squishy human body didn't need to consume food to function and defecating had proven tiresome. As such, any food that arrived in her stomach simply disappeared once it was out of sight. While it wasn't Normal, she cheating now and then wouldn't hurt anyone.

The people in this world that matter could neither be created nor destroyed. Such an amusing and limited idea.

The two friends ate and basked in each other's Normality. Truly, she'd been blessed by the formless one that lay in the center of the universe to find such a kindred soul. Metaphorically speaking. She still didn't have one of those. Penny might not have had one despite being able to use an Aura. The Remnet was very insistent that gingers did not have souls. For some reason, they considered that to be bad. So prejudiced.

"May I ask you a question, Friend Jaune?"

"You may." Jaune nodded three times.

"I overheard from numerous students that you used to present as male prior to our meeting. Is this true?"

"Yes. It is because of my Semblance." Another nod. She could change back to male, but apparently, reconstituting one's bodily shape was frowned upon or considered odd. Perhaps she'd do so at a later date when she was alone, "Does this bother you?"

"Of course not!" Penny shook her head from side to side while her body remained completely still, "I simply found it intriguing. A Semblance that can alter one's body at such an extreme state has never been recorded before."

Never recorded? Did that mean it wasn't normal? She didn't like that. Not at all.

"It is a very Normal semblance, Penny," Jaune said insistently.

"It is? I've never seen such a Semblance across hundreds of years' worth of databanks."

"Perhaps it was simply not recorded. Maybe the ones writing it forgot. Humans can be such forgetful creatures."

Penny tilted her head to the side, "You talk as if you are not Human yourself."

"Of course I am. I am a perfectly Normal human male. Or female." Jaune nodded forcefully, "You are human as well, Penny. Can you not sense that I am also a squishy meatbag?"

"I...of course I can! Forgive me for doubting you, Friend Jaune!" Penny gave him a wide smile that showed off all her teeth.

"I'm glad we can understand each other. Now we can go back to being Normal."

"Absolutely!"

The two Normal friends ate their Normal meal before going their separate ways in a Normal manner. It was all very average. Jaune made her way back to her dorm room humming a tune. That was very Normative behavior, from what she'd gathered.

She stopped when she caught sight of Cardin walking down the hall. The man stopped when he saw her too and stared at her chest. Males were often drawn to breasts, though she found it confusing as to why. Even in the minds she'd read, it was always something they couldn't explain. They were drawn to it like a flyap to a kuastuari flesh. Or Starspawn to ruling worlds.

"Cardin. Hello." Jaune waved her noodly human arms. Both of them. If one arm was friendly, then two arms must have been very friendly, "You look like you're doing better."

"Uh...yeah?" He looked uncomfortable now.

"That is good. You seemed in distress after our match." She stepped closer until they were practically chest to chest. According to the Remnet, many males found it enjoyable when a female violated their personal space.

"Yeah, well...your guts were spilling everywhere, man. Uh...woman. You know what I mean."

"My apologies. That was due to my Semblance." Her chest squished against the armored plate on his torso. He appeared regretful for some reason, "But I am looking forward to sparring with you again. I believe I am getting better at moving around with this body."

Squish.

"Yeah...if you say so." Cardin stepped back, "So, uh...how long are you gonna stay a woman?"

"I am not sure. Why?"

"Ah...no reason." He coughed and walked past Jaune. She watched him go for a moment before humming. Such odd creatures, these humans were. Jaune continued to make her way back to the dorm room.

Nora and Blake were there. The latter was on her bed and reading a book while the former was pacing around in...worry? Or was she hungry? Jaune still had trouble reading emotions now that she could no longer pry open a person's mind and see their innermost thoughts.

"What is the matter, Nora?" Jaune asked because she was a good teammate.

"I'm worried about Weiss," Nora brought a hand through her hair, "She went out hours ago and she hasn't come back! She's not answering her phone either! She might be in trouble!"

"You're being paranoid." Blake rolled her eyes.

"But this is Weiss we're talking about here! No way she'd stay out past curfew!"

"It's the weekend, students are allowed to stay in Vale until classes start next week. She's probably staying at a hotel or something."

"Probably! So you don't know!"

"And neither do you." Blake scoffed and shut the book she was reading, "Calm down. Weiss hasn't exactly made it a secret that she's not fond of us. I'm not surprised she's taking the chance to spend some time alone. I'm sure she'll be back tomorrow whining about how she deserves to be leader and that 'she can't believe' she's on the same team as a Faunus. Till then, I'm gonna enjoy the peace and quiet."

Nora frowned at Blake's flippant response but didn't say anything else. Jaune watched the two go back to what they were doing - pacing and reading - and frowned. There was clearly discontent between them both, but she didn't know what to do. Normally she would've delved into their minds and molded their thoughts, but Humans did not do that and many conspiracy scholars on the Remnet frowned on their thoughts being tampered with. Such a limited viewpoint.

Jaune lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. Beacon was such an odd place, but it provided a chance for the Normalcy that she craved. Perhaps tomorrow she would meet another friend like Penny, someone who desired Normalcy just as much as she did.

For now, she would pretend to sleep because that was what a Normal person did.

The hours passed and the sun rose. Jaune opened her eyes and sat up, legs completely flat and upper body pointed straight up, "Yawn. That was a good rest." She raised her arms above her head and stretched...then heard a snap. Jaune blinked and looked at the bone jutting against the skin below her elbow. Ah, she'd stretched too hard and broken her arm. She hated it when that happened.

"Are you alright...?" Blake looked at him with a raised brow from her bed. Nora was still asleep.

"Yes." Jaune pushed the bone back into place and smiled, showing off all her teeth, "It doesn't hurt."

"So your Semblance heals you, changes your gender, and you don't feel pain. Anything else I missed?" She scoffed.

"Nope. I will tell you if you did." Jaune nodded rapidly.

"That's alright. I think I'd rather not know." She paused, "Actually...I'm curious. You change genders at the drop of a hat. Does that mean you can have breasts but male...parts?" she asked slowly.

Parts? What did she mean by 'parts'? Again, Jaune lamented that she couldn't just pry open Blake's mind. Instead, she decided to take a chance, "Oh yes, parts. I can absolutely have breasts and male parts. Yes." Jaune nodded.

"Hm. Good to know...good to know."