Ooh boy, I'm not sure why this fic has to become my personal disclaimer fic, but here's another – absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Or, to put it bluntly, my not writing about someone – or something – does not mean I despise them. Case in point with Sun with the last chapter where I received at least six different people messaging me to ask if and why I hated Sun as a character…
Honestly, I don't. I actually like him. Sadly, he doesn't grow into his own until much later in the series and I just didn't have any need for him here and none of my fics have entered season 4 or 5 territory, so all that goodness he has hasn't happened. That's not me hating on him; it's just me trying to cut out a huge cast of characters down to a manageable number. He gets teased in White Sheep because that fic is a comedy, but also because Sun's introduction pre-V4 is literally as a man who would hide outside a girl's window listening to her conversation with her team. I mean, that is pure stalker level right there, so I played with that for comedy.
I got the same with Dove too on this fic, which is just bizarre. He's such a minor character that I'm not even sure how I could hate him. He just didn't slot into the teams because reasons, that's all. Just because I don't write about someone, or even some demographic, doesn't mean I hate them.
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 16
Velvet used her spare key to open the front door of the diner and practically charged inside, her eyes wide. She caught sight of Jaune by the counter, rubbing his forehead, and surged over. "Have you heard the news?" she gasped.
"I've heard the news," he sighed. "If the news is Café Prime setting up a diner just down the road, that is."
"Oh… you already know. What are we going to do?"
"Not much we can do. We'll continue on as we always have and beat them at their own game. We've only got two days until our next dress-up session anyway, so we've got to think of a theme for that. Any ideas?"
Velvet's panic came back with a vengeance. She'd known there was something she needed to do, but Coco had distracted her yesterday with some stupid horror movie, and then she'd spent the rest of the night jumping out of closets to try and scare her, until she succeeded and ate a frightened foot to the face for the effort. Coco hadn't tried again, quickly learning what happened when you startled a rabbit-faunus huntress.
Either way, she'd not spent any time thinking up a fancy dress scheme, despite saying she would. Velvet hummed to try and stall for time, eyes flicking around the diner for inspiration. It wasn't helpful. Not unless she wanted a coffee-shop themed coffee-shop day.
Her eyes landed on Jaune's sword, collecting dust on the wall. "How about a fantasy theme?"
"Fantasy?"
"Y-Yeah, you know – mythical fantasy." It was an idea pulled out of nowhere but it grew on her and she ran with it. "You could dress up as a knight or a king, while Russel can be some kind of rogue with a rapier. I can dress as a…" Coco flashed into mind, holding up a tavern wench costume. Velvet's face went white. "I can find an outfit to wear."
"Maybe a dress?" Jaune suggested. "You could go as a princess."
"I'll think of something," she deflected. Dresses weren't her style, especially not if she had to flit between tables and serve drinks. The chance of tripping and face planting into something was just too high. It was fantasy, not history, so she could go as an elf archer or something, or maybe some kind of weird rabbit druid.
Jaune tapped his chin, humming. "It's not a bad idea. I've got a feeling Ruby would be over the moon if I asked her to help come up with designs for the shop and the theme is common enough that the fancy dress store might have some fake armour or crowns. I'll tell Russel when he comes in later and see if he wants me to order him something. Tell me if you do, too. Or just bring me the receipt and I'll cover it."
Velvet nodded, pleased that she'd helped come up with an idea and, if she dared admit it, a little excited at the prospect herself. Fantasy was right down her street; especially compared to the buxom pirate wench she'd been before. It was a love of fantasy novels that inspired her to become a huntress.
Also, Coco. Her partner would practically die for a chance to dress her up like some kind of cosplaying fantasy character. Mental note, make sure she doesn't go overboard. I don't want it to be too expensive...
For the rest of the morning shift she helped set up the shop as per schedule, handling all the heavy lifting so her injured boss didn't have to, all the while he mused with pen and paper at the counter, drawing up some ideas for fantasy decorations. When she was done he handed her a list of goods to be collected from Marron and she headed out with the red trolley pulled behind her, humming to herself as she headed to the friendly and effeminately-named baker. Sure, he'd been intimidating at first but Jaune had been spot on with his hints on how to worm her way into the man's heart.
The man was like Professor Port, except with stories of his daughters instead of slaying Grimm, and pictures of cute kids in different outfits and playing in sand pits rather than trophies of past battles. It was actually adorable.
Vale was actually rather empty at six in the morning, although some people still walked around – those ending night shifts or people who had to wake up early for work like she did. Dragging a trolley around would have been a problem with crowds otherwise. Unfortunately, the moment she reached Marron's, the trolley halted, catching on something.
"I'm so sorry," Velvet said automatically, turning. "I didn't mean to hit…" The words died in her throat. There were four men behind her, or boys, really. They were about sixteen to eighteen, though one – slightly taller – might have been twenty or twenty-one. He had a foot on her trolley, pinning it in place.
"Oh, you didn't mean to, huh?" he asked, grinning nastily. "Shit, guys. The animal didn't mean to bump into us. Isn't that a riot?"
The others laughed and fanned out, surrounding her as best they could against the stone wall while the one in charge kept her trolley pinned down. Each was bigger than her, and while she didn't feel particularly afraid of them, she did withdraw in on herself a little. "L-Look, there's no need for this," she stammered. "I'm just trying to do my job…"
"She's just trying to do her job," one of them mimicked, voice high-pitched and cruel. "What job? Who would hire someone like you?"
"Maybe she's one of them bunny sluts," another laughed. "You know, people have fetishes like that. Maybe that's her bed," he nodded to the trolley. "You here for your newest customer, bunny girl?"
"Dude, that's sick. Don't even joke about doing something like that with an animal."
Velvet's ears drooped. Her brown eyes darted down and she bit her lip. If Coco were here… but she wasn't, and she'd never been good at dealing with this. Beating them up wouldn't solve anything, and even if she was stronger than all of them it didn't stop her feeling small and insignificant. She hated it.
A door slammed open behind her. "What's the meaning of this?" Marron snarled, striding out. He took one look at the situation, her, and the four adolescents in front of her. "You lot hassling my customer? You got a lot of guts there." He cracked his fists, the actions causing his large muscles to bulge and ripple threateningly.
Three of the four backed off instantly, intimidated by his size, but the one – the eldest – stood firm and spat at the baker's feet. "What of it, old man? You fucking this stupid bitch or what? Leave out if you don't want to start something."
"But maybe I do want to start something. I'm right here, aren't I?"
The leader hesitated. It was clear his friends weren't going to chip in, and no doubt a prospect of going up against someone like Marron wasn't an appealing one. He'd look good if he won, but if he didn't then he'd lose the respect of his friends. That wasn't a risk worth taking and he removed his foot, kicking Velvet's trolley back so that it slammed into her shins.
"Sorry. I don't beat up old people." He cocked his head, accepting the laughter of his cronies. "Do whatever you want. Just don't come crying when you pick up some disease from her. Come on, guys. Just standing here is making me feel sick."
The others laughed and huddled together, one turning to make a rude gesture towards her as they departed, swaggering down the street like they owned it.
"Bloody brats," Marron gritted out. "You see them around every so often, causing trouble like it means something." He eyed her and his snarl softened. "Don't take any of that seriously, lass. They say shit like that to everyone – humans included. They're just looking to cause trouble. Show them a little backbone and they run away hurling insults like that."
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
The answer, casually given, seemed to upset him even more. "Not around here you're not, or you better not be. I'll not be having that kind of nonsense said anywhere near my store." He took the trolley from her and ushered her inside. The smell of freshly baked and baking bread, sweets and treats filled the air, relaxing her somewhat. "Why do you put up with that? You're a huntress. Couldn't you just knock them all out?"
"I could…"
"Then why not?"
"Because it wouldn't change anything…" Velvet sighed and refused to meet his eyes. "If I use violence to get what I want, I'll be no better than the White Fang - or them. And they'd just go after someone else, someone weaker, and take out what I did on them. It's better if I just ignore them."
