Project Remnant

I do not own RWBY

~ 0 ~

"Thoughts"

"Speech"

'words with implied meaning.'

Regular text

Menu info/ abilities, skills, combos

Enemy and ally info/ abilities, skills combos

"Disembodied voice/ Messages."

"Disembodied thoughts /Memories."

~ Ch 9 ~

~ A night to remember ~

~ 0 ~

"Whoa. Alright, everybody off. We're here."

"Yeah, no shit captain obvious. There's only a giant city gate in front of us."

"Can it. I'll finish the quest. Everyone else, thanks for the help. We'll meet up again after the event. Say Thursday. Take care and enjoy the event."

"GG."

"Good game, guys."

"Nice one peeps!"

"Hell yeah."

"Gourmands' Bistro, here I come!"

At the party leader's words, everyone hopped off the wagons and carriages, mingling a bit or heading off into town. Jaune stepped off one of the carts and turned to help Blake down, but she rolled her eyes and hopped off. "So, Blake, where to next?"

The raven-haired beauty pointed at the Adventurer taskmaster. "First, we need to get our things from the ATM before we lose them. Then we'll head back to the hunters guild and finish up the request." She rubbed her forehead with a sigh and took a deep breath. "Hopefully, we'll get the information we're looking for. I just hope it's not something we can't handle."

Jaune nodded while rubbing his wrist absentmindedly. A far off look in his eyes. "Yeah." He'd drunk an elixir earlier, and given one to Blake as well, but he could still feel where Nebula's sword had been. It didn't hurt, but it left a similar feeling to when something was missing. Only he was glad it was gone. He was pulled from his thoughts when Blake smacked his shoulder, making him stumble forward a couple of steps. He glanced over his shoulder at her to see a friendly smirk play across her lips. "Really, Blake?"

She just shrugged and folded her arms while walking past him. He followed after her only to be stopped by a tug on his sleeve. "Hey, excuse me. Um. I was wondering about something."

It was a boy. Well, a young man a little younger than him. Probably Ruby's age. If Jaune remembered correctly, Blake had pointed him out earlier as the one who advocated for giving them a lift while he'd been out cold. "Um… Oscar, right?" Jaune asked, unsure if he had remembered correctly. The boy nodded with a bright look in his eyes. "Uh. What did you want to ask me?"

Oscar rubbed his chin while opening and closing his mouth as if trying to find the right words. "How…did you…do that?" Jaune quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head. Oscar raised his hands and pantomimed something before letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "I don't know how to describe it. It was that skill; at least I think it was a skill. You know when you blew up the forest." Jaune made an 'oh' sound and shrugged while looking up as if trying to remember. "You mean, you don't know?"

Jaune folded his arms and shook his head again. "Sorry. That was the first time I've ever used it. I don't even know how I got it." Which was a lie; he had a good idea of where it came from and how he'd gotten it, but that way lay questions, Lots of them. Ones he didn't have the answers to either. So a little white lie would work. The disappointed look on the boy's face didn't help the feeling of guilt though.
"It just popped up in my skill list at some point. Sorry." He waved to the boy and headed off after Blake, who was standing by the ATM with a disapproving look.

~ 0 ~

Oscar watched Jaune head off with a suspicious look. He didn't even know what kind of skill It was that Jaune had used, but it was honestly OP AF. He'd just been standing there next to his friends when they saw the blond knight grab his head, and then there had been those beads of light, and boom. The entire forest had exploded. The damage numbers popping up had easily broken 9999. The EXP had been massive as well. If it had just popped up in his skill list, then it had to be one won during a special event, or limited-time quest, or even one of the secret skills that you had to do a bunch of practically impossible things to obtain.

Aside from that skill, Jaune and Blake's fighting had been incredible. The PKers had all been lvl 153-187. The black-haired beauty, Blake, a lvl 143, and acrobatic knight Jaune, a lvl 72, had taken them out like it was nothing. Okay, nothing was exaggerating it, but they'd made it look so easy. The two had even let his Party keep the gear from three of the PKers. That was unheard of. Higher-level players never gave noobs proper equipment from a kill. It went against the 'get stronger' policy of the game, not to mention the possibility of making a potential rival stronger.

Just then, Oscar almost fell forward as one of his party members slung an arm around his shoulders. It was the bard who'd invited him to it in the first place. "Hey, Oscar. I can't believe those two just showed up out of nowhere like that. Do you seriously not know either of them?" He looked at his companion and shook his head. "Damn. Guess we can't depend on them to help us out later. Oh well. Anyway. My girlfriend is waiting for me in town. She wants to hang out and explore the festival event. See ya later, little man."

Oscar waved after the guy, with a smile. "Later, Coal." He looked back over at Blake and Jaune, seeing Blake swat Jaune's hand as he lifted it towards his head. Oscar frowned, rubbing his chin. He'd meant to ask Jaune something else that was nagging him. He could have sworn they'd met before. He looked so~ familiar. Oscar pulled up the video he'd taken of the two and scrutinized it. Then it hit him. His eyes widened, and he closed the video and looked up to find them only they weren't at the ATM anymore. "What? Where did they go?" He whirled around and scanned the growing crowd trying to get inside Vale for the festival event.

A few people shoved him while he tried to find them among the masses, but he couldn't even see anyone with black or blonde hair. He sighed, giving up. Oscar scratched his head and pulled up the video again, with a smirk and a gleam in his eyes. "Hmm. I wonder what everyone is going to think once I edit this and post it to the community Forum?

~ 0 ~

"Ilia, we're back," Blake called as She and Jaune walked into the hunters guild office. A few people were milling about, checking the Mark board, or talking to the guy at the front desk. Ilia popped out from behind the curtain to the back and waved them over.

The two walked up, and Ilia gestured to the counter. Jaune looked at Blake, confused. His companion opened her inventory, and all of Gwen's gear dropped onto the countertop. Ilia pulled up a window and started checking boxes. "…Any throwing weapons, Masters Shroud, Devilish gown, Marching heels, apostate's bracers, etc. etc. Well, it looks like everything is here." Ilia closed the box and pulled out a storage box, putting the gear inside before turning around and placing it in one of the drawers behind the counter. "Alright. I guess that's one more mark on your record and…" She turned around and popped a small party popper. Confetti and small streamers filled the air around her as a message popped up in front of Jaune.

Congratulations!
You are now an accomplice member of the hunters guild.

Jaune looked at the message then to Blake, who was covering her face. A few people in the room cheered, and someone whistled while another comment about him getting his cherry popped. He smiled awkwardly and closed the box while Ilia clapped quietly. "Congratulations, Jaune."

He shifted uncomfortably, and Blake sighed while fixing Ilia with a firm gaze. "Alright, enough celebrating. Can we have the thank you letter and our reward for the mark?" Ilia laughed nervously and handed Blake the letter associated with their mark. Blake's friend rubbed her arm bashfully and mentioned the backer's name being at the top, which received an eye-roll from Blake. The rust haired girl flushed and disappeared behind the curtain, leaving the two to go over the letter.
Blake grimaced at the curtain while Jaune looked between the two and grinned. "Not a word, Jaune."

"But I didn't even say anything."

She gave him a commanding look that slowly morphed into a warm, sickly sweet smile. "Not a word. Okay?"

Jaune gulped and held his hands up. "alright. Not a word." Blake narrowed her eyes. Jaune started sweating and backed up a step. "Honestly!" Blake stepped into his personal space and glared at him. Jaune stumbled and fell back against the counter. "What!"
She glanced at his lips and then back to his eyes and held up the letter as if to hit him with it. A look of realization crossed his features. He slid his fingers across his lips before making a locking motion and throwing away the key.

Blake nodded in approval and made to open the letter when someone in the office laughed. And others shot them looks.
"Haha."
"Whokish."
"Whipped."

Jaune shot the people a wtf look over Blake's shoulder, but she pulled him to face the letter with her. "Ignore them, Jaune."
He made to protest but gave a sigh and looked down at the letter as Blake opened it. Text boxes popped up in front of both of them.

Mark 2032

Request: Fox

Target: Gwen
LVL:167
Guild: Shade
Affiliation: Mistral
Danger Level: Minor
Time limit: October 3rd

Reward/s:
20,000,000 G
Referral for entering the Holy Palace
Proof of Valor

We appreciate your assisting us in removing this nuisance. Thanks to you, our supply routes to the port town of Cliff and Patch should be clear for a while. We may call upon your services in the future.
Thank you on behalf of the Holy Palace Huntsman Guild

After reading, Jaune looked at Blake, who'd gone stiff. She looked back at him, their eyes meeting. "What the fuck did you do yesterday?" Jaune opened his mouth to respond, but Blake shoved him with a glare. "You lied about such a small thing earlier. Don't lie to me again."

Jaune rubbed his arm, working his jaw, trying to figure out what to say. He didn't want to tell her everything. "I-I. I just logged in yesterday. I spawned into the field where I died during the beta. I just made my way to town after that. I ran into a few people who tried to PK me, and I beat them, then I got someone to guide me the rest of the way. I sold an Item at the auction house and went to the cathedral. After that, I wandered around Vale. I honestly didn't do anything out of the ordinary."
She watched him with a scrutinizing gaze, and he stepped back, raising his hands defensively. "I'm not lying, Blake. I have no clue why anyone would be targeting me."
He took a deep breath and met Blake's gaze with a tired one. "Look, Blake, I don't want to argue like we did earlier. Can you just drop it? Please?"

Blake continued to glare at him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, and she slapped it away. "How can I just brush this off! Jaune, this is serious. You're being targeted by one of the biggest guilds in the game. And you expect me to believe you didn't do anything. Why are you so difficult when I'm trying to help you? Just tell me."

He let his hand drop and looked at the ground between them. "Blake, I'm not difficult. I'm just being realistic. I told you I have no idea who they are or what I did to make them come after me." He looked up into her eyes again and put both of his hands on her arms, stepping closer. "I'd much rather forget about this for now and enjoy the rest of the night."

Blake felt her stomach squirm as she became acutely aware of how close they were. She glanced at his hands on her arms and then looked into his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking down at her feet. "Jaune, take this seriously, because 'they' are. They put a hit on you in less than 24 hours of you logging in for crying out loud."

His grip on her arms tightened, and she winced a bit. He shook her gently, getting her to meet his gaze again. "Blake, stop. We did good today, and I'm grateful for all of your help, you were amazing, but…"

She froze at the tired expression he wore as well as the pause after the but. Was he going to tell her to go away? Had she pushed too much? Her cat ears flattened sadly against her head as she glanced away. She was surprised when he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. The tone of his voice made her feel like crap. He sounded exhausted, frustrated, and she could hear the pleading undertone. "…I just want to enjoy the evening with you right now."

Blake relaxed in his embrace and nodded, feeling like a terrible friend. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Jaune. I didn't mean to…I'm sorry. Relaxing sounds like a great idea." She leaned back and looked up at him, poking his chest. "you're paying for everything though." She stepped away and turned around. "Making me worry about you." She said to herself.

"Are you…really worried about me?" Blake froze and looked over her shoulder at him, stunned. Had he heard her? The small smirk on his face made her stomach squirm. Bad or good, she couldn't tell. "You know you look pretty cute when you're worried about something."
She felt her stomach drop, and her skin crawled at the words, as a memory came to her. One she wished she could forget. She looked away, and she pushed Jaune before storming off.

Jaune stumbled back against the counter and rubbed his arm where she'd shoved him. He stood back up and quickly followed her. "Blake! What's wrong? Wait up. What did I say?" All the while, she sped up, pulling her hood down around her head tighter and tighter to avoid being seen.

~ 0 ~

Jaune had tried following Blake, but he'd lost her in the crowd at some point. He was stupid and awkward when it came to social ques. A tired breath escaped him as he walked up to the railing of a plaza overlooking a good portion of the city. He leaned against the railing and propped his head on his hand, looking up at the starless night sky. "What a joke. What did you think was going to happen, Jaune? She already told you to stop saying stuff like that. But…" *sigh*. His head fell to his arms, laying across the railing.

"15 minutes till midnight, and the start of the All's well festival!"

He looked over his shoulder to see an NPC standing next to the small clock-post in the center of the small plaza. Looking up at the clock, he saw it was indeed fifteen till. He grimaced and turned back around. Head hanging. He took a deep breath and looked out over Vale. The lights around the town had changed colors from the usual white to a warmer yellow with reds in certain places accompanied by the banners that sprawled around the city, going from green to white and gold. "Where did she go?"

Someone came up next to Jaune, putting their hands on the rail and looked out at the city with him. He glanced to his left to see who it was and blinked—surprised to see the rabbit-eared faunus, Scarlet. "Uh. Hey, Scarlet." He looked around, trying to remember where he was exactly, and if it was close to her shop. Sure enough across the plaza was the ally her shop was located down. Looking back at her, he offered a warm smile. "You closed up for the event? Or were you about to log out?"

She smiled while looking out over the city and shrugged. "Haven't decided yet. I was hoping to see the festival with someone, but I haven't gotten a response from them. What about you?"

Jaune smiled awkwardly and let out an unenthusiastic laugh. "I guess I'm in a similar boat. I even called into class tomorrow and busted my ass to clear my schedule, but…she ran off."

Scarlet smiled inwardly to herself and turned around, hopping up to sit on the rail. "She? What did you do to scare her off?" she asked in a teasing tone while kicking her legs. Jaune frowned in embarrassment and looked away while rubbing the back of his head. Scarlet covered her mouth as she giggled and patted his shoulder. "Sorry, love, I'm just teasing. You don't have to answer."

Jaune's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath while pushing up and folding his arms across the railing. "I didn't scare her off. I think I pissed her off," He said calmly. His tone made Scarlet stop giggling, and she looked at his placid expression. "All day, I've been teasing her, and we got into a couple of stupid arguments. I'm not going to say it's not my fault or that it's her's, but they definitely could have been avoided. I guess we aren't as close as I thought."

He stood up and walked backward, plopping down on the bench behind him, still gazing out at the city. "I mean, I'm not great with the whole friends, and being social, thing. I grew up sheltered and." He reached up to his head and caught himself. Instead, scratching his cheek with a weak smile. "Let's just say stuff happened. I try too hard to keep and make friends and get too comfortable too quickly. It leads to misunderstandings pretty often, and…" He chuckled, sounding confused. "…and I don't know why I'm saying all this."
He looked up at Scarlet with an apologetic smile and laughed weakly. "My bad. I didn't mean to say all that. Just…nevermind."

Scarlet smiled warmly down at him and shook her head. It was funny, but it felt nice that he'd open up like that. "No, it's alright. Completely relatable even. After all, I rambled about my friends and my shop when you first came in. I think I have the same problem regarding friends and trusting too quickly." She tapped her fingers together and blushed. "You wouldn't have dropped in on me the way you did if I didn't."

They both laughed awkwardly at the moment, and Jaune shrugged. "Birds of a feather, I guess."

Scarlet smiled warmly at the thought and got quiet while observing him. "Hey, Jaune."

"Hmm?"

She pulled her leg up and grabbed her foot before resting it on his shoulder and tapped his head. He blinked and looked up at her with a confused look. She pointed up at her ears and smiled. "I'm a rabbit. Rabbit's feet are lucky." He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say or what she meant. She smiled warmly at him and tilted her head cutely "Jaune. Do you want to go to the festival together?"

~ 0 ~

Blake took a deep breath and clutched at her chest as she collapsed down under the large tree behind the Cathedral in the center of town. It was her favorite spot, one of the only places in the city that had trees and grass. It was secluded and helped her calm down or gather her thoughts. Not to mention it doubled as the ideal reading spot, and the soft music-box in the background was a nice touch. She pulled out her favorite book. The one she'd been reading earlier today, and opened it to the bookmarked page.
She looked at the book in confusion and blinked. It was upside-down,

"You enjoying your book up there?" He said through a yawn. "Must be quite a skill to read backward and upside-down."

She made a noncommittal noise while putting a bookmark in the book and closed it storing it in her inventory with a flush.

She almost smiled at the embarrassing memory from earlier today, but that feeling from just a few minutes ago came back as well. A frown came to her as she flipped the book right-side-up and leaned against the tree. "Stupid blond." She tried to read, but she couldn't get the day's events out of her head. Everything from that amazing breakfast Jaune had made, to losing her apartment, and everything that happened in the game. She let her book hang limply in her hands and pulled her legs against her chest, burying her face against her knees. "Why do you keep complimenting me and teasing me? We aren't little kids anymore, and why did I run off? It's not like you did anything wrong."

Just then, Blake got a message. It was from Scarlet. She opened it. Inside was a screenshot of Jaune leaning against a rail overlooking part of Vale. He looked drained. A text accompanied the image.

"He looks pretty glum. What happened? I've been watching him for a few minutes in case you were busy for a couple of shakes.
But it's been ten minutes. I thought you two were going to the festival together. I warned you. If you didn't want Jaune, I'd ask. Well, wish me luck. :)"

Blake finished reading the message and scowled before closing it. Jaune's stupid smile and warm expression popped into her head. The fact he'd given her a place to stay. Rent-free to boot. Then the bow. Granted, there had been a couple of hiccups in what would have been a perfect day, but they were negligible. She pulled up the image Scarlet had sent of Jaune. His wistful expression was reminding her of a dog who'd been abandoned.

She wasn't a dog person in the least, but when she pictured Jaune as a dog, it just worked, and it tickled her. Seeing Jaune's expression, so similar to what she'd seen after Ruby and Yang. It just didn't sit right with her. She wanted to be there for him. "Like he is for me. Was. This morning. Medicine and breakfast." She flushed and groaned. "Blake, get over it. You're just friends, and he's nice to everyone. Why are you getting worked up? Why did you run off…"
She got lost in thought for a while, something in the back of her mind nagging at her. A memory was rising to the surface. "…Why do you always run off?"

Back when she was seven years old, a few months after she'd met Jaune, She ran away from home. Or as much as a seven-year-old could. She was thinking back on it. It was on the night of a festival like tonight. She smiled to herself. "I think I'd gotten in a fight with my mom about what I was going to wear." She remembered running out of her house with her favorite Black yukata in her hands while crying because her mom had helped her put on the dark purple one.

That part of the memory struck her as funny. Purple was one of her two favorite colors right now. The Yukata had even been the same shade she liked right now. Why had she hated it back then?

She'd run through the woods her house was right next too because It ran to the town where the festival was always held. She wasn't sure why she'd run in there in the first place. She'd cut through there tons of times as a shortcut, but those had all been with her friends during the day. That night she'd been too upset to think straight or at all. She chalked it up to young stupidity. Hindsight 20/20, it had been a bad idea all around. She was seven years old, at night, wearing old wooden geta and a tight yukata.

She'd gotten lost and found herself huddled against a tree, feet aching, dirty, tired, and cold, for god knows how long. By the time someone found her, the All's Well Festival had ended, and…
Suddenly a notification popped up in front of Blake's eyes.

Happy October 2nd, International no violence day

Thank you for being logged in during the final countdown to the
"All's Well Festival"

As a thank you for being such a dedicated player and supporter of
"The World of Remnant"
You have been awarded several cosmetic items that will last for the next 48 hours, till the end of the All's Well Festival.

Enjoy!

48s till Festival

Blake hit the close box on the notification, and a cosmetics box popped up in front of her. This one didn't have a close icon, so she tapped it. It started shaking and glowing, then exploded in confetti and light so bright she had to cover her eyes to avoid getting blinded. She also felt a lot lighter, and her clothes felt different. Looking down, she blinked in surprise. She was wearing a dark purple yukata with a black butterfly print and a black sash with a white undergarment. Her hair also felt different, so she opened up the avatar mirror to see it. Her hair was styled in a half bun half ponytail, her bangs hanging in waves by her cheeks with two ornamental needles sticking through the bun.

3

2

"Found you."
"Found you."

1

~ Song - Pompeii, by Bastille ~

…the one who'd found her. The one who always found her had been.

"…Jaune…"
"…Jaune…"

There he was. Standing there with her favorite book in hand, holding it out to her before placing it in her lap, all while still wearing his stupid smile.
"Blake."
"Blake."

Fireworks shot in the starless sky above the city, erupting and lighting up everything in a rainbow of colors. The scene before her was so similar to her memory. She felt her eyes get hot, and a smile spread across her features.
He was wearing his usual gear minus weapons, armor, and straps, leaving him in a blue coat with black pants and brown boots. A much younger Jaune appeared in her mind's eye, wearing a blue hoodie and black jeans with brown loafers. He was leaning down in front of her holding out her black yukata. Slightly dirty but folded.

"Hey."
"Hey."
"You know."
"You know."
"You look pretty in that color."
"You look pretty in that color."

Blake looked down and closed her eyes, feeling like an idiot for lots of reasons. She wiped her tears away before they could fall while letting out a soft laugh. "Oh yeah. That's why I like purple so much. I guess kids are pretty impressionable." With a shaky breath, she relaxed and leaned back against the tree.

She looked at Jaune as he plopped down next to her, letting out a tired breath. "Blake, I'm sorry. You know, for teasing you earlier. I didn't think you'd run off like that." He leaned back against the tree with her and looked up at the fireworks lighting up the sky with a small smile. "Can you forgive me for being socially inept?"

She hadn't expected that at all. With a shake of her head, she rested her elbows on her knees, arms outstretched, fingers weaved. "Is there anything to forgive? I mean, I teased you too. I just." She turned to look at Jaune, and tilted her head, offering a small apologetic smirk. "It's not your fault. I don't know what got into me. I'm sorry."

Jaune pulled one of his knees up, folding his arms over it, and leaned forward to rest his head on his arms while meeting her gaze. "Let's call it even and forget about it then." Blake nodded before looking up at the colorful display when Jaune spoke again. "You know." Jaune closed his eyes. "If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like we've been here before?"

Blake's eyes widened, but she kept still, trying not to look over at Jaune. Instead, she kept looking up at the fireworks. Did he remember their time together? She quickly glanced in his direction and saw him smiling nostalgically. He opened his eyes and looked over to her, but she glanced away before their eyes could meet. With a shrug, she smiled to herself, closing her eyes as she fell back into her memory. "It almost feels like nothing changed at all." The two of them sitting under that tree all those years ago, watching the fireworks for the end of the All's Well Festival. She slowly leaned against Jaune's shoulder, feeling his warmth. She opened her eyes and looked up at Jaune, who was lost in the firework show like he had been when they were kids. She smiled at his expression and then looked up to watch the show with him.

The firework show ended with a rapid-fire of colors in the shape of lots of monsters, animals, grimm, and famous guild symbols. As the last of them faded, the air filled with a steady, chill beat as the background music for the festival came on.

~ Life could be a dream - Trap Remix ~

Jaune smiled and laughed while Blake shifted off of him. Haha. "No way. Are they using this song? Wow. I guess life really can be a dream."

Blake shook her head and smiled along with him as the two stood up. At least it's quiet and not distracting. I don't know the song, but it is pretty good. It's not something that'll drive you crazy. At least I hope not." She took a deep breath and folded her arms while turning to face Jaune, who was stretching pretty animatedly, which drew a smile from her. "So, sir dork knight. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Jaune froze while leaning backward and looked up at Blake upsidedown with a confused look. "What do you mean?" His gaze shifted around the empty garden they were in, and he straightened up while rubbing his chin. "Were we supposed to do something else before the festival?"

Blake let out a breath and gave him an unimpressed look. "Scarlet told me you two were going to hit the festival together after I ditched you. It's not polite to keep a girl waiting."

Jaune blinked in surprise and then cleared his throat while looking away as he rubbed the back of his head, which made Blake scowl at him. "Well, um." He looked back to her with a lame smile and shrugged. "She did ask me, but. Well. I told her that I already promised to go with you even if I had to run around all night looking for you or log out and apologize IRL. Tonight I'm here to be with you.

Blake flushed and looked away. Why did Jaune have to be such a good friend compared to her? It was hard to feel bad when he made her feel happy, but she couldn't enjoy the good feelings because she felt like She wasn't measuring up. "Damn it, Jaune," she mumbled. Sniffing, she rubbed her eyes before she could tear up. "You are such a dork."
"But, you're an excellent friend. I couldn't ask for a better one."
Jaune could see the sad look in her eyes and frowned, feeling stumped. Suddenly he got a thought and opened his multimedia tab. Hopefully, the game would let him access his music folder. He grinned when he found the app and hit a song while striking a dramatic pose beckoning to her. "Jaune, what are you…"

He smiled at her and spread his arms wide as the song started playing, overpower the BGM.
"Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang."
"Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay."

Blake covered her mouth and laughed at his words. "What are you singing?"

He brought his hands together and pulled them against his chest while looking into her eyes and tilted his head as he bobbed while swaying side to side.
"Oh, life could be a dream."
"Sh-boom."
"If I could take you up in paradise up above."
"Sh-boom."
"If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."

She tried to force a straight face as he continued, but it was almost impossible. "Jaune. Seriously. Don't say those things…pfff…if you don't mean them." Hahaha. She slapped her hands over her mouth.

Jaune grinned back and spun around while waving with a surprised yet happy expression. "Hello, hello again, sh-boom and hope we meet again."

He spun back around and took a couple of steps back while waving goodbye before he stopped and started swaying while bobbing again. Blake shook her head and gave him an amused look. "Are you trying to do something here?"

