RWBY: Remnant's Blond Bard

Chapter 38

"Is it true you're dating Guitar Cutie?"

Jaune sighed. The question was one he'd fielded so many times over the past few days from waitresses, store owners, even random people on the street. He blamed the media, who seemed to be milking the orphanage story for every click it was worth. The shock factor of the event had worn off, so they'd turned to the next best thing – clickbait speculation and conspiracy theories.

"For the tenth time, Meera, I'm single. I don't even know Guitar Cutie."

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…"

"What's with how long that was? I don't know her!"

"It's just you have an exact replica of her guitar—"

"As do half of the amateur guitarists on Remnant!"

"—and you risked your life to save those orphans—"

"Which any good person would do!"

"—and you protest so damn hard about it."

"Because it's not true!"

"If you say so." Meera scowled at him. He really didn't understand why. "And who was that Cinder woman who brought you back, huh?"

"You literally just answered that question by saying her name."

"I meant who is she to you, idiot!"

"A friend, and a huntress from Haven Academy. Someone who actually agrees with me that Guitar Cutie is overrated. Also, someone who saved my life from Jax and those psychopaths who kidnapped the orphans."

"Fine," Meera grumbled, "She gets a pass." A pass on what…? "But that doesn't change the fact you risked your life. Who does that?"

"Maybe the world would be a better place if more people did."

"It'd be a place with a whole lot less musicians," she countered. "On account of them all being dead."

It was kind of hard to argue with that one. He'd been lucky and had a one-of-a-kind Semblance that let him get away with it, though the whole thing would have never happened without it as well, so it was good luck to fix the bad luck it'd created. That wouldn't satisfy Meera, though.

"Is it enough for me to say I'm sorry?"

"No. I demand recompense."

"In the form of…?"

"You already promised me a day out. Now, you're paying for it all!"

"Of course I am…"

It really wasn't a huge problem given the money he had from Guitar Cutie's works. In fact, it was a remarkably cheap way to earn her forgiveness, and not one he was going to scoff at. If only he could satisfy everyone with it, because Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Penny and Saphron had all messaged him at some point over the night to express their feelings.

Feelings that ranged from anger at him to worry to concern to a general threat to ask General Ironwood to carpet bomb Vacuo if he was hurt. Penny really didn't understand the concept of war crimes yet, which was something he hoped Pietro would give her a patch on before he released her into the world.