A Semblance of Emotion 039

Over the first week of his break, Jaune spent every waking hour doing one of three things. If he wasn’t working and hauling crates of goods off old beaten down carts, it was either of the other two. The first was hanging out with his brand new friend and foreign student Penny.

For someone who hadn’t ever visited Vale before, Penny sure knew how to navigate the city like the back of her hand. He only had to mention a place and she knew how to get there, all without consulting her scroll. As if she were a Valean native who had walked these streets since she was a little girl. It was incredibly impressive and made Jaune feel a little self conscious. He had been in Vale for months now, visiting and working in the city and he still found himself getting lost on occasion.

Not Penny. It was like she had the map of the city imprinted in her brain.

“Friend Jaune,” she pointed across the street as they waited for the lights to turn green. “We have arrived!”

Jaune spotted the flashy sign that read Skate World, and shook his head. Once again, she’d directed them to the correct place effortlessly.

They’d gone on a few of these friend ‘dates’ already. The first time, they’d visited the arcade and Penny had broken every high score in the joint, earning the admiration of children and teenagers of all ages. She was practically a rock star there from that moment on, and it had been so sweet watching Penny interact with her admirers that Jaune had felt his teeth begin to rot.

Sugar and spice, and everything nice; that suited Penny to a T.

She was really good with children. She had an ear for everyone, and listened patiently and treated them like they mattered. She made them laugh and indulged their every whim. Penny would make an amazing older sister, though she admitted that she didn’t have any siblings. Her father had yet to make her any.

That was a strange way of putting it but Penny was not exactly the pinnacle of normalcy. That wasn’t an insult, either. Just because she was a little odd and different didn’t mean she wasn’t amazing.

The second time they’d gone out together, they’d visited a mini golf course. Once again, she’d dominated, accurately hitting putt after putt in the least amount of tries possible, threading the needle through obstacles and bouncing the ball off terrain perfectly to sink the shot. The staff had been gobsmacked and had awarded her free merch for being the best player they’d ever seen, and for the rest of the day, she’d rocked a hat and t-shirt with the name of the establishment print on the front; Putt-Putt Fun Center.

And now here they were, about to go rollerskating.

Jaune had never skated before. A couple of his sisters owned roller skates but he’d never been particularly interested in it, so had never asked for a pair of his own. While he was confident in his balance, he was a little nervous that he might fall a few times and make a fool of himself. It was also Penny’s first time.

As expected, Penny was a natural. He hadn’t doubted it for a second.

“Friend Jaune,” she called out as she effortlessly skated around the rink, gliding by other patrons. She twirled around and started going backwards, already a pro. “This is really fun!”

Meanwhile, Jaune was still trying to make sure his feet didn’t go in two different directions.

Beacon wasn’t the only school on holiday. All the high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in the kingdom were already on break, and so the place was packed with families on a day out. Jaune pushed off the wall and attempted to go in a straight line, overly tense as a couple of little girls blazed by him within inches of colliding with his side.

That was close.

“Jaune,” Penny said happily as she completed a full lap, beaming. “Do you require assistance?”

Ego bruised, he nodded. “I’m not very good at this.”

Without hesitation, she grabbed his hands and pulled him along. “You are standing too upright. You must bend your knees like this,” she exaggerated her own posture so he could see better. “And your hips like this,” Penny shifted so her body was angled forward just a little bit. “It’s all about weight distribution and transfer! Try it!”

He did, and already it felt better, as if he had more control of his movement.

“Shift your weight side-to-side by pressing your feet downwards,” she continued to instruct. “And point them outwards like so,” she adjusted her own feet, showing him.

She continued to coach them through it until he was gliding around as if he’d been doing it for years. Once he got a feel for how the movement felt, and the shift in his weight to propel himself forward, she only had to show him how to stop before he was let loose.

“You’re doing it,” Penny cheered, clapping as she skated rings around him. He was nowhere near as good as her but he was getting there.