Jaune winked and tapped the side of his nose.
"Oh, life could be a dream."
"Sh-boom."
"If only all my precious plans would come true."
"Sh-boom."
"If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."

Blake doubled over laughing and staggered towards him. "Jaune, stop! It's too much. How do you know such an old song?" She fell against him and looked up at him with an amused expression. He grinned down at her as he took her hands, pulling her along smoothly, dancing with her as the two moved side to side. Blake felt herself fall into his rhythm even though she'd never been one for dancing, it was more Yang and Weiss' thing, but she had to admit, this was nice. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment for what it was and started swaying side to side and bobbing her head as Jaune led.

"Now, every time I look at you, something is on my mind."
"dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh."
"If you do what I want you to, baby, we'd be so fine."
"Oh, life could be a dream."
"sh-boom."
"If I could take you up in paradise up above."
"sh-boom."
"If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."

Jaune smiled down at Blake, relieved that whatever was getting her down seemed to have slipped her mind with his little performance. He let go of one of her hands and spun her around while she kept her eyes closed before pulling her back in and placing her against his left side as they continued to dance together.
"Sh-boom sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom Sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom!"
"Sh-boom sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom Sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom sh-boom."
"Ya-da-da da-da-da da-da-da da."
"Sh-boom!"

Blake's eyes opened as Jaune let go of her, and she saw the blond goof standing a few feet in front of her. The marketplace behind him lit up in warm yellow light.
"Now, every time I look at you, something is on my mind."
"If you do what I want you to baby, we'd be so fine."

At that moment, a few people started clapping and cheering. Blake's eyes widened as she realized that people were watching them. She froze and watched as Jaune beamed at her, really getting into it. "Jaune…Jaune stop," She said nervously.

"Oh, life could be a dream."
"If I could take you up in paradise up above."
"If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."
Blake Spun around and tried walking away, but Jaune slid up in front of her faster than she thought he could and smiled warmly at her.

"Hello, hello again, sh-boom and hope we meet again."
"Boom sh-boom."

She tried to turn around, but Jaune took her hands and started dancing with her again. She didn't want to, but she couldn't stop herself from moving along with him nor the smile that spread across her face.

"Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang, sh-boom."
"ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay."
"Life could be a dream."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."
"Life could be a dream."
"If only all my precious plans would come true."
"If you would let me spend my whole life lovin' you."
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."

As Jaune's song came to an end, and the BGM filled the air again, everyone around them started cheering louder. Several people whistled, and a few even shouted for a second performance. Blake's cat ears fell against her head, and she covered her face as she leaned against Jaune's chest. "Jaune, you are such an idiot. Why did you do that?"

She felt his chest shake with laughter, and she scowled up at him, but he just smiled back. "It was fun."

She couldn't stop the embarrassed flush that rose in her cheeks, and she covered her face again while slamming her fist against his chest. "Arc. You're stupid."

~ 0 ~

After that, people had come up to them asking for selfies, or screenshots of the two. She'd been reluctant, and Jaune had been embarrassed. She'd wanted to yell at him for doing that to them, but deep down, she'd enjoyed it far more than she would admit.

After the crowd died down, the two started walking around the marketplace, hitting up the stalls that had replaced the player-run shops. Some still had players operating them, but for the most part, it was NPCs dressed for the festivals.

Right now, they were standing in front of a stall that was selling charms. They weren't anything too special for the most part, but they offered small permanent or big yet temporary buffs. While the two were looking through charms, the vendor called to Jaune.
"Crocea Morse."

Jaune looked up to the vendor. They were an NPC. "Um. Yeah?" Blake looked up at the vendor with him, having been pulled from her perusing.

The NPC handed Jaune a charm. "Here. Someone from the church told me to give you this." Jaune blinked, confused. It looked like an upside-down gacha capsule. It was transparent, and the festival lights refracted off the surface as if it were crystal. The bottom was a bleached white wood. Inside the capsule was a small, leafless tree that gave a dim green glow. The branches wrapped around what looked like a red crystal similar to the soul of Carnage. Only it gave off a warm, pleasant feeling.
He targeted it, and a box popped up in front of him.

Item name:
Gift of the goddess

The flavor text was written in the same looping cursive that the text for the soul of Carnage had been. The text box was different from the standard, or Carnage's. It was like he was looking at the final page in a book.

FT:
Even if the Morrow is barren of promises
Nothing shall forestall my return
To become the dew that quenches the land
To spare the sands, the seas, the skies
I offer thee this silent sacrifice

Skill:
Turns any Mob into an Elder Grimm
(Raid Boss)

Abilities:
Increase Mob Damage by 10000%
Increase Mob Defense by 10000%
Increase Mob Dexterity by 10000%
Increase Mob Agility by 10000%
Increase Mob Evasion 10000%
Increase Mob Intelligence 10000%
Increase Mob Wisdom 10000%
Increase Mob Charisma 10000%
Increase Mob Resilience 10000%
Spawns Mobs around Elder Grim
Raises the rank of all Grimm in the vicinity by 1
Creates inescapable Battlezone until the death of all participants or Grimm
All affected monsters drop top tier rarity Items
All gear worn by participating members will become Grimm forged
Upon successful use and Dispatch of Elder Grimm created by 'Gift of the Goddess,' a new item will be created.

Certain NPCs will recognize it, giving you access to secret quests and events.

Secret event:
?

Secret quests:
?
?
?

Several notifications popped up next to the box, saying new terms and tutorials. With an unsteady hand, Jaune marked them as read later and closed them. Jaune was at a loss. He didn't know what to make of the item.

"Huh. No buffs or skills. It's pretty useless, but it looks cool. Maybe it's just a random collectors gift. It could be worth a lot at the auction house if others get different ones, and they're part of a set."

Jaune looked at Blake in confusion while she examined the charm. He looked to the charm again and then to the vendor who'd resumed calling people over and showing others charms. He frowned slightly with a laugh that he hoped passed. "...Yeah, it looks cool. I might just keep it for the novelty."

Blake made a noncommittal hum and stood up straight. Her attention was drifting to the skyline behind him. He turned to see where she was looking and saw vast fancy estates built into the sides of the city and along the curving roads. One stood out to him where the royal NPCs and famous players lived if he remembered Blake's tour info. "Hmm. It reminds me of one of the player homes. Right there. See it?" She pointed.

He followed her finger to a large house with a white tree growing next to it that was reminiscent of the one in the capsule. On the front of the house where the gabled roof met was the statue of a winged goddess, holding a spear and shield. She wore a crown, and he could barely make it out, but there seemed to be a red stone embedded in it.
"It must be nice to have a player home there. I wonder how much it costs?" She sighed.

Jaune nodded absentmindedly, looking down at the charm he'd gotten. "Yeah, I wonder." There was a loud smack, and Jaune almost dropped the item. He caught it and straightened up while frowning at Blake with a surprised look. "What was that for?"

She folded her arms and fixed him with an unimpressed look. It was the same look his mom gave his dad when she smacked him upside the head. He gulped while fixing his hair. His dad's fallback was always to say sorry. "I'm sorry. Blake."

Just like he'd witnessed his mother do, Blake unfolded her arms and shook her head with a sigh. "Just pay more attention when I'm talking to you. You usually do so more than the average person."

He huffed and put the charm in his inventory. "You didn't have to hit me to explain that." He reached over to smack her upside the head, but she dodged back and narrowed her eyes.

She held her hand out at the gleam in his eyes and shook her head. "Jaune. No. Just because I hit you doesn't mean you can hit me back. Two wrongs don't make a right."

Jaune smiled at her and raised both hands. "You're right, but three lefts do."

Blake's eyes widened, and she lept back. "Jaune, stop!" She laughed as he overshot and almost tripped. She aided him, however, and kicked his butt, making him fall over. He groaned and rolled over, rubbing his hip. Blake tried to stop laughing at him but couldn't entirely and instead offered him a hand. "Jaune, you'll never get me with your stats and our level difference. Not when we speced into the same things."

Jaune took her offered hand and sighed. "Fine. Just remember. I know where you sleep."

She smirked at him and folded her arms. "And who installed a lock for me earlier today?" Jaune's head fell as he raised his hand. Blake nodded with a sly smirk. "Right. Now you're treating, so how about we get some food? I see a takoyaki stand over there. Let's go."

As she walked off, he raised his head with a smile. She was definitely in a better mood than she had been when they went out to complete their mark earlier. If he had to put on a show and act out to make the night go well, he would. She was his friend, after all. It was the least he could do after she hung out with him yesterday. He jogged to catch up and stood next to her to order.

~ 0 ~

Blake didn't know where all this was coming from. The arguments today hadn't been nice, but she honestly couldn't remember the last time she had a home-cooked meal so good. Nor the last time she just hung out like this. Classes and work had been a wipeout for the last several months. Everyone had been busy with projects and whatnot as well.

Weiss, Ruby, and Yang had all been caught up in things other than school as well. She looked up at Jaune as he ordered, and she smiled. "I'm going to miss it when all this comes to an end." Jaune turned to her with a smile, tray, and a toothpick in hand, which she took gratefully. "We've only got till the end of December, and then we graduate."

After Jaune got his tray, the pair headed off around the square, passing the auction hall, which looked like an event hall now. Extra banners and flags adorned it with lights dotted all over it in a tasteful way that gave it the impression of being an old fashioned theatre. "Wow. They really did up the auction house. Is it still in business?" Blake shrugged while chewing a takoyaki.

"You bet it is." Jaune and Blake turned to see a short girl with multi-colored hair standing behind them. She was holding the remnants of an ice-cream waffle-cone while grinning up at him. She looked Jaune up and down before nodding in approval. "By the way, you clean up nice." She looked to Blake and scrutinized her before giving a dismissive sniff before turning back to Jaune. Earning a glare from Blake. "So, you on a date?"

Before Jaune could answer, Blake spoke for him. "It's none of your business."

The short girl ignored Blake and smiled up at Jaune while holding her hand by her ear and mouthed 'call me' before she walked by him while swiping what remained of his Takoyaki. She waved over her shoulder and swung her hips more than necessary while calling to him. "I'm busy till tomorrow with guild stuff, but the event lasts for 48 hours, so don't be a stranger."

Jaune watched her go with a mixed expression and looked down at his empty hands when Blake nudged him. "Who is she?"

Jaune looked at Blake, who was watching the girl go as well, but there was something about her expression that made him nervous. "Um. I know her name is Neapolitan. It's why her Avatar has multi-colored hair. Like the ice-cream. At least that's what she told me." He looked back towards the auction house and put a hand on his waist. "She works at the auction house, and she's the one who handled the item I sold yesterday. That's all I know about her."

To his surprise, a piece of takoyaki on a toothpick was shoved under his nose. He blinked at it and looked over at Blake, who was looking away. "It's my last one. She took the rest of yours, so I figured you could have it." He smiled and leaned forward, biting the takoyaki. Blake pulled the toothpick out and spluttered. "Why did you bite it off?" You were supposed to take it, not make me feed you."
Jaune smiled with his mouth closed and chewed his food while giving her a shrug.
Blake rubbed her temples and sighed as her plate hit the floor and disappeared in a soft white glow.

Jaune laughed at her expression and headed off while calling for her to follow. She did so with a groan. The two didn't walk more than a few meters when someone called out to Jaune. "Hey! Hello. . Come over here." Jaune turned to see Mr. And Mrs. Ren standing outside of their shop at a stall. They weren't wearing their usual clothes either. Instead, they were wearing matching clothes of similar design. The style was chines without a doubt. The white and green were a great blend, and the ornaments in their hair made them look like pretty wealthy business owners from way back when. His gaze moved up from them and their stall to their shop. Jaune's jaw dropped in amazement.

The shop was decked out similar to the auction house only their sign, and the dragon stood lit up in neon green lights with other green lights adorning key places of their shop with the windows glowing a soft, warm orange. The front door was covered by a large banister that had a golden dragon at its center with much thinner ones running down from the lights to their stall in vibrant emerald color.

He rushed up to their stall in awe with a broad grin. "Wow. The two of you look perfect together in those clothes, and the shop looks great!" He couldn't believe he'd missed it before. "Mr. And Mrs. Ren, How? Why does your shop look so amazing?" None of the other stalls or even the auction house have an exclusive look like that."

The couple smiled at him, and Li wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her close as she smiled up at him. "Well, to be perfectly honest, we weren't expecting it. We got a message one minute before the festival event saying we'd get custom decorations and lighting, made by the developers, as thanks for playing and keeping the shop in good standing." An opened her inventory and pulled out a large bag that Li took and held out to Jaune. "It wouldn't have been possible without you. Here."

Li handed Jaune the bag, and his eyes widened.

Bag of gold: 200,000,000

The man laughed at Jaune's expression, and An giggled. "You can have your money back. Think of it as a thank you for giving us this without even realizing it. Getting to keep the shop and show it off like this is worth more than that. We've already made almost 100,000,000g, and the festival has only been going on for about half an hour. We'll be swamped with the orders tomorrow, but it feels good to be working and making our business flourish."

Jaune was stunned. He shook his head and offered the bag back. "I can't accept this. You guys did great work. It saved my life already. You've earned it."

Li pushed the bag back and burst out laughing while hugging his wife with one arm. "you hear that. He's already putting it to good use." The man beamed at Jaune, and An shook her head with a playful smile. "There he goes. Now he's going to have a big head for a few days." She looked to Jaune and pushed the bag to the edge of the stall with a nod. "If you don't want it, then you can give it to someone else. Like the nice young woman who seems to be waiting for you." She said while nodding behind him.
Jaune turned to see Blake standing behind him a couple of meters back with an uncomfortable expression. "She looks like a good friend of yours. Or she did while you two were dancing."

Jaune smiled and laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "you two saw that?" The couple nodded at him. He sighed and grabbed the bag with a calm expression, and then looked up at the player-houses Blake had been looking at earlier. "I doubt it's enough for one up there, but."
He nodded to the two, and they waved as he left and headed off towards Blake.

An and Li watched him hand the bag to Blake. She looked stunned at first and tried to hand it back, making the couple smile, and then Jaune said something. Blake paused and blinked, stunned, and then yelled loud enough for them to hear. "This is pocket-change for you!?" She swatted at him, and he slipped under her hand while slapping the back of her head. She yelled at him and tried to grab him, but he dodged away and broke off into a run with her hot on his heels. Li chuckled and leaned his head against his wife as she leaned against his chest. An smiled after the two and sighed. "To be young again."

~ 0 ~

A puddle was disturbed as a boot splashed down into it, sending droplets everywhere. Several surrounding people made disgruntled noises as they were splashed. "Sorry!" Jaune called over his shoulder as he weaved around a few people and almost tripped.

He hit a crate and rolled over it just before it exploded into a shower of splinters to reveal Blake standing with her sword drawn. "Stop right now, Arc!"

Jaune slipped as he hit the street and stumbled while looking at her. "Put the sword away!" As he shouted, Blake leaped into the air coming right for him. His eyes widened, and he spun around, shooting off past a few people.

He skidded to a stop as Blake landed in front of him and pointed the sword at his neck. "But, you keep running." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile as she took another swing.

He jumped to the side and grabbed a light post, swinging around the bend to avoid Blake's strike. He shouted over his shoulder. "Because you're gonna hit me!"

He pushed a couple of people out of the way and clambered onto a railing and jumped down several switchbacks worth of stairs, landing hard on his feet. Several people stepped back and started chattering while a couple took screenshots. He rubbed his heel and looked up to see Blake gracefully flip over the rail, and land lightly not far behind him. "Awe, an assassin class is just cheating!"

Even more, people started taking screenshots as she called back. "You bet your sorry ass I'm going to hit you! You messed up my hair, and it's an event item! And no! It's not cheating being an assassin class! Calling 200,000,000g pocket change after less than 24hrs of solo play-time is cheating!"

"But I only got you back for earlier! Besides, I gave you the 200,000,000g!" He almost screamed as Blake lunged at him, but he dropped to the ground, and she flew over him. "Stop trying to wallop me. I smacked the back of your head. Trying to take mine off is not equal."

Blake landed and spun around to see Jaune scrambling up a building via a stack of crates. "Get back here!"

"Nuh-uh! No way!" He grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled himself up. As he did, he kicked the crates so she couldn't climb up after him. As he pulled himself over the edge, he saw her heels and frowned. "How…"

Blake glared down at him and pulled her hand back. "You could have done it too with your DEX and AGIL so high." Jaune blinked in surprise and remembered how he'd recovered from his tumble over that bridge in town and what exactly his skills did.

As Blake struck, Jaune flipped onto the roof over her strike before sliding past her with a grin. "Oh, hey. Thanks, Blake." Blake whirled around and made to grab him, but he dodged back and flipped away from her onto the next roof. He grinned at her, and she scowled.

Her eyes narrowed at him, and she crouched, sword at the ready. "Arc."

He grinned and let out a nervous laugh. "Please don't hurt me."

