Weiss left a trail on her way out.

Ice dust. It smoked along the hallway floor. Sometimes a powder or tiny crystals Nora prodded as they went. Weiss wasn't thinking about her surroundings when she stormed out the classroom, that's for sure.

And honestly? Jaune's not happy she did. He only wanted her and Yang to stop making a scene in Grimm studies class, so the stuff in between - like said class being flipped on its head - wasn't wanted either. That's just how their cookie crumbled.

He's gotta say though, the fact Mr. Port didn't stop him was a blessing.

During this 'walk-along the ice dust road', Jaune hung out with Weiss's team. Well, also his own, but he does that anyways.

Yang's… herself. Nothing different from initiation. She's comfortable cracking a joke even if most point out how he and Ruby always play-fight. Which hey, Jaune could understand the concern. If Verde interacted with a boy the same way he did Ruby? He'd be eyeing that shit like a hawk.

But that's him. Whether it'd be romantic or not he'll watch out for his sisters if he can. And hell, in his mind? Ruby's just being an annoying little sister at him and not her actual sibling.

Nora's an absolute fuckin' delight. She touches stuff she probably shouldn't - like ice dust - which stresses her partner out because of that. But no, being the five foot one bundle of ginger vinegar she was, Nora just farts around to her heart's content.

Like joking with Yang, bugging 'Renny', and having some surprising insight on Weiss's thought process… if 'she's got a snow cone for a brain sometimes' is insightful, which it totally is.

And Ren? He's quiet yet thoughtful. Out of all the available Team WYNR members, Jaune held the best conversations with him. He gives random facts, mostly about Weiss's temperament, but nevertheless useful.

They enjoyed each other's company as they walked on. Continuing until the icy trail ran dry, leading into a balcony area Weiss vacated.

She was staring out into the orangey-yellow sun, arms crossed. And when they filed in she turned around.

"Oh, how wonderful. The gang's all here." She mused. Tone colder than the dust trail. "Care to join me, then? I'd gladly oblige… simply discard that blonde bimbo with you."

Oh boy, that ain't good.

Ren and Nora share a concerned look; while Yang snorted derisively, her arms also crossed.

"You really liking that insult, huh?"

"I'd say it's fairly accurate. And judging by that horribly aggressive look on your face, I'm once again proven correct in most things ever. Truly… Ren, Nora? Don't you see it too?"

Yang would've said something likely not too nice hadn't Ruby laid a hand on her, pouting.

"Sis, please don't."

The struggle of priorities warred on Yang's face as Ren spoke up.

"Well, I think this situation is overall unnecessary. You're our team leader, you shouldn't be fighting with Yang like this. Neither is she supposed to fight you."

Nora piped in after her partner. "Renny's right! We should all be besties together 'n hang out, no argue over dumb stuff!"

"You two… this isn't 'dumb' material, neither is it unnecessary. It's our livelihood for the next four years of our lives. These arguments cover long lasting aspects of our personalities. And I don't know about either of you...? But Yang won't change." Weiss glared over to said girl. "As that would mean getting rid of her annoying attitude, among other things."

"Oh," Yang leaned forward despite Ruby clinging to her shoulder. "'Cuz you don't have one yourself?"

"Not one that spirals verbal spats into chaos, as you so showed in the locker areas. And as you again showed in Professor Port's class." She hissed disapprovingly. "You are incorrigible and wild, Yang. I wish you weren't with us right now—"

Jaune cleared his throat. Weiss gave him her scorn as well.

"Oh, and I wish the very same thing about you, you so called 'golden knight'! They lie about your valor!"

Jaune turned to his team. "People say I have valor?"

Pyrrha thought on that. Ruby's too focused with holding her sister. Blake snorted.

"Only the dumbest ones."

"Oh, thanks Blake. Your sass is actually useful for once."

Maybe in contradiction of her usual carelessness, she rolled her eyes at him.

"I've lived to please tall assholes once before, Jaune. I could do it again-"

Before Jaune could consider that weird statement, Weiss hissed over his thoughts. "It matters not what Beacon's perception is!"

"You mentioned it though-"

"To make a point!" Her pale face steadily grew redder after each outburst. "What truly matters is my perception of you. And it is ruined, Jaune D'Arc! It is ruined by your rudeness and disrespectful attitude towards a lady!"

Jaune saw everyone's eyes on him. They wondered what he'd do - just as in the classroom prior - to change things up.

And interestingly… as these days go on, Jaune's noticing how surrounded he is by people who wanna watch him act for them. To wait till he does stuff, before considering their own venture into the uncharted territory.

Maybe I am the group leader.

Sounds about right. Their eyes asked questions, like they're begging to continue… whether in this conversation, or the next.

He obliged.

"Weiss Schnee."

"...?—"

He looked at her right in the icey-blue ices. No fear or hesitation as he made his choice.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted at initiation."

She - shocked about these words - tried to respond… only he wasn't done.