Afterwards, they hit the small food hall they had. They only had simple foods like burgers and fries, hotdogs and soft tacos, nachos, that sort of thing, but Jaune thought their burgers were definitely better than you would expect from such a place. All of the ingredients were fresh, and the cheese was really good, some sort of smoked cheddar that elevated it. Something he had noticed about Penny was that she didn’t eat much, more than happy with her small portion of fries that she picked at sporadically.

When he mentioned it, she just said that she was dieting.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she hiccuped.

She nodded quickly. “I am well. No problems here, Friend Jaune!” she assured him, hiccuping again.

Jaune didn’t think she needed to watch her weight. She was already in fine shape, she was a Huntress-in-training, after all, but he didn’t say anything. It was none of his business. And he knew from his sister’s that questioning a girl about her decisions when it came to their eating habits was not a smart thing to do.

If he wasn’t with Penny or working, then he was hitting the gym.

Just because he was on break didn’t mean he could slack off on his conditioning. He usually went for a jog everyday before work or meeting Penny, whichever one he was doing that day, just like he did at Beacon – and then would continue his work out in the evenings.

Vale had twenty-four hour gyms and while they weren’t as impressive as the ones found at Beacon, they had everything he needed. There were also a few gyms that specifically catered to Huntsmen, and had extra facilities for sparring. The rules were more strict than at Beacon, of course. No Dust, and no moves or feats of strength that would damage the building or sparring area. Logical things. They didn’t have a Professor who could wave a hand and fix everything, as good as new.

It was one of these gyms that he signed up at.

While they were designed with Huntsmen in mind, civilians also worked out there. If it was only for Huntsmen, the place wouldn’t make enough money to survive. It was perhaps one of the only places around that non-Huntsmen came into close contact with Huntsmen on a regular basis, outside of a work environment, and so the camaraderie was interesting.

There was a certain level of awe to be found. Huntsmen were basically professional athletes in the eyes of the regular person. Beyond the professional fighting circuit and the Vytal Festival Tournament, civilians didn’t really get to see them in action on the regular. That was why it was almost guaranteed to draw a crowd when two Huntsmen decided to spar.

“They’ve been going at it for twenty minutes already,” Jaune overheard a woman whisper, and looking up from his position on the bench press, he saw that she was dragging a friend over to watch. “They’re amazing, they don’t even look tired!”

“Oh my god, he’s a hunk,” the friend said, fanning her face when they stopped near the enraptured patrons watching what was happening in the next room. “Look at those abs!”

Jaune refocused and grunted as he lifted, the bar bending beneath the extreme weight. A muscular guy nearby stared at him, eyes wide as Jaune began pressing five times his own weight, going through an entire set of fifteen before letting the bar down into the saddles. When he sat up, he reached for his towel just as he heard the people gasp – and then cheer.

The spar must have been over.

Jaune had enjoyed a couple of sparring sessions with a few different Huntsmen. These were fully licensed Huntsmen, much older than he was with a wealth of experience to call on. It made the bouts interesting and challenging in a different way to the ones at Beacon. He’d already known that his classmates were something special, their talent and strength undeniable. Even though they were just first year students, they were already more skilled than many who had graduated. What they lacked was the refined discipline that came with years of experience, fighting others and fighting Grimm.

So while these Huntsmen weren’t as strong as Pyrrha, Yang, Weiss or any of them, really – they more than made up with it in strategy and technique.

Jaune continued to go through his workout, moving from machine to machine, targeting different muscle groups as he went. Another spar had begun and those two girls from earlier were now recording, which promptly got them in trouble from staff. After his weight training, he hit the treadmill and ran until sweat dripped down into his eyes, and then ran an extra couple of miles more.

By the time he was finished, he was drenched.

He was toweling off when he heard his scroll ding, and removing it from his pocket, he saw that he had a message from Blake.

Blake Belladonna: Where do you want to meet?

He quickly typed back a response.

Jaune Arc: I’ll come pick you up. Be ready by seven.

She answered swiftly.

Blake Belladonna: Come earlier.

Jaune grinned.

Jaune Arc: Why?

He threw his towel over his head and waited for her reply.

Blake Belladonna: I want to see you, why do you think? Come at six.

Jaune checked the time and saw that it was already five. He would have to hurry.

Jaune Arc: Okay, fine. See you at six.

He showered and changed quickly, stuffing his sweaty work out clothes into a bag before rushing out of the gym. It took twenty minutes to get back to his hotel, where he decided to have another quick shower just to make sure, shaving to remove any stubble before getting dressed in a nice pair of black pants and a spotless white button up shirt that he’d purchased for just this occasion.

Their date.

Jaune felt nervous. This was his first time doing something this formal. A real date, planned for and with someone he really liked. The friendly outings with Penny and Ruby, Nora and even Blake when they’d got sushi together – those didn’t count, not like this.

He wanted to take her somewhere nice.

He’d found just the place.

He knew how much Blake loved fish.

The restaurant was a bit on the pricey side but he could handle it, and it was definitely somewhere you dressed up for. Jaune applied some cologne and combed his hair, applying random spurts of hair spray to keep it in place. It was the only way he could ever get it to settle where he wanted it, and tonight wasn’t a night for the typical messy look.

He didn’t bother with a tie, shrugging on the fitted suit jacket and buttoning it once, inspecting himself in the mirror as he smoothed out the lapels.

Jaune thought he looked like an entirely different person.

There weren’t many occasions to dress up for in the middle of nowhere. Weddings and funerals, though thankfully, it was more the former than the latter. So he wasn’t used to seeing himself like this, his Beacon uniform coming the closest.

He hoped she liked it.

Slipping into his newly polished black leather shoes, he was ready.

He garnered some curious looks as he stepped out onto the street, waiting for his taxi to come pick him up. Blake was staying at the same hotel she’d been hiding out in, when she’d fled Beacon, so it didn’t take too long to get there.

He managed to arrive five minutes early.

She was in a different room this time, on the ground floor. As soon as he knocked on the door, it flew open, and Jaune was left breathless.

Her long black hair had been combed to a fine shine, a river of silken obsidian flowing across bare shoulders. Amber eyes pinned him in place, eyeliner enhancing her already penetrating gaze, a brazen application of violet eyeshadow making her eyes pop even more. Her lips were pale and pink, glossy with a light lipstick, appearing fuller. Jaune let his eyes wander down across her slender neck, sighting the golden earrings dangling from her human ears, and then further south, where a dark purple gown hugged her athletic body like a glove. The straps met behind her neck, leaving her sides and back exposed, hugging her shapely bra-less chest and hips aggressively, highlighting her narrow waist. A high slit teased the appearance of her leg, and from his angle, he saw that they were bare, her feet clad in a matching pair of glossy heels.

She looked magnificent.

Blake exuded sex appeal, appearing more like a model than a Huntress-in-training.

“You look beautiful,” he said in reverence, and she flushed at the compliment.

While he’d been checking her out, she had been returning the favor.

“And you look very handsome,” she replied, voice low. Dare he say, she purred it.

“Well – here I am,” he grinned. “You wanted to see me?”

“Shush,” she opened the door wider. “Shall we?”

She offered her hand.

Jaune took it, their fingers lacing together. In her other hand, she had a small black clutch.

“So how have you been?” he asked as he led them outside, and to the waiting taxi. “Keeping busy? Not getting in any trouble, I hope.”

She scoffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He held open the door and she slid in, and he joined her on the other side.

“Just that I know you,” he said. “And I know that what happened at the docks is still bothering you.”

Blake sighed. “Am I really that transparent?”

“A little bit,” he teased, nudging her shoulder as the taxi began moving down the street. “It’s more that I knew you wouldn’t be willing to let it go. And even though we message each other most days, you’ve been secretive about what you’ve actually been doing.”

Her lips pursed, and her expression was that of a child caught doing something they shouldn’t be.

“I’ve just been… looking into things.”

“Ah.”

She frowned. “Nothing dangerous, I promise.”

“Don’t make a promise if you can’t keep it,” he said seriously.

“I’m not, you ass,” she elbowed him. “I’m telling the truth. I’m not… you know,” she glanced at the driver, mindful of her words. “I’ve just been talking to people. Regular people...”

“And?”

He could tell there was something else.

“I know a guy,” she began slowly. “He’s… like me. He wants to leave, and I’ve… been getting him to open up, a little bit.”

Jaune sighs. “Blake, I thought you just promised me nothing dangerous.”

“It isn’t!” she insisted. “I know him, Jaune. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. He… knows my parents. He would never do anything to harm me, I promise,” she held his eyes. “You believe me, don’t you?”

He nodded, though he still had reservations. “Okay. Yeah, I believe you.”

Jaune got the driver to stop at a park that was close to the restaurant, and after paying, they went for a walk. There were a lot of people this evening, enjoying the last vestiges of daylight. They followed the winding path that cut through well maintained lawns and through a thicket of trees, crossing an old stone bridge carved from white stone. It was an old thing, and the murals sculpted across the walkway were worn from hundreds of years of foot traffic.

It reminded Jaune a little of the massive archway he had passed through when he first arrived in Vale.

“So what have you found out?” he asked.

“Roman Torchwick isn’t the only human they’re working with,” Blake said softly, her ears flattening against the top of her head. “He hasn’t outright said it – but I’ve been able to read between the lines. There are others.”

Jaune sighed. “Of course there are. Has he thought about taking this information to the police – wait, never mind,” he felt stupid as soon as he said it. They wouldn’t treat him kindly. “Not the police, then – but Ozpin?”

Blake shook her head.

“He’ll talk to me because he trusts me, but he doesn’t know Ozpin. To him, he’s just…” she trailed off.

“What?”

“Another human,” Blake said tentatively, as if he might take it the wrong way. “There is a reason he is in the White Fang and remained when it became more radical, though he believes they’ve gone too far.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Jaune squeezed her hand. “Just be careful, okay? If you need anything, you know how to contact me.”

“I will, I promise.”

“I mean it,” he said seriously. “Don’t take this on alone. You have a team.”

“I know,” her smile was radiant. “I won’t make that mistake again. I’d take you to meet him if I didn’t think it would spook him.”

Paper lanterns of Mistralian make had been hung up along a line of trees, casting a soft orange glow along the pathway. They drew a lot of attention due to their outfits, not exactly typical park wear. Blake moved gracefully, and he took a moment to admire her slender body, and the paleness of her lovely skin.

“What?” she asked.

“I can’t keep my eyes off you,” he answered truthfully.

She swatted him playfully. “Look at you. You know all the right things to say, don’t you? You always have.”

“Not always…”

“Modest,” she swung their hands back and forth. “How far is the restaurant?”

“About a block from here. I guess we’ve wasted enough time.”

It was just getting dark as they arrived, Jaune placing a hand on her bare back as he guided her up the stone steps. Her skin was wonderfully soft, and the lithe plains of muscle shifted beneath his palm as she shivered.

“Cold?”

She shook her head, cheeks pink. “No. The opposite.”

There was a hostess just inside the door, standing behind a varnished podium in front of a dark curtain. A thick book was open on top, a list of names and times scrawled neatly in cursive.

“Welcome to La Rosa,” she greeted them professionally. “Do you have a reservation?”

She had an accent, though not one he had ever heard before.

“I do,” Jaune answered. “Jaune Arc, a table for two at seven.”

The hostess quickly found it, ticking it off. “Excellent. If you will come with me, I shall see you seated.”

It wasn’t a large place, capable of sitting thirty people at most but as they stepped inside properly, Jaune saw why it boasted the reputation it did. A red carpet was rolled out between tables made from dark mahogany wood, white embroidered table clothes covering every surface. Candles set within silver holders were placed in the middle of each, as well as a crystalline vase filled with roses of various different colors. Small chandelier hung from the ceiling along their path, and they were shown to a table near the bar.

“A waiter will be with you momentarily,” the hostess said, placing a couple of menus on the table. “We wish that you will have an enjoyable evening with us.”

“Thank you,” he said, and when she left, he walked around and pulled out Blake’s seat.

Her eyes were pure honey, her white teeth working her lip as she moved to sit down. “You know, I think I can get used to being pampered.”

“Nora said—,” he cut himself off, feeling foolish but Blake didn’t react to her name at all, simply waiting for him to continue. “She said they’re my country boy manners.”

She giggled. “Well, whatever they are – I like it,” and then she smiled gently. “You can say her name, you know. I know full well that… this, whatever it is between us – it also involves her. I have no problem with it.”

“You don’t?”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. We’ve talked… a lot. About you. I know this isn’t what people consider normal, Jaune – but I really like you, and so does she… and that might not be the end of it, but I don’t care. You’re special to me… even in such a short time, I can’t see my life without you in it, and I want to be by your side. If that includes Nora or others, then so be it.”

Jaune sat down across from her. “You really mean that?”

“I do. If this is what you want, if I’m who you want to be with, as long as that never changes, then I’m fine with it,” she reached across the table and took his hands. “That’s why we are here, isn’t it? Because I like you, and you like me?”

Jaune nodded.

“You also like Nora. You may even love her. I know you aren’t the type of guy to just sleep with a girl without a genuine reason,” her thumb stroked his knuckles soothingly. “And she loves you, of that I have little doubt… this team, Jaune – it’s like a family to her, and I think… it might be the same with me. You, Nora, Weiss – we’ve had our hardships already, haven’t we? But we’ve come through them and you’ve shown me your commitment already. You came for me and wouldn’t let me stand alone, despite my best efforts. I love that quality about you.”

“Blake…”

The look she was giving him was pure love, and it stole his breath away better than even her sublime beauty ever could.

“Never doubt it when I say I want to be with you,” she said passionately. “And if that is with Nora by our sides, or Weiss – I am happy. You make me happy, and I want to make you happy.”

“I want to make you happy as well.”

“Then be with me,” she said. “And never regret it.”

It was as simple as that.

When the waiter arrived, they ordered their food. They specialized in seafood, and Blake was delighted by all the choice. She ended up choosing the creamy salmon pasta with lemon and garlic, while Jaune got a similar dish but with scallops and mushrooms. For drinks, they hesitated – memories of their last night of the school term running through their minds, or more so the morning after, and their terrible headaches – before picking out a bottle of wine. Neither of them knew what was good or not, so they let the waiter decide.

“A rosé goes well with salmon,” he suggested and they agreed.

“This place is nice,” Blake said, looking around shyly. “Was it difficult to get a reservation?”

“They had a wait list but it was only a few days,” Jaune replied. “Some of the other places I looked at… well, you had to book a table months in advance.”

“Maybe you should have name dropped Weiss, they might have worked something out.”

It was a testament to how far their friendship had come that she could joke about something like that. It surprised him, sometimes. But it shouldn’t have. Blake had just admitted that should Weiss feel the same, and she became involved with Jaune, she was more than willing to accept it.

“I know I already said it, but you look really handsome tonight.”

Jaune grinned. “So I don’t usually?”

“You know what I mean,” she nudged his foot under the table. “I’m just not used to seeing you in a suit, that’s all. Our uniforms don’t count.”

“I’m pretty sure the last time I wore a suit was to my sister’s wedding. Before that… probably when my great-grandfather passed. He outlived my grandfather by a few years. There aren’t a lot of reasons to wear these types of clothes on a farm.”

“Were you close with your great-grandfather?”

Jaune nodded. “He used to tell me stories of his father, my great-great grandfather. He fought in the Great War, so there were plenty of them to share. It always interested me, those stories of heroic acts – I used to stare at Crocea Mors, hanging above the mantelpiece, imagining all the things it had seen and done. Even before I knew what a Huntsman was, I guess I wanted to be one. Then… the Grimm came, and forced the issue.”

Blake grabbed his hands again and tangled their fingers together in a messy heap.

“What about you? Did you know your great-grandfather?”

Blake shook her head. “I never met any of my grandparents. They all died before I was born,” she hesitated, her eyes sad. “I miss my parents.”

Jaune lifted her hands and gave them a kiss, his lips lingering on her skin.

“I know it isn’t my place to say, but maybe… you should contact them.”

Her cat ears drooped. “Jaune, I… I said such horrible things to them. Vile things. I… I don’t even know what to say to them. What if they don’t want to talk to me?”