~ 0 ~

What ensued was the wildest game of tag ever. Their escapade took them across the city. Dodging through crowds, running across roofs, sliding over restaurant tables, jumping across waterways, and under bridges. More than a few crates met their demise, while plenty of stalls and banners were subject to their destructive antics. The two getting into crazier and crazier situations as the chase continued. Their little escapade finally ending atop the towering edifice of the cathedral.

Jaune laughed as he looked back to see Blake hot on his heels with a grin on her face and a gleam in her eyes as they reached the edge of the building. Jaune hit the rail and turned around with his hands raised. "I surrender," He said out of breath. A laugh escaping him quickly after.

Blake huffed, out of breath, eyes narrowed as she sauntered up to him with a victorious smile and tapped his head with her sword. "Now we're even."
Before Jaune could respond, a loud smack rang through the air, and he stumbled forward. "And now, I win." Blake finished with a Cheshire grin.

Jaune rolled his eyes and rubbed the spot she'd hit as he stood up and turned to lean against the rail. It hurt, but the smile on her face was worth it. The whole thing had been pretty fun. As he looked out over the railing, his brow furrowed, and he looked down.
Blake walked up next to him and let out a tired but happy sigh. "That was fun, wasn't it Jaune. Jaune?"

She turned to look at Jaune, seeing him looking over the railing. "Um, Blake. How do we get down from here?"

The raven-haired girl's eyes narrowed before she glanced around. Her eyes widened as she realized just where they were. "How did we…get up here?" She looked out over the rail with him. "Um. How high are we?"

Jaune shrugged distractedly and looked around, seeing the light-tower being the only taller building. His gaze traveled to the city walls, and his stomach dropped. "I uh, don't know, but we're way higher up than we can survive fall damage wise." He felt his legs go weak, and he took a deep breath.

Blake scooted closer to him and made a noncommittal sound before looking around and letting out a sigh. "Any ideas for getting down?" I'm not too sure how we got up here, but I'm sure we can't go back the way we came."

Jaune nodded in agreement and looked around as well. While he looked down, trying to figure how and where they'd climb up, he heard Blake move around behind him and then move right next to him. "I think we can climb down if we use the…"

"Jaune."

He paused and looked at Blake. She was standing on the edge of the railing, looking down at him. Her hair had come loose during their chase through the city, the wind blowing her hair around, giving her a whimsical look. "Blake…why are you standing on the edge of the rail?" She tilted her head with a warm smile and gently closed her eyes as she slowly fell backward. "Blake!" He lunged for her as she fell over the edge. He hit the rail hard, knocking the air out of himself as he stretched over the edge, trying to grab her.

Blake's eyes opened, and she beamed up at him, suddenly jerking as her arms flew above her head. A twang of rope going taught reached Jaune's ears, followed by Blake's roar of laughter as she started to swing through the air, yukata, and hair billowing in the wind behind her. Dozens of small colored flags whipping through the air along the festival rope she'd grabbed.

"Wh-What?" Jaune watched dumbfounded for a second, before scrambling onto the rail, grabbing a rope for himself. He slipped as he tried to stand and screamed like a girl as he fell down the side of the cathedral after Blake.

Said girl heard Jaune scream and burst out laughing as she turned to look back at him. "You okay?!" Jaune didn't respond to her words and instead flipped around looking like an idiot as he thrashed, trying to steady himself. His distress adding to the hilarity. "Cat got your tongue?" She called out to him.

He managed to get some semblance of control and managed to face her direction as they swung by a large tower. His eyes widened as the color drained from his face, and he pointed behind her. She spun around, her eyes going wide as well. "Oh, …shit." There was a giant balloon with banners hanging from it floating into their path. She pulled on her rope and threw her legs out, hitting the balloon at an angle and jumped off, managing to swing around it. "hahaha! Whooo!"
Just then, there was a loud smack. Blake winced, turning to see the balloon bounce, and Jaune slide down his rope a bit as he skidded across it. She tried to hold in her laughter and turned away. "You alright, Jaune?" She called back to him between fits of giggles.

The blond rubbed his nose and winced while looking up at Blake, who now had a few meters on him in height. He was about to respond when he felt himself start to slow down and funny enough, Blake seemed to be getting closer as well. "Blake. Watch out!"

Her amber eyes opened; all laughter went as topaz met sapphire. The two collided in a mess of arms and legs while swinging around each other as their ropes became intertwined. Both pushed and kicked, trying to untangle from one another, eventually succeeding only to see the ground coming up towards them. Blake's eyes widened, and she yelled as she tightened her grip. As her grip tightened Jaune went silent and his grip loosened on the rope, the two sliding down faster and faster, Blake's screams getting louder as they neared the rapidly approaching side of a hill. "Jaune!" Before the pair hit, Jaune almost let go entirely, and inertia made them slide down the rope just grazing the hill as they continued to plummet to the ground.

It was at that moment Blake realized the thing she'd been gripping hadn't been her rope but Jaune's throat. "JAUNE!" Blake let go of him but his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her against his chest. As they made contact, Jaune's body shifted, and he took the brunt of the fall. The two bounced and rolled across the grass, sliding down the side of the hill until they came to a stop by the water's edge.

The two lay there silently for what seemed like forever. Blake lay there, eyes wide and chest heaving as she tried to understand how she lived. "Oh. Duh. It's a game. But STILL!" She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as she took a long slow breath, trying to calm down.

Suddenly Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs, shocking her. "Fuck yeah! I love my passives!" Blake turned to look at Jaune. Seeing him on his back with his arms stretched towards the sky. His arms fell, and he let out a relieved sigh before silence filled the air. Only a couple of seconds later, both burst out laughing, rolling and holding their sides.

Jaune pulled at the grass on the side of the hill, trying to sit up but fell over, still laughing. "Oh my god. That was intense. I thought we were done for."

Blake slapped his shoulder. "Stop laughing. We really could have died Jaune." She tried to maintain a straight face, but her mask broke as Jaune snickered at her.

"Oh no, I'm at the respawning screen." He did jazz hands with a mock look of terror before doubling over again. In all honesty, that would have meant 6 hours of waiting to respawn. Though was that so bad compared to perma-death?

Blake let out a giggle and fell over on her back again, looking up at the dark sky. "That was honestly fun, though. Not something you do every day, or ever IRL." She let out a content sigh as the laughter died down.

Jaune took a deep breath as his laughter quieted as well. "I'm with you on that one, Blake." He swung his legs up and jumped to his feet, dusting himself off before turning and offering a hand to Blake. "So how about we go have some more fun that we can't IRL." Blake blinked at his outstretched hand and then up at him with a sly smile before taking it with a nod. He pulled her up, and the two made their way up the hill back to the main festival area, poking and prodding each other while throwing quips back and forth.

~ 0 ~

As the evening came to a pleasant lull, the two found themselves sitting up on one of the city walls that towered above most of the structures inside. Jaune was leaning back against his arms, nodding as he tapped his foot to the BGM, a squid on a stick hanging from his mouth. Blake sat next to him with her treat sitting in her hand. The two just looked out at the city in contentment as they watched fireworks and shows from their vantage point. Jaune leaned forward and pulled his squid from his mouth. "You know this makes almost a whole 16 hours in the game. Damn."

Blake smiled as she looked out at the city and shrugged. "It's way more common than you'd think. I hear there are some people who left their jobs just to no life Remnant. Like hardcore otaku, and business owners with too much time on their hands."

Jaune quirked a brow, thinking back to An and Li Ren, a nervous smile crossing his face as he let out an amused laugh. "There are all sorts, I guess."

Blake grew quiet, and Jaune could feel the mood shift. "Speaking of all sorts. The Huntsman guild." Jaune shifted uncomfortably but stayed seated. "What are you going to do about them?"

Jaune held back his sigh and tossed his stick, now squid-less, out into the air as it disappeared in a shimmer of particles. He put on a warm smile and shrugged. "I'll look into it. Maybe ask my friend Sun, or…Ruby. I'll let you know what I find." He smirked at her good-naturedly and tilted his head a bit. "I promise to let you know if I'm going to do anything stupid before I do."

Blake brandished her squid on a stick at him making him lean back with an apologetic smile before she poked him hard on the chest with what was left of it. "You'd better. Because I didn't go through all of that stuff today for nothing."

He rubbed his coat, cleaning the soy sauce from the squid off and nodded while giving her an appreciative look. "I know you asked me to hang out with you today, but seriously though. Thanks for making time for this loser. I appreciate it. I'm glad I've got a friend like you."

Blake's arm dropped to her lap as she looked back at Jaune with a stunned expression. He grinned and rubbed under his nose before looking back out at Vale. She looked down at her lap. "You're not a loser, you doofus," she said quietly to herself.

