AndrewJTalon said:
Jaune adjusted his tie and then ran a comb through his hair. He squinted at himself in the bathroom mirror for what felt like the millionth time. He sighed and adjusted his tie again.
There was a knock on the door. Jaune cleared his throat.
"Be right out!"
He turned and walked to the door. He prayed to the Table Breaker for strength, and opened it up.
He held back a sigh of relief: It was just Ren. The stoic Mistralian raised an eyebrow as he looked Jaune up and down.
"You actually shaved," he observed.
Jaune nodded.
"Yup. Still usin' safety razors but ya know, they're practical."
Ren nodded back.
"Indeed," He stated. "Coast is clear."
Jaune smiled.
"Thank you," he said in genuine thanks. He turned and headed to the door to the common room. He opened it... And was greeted by all of RWBY and the rest of JNPR, all standing ready.
Jaune's eyes narrowed. He looked back over his shoulder at Ren.
"Et tu, Ren?" He muttered.
The Mistralian martial artist shrugged.
"Purely self preservation," he murmured back.
Jaune looked back and forced a smile on his face. A smile nearly as brittle as Pyrrha's, though the redhead was blushing.
"Wow Jaune, um, you clean up... Very nicely," she complimented him. Jaune coughed and nodded.
"Thank you, Pyrrha. There is a dress code, after all."
"Yes, a very strict one at the Minerva," Weiss observed, boldly walking up to examine him. She hummed.
"It's a bit cheap-"
"Says the richest girl on Remnant," Ruby muttered. Weiss ignored that.
"-But well tailored," she complimented him. Jaune nodded back.
"Thank you, Weiss."
"Yeah, but your tie's a bit crooked," Yang chuckled. She brushed Weiss aside (ignoring the heiress's squawk) and reached up to adjust it. She smiled up into his eyes, her fingers lingering a bit too long as she undid and redid his tie. He gulped and blushed.
"There. That's better," she winked, "Gotta keep you on the straight and narrow, don't we, cowboy~?"
"Uh, um, y-yes," Jaune stuttered. Ruby shoved Yang aside, using momentum to make up for her smaller stature. She beamed up at him.
"You're using hair gel, too! What about your hat?"
Jaune winced.
"Er... Well... They apparently don't let hats in. Or ponchos."
He scowled.
"Or guns."
"Aw, it's like you're going in naked~," Yang cooed, leaning in. Ruby scowled at her. Pyrrha tactfully reached out and led Jaune away from the glaring sisters.
"No cologne?" She asked, sniffing the air. Jaune shook his head.
"Ain't nothing but a friendly dinner. So no need," he stated.
"Still, a bit wouldn't hurt," Weiss suggested. She held up a spray bottle and squeezed the bulb. Jaune coughed at the very strong musk that entered his nostrils, and he waved his hand in front of his face. Pyrrha, despite her impeccable manners, grimaced.
"Landsakes, Weiss! What in tarnation is that?!"
"'Essence of Stallion'," Weiss said with a smirk over at Blake, "It will keep Miss Scarlatina from getting any ideas, given she is a Faunus and thus has a heightened sense of smell. Isn't that right, Blake?"
Blake, who was sitting on the couch, nodded.
"Just to keep things from getting awkward," Blake added.
Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha looked at the smug Weiss with some grudging respect. Jaune sighed and nodded.
"Well, thank you, but again: It's just gonna be a friendly date. I'll be back in time for movie night."
"You'd better!" Nora shouted from the projector set up on the other side of the room, "I still haven't gotten all the subtitles off this movie!"
"The subtitles come with the movie, Nora," Ruby said in concern. Nora frowned and tilted the holoprojector upside down.
"Really?"
"Have a good time!" Pyrrha said, her smile extremely brittle, "We'll be counting the minutes until you return!"
"So don't take too long," Yang said with a co*cky smirk, "You'd better hop to it, got it?"
"That's racist," Blake muttered.
Jaune nodded slowly.
"Sure thing," he said. "Jest as long as none of you follow me."
