God it's so hot in the UK at the moment. And everywhere, probably, but it's hard to feel empathy when I am literally covered in sweat. My office at home is so small, and my computer belches out heat like some kind of furnace. Combine that with the zero breeze we're getting and the scorching weather, and it's getting really hard to write at the moment.
Still managed it, but it's painful. T_T
Give me rain!
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 25
"I… I think I'm dying."
"Baby's first hangover," Melanie said, sliding a pate stacked high with greasy food in front of him. There were two fried eggs, three rashers of bacon, two sausages, toast and some hash browns. It smelled delicious but Jaune's stomach didn't just rebel, it threatened a civil war. "Eat," Melanie suggested, seeing his expression. "Trust me when I say you'll feel better once you do."
Jaune spared a glance for Miltia to see what his fellow sufferer was doing, only to find her forcing the food down, one elbow on the table, her cheek cupped in her hand, and the other moving a fork up and down with mechanical focus.
Shrugging, he did the same, and instantly felt a little better. Junior was an amazing cook.
Despite the breakfast, the clock on the wall told him it was closer to noon, which Jaune couldn't bring himself to be too fussed about, even though Velvet and Russel would be handling the Saturday rush on their own. He'd woken up hurting too much to care, though despite the pain he somehow felt a lot more relaxed than he had for the last few weeks. Then again, this was the first time he'd really slept in past six.
As for the others… well, breakfast was a somewhat awkward affair. Melanie smiled and looked between them all, while Miltia and Pyrrha steadfastly refused to make eye contact with him, one another, or their breakfast. The only one to even speak so far was Junior and Melanie. Neo was fine, of course, but lacking the ability to speak she'd taken to looking at pictures on her scroll and laughing. Judging from the way she'd glance up to him and grin every now and then, he was sure those pictures were incriminating evidence of drunken stupidity on his part.
He just hoped there weren't any videos, since even through the drunken haze and hangover, he could vaguely remember having asked Melanie to sleep with him. Wonderful. Somehow, he doubted the fact he'd meant it in a completely innocent manner would stop her teasing him until he died.
And then there had been the kisses…
Oh, Gods above, he couldn't forget those, not that he wanted to.
"So, how did you find it?" Melanie asked, sitting down with her own breakfast. "Your first night out clubbing. It was fun, right?"
"It wasn't as bad as I expected."
"Nice to see you have such high expectations of us," Miltia snarled. Her eyes met his and they both looked away a second later, Jaune coughing with red cheeks and Miltia growling down at her bacon and eggs.
Melanie looked between the two of them and grinned. "Well, I'll bet certain things were better than he thought they'd be." She ignored Jaune's groan and turned to the huntress at the table. "What about you, Pyrrha? Productive evening?"
"I-I guess? No, it was wonderful," she amended, this time with some confidence. "Thank you for letting me join you all. This is the first time I've really been out with friends."
"Aw, that's sweet. You're welcome whenever you fancy it, carrot-top."
Pyrrha seemed confused at the nickname, and then amused a moment later.
"So," Melanie asked Jaune, "What are you up to today?"
"I have a meeting to make around one and then I'll be going back to the diner. I guess I'll do a little work while I can and try not to think too much on what Roman said about Café-"
"Ah, ah, ah," Melanie halted him, hand up. "No talking shop at the breakfast table."
"Sorry. Uh, I'll just be working, then. Probably get an early night to recover from this."
Melanie didn't seem overly impressed with that. She fixed him with a pointed glare, one eyebrow raised. She nodded once to the side, towards Miltia.
Jaune tilted his head to the side.
Melanie coughed loudly. She jerked her head to the left, then did so again. She coughed once more.
"Do you have something caught in your throat?"
Melanie groaned.
Neo slammed a hand on the table as she laughed in silence.
Jaune had a feeling he was missing a hint, but for the life of him couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. With an audible sigh, Melanie gave up, at least for now. "You're hopeless," she said. "I guess I'll have to do everything."
"Everything about what?"
"You'll see, Casanova."
/-/
Jaune got away from the girls before too long and out into Vale. It was a bright and hot day, too bright for his bloodshot eyes, but at least the heat was nice. His head cleared up a little thanks to the fresh air and the painkillers Junior provided. Working in a club, he had a stash big enough to stock a pharmacy on hand. With his stomach full, his batteries recharged and the sun on his skin, Jaune finally felt himself coming back to life.
Maybe I needed this time off, he thought, stepping past some pedestrians and not even feeling annoyed when one bumped into him and mumbled something that might have easily been `fuck off` as `sorry`. It actually didn't bother him. It's funny how I've had every weekend off since I was born, and I never really appreciated it, yet now that I'm working all the time a day off like this feels incredible. It's like I'm seeing the world for the first time.
It had to be context. Even water was delicious to a man dying of thirst in the desert, absence makes the heart grow fonder, or other sayings like that. He'd never realised just how amazing it was to walk around and just appreciate a sunny day before, but now that he spent most of those indoors working, he could.
He'd have to do something nice for the twins. They'd realised just how overworked he was becoming and did something about it. They weren't the first. Ruby and Weiss often said it, but they'd trusted him to know when to stop, which looking back was a bad idea. He'd stubbornly rejected their wisdom and kept going. Jaune added an apology to the list of things he owed, and for once he wanted to pay them back in a way that didn't involve coffee. It felt half-assed to offer than when he literally had gallons of the stuff on hand. Context again.
The time outside couldn't last, however. Jaune reached his destination and stepped through the clean glass doors, into a foyer that was utilitarian yet comfortable, with white walls, a wooden floor and a small number of incredibly comfortable-looking black sofas. There was a young woman with a suit behind a receptionist's desk, and she smiled at him prettily.
"Hello there. Welcome to Greyson and Bond. Can I help you?"
"I have an appointment today," Jaune said. "I think it's a Kelly Salmons?"
The woman checked her computer for a moment, and then pressed a button on the intercom, whispering a message through. She then looked back up. "Mr Arc, is it? Yes, I have everything here. If you'd just like to take a seat, Miss Salmons will be with you soon."
"Thank you."
It only took a few minutes for Miss Salmons to arrive, and Jaune had barely started on the magazine offered to him when she did. She was a woman of short stature and a medium build, with mousy brown hair, glasses and a tailor-made blue suit that hugged her curves. Everything about her was meticulously in place, with not a single hair or freckle to ruin the image. She extended a hand, and he stood, shaking it.
"Mr Arc, right? Can I call you Jaune? Wonderful. My name is Kelly Salmons, but you can call me Kelly. If you'd like to come through, we can talk in my office."
"Sure thing."
Kelly led him down a narrow corridor and past a water-cooler into what was a relatively small, if well-furnished office. She had a largeish desk in the centre with two filing cabinets behind, a book case to the left and another water-cooler on the right, which she offered him a drink from as he took a seat. Behind her desk, and above her head, was a diploma attached to the wall, informing him that she had graduated with honours from Vale University in the field of civil and criminal law.
Given her young age, only around twenty-five or so, he could imagine she had people doubt her, hence the obvious show. As a solicitor she'd be fairly new, and certainly not the best in Greyson & Bond, but then again, he couldn't afford the best, nor did he need to.
"So, I received your message, and a request for two hours of my time. I take it you've perused my hourly rates."
"I have, and they're fine." In truth, they were expensive as all hell, but with both Roman and Weiss insisting he have things checked, it was a cost he was prepared to stomach. Jaune reached down into a little leather case he'd brought to Junior's the night before and brought out a folder filled with documents. "This is what I wanted you to look through. I think I mentioned what it was briefly on the scroll, but the basic idea is just making sure there aren't any nasty tricks."
"Yes, I recall." She took them, adjusted her glasses and then glanced to him. "Before I start, you are content to agree to Café Prime's joint offer, no? Or is it that you wanted me to try and gouge them for more?"
"No, I'd rather not do that. I just want to be sure there aren't any hidden surprises."
"Understandable, and perhaps for the best. While Greyson & Bond would be happy to fight your corner if you wanted to go further, Café Prime's resources are much greater than your own. No offence," she added quickly.
"None taken."
"So yes, challenging them would be a poor idea. You would find yourself buried in legal costs rather quickly, and they could likely stall proceedings until you die of old age. Or the apocalypse happens, whichever comes first."
He laughed nervously. It was the not-quite-joking tone she used that had him feeling a little weak at the knees. Dad had always told him there was nothing worse than a lawyer, though his mother argued that health and safety inspectors were so much worse.
Jaune remained as quiet as he could for the next hour and a half. Idly, he realised he should have delivered these to her the night before, because it couldn't have been easy for her to work while he was sat there. Work she did, however, with a focus that surprised him. Occasionally she would pause to consider something, a silver and gold-scrolled pen tapping on her desk, but she moved on after a while, making a note on a piece of paper every now and then.
"Most of this is fairly water-tight, and straight-forward," she eventually said. "Of course, I wouldn't be much of a solicitor if I didn't suggest some changes. Such as here." She tapped a line and then spoke again in a formal voice. "Neither party shall move against the other or make complaints, until such a time as either has had their exterior expansion challenged by a third party." She took her pen and touched it to the line. "I'd like to change it to `such a time as both have had their exterior expansion challenged by a third party."
"Is it a big deal?" Jaune asked.
"In contract law the capitalisation of a single letter can dictate who is right or wrong. In this example, Café Prime are basically saying that neither of you can make complaints against the other, but that if another company makes a complaint, they can do so. It could be exploitative, especially if they were to influence one of your neighbours to complain about you. It would mean that they can keep their tables out in the street, but you would have to bring yours back inside – and worse, once this happens, they can reject and complain if you try to move them back out again."
That would be bad. If they were already willing to have someone attack him, then bribery would be well within their options. "Will changing it to both protect me?"
"Yes. It will mean that until both of you suffer a complaint, they will be forced to honour the contract and maintain their support for you. It might not stop someone complaining, but it will stop them being the cause of that."
"Okay, let's go with that then."
Kelly nodded and typed something onto her terminal. It wasn't just a matter of crossing out a line in the contract after all, and she had to write the whole thing up again and have it printed off, at which point Café Prime might want to make their own changes. That could prove costly, since it would mean he'd need to come back for more legal advice.
But maybe he could take a leaf from Roman's book and be a little more heavy-handed. Really, there was no reason he had to play the underdog. Café Prime had more to lose from this not working than he did.
"Can you include a cover letter saying that if they don't agree to this, the deal is off?" Jaune asked. "I can't afford for them to keep sending this back like some game of legal tennis."
"I can. Just give me a moment."
Fifteen minutes later and one and a half thousand lien lower, Jaune left the office in proud possession of a new legal document, his name signed at the bottom, and a nice – if aggressive – letter stating that he had made changes and expected them to be upheld, and that if Sterling wanted to change them, he could save himself the time and not bother. Kelly assured him it might not work in getting Café Prime to accept, but that it probably wouldn't matter because if they wanted to change the contract again, it was almost certainly because they planned to take advantage in some way, at which point he was better off refusing anyway.
"Play it smart and play it presumptive," she'd told him. "If you show weakness to so large a company, they will swallow you whole."
Easier said than done, but he appreciated the advice.
/-/
The diner was in the midst of a renaissance when he returned – a literal renaissance that was, with Russel and Velvet wearing clothing not seen for at least four-hundred years and somehow making it work. It was as busy as it ever was on a Saturday, but even so he had the chance to smile and nod at some familiar faces, not just Team RWBY in one corner, but also Ozpin and Oobleck in another, and Ren and Nora by the counter.
"We weren't sure if you'd be working or not, so we didn't get you a costume," Velvet explained when he stepped behind the till. "How was last night?"
