18

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"It's fortunate that you took my offer then, it seems." Cinder groused, smiling in faux warmth at Tyrian's glaring form, "I… suspected that Ozpin wouldn't make things as simple for you as you'd have thought. Unfortunate that helping you has kept me from my plans however."

Cinder sighed, tossing her hair and looking around the grungy motel room while Tyrian practically pouted, "I could have handled him if it were really me, instead of your little witch's illusions."

"If not for Emerald, you would be significantly less of a man than you were. Well, less of a Faunus, but the point remains the same." She shrugged, ignoring his baleful glare, "We just need to hope that Neo, Emerald, and Mercury can hold things down until the dance and provide the distraction we both need for my plan to work."

"And are you ever going to tell me your plan, since it seems to involve me." He grumbled, shoulders drooping and pout intensifying. "If my Queen finds out that I listened to you, and I don't get that damn boy, she'll be displeased."

"And you won't allow that, I know." Cinder chuckled dryly, shaking her head and moving towards the door to the room, opening it and stopping for a second. "Just lay low for now, I'll send you what you need to know when you need to know it. Not before then."

"But that's so… boring." He moaned quietly, sighing and cracking open a cold one, staring out the window at the rising sun.

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Jaune sighed, running the whetstone down his sword's length and listening to the quiet rasp it gave, lifting the blade to look at the edge. He was waiting, as told, in Beacon's rooms adjacent to the docks where Atlas had several rooms set aside for their use. Mostly just old offices, classrooms, and a couple storage closets. But enough for basic briefings, offices for commanders, and the like if need be. He could sense James approaching him from behind with a woman in tow who he assumed to be Winter. He frowned before sheathing the blade and standing, turning to a disgruntled looking Atlesian General and a mildly confused but disciplined looking woman. He almost doubted he'd have caught the confusion on her face if he didn't feel it from her mind.

"General Ironwood." He said, waving slightly and smiling awkwardly at him in a way that the man found to be highly unimpressive, "Uh, morning?"

"Good morning to you as well, Jaune. I… feel I should apologize to you, and I have already done so to Ozpin personally. While my lack of trust was clearly warranted, given that Ozpin had already gone through a process to determine your allegiance I should have heard you out more." James offered him his hand, and Jaune looked at him in surprise, "I wanted to welcome you to my circle formally." "At least that way, I can keep an eye on you in any event."

"It's fine, really. You should have been doubtful of me," Jaune said, shaking his hand and begrudgingly accepting the general's slightly standoffish approach to him, even if it was still just in his mind. "And you're Winter, I guess?"

"Yes. My name is Winter Schnee, and I've been told that General Ironwood wants me to train you as an Atlesian soldier, even if you are most blatantly not one." "As made quite evident by your lack of respect for the General." Winter said coldly, looking him up and down, examining his armor with some disapproval before looking at his sheathed sword, "You use a blade?"

"Uh, yeah?" He drew it hesitantly, the weight more than comfortable in his hands by now, and she looked at it with approval, nodding at it. "It's named Crocea Mors."

"Yes, I am aware of the tradition of Hunters to name their weapons.…" She murmured, looking it over before straightening and looking at him, "I find it dated and taxing. Still, it is a fine blade. I would wager it fares well against the Grimm." "Not as well as a rifle, of course, but still…." "We can likely have a sidearm issued to you, if you wish."

He paused, reading her for a moment, before nodding, "Yeah, would probably help. Might not be able to stab everything, you know?" He sensed her approval at his acceptance… followed immediately by her disdain for his way of talking, something he elected to remedy if he could. "Sorry, I know I'm not exactly... the peak of military professionalism like you're used to. But that's why I'm here, with you, right?"

She looked at the General, and Jaune almost grinned at how positive she was feeling towards him. "I think I may be able to work with him, sir. Surprising as it is." "At least he's willing to work… for now." "I'll need to conduct a formal interview, of course, and-"

"I have a dossier on him with the non classified materials inside. You may conduct your interview and use it to cross-check, or read it beforehand and just ask what you may about it." He handed her a small notebook and turned, clasping his hands behind his back. "I left a segment open for your notes on your inquiries. Record everything separately, and list the relevant information there." "I may need it after all, if he turns against us."

Jaune coughed and James turned to look at him. The young man raised an eyebrow before the General realized his mistake and grimaced, striding away wordlessly. "So," Jaune started, turning back to the Schnee, "interview?"

"Yes." She turned, walking away from him, and Jaune didn't need telepathy to know he was supposed to follow. He watched her back as they walked and wondering what would happen next when she spoke, "You are partnered with Pyrrha Nikos, the Mistralian Champion, correct?" "An excellent partner to be sure."

"Yes, she doesn't like to be called that though." She looked over her shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged, "She just doesn't, okay? She just wants to be a Huntress, nothing more, and she wants to be treated like that. Would you want preferential treatment for being a Schnee?"

"No." She turned from him instead of speaking, stopping next to a door, "Wait in here. I will retrieve some beverages for us and read through your dossier, then we shall talk for a time." "Only after I have read it, though." "Do you have a preference for drinks?"

"I like People Like Grapes, if the cafeteria has any out." He nodded, and she turned without a word to walk away while Jaune went into the room to wait. He sighed when he sensed her pass from his ability's range, "Of course it's Weiss's sister… just had to be. If it wasn't, that'd be too easy."

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"Yes, ma'am, I'll have the supplies you requested delivered outside the office in a few minutes. Is that all?" The soldier asked quietly, standing in front of her and clearly mildly irked at being ordered to fetch snacks of all things.

"Yes. And take your time, I don't want him to notice it until I am ready." He gave her a crisp salute and marched away. She entered the room, a small barracks that was empty while the soldiers patrolled, and sat on a footlocker, flipping open the book and raising an eyebrow. "Mostly blank, aside from his Semblance... Mind reading? What on Remnant?" She sighed, collapsing in on herself slightly in a realization. "If that's his Semblance…. That's what the general was doing the other day. He was recruiting this boy… Jaune Arc. Interesting."

She pulled out a pen and began making notes in the notebook. 'Range, depth of read, focus, needs, ways to mitigate, uses.' She began thinking about risks it could pose, and her mind raced. Access codes, passwords, callsigns, code names… the risk was as staggering as the uses, to be frank.

Then she thought of Weiss, a student in his year and probably in a few of his classes…. A wealthy young woman who wanted nothing more than honest love and affection with someone who could read her very mind and do everything she'd want, when she wanted, and manipulate her perfectly? He'd marry into a family of affluence and power and live comfortably for his entire life.

Standing, she started walking back towards the office room to have their chat.

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Jaune straightened when he sensed Winter's presence coming towards him, and thanked his Semblance for it. At least he'd keep his good first impression… though from her discomfort, he sensed that she'd read about his Semblance. He was curious as to why James hadn't told her everything, but knowing the man's paranoia, he probably wanted to wait until he knew she'd take the job he'd give her before telling her anything he'd find… uncomfortable. She paused to grab the small tray that the Atlesian soldier had left, carrying it into the room and setting it on the table, the only furniture aside from his chair and the one she sat in right after.

He took the soda can and cracked it open, listening to her arrange her thoughts and school her emotions while she let him take a drink politely, raising an eyebrow when he finished and set it down, "I'm surprised, many Hunters would demand I drink first to test for poison." "Not that a student should think of that.…"

"You and I both understand why I wouldn't be worried about something like that." She straightened in mild surprise and agitation, both of which he felt coming from her in spades, "And I'm sure you have questions, on the record and off, so go ahead."

"Off the record first, then." She slid the notebook aside and folded her hands in front of her, chewing her lip anxiously for a second in a way that drew Jaune's eyes inexorably. "Weiss is my sister, I'm sure you made the connection based on our names."

He sat for a second, quiet and listening to her emotions, "And you're… scared for her?"

"Yes. Someone like you could manipulate anyone… and she is more prone to certain methods of manipulation than others." "Thanks in part to our father, the bastard." She paused and he understood, sighing lightly and leaning forward, looking into her eyes in a way he hoped conveyed honesty.

"I care about Weiss, Winter. She's a friend, even if she's not a close one. I'd never even think of using my Semblance to manipulate her." She looked at him for a long second and nodded, letting him relax back as a result before he sensed her emotions shift, "And I hear your regret. Don't. You did the right thing, asking. I worry about falling to… to that every day."

"I am glad, then." She smiled warmly at him, something he was fairly sure was a rare thing, and pulled the notebook back to her, "I have some questions, then, if you don't mind." "Not that we have much choice…."

"Go ahead."

"Alright. First off, what is the approximate range for your abilities, as it stands?" He heard her pen scratching away on the pad, and closed his eyes, reaching out as far as he could.

"From the base of Beacon Tower, if I sit down and close my eyes and try then I can cover most of Beacon. I can't sense thoughts then, though, just emotions and presences." He shrugged, opening his eyes and watching her write it down, "I, uh, I don't know how useful that could be, though."

"Very useful, actually. You could, for instance, memorize the layout for a building and its restricted areas, the number of people who should be in them, and tell us if more are there." She wrote quickly, writing the sentence as she said it, and looked up, "How in depth can you get with your power?" "How far into a mind can you go?"

"I don't really know… I can read their emotions and their thoughts, but I can't like… steal secrets or memories or anything. It's only whatever they're thinking of." He gestured at her, "I could feel your anxiety when you came into the room, for example, but since you didn't think it through, I couldn't tell why you were anxious."

"And is there any way to weaken your ability? Or block it?" "So we can protect ourselves from you." She looked up after a second, smiling pleasantly the whole while, and Jaune grimaced.

"Not that I know of…." He'd have to be used to people wanting to find ways to beat him, he supposed.

"Next question, then..."

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"Hi, Jaune" Pyrrha said quietly when he walked into the cafeteria, sitting alone at their usual table. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled, "The others went on back to the dorm, but I felt that it would be better to wait for you. We all know you think with your stomach as much as with your head." "A typical man, truly."

"Winter brought me some food during our… interview, I guess." He saw her face fall, and felt her emotions take a dive, only then noticing the pizza she had sitting in front of her under a plate, to keep it warm. "You saved me some pizza?"

"I… Yes, but if you are not hungry-"

"I'm always hungry for Beacon's pepperoni, Pyr." He plopped into the seat and she smiled, sliding the food across to him while he relaxed and sat Crocera Mors on the table, "How was class, by the way?"

"I… am afraid I do not remember it. Professor Port's lessons are always… overly relaxing." "I slept through the whole thing." Jaune chuckled and she blushed, pouting slightly, "It's not that funny."

He just smiled and shook his head, chewing on his slice for a long second and thinking to himself, before rolling his shoulders. "Hey, Pyr? The dance is next week, so…" She looked up at him and he grinned when he felt the hope blooming in her chest, "you want to go with me?"

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