All the women gained looks of innocence that might have fooled a nun.
"What? Follow you? What for?" Weiss asked.
"You on a dinner date with Velvet? Totally boring!" Yang added.
"We would never violate your trust and privacy like that, Jaune!" Pyrrha contributed, "Even if we thought it was for your own good."
"We can just track you by your Scroll!" Ruby added. The other girls glared at her, and she coughed. "I-I mean... Just in case of any trouble?"
Jaune rolled his eyes. He reached out and patted Ruby on the head.
"She's just a friend. We're all friends."
He did his best to ignore the hurt in their eyes. Honestly... He wasn't some kind of Adonis! The sooner they realized that, the better.
Still, he caught Blake's intense look, I shouldn't be so dismissive of their feelings.
"Honestly, you have nothin' to fret over," he said calmly, "Any of you."
That mollified most of them, though Pyrrha still looked concerned. Jaune patted Ruby on the head again, before he turned and headed out the door.
He walked down the hallway, down the stairs, and for CVFY's dormroom.
Maybe I should have gotten flowers or-or something-NO! This is just a friendly outing, nothing more, He thought to himself. He knocked on the door, and stood back respectfully.
A moment later, Coco Adel opened the door up. She looked Jaune up and down with an accomplished fashionista's eye. She sighed.
"Well, it could be worse," she said, "That tie is terrible though."
Jaune looked down at the red and blue tie, and shrugged.
"Is it? Thought it went well with my eyes-Hey!"
Coco yanked the tie off, and quickly replaced it with a bolo tie inset with aquamarine. She then produced a white Stetson, which she placed on Jaune's head.
"My little Bun-Bun is expecting a cowboy," she stated firmly, "So don't disappoint." She glared at him and grabbed his lapels with some truly impressive strength. "Got it?"
"G-Got it!" Jaune stuttered.
"Coco? Is it him?" Velvet called from inside the dorm. Coco set Jaune down and dusted him off.
"Yup! He's all set, Bun-Bun!" Coco said, sing-song. She glared and jabbed Jaune in the chest. "You make sure she has a good time!"
Jaune shook his head rapidly, still mystified as to how Coco knew his hat size, before he responded.
See Alsothe human condition - amaiyoI finally found you - DevilAna54Journal articles: 'American American fiction City and town life in literature' – GrafiatiRead Mumbo Jumbo online free by Ben Gilbert"Don't you worry, Miss Adel. I will not take advantage of her, nosiree."
Coco's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh yes you will, Mister! If she wants it, you're giving it to her!"
Jaune gaped, his cheeks flushing red with blood.
"I-Wha-?!"
"Hey! Sorry it took me so long!" Velvet apologized. Coco stood aside and let Velvet be fully framed by the door. Jaune's jaw dropped and his heart seemed to freeze.
She was blushing and utterly radiant in a sleek red dress. It had a slit going up the side, showing off her gorgeous legs, while the neckline was low enough to tease her cleavage without being obscene. Red straps went up around her neck, and she smiled bashfully as she held her purse in front of her.
"So um... Y-You look nice," she complimented him. She sniffed the air, and blushed harder. "N-Nice cologne!"
"Oh, uh, th-thank you, you look... V-Very nice," Jaune stuttered.
Coco waited for a moment, before she elbowed Jaune. He coughed as his manners came to the forefront. He held out his elbow, and Velvet shyly took hold of it.
"Shall we?" Jaune asked. Velvet nodded eagerly. The two set out, her hips bumping against him with every step.
He looked back over his shoulder. Coco was scowling at him. She then made an obscene gesture with her hands, and pointed at Jaune menacingly. He gulped, and nodded, even as Velvet strayed a bit closer to him.
"So uh, I hope we're not late to the Bullheads," she said.
"D-Don't worry, we'll be on time," Jaune managed.
Table-Breaker, give me strength, he mentally groaned.
- - -
Cardin Winchester turned the corner and walked towards CFVY's dorm. He had some wildflowers he had picked-Nothing fancy, just enough for an apology. He stared at Coco Adel, who was standing outside the dorm.
