Remaining Embers~Jaune x Cinder

The Music of Silence

Mistral's architecture scaled upwards, with its grandest buildings and most affluent citizens positioned at the top of the mountain overlooking the less fortunate. The further you descended from the top, the danker and seedier it became, until you found only the poor and downtrodden, or the greedy and opportunistic. Without soldiers actively policing the bottom rungs, Cinder led them in and directed the groups to places they could acquire supplies or stay off the books with the right amount of Lien and a willingness to accept substandard living conditions.

Qrow had suggested he separate from the others, dividing them into three teams. Ruby, Nora, and Ren had been reticent at allowing Jaune and Cinder to be alone together, but Qrow suspected allowing her the indulgence would be the best way to rein Cinder in and keep her pacified. And Qrow himself needed to get away from the group for a bit in case his Semblance decided to exert itself, and he didn't want any inexplicable signs of bad fortune to spook Cinder while they maintained their tentative alliance.

And as an added bonus, it meant he could get a drink.

After finding just the right seedy dive, Qrow ordered some of the cheap stuff and nursed it. He may have just recovered from a poisoning, but he was eager to return to his poison of choice, and also maybe gather a bit of intel from the locals while he was at it. If nothing else he wanted to process how to work with a dangerous woman who may or may not have still been working for Salem, and he tended to think better two drinks after the fact.

A seedy bar was just the sort of place a young man should avoid, but it was right where he needed to be, according to the voice in his head. He'd been uncomfortable trying to make his way through the slums at the bottom of the kingdom, poking his head into shady establishments, but at long last he'd found the man he was looking for. He was still cautious in his approach, even if the voice in his head assured him there was no danger from the drunk with the sword on his back.

Qrow quickly discerned his presence and glanced back, finding a brunette farm boy with youthful freckles and bright green eyes, looking a bit disheveled in his loose slacks and dirt-stained white shirt. Qrow leaned back in his seat and remarked: "You know, I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak."

The boy averted his eyes. "Shut up, I'm getting there..." When he managed to look at Qrow again, he spoke again, a little more cautiously: "Um, I'm supposed to tell you: I'd... like my cane back?"

Qrow's eyes widened, as he realized what had happened. He knew this had been coming, but had no idea who'd be selected for the binding. And the news couldn't have come at a better time.

Qrow nodded a few times more than he needed to and slipped up off his seat, reaching to unclasp the head of the cane from his belt, giving it one last look before he surrendered it to his old teacher. "It's good to see you again, