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COMMENTS:
The_Cobalt_Void[archiveofourown]:
I can so see that smug smirk on Blake's face in that last line and it is hilarious. TFTC
Avip:
Hehe, THE HAREM IS HERE!
--- Chapter Cover ----
[Jaune Arc]
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to come back here." I grumble feeling blue.
I stare at the pristine white building, its elegant sign reading "Atlesian Spring" in looping script.
Last time I was here I puked on the floor, not a great impression with the staff that had to clean after that.
"Jaune, come on!" Ruby urges, her hand on my back, pushing me forward.
I dig my heels in, reluctance weighing heavy in my gut.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
Yang loops her arm through mine, tugging me towards the door.
"You're stalling, Lover boy."
Pyrrha grabs my other arm and gives me a weirdly yandere smile.
"Just keep walking, sweety." She whispers at me.
I'm barely through the door when Weiss approaches the hostess, a tall, slim faunus with a fox tail holding a tablet clutched in her hand.
"Reservation for Schnee and guests," Weiss states, her voice crisp.
The hostess taps on her tablet, then smiles.
"Ah, yes. Everything is in order, Ms. Schnee. We were expecting you, your friends and your fiancé."
A vein pulses on Weiss's forehead, but she replies to the hostess with a smile. The girl with white hair must still be irritated by the gossip that circulated throughout the kingdoms.
"Thank you. Could you please show us to our table?"
We are quickly guided into the building to a large elevator in a discreet area.
I scan the café as we follow the hostess, noticing something's off. The place it's completely empty.
"Where is everyone?" I ask with suspicion in my mind.
Weiss glances back at me, her expression smug.
"I reserved the entire place to avoid the spread of rumors."
I let out a low whistle, impressed.
"I knew as Heiress you had some cash, but not like that."
Weiss scoffs.
"It's not my father's money." She says proudly. "It's from W.K.I."
I raise an eyebrow, curious.
"W.K.I?" I repeat, confused. "Whats that?"
Weiss stops mid-step, turning to face me.
"It's our company, you duffos!" Her eyes flash with irritation.
"Our company?" I repeat once again, even more confused. "Church!" I plead, like a lost child calling out for its mother.
Using my watch's projector, the AI's blue hologram appears to everyone.
{{She is right,}} States Church in his usual bored tone. {{And you already had heard about White Knight Inc.}}
"When?" I question feeling lost.
Church projection changes from his usual armored self to a flat screen projection from a security camera inside the black bird. In the image is me and the bodyguard who tried to kill me.
{What is this?} I ask, pointing at the container.
The ginger on the video responds without hesitation.
{The Atlas pet faunus said it's the payment for White Knight Inc.}
[Avip: Chapter 38: Interlude II]
"Ooooooh," I say in realization. "So I did hear about it before."
"Wait." says Blake, grabbing my shoulder. "Was that Ilia? She showed up carrying the upgrade boxes that day, but then she ran off without explaining why she's with you?"
"Ooooooh," I say again in realization. "You don't know what happened to her."
"What happened to her?" Blake asks, voice filled with dread.
"She tried to kill me a couple of times and incriminated me while I was in Menagerie."
"What?!" She asks as we enter the elevator.
{{I wasn't there for the whole thing, it was before Extremis Virus upgrade.}} Mention Church back in usual form. {{It started with the population hating Jaune and ended with them worshipping him and wanting Sienna Khan head.}}
"WHAT?" Blake shouts.
"Come on Blake, don't shout in confined spaces." I say, annoyed at the cat faunus. "Relax, we sort everything out at the end quite nicely."
"How?" She says worrily.
{{Sure, everything happened as one would expect,}} adds Church in a sarcastic tone. {{Ilia now follow Jaune around like some sort of creep servant/hired assassin, White Fang was disbanded and Jaune helped found a nation, just everyday normal stuff.}}
Blake's lower left eyelid twitches as she looks like on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"We are here." Says the hostess in a worried tone.
The elevator doors slide open, revealing a sprawling room with a massive oval table and six chairs. The walls are entirely glass, offering a panoramic view of Vale. This place is more like a VIP lounge in a five-star restaurant than a meeting room in a café. The city sprawls beneath us, a mix of towering skyscrapers and quaint older buildings, all bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun.
"Whoa," I murmur, stepping inside, getting close to the windows, taking in the view.
While I was admiring the view, Ruby, Blake, Yang and Pyrrha sat at the table while Weiss said goodbye to the Hostess.
I reach for the nearest chair, but Pyrrha's voice stops me.
"That's not your seat, Jaune."
She points to a solitary chair opposite the five of them. I gulp, feeling a chill run down my spine, but I take my designated seat. Once I'm settled, Weiss joins the others, sitting beside them.
Pyrrha leans forward, her voice firm.
"Before we start, we'd like you to place your watch on the table." She orders staring deep in my eyes. "So that Church joins us for the first part of this conversation."
I blink, taken aback.
"Why?"
Pyrrha's eyes soften, but her voice remains steady.
"We need to ensure this discussion is open and honest. Your watch, please."
I hesitate, then slowly remove my watch and set it down. The holographic interface flickers to life, Church's avatar materializing above it. He crosses his arms, his usual bored expression in place.
{{Ladies,}} he greets, in his usual flat tone. {{Most of you already know who I am, but since this is the first time I speak to most of you directly, I would like to introduce myself. I am the Alpha AI, also known as Church.}}
Blake and Yang stare at the AI with slight discomfort as Weiss and Pyrrha look already used to Church existence… Ruby on the other hand.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she squees in delight. "But are you really a full-fledged AI? You're not just one of those fake personality assistant models from Atlas, are you?"
{{100% fully autonomous AI Singularity in HD because that cheapskate fuckboy wanted to save money.}}
"Fuckboy?" I say raising an eyebrow.
{{Look to the other side of the table and tell me I'm wrong, mister 'you don't need a 10k projector Church, that's futile spending'.}}
I stare at the complaining blue AI, but I don't dignify it with a verbal response.
"Your exchange has been a delight, but I think we should get to the point of this meeting." Weiss says taking the lead, her voice all business. "We've gathered here today to discuss an important matter, your so-called 'harem,' Jaune." She finishes cheeks blushing.
I choke on air, eyes wide.
"Whoa." I gasp remembering why we are here. "Is this really happening? Are we really going to do this?"
Yang leans back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Don't play dumb, Jaune. You've got quite the collection of admirers."
"And that's not even counting the ones he probably made and left on menagerie." Adds Pyrrha on a sour note.
"Jaune cheated on us?" Ruby asks, horrified.
"It's not really cheating if we weren't in a relationship at the time," Yang adds with a shrug.
The other girls stare at Yang in surprise, not expecting her to be so calm and mature about this matter.
"It's not like she's more amazing than any of us," Adds Yang arrogantly. "Let alone the five of us combined."
{{He-he.}} chuckles Church, making my blood cold.
"Dont you do it." I beg to the AI.
Without hesitation, Church projects an image of a redhead with wild short hair, tanned skin, blue eyes wearing a tight bikini smiling for the photo hugging me from behind.
[Image]
"Wait, wait, wait!" Yang exclaims, jumping to her feet, her chair scraping back. She points at the holographic image, her eyes wide. "I thought Glynda was a total MILF, but that... who is that?"
I swallow hard, feeling a sweat break out on my forehead. The image of Audra Taurus, tanned skin glistening under the sun, red hair wild and free, hangs in the air. Her blue eyes sparkle with a confidence that's almost tangible.
"That," Blake begins, her voice steady despite the slight flush on her cheeks, "is commander Audra Taurus. One of the most powerful warriors in Menagerie."
{{Correction,}} Church interjects, his avatar flickering beside Audra's image. {{She is now the General of Faunaria Armed Forces.}}
"General?" Ruby's eyebrows shoot up. "Jaune hooked up with a general?"
{{Jaune hooked up with her, than he made her a general.}}
"Damn..." Yang gasps in awe. "Lover boy sure knows how to treat a lady."
I lower my head, feeling exposed under their scrutiny. The air is thick with tension, and I can't help but squirm in my seat. Suddenly, a sharp rap echoes through the room.
TOK! TOK!
It's Weiss, tapping a small wooden gavel against the table, commanding order.
"Alright, alright, settle down," Weiss declares, her voice crisp and authoritative. She sets the gavel down, her eyes scanning the group.
Blake raises an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"I can't believe you brought a judge's gavel."
Yang chuckles, leaning back in her chair.
Weiss rolls her eyes, but there's a slight smile tugging at her lips.
"I thought it might help keep things in order." States Weiss. "And as usual, I'm correct."
Pyrrha clears her throat, getting everyone's attention.
"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" she says, her tone far too serious for the topic. "Jaune's harem."
"Do we have to call it that?" I groan, rubbing a hand over my face.
"Well, what would you call it?" Ruby giggles, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I open my mouth to respond, but Church cuts me off, his avatar flickering beside me.
{{Perhaps we should address the core of this matter, instead of getting stuck in semantics}}
All eyes turn to Church, and I can't help but feel a sense of relief. Maybe he can steer this conversation away from my alleged 'harem.'
{{My boss have five wonderful girls here that for some ungodly reason wants to date his stupid face.}}
The girls coo at the compliment while I just deadpan at the blue hologram.
{{But before any arrangement.}} Church says turning to me in a serious tone. {{Maybe its time to you tell then your final secret boss.}}
I stare worried at the AI as my stomach ties in a knot of anxiety.
{{Hey…}} he says, dropping his sniper rifle.
The weapon disappears from the holography as both of his blue armored hands reach for the helmet.
"What?" I blurp mought agape as the AI reveals its face.
{{There we go.}} Church says looking like a younger version of doctor Leonard Church from RVB, minus the glasses and goatee.
[Image]
He stares at me with a mix of sadness and compassion before speaking.
{{Just like you, I don't really belong in this world...}} Church says avoiding my gaze. {{But I found my place helping you build a better future for the inhabitants of this planet.}} He finishes looking at me, smiling determinedly. {{So stop beating around the bush and just spill that shit you are hiding already, I promise will make you feel better.}}
Despite the somewhat vulgar ending, I feel touched by the words of the blue soldier.
"Thanks Church, you are a good friend… most of the time"
{{And an extremely handsome advanced synthetic life form, don't you forget.}} he adds proudly while putting his helmet back on.
The entire conversation with Church was out in the open, the girls heard everything and looked at me curiously, all except Yang who looked frustrated and tired.
"By the gods…" Yang sighs, weariness etching lines on her forehead. "This is turning into the week of revelations."
"Let me guess," Blake leans back, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're going to drop something crazy like you being the Rusted Knight."
"Is it just me, or does Church's voice sound oddly familiar?" Ruby asks, scratching her head.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come.
"Well, the Rusted Knight thing is actually true," I say, getting a surprise stare from Blake. "But what I want to talk about isn't about Remnant's past or future… it's about me."
Pyrrha's eyes widen, concern flickering across her face.
"Is this about the reason you had an argument with your sister?"
"Yeah, it does." I nod, sighing.
The room falls silent, the weight of my words settling over us. I can feel their eyes on me, a mix of confusion and concern. I take a deep breath, ready to spill the truth that's been eating away at me.
"This is going to sound insane," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "But I swear on anything and everything that I'm telling the truth."
"You don't have to say it like that, Jaune." Ruby leans forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. "We believe you."
"You can tell us anything." Adds Weiss.
I take a deep breath, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
"I'm not from this world. I came from another place, another life. I died there, and I got reincarnated in Jaune Arc's body."
The room is silent, the only sound is the distant hum of the city below. I can see the disbelief in their eyes, the struggle to comprehend what I'm saying.
Blake is the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.
"So... you came from another world through reincarnation? Like, isekai style?" Blake asks in a strangely nonchalant tone.
I stare at the girls, their faces a mix of relief and acceptance.
That's not the reaction I expected. I thought they'd be shocked, disbelieving, maybe even angry. But they're taking it surprisingly well.
Yang leans forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"So, when did you wake up in Remnant?"
"A few months before I started at Beacon." I state to my fellow blond.
The girls exchange glances, then start chatting among themselves, seeming satisfied with my answer. I watch, bewildered.
"Thats good." Says Ruby happily. "It means all our interactions were with the current you."
"Certanly is a a relive." Adds Pyrrha agreeing with ruby.
"Uh, guys?" I interject, feeling a frown tug at my brows. "You don't think this is weird or outrageous?"
Weiss turns to me, her expression calm.
"Jaune, we're hearing this story in the same week we learned about the immortal Queen of Grimm and the wizard who's been reincarnating and guiding humanity for more than a millennia."
Yang nods, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Your story is crazy, yeah, but it's not at the top of the list of absurd things we've heard recently."
"The Jaune that interacted with us is the same one that is standing before us." Says Blake calmly. "I don't care about the rest."
I chuckle, a nervous laugh escaping me.
"Well, what if I told you I knew all of you before I even came to this world?"
That gets their attention. The girls stare at me, surprise and suspicion warring in their eyes. I can see the gears turning in their heads, trying to process this new revelation.
Blake's the first to speak, her voice cautious.
"How could you know us before coming to Remnant?"
I take a deep breath, ready to explain.
"Let me tell you a story. A story about an animated web series created by a really awesome dude named Monty Oum. He worked for a company named Rooster Teeth."
The girls stared at me in astonishment, not understanding what I was talking about.
"Do roosters have teeth?" Ruby asks, curiously.
"No, they don't," Weiss said, not taking her eyes off me. "Please continue, Jaune."
And just like that I started telling the story of the animated web series RWBY and its nine seasons.
-------------------------
E ai gurizada…
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Chapter 53 - United States of Harem
Chapter 54 - What the fuck are those?
Chapter 55 - Neo is Nasty
Chapter 56 - New sheriff in town
Chapter 57 - Who is SHE?!
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