"Uh, hey Adel," he greeted. The fashionista turned around and glared at him.
"What do you want?" She demanded.
"Er... Just wanted to apologize to... Velvet," Cardin managed, wilting a bit under the intense glare.
"Why should I believe you?" Coco demanded.
"Because... Because I screwed up and I want to make things right," he said, spreading his arms wide. He grimaced. "I don't know if an apology can make up for it but... But I wanna try. I want to fix my mistakes."
Coco glared at him in silence. Cardin twitched a bit, but was able to hold his ground. In hindsight, maybe picking on a Faunus girl with such an intimidating team leader had been a bad idea.
Finally, Coco relented and shrugged.
"She's out on a date with Arc," she said. Cardin's eyes widened.
"Wait, what?!"
"So," Coco said with a grin, "You wanna apologize to her? You're gonna have to wait... Or go after her."
"Well, uh, I can wait," Cardin said with a shrug. Coco glared.
"The hell kind of conviction is that?!"
Cardin blinked rapidly.
"Huh?"
"After what you did, you should chase after her and dramatically beg for forgiveness!" Coco growled, "Make it clear how sorry you are!"
"But I-"
"I will not accept anything less!" Coco declared. She hefted up her handbag, and released her Gianduja. The minigun spun up ominiously.
"So, either you chase after her and declare how sorry you are, or Gianduja here will make you sorry. What's it gonna be?"
Cardin wisely ran for the door, clutching the flowers tightly as he sprinted for his very life.
Coco smirked.
"Well..."
She went over to a window to look down at the entrance.
"That was lucky... Now... Three, two, one..."
Team RWBY and Pyrrha emerged from one door, clearly intent on the Bullhead landing pads... When Cardin barreled out the other door, right into them. A very large and loud argument broke out between them.
People wondered if Coco Adel was just a pretty face with a broken Semblance and a minigun. Truth be told, in order to be effective with her fire, she had to be good at math. And while she was no Steven Falconing, she was able to make calculations on the fly that would impress an Atlasian Fire Control Officer.
Paired with her social acumen and it was little wonder she'd become not just a team leader but the queen bee of Beacon.
"That should keep those thirsty girls out of Bun-Bun's hair," Coco chuckled. "She'd better appreciate all of this..."
- - -
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!" Ruby demanded angrily. Cardin Winchester, for his part, was doing his level best not to seem intimidated by a group of young ladies.
However, the fact they could collective kick his ass (and looked very intent on doing so) made that difficult. Nevertheless, Mama Winchester didn't raise no puss*.
"I was gonna talk to someone-Not that it's your business!" Cardin growled. Yang's eyes burned red like hot coals, as she slammed her fists together.
"Oh really? Who you gonna talk to with flowers?" Yang asked with a growl.
"Uhhh..."
"No! Not Jaune!" Ruby gasped in horror. Cardin gaped in shock and disbelief.
"WHAT?! NO I-!"
"It's classic really," Blake nodded with a bit of a blush, "He denied his hom*osexual feelings out of societal pressure, and bullied Jaune instead."
Pyrrha gaped in shock as she blushed. Weiss too had a red face. Blake had a dreamy look on hers, while Yang and Ruby sputtered. Cardin, desperate to salvage this, resorted to a tactic his father had employed in difficult budgetary meetings:
Yelling.
"I AM NOT GAY! THESE ARE NOT FOR JAUNE! THESE ARE FOR VELVET!"
The girls all stared at him. Blake hummed.
"Well, that's a bit disappointing-"
"No it's not!" Weiss insisted. "Clearly, he was bullying her out of denial of his romantic feelings! For a girl who forced Jaune out on a date!"
"I-!" Cardin really did want to protest this. Like HELL did he have romantic feelings for Velvet! Sure, he wanted to make things up to her but romantic feelings?
"Of course!" Blake insisted, soft but sure, as she looked intently at Cardin, "It's a classic tragic story of starcrossed lovers! The girl he could not love, but did anyway! Just like Jomeo and Ruliet!" She sighed softly, "I can work with this."
"So can we," Pyrrha stated with a very scary smile. She grabbed onto Cardin's shoulder with terrifying strength. "How would you like to realize your true love... And keep Velvet away from Jaune Arc?"
"Anything for true love," Yang said with a similarly terrifying smile, grabbing onto Cardin's other shoulder. Weiss and Ruby too gained grins that seemed more like gleaming knives in the setting sun.
"Ohhhhh, I get it!" Ruby giggled. "Absolutely anything for true love!"
"Yes, how fortunate he fell into our hands," Weiss smirked.
Blake was furiously writing in a notebook.
Cardin looked about himself. There was no escape. No way out.
"I uh... Well..."
His politician father had taught him another important lesson, one Cardin realized he'd been too foolish and inexperienced to really grasp until now:
You have to know when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em.
This was clearly the latter.
He gulped and managed the tiniest hint of bluster, for the sake of his ego if nothing else.
"S-Sure... I would appreciate you helping me with... My romantic problems..."
"Right this way~," Pyrrha said, almost sing-song, as RWBY and Pyrrha led their captive towards the Bullheads.
I will never be jealous of Arc again, Cardin swore to himself, never ever NEVER!
- - -
Jaune wasn't entirely ignorant of how wealthy and luxurious places could be. He'd been to more than a few casinos and Dust rush towns on the Frontier, and even stayed at a five star hotel on a trip down to the Juzan Kingdom.
Of course that had been due to the city losing power thanks to a terrorist attack and Mister Duke leading them all to aid in the defense against the Grimm. The hotel hadn't had power for most of the time they'd been there, but the surroundings were still amazing.
That said, he couldn't keep his jaw closed very long as he entered Minerva's with Velvet. The carpet felt so soft and plush it was like it was made out of the fluffiest hares you could find. The wood paneling was inlaid with gold and silver lines that resembled tree branches. The view out the window let you see the entirety of Vale, lights shining like the stars above as the sun set and cast the night over everything.
Jaune managed to peel his eyes away from everything to focus on the menu. His heart pounded hard in his ears. He slowly looked up at Velvet, who had a similar desperate look in her eyes.
"... I think the wine selection costs more than my dang house," Jaune admitted quietly. Velvet managed a small, nervous giggle.
"S-Same," she squeaked.
The waiter arrived, his perfectly cut mustache so straight it was like it had been cut with a level. His suit was so perfect Jaune wondered if he had a Semblance to make it appear brand new.
"Would the sir and madam enjoy water while making their decision? Perhaps wine?" He asked pleasantly.
Jaune glanced over at Velvet. Velvet winced, but tried.
"Um... What is the cheapest selection you have?" She asked.
The waiter chuckled kindly.
"Fret not, Miss Scarlatina. Miss Adel is well known to me. She would not spend her money on frivolous people. Please, enjoy!"
"Er... Then sir, would you please make some recommendations?" Jaune asked. "My Gallian's a mite rusty."
"Of course Mister Arc," the waiter said with a smile, "Miss Adel sent us a dossier on both of you. I believe you will enjoy your meals. If I may?"
They handed him the menus, and he poured them some spring water. He departed in silence, leaving both to drink the water and stare at the table.
"Er... Um..." Jaune tried.
"Uh, um," Velvet also attempted.
Jaune let out a breath. He smiled at her.
"So... How long you an' Miss Adel been friends?"
Velvet perked up and smiled.
"Oh! Um, we actually met in middle school," she said cheerfully, "Her mom sent her to public school so she wouldn't become, ya know, a primadonna."
Jaune raised an eyebrow. Velvet flushed and shrugged.
"It uh... It mostly worked," she said.
"Nah. She's a force o' nature for sure," Jaune agreed. "I admire her spirit."
"Oh? You uh, you like women like that?" Velvet managed. Jaune coughed.