"It would be, but you're not," Marron pointed out. "I saw as clear as day what they were saying bothered you."
"None of it was true."
"Not saying it was, missy. Still, if you're going to claim you're not fighting back because you want to ignore them, then maybe you ought to actually try that."
It's not that easy, she thought, sighing as Marron went to collect her order. She knew it shouldn't bother her, especially since she knew it was all nonsense, but that was the problem – she didn't have thick enough skin to not let it bother her. Even if they couldn't hurt her, even if she outclassed them entirely, the insults still stung.
Yatsuhashi said it was a confidence thing, or a nerves thing. Hopefully her work would help her get past that as well. Fighting wasn't the answer though, no matter how satisfying everyone told her it might be. What did attacking people who couldn't hope to defend themselves prove? That she was as bad as them? That she could beat people into submission instead of proving faunus deserved equality?
Yeah, right. That was the thinking of a terrorist.
"Here you are, Vel," Marron said, carrying back two large crates, one under each arm, and helping to secure them on the trolley. "You be careful on the way back, hear me? It's one thing not to fight to prove a point, but if they try and damage my cakes, you better knock them down a peg – or I will!"
Velvet giggled. "I'll do my best."
"Another thing," he added, catching her shoulder before she could leave. The man's expression darkened. "I had someone come by yesterday and take out a contract with me. I'd have turned them down but it's business and… well…" Marron sighed and looked away. "I know it's not on, but a man has to make a living. I'm hoping you and Jaune won't think any less of me for it."
"For what…?"
"That new café opening up nearby, Café Prime. They've asked me to ship them cakes and treats each morning, same kind of deal as yours."
Velvet's face fell. "Oh…"
"Argh, don't look at me like that. I'm not so well off that I can turn away a paying customer. I want the best life I can make for my girls."
"No, no, it's fine." She waved her hands to reassure him. "Jaune won't be upset either, I promise. Business is business, right?"
"Yeah. Still, the whole thing stinks so I thought I'd let you know in advance. Don't want it to be a nasty surprise when they start selling the same as you. I look after my customers as best I can, though obviously that doesn't mean I can pick favourites or sabotage others. I'll make the best batch I can for you, and nothing's going to stop that."
"Thank you, Marron, and thank you for telling me." Velvet bowed slightly. "I'll tell Jaune and make sure he knows."
"Yeah. Look after yourself, Vel." Marron still looked uncomfortable, shuffling awkwardly. It was an odd image for a large, muscled man in a flour-stained apron. "I don't want to see you guys go under – and that's for more than just business reasons. Jaune's a good lad – and you're a good lass. No matter what some shit-stains say."
Velvet smiled, even if it didn't reach her eyes. With a nod and a farewell she tugged the trolley away, making the trip back to the diner. Luckily, no one bothered her en route. Unluckily, that left her to dread what was coming.
One thing was for sure; Jaune had to be told.
/-/
The day progressed peacefully and Russel arrived a good thirty minutes before Team RWBY did, the young man coming still in his school uniform and just getting changed directly into his work one. His shift didn't start for fifteen, so Jaune filled him in on the details.
"So, they're going to copy us in every way." Russel sighed, arms crossed. "That's pretty cheesy, though not a bad idea. I'm guessing they'll cut prices to drive ours down."
"Should we do it first?" Jaune asked. "I don't make that much money off Marron's cakes, but I can afford to lose a little…"
"It wouldn't matter if you did. They can afford to make a loss if they have to, and they happily will to drive you out. A price war is something the bigger company wins every time. You'd be better off not getting roped into it and working on other areas. People will pay a premium for quality, so we should try and be seen as more up-class." Russel paused. "Is Velvet working this afternoon?"
"After her lessons, yes. Why?"
"Curious. Fantasy weekend, then?"
"Velvet's idea," Jaune said, grinning. "I liked it."