"But even if I did react bad, the words were true." They watched him take a deep breath. "You showed equal if not more disrespect than I did when you implied Ruby was mentally disabled."

Weiss's face lost it's color, and the group's attention wildly swung back her way. From Pyrrha to Nora, they gave the icey heiress their disapproval. Even better than that, a wordless disapproval. It let the Schnee's guilt settle in, as her consciousness shined through all her pride.

"I… I forgot about that."

"Really?" He glanced at Yang, who's looking an extra notch more pissy. "I'm shocked. That's literally the foundation of all your problems right now."

"But that was merely the start! I'm concerned about how she acts around me now—"

Before Yang could round on the girl, Ruby thunked her forehead against her. Jaune filled the gap.

"If that's the case… you also provoke Yang to anger, despite knowing the results of it."

"I would never! You're slandering me with that!"

"Okay, then how else do you know about her antics?"

"...I'm sorry?—

"I said how, woman, on Monty Oum's Holy Sanus, can you know how volatile Yang is…" for extra effect, he gestured Yang's way as her eyes glowed a steady purple-red. "If you didn't know she could be provoked?"

…

…

…

"Is that your final answer?"

She hissed. "You're spinning a dishonest narrative!—"

"It's a truth-narrative if anything…. but that's not the point either." He walked over, his hand raised to shake. "Look, I say we oughta forget our first impressions back at Initiation. and try again like we never met before. Ya know what I'm saying?"

She saw the group lessen their scorn a bit - besides Yang, who raised an angry brow - and only then did she look at his open palm.

"You mean choosing to start back at square one?"

"Something cheesy like that, yeah."

"...Hmph. Well," she gave him a glance-over. "As i'm sure you've gathered…. Your look, I suppose, isn't my issue. It's how I felt misled by it considering your personality."

"Okay."

"It doesn't match. Knights in shining armor don't swear like sailors and act like mercenaries."

"Okay."

"Neither do they - under any circumstance ever - raise their voice to treasured identities, like women."

He squinted. "Ohhhh-kay—"

"However, 'Mr. Knight', If you can continue this level-headed honesty..."

Slowly, she put her hand in his. Her face grumpily looking to the side; a vulnerability in her actions, as if she's not sure she's making the right choice.

"Then an attempt at friendship could be in order. Perhaps there's virtue underneath that brutish demeanor."

"Even if I spat on the ground besides you?"

"Yes, even then…" she mused. "It''s too lenient of me, but I've taken far worse abuse back home. More than anything a man of your careless caliber would dish out. My tolerance for harassment is very high."

"That doesn't sound comfortable, or healthy."

She sighed. "Neither is bringing together both our teams, surely in spite of Professor Port. So now we're at least on the same page…yet still, that blonde bimbo of a partner annoys me—"

"Oh come the fuck on!" Yang threw her hands up. "This guy made you run out of a room! twice! how's it that I'm the problem child?!"

"Because you make things violent!" Weiss let his hand go, gritting her teeth. "And although I hate to admit it... my pride is telling me Jaune's right. I-I was insensitive to Ruby."

Everyone's collective gaze went to the mentioned girl, as she blinked dumbly. Yang paused her rage a bit then.

"Eh? You are?"

"Yes. By my pride as a Schnee, I am sorry Ruby Rose. I'm sorry for my undeserved scorn."

"O-Oh, ehm… thank you? That's," she looked to Jaune for help. "Really… something?"

"Just say thank you again if you can't think of anything." He told her, because socializing is hard.

"Oh, okay! Thank you!"

Wess rose a brow. "You're welcome. But I must say… you act much younger than the most of us. You're fifteen, right?"

"Yeah, eh… I'll be sixteen in five months…?—"

"Good for you, Ruby Rose. I'll be eighteen in three." The Schnee deadpanned, then turned back to Jaune. "Anyways, we should move on. I'm satisfied with things—"

Yang walked up now, her eyes dancing with specks of fire. Ruby left to flounder. "Yeah?! Well I'm not! I demand an apology too!"

"For what?"

"For doing the provoking shit Mr. Knight over here said you did!"

Jaune groaned. "How am I still a knight when I'm not wearing the goddamn armor—"

"It's a part of your combat attire, you tiresome brute." Weiss explained, as she rounded on an approaching Yang. "And you! I'll only apologize if you apologize for being annoying."

"That's broad and stupid, and you should feel bad!"

"No… it's accurate, and you should agree with me!—"

"Or," Jaune cut in before Yang reached five feet of her partner, his hands raised. "We could make pinky promises with Ruby? That seems to work for my problems with y'all."

…

…

…

They looked at him funny - Ruby included, as she shook her head - but Weiss spoke up first.

"'Sorry, could you repeat—"

"Actually," a stern voice behind them called out. "You could all apologize to Professor Port, and promise to never disobey him again."

The broad bulk of their numbers turned towards the voice.

Glynda Goodwitch stood by, hand on her hip. She's very unhappy under those reading glasses, as though she's already judging them.

Jaune gave the woman his best smile. "Good afternoon, Miss—"

She took her high-heeled self over to them. One obnoxiously loud step at a time. "It's funny hearing you say that, Mr. D'Arc… as it would've been an absolutely lovely afternoon today; had this gaggle of fools not followed you out of Grimm Studies class."

The collective guilt settled into everyone: Ruby wrapped her cloak around herself. Pyrrha bit at her lip. Blake and Weiss hissed to themselves, while Ren and Nora looked guiltily to one another. And Yang? She slapped her forehead.

"Fuck." She told herself. "This is so fucking stupid—"

Glynda raked her whip across the floor, and even Jaune jumped a little. "Language, young lady! You should act with manners in the presence of adults."

Yang devolved further into her misery. Weiss chuckled—

"And you," Glynda caught the preppy girl's bullshit in half a second, whipping her whip Weiss's way. Much to the girl's panic. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"W-What? Why?—"

Their combat teacher pointed towards the floor. Namely, all the dust-smoke there.

"For the daughter of a prestigious Dust Company, you hardly seem to care for your family's product! What if your fellow students touch this? What if they get hurt?"

Weiss kept silent… and out of all the people in their scolded group, Nora chimed in. Chuckling nervously.

"Uh, Miss teacher lady? I know I touched some of that ice dust... but—"

Ren put a hand on her mouth. He's a smart guy.

Glynda gave their Schnee companion - and the rest of them - her undying judgement.

"Everyone of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Professor Port is an older man! He doesn't know how to handle bratty children that disobey their elders..." She grimaced at Jaune. "You most of all should be ashamed, Mr. D'Arc!"

"Why's that?"

"Because you've more testosterone than brain cells!"

The entirety of Jaune's team hissed at their teacher's remark. Jaune himself winced.

"That's kinda assumptive—"

"You don't even know what that means, ungrateful boy! And even if you did, it's irrelevant to the problem at hand!" She grounded out, her whip left hanging on the floor. "So I suggest you hush-up and come along with me. Am I understood?"

They looked back to Jaune, who blinked. "Wait, why?—"

"Are you talking back, Mr D'Arc?"

The more of Glynda's scorn he heard, the more he imagined his own mother scorning him. Something about that subtle accent when she's angry just… sounded familiar. He could see her holding a paddle board, ready to beat his ass senseless for some reason or another—

The whip cracked, he watched it land near the floor at his feet.

"Well?"

He gulped. "N-No Ma'am."

She pulled her whip back. "Then come along. The Headmaster wishes to speak with you, personally. And no, I won't tell you why..." Now as her whip was re-holstered, Glynda looked the group over. "The rest of you, however, will wait in front of the auditorium for further instructions. Your fellow here will join you shortly."

Jaune didn't know whether to laugh at the looks sent his way, or groan; 'cuz even when faced with the crazy combat lady, these people wanna know what to do. From Ruby's nervousness to Pyrrha's confusion.

"I'll see you guys," he told them, coming to Glynda's side. "Try not to kill each other, okay?"

Ruby - nervous but supportive - waved him off, along with Pyrrha and Nora.

Blake, Yang, and Weiss did various renditions of the same smug head-shake. Scoffs and squawks and snorts included.

And Ren… he gave a thin smile, and a thumbs up.

"Take care, Jaune!" He called out.

As Jaune and Miss Glynda Goodwitch walked out, he couldn't help smiling back, and gave his own thumbs up at them. If not for them all, at least Ren. He's a cool dude.

"I'll try!"

/-/

Ten minutes of very stressful walking in silence later, he and Glynda reached the base of 'Ozpin's Tower'. Proceeding to then enter the elevator inside.

"This will take us a while," she told him, as her finger pressed the button-dial's top option. "Usually around three minutes per ascension and descension. It could be much faster but... the Headmaster likes to make things difficult. So we must wait."

"Do you know why?"

"Why what?"

"Why he does that?"

She sighed. "I assume as a safety measure?"

"...Oh-kay…"

He took her word for it. Twenty seconds passed like so: student and teacher side by side. One uncomfortably angry, the other angrily uncomfortable. A match made anywhere besides The Heavens.

By the twenty-fifth second he grew antsy. His hands holding each other, his feet tapping along to some random tune this elevator really oughta be playing. But no, the silence continued… until he ruined it.

"...Hey." He tried. "So uhm, how's your day going?"

Slowly, she turned those judging eyes to him. "Have you already forgot what I've told you?"

"No-no... I was just uh, curious is all." He scratched the side of his skull. "Just passing time while you take me to the Headmaster 'n have all my friends wait for… hey, hold on. Are you actually gonna punish them?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"But this was my fault—"

She chortled. "And you will have consequences, which you'll jointly share with them. You should've remembered that from our conversation back there, boy."

"I-I did! I just don't think that's fair." He tapped a hand on his chest. "Judge me and only me for my actions. They should be left out of this."