"Hmm? What did you say, Blake?" He leaned closer to her. "Can you repeat that?"

She leaned away and frowned at him. "Maybe you should listen more carefully next time."

Jaune gave her an unreadable look and shrugged. "Okay. I'll pay better attention to you from now on."

She knew he didn't mean it the way he'd said it but damn him! He could be so dense. She was starting to see why he was still single. Fighting the blush down, she looked down at her legs hanging over the wall. "You're such a dork."

Blake had been calling him that a lot, and it was starting to bother him. Not in a bad way just that he didn't know what she meant. He scooted closer and tried to get in her face. "Hey. Why do you keep calling me a dork?"

"Why are you so close?" She flushed at their proximity and shoved him off the wall, making him fall onto the level below about six feet down.

He let out a yelp as he hit the stone and rolled onto his back, groaning a bit. "Ouch. What was that for?" He rubbed his hip as he got up. "You know, Blake. You really are…" He looked up at her to see her standing, looking down at him with a warm smile; a firework went off somewhere out in the fields behind her making her hair shine with a purplish sheen while the city lights made her face glow. "…beautiful."

Without warning, several blue rings appeared around her, and she disappeared. "Huh? Why did she…log out?" He folded his arms and turned around and plopped down, letting his legs hang off the side of the wall leaning forward with an elbow on his knee, head in hand. He looked over the city and smiled at what he saw amazed again by how he spent all day in the game. Even longer than yesterday. With a grin and a shake of his head, he opened his menu and logged out.
Unbeknownst to the two, a person in a red cloak had been watching them.

~ 0 ~

The smell of his apartment greeted Jaune as he pulled off his AVRH. With a stretch and a yawn, he slid off his bed, giving his clock a cursory glance. He noted that it was 2:00 in the morning and winced. He let out a sigh and ruffled his hair. "Whatever. I called into classes today. Might as well stretch my legs." With a groan, he stood up and left his room. He noticed the dim pink light on in the kitchen and chuckled. "I guess Blake found the toggle for the lights."

Upon walking in, he found Blake wiping her mouth an open bottle of vodka and an empty glass sitting next to her. He quirked a brow and shot her a surprised, questioning look. "So~ why are you drinking?" She held up a hand as she poured another glass and threw it back like a champ, not even a shudder or shiver. He walked up to her and leaned against the counter with his arms folded lazily. "You know." He picked up the bottle of Vodka she'd grabbed and turned it around, examining it. "That's a 24K, George V Limited Edition Kors Vodka." Including both glasses, you just drank about $2,000 worth of vodka."
Blake almost choked and coughed as her eyes widened. "Jaune shrugged and looked at her with a ruffle smile. "You picked a good one."

Blake gasped and looked at Jaune with wide yes. "Did he just say $2,000 worth? In 2 glasses?!" She cleared her throat and looked at him with a half pleading half hopeful look. "You're not serious, are you?" The calm look on his face made her stomach drop. She gripped her head, feeling dizzy. "Oh shit."

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, steadying her, and she looked back at Jaune, who was laughing. Laughing! "It's alright, Blake. It's not a big deal. It's not like I told you not to, and I did hand you a key to the place without ground-rules, so we'll call this my bad." With that, he proffered the bottle to her with a smile. "Wanna finish it together?"

Blake took the bottle in both of her hands and looked down at it. She glanced at Jaune out of the corner of her eye as he reached to the cupboard and pulled another glass down. He turned around and leaned his hip against the counter next to her while giving her a light nudge. "You know, we did drink last night. Why do you want to drink again?"

It was a fair question. The answer was pretty simple too. Blake turned to face the counter while grabbing Jaune's glass. "On the rocks?" He nodded. She moved around him to the fridge and used the ice dispenser before pouring them both a drink. She handed Jaune his glass before she leaned her waist against the counter next to him. She took a sip and then let out a breath before closing her eyes with a small smile. "I'm not feeling too tired. I thought getting buzzed, or maybe a little drunk to make sleeping easier would be a good way to end the night."
She opened her eyes and folded her free arm under her chest. Looking up at him, she gave a half-smile. "Why do you want to drink again?"

Jaune sipped from his glass while thinking. When he finished, he looked down into his glass while swirling the clear liquid. A small smile flitted across his features before he looked at her and held out his glass close to hers. "I figured you'd be lonely if I let you drink by yourself."

Blake covered her mouth, yawning as she clinked her glass against his. When she finished a sly smile spread across her lips as she looked up at him from the corner of her eye. "How chivalrous."

Their conversation carried on much in the same way for the next hour, with simple questions back and forth between sips and refills. The two talked about their night and the shenanigans they got into, like the dance and their chase. All the while, they were getting tipsier. Around 3:30, Blake threw back the remnants of the last glass of vodka from the bottle. "Say, Juanune." She hiccuped and shook her head. "So-sowy…so-sor-sorry." She rubbed her head. "Jaune. Why. Why do you keep complimenting me so much?"

Jaune took a breath as he folded his arms, having finished his drink already and not getting another before Blake polished off the bottle. He opened his mouth but drew a blank. He rubbed his chin and shrugged. Her reaction was an unimpressed flat stare. "You don't know." She frowned, and drunkenly slid up against his side. She was practically leaning on him to stay up while poking his cheek.

He snickered and shook his head at the sour expression on her face while trying to push her hand away. "Blake. Haha. Stop. I didn't mean it like that." He smiled down at her while she continued to pester him in her addled state of mind. It was kind of endearing that she'd be upset by such a small thing. Call him crazy, but he felt comfortable around her. It was similar to how he'd felt around Ruby. Spending time with her was always enjoyable. Talking to her at the pizzeria made his day end on a high note every time he had. He didn't know what it was, but when she was around, he felt less fractured. In those moments, life was just the pizzeria.

"Honestly, Blake. I think you're really cool compared to me." At his words, she stopped poking his cheek and quieted down, watching him intently. "I've always thought of you as this calm, collected, hard-working person." He scratched his nose while looking up at the kitchen lights. "You even started delivering pizza way out of the delivery range for me. I mean, how many people can say they have a cool friend like that? You're one for the books, that's for sure."

He got quiet and looked down into his glass smiling weakly. His wistful expression made her frown. "I wish I were more like you." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "Maybe I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in with everyone."

Blake elbowed him playfully and forced a laugh. "You don't mean that. I'm nothing special." The look he gave her made her pause.

He smiled at her with that calm, friendly smile that made her feel like she was missing something. "You wouldn't get it. You don't see what I do. I constantly get this feeling like I'm forgetting something important, but when you're around, the feeling goes away."

She didn't know what to say. It was heartwarming, but knowing Jaune, it wasn't romantic. It was difficult to know how to respond. Her silence must have been taken the wrong way because Jaune laughed nervously while offering her an apology. "Sorry. I guess I should add context. You see, I had this accident in high school, and I can't remember much about myself or the people I knew before. Trying to focus on memories gives me these splitting headaches, but like I said. When I'm around you, the memories… they just come, and the pain goes away."

Blake felt a knot build in her throat and her chest ached. She looked down at her empty glass in contemplation. She wasn't any kind of psych major, but she'd heard about repressed memories and stuff. When you try to force them, they could cause physical pain or make you sick. Her eyes widened in realization. The Jaune she used to know hadn't just grown up and forgotten her, but he didn't even know who she was anymore. She bit her bottom lip and placed her glass on the counter as she pushed off of it and turned to leave.

Jaune didn't even notice. He was slipping into his own little world, but he kept talking, his head starting to hurt as the sound of the ocean filled his ears along with muted laughter and a light ringing. "You know. There is this one memory that I have. I don't know what it's from or when exactly but.

~ Final Fantasy 10 - Yuna's Theme ~

Jaune smiled as the ocean breeze kissed his skin and ruffled his hair. He leaned back on the pier, the cry of a few seagulls and the gentle crash of the waves against the beach filling his hears. He let out a relaxed sigh as he opened his eyes. Stretched out in front of him was the vast ocean. The sun set upon it. The water shone golden as the sky bled into the sea, a warm orange, and red.

He let his legs stretch out on the pier as he leaned back on his hands and lazily swayed side to side. The fishing line next to him tugged a bit, and he looked over at it. There was another tug and then nothing. He let out a defeated sigh and put his hands behind his head as he fell back with a groan. "Haaaaaaaa. Man, nothing is biting today. What am I going to do now?" He threw his feet up quickly, sitting up and grabbed his reel, rewinding it before getting to his feet and casting it once again with a loud yell. "I'll catch one if it's the last thing I do!"