"It's not a bad one. Since our customers are mostly huntsmen and huntresses, they won't be bothered by weapons either. It'll be a hit with any kids coming by, too. Even if their mothers are nervous around our type, they might come in for a drink just to distract the crying brats." He shivered. "Ugh, I hate kids."
"And yet you serve them with a huge smile, kind words, and a joke to make them laugh," Jaune pointed out.
"I-"
"Leave your issues at the door, I know." It was honestly impressive how much the other guy could do that, essentially becoming the perfect employee if he had to. Russel really was a hit with the kids as well, once they got over his scary hair. He normally had them giggling with his antics. That was good since Jaune wasn't that confident with them himself.
"Prejudices, too," Russel said. "Kids are a pain in the ass but a customer is a customer. And speaking of pains, my partner got thrown in detention today for skipping school." He chuckled. "Didn't think she had it in her. She's always been such a prissy teacher's pet."
"You're still at odds with her?"
"What do you mean still? It takes two to tango and she won't talk to me, either. Trust me. I tried." Russel sighed and looked over Jaune's shoulder. His scowl morphed into a grin. "Looks like your little fan club is here. I'll handle the customers. Have fun, boss."
"My fan club?"
"Jaune!" Ruby yelled happily, slamming both hands down on the counter. "I need coffee!"
Fan club… Jaune rolled his eyes, turning to see Team RWBY – all of Team RWBY, thankfully – stood on the other side of the counter, Weiss sternly rebuking Ruby for being rude while Yang rolled her eyes and Blake pretended no one existed while she read a book. Beacon was out, it seemed. Odd that Pyrrha hadn't come around but maybe she was busy.
"One coffee coming up," Jaune replied, quickly brewing the blackest and meanest he could. He slid it in front of Ruby, who stared down at it with a mixture of disgust and betrayal. "What?" he asked when she glared at him. "You asked for coffee."
"Real coffee, please," she added, pouting at him adorably.
He didn't bother to point out her definition of `real coffee` was flawed, and instead made her usual mix of whipped cream, caramel and espresso, which she gleefully accepted and began to devour. He made a similar one for Yang, and then Weiss and Blake's favourites. Weiss accepted hers with a quick word of thanks, while Blake – uncharacteristically – lowered her book and smiled honestly at him as she took hers. "Thank you, Jaune," she whispered.
Heh. Maybe things had worked out after all. "No problem."
"Team RWBY is back together," Yang said, filling in the gaps. "Blake told us what you did for her – thanks for that, by the way."
"Yeah," Ruby said, mouth full of cream, "even if you did – mm – fib to me."
"Because I asked him too," Blake countered, "and it bothered him to lie to you, Ruby."
"I know. That's why I forgive him!" Ruby beamed at him, making her lack of a grudge as clear as day. He smiled back, relieved to have helped and not to have thrown himself under the bus with her. He'd done the best he could, after all.
"I think I should apologise too," Weiss added. "I said some… ill-thought things here. I hope you don't think less of me for it."
"Not at all," he said. "You were upset."
Weiss nodded her thanks – and the conversation quickly moved onto less troublesome things, like how the girls were doing at Beacon and what it was like. A while back the topic would have bothered him but it no longer did. He listened with rapt attention as they explained a field trip to a forest of red trees, and again to how Ruby dismantled someone twice her size in a spar that took fifteen full minutes of dodging and chipping away at an aura far greater than hers. There was some embellishment, he was sure. Weiss' eye rolls gave it away. Still, Ruby was too excited and animated to be stopped and he enjoyed the story nonetheless.
In turn he told them about Café Prime – which for the expected anger – and about the weekend's theme, which got the expected excitement from Ruby, whose eyes practically glowed silver. "I'll be going as a knight or a king, I think."
"A knight!?" Ruby practically hissed, teeth gritted together, eyes wide.
"Or a king," he added, leaning back.
"Nope! No way. Nuh-uh." Ruby shook her head and then, for good measure, crossed both arms before her. "You're going as a knight. It's decided."
"By who?"
"By me," she said, obviously. "Duh."
He wasn't quite sure how to counter her completely fallible logic.
"And according to Weiss," Ruby added. "And she's your business consultant thingie, so you have to listen to her."
"Thingie?" Weiss drawled.
"I'll be a dummy for you to practice your dust glyphs on."
"Deal." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Arc, you're going as a knight."
It really wasn't worth arguing, especially when he wasn't completely against the idea anyway and Yang was busy laughing herself silly in the background. Knights were cool. He wasn't too fussed about being a king. "Okay, okay. I'll see if I can't get some armour borrowed from somewhere – but only a little. My arm's still not great and I have to move around in it all day."
"I'll capitulate on the armour," Ruby said, impressing both him and Weiss that she even knew what the word meant. "But only if you wear a cape. A purple, blue or red cape."
"Sure." Jaune shrugged. "Capes are cool."
Yang groaned. "You didn't just say that…"
Ruby's eyes sparkled.
"Well, there go all our efforts to get Ruby to stop wearing a cape with her school uniform," Blake said. "Thanks for that. I'm sure Miss Goodwitch will be thrilled."
"He understands…" Ruby whispered. "Someone understands!"
Velvet arrived before he could be blamed further and Jaune took the chance for what it was, slipping away to hand her the key to his apartment so she could get changed in peace. She came back down a few minutes later, now in her black and white uniform and prepared for the afternoon. She looked more confident than she had the last time, probably because Thursday afternoons were fairly quiet, but he hoped it was also a sign of her mounting confidence.
Once his arm healed he wouldn't need help in the mornings, which meant that unless Velvet became good enough to work as a waitress all the time, he wouldn't have any reason to keep her on. She was on her way to it, capable of holding a conversation and chatting with customers, but he could only hope she took more inspiration from Russel.
With the two of them busy he made his way back behind the counters, serving a pair of huntsmen who had come forward to order, Team RWBY retreating to their own table – which was fast becoming their regular haunt – in the corner. Despite the threat of Café Prime, things weren't looking too bad.
A crash proved him wrong on that front.
Everyone looked towards the disruption, and true to his fears it was Velvet. She had not, however, dropped something. At least not intentionally. There were two guys stood in front of her, younger than her – though barely – and dressed in dark blue hoodies and ripped jeans. One had a chain on his belt, while the other had his hood up over his face. He placed both hands on Velvet's chest and shoved her back. She staggered but managed to catch herself on a table before she fell.
Jaune was already moving, whispering a quick apology to the people he'd been serving as his temper mounted. What the hell was going on?
Team RWBY caught sight of him too, and stood just as quickly, Yang probably sensing he was about to do something stupid – like get in between the guys and Velvet regardless of his injury. She moved and caught him by his good arm. "Are you mad?"
"They're abusing my employee," he hissed, furious.
"I know. Let us deal with it." Yang nodded to Blake and Weiss who were already moving, while Ruby stood to do the same. Several other customers also did so, huntsmen and huntresses all, and the guys who'd pushed Velvet seemed to have no idea of the danger they were in.
Russel beat them all to it, however.
"Is there a problem, fellers?" the lanky teen asked, stepping in the way of the next shove so that the person's hands were knocked away. Russel was smiling brightly, as if he couldn't tell what was going on or hadn't seen anything.
"Fucking animal is what's wrong," one of the teens spat.
"Oi, calm it," the other said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. The first was shaved bald, though this one had his hoodie up. Even so, his smile was cruel and mocking. "He isn't a beast like them, so cool your jets." He looked Russel up and down. "Look man, we were just having a word with the girl serving us, got it? Her service wasn't up to standard."
"Velvet is new here," Russel admitted. "I can help. What's the problem?"
"The problem is that those creeps need to go back to their filthy island and stay there!"
Several of the customers gasped. Velvet's eyes watered. Jaune's narrowed into slits, even if he didn't understand the slur fully. Russel, however, remained calm.
"That doesn't sound like a problem with her service."
"The problem is her," the shaved one growled.
"I think I get that. Doesn't make much difference, though. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
The two squared their shoulders. Their hands left their pockets and they suddenly looked a lot more alert. "Excuse me?" the second asked dangerously. "I don't think I heard you right."
"I think you did. Your views aren't welcome here. Leave." Russel showed no sign of awareness, of readiness, and radiated a strange sense of professional calm. Team RWBY had halted in their path, watching the display but refusing to sit down. No one in the café spoke or moved. Everyone was watching the confrontation.
The one with the shaved head snarled. His fist lashed out quickly – so fast that Jaune didn't catch the moment it changed from peace to aggression. He gasped at the exact moment it struck Russel's face, and moved forward to help his waiter.
He needn't have. Russel's head snapped back but he didn't falter. He stood tall, and as he looked at them once more he raised a hand to touch his chin.
"I've had worse."
"Yeah? Well you're about to get worse!" The second flew in, but this time Russel didn't take it. He caught the wrist with one hand, twisted it to the side and then locked it behind the man's back. The second tried to move but was caught unprepared when Russel kicked his friend into him, dragging both to the floor.
He stalked over to them and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I'm from Beacon, by the way." He paused when panic flashed over the faces. "Ah, now you understand. So is she," he nodded to Velvet, "and she could slaughter the two of you if she wanted to. Lucky for you she didn't, but I'm not as nice. I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, so I'm no stranger to a good fight. If you want one, I get off at eight. Do you?"
They shook their heads, suddenly afraid.
"Thought not." He nodded to the door. "Get out."
They did – quickly. The one in the hood turned at the last second, when he was positive Russel couldn't or wouldn't chase him down. Like the coward he was he raised a fist and shouted, "We won't forget this, you animal fucker! Watch your back!"
Russel rolled his eyes. "I'm petrified." With a sigh he strode over to Velvet. "You okay?"
"Y-Yes." The faunus looked startled, more so at Russel than what had happened. She looked away. "T-Thanks."
"Tell me if they bother you again. I'll deal with them."
"Thank you…"
The moment was broken as someone clapped their hands together. Another whistled, and soon all the customers were cheering their support, praising the young man for his actions. Russel accepted it all easily, though Jaune had a feeling Russel would be taking home a lot of tips tonight, as would Velvet from concerned customers. He relaxed his own stance. He wasn't sure what he'd have done. Well, gotten beaten up, really. There was no other ending to him trying to protect Velvet there. Thank the Gods for Russel.
"Well, well, well," Yang whispered. "Who'd have thought it?"
"From Russel of all people," Weiss added, returning to the table. "He handled it well and saved us the effort. I can't complain."
Blake agreed, nodding her head thoughtfully. With her being a faunus, if disguised, it was probably a big issue to her. Still, one thing he couldn't understand was their general surprise. Russel hadn't struck him as the kind to put up with stuff like that and true to form he'd stepped in. The teen's actions seemed obvious to him.
Even so, he shrugged his way out of Yang's grip – and she let him now that the danger was passed – and made his way over to his two employees. Velvet first, since she looked the most shaken. "Are you okay?" he asked. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"I was just shocked," she said, voice quiet and weak. "I'm not hurt."
"Takes more than that to hurt one of us," Russel explained. "You might want to let her take a quick break, though. Wash her face or catch her breath." At his words Velvet looked hopeful and Jaune quickly nodded, telling her to take what time she needed. She rushed off upstairs.
"Will she be okay?"
"I'd imagine so," Russel said. "Like she said it's probably just shock. A hit like that is nothing compared to what she'd get in a spar. She just didn't expect it here. Probably the words that hurt her more."
Jaune nodded, relieved. "Thanks for stepping in."
"No problem. You always get their sort around, especially in a place as big as Vale." Russel sighed. "I better get back to work. Tables aren't going to serve themselves."
/-/
What a day, Jaune thought, shaking his head. It was a rather weak complaint really, since after the debacle with Velvet being assaulted nothing much had happened, but still. You just didn't expect that in a place like Vale. I always thought the city was so accepting. I guess when you have enough people in one place there will always be some whose views are like that... It put Ansel in a good light, that was for sure. There weren't many faunus back home, but what few there were didn't even know racism was a thing elsewhere. That was why it had been such a surprise for him to discover it was as prolific as it was.
He was about to lock up for the evening when he noticed the shadow outside the door. His first instinct was to sigh and let Roman in, but he realised later the figure was just a tiny bit shorter than the fashionable removals expert. She also had long black hair and golden eyes, though it wasn't Blake that stood before him.
"Oh, you're Roman's friend," he said.
"Associate would be a more accurate term," she replied, smiling at him. It was a beautiful smile, as was the woman herself. He swallowed and tried not to stare. "I know you're closing soon, but can I come in? I was hoping to discuss something with you. The name is Cinder, in case you'd forgotten."
"I remembered," he lied. He definitely remembered her – it was hard not to – but the name had eluded him. Judging from the indulgent smile she shot his way as she entered the diner, she knew. "Would you like a drink? We're closed but I can make one up quickly."
"Something fragrant, if you will. But no caffeine. I don't need a long night."
Jaune nodded and ducked behind the counter, working while the woman sat down at a table near the centre of his diner. She'd liked the blend from Mistral the last time, with a little honey added in if he recalled. He worked with that but left out the espresso, mixing in a caffeine-free blend of herbal beans instead. The result was something that smelled of spice and herbs, rather strong – but then again so was Mistral Red Flower, which was apparently one of her favourite drinks.
Cinder watched as it was brought out and proffered to her. She took the cup daintily and took a sip. "Delicious," she complimented. "You have a talent for this."
"Most of it is from my mom," he demurred, a little embarrassed. "She taught me a lot from when she worked in Vale. But you're probably not here to hear about that," he quickly said, realising he was babbling. It was a terrible habit he had when near beautiful women. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Business, I'm afraid, though that need not be without pleasure." She smiled, and again his heart beat a little faster. "I'm aware your diner closes at ten, but you stayed open a little later for Roman and I the last time. Would you be willing to do that again this Saturday?"
"Well, I guess…" He shrugged. It wasn't like he didn't do it whenever Roman was around anyway.
"It would be a little later. Roman and I need a place to talk discretely – business matters, I'm sure you understand. It would be closer to one in the morning, I'm afraid."
One? On a Saturday evening? Jaune's face fell.
"I wouldn't ask you to do it for no reimbursement," Cinder said. "We would need an hour at most. How does five-hundred lien sound?"
"F-Five-hundred!?"
"Not enough?" Her eyes narrowed. "Six, then."
"N-No, no, no. Five hundred is more than enough. I mean, that's insane." He scratched his head, unsure what to make of it. That was about a quarter of his rent – and for a single night's work. Exhaustion or not he'd be an idiot not to take it. "I can do it if you need me to, but… why? Why so late, and why use my place? What will you be talking about?"
"Business. The work I do can be quite confidential at times. A place to speak frankly is often required, but my… competitorsmight become suspicious if I were to meet with Roman normally. Sometimes it's hard to find a venue where we won't draw attention." The woman leaned forward to place two fingers on the top of his hand. Her digits felt warm and soft, impossibly so. "And then I recalled the delightful time we had here before, and I wondered if I might combine business and pleasure just this once."
Heat crept up his cheeks. "A-Ah, well…" He stammered and drew his hand back, immediately regretting it and wishing he could put it there again. His cheeks flushed with even more colour. "I-I guess I don't see a problem. It's just… is this normal?"
"More than you'd expect," Cinder said, chuckling. "Business is often done behind closed doors. I just want to take that out of the boardroom and to somewhere a little more comfortable. From what I've heard of yourself from dear Roman, I'd expect you know full well how belligerent the competition can be."
Café Prime and their new copy-cat practices. Jaune groaned. "You have a point there."