"...Hah. Funny." The humor went as fast as it came. Replaced with her scorn. "As if 'they' have no individuality or choice of their own, right?"

"It's not that they don't, it's that I'm the only reason they're involved in this."

"They've involved themselves in this. Something outside of them influenced their actions, but that doesn't mean the choice wasn't there." She pushed her glasses in. "Therefore both you and your friends shall enjoy several lengthy detention sessions with me. Is that fair enough now?"

"...No?—"

"Too bad."

And on that note, the elevator door turned open. Leading out into a long - and kinda large - office area, with a big ol' wooden desk at the far back of it.

Emerald green clock-cogs of various sizes showed up all over the ceiling. Some actually moved in clockwork manners, creating a dull creaking sound every once in a while. At the large glass window behind the wooden desk was assumedly their Headmaster. Standing in front of it, arms crossed behind his back.

"Oh!" Glynda snapped her fingers. "As for your first question, which you've seemingly also forgotten about… I do believe the day's been steadily improving. There are now eight unruly students I can vent my wisdom towards."

"You sure you don't mean frustrations?"

She graced him no response, instead she shooed him out and hit the elevator button.

"Report to combat class immediately after this, Mr. D'Arc!" She's smirking. "And keep in mind that tardies will be punished!"

Then she disappeared between dark-green elevator walls as they took her back down.

In lieu of her departure, Jaune blinked. A sudden quiet - different from the elevator's silence - came over this place. Only interrupted by the creaking cogs's steamwork rhythm, and whatever noise the old man was making.

Jaune wanted to find out for himself, so he walked along the emerald path. Roughly five and a half steps into that, as Jaune's Beacon dress shoes hit the hard-floor, a voice broke through the quiet.

"Jaune D'Arc?"

Ten steps in and Jaune nodded, even if all he saw was the back of his Headmaster's emerald green suit. When the older man kept silent for several steps longer, Jaune spoke out.

"Yessir. You wanted to see me…?"

They're getting closer. No less than twenty feet away.

Jaune saw the cane thingy sheathed into a fun size at the old man's waist, as well as the messy silvery-white mane atop his head. There wasn't any doubt about it; before Jaune's tired eyes, he was meeting Ozpin again.

He had so many questions—

"I believe so. Glynda brought you here on… decent terms, I hope?"

It was hard to talk with a man's hairline, but Jaune made due. "Well, she interrupted Yang and Weiss's problems going on. After that she nabbed me and told the others to wait outside the auditorium. I think they're gonna be in her classroom now. Detention 'n stuff..."

Ozpin hummed. "She's an interesting woman. Stern, but incredibly thorough. I trust her with many of the things my other colleagues shy away from. For... practicallilty's sake if nothing else."

"Huh." Jaune stood before the older man's desk, hands in his pockets. "Is that why you sent her?"

"She sent herself. I simply redirected her attention back to you and your friends… after she stomped her way up here, that is." The Headmaster chuckled. "Her rule of law has always been proactive. She hears, sees, does, and makes a verdict in ample time. It's an effective process that unfortunately Peter Port no longer understands."

"So you kinda did send her."

"Technically no, functionally yes."

"Does there need to be any uh, specific difference between the two?"

"Only for a thinker's mind. You are a thinker, are you not?"

"I guess…?"

The quiet returned. Clock-cogs winding into their places, as Jaune's thoughts came to that thinker's conclusion.

"...So… now that my team's in detention—"

"With you—"

"With me." He clarified. "What's the point of me being here? Don't you two know enough from Professor Port?"

"In this case, my colleague's knowledge matters very little. So yes, even if it's essentially concrete..." Ozpin mused. "I have interests of a more personal variety. Like questions. Ones that I answer myself, or ask those I'm curious about."

"...?"

Without missing a beat - or turning around - Ozpin waved him over.

"Come to my side, young-man. I'd like to show you something."

"...Okay?"

They ended up as such, only the entire energy was just… calm. A collected zone of thought-processing, and not the technological kind. They admired the view peacefully, like fleshy statutes.

It was amazing. Forests of the deepest emeralds covered an expanse farther than the eye could see. Clouds - always sparse - dotting the light-blue skyline in stretchy lines, all under the fading sunshine. It's almost like a painting come to life, that he's gotten to bear witness of.

"Wow… it's beautiful."

"Right?" Ozpin pointed towards the left. "But look, there's more."

Jaune did. He saw the forests over there grow… redder as they went. To the point they were a sea of bloody glory.

"What's with that?"

"That right there is Forever Falls. It is a geographical oddity that's for whatever reason developed a rather unique color scheme." Ozpin tapped the glass, a little smile on his face. "Some say it's the proximity to Vale-City's coastline, as you can see there."

Jaune could. Beyond the bloody red lay an actual ocean, and past that, were several dull-grey skyscrapers. Though they faded out very much, Jaune saw them from within the distance and blinked.

