I am crossposting this story from other sites, but I suggest hopping on Questionable Questing if you would like to see some character portraits. Or join me on Discord, server code is vN7sTYhEp6
I will be posting four chapters daily on this site until it catches up with other sites.
The so-called Grand Market… wasn’t really as grand as Jaune expected. It was nothing compared to the open markets of Massalia or the ancient Agora of Argus, but he could acknowledge that it had a novelty to it.
The road was wide enough to fit multiple cars or the rge farming equipment that passed through. The vendors and stalls were bazaar style, but Jaune noticed that behind every stall were tents of various sizes. He knew that the merchants rented space in the warehouses to store most of their goods, but he wagered that many of them kept their most precious merchandise in the tents near at hand. Considering how crowded the town was, some merchants might also choose to sleep in those tents as well, close to their products.
He and Fie had barely made it into the market before they were accosted by a pair consisting of a young woman and a little girl who asked for their help. Well, technically, they were asking anyone for help, but no one seemed to want to be bothered. Jaune wanted to help but wasn’t sure if Fie would want her day off to be cut short. A questioning gnce at her gave him a shrug, so Jaune listened to their problem.
The woman, Lizzie, wanted them to help the girl, Anita, who was buying produce for her busy mother but lost her purse. It didn’t take Jaune long for him to find it as he discovered a new way to use Search. By focusing on Anita’s nearly non-existent Aura, which greatly tested the limits of his Aura Sense, he managed to use Pathfinder to track the purse through the rapidly disappearing Aura residue from the girl holding onto it. They found it underneath one of the stalls, probably kicked aside by walking pedestrians.
Thankfully, the whole thing didn’t take more than a few minutes, and the Aura cost was also negligible due to the short distance. It also confirmed to him that he could still track people with locked Auras. His Aura Sense was vital as Search itself didn’t sense the surrounding Aura, it had to be him that identified the Aura of his targets. By combining it with Aura Sense, he might have discovered a way to make up for his low PER. Too bad it's useless against Grimm.
They waved at Anita as she left for her errands, and talked a bit with Lizzie about her ceramics stall. They then walked off to explore the market, but Fie stared at him with that impassive face all the way. Jaune was starting to figure out her emotions by how bright her eyes were, though. “How did you find it so fast?”
“Just a magic trick I picked up.”
Fie frowned, “That doesn’t answer much. How does it work?”
Jaune thought for a moment, “How would you have found it?”
Fie replied immediately, “I would have followed the scent. Anita had a distinctive smell of rosemary. Probably because of her mother’s food stall.”
Jaune hummed, “I used a simir method but with Aura. The girl had a decent amount for a civilian, but it didn’t help that it was locked. Still, even a locked Aura gives a residue that can be recognized; it's very minute, but It's how Grimm are still attracted to people with locked Aura, I reckon.”
“… could you teach me?”
Jaune thought for a moment. Could he teach her Search? He most certainly could, but first, he needed to check something.
‘Krystal, when I bequeath someone with a magical ability, do they just need a single point of magic? Or do they require the exact amount as the ability demands?’
It is the tter, Jaune. If you are pnning to bless the girl with Search, which is a C-ranked ability with a cost of five MP, then you will also need to bless her with five MP along with the ability. You could certainly give her the ability still, but she will be nothing more than a vessel, holding onto a useless ability. Something that I’m sure you would rather avoid in case other magicals sense the ability in her and use her for their own nefarious reasons.
‘As I feared. I doubt Fie has a single point of Magic, so she can’t use her own reserves for the ability.’ Jaune continued walking, and Fie kept her glinting eyes on him, expectantly.
“Some other time, Fie.” He patted her on the head as they continued walking. Jaune was gd she took it in stride and smiled as she didn't move his hand away. Guess she really was considering it during breakfast.
'Progress!'
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“Hmmm, what do you think about this Fie?”
“They are both idiots”
Jaune and Fie had just arrived at the center of the market to find two foreign merchants arguing and nearly coming to blows about the stall spot allocated to them. After breaking the fight up, with Jaune taking point talking them down as he zily rested his hand on Crocea Mors, while Fie nonchantly bounced one of her throwing knives, the two merchants immediately calmed down and brought out their permission slips. Turns out they were both wrong as once Market Manager Otto arrived to figure out the disturbance, which indirectly told Fie and Jaune that Sara was already on her mission, he discovered that one merchant got the correct spot but the wrong day while the other merchant got the correct date but the wrong spot. The first merchant booked the spot in August instead of July. Apparently, he was a Mistrali merchant, and they used a different date system there.
It had something to do with different booking systems, like a day then month or month then day, and wrong use of military time, but Jaune couldn't care less as long as they avoided making a scene. No need to attract Grimm and cause a disturbance. The merchant was distraught, but the Market Manager promised to find him a spot regardless, but it would cost him. The end result was both merchants getting shamed yet satisfied, one of them hurrying to open his stall at his new spot while the other slinking off to wait for his turn in a couple of days.
Mayor Otto then made his way to them, “Thank you for the help, young man. I believe I recognize the young dy as Valestein’s partner, but I do not believe we were introduced?”
“Jaune Arc, a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” The old man ughed jovially as he shook Jaune’s hand, “Between you and me, I’m gd you were the one who broke up the fight and not one of the guards. They can be a little… enthusiastic in enforcing the w.”
Jaune frowned, “Wouldn’t your militia or sheriff be the better option for dealing with this?”
The mayor shifted a little as he fiddled with his bowler hat, “Things have been hectic the st few days, and my minutemen are busy protecting the warehouses and the town. With the guards shorthanded and many of them off at the tower, we had to pick up most of their duties. My militia is not experienced in dealing with foreigners or tourists, unfortunately. Ah, I think I can see trouble brewing over there. If you’d excuse me,” With that, the mayor hurried off towards another stall where a fruit peddler was arguing with a local.
“So, no chance of it being foul py?” He decided to err on the side of caution and asked the more experienced Fie on the matter.
Fie remained silent for a moment before shaking her head. “Could be. Most likely not. It's natural for humans to make errors. This could simply be an honest mistake. Yet, this could also have something to do with the damaged tower. Vale has completely adopted the Internet, with businesses offering all sorts of services and even drone deliveries through your Scroll. With no signal here in the boonies other than radio for the past week, it's possible both merchants simply had bad luck as they couldn’t call ahead to confirm their bookings.”
Jaune hummed in thought, “Oh well. I say we did well stopping the fight from escating, even the Market Manager agreed to that. I saw a couple of stalls that had something of interest, and I really need a new pair of shoes.”
Fie nodded and grabbed his hand as she dragged him to a specific stall, “Ice cream.” She decred with eyes shining in excitement.
Jaune sweat dropped, “Don't you have your own money to use?”
Fie shook her head, “Gave you all I have for the Dust.” She kept gazing at him with those kitty eyes of hers, her lips pursed, her white tail quivering in excitement, and with her short stature; Jaune could never have defended himself from the Cuteness Overload.