There was a light tap of feet walking across the pier behind Jaune. "You'll scare all the fish if you yell like that, stupid." The blond frowned, refusing to look back and closed his eyes as he turned his entire body away from the girl who'd spoken. He rubbed under his nose and held his head high. "I'll catch the biggest fish you've ever seen, just you watch. Then you'll have to stop calling me stupid."

The girl behind him let out an unimpressed sigh followed by a quiet giggle, and a tapping noise filled the air. "I doubt that. But let's say you do. What would you do with it?"

Jaune got quiet and looked down at his converse. "Well…I'd…I would give it to you. I mean." He grew silent again and looked out over the ocean. "It's almost time. I want to make a cool memory or see something amazing." He shrugged and grinned to himself while pointing his thumb back at himself. "I wanna have a great story to tell."

The tapping noise coming from the girl stopped, and she got quiet for a second. "What did you mean by, it's almost time? And who are you going to tell the story too if we're both together for it?"

Jaune let out a sigh, and his shoulders fell. "I…" Suddenly the line went taught and started whining as the bob was pulled underwater. "Whoa!" He was tugged forward and almost off the pier into the ocean as he gripped the reel and started rewinding it. The girl behind Jaune gasped and rushed up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, dragging him back as he fought with the fish. "It's gotta be a big one!"

The girl groaned and huffed as the two pulled and moved back, step by step, to a safer spot on the pier. "Just reel it in already. I don't wanna get dragged in like last month!"

Jaune glared at the volatile surface of the water as the fish struggled. He had to catch this stupid finny fiend. It would be perfect. With a loud yell and a hard tug, Jaune turned around, Knocking the girl down. She let out a yelp as she fell on her butt. He pulled the pole to his chest, and with all his might swung down. There was a loud snap, a splash, and water rained down on the two as the fish flew through the air. He looked up at it as it writhed and flipped before it slammed down hard on one of the steaks of the pier, and then fell lifeless to the walkway. He blinked in shock at what he'd done then down at his hands to see his fishing rod bent and obviously broken, then back to the enormous fish. "I…" He felt his mouth form a face splitting grin, as he curled in on himself and then leaped into the air. "Did it! Whooooo!"

He jumped again and spun to face the beach as he threw his fist into the air in a half pump, half punch. "Did you see that! Did you see it!" He struck a pose with his feet spread apart, chest puffed out, and then bumped his fist against his chest with a broad toothy grin. "I rule!"

"Jaune." He paused and spun around. Standing there, with the fish in hand, was the girl. The sun was behind her, making it impossible to make out any detail, but he could tell she was smirking at him as she walked over with the fish in hand. She looked down at him, but the setting sun still left her face indistinguishable. "You said you'd give it to me, right?" He just nodded stupidly, his cheeks getting hot as the girl leaned in and kissed his nose. She left him standing there, redder than a tomato, and walked back along the pier, calling for her dad.
Jaune watched her go with a happy smile when she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Hey, stupid! Are you coming?"

Jaune grimaced and ran to catch up, coming to a stop next to her and kept stride as they hit the beach. "Hey. I caught that huge fish for you, so you can't call me stupid anymore."

The girl smirked at him again. "My hero. But when did I say I would stop calling you stupid?" Jaune looked at her in shock and spluttered as she reached over and ruffled the hair on the back of his head.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his head to fix it. "You know, my mom said if you keep doing that you'll train it to stick up in the back. She said it looks sloppy."

The girl let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "I think it looks funny. Charming but funny."

Jaune frowned at her and rubbed the back of his head again absentmindedly, and she laughed into her hand at the tick she'd made him start. "Yeah, well… you look like a KitKat, so there."

She whirled around and smacked the back of his head, making his hair stick up again, and he rubbed it in embarrassment. She looked at him through narrowed eyes and poked his cheek. "I said, don't call me KitKat!"
This was usually when the head-splitting pain kicked in, and the ringing became unbearable, but instead, the girl faced him, and his vision quickly blurred as darkness encroached around him. The pain and ringing faded as her voice filled his head.
"My name is…"

~ Song end ~

Jaune rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "…I was wondering. That picture in your room." Blake froze at his mention of one of her pictures. "The one with you, your parents, and the two blonds. Did we used to know each other?"

Blake got quiet and faked a yawn to wipe her face as she took a soft breath before she turned to face him with an amused smile. "I don't think so. I'm sure I'd remember an amazing dork like you, Jaune."

Her response drew a blush from him as he scratched his nose and looked away in embarrassment. "Uh-um-I-Ah. Yeah. Stupid question. Sorry for asking." He let out a long breath and then smiled at her. "Well, goodnight Blake." He turned to the counter and their glasses. "I'll clean up here. You can go ahead and turn in first."

She nodded with a wave as she headed towards her new room. She wanted to turn around and tell Jaune yes. That they did know each other from before, but she'd stopped herself for two reasons. First. She didn't want to cause him pain in case he tried to force memories for her sake. Second, and more selfish. Over the last four years and more so five months, they'd started building a different kind of relationship from when they were kids. He was clueless about their past, and she didn't bring up the past. They were still friends, and things were good. Why change them? With that last thought, she turned at the entrance to the kitchen and looked back with a sleepy smile. "Goodnight, Jaune."

~ 0 ~

She looked down at the picture in her hands. A melancholy smile on her face as she stared at the blond dufus in it standing next to her. She put down the old picture with a sniff and looked around her room. Her clothes for the day sat ready, and she let out a tired breath as she slid onto her bed and backed up against the wall while reaching for her guitar. She strummed the chords before closing her eyes as she found the right notes. She took a deep breath as her digital clock beeped, letting her know it was 4:00 am.

~ Song - I Lied (S/o to Anne-Marie) ~

"It's another morning,
Gotta get up from my bed
What are these thoughts, What are these thoughts
That're running through my head
I guess I'm overthinking
But I feel like I'm sinking
I'm going down, going down
Going down the drain."

"It ain't as easy as it seems, trust me~
But I've been there before."

"So hey, how you doin'
I'm doing just fine, I lied
I'm dying inside
Hey, can't you see I'm not fine at all~
But I'll just keep it to myself."

"I keep my distance from you
It's a repeated cycle
I need to stop, 'think I should stop
From being in denial
Oh I don't wanna hurt you
I know you're trynna help me
But no, I'll say no
Time and time again."

"It ain't as easy as it seems, trust me
But I've been there before~."

"So hey, how you doin'
I'm doing just fine, I lied
I'm dying inside
Hey, can't you see I'm not fine at all~
But I'll just keep it to myself."

"It's not that I'm ungrateful
Not trying to be pitiful
It's just-it's~ just~
Oh~ I don't Know~."

"It ain't as easy as it seems, trust me
But I've been there before."

"So hey, how you doin'
I'm doing just fine, I lied
I'm dying inside
Hey, can't you see I'm not fine at all
So I'll just keep it to myself
I'll just keep it to myself."

~ song end ~

As she finished her song, her voice cracked. She thought back to a couple of hours ago while she'd been playing TWoR. She'd seen him. Him! in the game no less. But he was with another girl, and he'd called her beautiful while watching the event together. She felt her throat tighten as the tears welled in her eyes. Her guitar dropped to her bed, and she pulled her knees against her chest as she began to cry softly. "I'm so sorry, Jaune. I'm…I don't know." She fell onto her side as she cried herself to sleep. Classes could go to hell today.

On her monitor, her email sat open.

Sent: 10:49pm

To: DoesItMatter00 ALTMT .com

Subject: I'm really sorry

"Hey, It's been a while. I'm so sorry about avoiding you on Friday. For the last few months, really. I wanted to see if you had time to talk. I don't know if that'll mean anything to you, but I hope you respond."

PS: You still play games, right?

Attachment: TWoR, Size 8.4TB

~ 0 ~

Authors Notes

I am so sorry about the long wait for an update. I got into a bad car accident, and lots of stuff happened. I ended up being charged with felonies and stuff. Long story short, I got T-boned and was in shock (Literally couldn't see due to glass in eyes, or comprehend what was going on), so the person who hit me and the person who caused the accident pinned it on me because I couldn't understand what was going on. I had to pay for bail, bond, and lawyer while looking for a job because I lost mine after missing two days of work while in the hospital. That on top of nearly going blind from the accident, and Corona a couple of months into recovery and yeah.

My computer almost died too, and any file newer than Oct 23rd got corrupted, so I had to re-write this chapter from scratch as well as everything I've been working on. That was a fun little heart attack. Anyways. I'm back, hopefully for a while. I'll be updating as often as I can to try and help with the whole quarantine thing going around everywhere.

Stay healthy, stay safe. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

~ 0 ~