"Others say it was the place of a costly battle... to which in response, the Brothers Grimm never let their dryin blood fade. So that all of their time would remember the loss."

"Huh. Neat."

"I was sure you'd think so."

"Why's that?"

"Oh…" Ozpin let out a sigh. "I did tell you I've travelled recently, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Good, so I'm sure you're very familiar with the Brothers Grimm. Or The Brothers, or the Gods of Light and Dark... Whatever the terminology, you do know of them?"

Jaune pulled The Torch from below his dress shirt. "Yeah, they're kinda important. What about it?"

"Nothing truly. I suppose I'm just… reaching out if you will."

"For what?"

Ozpin turned his veiny brown gaze to him. "For understanding you, Jaune. As I said to Glynda, I invited you here to pick your mind myself. What makes you act and react, if that makes any sense."

"It does... but uh, how're you going to do that?"

"Easy. I'll ask you questions."

"Like?"

His Headmaster cleared his throat. "What brought you here to my office? My tower?"

"...Well… I—" and then Jaune paused. "Hey, should I start from the beginning?"

"Please."

"Alrighty… well, on the morning of initiation I saw two people having a spat in the middle of the rocket locker area thingy. It was between my current partner's older sister Yang Xiao-Long, and her current partner and Team Leader Weiss Schnee."

"What was this spat about?"

"It was about Weiss's attitude towards Yang's little sister Ruby. She uh… didn't call, or do nice things to her, which caused some complications 'n stuff."

"Hm. And how did you come in?"

"I met Ruby right after landing. I… thought they weren't showing the right attitude for potential huntresses, so I gave them a piece of my mind."

"Did they react well to that?"

"Pfft. Nope. They've sorta held a grudge since then, but it should be better. We've all made up. Everybody's just gotta tolerate each other now."

Ozpin took a long moment to respond. "What has this situation teached you?"

"As in, how I should act from now on?"

"No. Just… what lesson, in the broader sense, did you glean from this?"

…

…

…

Ozpin squinted. Jaune scratched his neck.

"I mean, it's not that I didn't learn stuff… I just don't think I'll be doing anything different than what I've been doing now. If I hadn't made a dumb pinky promise with my partner, I'd think everybody else was the problem. Not me."

"So you did learn something."

"Yeah, uh, sure. Maybe something like 'don't be a dumb meanie all the time', or 'treat others how you wish to be treated'." Jaune put his hand down, shrugging. "'Least that's the simplest version. Pyrrha could write literal paragraphs about the things I oughta do better."

"...I see…"

Jaune watched his Headmaster nod to himself, then look into the window.

"'Care for some advice then, Jaune? From one man to potentially another?"

"Sir, I'm seventeen. Back home I'd be considered an adult."

"'Home' I assume being the outer territories, where Grimm excursion is often commonplace."

"Uh, yeah?—"

"But that does not mean you, young-man, are fully matured." Ozpin noted. "Yes, I'm sure you've seen many horrors of our natural world... but I'm even more sure it's made you unstable."

That threw Jaune for several loops. "Huh?"

Instead of answering Jaune's confusion like a normal older person, Ozpin went quiet. Awkwardly quiet, lasting dozens of seconds and more. Until maybe a full minute went by and—

Now, Jaune considers himself a powerful guy. He's killed Grimm, made money off killing Grimm, heard people die, seen people die, and really just lived a huntsman's life in all but name.

That's why - as his Headmaster's cane shot into vision - Jaune panicked at the numbness coming over him. His demon pummelling limbs couldn't stop polished metal from slamming into his forehead. They were too slow, too stiff—

Bang. Contact. It staggered Jaune back with a yowl of very vulgar gibberish. HisnAura couldn't save him from an attack he didn't feel coming.

Though his vision shook like a fucking earthquake, Jaune saw the cane be gently balanced ontop the floor. It's master giving a wane smile.

Jaune grimaced back, his hand holding a bruised forehead.

"S-Sir!"

"Hm?" The old bastard dared to act clueless. "Yes, Jaune? Do you have any more insights about yourself?—"

"Yeah! What the fuck did you just do to me?!"

"I don't know."

"What?!"

"I believe I don't know—"

Jaune felt blood drip down onto his nose, and twitched.

"Are you… are you serious right now? Sir, you hit me. I'm bleeding—"

The old man tilted his head, not even looking at Jaune at this point.

"Who's to say you didn't fall on the floor?"

"Common-fucking-sense!"

"Ah," once again, the old bastard dared to toy with him. "Surely you've heard that statement before? You know, 'common sense isn't so common' these days?—"

Jaune let the dull rush of Aura comfort his injuries, yet still he held his head.

"I can't believe this. You're crazy!"

"You think so?"

"Yes!"

"Hm. Could you explain why?—"

"Uh yeah. You fuckin' hit me, man! Why'd you do that?!—"

His Headmaster turned, and everything stopped.

There was this… air about him. Non-physical power that Jaune imagined laid beneath his surface. As if the word 'MENACING' floated around the man's veiny brown eyes - and disapproving frown - in bold letters.

Whatever the case, it froze Jaune cold. He felt like a fucking child again. Lost to his purpose, and lost to his loved ones.

"Take a deep breath, Jaune." The old bastard said, his voice… calm. Unnervingly calm. "No rational choices are made when angered."

…

…

…

He did. Several, even.

Ozpin observed the forests. Serenely so. Without a care for the stressful shit that's happened in the last five minutes. It bugged Jaune a metric fuckton but… he couldn't do anything.

It took one look - and only that - from Jaune's Headmaster to crumble his resolve. That's not normal, neither is it okay. The very idea of one man having such power over him scared Jaune bad. Really bad.

Is this what Weiss felt? 'Cuz if it is, holy shit—

"Jaune?"

"Wha— oh," he shook his head. "Y-Yeah?"

"Do you know why I did this?"

"...No. No I don't."

Ozpin's frown disappeared. Just gone, like he never looked half-ready to beat Jaune into a bloody pulp. Now replaced with a warm smile, that Jaune's not even sure reaches the eyes or not.

"You see, Jaune… I was demonstrating my advice to you."

"...?"

"Absent minded are we? Hah, no matter." Ozpin cleared his throat. "You accepted my offer for advice—"

"Wait no I didn't. You just talked over me."

"Then you implicitly allowed it."

Jaune wanted a swift death. Ozpin chuckled.

"Regardless, I'm giving you the advice."

"Fine… what is it?"

"Oh, it's quite simple actually!"

Ozpin turned back to his student again. This time, that warm smile still plastered on his face.

"It's a powerful quote that goes along like this: 'speak softly, but carry a big stick'."

Jaune glanced his cane over. "Huh. You've got one of those—"

"Yet you have neither. At least, beyond your peers."

"You know, I thought you'd be nicer than Glynda."

"I'm simply being honest with you." Ozpin rapped his cane on the floor. "And, my dear boy, you are in great need of some honesty. I've seen footage of that pre-initiation event you talked about… it painted quite the unflattering picture of you, I must say."

"It is what it is."

"Correct, but after Glynda went to collect your friends, I wondered how I could help you improve yourself. Advice, if you will, while I pick your brain."

"I still don't get what your advice is—"

The cane came up again. Luckily it stopped half-way to Jaune's chin…. didn't stop Jaune's everything from tightening up, though.

"My advice is calmness, Jaune. If you are to involve yourself in other people's problems, you must be the rational party. Not the outraged one."

"W-What was outrageous about it?"

"I think you know already."

"...Yeah. I guess. But how does the quote apply to the advice?"

The cane went away. Jaune let himself breathe a little easier.

"The 'big stick' in the quote refers to one's ability to fix problems. Which as I said, you have that aspect with you among your peers. The 'speak softly' portion means to… well, speak softly. Instead of lording over those creating issues of themselves, try and let them exhaust their steam at you. Then if you must? Strike quick, just not literally."

"What, like you did?"

"Indeed. And on that note: notice how you've calmed down now? Despite me hitting you?"

It was true. Jaune's hands hung limp at his sides. His injury also healed over, and that frozenness thawed out.

"Then I might be understanding this stuff, and actually…? I think I've already followed some of your advice today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. When Weiss and Yang were gonna fight in Professor Port's class, I came up and talked real levelheaded at them."

"And what were the results?"

"Yang turned out fine, Weiss though… she ran away."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. But when I had everyone together she said I might be redeemable thanks to my honesty." The old man's question stayed on Jaune's mind, though, and he had to ask. "Also, dunno where you're keeping the cameras but wow that's crazy."

"Security and efficiency precautions. They are vital in the improvement of Beacon's welfare." Ozpin droned. "Let's not take ourselves off track, however. You might have improved yourself already."

"Oh, sweet—"

"Yet there's always room for further improvement. Does that make sense?"

"Uhh… yeah."

Quiet came over them.

Ozpin was too focused on his own thoughts to end it, and Jaune's conflicted too. He has discovered something about things, a potential way of being. It drew him to ask a question soon thereafter, as Ozpin scoured the forests.

"Hey, so I've a question."

"I'll be happy to answer it."

"Was I right to do what I did today?"

"Morally?"

"No, in any way."

"Hm… I suppose that's a debate of how much one should care about your actions. You interrupted class with unneeded antics, yet had a goal of minor valor in mind, did you not?"

"Yeah."

"So the only thing left to say is maybe. It's less a matter of whether you're wrong or right, as you can disrupt a social order for the purpose of improving it. I'd rather ask 'can you make it work?'"

Jaune nodded. Ozpin touched his chin.

"If you don't mind then, why do you ask such a question?"

"Huh? Oh, uh… promise me something?"

"...Come again?—"

"Can you promise me something?"

"What for?"

"To not tell Miss Goodwitch about what I'm gonna say next?"

Ozpin paused, then smiled. "I'm all ears, Jaune."

"Okay. Cool." He took another deep breath. "So, I've upset some people at this school—"

"Fairly obvious at this point—"

"But I've also made myself kinda-sorta-enemies of Team CRDL, sans Dove."

"How so?"

"Well, they don't like me 'cuz they perceive me as bad. So they're gonna pull pranks on me and my team soon. 'Least, that's what Dove said."

"And now that I know about this, what do you think I should do?"

"...Maybe, uh." Jaune winced. "If I do something similar to what I did today - to Team CRDL - can you make sure my team doesn't get punished with me?"

"By 'what I did today', you mean do something destructive to the school's civility?"

"Yeah…?"

"That sounds like favoritism, even if I personally don't see this scenario being the case." Ozpin rapped his fingers ontop the cane. "So instead of that, let me offer you another piece of advice... in the form of a question: why don't you talk to them?"

"Team CRDL?"

"Yes."

"Uh." Jaune scratched his head. "Shit, I dunno? I never figured it'd take me anywhere."

"Would you rather they come to you or you to them?"

"The latter."

"Then you should try that, Jaune D'Arc. Now," he- after sheathing his cane - took himself away from the window and sat down at his wooden desk. With a green-gold pen in hand, Headmaster Ozpin gave Jaune a funny look. "I shall dismiss you to your fate. I'm sure you'll take care."

Ozpin went to work. Documents shifting across his desk as he looked them over. Jaune honestly thought this was a joke for a few seconds, until it became a fair minute and their quiet remained.

Jaune sighed.

"Yessir. I'll be going now."

And with that, he headed for the elevator—

"Oh! And before I forget…"

Jaune spared a glance over his shoulder, to find his Headmaster waving a document.

"This is the field report for Beacon initiate Annabelle Lavender," he waved it some more. "Otherwise known as 'Annie' by her family and companions. Would you care for a look?"

"..."

Wordlessly Jaune walked back, and yes, he pried the document - with official Valen Council stamp and all - from his Headmaster's hands. Muttering a quick 'thanks' while he's at it.

Then he finally left. Entering the elevator in the quiet of the cogs, as Ozpin's peaceful face disappeared between the closing doors.

Jaune looked down at his new reading material.

I'll show this to Rubes later.

He flipped it's cover over, sighing.

She'll appreciate that. Probably.

/-/

Four days.

It's been four whole days of Miss Goodwitch's detention and everybody's feeling it.

Not 'cuz it's long. It's only like an hour or so after regular school stuff… but Ruby herself can attest to how achy she feels.

They've gotta sit there and listen to her freaking lectures the entire time. Always on random manners they'd need for some reason. So lots of mental pain… which is making them bond together somehow, so that's good.

Oh and eh, they had to give Professor Port an apology.

He was super forgiving about the whole ordeal. Heck, he gave Jaune a pat on the back… that sent him to the ground but hey! Best old man teacher ever!

Now they're eating lunch. Or eh, trying to.

Weiss and Pyrrha had the best time of things. Cutting into their obnoxiously large salad bowls as they had a conversation Ruby's too spaced out to hear. Their tiredness was either masked or just not there.

Yang and Blake grumbled into their fried chicken. Saying something not very nice about Miss Goodwitch. Their resentment for her has sorta brought them together during lunch. Keyword during. Blake doesn't talk much after this.

Anyways, Ren's being a good partner like usual. He spoon-fed Nora's droopy face a healthy dose of peas, bringing her back in when she tried pulling away. He had that 'I might have lots of dumb information in my brain, but I'm with you so it's okay' kinda look.

Ruby admired him a lot for it.

Oh and speaking of herself, she's pretty alright. Her head hurtie, yeah, but nothing too hurtie.

And Jaune…? Well, he's here. Lounging quietly in the seat next to her. His ocean eyes without the clearness they usually had. That intensity she remembers seeing several nights ago. It's been gone lately and it worries Ruby a lot, not gonna lie.

"Jaune?"

He twirled his fork around instead of using it, looking off towards nowhere.

"Jaune...?"

Nope. Nothing. He's still starting.

"Jaune? Hello?" She equipped her poking fingers, lightly jabbing into his unbuttoned Beacon uniform top. "Hey! You there? Hello? You awake in there? Jaune? Poke-poke?"

His stare kept going, as his mouth hung open. No pokes broke his ironwilled dumbness, and that's sad. Ruby's one true weapon these days has gotten desensitized. She'd poke and poke sometimes only for him to push her hand away and continue doing literally anything else.

But this time, she had a thought.

"...Sanus to Jauney?—"

That got his attention.

"Hold on. What'd you just say?"

"Jauney." The assault fingers pulled away, as he just gave her a funny look. "Y'know, like a counter to Rubes?"

"I didn't know nicknames are things to be countered?"

She scratched her cheek. "No? E-Ehm… I just made that up like, right now."

"Well ain't you clever, Rubes."

"Hey, quit that! I only said it 'cuz you're acting weird." She paused. "Weirder than normal."

He deadpanned, the fork spinning into his palm. "You gonna tell me whatcha want, or you gonna continue being a hypocrite?"

"How the heck am I a hypocrite?"

"'Cuz you're weird too. Weirder than me, honestly."

"You can't prove that Jauney."

"We've been over this like a thousand times. I absolutely can."

"Oh yeah? Prove it again."

"Alright…" he leaned into his seat, the fork left stabbed into his porkchop. "I said you could wake me up if you had nightmares or whatever. You, however, have only used it to tell me about a bad dream. Where your fat corgi got fatter and died."

She felt her face heating up. "Rude! I was really sad about that."

"For five twenty minutes, then you peed and went back to bed." He grinned. "'Slept like a baby afterwards, too. So yeah, you're weirder."

"Ugh… what-freaking-ever! Just tell me what you're looking at."

"What I was looking at, Rubes."

"Stop pretending to be a smarty pants when you're actually a dumb-dumb, Jauney."

He rolled his eyes, then pointed above her head and to the side. "Look. Over there."

She followed the finger—

"Hey wait." She blinked at the sight, seeing Dove's team again. "Are you… no. Jauney no—"

"I don't like how easily you're saying that."

"Shush! Answer me for a sec..." her pout carried the disapproval of a thousand Glynda Goodwitch lessons. "Are you thinking about going over there?"

"Yeah—"

"Well then don't. They're gonna try to beat you up."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. It just makes sense, since most of them kinda hate you."

"We don't know that. Maybe if I just say hi, they'll all be friendly like Dove."

Her poking fingers came back. She smudged it into his cheek, to his quiet displeasure.

"Nope. You're not allowed to do that."

"Why not?"

"'Cuz I said so."

He groaned. "Ruby, that was literally the Headmaster's advice about them—"

"I know you better than I do the Headmaster." She smudged the finger into his cheekbone a little bit more. "So I say you should wait!"

"How long?"

"Until I say so."

His squinted eye was buried under his own cheek-skin. "When's that?"

"Whenever I say so—"

A pointed cough caught Ruby and Jaune's attention, as - unbeknownst to them - the table went quiet during their conversion.

It was Yang's cough. She's raising a brow at them. Heck, most of everyone was raising a brow at them in some way.

"Hey," her sister said. "Do y'all need a corner? 'Cuz we can find y'all a corner—"

If her face was heated up earlier, it's on fire now.

"No, Yang! We don't need a friggin' corner!" Ruby pulled and scooted away from her partner, now holding her cloak around herself. "He's just being a dummy. Again."

Pyrrha - like the traitor she was - hummed her curiosity. "Ruby, he couldn't be so foolish everyday now, can he?"

Ruby looked to Blake for help, but she snorted and watched the others.

Ruby looked to Ren and Nora for help, but the latter gave a thin smile and the former 'oooo'd' like those preppy girls back at Signal.

Ruby looked to Weiss for help, but she munched on her salad with a satisfied smirk. No care for the budding panic building up inside.

Ruby even looked to Jaune for help, and found him cutting up his pork chops stupidly causal-like. Not a sign of embarrassment on him, just tiredness. Lots of tiredness.

It's too much. It's really too much—

Yang looked at Ruby, her eyebrows already wiggling, the years of sisterly teasing once again coming into effect. The embarrassment, the slander, the touchy-touchy she didn't consent to—

"You wanna tell us something, Rubes? Maybe something about your partner over there?"

Jaune kept eating. Ruby sputtered.

"N-No!"

"Oh? You don't wanna do it now?"

"I don't wanna do it ever!"

Yang cackled. "You say that, but sis… if we wait till to-knight for an answer—"

And that right there - in that moment - is where Ruby Rose shot out of her seat.

"I gotta pee!" She squeaked. "I'll be back!"

They might have looked at her funny, or had themselves a big ol' chuckle, but Ruby couldn't bring herself to care. Their eyes were feeding her insecurities like she did her dream Zwei. They had to go away! Or she had to go away!

So she did what so used to do back at Signal, when people's stupid-ness got too much… she ran, and ran hard.

Past other tables, past other students - Dove included, who looked shocked- and even Miss Goodwitch.

Her combat teacher held a hand out as Ruby reached the big exit doors. "Miss Rose! What are you—"

But she's long gone, out the door and into their expanse courtyard. Running to anywhere that wasn't where she just was. The midday sun beaming on her fire-hot face, her cloak fluttering in the breeze. If she wasn't a ball of anxiety she'd enjoy it more.

But no. She ran, and ran, and ran. The faint sound of clicking heel highs and a cracking whip was heard but she ran some more.

"I hate people!" She squealed to the sky, to the clouds shifting above. "I really, really hate people!"

Alright boys, we're done with the interpersonal team conflicts. Now we can deal with Cardin and the rest of Volume 1. With many alterations of course.