52

Chapter 52 – Jauniffer's Body

Finding some time alone for the two of them to practice had not been easy. The first rounds were coming up soon, and the looming fights had the school in a state of frenzied anticipation. Team RWBY alternated their time between training, team spars and sitting around chatting with one another. Blake hadn't really had much time for that lately, and so had delayed on experimenting with Jaune possessing her so she could spend more time with her team.

That was the excuse she was sticking to anyway. It wasn't that shewas scared of what might happen or anything, that was nonsense.

But no amount of pussy-footing as Jaune called it (doing his best Yang impersonation all the way) would keep it away forever.

"We don't have to do this," Jaune said, floating before her with an expression as close to trite on his face as ever. "We can scrap the plan entirely, or you could just try and knock the guy out."

Would that it could be that easy. The problem was, Blake wasn't sure how strong Mercury Black really was. He'd given up before his fight with Pyrrha could become serious, and while Pyrrha had been happy enough to tell Blake what little she knew, it was still just that. If I try and fail then I could be expelled… if he doesn't do worse to me in return.

"It's fine," she said. "I'm ready to try this. It's no big deal."

No big deal at all, she was just going to have the dead spirit of her friend rummage around in her head. Nothing to worry about with what was the most delicate organ in the human body, right?

"Just… be careful, okay?"

"I'll be as careful as I can be Blake. I'm not even sure this will work."

"You can possess people while they're unconscious. Even if you can't control them while they are awake, you should still be able to get into their heads." Whether he would be able to find out any information was another matter. It would be good if he could, since it would let them find out what information she needed with ease…

It would also mean Jaune could see into her head as well.

But you trust him, don't you?

She did… she trusted him more than she trusted anyone else in Remnant right now. She loved her team, loved Yang as well – but there was a difference there. Jaune knew some of her dirtiest secrets, and she didn't mean the ones in her books. He knew about her time in the White Fang, but more than that, he knew had tasted a little of it. Jaune had gone out with her to fight them, he'd tagged along with her and seen what they were capable of.

Yang would have done the same, had Blake asked, but it was still different. But still… trusting someone was not quite the same as being okay with them rummaging around inside your head. Especially then the person in question was both the other sex, and very aware of it.

"If you try anything…"

"You'll snap my spine," Jaune rolled his eyes, as well he might since she couldn't physically hurt him.

"I'll refuse to speak to you for the next two days," Blake threatened instead, getting an immediate wide-eyed look from him. It was a cruel proposition, particularly because it would mean complete isolation for him. A good job he wouldn't test her, since she wasn't sure she could go through with it.

A little bluff wouldn't hurt, however.

"I'll be good," he promised, before his face became serious. "You ready?"

No, but she wasn't going to get any more prepared. With a quick breath, Blake nodded, closing her eyes and awaiting his incursion.

She heard the air whisper through the trees around them, she could also hear the hustle and bustle of the school in the distance. She'd chosen her hidden spot in the gardens well, behind some hedges that obscured her from vision. What she didn't hear, however, was the sound of any possession. One golden eye cracked open, in time to see Jaune opposite her, looking… looking quite constipated.

"I don't actually know how to do this…"

And just like that, the tension drained from her limbs

"What do you mean, you don't know how? How did you possess people last time?" The ghost scratched the side of his head.

"I just sort of laid down on their bodies. It was more instinctual than anything."

"Then try and occupy the same space I do," Blake gestured to herself, "Try and stand inside me." Jaune shrugged and floated forwards, aligning his bodily with hers as best he could. Unlike what movies and books said, there was no cold sensation as he pushed through her – nor a sense of air displaced. He simply was and wasn't at the same time, and as such she felt nothing.

"Oh!" He, however, apparently did. "Oh, I think I'm in your head…"

The incredible sense of wonder she felt said the same, especially since the strength of it nearly gave her a headache. It wasn't hers, she knew that in some intrinsic way. Probably because it was opposite of what she felt. Blake felt concerned and anxious, and the sense of surprise and wonder was so opposed to it that she could tell it couldn't have been her own.

"I think I'm getting some feedback," she winced. "Like I'm feeling your emotions?"

"And I can feel your headache," Jaune groaned. "I've spent so long wishing to have my body back that I'd forgotten about the downsides. Damn…"

Yeah well, at least we didn't try this on my time of the month, Blake thought with a silent snigger.

"Oh I felt that!" he gasped, and again she felt his surprise.

"Did you hear what I said?" Blake asked, before quickly rephrasing it, "My thoughts I mean, were you able to read them?"

"Were you thinking something?" he asked, "Ah, I guess I can't read your thoughts then… that would have been too easy."

"What can you get?" There had to be something, some way they could use this to their advantage.

"I can feel what you feel," Jaune said – with a sense of wonderment. "I can feel the wind on my- your skin. I can… I can actually feel things."

The words made her pause, before she let him experience things with a smile. It was hard to imagine what life without her senses would be like. They couldn't use this, at least not in the way she wished, but she would let him take advantage of her body for a little longer.

"Can I… would it be okay if we tried this again – maybe when you're doing things?"

"Define things."

"Eating, maybe even sleeping." The simplicity of his suggestions was another surprise, though she supposed they again made sense. The taste of food, the ability to rest, those too had been stolen from him.

"I don't see why not," Blake hid her smile. She would let him piggy-back in her head to breakfast. If he couldn't read her thoughts, then the risks she'd worried about earlier were irrelevant anyway. "But for now, can you see if you're able to take control of my body?"

"Ah, right…" she felt him concentrate, or rather – she felt his concentration, the emotion itself. His presence in her head was… difficult to explain. The headache was her own, and his presence was as intangible as his body – yet the inherent wrongness in the situation was still something she could feel. Perhaps it was the shared emotions, more than anything else.

And even then, maybe only because she was looking for it. Would Mercury be able to tell?

Blake stood still as he focused, wondering if she would feel the sensation of her body being torn away from her. Every other person had the advantage of being unconscious for the intrusive act, and she wondered what it might feel like. But yet again, it didn't come.

"Jaune?"

"It's hard," he whispered. "You're fighting me."

"I'm not trying to."

"I know," she could feel his frustration. "It's… I think you're doing it subconsciously. Can you try just letting go?"

"Letting go?" That was as vague an instruction as they came. How was she to go about letting go of her own body? "I'm not sure I understand."

"Me neither. But… I don't know. Try taking a deep breath then just relaxing every muscle at once. If you can, try to just let all control go. Maybe think about those words, too?"

What a ridiculous notion. She wanted to sigh and call it off, but having come so far it felt churlish to not even hear him out. Without words she tried to convey her acceptance to him. She wasn't sure if he got the message, but the sudden focus he felt suggested he might have.

"On three," Blake said slowly, taking a deep, deep breath. It would be just like meditation, she figured. She would take deep breaths, close her eyes, and then relax – all at once. The numbers floated by in her head, before with one final breath – she let go.

"Blake, Blake!" The sheer worry and concern in his voice shocked her. It was almost overwhelming. "Are you okay!?"

"What was that!?" Blake growled, cradling her head in both hands while trying to glare inside her own head. "Why didn't you take control?"

"You just flopped to the ground like a puppet with its string cut," he said, "How is that my fault?"

"You said to let go!"

"Yeah, not collapse like you're having a seizure."

Okay, clearly their communication needed work, since she couldn't think of anything more letting go worthy than loosening all her muscles at once. Maybe she shouldn't have expected him to catch her, but what more did he want? She could still sense his panic, the weight of it heavy in her mind. Why he was so worried, she had no idea. Falling over, while embarrassing, was hardly life threatening.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

"What?"

It was hard to ignore. His emotions were coming fast and furious, her mind unable to cope properly with them. "You must be really scared of losing your ticket to tasting meals again," she joked, only to experience a wave of frustration.

"Yeah, well… I'd hate to not experience the taste of tuna again." He said it jovially but his emotions said otherwise. Frustration, disappointment, something else – identifying them all wasn't an easy task. It was enough to tell her he was lying, however. "What's wrong? You're the one who's nervous now, I can sense it."

Blake tried to slam down on her emotions, only for him to chuckle in her mind. Of course she couldn't hide how she felt from herself, and the connection went both ways. She was only lucky she was not a particular emotive person in the first place.

"I think I've got it!" Jaune's voice, and the feeling of his excitement, was enough to tear her mind away from the myriad feelings. She felt the fingers on her left hand curl into a fist, despite that she had not told them to. In panic she tried to move her right. "I've only got the left arm," Jaune sighed as Blake worked her right. His words range true, though she felt if she tried hard enough she could have wrested it back. It wasn't as unpleasant a feeling as she'd feared, more akin to wading through water or being in a dream. Her muscles tingled, as though she had pins and needles – but it was muted too, muffled somehow. "I think I could work my way to the body," he went on, "but only if you were willing to let me."

"Let's leave that for another time," Blake said. Though she'd planned it earlier, she was suddenly unwilling to lose all control.

"Are you okay?" Another wave of panic and concern washing over her – along with something else, something white hot and frightening.

"I'm fine," she snapped – harsher than she meant to. "You don't need to worry so much."

"I'm your friend," Jaune laughed, unaware of the emotions he sent crashing down on top of her. "It's normal for me to worry." Not that much, it wasn't – and not with such dedication. Blake recognised it, though for her it was old and worn, back from when she had been with Adam. She just hadn't thought it could have happened.

"As friends, huh?" Blake quipped, closing her eyes and waiting for his response. She felt happiness, but also disappointment… and longing.

"I should hope so by now," Jaune laughed, words at odds with what he felt. He was good at lying, she realised with some degree of surprise. If he didn't want to mention it… then maybe she shouldn't? Friendships had been torn apart by such feelings, there were risks – not to mention the physical limitations. "What's up?" Jaune asked, no doubt sensing her turmoil.

"Nothing," Blake buried the thoughts. "Nothing at all."

She would ignore those feelings, pretend they never existed. It was easier than dealing with the truth. With the possibility that Jaune felt something like that, for someone like her.

Surely she had just imagined it…

Surely?