Far From Home 006

“Aww, drats,” Deery groaned as her hand failed. “Why do I keep losing?”

“You keep asking for another card when you shouldn’t,” Jaune pointed out again, for what felt like the dozenth time. “You want to get as close to twenty-one as possible.”

“But when I try, I end up higher!” she complained.

“That’s because the odds of getting a two or three are pretty low compared to the odds of getting – well, literally anything else,” he chuckled as she pouted furiously. “Don’t worry, though. It isn’t like I’m doing much better.”

They’d started off with Poker but that had been a little too complicated for Deery, and so they’d switched to Blackjack. Honestly, Jaune found the simpler game more fun himself, but Deery seemed to be struggling with it, even though it was a lot easier.

But like he said, he wasn’t doing much better.

He was down a vest, a pair of gloves and a shirt, leaving him bare chested. While he didn’t usually wear gloves, they were part of the White Fang uniform and they’d all pulled on the full ensemble for the game, so everyone was as close to equal as possible. He watched as Deery removed her boots, leaving her in just a pair of pants and her bra.

Jaune tried not to stare, but it was a little difficult. Deery was pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way, her features soft, her body civilian fit. She was lithe, neither particularly short or tall, her breasts a healthy middle ground, cupped attractively by her cute pink bra. Gray smirked at him, catching him looking, but kept silent, shuffling the cards for the next game.

After Deery, Jaune and Korelle had lost the most. Korelle had removed her gloves, vest and boots. Gray had lost a single hand, down his gloves, and the same went for Céleste. The only one that hadn’t lost at all was Coal.

Jaune usually did better but he was a little distracted by Blake – and Illia.

The two kept eyeing each other across the room. After their brief interaction, the brown haired girl had pulled away, keeping her distance, though she hadn’t left. He could tell that Blake wanted to go over and speak to her, but didn’t dare move from her spot, as if afraid that once she moved, Illia might make a run for it.

The tension was clear, a reunion of old friends – now no longer on the same side.

Jaune hoped they could talk and make up.

“Alright, dealing now,” Gray announced, and began sliding cards to each of them, one at a time, going clockwise, until all of them had two cards. The loser of this game was the one that missed twenty-one by the most, overshooting the mark judged more harshly than undershooting. Jaune carefully slid his cards across the table, keeping them hidden, only peeling the corners up to check.

He had a King, and a Jack.

Jaune held.

He wouldn’t be losing any more clothing this round.

For being a prisoner, Jaune thought he had a pretty good deal. He’d been expecting people who joined the White Fang to be more like Trifa, a little rough around the edges, prone to scathing remarks, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Gray was actually a really cool dude, the type of guy Jaune would have idolized growing up. Confident and sure of himself, he carried an aura of coolness that was undeniable. Korelle was also really cool, and sweet, and Jaune thought her tattoo’s were super awesome. Céleste was that classic cool beauty, a spot that Blake used to occupy in his mind before he got to know her better. A little mysterious, but nice, she’d been open to conversation whenever they played.

Along with Deery, he was having a blast.

Maybe being kidnapped wasn’t so bad after all.

By some miracle, Deery managed to land twenty-one. Even though she called for another card once again when she really shouldn’t have, she stuck the landing and it left her in first place. This time, Céleste came in last, and so another article of clothing was discarded.

They’d played a few games already, and so Jaune had grown used to seeing them under-dressed, but it always left an impression. Deery went on a run of good form, managing to stay afloat, but the other girls weren’t so lucky. Korelle lost another piece, and then Céleste, and then Céleste again, before Korelle lost again. Then it was Gray, then Céleste, Korelle, and then Deery, her streak of good luck broken.

Coal was sitting pretty with all of his clothes.

Jaune watched as Deery pouted and shimmied out of her pants, revealing that her panties matched her bra. She was out of the game with that one, her slender, pale legs exposed, and Jaune caught a glimpse of her small, cute bubble butt before she sat down. The other guys playing with them were lucky, and all middle of the road, keeping their clothes right where they belonged.

Céleste had another beauty spot, hidden in her cleavage. Jaune’s eyes always automatically found it, as if it compelled him to look. The way the cups of Korelle’s white bra wrinkled slightly told him that there was more than nipple hidden behind the material; more piercings, perhaps?

Jaune lost the next game, completely distracted – not by Blake, this time.

Everyone watching was getting a good show. Illia was no longer focused on Blake, instead stealing glances at Korelle and Céleste. Blake was staring right at him, and he waved, but she acted like she didn’t notice.

Strange.

Céleste was the next one out, and Jaune couldn’t help but drink in her pale, long legs as she discarded her pants. Her panties were much more aggressive than Deery’s, riding high on her hips before being swallowed between her pert cheeks. There was another beauty spot on the inside of her left cheek, and Jaune caught it as she sat down.

Jaune shifted in his seat.

In the end, Coal ended up winning. He finally lost a match but that was the only one he came last, discarding his gloves. Everyone else was reduced to their underwear.

He wasn’t sure but he thought Céleste and Korelle were paying him a lot of attention.

Many of the other games were still going, so the crowd began focusing on those. An arm looped through his and then he felt a soft body pressing into his side. Jaune peered down at Deery with some surprise as she wiggled against him, her skin warm and smooth.

“Ehehe, looks like we lost,” she smiled happily, flashing her white teeth. “You’ll have to show me how to play better so I can win next time.”

She nuzzled his shoulder, her small antlers gently brushing against his jaw.

“Jaune,” Céleste called, drawing his attention.

“Yeah?”

She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin atop her hands, leaning forward slightly. Her sizable chest drooped, her breasts stretching under the force of gravity, held up only by her bra. “You mentioned before that you attend Beacon. That you’re training to become a Huntsman.”

“That’s right.”

“What’s it like?” she asked, a genuine curiosity infusing her voice. Her dark hair spilled across her bare shoulders, forcing her to gather it and pull it over one side, fanning across her plump breasts. “Did you train from a young age?”

Korelle seemed interested as well, propping herself up on one hand as she leaned in. Her body was taut and fit, her muscles defined. As she leaned, her ribs stretched, clearly visible beneath her skin; she was very slim.

“Yeah, tell us,” Deery pressed, leaning away from him, though her arm was still threaded through his. “Even though I grew up in Vale, I’ve never been up to the school.”

A few others were listening in, including Gray and Coal. Even Illia appeared interested, her eyes shifting off the girls and onto him.

“Uh, well – to answer your second question, no. I didn’t train from a young age. You could say I was a little late to the game, as it were,” he laughed awkwardly. “Actually – well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now. I didn’t have any experience or proper training before Beacon. I faked my papers.”

Everyone stared at him. Even Blake, who hadn’t known.

“W-What?” Blake uttered, aghast. “Jaune?”

Jaune grimaced but didn’t regret letting it out, nodding. “Yeah. I managed to get some fake transcripts and forged a bunch of the documentation. I’m actually really good at that sort of thing,” he shrugged. “My mom always wanted me to go to art school. She’d be pretty angry if she knew I’d used those skills for that, instead.”

Blake gaped at him.

“And they didn’t catch you?”

That was Illia, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“You managed to trick them? A Huntsman Academy?”

He nodded.

“Yep.”

“Wait a minute,” he saw something occur to Blake, her eyes widening. “If you didn’t go to a prep school, and you didn’t have any training… but you had aura, didn’t you?”

When he remained silent, that was all the answer she needed.

“You could have gotten killed!” she said incredulously. “Actually, why aren’t you dead? Ozpin threw us off a cliff!”

She sounded on the verge of hysterics.

“You can thank Pyrrha for that,” he smiled fondly. “She pinned me to a tree with her spear, caught me before I hit the ground. After that, she unlocked my aura when she realized I didn’t have it.”

Blake’s mouth opened and closed, no sound forthcoming. He’d completely fried her brain.

“I don’t know if I should be impressed or concerned,” Gray admitted, gazing at Jaune in a new light. “That sounds absolutely crazy, man.”

“Yeah, I guess I really didn’t think it through. Like – at all,” Jaune sighed, shaking his head. “But it all worked out. I got a really awesome partner and team out of it, and I’ve been getting stronger every day. It was the best decision of my life.”

“Is Pyrrha your partner?” Korelle asked curiously. “Huntsmen have partners, right? I’ve heard some of the students from Haven mention it.”

“Yep. Pyrrha Nikos. She is amazing.”

Everyone blinked.

“Pyrrha Nikos,” Korelle repeated. “You mean the Pyrrha Nikos?”

“Yep, the one and only,” Jaune said proudly.

Deery squealed.

“Oh, she’s like a super celebrity, isn’t she?” she gushed, swooning. “Oh! Oh! You have to introduce me to her some time!”

“Sure. Just a heads up, she isn’t a huge fan of all the fame, you know? I think some people take it a little far, and it makes her uncomfortable. If you’re just yourself, I think you two will get along great!”

Céleste hummed. “I’d like to meet her, as well. She’s very beautiful. I remember her from those tights commercials last year. It made me buy a pair, they did wonderful things to my butt.”

“Yeah, I’d love to introduce you all at some point.”

You know, when he was no longer a prisoner. He wasn’t sure how since they were all kinda terrorists but he’d make it work somehow! They were really nice, he knew Pyrrha would get along with them all.

“So – yeah, Beacon is… awesome. When you think of a school, you think of some boring building, right? But Beacon is this huge cathedral with arches and towers, and it overlooks the city from this massive cliff. There are waterfalls and rivers, and the Emerald Forest comes right up to the campus grounds. The view from the school is breathtaking, and on clear days, you can see the island of Patch beyond the horizon.”

He could see it in his mind. Being so high up, it made you feel… larger than life.

“The highest tower shines with a green light – it’s what gives the school its name, and at night, it’s really pretty. There are a ton of normal classes like Math, Language, History – and then classes focused on Huntsman duties; Grimm Studies, Combat Class, Survival and Navigation, Dust Usage, Weapon Maintenance. Honestly, the school is so big and it has everything you’d ever need, it’s almost like a small town. There’s a gym, indoor pools, a forge, a dining hall wwere we all eat – but there are also cafes, and the CCT.”

“That’s so cool,” Deery said, envious. “Maybe I should have been a Huntress. My high school was boring and I didn’t have good enough grades to go to university.”

He told them a few stories about his time there, like the time he saved Cardin’s life in Forever Fall and the infamous food fight in the dining hall. At first, they didn’t believe the second story until Blake confirmed that it was one hundred percent true.

“Beacon sounds wild,” Gray said, shaking his head.

“I think it sounds interesting,” Céleste had an intense look in her eyes. “You said that Pyrrha unlocked your aura – how does that work?”

Jaune answered truthfully. “She put her hands on me and said some lines, and poof! I had aura.”

“Is that really all it takes?” Korelle asked doubtfully. “I thought only certain people could have it or something. I didn’t know people could just give it to you.”

Jaune shrugged. “It’s how I got it. Blake, what about you?”

She appeared caught off guard as everyone’s attention shifted to her. “Uh – no, I mean, mine unlocked on its own when I was little. Some Grimm attacked the outskirts of Kuo Kuana and it saved my life.”

“Illia, you have aura, don’t you?” Gray asked, curious. “How did you get it?”

She scowled. “None of your business.”

Everyone groaned, as if she were being a particularly troublesome child. That got her heated.

“I’m not here for your entertainment,” she snapped.

“But did it unlock on its own or did someone unlock it for you?” Deery asked. “That’s all we want to know.”

Illia chewed on her words, before finally saying, “On its own.”

And then Céleste asked what those without aura were all wondering, “Jaune – could you unlock mine, if I wanted it?”

“Absaloutely not,” Blake shot down immediately.

Céleste fixed Blake with her beautiful eyes. “Why not?”

Blake spluttered. “Because he’s your prisoner, remember? Why would he help you?”

Céleste smiled, flashing her white teeth. “Because I’m pretty?”

She received a cold glare in return.

“Oh, oh, I want aura too!” Deery pulled away and grabbed his hand, holding it between them. “Can I have it too? That’d be so cool!”

“I don’t really know how to do it,” he revealed, much to their disappointment. “But I could try?”

“Jaune!” Blake snapped, appalled. “Think about what you are agreeing to do!”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport, kitty cat,” Korelle waved her down. “I’m kinda interested in this myself. Why haven’t you guys done this for us, anyway, if you could do it all along?” she asked Illia and Trifa specially.

“Because I didn’t even know you could,” Trifa revealed. “Did you?”

That was for Illia.

The brown haired girl shook her head. “No, I – I’ve never met anyone who had it unlocked by someone else.”

Everyone looked to Blake.

“I’ve only heard stories,” she grumbled reluctantly. “But I’ve never actually seen anyone do it… or even knew anyone that claimed they were capable of doing it. Jaune… you got really lucky, you know that, right?”

This was just another reason why Pyrrha was the best. He couldn’t have ever hoped for a better partner.

“So?” Céleste pressed. “Would you unlock my aura for me?”

“Me first, me first,” Deery chimed in.

“Jaune, you can’t,” Blake hissed – but really, did he have much of a choice?

But also, he was curious. Could he unlock their aura like Pyrrha did for him? And if he did… what would they use this power for? They were members of the White Fang, and they’d kidnapped him, and yet Jaune didn’t think they were bad people. Just like Blake wasn’t a bad person, and she’d once been one of them.

Their organization was doing bad things, though. There was no denying that.

In the end, he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe he was a little dumb.

“Like I said, I can try – but I don’t know if I can do it,” he tried to recall the words Pyrrha had used, when she unlocked his aura. It had been one of the most important moments of his life but things had been so frantic, and his memory of the event was preluded by being flung into a forest from a clifftop.

That day had been filled with nerves and fear, and it blurred much of his recollection.

Those that were interested gathered around – which was practically everyone that overheard the conversation. Céleste and Deery faced off to see who would go first but Céleste quickly realized that Deery was just a different breed of person, and not someone you wanted to get into an argument of logic with because it didn’t work on her. She reminded Jaune a lot of Nora in that way, and so the deer faunus won in the end.

She was still in her underwear, just as the other girls were but she had zero shame, bouncing up and down in front of him in excitement. It did interesting things to her chest.

Jaune may have stared just a little bit.

“What do I do? What do I do?” she asked, clapping her hands.

“Oh, uh – so, Pyrrha made me close my eyes and concentrate, and she placed a hand on me,” Jaune reached out to place his hand on the side of her head, like Pyrrha had done for him, but Deery had other ideas. She grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart which meant he ended up touching her chest. Her skin was really soft and smooth, settled just off center towards her left breast. “Uh… yeah, like that, I guess… and then she said some words while channeling her aura…”

Jaune focused as Deery closed her eyes and thought about Pyrrha’s words on that day.

“In passing we achieve – no, that isn’t right,” he paused, shaking his head. He heard Trifa scoff mockingly. “For it is in passing that we achieve immortality,” that sounded more like it – and once he got that part, it flowed from him effortlessly, as if his partner was speaking through him. “Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee.”

Jaune saw his aura appear, shrouding his body in motes of golden light. Deery gasped, shivering – and for a moment, he thought he’d done it. That he’d managed to unlock her aura – but there was no accompanying light, no shroud emitting from Deery’s body. Only Jaune’s soul, luminous and bright.

“Do you feel anything different?” he asked.

She squirmed, rubbing his palm over her chest. “Um – I feel warm. It feels really good.”

“Do you feel stronger? Like you can take on the world, all on your own?”

Everyone held their breath.

“Um – not really? It’s more like I’ve slipped into a warm bath and never want to get out,” she admitted. “It’s really comforting!”

When he removed his hand, the feeling went away, Deery pouting as she opened her eyes.

It didn’t work.

“I guess it takes more than saying a few words, if it can be done at all,” Trifa needled – but Jaune could hear the disappointment in her voice. She’d wanted it to work.

“Was it meant to do that?” Korelle asked, gesturing to Deery’s chest – and her very prominent, very hard nipples. Jaune blinked, startled, the cups of her bra pointed as her nipples tried their very best to punch their way through. Some of the guys covered their eyes, though they peered through their fingers, while the girls made sounds of sympathy.

“Oh,” Deery exclaimed. “They’re really tight.”

“Er…” Jaune didn’t know what to say.

“I think we should try again,” Céleste suggested, presenting herself. “Perhaps it only works on certain people.”

So Jaune tried again and again, but the results were the same. Céleste and Korelle both had their turns, commenting on the warmth they felt, and how it made them feel safe, but their aura remained stubbornly dormant. Just like Deery, their nipples hardened from the sensation, impossible to miss but they didn’t appear overly concerned with the show they were giving everyone.

Blake looked outraged but held her tongue, while Trifa just looked over it, releasing a long suffering sigh. Illia was quiet, watching the proceedings with a strange glint in her eye. He wouldn’t claim that she was enjoying it, but… she didn’t appear opposed.

“Well, it was a nice try,” Gray said, slapping him on the back. “I guess if it were really that easy, then more people would be running around with aura, right?”

“I guess,” Jaune was pretty bummed about it, though.

It would have been cool.

“So are you guys going to put your clothes on or just stand around in your underwear?” Blake finally asked.

Oh, right. It wasn’t just the girls who were half naked. Jaune was pretty exposed himself.

“Ahaha,” Deery laughed, latching onto Jaune. “I kinda like it like this, though.”

Blake’s eye twitched.

But all the fun and games came to end when a sudden siren sounded throughout the base, piercing through the cheer and placing everyone on high alert.

Those of higher rank took immediate charge.

“Arm yourselves and gather at your assigned posts,” someone barked, and everyone fell in line. Those underdressed began pulling on their clothes, and even Deery seemed serious. Trifa was by his side in an instant.

“What’s going on?” he asked but she shook her head.

“Get dressed and follow me,” she then turned to Illia. “Make yourself useful and take the cat back to her room.”

Blake scowled at being called ‘the cat’ but didn’t struggle as Illia seized her arm and pulled her away.

The party was over.