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Jaune Arc's Counseling for Troublesome Youths 11
🕑 Added 2023-10-22 07:35:44 +0000 UTCBeen a bit, huh? Hope you guys enjoy it.
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Jaune had been through a lot ever since he arrived in Vale. Drunk headmasters, Blake, problematic students, Blake, problematic transfer students, and terrorists. The last of which was because of Blake.
But a mugging? That was new.
It happened just as he was coming back from getting some much-needed supplies and treats for Bean - or, as Blake called him, 'that little monster'. Years as a pet owner with his family taught him how to be responsible for good puppers, and even aura-unlocked emotional support dogs needed their chewtoys. Jaune needed Bean to be at his best whenever the real trouble children came knocking on their door.
It was late at night by the time he finally finished all his shopping. He was tired and sleepy and didn't even think twice about taking a shortcut down that dark, winding alley with almost no lights. Besides, he thought to himself, who'd try to mug him for dog treats and a Pumpkin Pete chewtoy?
"Gimme everything you have!" The hooded man snarled, raising a switchblade threateningly. His vision was pretty limited in the darkness, but even Jaune could tell that it really was just a switchblade and not some mechashift monstrosity that could turn into a heat-seeking missile.
He should've been afraid, or at least startled. After all, he was an unarmed civilian with his bags full of groceries and an Aura that he didn't really have any training in trapped in an alley with a guy who looked like he was about to come up with any excuse to cut him. Instead, the first thing he did was look around the alley. Not for help, but to see if Blake was around and this was somehow her fault.
Jaune sighed when he realized she was nowhere to be found. Already, he was starting to miss blaming Blake for all his problems. It just wasn't the same without her.
"Hey, you deaf?! I said hand it over!" The robber spat. Literally, there was spittle that flew through the air and hit Jaune's cheeks. He winced and wished he had a free hand to wipe it off.
"Just calm down, sir." The guy was older than him - middle-aged, judging by his features - and mugging was usually a young man's game. Jaune could probably risk a fight now that he had a chance to activate his Aura, but he still wanted to talk it out, "We can solve this without anyone getting hurt."
"Yeah, I know that, and I already told you how! Hand over your wallet and those bags!"
"I'm just about broke, actually. Spent what I had on dog stuff. It's what I'm carrying right now." He set the groceries down and opened them to show off the giant bag of dog kibble, "See? Nothing there you'd want, so let's just-"
"Halt, villain!"
The familiar sounds of rushing air and fluttering petals came after the interrupting voice. Both Jaune and the would-be mugger looked up to see a red blur surge down towards them. The hooded man's eyes widened just before he was sent to the ground by a double-footed kick from the new arrival. His switchblade clattered to the ground and slid across the dirt, unseen, while his rescuer turned to him and struck a pose.
The mugger was unconscious, which his rescuer took as their cue to turn around, "Fear not, citizen! Innocents have nothing to fear so long as the Red Thorn is here!"
"Thank you-" He stopped and so did she. His rescuer was very, very familiar. A black and red dress, stockings, and boots along with a red cloak he'd only seen one of his entire life.
Ruby Rose looked up at him through wide, silver eyes, mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. Even through the dim lighting, it was definitely her. The only difference from how she usually appeared was that she'd actually put up the hood of her cloak, had a domino mask (that did nothing to actually mask her face or distinctive silver eyes), and wore a pair of gloves. Fingerless gloves, so her fingerprints still would've been everywhere.
She even still had Crescent Rose sheathed across the small of her back!
"...Ruby?" He didn't know why he asked. It was obviously her.
"A-Ah, no." She coughed, and her next words came out in a forced rasp that sounded more funny than intimidating, "I have no idea who this Ruby you're talking about is! I am the Red Thorn, protector of the weak and scourge of all criminals in Vale! I have no idea who this Ruby is."
Jaune crossed his arms and looked down at her, very unimpressed, "I know it's you, Ms. Rose."
"It is Red Thorn, citizen."
"I can literally see Crescent Rose on your back."
"I know not what this Crescent Rose is, though it sounds like a unique piece of craftsmanship. Clearly different from my weapon, Rose's Thorn."
"That's basically the same name, Ruby."
"Is not!" Ruby stamped her foot, completely forgetting to 'mask' her voice.
"Hm. So if I call Ruby Rose on my scroll right now, your scroll wouldn't happen to ring, right?"
"O-Of course not!" Ruby grinned, obviously forced. Jaune raised a brow and, without breaking eye contact for even a second, pulled out his scroll and tapped Ruby's picture on his contacts list. It only took a second for Ruby's scroll to ring with the distinctive 'Red like Roses' ringtone she loved so much.
Jaune kept looking at her without a word as the scroll continued to ring. She squirmed in place, not quite looking him in the eye but also not willing to look away entirely. The ringing continued for half a minute before the answering message kicked in, "Hey, this is Ruby! I can't come to the phone right now, I'm probably doing something awesome! Leave a message after the beep. BEEEEEEPPP." She'd actually said the beep. That was adorable.
Jaune cut the call and put his scroll back in his pocket, "Hm?" He raised a brow. Singular. It was a very powerful move his own father used to devastating effect.
"...Oh, you mean this scroll?" Ruby pulled out said scroll and forced out a laugh, "Well...I saw it on the ground and, like any good hero, decided that I was going to take it to the police station."
That was how she was going to play this, huh? Fine, he'd play.
"Oh, that's great!" Jaune smiled, giving her an open-toothed smile, "You sound like a real hero!"
"I-I am!" Ruby puffed her chest out.
"But there's no need to go to the police station," Jaune said, voice dripping with false sincerity, "I know exactly who that scroll belongs to. You can come with me back to Beacon and bring it to her yourself! She'll be so happy!"
"O-Oh..." The Rose wilted. He almost felt bad. Almost, "A-Actually, how about I just hand it to you-"
"Oh, no, no, no! That just won't do!" Jaune shook his head vehemently, "I wouldn't want to deny Ruby the chance to meet a real-life superhero! She's a big fan of heroes, already on the way to being one herself. Sweet girl." Ruby blushed, "So yes, let's go to Beacon together. Oh, but we'll have to walk slowly because I have a bunch of groceries. Don't worry, I'm sure that no one will recognize you with your ingenious disguise."
"B-But..." Ruby sputtered.
"Yes?" Jaune asked, blinking with faux innocence.
"...You're a jerk, Jaune."
"Take off the mask, Ruby."
She did just that and they made their way back to Beacon (after calling the cops to make a statement about his would-be mugger, of course). The prodigy Reaper pouted and kicked her feet the whole way there, which made him feel slightly bad, but not enough to apologize for being right. He did appreciate her saving him, and he told her just that, but it was clear from how she was acting that this wasn't her first time.
She followed him to his office instead of going back to her room. Her pout stopped for at least a moment when Bean came trotting up to them, causing the secret vigilante to drop to her knees and start cooing at the sight of the puppy. Bean was just as happy to see someone new and hopped up onto Ruby's waiting arms.
Jaune put on his fake glasses and took out his clipboard, "Have a seat, Ms. Rose."
"Do I have to...?" Ruby pouted again.
"I suppose I could talk to the other staff about my run-in with the Red Thorn-"
"Okay, okay! I'm sitting!" Ruby yelped and sat down with Bean on her lap.
"Good." Jaune nodded and wrote 'sat down' on the clipboard. Ruby squirmed in her seat, "Now, could you please explain to me why you're (very badly) disguising yourself and acting as a vigilante?"
"Well..." Ruby looked away and pressed her two pointer fingers together nervously, "Ever since the Vytal Festival came, there's been a lot more people coming in. Lots more criminals too." Her voice became more confident, "There's just not enough cops to deal with them all. Heck, you were mugged and there wasn't a cop anywhere to be found! Without me, you would've had to give everything up!"
"So your solution was to put on a 'mask' and...what? Look around for crime to stop?"
"Yep!" she said, popping the P. She sounded way too proud of that, "I already stopped a bunch of 'em too! Mostly muggings and thefts, but there was one guy spray-tagging something not nice on the wall. I even leave the criminals tied up with a little sticky note just like Arcachna-Lad!"
"Hm..."
"So...are you going to tell anyone?" Ruby chewed on her lower lip.
"That depends. Are you going to continue? You do realize that, while Blake is the most in trouble, all of team RWBY was already caught twice doing vigilante things the headmaster will be none-too-pleased to find out that you're doing this."