"Well uh... I like a lot o' kinds of women... N-Not that I'm some dandy!" He insisted, waving his hands, "I-I swear, I ain't... I mean, I had me a girlfriend in Radian but uh, that's the only one! I promise!"
"It-It's okay," Velvet said, waving her hands as well, "Uh, I-I've never even had a boyfriend! So um... Er..."
She sighed and bowed her head.
"I'm really sorry," she mumbled, "I... This isn't how I wanted it to go, exactly."
Jaune shook his head. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. She looked up and flushed.
"Hey. There... There ain't no expectations on this thing," he said, "I'm just here to have a nice time with a pretty, wonderful lady. One kind enough to thank me for... For helping her."
He smiled and shook his head.
"Not that you had to-"
"I-I really wanted to," Velvet insisted, holding onto his hand tightly. "I mean... I saw a lot of students just look away. Mind their own business. You... You got up and just called Cardin out." She blushed deeply.
"I... I admire that. It's... It's hard for me to be brave like that."
"Really?" Jaune asked. Velvet sighed, her ears drooping.
"Yeah... I-I've had to keep so much... So much inside. My dad's a human, my mom's a Faunus. People... People talk. Humans and Faunus alike."
"Oh, Miss Scarlatina," Jaune breathed quietly, his tone full of sympathy, "I'm sorry."
She beamed.
"But... Well... You came in like a knight in shining armor, and... Well... I-I really liked that."
Jaune worried his lower lip.
"I... I had a talk with Cardin after," he said. Velvet raised her eyebrows. He held up a hand. "Nothin' violent. I just told him to get over himself. We're all here to protect people from the Grimm. Fightin' over who lost who in what war ain't gonna help."
"Oh," Velvet paused, pulling her hand away to worry them in her lap, "Oh... I-I see. He... Lost people in the Revolution?"
"Yeah," Jaune said quietly, "But that ain't no excuse to act that way."
"N-No, of course not," Velvet shook her head, her eyes sad, "Just... My grandfather told me about the war. How people looked at Faunus like monsters out of fear. How some Faunus fought alongside humans. He just... He made it clear it was a lot more complicated than human good, Faunus bad."
"Well, sure," Jaune said with a nod, "Don't mean folks gotta take it from either side though."
"No," Velvet agreed.
Some wine and appetizers arrived. A salad for Velvet and some dark bread and cheese for Jaune. The two ate, while continuing to talk.
Velvet was born in a small bubble town near Vale where a lot of Menagerian ex-pats lived: Faunus who had gone to Menagerie for a good life, but had returned after becoming disillusioned with the All Faunus Kingdom. Her father was an engineer who traveled to Atlas for work while her mom stayed at home with her twelve younger brothers and sisters. Jaune related his own difficulties in a large family in Radian, and the two laughed a bit over their shared experiences.
The main course arrived: A vegetable pasta for Velvet, and a classic prime rib steak with vegetables and potatoes for Jaune. They continued to talk, going from subject to subject.
If Jaune was being honest? Velvet was definitely comfortable to talk to. She was kind, funny, and once she calmed down, very fun. There was a... A camradery there. Someone he'd be happy to be friends with as they both worked to become Hunters.
Dessert rolled around, and after a few drinks of wine and a high class beer, they were both a bit giggly.
"N-No, no! Honest!" Velvet laughed, holding up her Scroll, "See? Total dork!"
Jaune stared at the picture of Velvet in middle school-The Faunus was practically vanishing in an oversized sweater with glasses. He snorted in laughter.
"Wow... You sure transformed, like a butterfly!"
"That was mostly Coco," Velvet explained, tucking her Scroll back into her purse, "I finally gave in after years of her begging to do my make up." She gestured to her impressive chest, "After these came in, I needed the help."
Jaune choked on his beer. He coughed hard and pounded his chest. Velvet, concerned, got up and went around to his side.
"Jaune? Are you all right?!"
"J-Just... Just fine!" He managed, keeping his eyes well away from her chest.
Their waiter reappeared, smiling warmly and handing Jaune some water. He gratefully drank it.
"Would sir and ma'am enjoy the patio? It has fewer people at this hour," he said.