Jaune felt horrible when her eyes filled with tears, kissing her hands again. “Or they might be worried sick about you, and have been waiting all this time to hear from their daughter.”

He then had an idea.

“Why don’t you write them a letter?”

She sniffled. “A letter?”

“Yeah. So they know you’re safe and where you are,” he said softly. “And if they want to speak with you, they know where to call. Put it in their hands.”

Her lip wobbled, and she had to look away to compose herself. Jaune let her, leaning back as she dabbed at her eyes, not wanting any tears to run and ruin her make up.

“You’re always making me cry, you ass,” she scolded him.

“Sorry, I know this is meant to be a date and dates are happy,” Jaune rubbed his neck.

“It’s fine,” she grumbled. “Somehow, whenever you make me cry, it’s for a good reason. You’re a danger to all women, you know that?”

“Just the ones on my team, apparently.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Blake quipped.

Their bottle of wine arrived in an ornate ice bucket, the metal frosted and ice cold. The waiter uncorked the bottle and poured two generous glasses for each of them.

Somewhat recovered, Blake sipped at her glass, her eyes lighting up. “Mm. This is really nice, Jaune. Much better than that horrible stuff Yang got for us last week.”

Jaune snickered, taking a sip of his own. It was light on the tongue but fruity with hints of strawberry and grapefruit. He agreed. It was much nicer than the vodka mixes that they’d whipped up. They quickly finished their glasses and poured two more.

Their food when it arrived was splendid, the creamy sauce rich with garlic and a hint of cheese, the scallops fresh, the mushrooms adding an earthy flavor to counter balance the seafood tang. Jaune ate slowly even though he wanted to shove in mouthfuls at a time, mindful of the occasion and the class of diner expected.

It didn’t stop him from sharing his thoughts with a loud hum of approval, one that Blake mirrored.

“This salmon is to die for,” she said, gathering a piece on her fork with some pasta and placing it in her mouth. Jaune watched her lovely lips purse around the fork, captivated as her eyelids fluttered. “God, I could eat this every day and never grow tired of it.”

“My wallet would scream as it died,” he joked. “It would only make it three days before giving up.”

Blake pouted. “I’m worth it, aren’t I?”

“If you don’t mind dating a poor farm boy,” he grinned.

“I couldn’t think of anything better.”

When they finished their food, they polished off their bottle of wine and ordered another one as they pressed for dessert. Blake ordered some type of lemon custard tart with vanilla bean ice cream, while Jaune got a slice of the most rich, decadent moist chocolate cake that he’d ever had, topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

“This would send Ruby into a spin,” Jaune said, savoring each bite. It was very sweet and yet not overpowering, and every bite only made him want more. The cream was infused with vanilla and he had to stop himself from licking the plate like a savage when he was done.

After two bottles of wine shared between them, Jaune was feeling it a little bit. While he wasn’t drunk, he definitely had a bit of a buzz going on but the food took most of the edge off. Blake’s cheeks were glowing a gentle pink hue, and her nose wrinkled as he stared at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What is it?” she demanded.

“Can’t I look at you, if I want?”

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Look at me all you want. But I know you’re thinking something funny in that head of yours.”

“I just think you’re cute when you blush, that’s all,” he admitted. It only made her cheeks grow rosier. “Like that.”

“Shut up,” she said, her eyes simmering. “I think we’re done here. Let’s go.”

Jaune paid and cringed a little at the price but it was worth it. As they stepped out onto the street, they noticed immediately that the temperature had dropped sharply. It was winter, after all – though the sunny day had lured them into a false sense of security.

Jaune removed his jacket and placed it around Blake’s shoulders.

“Ladies man,” she teased, grabbing the lapels and pulling it tighter around her slender frame. Nuzzling the collar, she buried her nose in it and inhaled. “Mm, it smells like you.”

Now it was his turn to feel a little hot in the face.

He didn’t want to assume but this date had always felt like a starter for something greater, and when Blake said, “I know a place we can go, if you want to come with me?”, he knew that he was right.

Suddenly feeling completely sober, he asked, “Are you sure?”

Her eyes said enough, though she replied all the same.

“I’ve never been more sure in my entire life.”