"Don't worry about the costume. As for last night, it was… definitely a thing."
"Oh? Anything interesting happen?"
The way she said it made him a little suspicious, like she expected something to have happened – but he dismissed that as foolish. There was no way Velvet could have known he'd end up kissing two girls on the night, and besides, it was just a game they were playing. He wasn't going to get his hopes up like that.
But as for the night? Well, there was Roman being a criminal, Café Prime being out for his head, some miniature gang war held over coffee of all things, and then Pyrrha and Miltia both making out with him, and him asking Melanie to sleep with and read him a bed time story.
"Some stuff," Jaune said evasively. "Nothing too exciting."
The look on Velvet's face said she didn't believe him.
"Oh, another thing," she said suddenly. "There's someone waiting to chat with you upstairs."
"Who?"
"Can't say." Velvet grinned apologetically. "They asked me to keep it a secret. You know them, though. He proved it."
Jaune hummed as he tried to think up who it might be, only to come to a blank. Velvet's smile gave nothing away, though there was a certain added amusement to it. Worse, Team RWBY were snickering behind him. He shot them a suspicious glare and while Weiss managed to look away, Yang wore the most shit-eating grin, Ruby kept smiling and even Blake couldn't quite hide her amusement.
Well… that didn't bode well.
"Russel says we can handle here without you for today."
"Gee, thanks. My own employees giving me the day off."
"Just so you don't push yourself…"
"I know, I know. Thanks Velvet, and tell Russel I said thanks, too." He nodded as Velvet was called off to serve a customer. Russel waved once from a little further away. They were busy but seemed to have it all handled, which spoke well of them really, since they'd have had to come by on their own, open up, set everything and get to work all without his input.
Russel was as good as his previous employers claimed, while Velvet had turned into something of a hidden gem, if only because she was so eager to do well and prepared to listen to Russel despite that he was younger than her.
Making his way up the staircase at the back, Jaune wondered who his guest might be. Alexander Sterling was an option, but he doubted everyone would have been laughing like that if it were true. When it came to guys, his list of friends ranked fairly low. Roman would certainly earn a few laughs, but also screams, arrests and threats of violence. Ren was downstairs, Russel was working, and he'd already seen Ozpin. That was kind of it. Jaune opened the door and stepped in, easily spotting the man in his apartment.
Tall, blond, broad and with a presence that could be felt as easily as it could be seen, the man stood from the ratty couch and smiled down on him.
Jaune spluttered. "Dad!?"
"Hello son."
Two words. Nothing more. Nicholas Arc was always a man of few words, but he was also a stern and often brooding person. That he looked positively amused now didn't bode well, and neither did the fact Jaune was currently dishevelled, hung over and smelling of alcohol.
"Um, I can explain."
"Your friends told me what you were up to."
"Eh heh…"
"I'll refrain from telling your mother."
"Thanks." He breathed a sigh of relief, and after a moment's thought stepped over to give his father a quick hug. "I'm sorry about the mess in here. I've not really had time to do anything about it and Russel and Velvet need somewhere to change into their outfits."
"It's fine, Jaune. Honestly, it's still cleaner than your bedroom ever was."
True, even if the irony was that the only reason his apartment was clean at all was because he didn't have the free time to make a mess. He basically came up, ate, washed his pots and went to bed each night.
"Yeah, well… what are you doing here?"
"I'm only visiting," Nicholas said. "I've been hired to provide some organisational tips to the huntsmen handling the defence for the festival, but I won't be staying for it." He'd never liked seeing huntsman training used for sport, Jaune recalled. "But while I was here, I knew I had to come down and see how you were doing. We knew you'd started up your own business, but you never really told us what you were doing."
Heat crept up his neck at that and he felt a flush of shame. He really hadn't been keeping up with his letters and calls home. "Sorry. I've just been so busy…"
"Again, your friends informed me. Quite the hard worker, or so I hear. Or, as your employees would have it, you're someone who works too hard and doesn't take any time off for himself. I hear this was the first time you have since you came here."