Velvet smiled at Jaune. Jaune smiled back. He stood up and held out his arm. She took it. He turned to the waiter.
"Uh, thank you, Mister-?"
"Ebon, sir," he said, "And don't worry, the tip has been taken care of." He leaned in and muttered quietly:
"You couldn't afford it anyway."
"G-Good to know," Jaune managed.
- - -
They made it to the patio, and indeed, it was sparsely populated at this hour. They walked out to the railing and looked out across Vale. Velvet sucked in a deep breath, her eyes shining.
"Wow," she murmured happily. Jaune nodded, smiling as he stared at her face.
He then immediately pulled his eyes away, blushing hard.
"Something wrong?" She asked urgently, "Do-Do you need more water?"
"N-No, I'm... I'm fine, really," Jaune said, waving his free hand, "Just uh... Boy howdy do you look pretty."
Velvet blushed and smiled warmly at Jaune.
"Thank you," she replied quietly. She sighed and looked back at the cityscape.
"This... This was nice," she said.
Jaune nodded.
"Sure was," he said.
Velvet worried her lower lip. Jaune turned to stare at her.
"Somethin' wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing!" Velvet said quickly. Jaune stared more intently which made her flush. She looked back out at the city.
"Well... Um..."
She pulled her arms away and put her hands together. She sighed.
"I... Um... I'm sorry, I just..."
Velvet shook her head.
"It is... It has been wonderful," she said, "But there's... I-I mean..." She sighed again.
"... I'm feeling like I would one of my brothers for you," she said frankly.
Jaune blinked. Velvet turned bright red.
"N-Not that you're unattractive! F-Far from it!" She insisted and waved her hands around almost frantically, "I-I loved getting to talk to you and eat and-and just get to know you... And you've so handsome, but I..."
Her ears drooped. She wrapped her arms around her with a very sad look on her face.
"I just... I thought I would be feeling butterflies in my stomach over you. Or-Or feel a spark. Some real heat, and... Well..." She shrugged helplessly.
"It... It's not there," she finished lamely.
She bowed her head and stared at the patio tiles. Jaune stared in silence for a bit. Velvet stuttered.
"I-I mean... Maybe it's just a first date, maybe it's just that this place is so expensive, m-maybe I just built you up in my head and..."
She closed her eyes tightly.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
She felt Jaune's hands on her elbows. She started and looked up into his face. He smiled gently.
"Like I said, I'm just here to have a good time with a nice, pretty lady," he said, "And I do believe we've had that."
Velvet smiled and became a lot less tense. She nodded.
"Y-Yeah... Yeah," she murmured. She shook her head. "I mean... Maybe... Maybe we could hang out more?"
"I would like that," Jaune said with a nod. He shrugged. "Sides... Ain't lookin' for love right now. It... Makes things complicated."
"Your ex?" Velvet asked, immediately filled with sympathy. Jaune looked out at the stars and nodded slowly.
"Among other reasons," he said, "Me? If I'm datin' a woman, it's for keeps. If we ain't gonna have matrimony as the goal? Then... We ain't goin' that far. Nothin' wrong with hanging out though."
"No, of course not," Velvet said with a nod, "I just... Um... Love's a lot more complicated than I thought, you know?"
Jaune sighed.
"Well, maybe we'll fall in love in the future anyway. Maybe it's the wrong time. Or maybe we'll both stay friends," he shrugged, "I'm startin' to realize the same. I'm just... Tryin' to keep as open a mind as I can."
Velvet smiled nervously.
"And um... Trying to avoid angering your harem?"
Jaune flushed deeply.
"I-It-It ain't a harem!" He sputtered. Velvet giggled.
"I suppose if you were trying to recruit for it, I might be more interested," she teased. Jaune flushed.
"Oh geez, Miss..."
"I think I like men who are a little more assertive anyway," Velvet hummed, "N-Not that you aren't assertive!" She waved her hands, "You can be! You're just... Not the right kind and... Ugh... Feelings are sh*te!"