"H-He's not going to expel me...right?" Ruby asked nervously.
"I can't say I'd know, but I doubt it." Her shoulders sagged in relief, "But I wouldn't be surprised if you were put in detention with Professor Port-"
"No, please, anything but that!" Ruby suddenly screamed. Her eyes were wide with fear and she looked more scared than he'd ever seen her before, "Please, Jaune! Not that! If you have any mercy, you'll kill me here and now!"
"Please don't say things that make me sound like some supervillain." Jaune sighed. Thank the Brothers the room was soundproof, "Look...I know I'm supposed to tell at least Glynda about what happened-" Ruby gasped, "-but since you did save me earlier, how about we just let bygones be bygones? I'll pretend I didn't see you tonight and we forget this whole thing ever happened."
Ruby was quiet for a moment before she suddenly squealed and launched herself at him. Thankfully, Bean was quick enough to jump. Sadly, Jaune wasn't. His reflexes were too slow and he didn't get the chance to activate his Aura before Ruby impacted like the world's most adorable missile. Jaune grunted and gasped, just barely managing to keep himself from falling back at the hit.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I'll be more careful next time! No one will catch me!"
"...What?"
"What?" Ruby pulled back from her hug and looked up at him. Jaune forced his hands to remain strictly at his sides.
"I think you're misunderstanding something, Ms. Rose." Jaune gently pushed her off, "I'm not going to expose your activities to anyone else, but that doesn't mean I support what you're doing. You have to stop being the Red Thorn."
"But, but...!" Ruby scrambled to stand and looked betrayed all over again, "Y-You can't!"
"I'm pretty sure I can?"
"B-But what about all those people out there who need help?! When the accumulated filth of all the crime and dirty stuff rises and people look up to me for help, am I supposed to just look down and whisper 'NO'?!"
"Ms. Rose, there are the proper authorities and other people whose job it is to handle that."
"But what about the people who fall through the cracks?!"
"I understand your desire to help, Ms. Rose, I do, but please remember what happened the last two times you and your team decided to involve yourselves without telling anyone else."
"But I'm being super careful this time!"
"Be that as it may, I can't just pretend I'm okay with you continuing what you're doing. Please make sure to retire the Red Thorn tonight."
"But...But..." Jaune winced at her utterly heartbroken look. He saw the appeal of being a secret superhero - a year ago, he would've been completely on her side - but things had changed. This wasn't a year ago and he had to actually do his job, as unqualified as he was.
"...What happens if I say no?" Ruby whispered.
Jaune raised a brow, "Well, I suppose I'll have to tell Glynda and the others."
"Y-You can't!"
"I can't?"
"You can't!" Ruby said, nodding confidently, "Because...that could spread my secret identity past Beacon! And then the criminals I took down will target my family! You don't want that on your conscience, right? So you have to keep my secret!" Ruby smirked like she'd just pulled out a checkmate.
Jaune was unimpressed.
"Your family? Do you mean your sister who destroyed an entire nightclub and all of the gang members inside because she was bored? Or your Uncle and Dad who've been Huntsmen for longer than you've been alive?" Ruby's smirk fell, "By all means, tell me when the criminals try to target them to get to you. I'll make sure to bring the popcorn and get Qrow a drink to top off once he's done wiping the floor with them."
"I...uh..." Ruby looked around as if she'd somehow find something that could help then started tapping her skirt, "What if I...convince you not to say anything?"
"Ms. Rose..." Jaune sighed.
Slowly, she pulled out a half-eaten packet of cookies. Then she took out half of them for herself and offered him what was left, "Cookies that I baked myself. I can assure you that they're better than most things you can find in the shop. Keep my secret and you can have some of them."
"Ms. Rose, you can't bribe me."
"Are you sure? They're really good." She ate one of the cookies for emphasis...or because she just wanted to eat one.
"Quite sure."
"Darn." Ruby pouted then took a deep breath, "Alright, you're making me bring out the big guns."
"So long as it's not an actual gun..."
"You keep my secret, and I'll set you up with Yang!" Jaune blinked at the triumphant look on the Reaper's face. He couldn't say anything because, well, one of his patients just tried to bribe him with a date from her big sister. Ruby seemed to take his stunned silence as good news and continued, "That's right! People have been asking me to help them for years, but I always refused. Not today. Just look the other way and I'll set you up with Yang..."
...
"As...flattering as I'm sure Yang would think it was that you're so confident in her appeal, I'm going to have to pass on that as well."
"...What?" Ruby looked at him flatly and asked without any emotion, "But...you know who Yang is, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"She's got big boobies and fluffy hair. Everyone loves her!"
"I'm sure they do, but need I remind you that I'm a counselor and not a student?"
"...Oh."
"Yes. Oh." He adjusted his glasses and set his clipboard facedown next to him, "So yes, Ruby, I'm afraid I can't agree with looking the other way in exchange for dating your sister." He checked his watch, "It's getting late as well. If there's nothing else, I'd suggest going back to your room and getting some rest. You'll need a good night's sleep to go back to being a regular old student again, right?"
"Right..."
Jaune waited till Ruby was gone from the room and the door locked behind before he grabbed one of the seat cushions and screamed into the surface. He'd managed to keep a completely calm front until now, but the weight of Ruby's offer finally sunk in. She offered to set him up with Yang Xiao Long. He knew it was wrong, that no matter how old he really was even thinking of Yang as anything other than a student would get him fired if he was lucky, but he couldn't help himself. He was a teenager with working hormones.
He'd almost said yes before he pulled himself back. That would've been a disaster, "Close call, buddy..." Jaune let out a soft breath and rubbed Bean's head. He opened up his mini-fridge and got some warm milk for both him and his good boy.
Outside the room, Ruby Rose looked down at the ground with a determined expression. She wouldn't give up. People needed the Red Thorn. When the city cried for a savior, she answered, and she wouldn't give up!
But how to do it? He'd rejected cookies and even a date with Yang. She had to go deeper. Maybe...Maybe she could convince him to be her guy in the chair? The Seer to her Nightrose? He couldn't tell anyone if he was involved!
But how to get him that far? She was already thinking. Deep in the bowels of their room, in a place Blake thought was hidden, was her Filth. And even below that Filth was her true guilty pleasure: oodles upon oodles of shoujo Manga! Ruby had so far been the only one to find out about Blake's double-secret guilty pleasure and she made sure to keep it a secret even as she used it for her own enjoyment.
She could read up on those books and find a way to wrap Jaune around her finger. All she had to do was find the right stuff to make herself sparkle and get thick glasses so she could take them off and Jaune would realize how pretty she was. Then he'd do whatveer she wanted! Every guy was helpless before it!
Ruby giggled under her breath and skipped back to her room, plans forming in her conniving little mind.
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"How are you doing, Ms. Schnee?"
Jaune poured the coffee (cream and two sugars, just how she liked it) into two cups and offered her one, which she took gratefully. It'd been a few days since news of her father's tragic(?) hospitalization and the school offered her some time off to deal with her grief. She actually took it, which Yang assured him was akin to pigs flying for how much sense it made.
"I'm fine, Mr. Arc." Weiss took a delicate sip of the cup and released a small breath. It'd been days since he'd seen her last. He wanted to help, but there was only so much a student counselor could do. Her friends had to do the heavy lifting.
"I heard you insisted on coming back to class early." He took a drink of his own cup.
"Yes. There's very little to be gained by excessively moping."
"It's only been three days, Ms. Schnee. No one would blame you for grieving given the circumstances."
"Mother and Winter certainly aren't..." Weiss muttered bitterly.
"I can't claim to understand their feelings, but you have told me over our sessions that your father wasn't the...warmest man." That was an understatement. He was pretty sure the only reason she hadn't cussed him out was because she thought it'd be improper for her to.
"No, he isn't. Wasn't." She pursed her lips, "...You know, I received a call just before I came here. An update on my father's status." Another sip, "They told me that the damage he'd received to his brain was so severe that, even if he recovered from his coma - which is unlikely - that his mental faculties are permanently impaired. He'd be considered too mentally unfit to continue running the SDC and my place as the CEO is assured given that I'm still the heiress before he had his accident."
"I...see."
"That's it. My father is brain-damaged and my ascension is all but guaranteed. I could quit Beacon right now and take my place as the CEO if I wished. Did you know how I felt when I heard all this?" He didn't answer. She just needed someone to listen, "Angry. Not about how unfair it all is or that this is a tragedy, but angry that it's so...easy. A part of me wanted to rub it in his face, to prove to him that even after all the things he did, I could ensure the Schnee name isn't what he turned it into."
"And then I felt angry at myself. Why does it matter if I can't brag to his face? Am I honestly doing this to prove myself to him?" She looked away with a scowl, "What am I even doing? I spent ten years trying to make that man proud and now, even when he's functionally braindead, he's still leaving a shadow over my life. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic."
"...I wanted to be a Huntsmen." Weiss looked up expectantly. This was the seconed time he was sharing a personal anecdote, "It wasn't because I wanted to help people or anything, but because I wanted to be a hero and to live up to my ancestors. My grandfather and great-grandfather were heroes and I always imagined myself living up to their legacy. Be the next hero in the lineage."
"I...see."
"You told me before that you wanted to redeem the SDC. Maybe you did do it in part because you wanted to show up your dad or prove something to him, but is that wrong?" She didn't reply, "Are you going to give up your plans now that you can't prove something to him anymore."
"Of course not!" Weiss stood up, "I still plan to redeem the SDC and to be a Huntress."
"Then you're free to feel however you want. I can't say whether your feelings are right or wrong - no one but you can - but you are going through an extreme time right now. No matter how...difficult your relationship with your dad was, he was still your father and he's been a part of your life in one way or another. It'd be hard to distance yourself and pretend that this doesn't affect you."
"I suppose." Weiss sat back down with a sigh, "A part of me wishes he actually were dead, as awful as that sounds. We'd have a wake and a funeral so we could put all our affairs to rest. Instead, he'll continue to live on as a vegetable for the rest of his days. Or in the 'best' case scenario, he'll wake up with brain damage and confined to intensive care for the rest of his life."
"...Do you hate your father?" It was a really difficult question to ask, but it felt as if Weiss wanted him to say it.
"No...I don't know. I know I don't love him, but hate? I've always been of the mind that people are too quick to throw that word around. Yang says she hates going to Professor Port's class, Ruby talks about how she hates raisin cookies...it feels like only Blake really knows the meaning of the word when she talks about inequality. I don't feel such burning hatred when I think of my father, but my positive feelings for him are few and far between."
"How do you feel about him right now?"
"I feel like I want to scream into his face for how stupid he was. That after everything he's done - to me, to our family, to countless innocents - that it ended this way because he forgot to chew a fruit properly. It's preposterous."
"It sounds like you want to visit him." he suggested tentatively. Giving suggestions was frowned upon from what he read, but he didn't know what else to do.
"Visit him? What would that achieve?" Weiss scoffed, "He's a vegetable. He wouldn't be able to hear me or even realize I was there."
"People visit graves to talk to people they've lost. This could be the same." That was a morbid comparison...
"I...perhaps. None of us have gone to visit father since his hospitalization. None from the board either. For all his wealth and connections, father was closed-off and lonely man. I expect any funeral he'd ever have would be attended by those who saw it merely as an obligation or something to feign affection and close ties with our family."
"Speaking of family. How are you doing with the rest of them?"
"Winter and I are close as always. Mother...that's another matter entirely." She huffed, "She's still in Vale enjoying her 'vacation', though I expect that means she's sampling the local brews. And Whitley..." she trailed off and her eyes widened slightly, "Hm...I suppose he'd be back home. Mother didn't say anything about taking him with her."
"Doesn't sound healthy for a young man like him to stay in that mansion alone given what's happened."
"No, I suppose it isn't." Weiss pursed her lips again before she sighed, "I...suppose I should visit him. While we don't get along at the best of times, he dealt with father's upbringing just as much as Winter and I."
"That sounds like a good idea." Jaune smiled.
"I'm glad you agree." Weiss nodded back, "Please make sure to pack the appropriate clothes. We leave on the weekend."
...
"...What?" Jaune asked flatly.
"Well, you're coming along, of course." Weiss said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "It's been years since Whitley and I have had an actual conversation that isn't passive-aggressive or laced with insults. If we're going to get anything done, there needs to be a third party to keep us focused. You'd be perfect for the job." She gave him an open-mouthed smile, "Don't worry, I'll talk to the headmaster and we'll figure something out."
"But-"
"There are other things we need to discuss, however," she said quickly, rushing past his objections, "This is...difficult for me. You see, given my position, I was always inundated with false friends and those who wished to court me purely to gain benefits for themselves. While I do not doubt that attraction and lust played a role in recent years, it would always be secondary to material benefit."
"O...kay?"
"So I am...inexperienced when it comes to having a 'crush' on someone." Weiss continued. Jaune blinked as the heiress' cheeks flushed a light shade of pink that stuck out on her pale skin, "I've considered people attractive before, of course, but it's always guaranteed that I'd find something repulsive about them that would draw my attention away eventually. This feels...different."
"Hold on, Ms. Schnee. Are you asking for my advice on romance?"
"Yes." The pink on her cheek worsened, "I know you'd keep my secret and you've talked to her so much that you know her better than anyone else outside my team. You're the only reason she hasn't been expelled."
"...You can't be-"
"I'm talking about Blake, of course," Weiss said, unaware or uncaring at the blooming look of horror that spread across Jaune's face, "I know we started off rough given my views on the Faunus, but we've become quite close recently. My affections began when she helped me deal with some of my feelings back when I first found out about my father's incident. Given her past, she would've been well-within her rights to be celebratory, but she ignored her own feelings in order to help me with mine. Yang Ruby did too, of course, but they have no grudge to set aside."
"...Blake. You have a crush on Blake."
"It came as a surprise to me as well." Weiss giggled nervously. Giggled. Jaune wanted to cry, "I wasn't even aware that I could feel this way for another woman, but here we are. So...could you give me some advice."
Jaune didn't say a word. Instead, he stood up, made his way to the fridge, and pulled out a full bottle of whiskey. He popped the cap without even thinking about it, poured just a bit into a very tiny glass, and then drank straight from the bottle.
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Poor Jaune. Just when it seems like he's done dealing with Blake, he has to deal with Blake. Oh well, he was kinda asking for it given his comments about how he missed being able to blame her for everything.
Question:
1. Alright, so since we tend to have a lot of options on people/problems to tackle, I'll write down five of them below and you guys pick one or two you wanna focus on. The couple with the most votes will get focus next chapter:
- Dealing with Sun and Neptune's issues. The latter is on his hydophobia and obsession on looking cool while the former is on how he's a very careless leader who sees nothing wrong with ditching his team whenever he gets bored, which causes strain.
- Dealing with Ren and Nora's issues. As indicated in the previous chapter, Nora suffers from co-dependency issues, and so might Ren, and this needs to be confronted given how Nora acted out.
- Dealing with team CFVY. Velvet stated that Coco's a bit of a control freak concerning her teammates and they tackle that along with allowing the rest of the team to air out their grievances.
- Dealing with Yang. This is more lighthearted, but they do try to get to the bottom of her mommy issues and how it can make her act out, as shown with her behavior in the Yellow trailer.
- Jaune somehow gets assigned as Adam's counselor at his request. Cue Jaune having to pretend to be a dog Faunus with fake ears and Blake, of all people, assigned to help him because she's the Adam expert.
Comments
Thelurker12
Hey now, did you think Ruby was gonna give Jaune everything? Be reasonable. Not sure if Whitley likes Jacques. I think he acknowledges that Jacques is also an asshole and now he’s permanently stuck as the spare since Jacques’ will writes Weiss as the heiress and now there’s no changing that. And given Jaune here, I’m sure he’ll latch onto the yhe next older male authority figure for guidance and approval. As for Weiss and Jaune, she really does just trust him that much. Poor Jaune.
pilot puntastic
This is just the best. The funniest part was definitely Ruby taking a half eaten container of cookies, halfing it with herself before offering Jaune Some of them! Weiss's section was taken very seriously and i appreciate that, with how Weiss mentions Whitley still being in Atlas i honestly really hope that he's the only one regularly visiting Jacques. Jacques was after all the only parent that really cared about him that he remembers, him being genuinely distraught at the loss of his father would certainly be a juxtaposition between him and Willow and Winter. I really enjoy how the serious tone leads so well into the absurdity of Weiss basically volunteering Jaune to come back with her to Atlas. I can't tell if that's his counseler status or the fact that Weiss might be trying to trick him into being her new dad. Fantastic chapter!