He sighed, “Fine, fine.”
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Jaune walked along the market in his battered sandals. He was starting to get itchy from them already, and he couldn’t even use his Aura to help as he redirected it straight to his recovery. Next to him, Fie indulged in an entire tub of mint-fvored ice cream. She might not have the most expressive face, but Jaune could easily see that she was greatly enjoying herself, judging by her tail happily swinging. He wondered if she was actually a dog-faunus rather than a cat, but when he asked her, she confirmed she was a cat.
He had bought a few random essentials that he was sorely needing, including clothes, tools, and other sundries. Too bad he had yet to come upon a good pair of combat ready shoes in his size.
As they walked, they noticed a section of the Market dedicated to festival games. Fie stared out at the various games, but Jaune was distracted by a dull crashing sound from a closed stall nearby.
Worried that someone might be hurt, Jaune hurried over with Fie following, albeit slower. He called out for the owner, only to get a groan in response, which prompted him to barge into the stall’s tent.
The tent had boxes neatly set in rows, probably in preparation for opening time, but in one spot, a pile of boxes had fallen on an older woman with brown hair and rabbit ears. She looked at Jaune with an awkward smile.
“Uhm, can you give me a hand, please?”
Jaune rushed and helped the dy out of her predicament, Fie putting her ice cream aside to help as well.
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“Thank you so very much for your help, ddie.”
The rabbit woman, whose name Jaune learned was Megan Scartina but asked them to call her Meg, was the owner of the stall “C&C’s Dusty Trinkets” which was an actual store in Vale. According to Meg, they sold Dust and other assortments of gadgets and tools for both Huntsmen and civilians. He learned from Meg that the Cs stood for Cinnamon and Cassidy, which were her and her business partner’s maiden names, respectively. They come here every summer to offload their unsold goods from the year.
Suffice to say, Jaune did not ask for any of that information and deduced that the woman was a huge chatterbox who couldn’t handle a single minute passing without talking. Much to his dismay, Fie had noticed the signs earlier than him and managed to sneak off while he wasn’t looking, that traitor.
“… and then I slipped and fell, and all those heavy boxes fell on top of poor old me.” The woman was saying, and Jaune just nodded along absentmindedly as he helped her unbox. There was no need at all to be rude, and he had already decided to help her out as he carried an especially heavy box. Besides, she may call herself old, but she looked good for a middle-aged woman. He hadn’t met a lot of older huntresses, but he had a hunch she unlocked her Aura, and a bit of concentration ter, his hunch was proven true.
“Don’t you have any helpers around? Seems like a lot of work for one person to handle.”
“Oh, no. It’s all me here. Sometimes my daughter would be around to help out; she’s a student at Beacon, you see. She just finished her first year and is visiting her father in Ats.”
That intrigued him. So, she’s the mother of a Huntress-in-training? “What a coincidence, I’m also heading to Beacon next month.”
“Oh really? Well, I’ll be sure to tell my Velvet to keep an eye out in case you need any help. Between you and me, my girl is super shy and has trouble making friends. What did you say your name was again, dear?”
“Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, the dies love it.” Jaune replied automatically before cringing so hard at the woman’s replying snort that he dropped the box he was holding, spilling the contents on the ground. Why the hell did he say that? He thought he broke himself out of that horrible line. Damn you, Dad, for sticking it to his brain!
“Sorry about that.”
“Oh my, are you alright, dear? I’m sorry the whole tent is a mess right now.” Meg helped him collect the dropped trinkets. As Jaune was gathering the items, he found himself holding a rge, heavy, and dusty old case with an intricate carving of the name THORS with the O looking like a revolver’s cylinder. He turned to Meg to ask her about it.
“Oh, that dusty old thing? Yeah, it holds this old revolver made by Thors. They were an old weapon manufacturer originally from Vale but moved to Vacuo some ten or twenty years ago. My husband, William, swears that their revolvers were some of the most powerful handguns you would find. It could supposedly blow a Beowulf’s head clean off in one shot using regur ammo. I made sure it was clean and maintained and had been trying to sell it for years now.”
Jaune was skeptical, “If it's such a remarkable gun, then how come nobody ever bought it?”
Meg finished storing the rest of the boxes and wiped her hands on a towel, “Hmmm, it would have to do with its insane recoil and expensive ammo. I always warn potential buyers to try it out first before they buy it, and nearly everyone gets hurt from the recoil. The occasional Huntsmen who could handle the recoil preferred their fancy mecha-shifting weapons over changing their fighting style to accommodate the gun. It's too rge of a pistol to function as a backup sidearm, yet not powerful enough to function as a main weapon. Thors had a reputation for making super strong firearms with their synthesized alloy Zemurium. No one could deny that metal is among the toughest and most durable things in the world. Heaviest too. The makers were too stubborn to change their ways to accommodate the market, as the alloy was expensive to make, and they insisted on supreme quality over cutting corners, which ultimately led to their financial woes. The guns were so well-made and durable that they rarely got repeat customers due to how long-sting the weapons were. My husband won it in an auction and only used it once, nearly dislocating his shoulder as well.” She finished with a giggle.
Jaune hummed in thought. He was in the market for a gun, and lo and behold, a gun fell into his hands. Somebody up there must be watching him, “Do you mind if I check it?”
Meg smiled brightly, “Sure, go ahead. Just don’t load it in here, please.”
She walked off to continue her work, and Jaune pced the case on a table and opened it to find its contents neatly pced in bck polyurethane foam. There was a guide and catalog of all the things included, and Jaune pced it aside to check ter. In the center was a rge white and gold revolver with intricate carvings etched on it. In addition, there were four boxes of twenty FMJ .500 Magnum rounds each and six rge speed loaders that told him the gun held ten rounds. Finally, there was a customized leather holster that he could attach to his sword belt to hold both the gun and three of the speed loaders. Not that it really mattered to Jaune, thanks to Storage Space.
Jaune lifted the gun and noticed its heavy weight. As Meg said, the metal felt tough and durable in his hands. He popped the cylinder, noticing that the gun was designed so that it could be used by both hands and the cylinder could be popped in either direction depending on which button he pressed. Jaune found the cylinder matched the speed loaders, ten rounds, before loading it back empty. The barrel was a little over ten inches, and ended with a muzzle break that extended the length to another two inches. He noticed the gun could be customized to install add-ons above or below the barrel.
A scope, perhaps? Or maybe he could install a Dust regutor and attach a Dust crystal like Sara’s gun? Decisions, decisions.
Jaune continued inspecting the revolver, as well as the accessories provided, before he skimmed through the catalog. All in all, it was a very impressive and well-cared-for piece of art. Especially as he noticed the manufactured year, which was a good twenty years ago. He was very tempted to buy it. It checked all his needs for a gun. Strong, durable, and useful for short to medium range. A rifle would be a better option, especially for his ck of long-range options, but he couldn’t see himself using a rifle with his sword. Gun and Sword, however…
Meg came back to find Jaune closing the case and looking at her with an excited gleam in his eyes, “How much?”
“Thank you for your business~. Do swing by when I officially open tomorrow, m’kay? I’m sure to have more things set up for you.”
“Sure thing Meg, bye.”
Jaune left the tent with a happy bounce in his step. He frowned when he couldn’t find Fie and instinctively spread out his Aura Sense, trying to locate her.
Suddenly, he turned upwards, and his jaw nearly dropped. There was Fie hanging upside down a wooden beam that crossed the street overhead. Her feet appeared to be stuck to the wood with no leverage at all. His Aura Sense told him that it was an Aura technique of some kind, but he had never heard of something like that. He even noticed that her scarf wasn't dangling down, but was seemingly stuck to her body. It was as if Fie learned of gravity and decided it wasn't for her and completely disregarded its rules.
Jaune recollected himself, “There you are Ninja Kitty. Where did you disappear to?”
Fie flickered for an instant to appear in front of him in a gust of wind, ‘Her Sembnce?’ her Aura forming a green halo around her as he kept his Aura Sense active.
“… around.”
“Uh-huh, and you definitely didn’t abandon me to the nice rabbit dy who couldn’t stop talking, huh?”
Fie pretended to be busy checking the surroundings, though Jaune saw her eyes gleaming in mischief. Her Aura also fluctuated pyfully as if it was… wait. Could he see her Aura?
“Forget it,” he sighed before noticing the box she held, “What’s that you have there?”
“Present.” Fie held out a shoebox to Jaune, which he took in surprise. He opened it to find a pair of bck steel-shodded boots, his eyes widening as he recognized the brand.
“Stregas? That must have cost a fortune! I thought you said you didn’t have any money?” He looked at her in shock. Stregas was Ats’, and probably the world’s, finest makers of sportswear and combat fatigues. Hell, even General Ironwood was known to prefer their boots. They were very expensive with some models reaching thousands of Lien.
Fie turned her gaze to the ground as she shuffled her feet. His Aura Sense was going haywire, and he could feel a slight drain on his AP. Fie’s Aura shined in what he felt was shyness and expectation with a hint of… guilt?
Jaune’s gaze narrowed, “Fie? You did pay for this, right? I really hope you didn’t rob some poor fellow of his boots.”
Fie turned back to him sharply, with a narrowing of her eyes, “I don’t steal. Not anymore. I won it.”
Jaune had to stop himself from gasping. Fie’s Aura sharpened angrily at his accusation. It appears he just discovered a new feature of his Aura Sense. ‘Not anymore?’ He filed her slip for ter.
I will implement this in Observe. For now, I recommend pcating the angry cat girl.
Jaune thanked Krystal inwardly, “I’m sorry for doubting you, Fie. I believe you. Thank you so much for such an awesome gift.” Jaune set the box on the ground as he changed out of his sandals, “How did you win it?”
Fie’s Aura became serene, though sadly, it wasn’t pyful anymore.
“They had a carnival game back there,” she pointed towards the area they passed by. “First prize for a shooting game was the Stregas, and I noticed your discomfort wearing the sandals. It was child’s py for me to win it, even if the owner cheated by nailing the targets. Toy guns could still be enhanced with Aura to shoot deadly pellets. She probably only put such a valuable prize for a simple carnival game to attract customers, never actually believing she would lose them.”
Now her Aura returned to pyful again. That expined the slight guilt she felt, as she technically cheated, but there were no rules against Aura usage. He thought there weren’t, at least, but that’s not relevant, and the sleazy owner cheated first. What surprised Jaune was that throughout this conversation, she barely had a change in her facial expression aside from her eyes dimming and glowing with her emotions, along with the slight upturn of her lips. Such a poker face would be a godsend in a casino.
And, yet, her poker face was powerless against his newly found ability. This is bound to be extremely useful in the future.
He finished strapping the boots and walked around to test it, “Well, I am gd you won it. These are super comfy and would be very durable in a fight. Thanks again, Fie, I owe you one.”
“Don’t mention it.” She looked at my new gun strapped opposite to my sword, “I see you found a new toy. Mind if I check it?”
“Sure,” he handed her the gun and described its specs to her.
Fie inspected it for a minute before returning it, “How much did it cost you?”
Jaune holstered the gun, “￡4,000.”
Fie’s eyes widened slightly for a second before narrowing, “The Earth Dust crystal?”
“Yep.”
“It’s a good gun and well worth the cost. I suggest you be frugal with its ammo. They are quite pricey, especially if you invest in Dust Rounds (DR).”
“Figures. We’re burning daylight, let’s finish shopping.”
Jaune started walking along the market with Fie following him. He held out his hand and was gd when Fie held it. Her Aura felt safe and comfortable to him, showing that she held no ill will towards him.
‘I have to be careful; else I might get drunk off this feeling.’ He turned off his Aura Sense, noting his increased control of it. Before, it was instinctual and needed him to focus hard to feel someone’s Aura. Now it felt more like an ability that he could toggle on and off.
His gaze fell on a specific stall that sold sports goods. Jaune grinned and turned to Fie.
“Ever went fishing?”
It was past midnight. Fie was sleeping in her bed while Jaune sat on an armchair and stared out at the moon, which was the only source of light in the room. On the dining table near him was a meal they had prepared for Sara that had long gone cold. All of Jaune’s belongings were now sitting in his Storage Space, except for the White Crystal, which he tied around his neck as a lucky talisman.
He had just finished an enlightening conversation with Krystal about his perks and abilities. Krystal had reminded him of his magic points that were waiting to be used, but Jaune decided against buying new abilities when even now, he was still discovering the extent of the ones he gained.
After some thought, he rearranged his status screen and added more parameters that became relevant to his power.
‘Status.’
Profile:
Name: Jaune Arc
Css: TBD
Age: 17
Height: 6’1”—6’3”
Build: Lean-Muscur
Race: Human
Stats:
Aura Points: 600/10,000 (200/hr) (DEBUFF to 75/hr) (07:09)
Aura Control: 22%—>23%
Strength (STR): 89/81
Vitality (VIT): 108/98
Dexterity (DEX): 93/85
Agility (AGL): 68/62
Perception (PER): 60/55
Intelligence (INT): 102/93
Special Stats:
Magic (MAG) [Recharges every 45 days]: 5/8 (41 days to regain one MP)
*Gained one point from awakening the System early.
*Gained one point from merging with the System.
*Gained one point from the Arc Moon Bloodline perk.
*Gained five points from challenges.
Perks (Stacks):
Arc Moon Bloodline (inherent): The god of the moon has blessed your bloodline in ancient times. Grants bonuses to Vitality and Aura. May the light of the Moon watch over you. Moonlight boosts Aura Recovery by 50%. Moonlight boosts stats by 10%
Savant (inherent): Increased battle instincts and tactical awareness. Allows the user an easier time in learning skills and understanding concepts.
Lightning affinity: Your reckless absorption of a raw and unrefined high-quality Lightning Dust gave you a high affinity for Lightning. Makes Lightning Dust/Abilities easier to use.
Aura Battery: You have survived forcibly expanding your Aura reserves. Increased Aura regeneration by a ft 100/hr.
Eidetic memory (temporary): You have always had an excellent memory. By having your INT over 100, you have unlocked this perk.
Sembnce: OVERDRIVE
*SECOND WIND: Allows instant refilling of Aura to the maximum once every 24 hours at the cost of halving your Aura recovery for the same period. Using it again within the Cooldown period provides only 25% of your reserves as well as disabling Aura recovery for three days. After three days, Aura starts recovery at 25% on the first day, 50% on the second, and 100% on the third. Can not be used again until AR fully recovers.
*CRITICAL BOOST: Provides a 600% stat increase that can be either distributed evenly or focused on one or more stats. Costs 10 AP/hr for every 1% stat boost. Can only be activated in increments of twenty minutes. Increasing stats to 100 does not have adverse health effects. Increasing stats beyond 50% of your current maximum may cause adverse health effects. Incremental increases beyond that will cause adverse health effects.
*?-?-?
Special Abilities
Observe (D-rank): The most basic ability of the “Extrasensory Perception” ability tree. Allows you to view information on a target within your sight. Must have visual confirmation on the target. Range depends on Aura usage. Information depends on Aura usage. Aura Sense implemented into the ability; you can now view the target’s emotions.
Storage Space (D-rank): The most basic ability of the “Pocket Dimension” ability tree. Provides you with one cubic meter of space where you can store non-living things inside it. Must be touching the item to store it. Does not require Aura to use but could have additional features through the application of Aura.
Search (C-rank): Allows you to track and monitor a target through their energy. Current energies that can be tracked are Aura and Magic. The base range limit is one mile, but can be expanded through Aura. Can use more Aura to track more than one target at the same time.
Sub-Ability: Pathfinder; Can use Aura to visualize the most direct route to your target.
Skills:
Crescent Wave: Channel 100 AP to a compatible weapon and unleash a one-meter-wide Aura attack with a range of 10 meters. The speed of the attack depends on skill and power of the swing. Can channel more AP for more devastating effects.
Aura Sense: Can passively sense targets that have Aura. Can be actively used to sense targets within a certain range for their Aura and emotions. Costs 1 AP per second for every meter away from the user.
Status Effects:
Sembnce Overused I: Aura recovery reduced to 25% (Time remaining: 7 hours, 9 minutes). Ability [Second Wind] disabled until Aura recovery returns to 100%.
Blessings of the Moon: You are under direct moonlight. Aura recovery increased by 50%. Stats increased by 10%.
Css was something Jaune and Krystal came up with to extrapote someone’s stats and abilities and assign them a suitable css that compliments those stats and their style of fighting. He hasn’t decided yet on his own, though he had to fight the urge not to go all geek-like and decre himself a Heroic Padin. It’s why Krystal was responsible for assigning csses, the neutral, responsible guy that he was.
It was a pleasant surprise when he discovered the boost he received from the moonlight. It only applied in direct exposure, and if he went indoors, or if a passing cloud blocked the moon, he would only get half the benefits. It was still a considerable benefit, nevertheless, considering the fact Grimm preferred to operate at night.
Then there’s his new temporary perk, Eidetic memory. Jaune had always had an excellent memory, but with his INT breaking the 100 mark, it appeared to get even better. He could perfectly recall any scene he remembered today, although he couldn’t remember all he heard. Jaune knows it’s a step below the legendary Photographic memory, which he guessed would require him to get his PER up to 100 along with his INT. That was a major work in progress, although if he could boost his stat with Critical Boost…
Jaune dived into his mind for a minute, where he found his Sembnce awake but still sluggish. A mental conversation with it had him sighing in exasperation. Those perks weren't magical power ups, just indicators that his stats have surpassed the human limit and as a consequence he had managed to develop a talent, or more like Krystal is encouraging him to develop a certain talent. Jaune's dominant hand was his right one, but he was confident in his ability to use his left hand for nearly anything his right hand could do. At least before Krystal, as now his left hand wasn't as dexterous. Maybe when his DEX reaches 100 it will be different?
On the bright side, he also learned that his Sembnce was nowhere near done developing, considering the ?-?-? that was on his status screen. Jaune will need to reflect and explore more to figure out what else Overdrive can do.
On a side note, his AC went up by a single point, but he wasn’t surprised. Jaune estimated that his pre-Krystal level was in the 40s or 50s, and he guessed that his AC would simply return to that level naturally. It's what comes after that he would have to train for.
His Aura recovery was going well, all things considered. Jaune had tried to get around the debuffs to his AR by using Second Wind but failed. Apparently, the ability was disabled until he fully recovers his AR, proving that Second Wind should be used sparingly and reserved for emergencies.
Jaune had wasted some Aura using some of his abilities throughout the day, as well as discovering new ways Observe and Search worked, but most importantly, he had completely recovered his stats just as he hoped. After using Observe on many different targets, Jaune had managed to get an idea on the average human's stats.
First, all his targets had their Aura locked. Even though he had the opportunity to Observe a target with unlocked Aura, he opted not to in order to save on Aura. Generally, it costs him 10% of the target's avaible Aura to Observe them, yet it only costs a single point to Observe someone without Aura.
Second, the least amount of Aura he found on a human target was 100 and that was a newborn. The person with the most Aura also happened to be the oldest person in town, an eighty-year-old grandma at 273 AP. Naturally, there were a few outliers here and there, but generally they all followed the formu of the older you were the more Aura you would have. Animals also had Aura, as Arthur and the Dragoon horses proved, but as a rule they were always lower than humans.
Lastly, civilians on average have stats ranging from 40 to 60, with INT being the generally highest stat. Makes sense, as humans were known for their intelligence in comparison to other mammals. Naturally, a craftsman like a carpenter would have above-average DEX, while a borer usually has more VIT and STR than normal. AGL and PER appears to be the rarest stats Jaune found as nearly everyone had theirs below 60. The only outlier was a young Deer-Faunus, and Jaune guessed it was genetic rather than from training.
Then there was the difference between men and women. Men generally had higher stats than women, with the exception of INT where women generally have the advantage. Again, it's all about brain power, not actually how smart or wise a person is. On the other hand, women almost always had higher Aura than men. This might actually expin why it's more common to find female Adventurers and Huntsmen than male ones.
The moon hid behind a cloud and Jaune stifled a yawn. He wasn’t particurly sleepy due to the moonlight energizing him even when hidden, but he knew he needed to sleep soon or else he would be lethargic for the rest of the day.
‘As soon as Sara returns. Sleep could come after. I only need four hours to be well-rested.’
He looked back at Fie. The Cat-Faunus was dressed the same as when she woke up this morning, but even as she slept, she kept a knife tied to her thigh, and he knew she had another one under her pillow.
The aspiring Huntsman turned on his Aura Sense, as had become the norm since he discovered its true potential earlier in the day. He looked at Fie's serene yet sharp Aura as if coiled for action even when sleeping. Curiously, he wondered what kind of life did the girl endure to be always on guard like this.
He sighed at the thought, Jaune liked to imagine he had gotten close to the cat girl, but he doubted she would open up about such a subject when they had only known each other for a day. He turned towards the window, wishing he could cover the entire town with his senses, but he knew that would probably drain him of all the AP he recovered if he tried.
'Hang on. The skill forms a circle with me at the epicenter. What if I focus on a specific direction instead? Maybe like sonar?'
Eager to try out his theory, Jaune focused his senses towards the west, where he knew Sara would be returning from. He sent out a pulse of Aura that cost him ten AP. It did nothing besides Fie shifting in her sleep.
It… didn't return. Of-bloody course, it didn't return. He doesn't actually know how Sonar worked! Jaune sighed at his failure. He should have focused more on those csses his grandfather had him attend. Time to rethink his strategy. His current base range and cost was ten AP for a one-meter radius for one second. What if he maniputed that circle instead?
Jaune stood and walked towards the window. He tried again, but instead of letting the skill form around him, he aimed it down the street looking west. This time it was much better with visual confirmation, as he could see the very dim lights that signified the locked Auras of the townsfolk. Jaune easily ignored them as he narrowed his Senses further until he finally found his target. He couldn't see her, but he could guesstimate that she was exiting the Barracks. She was alone, so Jaune thought she must have just finished her after-mission report and caught her on the way out. Her Aura was like the sun when compared to the locked Aura of the residents.
He deactivated the skill and checked how much it cost him AP-wise. Jaune had used it for about four seconds, and it cost him 40 AP. Not bad at all. If his AC was higher, it would have cost even less. It might have even provided him with more information other than identifying the target.
'Might as well meet her downstairs.' It's a twenty-minute walk from the barracks to here, but Jaune doubted she would walk. She's a powerful adventurer and would probably sprint here to get something to eat. He chuckled at the thought.
“What’s so funny?”
“Eeeekk–guh.” Jaune did NOT jump so high he bumped his head on the windowsill and most certainly did NOT shriek like a little girl. He turned balefully at the now awake Cat-Faunus standing right behind him, who had a shit-eating grin on her face… or well, what could be considered one on her usually impassive face.
Jaune rubbed his head at the phantom pain, his active Aura having protected him from harm. “When did you wake up?”
The girl’s eyes gleamed in the darkness with mischief, “When you did whatever it was with your Aura. So, what’s up?”
Something pinged in his senses, and a quick gnce out of the window had him moving out of the way of a flying Sara, who nded silently in the room.
She slowly rose to her feet before turning towards them with a rge smile, “Hi, kids. What did I miss?”
“Oh, this rainbow trout tastes great. Who was it that caught it again?”
While Sara went for a shower, Fie heated her dinner in the kitchens downstairs as the microwave was not suitable for obvious reasons. The older Adventurer was enjoying her first solid meal since breakfast of the day prior.
Jaune pointed to Fie, who grinned at Sara with her customary peace sign, “Found some fishing gear in the market. Took her fishing in the nearby stream.”
Fie nodded her head energetically, “I never got the chance to catch fish with a pole before. Usually, I would just grab them barehanded or knife them as they get close.”
Sara hummed as she finished her meal and washed it down with a mug of beer that Fie had procured for her. Jaune didn’t think it wise to drink alcohol so te at night, but she’s a grown up, she could handle the consequences herself.
“That’s great to hear, sweetie. I guess we could start going fishing just for the heck of it if you'd like. I’m gd you two had fun. Today was brutal enough as it is.” Sara sighed as she gulped the st of her beer and stretched in her seat, causing Jaune to avert his eyes as the woman was only wearing a tank top over her underwear. He pretended not to see the sly smirk she threw at him.
“So what happened?”
“Apart from a wild goose chase? Found a Grimm nest a few clicks away from here. An abandoned quarry, the massive kind, chock-full of all sorts of Grimm. Beowolves, Ursas, Death Stalkers… the works.”
Jaune frowned, “That doesn’t sound good. Such a rge gathering of different kinds of Grimm so close to town? They would sooner tear themselves apart than cooperate unless there was a much more powerful Grimm holding them to its will.”
Fie nodded along, “Not like you to leave a nest like that undisturbed, Sara.”
“Nothing I could do about it. I can’t tell you anything more, Jaune, as currently you are just a civilian.”
Jaune nearly scowled at that before pausing, “Currently?”
“Yep, currently. Before we continue, I would like you to answer a few questions for me if you don’t mind.”
Jaune frowned at the sudden change of topic before nodding for her to continue.
Sara expanded her Scroll to tablet mode and brought up his file from the Adventurer Hub. “You have already completed the required missions to be promoted to C-rank, yet you have not received a recommendation from a B-rank or higher Adventurer to advance. I can only assume that your grandfather decided against recommending you himself for fear of accusations of nepotism and favoritism. Am I correct?”
Jaune shook his head, “Not at all. Gramps would have done it in a heartbeat and spped anyone who compined regardless.” Sara snorted in amusement, “It's just that he had been very busy with his navy duties due to the increased raids by pirates from the south as well as a resurgence of aquatic Grimm. I couldn't afford to wait for a suitable Adventurer to take me on a C-rank or higher mission to evaluate me, as I had other familial commitments.”
The older Adventurer nodded with a smirk, “Yeah, that sounds like the Colonel alright. But I’m surprised he didn’t take you with him on those boat rides. I’d have thought you would relish the experience of fighting at sea.”
Jaune folded his arms and looked away, “It just wasn’t for me, I guess. Gramps took me on a few and I did adequate enough that he saw no more need to take me on a dangerous mission like that.”
‘There’s no way in hell I will tell her that my motion sickness prevents me from getting on ships for too long. Oh gods, the rocking… how do they handle that stuff?!’
Jaune shivered involuntary at the thought, but thankfully, Sara just shrugged and moved to the coat hanger and tied her coat around her body, just enough to look decent.
“Fie, report on your observations of Adventurer Arc.”
Jaune snapped to attention at the formal usage of his title. He turned to Fie, who had also dressed into her coat at some point, to find her throwing him a small smile before she stood straight and reported concisely.
“Jaune Arc has shown that he was observant of his surroundings when he woke up. He continued to prove his observant nature as we descended the stairs to the Inn, even when he was in pain. Moreover, during breakfast, he made sure there were no eavesdroppers on our conversation. Furthermore, as we travelled towards the barracks, he had his guard up in an unknown environment and kept a close eye on any potential threats. Throughout the day, in the market and outside of it, he practiced constant vigince as much as he could and did not hesitate to identify potential threats or ask a more experienced adventurer for advice or opinions.”
Jaune cocked an eyebrow at that. The only ‘threats’ they faced were the two angry merchants and a bad-tempered badger when they went fishing.
“He has also shown a kind and helpful side consistently. He did not hesitate to help a civilian find her purse, stop a fight between two foreign merchants, and saved another merchant from a predicament while continuing to help her, expecting no reward for his services.”
Sara nodded along, “Have you watched the recordings he shared?” Sara continued at Fie’s nod, “What are your thoughts on his combat abilities?”
“Adventurer Arc had shown high expertise in combat and strong willpower to defeat the creatures of Grimm as well as resourcefulness and skill to prevail against an overwhelming foe with extreme odds set against him. That alone is enough for me to recommend him to be promoted to a C-rank adventurer, but I shall reserve the final judgment in that matter to A-rank Adventurer Valestein.”
Jaune gawked at the white-haired girl, finally understanding what was going on here. He looked at Sara expectantly only to find the older adventurer had set her Scroll on the table and only now noticed that it was recording. Thankfully, he had dressed into something besides his shorts and tank top when Sara was showering. It also expined why the older woman put on her coat.
“I, too, have perused Jaune Arc’s evidence of his battle against the Grimm in the Vale Mountains and agree with Adventurer Fie’s assessment of his fighting prowess. I have concluded that Jaune Arc has thus proven himself to be worthy of a nomination to be a C-ranked Adventurer pending his acceptance of the mission parameters I shall state shortly.”
At that, both Adventurers looked at the blonde, and Sara continued, “Adventurer Arc. Do you wish to advance in the ranks of the Adventurer guild to reach the much-vaunted C-rank and beyond?”
“Of course I do.” Even if he was going to be a Huntsman, becoming a C-ranked Adventurer would look good on his record.
The A-ranked Adventurer grinned at the instant response, “In that case, I hereby offer you a chance to be promoted to C-rank. You are to join this mission under my command, as well as Fie's, due to her higher rank. This was originally a C-rank mission, but due to extenuating circumstances, both the Mayor and Guard Captain have agreed to bump it to B-rank. I cannot divulge the parameters of this mission until your acceptance, however.”
Jaune frowned at that, “Usually, it would be the other way around. I cannot accept a mission without knowing what it entails. For all I know, you could be tricking me into accepting an illegal mission.”
The older woman smirked, “Smart. I see the Colonel has drilled in your head his Modus Operandi. ‘Trust but Verify.’”
Jaune remained silent and resolute as he knew the woman was testing him. Or probably teasing him, as he could feel a rge amount of pyful energy emanating from her Aura.
Sara continued on, “Very well then, that is a fair condition. Before I give you the mission, I must first expin mine and Fie’s original mission here. Originally, we were supposed to rendezvous with a Veteran Huntsman and his partner, some sort of priestess who occasionally visits these festivals to bless the fields and crops. Don't roll your eyes at me, young man,” Sara rebuked, with her hands on her hips, at Jaune's unconscious act.
“I don't know about her religion, something to do with the Seasonal Maidens if I had to guess, but I was assured she's the real deal. It might be a Sembnce or… magic,” at that it was Sara's turn to roll her eyes, “but the power she exhibits is very real. The priestess has been around for decades and before Fertilizer Dust came around, she was the main reason this region was fertile enough to attract settlers from Vale and compete in the market. She still visits occasionally for tradition’s sake and the people believe in her being a vessel for the gods or something of that tune. There is an old church on the opposite side of town dedicated to the four maidens that the townspeople care for, so this should give you an idea of how important the people of Celdic view this priestess.”
Jaune shouldn’t have been as surprised as he did, considering he himself had magic and Krystal had implied that there were others around who had magic. He wasn't expecting he would meet a magic user so soon. Jaune wondered what he would discover if he Observed her? Maybe they could discuss magic and learn from each other! Sara's next words shattered that hope.
“Unfortunately, they were supposed to be here days ago. I waited yesterday to no avail and Mayor Otto had no clue where they were. Finally, I just got a message straight from Beacon sent to the Garrison. The priestess was grievously wounded in an attack and the Huntsman was forced to escort her to safety. He did not know when he would make it here, only that he would do the best he could. This means that Fie and I will be responsible for town security, patrolling for Grimm, defending the repair crew on the Repeater Tower, raising the townfolks’ morale, and finally investigating the rumors of bandits in the region. Rumors that were unfortunately proven to be true earlier today. Suffice to say, we are extremely understaffed for such an undertaking.”
“What do you mean the rumors were proven to be true?”
Sara held up her hand, “Not yet, Arc. Let me finish.” He nodded in apology, and the older woman continued, “After speaking with the authorities here, we have reached an agreement. Our mission has been bumped to B-rank, with the possibility of it even rising to A-rank if a catastrophe struck us unawares. Nonetheless, no matter how competent and powerful me and Fie are, there are only two of us. Which brings me to offering you a position in our team for this mission as well as an opportunity to be promoted to C-rank. Three birds in one stone if you will; you gain experience working with awesome Adventurers like us.” Sara fmboyantly pointed to herself and Fie, with the younger girl fshing another one of her peace signs, “You get paid very handsomely indeed, and finally, you get that rare promotion that you can put in your pedigree.”
Jaune smiled, it truly was an opportunity like no other, and he would be mad not to accept. He still had a few reservations though, “Before I accept I have a few questions of my own. First, what assignments should be expected of me?”
“You will be assigned tasks that include but are not limited to; security details, patrolling the Marketpce and guarding the warehouses. Wall patrols. Field patrols. Grimm extermination and finally investigation of potential criminal elements. The duration of this mission starts the moment you accept it and sts until relief arrives from Beacon and we are no longer required to provide support. You are expected to provide at least eight hours of bor daily with no days off with the possibility of it extending indefinitely in the case of an emergency. It should not st longer than the end of the month, however.”
The younger man nodded as that was all within expectation, “What would my mission payment be?
“Your cut of the pay is set at ￡100 an hour with potential bonuses for any problems solved, which is to be negotiated with the client upon the completion of the contract. Furthermore, I have spoken to the mayor and the Lieutenant, and they agreed to put in a good word for you to Beacon depending on your performance. If you do not have any other questions, will you accept this mission?”
Jaune thought at the offered pay. It was not bad at all for a D-rank adventurer, but for a B-rank mission the pay should have been higher. Then again, Celdic didn’t appear to be overly rich, and they still had to pay for the Garrison here. Regardless, ￡800 a day as a base pay was not bad at all. Not to mention the extra bonus of Beacon learning of him through the town’s endorsement, that’s precisely what Gramps had told him Ozpin would look for. “I accept this mission, and humbly put myself under your command, Sara Valestein. Adventurer Fie.”
Sara shut off the recorder as both She and Fie smiled at that, “Unfortunately, due to the busy nature of the festival, we are not provided with lodging or food expenses. That will have to come out of your pocket.” Sara finished with a wink.
Jaune rexed, “So we are done with the formalities? I didn’t know you had to record it.”
“Yeah, it's an obscure but necessary rule.” Sara fiddled with the Hub app before Jaune’s Scroll beeped. She then took off her coat and hanged it back on the hanger, “We aren’t anywhere near a guild house for them to do the bookkeeping, so we have to keep records ourselves and submit them ter. Accept the mission I sent you, and you are officially half-way to promotion. Due to the weak signal, we won’t be capable of updating the records globally until the tower is repaired, but for our local needs this will do.”
Jaune did as he was asked, after checking the mission parameters and finding them virtually the same as what Sara stated.
“So what was up with all the questions? I can understand needing to know my combat abilities, but that didn't seem to be as big a requirement for you as knowing my personality, it seemed.”
Sara gave him a serious look, “Tell me Jaune, as an aspiring huntsman, what is your most important duty aside from killing Grimm?”
He refrained from blurting out the obvious answer of keeping the people safe and thought deeply about her question. Killing Grimm was always a good thing, and didn't require anyone to be Huntsmen or even Adventurer. A duty that is expected out of Huntsmen? He thought about his day so far and how Sara conducted herself, as well as Fie's observation of him, and he thought he found an answer.
“To make sure the people I am protecting feel safe and happy, for if they feel otherwise, they would attract more Grimm.”
“…Good enough answer, I suppose. There is another reason, of course, and that is the fact that while Grimm are monsters, they are predictable monsters. Humans can be worse than Grimm in so many ways, and combine that with our intellect, a Huntsman will find that dealing with criminals is a lot more challenging than Grimm.”
Jaune wanted to deny that. Why would humans fight among themselves when the threat of the Grimm was ever present? In his mind, he understood Sara’s reasoning and that he was being unrealistically naive. And yet…
At Jaune’s mencholic face, Sara gave him a sad smile. “You have never dealt with the bad elements of human society, Jaune. I pray that you never have to, but it’s still a fact of life. As an aspiring Huntsman, you should prepare yourself for the inevitable.”
Sara carried on once she was sure Jaune understood her words, “There is also the fact that Adventurers have a poor reputation. Too many Adventurers turn to crime, or were criminals looking for a second chance. The least I could do is make sure whomever I'm mentoring has the right attitude for the job and not drag down the Adventurer name even further.”
Jaune put away his Scroll as he nodded to the older woman. It's not a perfect way to judge someone, but it's good enough for the situation.
“One st thing, Jaune. I specifically keep this off the records for everyone I work with, we are all entitled to our secrets after all. Is there any special ability that you would like to share that could prove helpful in this mission?”
Jaune thought deeply about what to share. He honestly wasn’t bothered with telling them about his magic abilities. Sembnces and Aura techniques were so esoteric and vague most of the time that he could pass magic off easily as an Aura ability. Heck, to this day, he was unsure what his grandfather’s Sembnce was and the way he uses it makes him think it's actual magic.
There was also the fact that it was simply irresponsible of him to not notify his leader of a power that could potentially save lives.
“Yes, I do. I have shown you my storage trick. I have two more abilities I would like to share that, I believe, would be helpful in the mission. I will keep it short; the first allows me to be very Observant of people. It costs Aura, but I could learn information from my targets that they would rather not share. Mostly reted to their strengths and weaknesses, although it is untested on people with Aura. What I am confident in reliably learning, however, is the Aura levels of anyone I meet due to my Aura Sense, which is another ability I developed strong enough that I was able to find Fie when we separated for a while.”
Sara looked at Fie to confirm and got a nod in return, “He found me quite quickly, actually. Your other senses need work, but I believe I can rely on your ability to sense Aura. I’m the opposite, I have keen senses of smell, hearing, taste, vision and touch, but I can barely sense Aura for some reason.”
Jaune smiled at her endorsement, “We can work on that together ter on, Fie.” He turned back to Sara who had her eyes wide in surprise as he continued, “The second ability is a tracking one. It also costs Aura and requires me to be familiar with the target’s Aura to track. It does not appear to work on targets without Aura, meaning I cannot track Grimm with it.”
Sara nodded her head in thought, “That would be a good reason to keep you here in town. You would do a lot more good Observing people in case hostiles sneak into the town, then potentially tracking them back to their base. Something to keep in mind, but we have our first assignment in the morning, and it’s clearing the nest I mentioned earlier from its Grimm inhabitants. Incidentally, can you dispy that ability of yours? Use it on me, for example.”
“Probably not at the moment. I have still not recovered my Aura enough to spend it so frivolously.”
Sara frowned slightly and approached the younger man. She raised her hand before remembering herself, “May I?” At Jaune’s nod, she pced her hand on his shoulder. Jaune felt an intrusive yet electrifying feeling that sted for a second before she let go of him and her frown deepened. “Kid, you have nearly as much Aura as Fie here. I am not good at sensing Aura by any means, certainly not as good as you appear to be, and I know you Arcs have monstrous Aura reserves, but you must have recovered at least a third of your Aura by now, right?”
Jaune looked away in embarrassment as he mumbled, “six percent, actually.”
If Jaune thought Sara was surprised earlier, then now she looked utterly fbbergasted. Even Fie’s impassive face had its jaw dropped in shock.
“S-six percent? How the hell? Not even the Colonel has so much Aura! And he and his daughter are the absolute extreme when it comes to Aura reserves that I know of in the world! You’ve also been recovering for four days now, how the hell?”
Jaune chuckled at Sara’s shock, “I did tell you I overused my Sembnce. I only started recovering my Aura after breakfast and it's been slow-going. As for how much Aura I have, I got an idea on that. Do you mind?” It was his turn to raise his hand to Sara, as he had gotten an idea on a different method to use Observe. So far, he had been using it on unwilling targets and from distance, but earlier it had cost nothing to observe Arthur. At first, he thought it had to do with his bond with him, but noticing how Sara first asked for his permission before measuring his Aura, it may not be so.
The older woman nodded her head, wanting to see where this was going. Jaune pced his hand on her shoulder with his Aura Sense active before concentrating with an Observe.
Profile:
Name: Sara Valestein
Css: Dust Warrior
Age: 25
Height: 5’9”
Build: Lean-Hourgss
Race: Human
Stats:
Aura Points: 612/1,853 (111/hr)
Aura Control: 105%
Strength (STR): 76
Vitality (VIT): 84
Dexterity (DEX): 117
Agility (AGL): 102
Perception (PER): 78
Intelligence (INT): 82
Perks:
Ambidextrous: High DEX combined with hard work has allowed Sara to use both hands with equal proficiency.
Sembnce (écir): Provides a high Lightning affinity to the user. User can generate electricity by converting Aura to Lightning.
Lightspeed Fsh: a combination of high AGL and constant usage of her Sembnce as well as smart usage of her Lightning affinity to enhance her body has allowed Sara Valestein to have excellent reflexes and a quick mind.
???
Skills:
Lightning Charge: ???
Searing Fsh: ???
Thunder Vortex: ???
Thoughts about you: Cute kid. Now if only he was twenty years older…
Sara gasped as she backed away from the blonde, looking at him cautiously, “What the heck was that?”
Jaune also had to catch his breath at the rush of information and other emotions he received from the older woman. He shook his head as he looked at Sara, “That was me Observing you. I usually use it from distance, though you are the first target with Aura that I used it on. I’m guessing those with Aura would be able to feel it when I used it on them.”
The older woman nodded warily, “Guess so. It was a strange feeling, not necessary bad, but… I might be able to get used to it” She calmed down a little, before she smirked at the blonde. “So… what did you find?”
Jaune smirked back, “Plenty enough to be convinced that I’m in good hands. You have less than a fifth of my total Aura reserves by the way.” He waited for her jaw to drop before teasing her, “And really? Twenty years older? You do realize that I will still look retively the same thirty years from now, right?”
Her face took on a fiery blush as she stuttered out, “h-h-h-how t-the–”
“Magic.” he grinned at the completely off bance woman as he heard a giggling noise next to him. Jaune turned to Fie to see her with a sassy grin, “Oh he got you good, Sara. Wanna try it on me next?”
She looked expectantly at him, and Jaune didn’t need to be asked twice as he pced his hand on her head.
Observe
Profile:
Name: Fie
Css: Ninja Kitty
Age: 15
Height: 5’1”
Build: Lithe
Race: Cat-Faunus
Stats:
Aura Points: 837/837 (50/hr)
Aura Control: 88%
Strength (STR): 72
Vitality (VIT): 73
Dexterity (DEX): 103
Agility (AGL): 121
Perception (PER): 105
Intelligence (INT): 68
Perks:
Ambidextrous: High DEX combined with hard work has allowed Fie to use both hands with equal proficiency.
Flexible: High AGL combined with high DEX allows Fie to contort her body in unnatural ways yet still retain full control of her body functions.
Deadly premonition: High PER combined with Aura's innate danger sense allows Fie to sense dangerous situations and avoid otherwise fatal strikes.
Sembnce (Sylphid): Provides a high Wind affinity to the user. High-speed movements and stealth. Provides a ft bonus to PER and AGL.
Faunus: Night vision. Receives a bonus to PER.
Sub-spieces (Cat): Receives a bonus to AGL, PER and DEX. Higher chance to survive falling from heights. Likes to take naps.
Skills:
Concealing Wind: ???
Cipher Edge: ???
Sylphid Dance: ???
Thoughts about you: Nice guy. Is this what having an older brother is like?
Fie quickly let go with a frown, “Yeah, it’s a strange feeling. Felt like I somehow couldn’t hide anything from you, and you were observing my soul.”
Jaune nodded, “Makes sense as that was precisely what I was doing. And yes, Fie, you could consider me your big bro. I already took you fishing, after all. You are also very talented, and I can see that your strengths are also the result of hard work. I look forward to working alongside you.” He gave her a head pat, and she returned it with a shy smile before she moved to Sara to tease her some more.
And Jaune truly was impressed with both women. While he believed he would eventually surpass both of them stat-wise, aside from AGL and PER, he knows he's an outlier. Sara clearly used her Lightning-based Sembnce to enhance her body, simir to his Aura treatments with Kilika. His biggest shock, however, was the fact her AC was over 100. It seems he will need to reevaluate his goals, for if AC can go over 100, then he is very much behind. Her css of Dust Warrior was suitable, he guessed, for she was clearly a Dust Caster that was not afraid of going up and personal to get her point across. Whether with a sword strike or a bullet through the head.
Fie, however, really surprised him with her insane AGL and PER. This can’t just be from her being a faunus as he had met other feline faunus Adventurers and none of them exhibited such extreme abilities, even if he couldn't Observe them back then. He would like to think that she was simply that talented, but it might also have to do with her mysterious past. Jaune could easily guess that Sara was from Ats, probably an Academy dropout, but Fie was a complete bnk to him.
He was joking earlier when he called Fie “Ninja Kitty”, but it appears that Krystal seriously considered her to be as such. Kilika had regaled him with tales of her homend and mentioned those shadow warriors a few times. Warriors who would do the dirty deeds of their lords in secret, such as assassinations and spywork, yet were supremely loyal to their lord and had a strong code of honor. Unlike the warrior caste of Nippon itself. Fie did mention something about espionage work, didn’t she?
Sara had recovered by now and cpped her hands to grab his attention, “Alright, enough. We've established that you kids are awful meanies.” She still had a slight blush of embarrassment on her, but Fie had apparently decided to give her a break.
“We need to go over tomorrow’s assignment and I do want to have at least five hours of sleep tonight.” She gnced at the clock to show it was nearly three in the morning, “Ugh, make that four.”
They all ughed genially and went over what to expect tomorrow, from going on a quick visit to Odvin’s to get some DRs before heading out to the barracks. Things got solemn when she expined about the kidnappings, however, and Jaune worried about Fie as her Aura had gotten ice-cold when Sara mentioned the targets were children.
There was more regarding Grimm Bait, but Jaune had never heard of the term. Sara promised to expin more in the morning, but for now, it was time to sleep.
Our first actual canon character in the story (Saphron and Terra don’t count as they were in a fshback kek). Meg(an) Scartina is a fringe character that could barely be considered canon as she was only mentioned in the novels, not the show. I decided to make something out of her and Velvet who will have an important role ter on.
I was watching Puss in Boots: The Last Wish when I wrote the kitty eyes scene. Considering I own two cats, I can assure you that cats can have either a mean gre or the aforementioned pleading eyes.
Jaune’s gun is loosely based on the S&W 500 magnum but naturally with a sci-fi twist. Its oversized, colorfully themed to Jaune, can hold more ammo than it should, and can seemingly increase the power of its rounds. Rule of cool and all that shit.
It's obvious who the veteran Huntsman and his partner are. We were shown the Maidens in their destructive elements, but I am sure that many of them would instead use their powers for more peaceful matters in their free time. Not everyone is a psychopath like Raven, or a sociopath like Cinder.
Amber uses her powers for that. We never get how old she is, aside from Pyrrha calling her a girl. In my headcanon, she is in her early thirties and was apprenticed to the previous Maiden as well. She would also look young regardless due to Aura and Maiden power bullshit. Then again, I would guess Glynda to be in her thirties or forties yet she looks to be in her twenties. I guess the Arcs aren’t the only ones that can remain looking youthful. Aura is hacks like that.
Some may question how people seem to know about the Maidens. Pyrrha asked a simir question to Ozpin in the show and his reply works well for me. People have always believed in the Maidens' existence but the Maidens themselves have been hidden away.
I know the timeline does not match canon. Cinder attempted to recruit the White Fang first but failed, then the next day the Bck Trailer happened. Here, there is a gap of a few weeks between Cinder’s recruitment attempt and the Bck trailer. At least it would expin how Cinder grew her hair so quickly, and managed to find Amber.