She blushed and covered her mouth as her accent slipped out. Jaune laughed quietly.
"You're a real riot, Miss Scarlatina."
She smiled happily.
"Please... Call me Velvet. Since we're friends?"
"Sure can."
- - -
They walked out onto the street after leaving the restaurant. Jaune was already scanning for a taxi and cursing that he hadn't gotten Orleans' license yet. The vain horse didn't like the Department of Vehicles, nor their cameras.
"VELVET!"
Both Jaune and Velvet turned... And their jaws dropped. Dressed in tight leather pants, an open white button up shirt that showed off his pegs, scaly boots, and a rose in his hand, one Cardin Winchester approached. His eyebrow was twitching a bit as he looked over his shoulder, before he looked at them.
"Velvet, I..." His jaw dropped and face went red. "Oh Breaker you're hot."
Velvet's cheeks went bright red. Jaune scowled.
"Cardin, I thought I talked about this-"
"No! Nonono, I um... I'm here to... To..." Cardin shook his head to get his bearings, "Uh... A-Apologize." He held out the red rose to Velvet. "I... I was being an idiot. I want you to be my girlfriend, Velvet. All that bullying was just because I-I like you. Please... Accept my feelings!"
He went down to a knee, as though some myterious force had grabbed onto the metal in his pants and forced him down. He held the rose up to Velvet. She blushed deeply, and glanced between Cardin and Jaune.
Jaune blinked a few times. He shook his head and smiled at Velvet.
"Well... You did say you liked assertive men," he said.
"Um... Er... You... You don't mind...?" Velvet stuttered.
"S'long as he's genuine and ain't gonna cause trouble," Jaune stated, glaring down at the Winchester heir. Cardin shook his head.
"N-No! No, I am! I totally..." He stared at Velvet some more. "Holy crap she's so hot..."
He paused and blanched.
"I said that out loud didn't I?" He mumbled.
Velvet giggled. She walked over and took Cardin's hand. She pulled him up.
"Well... Um... I suppose I could... Give you a chance, with all the effort you put in," she said warmly. "We did just eat so... Would you like to go for a walk?"
"S-Sure," Cardin managed. He lowered his voice as he and Velvet walked away, but Jaune's keen ears picked his voice up.
"Can we stop by a store? This outfit is... Chilly. And it chafes."
Velvet giggled.
"I think I know a place."
Jaune watched them walk off into the night, and pushed his hat up at an angle to scratch the side of his head.
"Well... Ain't that somethin'," he chuckled.
He then felt Ruby wrap around him like a rope around a steer.
"Hurk!"
"JAUNE!" Ruby wailed. "We saw the whole thing! How could she dump you for her bully?!"
"The nerve of her!" Weiss added, walking into view (and hastily tossing a trenchcoat, scarf, and sunglasses into the trash), "Playing on your emotions!"
"We're here if you need us, Jaune, count on it," Pyrrha added, also tossing some random clothes into a trashcan. Yang walked up and sighed, patting Jaune on the shoulder.
"You okay there, Stud?"
Blake was scribbling things into her notebook and giggling a lot. Jaune heaved a sigh.
"Yeah... I'm fine," he said, "We decided we were better off as friends and... Apparently she likes men who are uh... Direct."
"Can't say I blame her," Yang smirked. Ruby tightened her hug, as Pyrrha and Weiss coughed suspiciously. Jaune sighed.
"... Ya'll wanna get some ice cream?"
"Sure!" Ruby cheered.
I'll sort this out myself one day, Jaune thought, as they headed for an ice cream parlor, One day.
- - -
I know, right? A girl deciding she doesn't want to be part of Jaune's harem? Insanity!
But I thought it would be a fun way to end things, and indulge a ship I really like, without making it come off as too out of character or bashy.
Poor Cardin has no idea what he's in for.
I may write some Jaune/Velvet in the future, but it is not this fic.
![[RWBY] RWBY Snippets and Plot Bunnies (2024)](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mP8/h8AAvMB+NzmkbcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)