106

Chapter 106:

A soft tone sounded as Ruby pushed the door open, leading Jaune into the shop. This was a place that Coco had recommended to her, apparently being the foremost combat-attire shop in all of Vale.

Much like their weapons, many Huntsmen and Huntresses sought to make their method of dress into something emblematic of who they were. Of course, the important thing was properly achieving a marriage of form and function. Clothes had to look good, yes. But they needed to be something that wouldn't get in the way during a fight, and might also be a source of protection. Many Huntsmen and Huntresses actually reinforced their clothes with metal wire or concealed armor...when they weren't wearing the mundane variety of armor (like CRDL and Jaune).

While some Huntsmen created their own outfits, more often than not, they went to designers like this one, who specialized in the handling of the particular fabrics and accessories that were used to produce first-rate Huntsmen and Huntress outfits. As such, this place looked like a combination between a dress-shop, similar to the one where Ruby and the others had picked out their clothes for the dance, and an armory. There were mannequins and racks, showcasing various potential outfits and accessories, just as in virtually any designer boutique. However, said outfits featured armor-plating, rugged construction, and combat skirts.

"Wow! It looks so cool in here," said Ruby, her eyes lighting up. Just as with her swords, she was perfectly happy with her own outfit, which represented the family and people that had shaped her into who she was, while combining it with the symbol of the woman who'd given birth to her. At the same time though, she could admire all the different possibilities out there.

Jaune smiled, more enthused by Ruby's excitement than the fact that they were here for his outfit. He was still rather attached to it, even though he looked like, to use Ruby's term, an "armored hobo".

"Welcome!" cheered a friendly voice from the back, an effeminate man skipping out from between some racks of armor...at least, Ruby thought it was a man. His voice was certainly fairly masculine. But between his slim, graceful figure; and the silky, black hair that cascaded down to the level of his shoulders, framing an elegant face with a pair of warm, brown eyes; if he was a man, then he was one who could pass for a woman with a great deal of ease, with the right outfit.

Standing just a little shorter than Jaune, he was dressed in a loose, black tailcoat with wide sleeves that actually reminded Ruby a bit of the style that Ren wore, sporting some dark-green embroidery along the hems and cuffs. Below that, he wore a pair of rather simple-looking trousers, over a pair of dark-brown dress-shoes.

The moment Ruby realized he was there, she was struck by several things at once. First, he was well within the range of her senses, but hadn't appeared to them until he'd announced himself. Second, he moved with incredible grace and balance, the movements of someone who had complete control of his body. Third, his Aura was unlocked...and quite powerful. It wasn't on the level of hers, much less Jaune's, but it was fairly potent all the same, suggesting that he'd worked it quite hard in the past, a fact that was only further impressed upon her with its smooth, almost-Tempered quality. This man was probably a fair-bit older than he looked, and quite experienced, which suggested he was...

"You're a Huntsman," said Ruby, her eyes widening as the man approached.

"Indeed I was," said the man, coming to a stop and dipping into a low bow without even pausing, the smooth motion making it look as though he had simply transitioned his forward momentum into his upward body to produce the courtly gesture, complete with the polite sweep of his right arm across his chest as he did so. "Yukimura Azarola, at your service. Welcome to my humble establishment."

Ruby spied the faintest twitch in his eyes as they met hers. But it passed so quickly, she thought she'd imagined it.

"Thank you," said Ruby. "B-but...if you're a Huntsman, why...?"

"Why sell clothes?" asked Yukimura, straightening up with a merry twinkle in his eye. He chuckled. "Well, who better to know what Huntsmen and Huntresses require from an outfit than someone who has worked that profession himself."

Ruby canted her head in confusion. "Well...Huntsmen I can understand. But Huntresses...?"

Yukimura laughed. "I know a great deal about that too," he said cheerfully. "A true man worries not about the restrictions of gender, when it comes to aspiring to look good."

"Okay..." said Jaune nervously.

Yukimura, finished with his explanation, looked the pair of them over, a formidable intensity in his eyes. Ruby could imagine him using the same gaze to look over a Grimm or an opponent for weaknesses or to analyze their abilities. His gaze brushed over her outfit with the barest trace of interest. Looking at Jaune, however, his eyes narrowed fractionally, clearly examining the boy much more intently.

"So...I'm guessing that you are the reason the two of you are here, young man," said Yukimura, addressing Jaune.

"Um...pretty much," said Jaune nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "That bad, huh...?"

"Well...for something that was clearly assembled on the fly, it's not terrible," mused Yukimura, lifting Jaune's arm to examine his gloves, and the sleeve of his hoody, before drifting around to take in the whole of his appearance.

Ruby gasped. She hadn't even noticed when Yukimura had closed the distance between them. He'd penetrated right into their space without her even realizing. It wasn't a matter of speed, but a smoothness of motion that had led her to miss the transition entirely, something she'd seen Sasame, Kyo, and other formidable members of the Mibu Clan do.

Yukimura wasn't merely a competent and experienced Huntsman. He was a master, if he could penetrate her Maai so easily. Given that she was expecting another abduction attempt, Ruby hadn't dropped her guard. Yet this man had entered her space so easily, as though he were out for a stroll. He might have primarily been trading in Huntsman and Huntress outfits now, but Ruby could tell that he'd once been an exemplary Huntsman himself...and regardless of how long it had been since he'd been actively taking missions, he hadn't allowed his skills to slacken in the slightest.

"So wary..." said Yukimura, turning a beaming gaze of Ruby, apparently sensing her surprise. "You're quite the perceptive young lady, I can see."

"And you're a lot more dangerous than you let on," said Ruby, giving him a level look.

Yukimura laughed gayly. "Well well well, it's been a while since I've dealt with someone who can see so clearly." He gave Ruby a fond and approving smile. "You're already quite the skilled one yourself." He paused, his smile fading slightly. "You also look a little familiar. Hmm..."

He leaned in, his eyes staring piercingly into Ruby's own, Ruby freezing in place. Then he slowly drew hack, bringing more of her features into view, and taking them all in together. "Those eyes...that hair...and a hooded cloak..." He drew back, standing up to his full height, hands resting firmly on his hips. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Summer Rose, perchance?"

Ruby gasped softly. "I'm...I'm her daughter."

Yukimura's expression softened, smiling sadly, as though the sight of her had confirmed something for him. "I see," he said. "I knew there was something familiar about you. The way your eyes lit up, when you first came in, you're a dead ringer for her."

"Uh...Th-thanks," said Ruby, blushing.

Being compared to her mother by a stranger was disconcerting, partly because it always seemed so strange to run into people who knew Summer. Ruby knew she shouldn't be so surprised. Of course Summer had known people outside her family. Yet it remained a surprise all the same. Of course, the comparison also brought with it some melancholy feelings, as her resemblance to her late mother had been cited as one of the primary reasons for her father's unhealthy obsession with her "safety".

"From what I can see, you definitely have the makings of a fine Huntress," said Yukimura, "one far surpassing Summer...and that is quite the achievement."

"Th-thank you," said Ruby, sniffing and wiping a tear from her face, having barely registered the fact that she'd started crying.

Yukimura laughed again, his expression strangely awkward. "I'm sorry," he said. "Here you are, looking for business, and I'm dredging up old ghosts."

"N-no...it's all right," said Ruby, smiling back at him. "It just feels weird, running into someone who knew her."

"I imagine so," said Yukimura. "From the manner of your dress, I'd say you've been outside the Kingdom for some time. Summer did take missions in the other Kingdoms, but her primary work was almost always centered around Sanus. You look to have spent most of your time in Anima and Mistral..." He paused, tilting his head, examining her more closely. "That doesn't seem quite right. There's a quirk to your look...Hmm..."

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, unsure of whether or not to tell Yukimura the truth. He was a nice man, and one who knew and held her mother in high regard. But he was still largely a stranger to Ruby, and she figured it would be problematic to tell him about the Mibu.

Yukimura froze, then straightened up again, clapping his hands together sharply. "Well, it's hardly my business. Your outfit suits you to a T though, so you clearly don't need my services, so back to you..."

It took Jaune a few extra seconds to recognize the prompt for what it was, having been caught off-guard by his sudden re-inclusion in the conversation. "J-Jaune," he said, stiffening uneasily.

"Come now, no need to be so tense," said Yukimura returning to going over Jaune's outfit. "Suffice to say, a major component of my profession, and your reason for being here, will be me getting to know a great deal about your body. I'm afraid that's inevitable, considering what you're here for."

"I...I should've figured that," said Jaune.

"You've thought things through well enough," said Yukimura, rapping a knuckle against Jaune's chestplate. "Still, this is fairly cheap, low-grade metal. You could definitely do with an upgrade to your armor. I can also make sure it fits better. He tugged at the cloth of the hoody from the front of Jaune's armor. "Serviceable, but clearly not meant for the rigors of a Huntsman's life. The same is true for your jeans, I'm afraid...and your shoes. You're going to be wearing them out in short order."

Jaune grimaced, having already noticed how threadbare the hems of his jeans had been looking lately.

Yukimura crouched down, not doing Jaune's nerves any favors as he began to tug at the fabric of his jeans at thigh-level. "I'm also guessing you've been through something of a growth-spurt recently...or rather, you've been putting on some extra muscles. I imagine your pants must be feeling a bit tight in...certain...areas."

"Y-yeah," Jaune admitted, blushing, noticing that Ruby's cheeks had turned pink as well.

"Well, that's no good," said Yukimura. "Maintaining the mobility of your legs is critical for Huntsmen. You'll need footwear that's better-suited to rough terrain as well."

"Right," said Jaune.

"Well then, I believe I've taken in everything," said Yukimura, standing up straight and stepping back, gently pinching his chin with his right hand, while cradling his right elbow with his left hand in a thoughtful posture. "It appears that we will need to do a complete redesign, from top to bottom. We need something that is functional, of good quality, while still being distinctly you. Now...how to go about it..."

He hummed slowly, Jaune and Ruby standing uncomfortably before him, wondering just what ideas were flowing through Yukimura's mind.

"Ah...where are my manners?" he asked rhetorically. "It's unseemly of me to make you stand here like this. Come with me."

He led them towards the back of the shop, where Ruby was surprised to see a sitting room setup, with chairs and a couch arranged around a small coffee table. Nearby, a counter set into the wall sported a few appliances. Yukimura, after showing Ruby and Jaune to the couch, got to work at the counter. "Hospitality is important," he said. "What can I get for you. I have tea, coffee, hot chocolate..."

Ruby and Jaune wound up taking hot chocolate, which Yukimura was happy to prepare for them. Surprisingly, his version of hot chocolate wasn't made from powder from a pouch, but a hard disk that he broke apart, then ground down, before mixing with heated milk and whipping it up into a froth. Bringing the mugs back, he put them before the pair.

Ruby, remembering all too well what had happened the last time she'd eaten out in Vale, took a tentative sip, carefully running the beverage across her tongue, without swallowing. There was nothing that stood out to her as dangerous, so she relaxed. Instead, she found herself surprised and pleased when she tasted not only the chocolate and sugar, but also several spices, including cinnamon and even chili powder, giving the drink a tiny spicy kick that enhanced the flavor of the chocolate. Beside her, Jaune hummed in approval, liking the drink as well.

"Now then..." said Yukimura, pulling out a sketchbook and pencils. "...let's see about creating an ensemble for you."

"Thank you for taking us out to lunch," said Weiss, beaming at Winter. Beside her sat Ashley, who looked a bit uncomfortable, and felt more than a little out of place at what was clearly a fairly high-class establishment, if not one quite on the level of the place they'd had dinner at before.

It wasn't just the three of them either. Ashley sat to Weiss' right, while, on her left, sat Pyrrha, happy to have been invited to join her partner for a meal with Weiss' sister and girlfriend. Next to Pyrrha was Penny, with Piper sitting next to her. Beyond Ashley were Ciel and Rain. It was a bit odd to not only have Weiss and Ashley out for lunch, but the entirety of Team CPPR as well, all eight of them eating together.

"It's my pleasure," said Winter. "It would be unfair for you to be cooped up in Beacon all the time, so it's important that you get out more. I just wanted to be sure that your meal was of an appropriate quality."

It was a roundabout way of acknowledging that, even if Ruby wasn't there, going out to Vale wasn't a hundred-percent safe, per se. Considering what had happened to Ashley with the White Fang and, later on, Jaune with Cinder, the members of Ruby's friend-group were all too aware that they presented potential hostages to someone who might be out to get Ruby, as there always perpetually seemed to be. Student Huntsmen and Huntresses they might have been (with the exception of Ashley), the troubling fact of the matter was that no amount of physical training and conditioning could help them if someone slipped a drug into their food or drink, something Ruby and Jaune had discovered last time.

That was also the reason Winter had taken them out as a group. The presence of an Atlesian Specialist, one who was a critical member of the security force for the Vytal Festival, might be enough to deter potential attackers, though Winter would also admit she wasn't infallible. That was why CPPR was here...Penny in particular.

When their food arrived, Winter held up a hand, forestalling them all from eating just yet. "Penny..." she said.

Pyrrha's ears picked up faint whirring noises coming from Penny's eyes, and she swore she saw the android's irises rotate around her pupils for a few seconds. "Clear," she said. "Spectroscopic analysis indicates no harmful contaminants."

"You can detect poison?" gasped Weiss.

"Amongst other things, yes," said Penny, grinning. "Father has updated my database with every known drug and poison currently identified. I can detect even the most trace elements in any foodstuff."

"Wow..." said Piper, staring at Penny. "Learn something knew everyday, huh?"

"Yep," agreed Penny.

"In any case, that indicates that everything here is safe," said Ciel, already tucking into her dish, Rain doing likewise.

Weiss looked down at the table, then sighed. After a few seconds, she looked across at Winter. "Is there anyway you could help us figure out who was behind that abduction attempt?"

"We already are," said Winter. "However, the problem of differing jurisdictions is interfering with our ability to be of much use."

"What do you mean?" asked Weiss.

"Since whoever was behind the attempt was a Vale-based party, the primary investigation falls to Vale's authorities first," explained Ciel. "We can investigate, but only after Vale's police and intelligence services have reviewed the evidence first."

"Mostly, we're relegated to reviewing the findings of the police investigations," said Winter, frowning. "With only one incident to go off of so far, there's very little in the way of leads to follow up."

"That sounds like a bit of a problem," mused Rain.

"It suggests that whoever is behind this is very good at what they do," said Winter. "After their first attempt went awry, they've pulled back to reassess the situation, most likely, and watch for other opportunities. However, they are unlikely to jump on the first one presented."

"Why not?" asked Pyrrha.

"Because, should they fail again, they run the risk of leaving more evidence behind," explained Winter. "From what we learned last time, we already know that this enemy has the capacity to interfere with the communication and dispatch of Vale's emergency services, given the disappearance of the culprits behind the first attempt. If they try again, and we apprehend their agents, we will know better than to hand them over to the police on the spot."

"But that first attempt was rather hasty," noted Ciel. "Would someone so skilled really make such an off-the-cuff attempt?"

"Perhaps," said Winter. "If they were ordered to do so by someone else, then there is a chance that they might be induced to act against their better judgment."

"So the idea is that the someone behind the abduction is working for someone else," said Piper. "But the someone that they're working for doesn't know the business as well as they do, and gives the order to jump on that first chance."

"That's the working idea," said Winter, pausing to take a bite of her lunch. "But now they've revealed their presence and their intent. So they're being more cautious."

"It might also be a case of trying to get us to let down our guard," added Ciel. "If they wait long enough, then there's the chance we could assume they've given up, at which point they make their move."

"Also a possibility," conceded Winter.

Weiss glanced at Ashley, noticing that her hands were shaking slightly as she tried to eat her lunch. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I...I'm fine," stammered Ashley, giving Weiss a nervous look. "S-sorry. This is bringing back a few memories."

Weiss rested her hand over the back of Ashley's, giving it the most reassuring squeeze that she could. "You'll be okay," she promised. "We'll protect you."

Ashley nodded, looking down on her plate. "I just...I just feel like I'm a burden. The bad guys are coming after me, and my family, because they know we can't fight, but they can still use us to get to you. I hate that."

"If you're a burden, then you're one I'd bear gladly," said Weiss, leaning over to gently kiss her girlfriend on the cheek.

It was a bold move, particularly in front of so many other people. However, Winter had once again vetted the staff of this restaurant, and determined that there wasn't any risk of them spreading word that Weiss was dating a faunus. She had also assured them that Team CPPR could be trusted to keep their secret as well.

Pyrrha smiled at the couple, before looking to Penny again, her eyes widening as she realized that Penny was eating with evident enthusiasm. "You can eat?" she asked, shocked.

"Oh yes!" said Penny. "Food is wonderful! I'm ever so grateful to Father for providing me with taste receptors."

"And a stomach," observed Piper, watching the food disappearing into Penny's mouth.

"Father gave me the capability to convert organic matter into biofuel," explained Penny, after swallowing.

"Not strictly necessary, considering her main power source, but a kind concession all the same," said Winter.

Knowing that there was nothing foreign or dangerous in the food, they were free to enjoy their lunch in relative peace, with Ashley getting to know more about the members of the Atlesian team, having only met them briefly during her dress fitting. She too had been brought in on the secret that Penny was an android, something that Winter, rather than Ironwood, had decided upon. Since they were depending on Penny's unique…qualities…to aid in their protection, Winter had decided that it was best that Ashley knew the truth, to avoid her asking any awkward questions later. All told, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, even if they did have the specter of another mysterious foe hovering over them.

Strangely enough, the hours had flown by, while Yukimura ran all manner of ideas past them, Jaune in particular, with regards to his outfit. The first thing that Yukimura had settled on was the color-scheme. He figured blue and silver, with gold accents, would work best ("Must be careful not to overdo it on the gold though. We don't want it to look gaudy.") From there, it was a question of analyzing styles of dress, with Yukimura asking what aspects of Jaune's current assortment he liked, and which he felt he might prefer to change.

Taking everything into account, Yukimura drew out a rough sketch on his pad, showing it to them. Well, Ruby wouldn't have called it rough. She was amazed at the level of detail that Yukimura had been able to put into a simple pencil drawing. Both she and Jaune took a liking to it right away.

With that, Yukimura switched to colors, bringing up swatches, most of them different shades of blue and silver, and holding them up for the pair to see, working to find out exactly which shade Jaune preferred. Jaune and Ruby felt it was a little overboard. However, Yukimura insisted. After all, a Huntsman's outfit was his signature as much as a weapon was, so it was critical that Jaune was settled on every aspect of it.

From there, they moved on to materials. Just as he had with the colors, Yukimura brought out different material swatches to allow Jaune to feel their textures and test their qualities.

"What is this one?" asked Jaune, pulling on a piece of fabric, which stretched between his hands.

"That's for the underclothes," explained Yukimura. "This particular fabric is extremely durable and flexible. It's moisture-wicking, which will help keep sweat from getting through to your armor-layer, and causing corrosion, and will also help you regulate your temperature, when you're working hard as well. Aside from that, it adds an extra layer of padding between you and your armor, just to be safe."

"Ah," said Jaune, getting the point, running his fingers along the fabric. "It feels pretty nice."

"It's also machine washable and wrinkle-proof," added Yukimura cheerfully.

"Sold!" shouted Jaune. "I'm all for low-maintenance clothing."

"As am I," agreed Yukimura, hearing Ruby titter behind Jaune. "Now then, for the overcoat, we want something very durable, which will help you cope with your environment. Fortunately, I have just the thing for that."

He pulled out another swatch, letting Jaune examine it. "This is Dust-treated for temperature stability. Depending on the outside temperature in relation to your body temperature, it will either vent or contain your body-heat. So it will help you keep cool in the summer, and warm in the winter."

"That would be awesome," said Jaune.

"You never know just what environments you'll be called to fight in," said Yukimura. "So it's best to get an outfit that can handle them all. On top of that, it's tear, fire, and edge resistant. That will protect you from all manner of Grimm attacks, to say nothing about human and faunus opponents. It's also extremely light, so it shouldn't weigh you down at all."

"Cool!" gasped Jaune, eyes twinkling as he looked at the fabric in his hands.

Ruby smiled as well, but felt a nervous feeling building in her stomach. She wasn't an expert on the fashion products of the Kingdoms, so she could guess their value at best. All of the fabrics and materials Yukimura was suggesting were clearly top-of-the-line. Considering that, there was no question to her mind that each piece of this outfit was going to be expensive. She couldn't help but wonder just how much the completed outfit would cost...and if they could afford it.

Her questions went unasked though, Yukimura already moving onto the next component, the armor. For that, he brought out a rather basic-looking chestplate, not all that dissimilar from what Jaune was wearing himself. "Now then, this obviously isn't the final product. It's a sample to give you an idea of the metal." He handed it over to Jaune, who actually juggled the armor piece in his hands for a second, surprised at its weight.

"It's so light!" gasped Jaune.

"The very finest in molecularly-enhanced alloy," said Yukimura. "The outer-surface was Dust-hardened, while microgravity fields were used to arrange the molecules for maximum strength. The interior surface gradates to softer metal, which ensures impact absorption. The result, a very light armor, with substantial ablative properties that can withstand powerful impacts, whether blunt or edged. Being a fraction of the weight of your current armor, I can outfit you to provide more coverage, while ensuring greater freedom of movement for you. It also allows me to install extra padding for better protection."

"And this is going to be silver?" asked Jaune.

"With some gold accents, yes," said Yukimura. "One of the neat properties of this alloy is that it can be treated to make it a variety of colors. Metallic ones are best, but it can do matted or shined finishes, and the color is the metal itself, not some kind of painted on layer that can be scraped away."

"That sounds pretty good," said Jaune.

"Excellent," said Yukimura. "Now then, let's see what armor we should be outfitting you with, hmm..."

He pointed to an empty space between some of the racks and stands. It was an open, circular space, wide enough to accommodate a Huntsman or Huntress with long weapons, enabling them to brandish them without worry of striking anything nearby. Stepping into that space, Jaune faced Yukimura, setting his shield onto his arm and drawing his sword from it. He took up his starting stance, shield out in front, sword raised behind.

"Hmm...asymmetrical, yes..." Yukimura tilted his head slightly. "A strong defensive stance. Reinforcing your left arm should be a priority then. You'll want a full vambrace, rerebrace, and pauldron there. Your right arm...I think a vambrace should be sufficient. We don't want to hinder your swings. As for your legs...greaves would probably be wise. A person's stance is always a potential target, and your shield doesn't reach all the way down."

He clapped his hands together once. "All right. You can sit down again. Thank you for your cooperation."

Jaune closed down his shield and sheathed his sword, letting out a breath. He returned to the couch to sit next to Ruby, who was getting more nervous than ever.

It wasn't as though she thought Yukimura was aiming to scam them. In fact, he appeared committed to making Jaune the best possible combat outfit he could. What worried her was exactly that. This was clearly an extremely high-grade shop, and Yukimura knew his business. Between the materials and the artisanship, she was beginning to fear that the cost of Jaune's new outfit was astronomical. If worse came to worse, she supposed they could borrow from Weiss, but Ruby hated that idea, not wanting to lean on Weiss' money, seeing as Weiss had been more than generous before. However, if this kept up, it would probably more than she and Jaune could afford if they pooled both their savings.

"And that brings us to the final component of the main outfit," continued Yukimura, "footwear. I'm sorry to say that those sneakers of yours are probably going to fall apart in a few weeks' time, if you're working as hard as I know Beacon students do."

"That makes sense," said Jaune, glancing down at his feet. Truth be told, he'd noticed the soles of his shoes getting worn out, and seen signs that they were starting to come apart at the seams.

"Wilderness traversal is a major factor in a Huntsman's line of work, so I would recommend hiking boots," said Yukimura. "You'll want armor-toed boots, of course. You never know where a Grimm will step."

"Right," said Jaune, nodding vigorously.

Ruby let out a small sigh, relieved that they were approaching the end. However, that relief was short-lived when Yukimura pressed on.

"And now onto the fun part...accessories!"

Ruby let out a breath, her stomach dropping at what new expenses they were about to accrue.

In the end, it was another hour before Yukimura finished going over all the aspects that would go with Jaune's new outfit. There were pouches and pockets, belts and gloves. Not only that, but Yukimura had even gone so far as to make suggestions for basic things, like socks. Granted, all of them were likely designed with an active Huntsman in mind. But the mere thought of all these costs adding up was making Ruby go gray with worry. By the time this ended, she was certain they would be looking at a nine-digit price tag, at the very least.

It was also draining. They had arrived fairly late in the morning, and the whole session had gone on through noon, continuing on into the afternoon. Ruby had noted that there didn't seem to be any other customers, which she found surprising. Sure, it meant that Yukimura was able to focus entirely on the design of Jaune's outfit. But she was wondering if he had any customer base at all. Still, Coco had recommended this place, which meant he was good at what he did, so even if business was infrequent, he still made enough off his commissions to maintain it...which only made her more worried about the impending price of Jaune's new outfit.

In truth, Ruby hadn't noticed that Yukimura had discreetly switched the sign over his door from "Open" to "Closed", using his scroll, which had explained why he'd been free to lavish Jaune's prospective outfit with so much attention.

Fortunately, Yukimura had fed them, even as he continued to work with Jaune's outfit, toying with differing ideas and variations.

And then, with dinnertime just around the corner, finally, the long process came to an end. "I have a gist of the idea," said Yukimura, smiling at them. "Why don't you two go out for dinner, then come back, and I should have the final concept ready when you return."

"A-are you sure...?" asked Ruby nervously, practically on the verge of fainting over what the price point would be.

"Of course," said Yukimura. "I need some time to draw out the final design from all angles, in color of course, so that I can get the final approval."

"All right," said Ruby, she and Jaune heading for the exit.

If anything, she felt bad about taking up so much of Yukimura's time. They'd invested an entire day in conceptualizing Jaune's outfit. If the price was too high though, and they were unable to afford it, then they'd just wasted several hours of Yukimura's time for something that they couldn't pay him to make. Ruby feared that they really would have to ask Weiss for a loan, in that case.

"You okay?" asked Jaune, after they left the building. "I thought you were looking a little uneasy in there, but I didn't want to say anything."

"Thanks," said Ruby, silently chiding herself for thinking Jaune hadn't noticed her feelings. She'd thought he was so absorbed in the design-process that he might not have. However, no matter what, Jaune was still Jaune, so very sweet and considerate, especially now that the two of them had become so close to each other.

"I'm just worried about the cost," Ruby admitted.

"Oh..." said Jaune, his own eyes widening as he began to think about all the things he'd agreed to.

"Yeah. I don't know a lot about all the things he was offering," said Ruby, "but I'm guessing they were all pretty expensive. And we don't know how much labor is going to cost on top of that."

"I guess we'll just have to see what the final price is," said Jaune nervously. "Hopefully I can afford it.

"'We,' you mean," said Ruby.

"Ruby! I can't possibly take your money too," protested Jaune.

"You're my partner," said Ruby, grinning at him. "If it's to ensure that you're properly outfitted, it's worth spending my money on."

Jaune frowned, but already knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to budge on this. "All right," he said. "But I don't want you wiping out your savings too."

"We'll do what we need to," said Ruby. "Now where do you want to eat?"

"Mind if I join you kids?" inquired a familiar, gravelly voice from behind them.

"Uncle Qrow!" exclaimed Ruby, she and Jaune whirling around to greet the new arrival.

"Hey there, Rosebud," said Qrow, smirking at them. "Word on the street is you're getting a new outfit for your partner."

"Yep," said Ruby, beaming. "The designer's working on the final concept, right now."

"That so," said Qrow, scratching his chin. "Who's doin' it? Maybe I've heard of 'em."

"A guy named Yukimura Azarola," said Ruby. "He knew Mom."

Qrow whistled. His expression brightened considerably, which Ruby found a little confusing. "That he did, kiddo. He was one of our mentors, back in the day. We shadowed him on quite a few missions, during our third and fourth year. He hadn't been a Huntsman long, but he had a seriously solid rep. He adored Summer, thought she was the cutest thing on two legs."

Ruby froze, shaking. "Um...Is he a pervert?"

Qrow paused, giving Ruby a shocked look. He wasn't the only one. Jaune was also surprised.

"Uh...Not that kind," said Qrow, coughing, looking like he was trying to keep from breaking into laughter, and looking away. "What he and Summer had...it's more like we have. He was like a favorite uncle to her."

"Oh! That's cool then," said Ruby.

Qrow was nearly doubling over, thinking about how Yukimura would react if he knew that Ruby had asked that about him. It took him a minute, but he managed to regain his composure.

"A-anyway..." He straightened up, rubbing tears of repressed laughter from his eyes. "...he looked after us, even for a bit after we graduated. He's a good friend of the family."

"Really...?" Ruby canted her head. "I don't remember meeting him."

Qrow sighed, lowering his head slightly. "Well, things got busy for him, round the time you were born. He wound up on a long-term mission, then got caught up in setting up his shop. He did visit a couple of times, when you were a baby. But you were too young to remember that."

"Oh..." said Ruby.

Qrow's expression sobered. "Right as he was in the middle of another mission, Summer died. By the time he got back, you and Yang had already had your 'adventure', and Tai got dead set on keeping you from being a Huntress. I was one thing, but he refused to even let Yukimura come around, afraid that meeting your mom's 'cool uncle' would only make you more obstinate."

He was probably right, thought Ruby, frowning at the thought.

Qrow sighed. "Anyway, it's a good thing you got to meet him. He does good work, so you're gonna be well looked after, Jaune."

"Thanks," said Jaune.

"Anyway," said Qrow, favoring them with an unusually affectionate smile, "you two are heading to dinner, right? I'll come with you. I'll even pay."

"But-!" Ruby began to protest.

She was cut off, when Qrow held up a finger, grinning. "Trust me, kiddo. You two are gonna want to conserve as much cash as you can. Yuki knows what students work with, but he ain't gonna skimp either, so you'll wanna have as much on hand as you can, when you get his final quote."

"All right," said Ruby nervously, Jaune nodding along with her.

"Right then," said Qrow. "Follow me. I know a great place near here."

They followed along, Ruby realizing that it wasn't an accident that they'd bumped into Qrow. There was still the issue of the people who'd tried to abduct her. Everyone was still worried about it, including Qrow. So she figured that him showing up was probably more as an extra measure of protection than anything else. Ruby would keep her own guard up, but she felt a bit more reassured that her uncle was watching over her too.

Still, that made it all the more imperative that they figure out who was behind this. Qrow couldn't protect her forever. And it was only a matter of time before her mysterious enemy made a desperate move, like going after one of her friends. After what had happened to Ashley and Jaune, she was getting sick of people using the ones close to her as a means of targeting her.

For now though, she resolved to enjoy her time with Jaune and Qrow as much as possible.

"No openings, it would seem," noted Eira, watching the trio head for a restaurant through one of the feeds from the Kingdom's security cameras.

"'Course not," said Mercury. "Now that she's on her guard, you're gonna have a seriously tough time getting past it. And the guard of her friends is pretty airtight too."

"They have experience in this," said Eira.

"Yep," agreed Mercury. "We tried it. The White Fang tried it. Going after her friends is the kind of trap she'll see a mile coming now. All of them will. The civilian is still the weak link. But they're looking after her pretty solidly, and they ain't about to let someone try what Taurus did."

"Troubling..." mused Eira. "We need to draw her out."

Mercury hummed, then froze, his eyebrows going up. "Hey, do you have a general gist of Beacon's schedule for first-years."

"Yes," said Eira, looking at him with a mildly confused expression. "We have access to the basic schedules that are available to the public, for things like school events and holidays and such. But that won't have any detailed information on Rose's personal schedule."

"We don't need that," said Mercury. "The public schedule will be just fine, 'cause that has the info we need."

"What information is that?" asked Eira.

"The schedule for the next round of first-year missions," said Mercury. "They've got one more set, before the Vytal Festival starts up. Unless they're completely overrun by paranoia, those kids are gonna want to take a mission of some kind. And a lot of those missions have the potential to take them away from Vale."

"Oh!" said Eira, her eyes widening. "I see..."

Mercury grinned triumphantly. "There's all kinds of things that can happen on a mission. Handle it right, and Ruby'll walk right into your hands."

"With our resources, we could engineer a scenario," said Eira, frowning thoughtfully. "However, that would require knowing what mission they are going to take ahead of time."

"Or...create a mission, whole cloth," suggested Mercury, his grin widening, "one that she won't be able to turn down."

"Yes, I could see that working," said Eira. "But what manner of mission would ensure her participation?"

"Well, she has a particular friend, who happens to be rabidly passionate about anything pertaining to a certain organization," explained Mercury. "Create a scenario around that, and she'll come running, dragging her friends along behind her."

"Yes, that could work," said Eira. "On a mission, it would be so much easier to separate her from her allies...

Mercury chuckled. "Now, don't get ahead of yourself. Where we're at now, it's where my boss and I were at, when it came to trying to bring her down. It's where Taurus was at too. The way we set things up, she'll see a trap for what it is, just like how she did with us."

"Then...what's the point of this at all?" asked Eira, her expression hardening with frustration.

Mercury chuckled. "We take advantage of that knowledge," he said. "We take the trap, and turn it into an invitation. I can tell you right now, there's no way she'll be able to turn it down..."

"That was really good, Uncle Qrow," said Ruby, rubbing her belly contentedly.

"Yep, your uncle knows a few nice places," said Qrow, grinning.

"But I figured they'd all be bars," Jaune whispered to Ruby, making her stifle a giggle.

Jaune hadn't been been quiet enough, though. Qrow heard him, his eyebrow twitching. "I swear, if you weren't dating my niece..."

"But I was thinking it too," said Ruby, grinning playfully at Qrow.

Qrow groaned and slumped, prompting laughter from Ruby and Jaune.

They arrived back at the shop, the tone sounding as the door opened. The door had barely closed behind the three of them, when Yukimura was there once more, smiling cheerfully. "Welcome back," he said, before he saw Qrow. "Ah, you too, Qrow? It's been too long. How have you been, you old bird?"

Qrow grimaced, his eyebrows twitching again, while Ruby and Jaune muffled laughter behind him. "Where the heck do you get off...? You're almost fifty!"

Yukimura laughed gayly, unfazed by the accusation. "You're only as old as you feel, you know," he replied, ignoring the gobsmacked look on Jaune's face.

"Someday, I'm gonna learn the secret of what kind of moisturizer you use," grumbled Qrow.

I don't think it's what he showers with, thought Ruby, examining Yukimura through her senses. The smooth, cohesive nature of his Aura was almost as though he'd Tempered it. Ruby had noticed that in their first meeting. Now, upon closer examination, she was amazed at how well-contained it was, only the most minuscule trace of his Aura trickling away.

The containment of one's Aura through Temper was more than just a means to build and strengthen one's Aura. It was also the first stage of the Mibu arts that enabled them to retain their youthful vigor and extend their lifespans almost indefinitely, the arts known as Sō. Given how well-contained Yukimura's Aura was, it was understandable that it had helped to preserve Yukimura's youth, well into his late-forties. Of course, that was small potatoes to the Mibu. With Sō, they could maintain that kind of youth for multiple centuries, though few of them did for longer than two.

It shocked Ruby, honestly. Even if it was lacking volume, Yukimura's Aura was honed to the level that she rated him as being nearly equal to the Goyosei, like Shinrei, her main teacher. He seemed the kind of person who could give Kyo a hard fight.

It's like Kaa-san was saying, thought Ruby. Even in the Kingdoms, there are people who've developed the very methods the Mibu have, independent of their influence.

"Of course, you didn't come in to banter with an oldster like me," teased Yukimura, making a show of not caring about his chronological age. "You've come to see my final design, right?"

"That's right!" said Jaune, his trepidation at the thought of Yukimura's price displaced by excitement at seeing just what shape his new outfit would take.

Grinning, Yukimura led them to the back sitting area, setting the sketchpad onto the table, and opening to show the design of Jaune's new outfit. It had been rendered, not merely in full color, but was also drawn from multiple angles, allowing them to see what it looked like from the back and sides, even overhead. Then, each component of it had been drawn out separately, showing all the individual pieces of clothing and armor, including front and back views.

"Whoa!" gasped Jaune, flipping through the pages, examining Yukimura's notes. While he, Qrow, and Ruby looked over his new combat gear, Yukimura was going through the process of preparing another batch of hot cocoa for them.

"Are you liking how everything fits together?" asked Yukimura, bringing their drinks to the table.

Ruby and Jaune drank their hot chocolate eagerly. Qrow was a bit more restrained, sipping at his, watching Yukimura warily.

Jaune set down his mug, having examined everything from back to front. "I love it!" he declared.

"Wonderful," said Yukimura, clapping his hands together excitedly. "I'm so glad you approve. I'll get started on it right away."

The prospect that this was really happening reminded Jaune of the one thing that he and Ruby were worried about. "So...how much is this going to be?" he asked.

"Ah yes, to the difficult bit," said Yukimura. "Well, factoring in the price of materials and labor, the final total should be..." He quoted them the price.

Jaune's jaw dropped. It would wipe out nearly all of his savings in one go. It would be the most money he'd ever dropped on a single purchase...ever. He thought he'd paid a fairly exorbitant price for his falsified transcripts. But they didn't hold a candle to this. He could scarcely imagine spending so much money on a single outfit.

"The price factors in multiple sets of underclothes and socks," added Yukimura. "It's designed that way so that the main outfit requires less cleaning and washing, because you'll only need to regularly wash the parts that have been in direct contact with your body. Of course, simple exposure means that you will have to clean the other pieces of your ensemble on a semi-regular basis, but that should make it more low-maintenance as a whole."

"R-right," said Jaune, trembling, reminding himself that, as absurd as the price seemed, it was still better than the worst-case scenario that he and Ruby had envisioned, where they might have to pool all the money both of them had. It seemed that they'd gotten a little carried away in guessing just how much money they'd have to pay for his new combat outfit.

Meanwhile, Ruby was distracted by her uncle's reaction. When Yukimura had quoted his price, Qrow had nearly spat his mouthful of hot chocolate across the table, barely managing to keep it contained. As it was, the way he was currently choking and snorting behind her indicated he might have gotten a bit up his nose. What struck her more was the flash of utter shock that went through his Aura at the sound of Yukimura's price. Was that higher than he was expecting? she wondered.

"So then, will you be paying up front, or in installments?" asked Yukimura, smiling indulgently at them.

"I'll pay now," said Jaune, reaching into his pocket.

"Jaune..." said Ruby, already reaching out to forestall him.

"It's okay," said Jaune, smiling at her. "I need to shoulder my own weight. Besides, it's worth it, if it helps me be a better partner to you."

"Oh Jaune..." whispered Ruby, affection swelling in her chest.

Pulling out his scroll, Jaune held it out to Yukimura, who produced his own scroll. The two of them brought their devices face-to-face, a tone sounding from the electronic transfer. Jaune took his back, seeing the notification from his bank, and wincing at the amount displayed, along with the request for him to confirm that he was authorizing the transfer of such a large sum. He hesitated only a little, before confirming it, able to see the money draining out of his account in his mind's eye.

"Well, now that that's done, I'll get started immediately," said Yukimura. "While it's not a hard estimate, I'd say this would take me about a week. I hope that works for you."

"It'll do," said Jaune.

"Good, then let's get your measurements, and then I'll send you on your way."

Yukimura led Jaune back into the fitting room. Jaune, much to his embarrassment, had to strip down to his boxers, while Yukimura walked around him with a hand-scanner, which laser-measured his proportions with incredible precision. It was a fair bit faster and more convenient than the days where someone did this with measuring tape. But it was still an awkward experience. At least Yukimura didn't so much as bat an eyelash, when he saw the Pumpkin Pete design on Jaune's hoody.

In the end, it took less than five minutes for Yukimura to get the necessary measurements, before Jaune was allowed to slip his clothes back on and return to Ruby and Qrow.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Yukimura, already inputting Jaune's dimensions into his scroll.

"It was fine," said Jaune.

"Excellent," said Yukimura, clapping his hands together once more. "Now then, off with you. It's a school night after all, and I've kept you here long enough."

Jaune and Ruby stood up. "Thank you so much," said Jaune, giving Yukimura a grateful smile.

Yukimura returned the smile. "Do your best to look after your partner, young man," was all he had to say in response.

Jaune nodded. He and Ruby turned to head out the door, before pausing, noticing that Qrow was still there, in fact settling into one of the seats near Yukimura.

"Uncle Qrow?" asked Ruby in confusion.

"Don't let me keep ya," said Qrow, waving a hand dismissively at them. "Go ahead on back to Beacon. Let a couple of old friends chew the fat for a while."

"Okay..." said Ruby, wondering what they'd be talking about. However, she and Jaune were short on time, if they wanted to catch an airship back to Beacon. There were fewer flights on Sunday after all, and the air-docks closed down earlier on school nights than they did on Friday and Saturday evenings, an extra incentive for students to be back before curfew.

When the door swung shut behind them, Qrow turned to Yukimura. "Okay, spill," he said.

"What on earth about?" asked Yukimura playfully, taking a sip from his mug of hot cocoa. "Are you dissatisfied with my asking price?"

"More like confused as hell," said Qrow. "With your skills, and those materials, you could make a down payment on a good car with the kind of money you should be charging for that. Sure, that probably wiped out most of Arc's spending money. But you're still practically giving it to him for that much lien. You're making this thing at a huge loss, especially in this economy."

Yukimura threw back his head, laughing lightly. "You're really that surprised?" he asked, a look of warm contentment appearing on his face. "If I could have come up with a plausible excuse, I would have made that outfit for free...for Ruby's partner. Call it a special 'godfather's discount'."

"So that's how it is," said Qrow, settling back.

"I need to make up for some ten years of missed birthdays," Yukimura commented with a chuckle. His expression fell. "I only wish I'd done something sooner, before she did something so drastic as running away from home. I hesitated..."

"You and me both," grumbled Qrow, pulling out his flask and using its contents to spike his cocoa.

Yukimura stared down into the dregs of his own drink with a sigh. "I was considering suing for custody, when she disappeared. If you'd actually managed to bring her back, I would have done so immediately. That house was no place for a girl like her."

"You aren't wrong," conceded Qrow. "I would've felt worlds better, if you were looking after her. Still, she managed one heckuva lucky draw. The people who took her in were probably the best ones for the job of raising someone like her."

"Yes, I imagine she would have taken to life with the Mibu quite well," observed Yukimura with a laugh.

Qrow flinched sloshing a little of his drink across the table as he stared, wide-eyed at Yukimura.

Yukimura laughed softly. "It wasn't too hard to see," he observed. "The quality of her Aura can only come from training it diligently."

"I didn't realize you knew," said Qrow.

"I had heard rumors about them," said Yukimura, drinking down the last of his hot cocoa. "I've experimented with learning more about how to use my Aura, and it's served me well over the years. I would very much like to meet one of the Mibu someday, and learn more about what they can do."

"Well...you're in luck in that regard," said Qrow, chuckling. "There's one staying at Beacon right now, Ruby's adopted brother."

"Well now, that is wonderful," said Yukimura, his voice reflecting his eagerness. "Though I have an obligation to finish Mr. Arc's outfit first. After that, maybe I could win an introduction."

"I don't think they'd mind a bit," said Qrow. "Still a might lavish gift you're giving though, even if you're talking about so many missed birthdays."

"It's a godfather's prerogative to do what he can to support his goddaughter in such a dangerous world," said Yukimura. "Being associated with the Mibu means that she has a plethora of enemies on all sides, some she probably won't even be aware of."

"Oh, she's aware of them all right," said Qrow.

"That just makes it all the more imperative that I ensure that the one closest to her is able to support her to the best of his abilities," said Yukimura. "I like the look of Mr. Arc. I have no doubt that he will live up to my hopes."

"Well...you ain't wrong," said Qrow, chuckling quietly.