Capítulo 24: Chapter-24
General Ironwood acted immediately and began sending more aid to Mantle as per the request of Robyn Hill. This time, however, the pair presented a united front. While the people had been grateful for the help last time, there had still been an air of distrust surrounding the act. Now that Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses were helping to distribute and spread the word, it did a lot to smooth over the rough tension that had arisen due to Tyrian's attempt on her life.
New construction on the wall starting in earnest only helped solidify a turning of the tide. The bad news was that it meant that Amity was put behind schedule. The good news was that it was only by a matter of weeks, no longer than a month. That was as large a concession as Ironwood was willing to make but to Jaune, it was a huge step. A few weeks ago, the General wouldn't have entertained the thought of a single day of delay, let alone a month. The meeting with Hill and the capture of one of Salem's followers had clearly improved his overall outlook. He had finally recognized that he didn't have to do everything alone. He had allies; more than he knew.
Things were really starting to look up.
Personally, Jaune hadn't ever felt better than he did now. Sex with Fiona had been amazing and now he was floating on cloud nine. The stark contrast between how he had felt before and after was a worry, though. Ever since that time with Neon, it felt like he had been chasing that next nut. Weiss, bless her, had really helped out when she had tugged him off in the cinema – so maybe it wasn't just sex but the act of ejaculating? Was he really so addicted to it that it could affect him this powerfully? To the point where it didn't just improve his mood but also on a physical level?
That didn't seem normal. But ever since his first time with Cerise, this is how things had been going.
Maybe he needed to masturbate more but the thought of that was unappealing. Not because he thought it was gross or anything like that, but he'd rather be with a girl. Now that he had gotten a taste of what being with a woman was like, he didn't want to go back to the days of quick stroke offs whenever he got some private time. And he didn't need to go back to that.
Not when a number of his friends were so eager to help him out. He was a lucky guy.
For now.
Ruby knew about Blake, but the rest were ignorant of each other. He wasn't dating any of them but how would they react if they found out he was sexually active with their friends? He hadn't slept with Ruby or Weiss, but he had eaten out the former's pussy thoroughly and the latter had given him one hell of a hand job. Then there was the complicated situation between Blake and Yang. They liked each other but he had fucked the pair of them. Yang had made it clear she was down for a repeat performance, as well. It was odd.
He was starting to wonder if they cared at all? It seemed out of character for them but maybe they were willing to share.
Jaune shook his head.
Or maybe he was getting way ahead of himself again. All this attention was giving him a big head and not the good kind.
He could think about that stuff later. Right now he needed to concentrate.
The sound of construction buzzed around him, loud and fierce. Sparks flew as welding was in session; seams between metal plates fused together as molten hot rivets were pounded into pre-drilled holes and flattened out. A group of men hauled buckets of bolts as they expertly navigated the new set of steel beams, hopping across the scaffolding like they were born to it. Thick tubes were winched up into place by a hydraulic arm connected to a mixer truck, aimed over a crisscross of steel bars set within a narrow boxed out area. One of the foremen called out and after a moment, concrete sprayed from the end of the tube and filled the area rapidly. Soon enough, that concrete would become a reinforced pillar capable of holding considerable weight and help brace the wall. If all went to plan, it would withstand the might of a large Grimm incursion.
As long as it was completed in time.
Jaune reached up and tapped the ear piece he was wearing as he peered down a set of binoculars, "Grimm spotted at about four hundred meters. Sabyr-type, four of them."
The reply was instant, "I see them."
The unmistakable crack of rifle fire echoed across the construction site as Ruby sniped the closest one through the eye, blowing out the back of its skull and spine in a spray of gore. Its companions went berserk, spinning around in rage, trying to identify the attacker. Too bad Ruby was well out of harm's reach, perched atop the highest point of the wall, Crescent Rose resting upon her folded up cloak as she swiftly fired off another shot. The second Sabyr was hit right behind its facial bone plating, reducing the side of its head to a gaping mass of ruined flesh.
"Two for two," Jaune counted. "Think you can get a perfect score?"
Ruby scoffed. "Who do you think I am?"
The remaining two Sabyr realized the futility of the situation and had turned tail to flee. It seemed they had some intelligence, which was more than could be said for most Grimm. The third was felled by a perfect hit behind the left front leg, straight to the heart. The last tripped over the fallen body as it tumbled, flailing wildly as it attempted to regain its footing. Even with it moving so erratically, Ruby's last shot was spot on. It pierced the underside of its jaw and up into its brain, blowing off a portion of its bone plating. Brain and shards of bone sprayed across the snow.
Jaune grinned. "Four for four. We have a winner."
"As if I'd ever miss," Ruby preened smugly. He didn't need to see her face to know she was smirking arrogantly. "You owe me for doubting my amazing skills."
"Oh yeah? What do you want?"
Her reply was instant. "You know what I want."
Jaune paused, heart thumping a little faster. So much for thinking about it later. Was Ruby asking for what he thought she was? "Oh?"
"S-So you better supply it, mister," her voice was a little higher than usual, which was saying something. "Got it?"
"Sorry to interrupt whatever this is," Weiss deadpanned, voice cutting through the awkward tension like a knife. "But there are more Grimm approaching – in the sky, seven hundred meters out. Can you see them?"
Jaune scanned the sky, taking a moment to find them. There were two large Sphinxes amongst several smaller Grimm, moving in and out of low cloud.
This was a much harder shot.
Not that Ruby showed it. She must have changed rounds because when the first bullet impacted against the lead flier, it was engulfed in a ball of flame. It caused the flock to scatter as it plummeted to the ground. The second Sphinx met a similar fate, the Grimm shrieking as fire erupted across its body. Not that he could hear it, not at this distance. The smaller Grimm didn't stick around, darting away as quick as their wings could take them.
Ruby didn't bother firing at them. Even she would have difficulties shooting such small targets over that sort of range, especially when they were panic flying all over the place. The important thing was that they were no longer heading towards Mantle.
"Impressive," Weiss commented blandly. "You've earned a lollipop of your choosing."
Jaune snorted.
"Oh shut up," Ruby countered. "Why don't you try taking a shot like that? Oh wait, you can't – you don't even have a gun."
"Some of us have more sophisticated forms of slaying Grimm – isn't that right, Jaune?"
"Hey, don't drag me into this," Jaune complained.
"Myrtenaster is dumb," Ruby counter-attacked. "All it does is stab stupidly."
Jaune laughed. "What?"
"Ex cuse me?" Weiss snapped. "Myrtenaster is not dumb. It is a weapon of true elegance! The finest Multi Action Dust Rapier you could ever find. I seem to recall you being over the moon when I let you inspect it at Beacon."
"Didn't happen," Ruby denied.
"You dirty little liar," Weiss accused hotly.
"Who needs dust, anyway?" the younger woman continued. "The only people that use it are those that can't shoot."
"You just used dust rounds!"
There were a few seconds of silence.
"No I didn't."
Jaune had to cover his mouth to keep his laughter in check as Weiss sputtered incoherently. Ruby could be such a troll sometimes and it was particularly effective against Weiss, who took most things so literal. What had started as a little teasing on her part had been turned around on her and now she was the one growing frustrated as her partner had the time of her life. Growing up with Yang had equipped Ruby well for these types of situations.
"Well your scythe is – is really, really stupid!" Weiss hissed. "And you just copied it from your uncle anyway, who copied it from Maria, so not only is it stupid but unoriginal to boot!"
Ruby gasped.
"Take that back!" Ruby demanded. "You'll hurt Crescent Rose's feelings!"
"Good!" Weiss said emphatically. "I hope it cries itself to sleep tonight."
Jaune shook his head in disbelief. What was he even listening to?
"I do not believe weapons are capable of crying, dear sister," the voice of Winter Schnee suddenly said, cutting off whatever retort Ruby had on the tip of her tongue. "Are you quite well? I must say – this is wholly unprofessional of you."
Weiss made the strangest sound, half-squawk and half-scream. Jaune began laughing in earnest, no longer able to hold it in. Ruby joined him a second later, the pair howling. Weiss stammered apologizes at her sister but quickly grew incensed at their laughter, screaming at them to shut up.
It took some time but finally they all calmed down enough to greet Winter properly.
"What brings you to our corner of the kingdom," Jaune asked.
"It seems like in your fun, you've lost track of time. Your shift has ended," she replied with some amusement. "Or do you wish to continue?"
"You're taking over, sister?" Weiss asked, surprised.
"No," Winter admitted. "I just accompanied your replacements. I am here for something else. Meet me at the bottom, we have things to discuss."
Jaune frowned. He couldn't claim to know Winter very well but she sounded strangely annoyed. When they all gathered together, he found out why. Without a word, she handed Weiss a small envelope, the seal having already been broken. Jaune peered over her shoulder as she pulled out the contents, Ruby hovering on her other side. Even at a glance, he could tell the parchment was of the highest quality. Light blue patterns decorated the border in elaborate swirls and in the middle in large writing read, YOU ARE INVITED followed by SCHNEE MANOR BANQUET HALL.
Weiss glared at the invitation with disgust.
"So he finally crawled out from whatever rock he has been hiding under," she said scornfully. "Typical – only father would turn a hostile takeover into a fluffy PR move."
"It is worse than you know," Winter said grimly. "This isn't just an invitation to dinner. The other councilmen have also been invited and the General is expected to defend his seat on the council. He is trying to have him removed."
"Great," Jaune said sarcastically. "Just what we need."
"I still can't believe he won," Weiss shook her head.
Ruby looked pensive, staring at the invitation intently. "Maybe we could use this."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.
"Well, no one knows your dad better than you," Ruby smiled weakly, placing a hand on Weiss' arm in comfort. "And out of all the people invited tomorrow night, I bet you are the only one that can snoop around the house and not be questioned. If Jacques Schnee is up to something, I think we should know what it is."
No matter how deeply the technicians had looked, they hadn't been able to discover even a hint of voting fraud. As far as anyone could tell, the results of the election had been legitimate. Jacques Schnee was days away from being officially sworn in and coming into the full scope of his new political capacity. If there was something nefarious at play, now was the time to find out. If they were going to find anything, it would be at the seat of his power.
"I need to gain access to his personal computer," Weiss stared at Winter, setting her shoulders. "If he is hiding something, anything , it will be there."
Winter nodded. "I agree. I will be accompanying the General and so I cannot lend any aid. I leave this completely in your hands, sister."
The type of dinner hosted at Schnee Manor required that a certain dress etiquette be observed. Jeans and a shirt wouldn't cut it, and if they wanted to fit in and not draw attention to themselves, it meant they would need to look the part. General Ironwood and Winter would be in full military assemble, so they were already set, while the Ace-Ops were attending as security. They were simply guests invited only because Weiss was his daughter and they were her friends. He wanted to lord his new station over them, a show of power. Since he knew they were aligned with the General, it was just another form of politics.
Jaune needed a suit; he needed a very nice suit.
Thankfully, he had the perfect person to help pick one out for him. Who better than Weiss Schnee herself? She had been born to this, had lived her entire life before Beacon mired in galas and banquets and everything else that accompanied high society life. No one knew better than she did what was expected and so he placed his attire entirely in her hands.
She was more than happy to oblige.
He wasn't the only one that needed new threads so their entire group traveled into Atlas in the evening, intent on picking out the best dresses and suits they could find. It wasn't officially a mission but finding out Jacques Schnee's plans was important and General Ironwood supported their endeavors. Because of this, everything was being paid for by the Atlas Military, written off as a work expense.
When Yang learned she didn't have to pay with her own money, she had become giddy with excitement. Excitement that was infectious. As they traveled down the brightly lit streets towards their destination, Jaune shared a look with Ren as the girls chatted amongst themselves. They were outside their element.
Ruby was the only one not quite so enthused as the others, a disgruntled look on her face. Weiss had just informed her that she was required to wear heels. Jaune tried not to laugh at her plight.
The store they decided on was fronted by floor to ceiling crystal clear glass, showcasing several dresses and suits on display for passersby. When they stepped inside, they got a true scope of the size of the store. Rows of shelves ringed the room, filled with material and fabric of all kinds. For those not looking for a tailored dress or suit, there were plenty of pre-made options available, displayed on mannequins in various poses. The floors were hardwood polished until each grain was readily visible, a vibrant red oak. The walls that weren't taken up by shelves were a combination of handsome wood paneling and cream, patterned wallpaper.
Jaune didn't dare look at any of the prices. Even though he wasn't paying, he'd rather not know.
"I'll take that one," Ruby said bluntly, pointing at a random red dress nearby. Weiss clucked her tongue.
"Don't just pick it because of the color. Style is important. Certain types of dresses don't work well with particular body types."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Look – if I have to wear heels then I'm going to wear red. It's my color! And I'll look fine in that."
Yang circled around the dress, checking it out. "It has an open back, sis."
"On second thought," Ruby changed track, wandering off. "I think I'll have a look around."
Blake snickered.
"Well, ladies," Jaune said, nudging Ren to follow. "We'll just go sit over there while you pick out what you want."
"Hold it!" Nora pointed at them dramatically. "Ren, you're coming with me. I'll dress you first."
Ren shrugged at Jaune. "Good try."
"As for you," Weiss looked the blond up and down. "We'll do you last. But that doesn't mean you can't help us out, right ladies? We could use a male opinion."
Yang grinned, giving him a heated look. "Yeah, don't you want to see a bunch of hot babes in expensive gowns? Why are you trying to run away?"
Blake grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers. "This way, Jaune."
It wasn't like he was trying to escape. He just thought they'd want them out of the way until it was their turn. He knew how girls could get with this sort of thing. His sisters had been a nightmare around prom time, every single one of them. This was different to regular shopping. This was something else entirely.
It didn't matter that this wasn't a special occasion for any of them. They were just trying to blend in so they could snoop around Weiss' childhood home, discover any incriminating evidence that her father was a criminal at best, working with Salem at worst, and then get out of there. But it was a chance for the girls to strut their stuff and they were going to take it.
"Hello," a pretty woman greeted, her long platinum blonde hair pinned up into a stylish bun. "Can I help you?"
Yang grinned. "You sure can! We are going to the event of the year and we need to pull out all the stops. Think you can help us knock the socks off any guy that looks our way?"
The clerk looked them up and down, eyes calculating. "You're huntresses, correct? Excellent. I love working with huntresses. Don't you worry, darling. When I'm through with you, you'll be the belle of the ball. Each and every one of you."
The next hour was a bustle of activity as the clerk showed them around and helped pick out a series of dresses that would bring out their individual qualities to perfection. She clearly knew her job well and was enthusiastic, running them through the pros and cons of each color and fabric combination, how each cut and style of dress matched up best with what body type, the perfect footwear for each and which hairstyle would bring out their beauty the most.
While this took place, Jaune took a seat near the changing rooms and watched with an amused grin when Ruby was reeled in from wherever she had retreated, forced to endure a lecture on the wonders of elevated footwear and what they could do for the shape of your legs.
When they narrowed down their choices, the girls disappeared behind the curtains.
Ruby was the first out, hunched over shyly as she dipped in a silly curtsy.
"Tada," she said sarcastically. "How do I look?"
The dress was not red but it was close, a rich burgundy that went well with her creamy skin tone and matched well with her red tipped hair. It was a halter style dress with an illusion neckline, the sheer lace fabric embroidered with roses and vines and various other flowers, a sweetheart bodice underneath which drifted off into a fluffy skirt covered by tulle that ended right above the knee, showcasing her amazing toned legs. The heels she was wearing were small, glossy and matched in color perfectly, with a small strap around the ankle. She looked equal parts sexy and cute, an adorable look that was almost doll-like. When she turned, Jaune saw that it had a back though the sheer patterned fabric still highlighted the subtle muscles of her upper shoulders.
"You look amazing," he said, and it was not a lie. She looked good enough to eat and he should know, he had already had a fair taste. Ruby peered at him doubtfully.
"You think so?"
When their eyes met, she must have seen the truth of it. Ruby straightened up, standing confidently as silver eyes scorched him with their intensity.
"Definitely," he reassured her. Ren nodded next to him.
Ruby's smile was blinding.
Next was Blake, and Jaune felt his eyes instantly rove up and down her slender form. Her dress was much more simple in design than Ruby's but no less eye-catching for it, a sleek black satin dress that hugged every contour of her shapely, fit body. The thin spaghetti straps revealed her shoulders and collarbone, the small v-neckline highlighting a hint of plump cleavage. It had a high slit showcasing her slender leg as she stepped forward, and towards the hem Jaune noticed that it subtly faded into a deep, dark purple. She wore black, prominent heels that shaped her calves wonderfully.
It was pure sex appeal, plain and simple.
"Wow," Jaune said, staring at her lovely body. She gave a little twirl and it had a plunging backline, right down to just above her plump, pert butt. "Damn, Blake."
Her smile was a future promise, amber eyes molten heat.
Nora and Yang exited at the same time, and Jaune heard Ren's breath catch beside him. Nora looked resplendent in a sea-green floor length gown but his attention was immediately stolen as Yang approached him directly.
Like Blake's dress, Yang's had thin straps showcasing her shoulders and collarbone, though the v-neck plunged further between her ample breasts. Her dress was a light sky blue, the torso sheer and embroidered with pearls in arching lines. Under the sheer fabric lay two cups that hugged her amazing tits perfectly, allowing natural sag to highlight their size and shape. From the waist the dress flowed into a river of tulle that trailed behind her as she walked, a modest slit allowing range of motion and allowing a peek at her bare, long leg. Her muscular back was on display, though it didn't plunge nearly as far as Blake's.
She looked like a gem.
"Like what you see?" she teased with a wink.
"Yeah," he said roughly. "I like it a lot."
Yang shot him a naughty smirk.
Weiss was the last to appear and Jaune, already overloaded by the beauty of his friends, felt his heart stop as he caught sight of her. Her dress by far covered the most skin, yet it looked like her svelte body had been vacuum sealed into it. It hugged her body like a second skin, drawing attention to the gentle swells of her small breasts and hips, and her impossibly trim waistline. It was asymmetrical in design with one thick strap over her left shoulder, leaving the right bare, and flowed down to the floor in waves. The material was a deep dark navy blue and studded with thousands of tiny stones, glittering under the artificial light. It looked like the night sky, twinkling stars across the canvas of her body, and when she moved, everything rolled and moved like smooth liquid.
Jaune stared dumbfounded while Yang whistled in appreciation. "Damn, Weiss. Looking good, girl."
She had even removed her hair from the massive braid she had taken to wearing ever since they'd been in Atlas. It was now in the old style she favored at Beacon, pulled off to the side in an off center ponytail, though she had a lot more hair these days and it fell much further than it once did. It went well with the asymmetrical cut of the dress.
Weiss gave Jaune a haughty look.
"That is the reaction I was looking for."
Jaune hastily unglued his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "Weiss – you look beautiful. All of you do."
Fire flowed through his blood, blazing hot. When they did their make-up and hair for the event, they would look even better . He wanted to take each of them in hand, right here and now – he couldn't imagine the temptation when they were touched up to perfection. It would take everything he had to control himself.
The clerk clapped excitedly. "Yes, yes – magnificent. You all are truly stunning."
"We will take these," Weiss said before pinning Jaune with a look. "And then we move onto the boys. Prepare yourselves, gentlemen."
Status de energia semanal
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-- Pedra de
Poder