"Heh, well…" He wasn't sure what to say. It felt weird to have your dad tell you off for being too much of a hard-worker, especially with how slack he'd been when he was younger. Still, Nicholas wasn't wrong per se. He had been overdoing it. "It's something I'm trying to fix. I realise I've been pushing myself too hard."
"Good. How about you and I go for a walk, then? If you're as hung over as you look, some fresh air might do you well."
"That… That doesn't sound like a bad idea."
/-/
It was a little bizarre, Jaune decided, walking down the streets of Vale with his father beside him. It shouldn't have been since he'd lived at home up until a month or two ago, but there was something about the city which changed you. Maybe it was just that he was used to there being a bigger crowd, Nicholas' moments at home rare enough that he and all his sisters had to vie for their father's attention.
Supporting a family of eight children was neither easy nor cheap, which often forced Nicholas into long hours and dangerous missions.
In a way, Jaune often wondered if that was why his father had been so against him becoming a huntsman in the first place. He'd never offered any training, rejected the idea of taking Jaune along on a mission, and otherwise stonewalled any attempts to talk about what being a huntsman was like. Such had frustrated him before, and maybe still did, but he couldn't bring himself to be too angry about it. It was all in the past and he was, if nothing else, content with how things were.
"Your mother will be thrilled when she finds out you followed in her footsteps. Of course, she'll probably start sending you ideas for more drinks."
"I wouldn't be against that. I've already started selling some of her recipes."
"Yes, I know. I saw them on the menu. The young man you hired makes it well. I'd almost say I couldn't tell the difference between his and your mother's." He winked. "Don't tell her I said that, of course."
"My lips are sealed."
"I took a few pictures while I was there, and I guess we'll have to take a few of us otherwise she'll send me marching back for them. You're quite popular, too. Even when your mother worked in a diner, it wasn't quite so busy."
"I've been really lucky."
"And unlucky, I hear," Nicholas said slowly. "Your friends told me about the incident…"
Jaune winced. The attack wasn't something he could really avoid talking about, but at the same time it wasn't like his father could complain, either. No one expected a simple coffee shop to be attacked like that.
"It's dealt with," he eventually said. "The people responsible were found and I got Crocea Mors back."
"You got it back?"
"No, my friends did. I wasn't involved."
"That's good. You shouldn't get involved in any scuffles if you can help it. I know your aura is unlocked, your faunus employee told me, but aura won't stop someone stronger and faster from beating you into the ground. It'll just take them longer to do it, dragging out the pain."
"I know, dad. I've got no intention of getting into any fights."
"Hm. Funnily enough, I believe you with that. You've changed, Jaune. Before you left, all you could talk about was being a huntsman. I'll admit that I'm… relieved to see that didn't work out." He said relieved, but Jaune heard pleased instead.
"Yeah well, I'm a business owner now."
"But are you happy?"
Jaune paused. Was he? He stopped to think about it for a moment. His dream had always been to become a huntsman and be someone, but that was vague and kind of naïve looking back. Russel was a huntsman, and Velvet and Pyrrha were huntresses, but it was clear that they'd each had their problems and reasons why they weren't happy. Russel and Pyrrha still did.
Beacon wasn't the automatic happiness he'd expected it to be, and it really was childish that he'd expected it to be. With no skill, no aura and no experience, he'd either be a bottom-of-the-pack runt, crippled or dead.
Compare that to now where he was overworked, yes, but also succeeding. He had friends, some less on the legal side of things than he'd like, but all of which he genuinely loved. He also had a whole diner full of faces that he knew and recognised, and who recognised him in turn. What had he really wanted from Beacon? Respect, fame, recognition? He had all that now – and a whole lot more to boot.
"Yeah," Jaune said, feeling a smile spread over his face. "Yeah, I'm happy with this."
Nicholas placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then that is all that matters. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. You're excelling at something you were never prepared for, and that takes real character."
Jaune's cheeks heated up. His parents had always told him they were proud of him, but it was always in the way parents did. Oh look, you drew a picture that is pretty much only just within the lines. We're so proud of you. You got a B in all your subjects!? We're so proud!
But this, this was the first time he'd heard those words and actually felt proud of himself, too. It was a good feeling.
"T-Thanks, dad. That means a lot."
"Your friends are nice too, even if they are all huntsmen. They were very keen to see some pictures and videos of you when you were younger." Nicholas didn't notice Jaune's face grow pale. No wonder they'd all been hiding their laughter, those traitors. How many had seen those embarrassing frames? Of all the times for him to be out getting wasted.
"Y-Yeah? I, uh, I don't suppose you chose to not forward those on to anyone, right?"
"It would be a little strange for me to send my son's baby pictures to someone," Nicholas pointed out. "Even if the blonde looked like she might beg on hands and knees."
"Damn it Yang…"
"But I did hear something interesting while I was there. How you'd been invited on a night out by some pretty young ladies."
Jaune groaned and sat down on a bench, ending their walk in the park for a brief moment. This was just the kind of conversation he'd have expected of his mother, and Nicholas was probably only going through with it because Juniper would have him sleeping on the couch for a week if he failed to.
"Yes, they were girls, but no I'm not with any of them," he said. "They're friends. Nothing more."
"Hmm. Are you so sure of that?"
"Dad, please…"
"It's just some of what your friends told me suggests otherwise," Nicholas said softly. "You remember my advice, right?"
"All I need is confidence." Jaune snorted. "Yeah, right."
"Hey, that advice was good."
"It didn't do me much good back in Ansel."
"That's because you misunderstood what I meant," Nicholas said with a sigh. "Look, confidence isn't walking up a random woman and trying to flirt with her. That's either bravado, arrogance or being a creep."
Ouch.
"Confidence is in having faith in yourself and being open to the possibility that good things can happen if you have the confidence to pursue them. Take these girls, for instance. What makes you believe that they only see you as a friend?"
"Because they just are," he said, all too aware of his father's eye roll. "I mean, they made friends with me and we talk a lot."
"Most relationships start with friendship, son."
"Not on TV…"
"TV is not the correct place to find relationship advice. You realise that I met your mother in similar circumstances you are in right now. She worked in a little coffee shop and diner here while I was in Beacon, and it was over four years that I got to know and fall for her."
Jaune shot his father a deadpan look. "You fell for her in one year and spent three chasing after her like a lovesick puppy, before you got her pregnant and she agreed to marry you. Mom told me all about it."
Nicholas winced with every word. "That's not entirelyinaccurate… but it still proves my point. I showed my interest by coming back time and time again even though the food was terrible and the service heart breaking. More than that, if I'd let my confidence escape me, I'd have never had the guts to keep trying, and you wouldn't exist."
That sort of made sense, but it was enough so that Jaune couldn't argue, no matter how much he wanted to. "So what, you're saying that I should be looking out for girls who keep coming back over and over? I have quite a lot of customers who do that."
"Well, you certainly have the confidence aspect down when it comes to business," Nicholas teased. "But surely there are some who seem more interested in you than they do what you serve. These ladies from last night, perhaps?"
The twins and Pyrrha. The sensation of lips against his flashed through his mind. His cheeks heated up and there was no way his dad missed it. Even so, he looked away.
"They're just friends."
"Are they pretty?"
"Beautiful," he replied, and he meant it for each of them.
"Do you like them?"
"I… I could." If he let himself.
Miltia was caustic and sharp, but that only showed how much she cared. She teased him constantly, sometimes with her body as much as her words, and there was a part of him which liked that. Who wouldn't? It was positive attention from a beautiful woman.
Pyrrha was the same, albeit softer in every way. She was kind and conscientious, and someone who would listen to him ramble on about things even if she didn't know all that much about it in turn. She didn't tease him, but she did laugh with him at their shared jokes.
A guy would count himself lucky indeed to be with either of them. Jaune shook his head.
"I'm not in their league, dad, trust me."
"All you need is a little confidence, son."
"Sure, and a willingness to risk my friendship with them if I'm wrong." Which he was sure he was. The kisses… those had just been a game. Melanie had as good as dared Miltia, and her response was a given. Miltia didn't back down. As for Pyrrha? Well, she'd probably just wanted to fit in. If she hadn't gone through with it, she'd have been teased mercilessly. "They're my friends, some of my best friends, not to mention customers. I don't want to risk what I have and mess things up."
He wasn't an idiot, or at least not as much of one as everyone probably thought. There was something there last night. It just wasn't a certainty, and he was too afraid to move on something that he might have misread.
Did that make him a coward? Probably. Dad tried his luck with mom with less.
But it didn't change anything.
"Alright," Nicholas said. "I'll leave it be. Just remember, confidence isn't you being outward or aggressive. It's being willing to believe in yourself. Sometimes you won't feel confident; I certainly didn't with your mother, but just being willing to force yourself to try it either way can mean the difference between being happy or not. The worst someone can say is no, but if you don't ask in the first place you'll never get a yes."
Damn it. Why did everything like this have to be so bloody complicated? Well, they probably felt the same about him. A part of him wanted to just delay until the business with Café Prime was over, but he knew his dad would just say that some things couldn't be delayed, or that if he waited too long he'd miss his chance.
He'd be right, too. Even Jaune knew life wasn't convenient enough to hit with one thing after another. Sometimes everything came down at once.
What did he want? Jaune wondered.
He knew. He was just afraid to try. In the end, his father knew him well. Confidence had always been his biggest issue. It was just hard talking to Nicholas about it, because as much of his dad might have told him time and time again that he was as much a bumbling and idiotic teen as any other could be, Jaune just couldn't see it. His old man was so strong and powerful, so certain.
"If you won't take advice from me, then ask someone you trust more," Nicholas said, reading his mood easily. "Someone your own age perhaps. Maybe even one of your employees or friends."
Ruby. Ruby would be willing, and she'd keep it secret, but would she really know about this? Yang struck him as more knowledgeable, but as nice as she was, he didn't feel quite so comfortable with her. She was a great person and Ruby spoke well of her but talking to a beautiful woman about how to know if someone else liked you… it was just too much. At least Ruby felt safe at fifteen.
Russel? He couldn't imagine the guy ever having had a girlfriend. His home life felt too complicated. As for Velvet, he already knew she and Coco were getting friendly with Pyrrha, which meant asking her a bit too much. He'd be asking her to talk behind a friend's back or reject an honest request from her boss. That wouldn't be fair.
Roman…?
No. Just no.
He'd have to think about it, but he had options. That was all that mattered.
"I'll talk to someone," he promised. "But can we move onto a different topic now?"
"Of course. Did you know Coral has submitted the first draft of her book to a local publisher? She's waiting on a response, but she thinks it has a fair chance of being accepted, if not in Vale then at least in Ansel and some of the surrounding settlements."
"Please tell me it's not about a man opening a coffee shop," Jaune begged.
Nicholas was curiously silent.
"Please tell me it's not smut…"
Nicholas placed a consoling hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, my son."
Damn it.
I always thought that the stick we give Jaune's father in the show for the "confidence" speech was a little unwarranted. Confidence is probably the biggest piece of advice I've ever given my friends for dating. Problem is, I think Jaune in the show (purposefully on RT's part, of course) misunderstood what his father meant by confidence.
Confidence isn't walking up to a random girl and flirting terribly any more than walking into crocodile infested waters wrapped in a bacon suit is confidence. One is practically harassment and the other is suicide.
And hey, it can't be any worse than my father's dating advice when I was younger, which basically boiled down to – "Literally go out and ask every girl you see if she'll go out with you. Even if you get a thousand no's, you'll eventually get a yes. That's just probability."
I mean… yeah, technically? He's not wrong there. Ask enough people and someone will like what they see...
But not even I have skin thick enough for that much rejection xD
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur