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The golden sand shifted endlessly underfoot, cascading in sheets at the slightest pressure. Vacuo was not known for its easily-traversable landscape and the group were woefully unprepared for the harsh environment. Nobody had thought to refill canteens or adjust heavy winter clothes before stepping through the Doorway – they'd all had more pressing matters occupying their mind, but their haste to return to the real world was coming back to bite them.
Yang's fur trimmed jacket had long since been shed and the arms hooked through a strap to keep it from dragging behind; Blake's outfit was worse still to modify. Even under the long overcoat she wore a layer of solid black thermals that couldn't be removed if she wanted to keep her dignity. The sun was even hotter than what she was used to in tropical Menagerie and drier to boot.
Ruby perhaps had the easiest time when all she'd had to do was shed the armoured tights and corset while the hood provided much needed shade for her fair skin. It had taken all of ten minutes for her face to start resembling the cloak around her shoulders and for Yang to bully the younger girl into covering up. Bad enough there was no water, heatstroke was a real threat.
Weiss had gone so far as to snatch Crocea Mors from Jaune's waist in a feat of frustrated strength – conveniently ignoring the surprised protest that escaped him at her brazenness – and used the honed edge to cut away several layers of insulating underskirt. The yards of material still lay in a heap at the foot of the Doorway some ways back, slowly being swallowed by the desert. Her shrug and gloves soon followed suit.
And Jaune...poor Jaune was being slow-roasted inside his armour. No amount of aura was enough to fight off the continuous heat that sunk into the metal shell, and with no good way to carry the plates he'd opted for suffering through wearing them. Weiss had tried her best to keep an ice glyph active on the biggest pieces with Blake donating ice dust from Gambol Shroud's cartridges when Myrtenaster ran dry, but after three hours of walking even that was depleted. Despite their best efforts he knew that the skin on his torso and arms would be scarlet and blistered.
He'd spared many, many silent thank yous to the Blacksmith since they'd arrived for restoring his old armour. The thought of lugging around the Rusted Knight's full plate in these conditions would have been enough to make him lay down and let the desert claim him.
“Gods, how much longer is this going to take?” Ruby's whine was emphasised by a muffled groan from Yang as she trudged behind her little sister. “The city didn't look as far away as this, why are we still walking?”
Jaune could only huff out a short breath in reply, all his energy focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not tumbling down a dune in an ungraceful heap. Sweat stung his eyes no matter how often he ran his hand across them. Weiss and Blake weren't faring much better, though they had less trouble keeping their balance in the unstable terrain. Between Blake's cat-like grace and Weiss's fencer's agility, they were perhaps the steadiest of the group.
“It can't be far now, once we get to the top of this dune we'll see what we're dealing with.” Blake skipped up a few more feet in a hurry to put an end to Ruby's disgruntled noises. “Here, I can see the top of the towers already!” Her call was almost lost in a sudden gust of wind that threw grains of sand into the air, coating them all in a thin crust that clung to their sweaty skin.
Jaune hated sand. At least this was finer, more orange than the soft yellow of the Ever After's beach. This sand may not have been as coarse, but the film of rough grit was a little too familiar after spending so long on that Gods forsaken shoreline.
He threw a hand up to shield his eyes from the small sandstorm, only to be almost bowled over as the wind picked up in concert with a deafening roar. It was instinct that brought his deployed shield up in a defensive stance, mind immediately jumping to the Jabberwalker, but no- they didn't make noises like this. Grimm then? It had been so long since anything had been a threat to him other than the strange creature that stalked the acres that it took him a moment to realign his priorities to this dimension. No, not Grimm, or at least not one he'd ever encountered.
Jaune peered out between slitted eyelids and almost fell to his knees in relief. Not an enemy at all – an airship!
He almost couldn't hear the cheers from team RWBY over the sound of thrusters, but he could see Yang find a sudden burst of energy enough to throw both hands in the air and let out a loud whoop. Ruby swayed a little as she pulled her hood over her mouth and nose, but Jaune could see how her eyes had brightened. An airship meant rescue. A smile cracked across his dry lips for a moment before flickering into something uncertain.
An airship meant people.
Logically he knew, of course, that he'd be interacting with people as soon as they hit the city. At the very least there would be security forces, residents and markets and crowds...somehow with all the walking he'd managed to push the thoughts to the back of his mind to deal with later. Well. Now was later. Jaune remembered being fairly outgoing as a younger man - if not the most socially adept - but he'd never had a problem getting lost in a crowd or striking up conversation with strangers. Now though...
His breath caught in his throat as the airship gradually lowered to touch down a short distance away, stabilizers screaming and sounding choked with dust. Ruby and Yang had already broken into a stumbling jog towards the landing zone with Blake following at a more sedate pace. Jaune tried to follow but felt his knees lock in place.
How long had it been since he'd seen another human other than the girls? Did he even know how to speak to people any more? Even his conversations with RWBY had been strange and stilted most of the time, and they were people he loved and trusted as much as his own team. He knew he wasn't right yet, wasn't sure if he'd ever be right again, and Weiss's words from before kept floating back to the forefront no matter how much he tried to shake them. He hadn't been trying to eavesdrop, had only walked in at precisely the wrong time to overhear a hurtful but probably truthful comment.
“He's clearly...not...all there.”
No. He wasn't, and he had known for a while that something was missing. Jaune didn't know if he'd lost it over the decades of waiting, or at Alyx's betrayal, or his failure as the Rusted Knight when the cat took the siblings to the tree, or – or before the fall.
Penny.
Had taking a life – the life of a friend, a life that had only just begun – had that truly broken him beyond repair? Or did it just set up his mind for a slow erosion as failure after failure stacked up in the Ever After? With such a small and battered soul, surely his aura must now be a fraction of the vast pool Pyrrha discovered.
The solitude of that place had been crushing at first. The weight had become lighter for a time when he acclimatised to his new reality, and when Alyx and Lewis fell too it almost lifted completely. Helping them get home had given Jaune so much hope. A renewed faith that things would work out, that he could have an escape plan in place for his friends when they finally joined him.
Being able to speak to beings that understood him, that could relate to simple things like emotion and dreams and the thought of simply existing without being shaped by some predestined purpose had been such a balm to his shrivelled sense of personhood. The Afterans could be cheerful and helpful and friendly enough at times, but they were painfully alien in ways that had Jaune aching for the briefest hint of humanity among them. He had almost forgotten what it meant to be human.
Finding out that Alyx had betrayed Lewis to the tree had nearly shattered him completely. Not only was his way out of the Ever After a fools errand, the people he'd become attached to were gone for good and one of them was more of a monster than the Jabberwalker. That news had been a blow that not even Juniper had been able to soften, despite her unconditional affection.
He'd felt fractured after that, more jaded than ever and it still showed. The loss of human connection, the way it was lost, brought that weight to bear worse than ever before. It had felt like sleepwalking through life with an anvil strapped to his chest in place of armour.
Reuniting with RWBY had helped pluck some of his thorns, but he knew he'd never return to being the green young man they'd known.
He felt like it was painted in the lines of his body, his face, his eyes, the white in his hair for all the world to see. Something was missing and it wasn't coming back.
He felt the urge to shrink away and disappear back into the sands.
A tiny, terrified part of him thought about the Doorway and cold familiarity.
The airship touched down, doors sliding back to reveal people in loose, light coloured clothing and head wraps. They were reaching out, calling something to the girls and offering hands up onto the ramp, flasks of water at the ready. Jaune watched it all with a distant gaze feeling strangely detached.
A hand on his arm startled him enough that his hand jumped onto the pommel of Crocea Mors.
Weiss stood at his elbow offering him a quiet smile.
“I'm here, and so are you.” she said evenly.
Such a simple statement, six little words that contained multitudes.
The pressure on his arm was firm but comforting. Grounding. He stared at it for a moment surprised to realise just how small her hand seemed. So small, yet so heavy. Strong. Holding him up as much as stopping him from drifting away. Jaune looked up again and met her eyes with a shuddering breath that rattled in his throat. Felt the way his muscles bunched and flexed at the thought of climbing in that airship, of being so exposed to strange gazes that would wind their way into the cracks in his armour.
“I-” he croaked at the rasp of sand and anxiety that clogged his throat, coughed and tried again. “I don't know how to-” be normal, act like a person and not a monster even though sometimes that's all I can see in the mirror- “I don't...its just been- a really long time.” he finished faintly.
Weiss slid her hand down his arm to find his own and eased it away from the sword. She clasped it tightly. He could feel the callouses from her rapier graze the rough skin on his palm and fingers, grip strong and warm.
“I know. It's a lot, I understand. But Jaune-” she ducked her head to meet his eyes as they tried to slide away in shame. “Hey, look at me,” she tugged lightly on his arm and forced him to meet her gaze. Jaune was surprised - not at the depth of warmth he found there, but that it was directed at him. Weiss had always been called cold by friends and strangers alike - in jest and as an insult - but he'd never understood why. From the moment they'd met, she'd been all fire.
“Listen.” The tone was commanding for all she tried to softened the edge. “It's going to be alright. Maybe not right this second, or later today, or next week, but I promise you it's going to get better. We'll run interference for you for as long as you need it, but I know you can do this. Things might be strange for you for a while, and no one can judge you for that. But we've got your back – whatever you need, however long you need it. Do you understand me?”
Brothers, how awful do I look right now if Weiss is pulling out a supportive speech?
Weiss's brow was creased in determination and the serious expression was so like the self-important look she used to wear in Beacon that it brought a reluctant smile to his lips. He wasn't the only one who had changed even if it was difficult to remember sometimes. He knew she wasn't lying either. If he needed his friends to let him lurk in the background for a while, get his bearings and have them take the brunt of interactions until he was ready, then they would in a heartbeat.
Weiss saw his upturned lips and smiled back almost helplessly despite the clear concern in her eyes. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze in gratitude and was pleased to feel it returned without hesitation. His appreciation was genuine, even if it didn't quite pump the brakes on his spiralling thoughts.
“I...understand. Thanks, Weiss.” He took another shuddering breath, this time a little more ragged. His voice came out in an embarrassing wheeze. Feeling like an idiot, he realised what was about to happen. “Can we stay here for a minute? I just- yeah I'm gonna need a second.”
She gave a slow nod, watching his expression carefully. When he didn't say anything else she stepped closer and propped her shoulder up against the side of his chest. To everyone else it might look like a comforting gesture or a private conversation. While that assumption wouldn't be wrong, she also hadn't missed the way Jaune was swaying slightly on his feet. He forced his knees to unlock and ignored how they trembled – better shaking than fainting. Weiss's free hand came up under his other arm and brushed against the still deployed shield. He still had the presence of mind to collapse it and she wrapped her arm around to press against the small of his back in a loose embrace, another point of contact to support his weight and ground him.
“Do you need to sit down?”
He shook his head minutely and hummed a denial, trying to bring the sick feeling of anxiety back under control. He had spent years managing panic attacks on his own and knew his limits, but this one managed to creep up in his distraction. With all the stimulation he hadn't noticed the tide coming in until he was already up to his neck.
Jaune drew long, deep breaths through his nose for a few beats trying to ignore how dry the air was, letting them out slowly through his mouth and focussing of the rasp of skin as he shifted his grip on Weiss's hand.
The earthy scent of the desert was almost invasive with how heavy it hung in the air, but underneath that and the tang of sweat he could smell something fresh and sweet that reminded him of winter. He spent a few seconds trying to place it, allowing that thread to drift through his mind and wind along until it was the only thing he was focussed on. It was familiar, but not something he recognised from the Ever After.
Pine needles...
There were a multitude of tree species in the Ever After, but they all had some odd quirk that set them on just this side of too-bizarre-to-be-real. Features that confused his mind and made it difficult to differentiate between Before the Fall and After. Trees that looked like species he'd grown up around, beech and oak but with bark that tasted of chocolate and felt like foam. Some that smelled strongly of pot-pourri, others that were garish shades of blue and yellow and smelled of nothing at all.
Pine needles though, that was something he hadn't had the pleasure of experiencing in many years. It reminded him of holidays to Argus to visit Saph, and latterly of standing in a memorial garden saying goodbye to a woman he'd loved. Even bittersweet, it was a scent that made him think of warmth and love, things that he could only associate with Remnant.
Jaune cracked opened his eyes and realised he'd curled even further into Weiss's hold to the point that his nose almost brushed the top of her head. He didn't know how long they'd been standing there – too long if the twinge in his back was anything to go by. Throughout it all she had remained an unwavering presence at his side, keeping him upright and steady. It was with a small degree of embarrassment that he straightened and tried to pretend he hadn't been using the scent of her shampoo to keep him grounded in the here and now.
He shifted his weight, feeling awkward and trying to avoid eye contact when she gave him another assessing look. The constricting panic that had been slithering around his heart and lungs had receded into something manageable and the only visible sign was the tremor in his extremities. Still there, looming in the recesses of his mind, but no longer an immediate threat.
Good enough for now.
“Sorry about that.” Jaune's voice came out rougher than he intended and he cleared his throat a couple of times to break past the embarrassment. He knew anxiety wasn't an oddity among hunters, and it was certainly nothing to be ashamed of - but knowing something and experiencing it was more difficult to reconcile than he'd expected. With the responsibilities they all had, even minor breakdowns felt like an unacceptable concession. Faltering was not an option and he felt...ashamed.
Even as he tried to brush it off, he knew Weiss wasn't going to let it go as easily as that. Her eyes narrowed again and he ducked his head feeling slightly hunted and not-unreasonably nervous for someone facing down the famous Schnee judgement.
You're twice her age, Arc. Get a grip and act like it.
“You don't have to apologise Jaune, never for that. And if I hear you doing it again I won't hesitate to hurt you.” Jaune knew she was only half-joking and winced, making careful note to avoid doing so in the future. “You look like you're doing a little better, but we can stay over here for a moment longer if you need it. Ruby has been a suitable distraction so far.”
Her wry tone drew his attention to where the team leader was sitting in the open doorway, gesturing wildly with a canteen in one hand and apparently talking a mile a minute. A few flapping hand movements were thrown towards the crew and Jaune could only guess she was interrogating them over their weapons. He spent a few shaky breaths watching Ruby interact easily with the aircraft crew and wondered how long it would take him to get back to that point.
He carefully derailed that train of thought. In that direction lay only the lung-crushing pressure he'd just managed to fold away. There be dragons, he thought to himself with a flash of dark humour.
“It's like looking back in time, huh? The more things change...” He nodded towards Ruby with a weak chuckle and shook his head fondly. He felt his voice go lower and softer - more tender, letting his fingers tangle with hers properly for the first time. “Really Weiss, I'm feeling a lot steadier now. Thank you for staying here. For helping. It means...a lot.”
The smile he managed felt a bit too tremulous and he wrestled it into something solid through sheer willpower. He felt the hand on his back curl into the material not covered by his armour and her lips tilted upwards in return. Untangling herself from the pseudo-hug they'd found themselves in, Weiss turned away with a tug on his hand, hiding her expression.
“Of course I did, I told you I'm not going anywhere. And I couldn't exactly leave my knight behind now, could I?” She began to lead him forward with measured steps and he allowed it, a startled bark of laughter escaping at the arch look she shot him.
“Oh, your knight, is it? I didn't get an invite to the coronation - are congratulations in order Your Majesty?” His amusement was plain in his voice and he noticed the sparkle of humour in her eyes before she turned her head even if her tone remained aloof.
“Queens aren't the only nobility to have knights in their employ if you must know, ladies are a high enough station to allow for it too. And of course I'm sure you're not doubting my noble status, are you?”
“Of course not, I could never. Though, her Ladyship Weiss Schnee is definitely a bit of a mouthful I think,” he tugged playfully on their joined hands and let some of the warmth he felt slip into his voice. She glanced at him out the corner of her eye, arching one delicate brow in question and he grinned back unrepentant. “I'll probably just stick with Snow Angel if that's alright with you.”
He counted the eye roll as a victory, especially when it was delivered with a small snort and a distinct lack of arguments. More than anything, he appreciated this. The easy banter was already helping him level out, even ignoring how it didn't come to him as naturally as it used to. He could tell that the worry was still there but she was trying to re-establish normality and Jaune treasured the effort.
Blake shot them both a look as they approached the airship, ears flicking pointedly and yellow eyes bright as she tracked their progress. Jaune only offered a small smile that grew a little strained around the edges when a members of the crew reached out to help him and Weiss aboard. Weiss ran her thumb along the side of his palm in an almost absent-minded gesture of comfort as she allowed a woman to pull her one-handed up the small gap between the ramp and uneven sand. He knew better though. Even when she turned her head to speak to Yang about sharing the water canteen, her eyes flicked back to him.
He took a deep, fortifying breath and reached out to the open hand. Large, thick fingers wrapped around his wrist and it took a second for his skin to register the crawling sensation of unwanted touch. Jaune gritted his teeth painfully and allowed the man and Weiss to haul him up between them, forcing his neck to loosen only long enough to offer a sharp nod of thanks. He relaxed his own grip as soon as possible and luckily the crew member seemed to read the cue, returning the nod and moving to the front of the ship without a word. Jaune's shoulders were still rigid and his spine felt like a steel beam as he tracked the movement around him and tried to keep his expression neutral.
He wished he still had the beard.
Apart from Ruby swinging her legs over the open side, Yang and Blake stood nearby with two other crew members chatting idly while he could see another two in the cockpit readying for take-off. He watched one of the women break off and approach him and Weiss with a friendly smile that he struggled to return. It felt unnatural and too full of teeth, so he dropped it quickly and tried to squash his surprise at the easy way Weiss stepped between them. It was subtle, barely a half step that was covered by her holding a hand out to the woman in greeting, but it was obvious to him when he suddenly found himself in her small shadow.
Without conscious thought, his muscles went from coiled like a spring to barely tense in a matter of seconds. The sudden unclench left him a little light-headed and he had to shuffle his feet to hide the sway. Jaune struggled to identify the strange feeling that blanketed him at that moment – not quite an emotion, something more like an aura, soft and...and guarded. Safe, he thought, with no small amount of bewildered wonder.
When was the last time he'd felt safe?
The shift pulled his arm across his torso to follow her movement, and it was enough to remind Jaune that he'd forgotten to let go of Weiss's hand. Her grip was as firm as ever though, so he let the guilt be washed away with the knowledge that she would drop him in a heartbeat if she felt uncomfortable. She was caring and compassionate – and less prone to hiding it since her stint in Atlas after Beacon - but Weiss knew her boundaries and was not afraid of enforcing them. It was something he'd always respected about her, even if he hadn't always respected the boundaries themselves.
The school dance seems like a lifetime ago. Has it really only been a few years?
The rueful flavour of his thoughts must have shown somehow on his face, or perhaps it was just the way his gaze settled on the woman next to him in wide-eyed awe. Whatever it was had Yang stepping around Weiss and the female crew member to approach Jaune with veiled curiosity.
“With all that metal, thought your butt would have been the first one trying to get in the air conditioned box,” Yang greeted him, lightly rapping her fist on his chestplate with a cheerful grin. He allowed her the opening salvo, recognising the careful probe for what it was.
She seemed in much higher spirits now that the doors were closing and they were all putting distance between them and the dunes. Jaune forced a small chuckle and raised his free hand to the back of his neck. It caught him off guard to graze bare skin instead of hair and cloth and the sensation caused his stomach to lurch. His smile faltered, but he recovered quickly.
Sometimes he felt like a stranger in his own skin.
The slip only reinforced his sincere desire to talk about anything other than his current mental state or what happened outside the airship.
“Heh, yeah I just needed a second to catch my breath. You try carrying all this metal around for hours, see how you manage.”
Yang scoffed and poked at his bicep, aiming for the unarmoured gap above his elbow. She opened her mouth to respond, and though the tone would no doubt be teasing he could tell she wasn't buying it. She could take a hint though, and that's one of the things he'd always liked about her. Yang was easy-going and perceptive in equal parts. She'd let you handle your own shit for as long as you needed, but the minute a push was necessary she would be by your side and ready to shove.
With her boot. Towards a cliff.
Yang was a big proponent of tough love when the situation called for it, and she seemed to have a pretty decent success rate.
“So what you're saying is you need some weight and endurance training? I've got you VB, as soon as we're settled in Vacuo I'm gonna kick your ass into shape!” She grinned but this time it had a sharp, menacing edge to it that made Jaune take a nervous half step backwards.
“You know, as fun as that plan sounds-”
“You think so, huh?”
“Really selling it to me, I'll be straight with you.” he eyed her warily, trying to spot any hint of her joking around. Yang seemed to be entirely, and unfortunately, sincere. He breathed out a silent sigh. “On a scale of one to Nora, how hardcore is your training?”
Yang scrunched up her face.
“A solid seven and that's only because Nora takes up 8 through 10.”
“Merciful enough I guess. Fine Yang, I suppose that couldn't hurt any.” He held up a finger to stop whatever response was bubbling up and adopted a stern look. “But. Everyone suffers with me.”
Jaune's proclamation was met with a low hiss from the corner Blake had settled into and a set of sharp nails in the back of his hand. Only Ruby seemed excited, whether at the prospect of team bonding or getting back to something as normal as training. Whatever the reason, her small cheer earned finger guns from her big sister.
“Ooh we're going to get the others in on this too, right?” Ruby called, mischievous expression almost matching Yang's. “I can't wait to see how much Oscar improves with you helping out, he's like a little noodle guy right now!”
Yang laughed at her sister's comment, shaking her head. “Ruby, Oscar worked on a farm for years. He's more ripped than Jaune under that ratty shirt.”
She moved off to scrub her hand through Ruby's mop and Jaune let the familiar sound of their bickering wash over him with a smile. Even in the Ever After they hadn't acted like this, too wrapped up in their own problems to relax enough for teasing. Yang seemed to have picked up the dropped threads and was doing her best to keep Ruby's spirits up, and from what Jaune could tell she'd been doing a good job. Ruby still looked drawn and pale from time to time, but nothing compared to how she'd acted before the Tree.
Blake rolled her eyes at the antics – especially when Yang caught a punch in the gut that she wasn't ready for - but he could see her upturned lips and the way she watched it all closely. He felt a presence settle in more closely to his side and turned to see Weiss doing the same. It seemed Jaune hadn't been the only one missing the easy banter between the sisters, nor was Yang the only one keeping an eye on Ruby's well-being.
“It was strange when they weren't really talking. I mean, I understand why, but it's nice to get some sense of normal back.” Weiss sighed lowly, somehow sounding both relieved and rueful at the same time. Her eyes flicked back to him with a scowl. “I will have my revenge for you sacrificing us to Yang, by the way.”
Jaune laughed quietly, feeling the lightest he had since standing in front of the Doorway in the forge.
“Oh I can fully believe that - still totally worth it.”
A brief glance around showed that the hold was empty except for Jaune and team RWBY. Weiss noticed him looking and nodded to the closed cockpit door. He...hadn't noticed them leave. Jaune felt vaguely uneasy at the realisation, unsure what to think.
“This is a Vacuo security vessel and they're members of one of the local militias. I managed to get some updates on what's been happening since the Atlas refugees arrived and its...honestly kind of impressive how well they're handling everything.” Jaune tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. Instead, she held up a canteen and shook it in his direction, reminding him of the painful sandpaper texture on his tongue. He immediately started making grabby hands for it, thoughts diverted.
“You really are an angel,” he intoned reverently as he popped the cap then spent a few mouthfuls swishing the grit out from between his teeth and gulping down half the contents of the flask. She laughed lightly at his behaviour and snatched it back with a deft touch, lifting it to her own mouth.
“You're going to drown yourself at this rate - and it's for sharing, you dolt.” She sipped some politely and ignored his whine, turning away to avoid his half-hearted swipes for the canteen.
“You're a cruel mistress.”
“What happened to 'angel'?”
“Did I say angel? I'm sorry, I meant She-Devil.”
“I'm doing you a favour. Do you really want to drink all this water during a flight?”
Weiss raised a judgemental eyebrow and he arched one right back. “Maria did a triple barrel roll on the way to Atlas and I didn't throw up once. Guess my body bumped motion sickness waaay down the stress priority list.”
“Yeah Weiss,” Ruby chimed in, grinning at the two. “We've been in the air for like ten minutes now, didn't you notice?”
Yang crossed her arms over her chest and laughed. “Nah, Weiss-cream is too busy figuring out how mature Jaune still is since he got Benjamin Button'd.”
Weiss sputtered loudly at that, waving her hands as if to ward off the accusations. Of course, between the open canteen in one hand and Jaune still grasped in the other, all she managed to do was splash water over him and encourage Yang's teasing. He ran a hand across his face with a huff of laughter and flicked the droplets back at her.
“That's not exactly what I meant when I wanted the water back.”
Weiss dropped his hand like it was scalding her skin and he only had time to feel a momentary pang of loss before she wound back and punched him in the shoulder. His grin widened and he rubbed at the injury with glee. It wasn't often Weiss was flustered enough to resort to violence.
“You, be quiet. You,” she whirled on Yang with an accusing finger pointed at the blonde and the other fist perched primly on her hip. “I know where you sleep, don't think for one second I won't retaliate with something ten times worse. And,” she asked menacingly, “should you of all people really be throwing stones right now?”
“Oh, come on!” Yang's stance remained entirely unrepentant, leaning her weight on her back leg to aim a devilish grin at Weiss. “I haven't made fun of you for this at all, you had to know it was coming!”
“We have more important things to worry about than - than whatever you're implying!” Weiss twitched like she was going to stamp her foot in frustration and only managed to refrain at the last second. It was strangely endearing to see the old mannerism coming to the fore, even as she visibly tried her best to squash the urge down. “Do you want to know what's been happening while we were gone or not?”
“As much as I like Rile Up Weiss Hours, she does kinda have a point, Yang,” Ruby interjected, even as she seemed somewhat disappointed to change the subject. Jaune shook his head at the exchange, amused despite himself. Setting off the unflappable heiress usually took a bit more prodding, and he wasn't entirely sure what Yang had been poking at in the first place. Something of a touchy subject, whatever it was. Although the way Yang had looked at him, inviting him to join in on the laughter, made him think it should have been obvious.
Perhaps an inside joke he'd once been in on, but had forgotten?
There were things he'd forgotten over the years, he knew that as fact. Small details that drifted away with each fresh sunrise in a strange place. The important things, the things he'd clung to, those were still present. His friends, their faces and the sound of their voices had never left him because he'd held on with both hands and refused to let it slip away. But there were smaller things - inconsequential conversations, what his dorm in Beacon smelled like, the exact shade of blue in his father's eyes...things that when he reached for the memory he found them worn and in some places gone entirely.
Sometimes he wondered if the Cat got to him after all.
His good cheer dimmed and he looked away from the bickering girls with a harsh swallow.
Weiss and Ruby were right; they needed to discuss what Weiss had discovered and try to come up with a plan. And he needed to focus on what was in front of him. Dwelling on the past brought only pain.