Jaune was meeting Ozpin in his office again, relating what he knew of the future.
Jaune: "... And Lionheart's been a traitor for a while. Not sure when he broke or if he was always a scumbag. He says he was just a coward but I was kind of emotional at the time."
Ozpin: grave look "Understandable. I would ask you to try and get your godfather to assist us in this matter. I don't want to move against Lionheart too soon and tip our hand: If he could give us intel on Salem's plans, we might be better able to deal with them."
Jaune: "My godfather...?"
His memories came to him. He blinked rapidly.
Ozpin: "Yes. King Arjun Sarkara of Pandu?"
Jaune: "Ah, right. Sorry, I think the visions are messing with my mind..."
Jaune's Brain: I only came up with like half of that worldbuilding! Why isn't my co-writer here instead of me?! Oh well... Good to know, I guess. Maybe I was getting a clearer transmission from Remnant than Monty. Not that I want to be presumptuous in thinking I was the better writer, cause I'm NOT.
Jaune: "Still... He's going to want Lionheart dead since he probably had a hand in the coup that made him an exile and orphan in the first place. Exile-orphan."
Ozpin: "True, but he can be patient and cunning. He can keep in control of himself. Or his wife will rein him in."
Jaune: "Speaking of... My parents and my godparents were a very powerful team, right?"
Ozpin: "Indeed. Expert heavy combatants and disaster relief specialists. I was very proud of them all."
Jaune: "So... Why didn't you make them your strike team instead of STRQ? Nothing against Ruby and Yang's parents and uncles... Well okay, a LOT against Raven."
Ozpin: "For a few reasons. Summer's Silver Eyes made her a natural counter to Grimm and Salem's agents. The others all had skills very useful as a covert strike team. Whereas your parents and godparents... Were not covert. At all."
Jaune: "But... My mom can shapeshift and Uncle Arjun is like a ninja archer-"
Ozpin: dryly "Yes, and your father is a wrecking ball in human form and your godmother fires death rays. Your mother can shatter buildings at full strength and your godfather is, shall we say, VERY liberal with Aura-powered explosive arrows. Approximately 80 percent of their missions in urban areas ended in property damage so extensive the insurance companies had strokes. And of course, they also overthrew a dictatorship-Granted, wIth the support of a multi-national alliance, but overthrowing a government is not something anyone can call inconspicuous. Your family are many things, Jaune Arc, but covert and subtle are not among them. It's not much of a victory if in defending Remnant, you reduce most of it to rubble."
Jaune: "I... Guess I can't argue with that."
Ozpin: "Indeed. As for the Ever After, do you recall what fruit you ate?"
Jaune: "Ummm... I think it was a mango? But again, it's all really fuzzy."
Ozpin: "At least it wasn't a peach then."
Jaune: "... Was... Was that a dad joke?"
Ozpin: "I think I'm entitled to make them."
Jaune: "Fair enough. Joke away."
Jaune was in what Yang assured him was very fashionable: White shirt, khaki pants, black jacket with his hair cut to her specifications. He supposed simplicity was best.
He knocked at the RWBY dorm room door and waited.
Jaune's Brain:
Shit... Should I have gotten flowers? Or chocolate? NO! No, this is just a friendly date. Ease up. Wait, the dating rules are different between worlds! What if she thinks I want to marry her?! I mean... That would make sense in a civilization fighting Grimm that ISN'T totally fucked up by gender politics and what not. Crap, crap, why didn't Jaune pay attention to any fucking thing but nerd shit and HUNTING HISTORY?! Yes it's cool that his great-grandparents took out an entire army but THAT DOESN'T HELP WITH DATING!
Yang emerged in a nice white dress with a stylish yellow jacket. She smiled at him.
Yang: "Hey."
Jaune: "... H-Hey."
Offers her his arm
Yang:
smiles and takes it
Jaune: "Cool."
He heads off, leading her to the Bullheads
Yang's Brain:
Wow...
He's so calm and confident... Not what I expected, to be honest. I kind of like it... Though I like when he's a spazz, too. Still, why isn't he trying to look down my dress? I wore it low cut for a reason, damnit!
Jaune's Brain:
OH MY GOD HOTNESS I WANT TO BANG YOU-URK! No... Calm down... CALM... Boobs are incredible but we're not going to stare at them...!
They go to a local street carnival. They play games, laugh, eat, and have fun. Yang won him a prize from the strongman game (hitting it with the hammer so hard the bell flew off) and Jaune won her a prize back at a shooting gallery (He did have experience with guns as a farmboy, after all).
They ended the evening in a Ferris Wheel and just relaxed and watched the city lights.
Yang: "... I had a really great time tonight."
Jaune: "Yeah, me too."
Jaune's Brain:
I've been so used to school, training, trying not to panic... It was nice to just relax for a while.
Yang: "You don't relax very easily, do you?"
Jaune: "I, well... I always feel like I'm behind. Like I need to work harder than everyone else, I guess. I don't want to let anyone down."
Yang: sad smile "I believe you... I dunno, I-I'm not used to the men in my life being reliable."
Jaune: "Oh... Ex-Boyfriend?"
Yang: "Nah... My dad and uncle. I... I mean, I've kissed a boy or two but I couldn't go any further. Not with Ruby to take care of."
Jaune: "Oh..."
Yang: "So, um... Thanks. Thanks for that. Being her friend."
Jaune:
smiles "It's not an issue. She's like my little sister and I really care about her."
Yang:
smiles back "Yeah..."
Silence.
Jaune's Brain:
Okay... It's a nice moment... But I can't really read her. What's going on here?
Yang: "How about you?"
Jaune: "Hm?"
Yang:
smiles "Since we're on the subject... You have any girlfriends?"
Jaune: "I mean... One. She was my neighbor, childhood friend. We were close, but... We decided we were better off as friends."
Yang: "Oh? Why?"
Jaune: "I wanted to be a Huntsman. She wanted to marry a rich doctor."
shrugs "And well... Our parents were trying to push us together. My Nana finally had to step in and tell my mom off for trying to matchmake so hard."
Yang: "Big family?"
Jaune: "Huge. I've got seven sisters."
Yang: "Seriously?!"
Jaune shows her pictures on his Scroll. She laughs at many of the funnier ones.
Yang: "Geez... And yet I had to dress you for our date?"
Jaune: "Well, I wanted to match."
smiles
Yang: "Yeah... Heh... Still..."
She looks wistful.
Yang: "It... Must be nice. Having a big family that looks out for you."
Jaune: "... Most of the time. There were bad times and good times. Fights and arguments and all that. But... I do love them. Even if we don't get along sometimes."
Yang:
nods "Mm..."
Silence falls again. The ride ends and they get out. They head back towards the Bullheads. Jaune reaches out for her hand... And Yang takes his.
Jaune's Brain:
Okay... Okay... Calm down... Just because she's quiet doesn't mean she's mad... But it might also mean she's into me which... Is also bad? It could be... Argh, I don't want Pyrrha to go kill herself just because she feels like she has no chance! I mean I don't want her to die period! Would she still make the same decision if I didn't know how she felt?! Does she still like me even though I have isekai knowledge?! Would she be okay with sharing?! I DON'T FUCKING KNOW! WHAT DO I DO?!"
Yang: "Hey, Jaune? You okay?"
Jaune: "Huh? Oh, uh... Just... Thinking. A lot."
Yang:
chuckles "Maybe you should cut down on that a little. I mean, I'm starting to think that you don't like looking at me~."
winks
Jaune: "No, no, I really like that... And the date... And the holding hands and uh... I liked it all. A lot."
Jaune's Brain:
Smooooth...
Yang: "Me too. I dunno... I-I mean, I was the most popular girl in school back in Signal and I had all these guys after me. But the second I started putting Ruby ahead of them, they fell away. I was kind of like the single mom, ya know?"
Jaune: "Well, they were idiots. Because you'd be a great mom, Yang."
Yang: "I'll never be as good as Summer-"
Jaune: "So? You'd still be great. I mean that."
Yang blushes brightly.
Yang: "S-So... You think I'd be a great mom?"
Jaune's Brain:
Shit, too sincere, too sincere...!
Jaune: "Yeah."
Yang:
giggles "Geez... For someone who got in via fraud, you're way too blunt, ya know?"
Jaune: "Well... I mean... Forgery is very different from lying. It's a different kind of lying, uh... I mean..."
Yang:
smiles, leans over to kiss his cheek "I get it."
Jaune: "Oh... Yeah."
nods
Yang: "Just uh... Oh crap. I mean... Um... I don't have to marry you now, do I?"
She looks worried
Jaune: "Eh?!"
Yang: "Blake and Weiss looked up your family tree... Royals tend to be picky about who they romance, right?"
Jaune: "Arcs haven't been royals for centuries. We don't-We don't need to get married... I mean if you wanted to, it's a bit fast! It-It's just been one date! Not that-I mean, if we go on more dates and we connect and-and stuff then absolutely but uh-I mean-!"
Yang:
giggles "Okay... I thought
I was nervous. You're like this stoic snarky badass in a fight and now you're stuttering like a preteen! It's hilarious!"
Jaune's Brain:
Teasing me? Oh, I will not let that stand. Pride and hormones, unite!
Jaune leans in and kisses her lips. She's shocked, but she returns it... They make out for a bit... Before pulling apart, gasping for breath.
Jaune: "I... Haa... Um..."
Yang: "Oh... Oh... Wow... Uh..."
Jaune's Brain: ...
SAY SOMETHING!
Jaune: "... Wanna go on another date?"
Yang: "... Yes."
Jaune: "Cool. Me too."
He smiles "Night."
She nods and goes into the dormroom... He turns and walks into the JNPR dorm.
Pyrrha is up, and smiles nervously.
Pyrrha: "So... Um... How did it go?"
Nora's head pops up from under her covers.
Nora: "Did you suck face?"
Jaune: "Nora, you're grounded."
Nora:
grins "That's not a no~!"
Jaune: "We're going on another date."
Pyrrha winces. Nora looks at her in concern.
Jaune: "B-But we're not getting married or anything. Just friends having fun."
Pyrrha: "R-Right... Right..."
Jaune's Brain:
If she just SAID SOMETHING... ANYTHING... Goddamnit, how is she this fucking meek?! She could break me in half without trying! Her parents must be fucking horrible, there's no other explanation...
Jaune: "... Pyrrha? We're starting some special training tomorrow."
Pyrrha: "Oh? What kind?"
Jaune: "You'll see. But I expect you to do your best, understand?"
Pyrrha: "Absolutely!"
Jaune: "Good. I'm counting on you."
Pyrrha: "You always can, Jaune."
Jaune's Brain:
Fuuuuuuck... I'm going to get her to be honest about her emotions if it fucking kills me!