"All we'd need from yourself is access to the diner and for you to serve us drinks. I'd have loved to book our meeting earlier in the day, but Roman works nights, as you know. You can keep the doors locked and lights dimmed if you wish, and we'll only need the one table, perhaps this one." She tapped it. "So feel free to clear up the rest. It matters little what state your diner is in. We just need a place to talk without the fear of our competitors listening in."
"And it's just for the hour?"
"If we go over I'll double the dare for every thirty minutes," she promised. "And I shall pay this in advance."
"The place will be decorated like a fantasy kingdom," he admitted, blushing.
Cinder's eyes danced. "I'm sure it will be delightful. Don't worry. We're not so formal as to be offended by something like that. So, do we have a deal?"
It would be a bother but the promise of five hundred lien was too much. He could always sleep earlier, wake up to handle this, and then get back to sleep – and he did have both Russel and Velvet for both days, so maybe they could handle the morning while he slept in. It wouldn't hurt to ask, and Velvet knew everything about getting the shop ready at this point. "Sure. I'd be happy to do it. How many people are coming?"
"Just myself, Roman, Emerald and Mercury. You met them before."
"That's fine. I'll try and have the place looking good for you."
"Don't worry about that, Jaune. Just be your normal self – that's what attracted me in the first place."
To here, he had to tell himself. To his shop. Not to him.
"What's more, I may need this same service a few times in the future, so it should be quite the opportunity for you." She chuckled. "If you play your cards right, that is."
"I'll do my best."
"Glad to hear it." Cinder finished her mug and let out a pleased sigh. She then drew some lien out of her dress, a pile that she placed on the table. The denominations were higher than many he'd seen before, though it all looked perfectly good. "Here's the payment in advance – and a little extra for entertaining me tonight. I'll look forward to seeing you on Saturday."
She stood and turned with a smirk and a wave, sashaying her way towards the exit. His eyes traced down her hair to her hips, noticing how they swayed as she moved. The bell above the door tinkled and she was gone a second later.
"Yeah," he whispered. "I'll be looking forward to it, too."
He shook his head a second later. Bad Jaune! No hormones. Not with someone paying so much to rent his place for a single hour. The lien felt like it was burning a hole in his hand. He'd have to take it to the bank tomorrow, since he didn't feel comfortable having that much in the till overnight. He stuffed it in a pocket instead. He had a little safe in his apartment.
Five hundred lien. It felt like the good luck just kept on pouring in. About time, really. Jaune laughed and moved to the door, locking it and the windows and flicking the lights off.
It looked like the weekend was shaping up to be a busy one.
Sorry for the prolific swearing in this chapter, but I'm genuinely emulating how thug types over here talk. Well, that's a lie. I've taken out a lot of the swear words! It's usually every other word. Anyway, the chapter, things and stuff, and minor conflicts and maybe – just maybe – hints of character development along with some contradictions that will likely raise flags.
On an honest note though, I don't really `hate` any of the RWBY characters. I find some less interesting than others, but it's hard to hate characters in a fictional world. Even if Pyrrha (who plenty of people know I wasn't hugely impressed with – though V3 did her quite well at the end) was resurrected as a Grimm and killed Jaune next season, I wouldn't hate her. I'd just say it was a poor writing decision and ignore it. I really do find it odd when people look at what they believe to be "patterns" in my writing, and use that to decide I have an agenda against people who don't actually exist.
I have stories where Ozpin is a genuinely caring headmaster. I have stories where he is manipulative. I have stories where Blake stars as a main character. I have stories where her stubborn streak gets her in trouble. I have some where Cinder is pure evil. I have some where she is nice, or even a more complicated character. It's just writing. I'm told some people on Reddit have even been spreading stories that I despise Blake, which is just... really? Have you seen how many of my stories she features prominently in? She's in one in a slightly less than ideal light - and even then it's just her being stubborn - and suddenly I hate her and am bashing her.
I mean, spoiler, but I actually don't like coffee – and yet Special-Coffee-Chan is a thing and Service with a Smile is an entire fic dedicated to it.
I actually drink tea...
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur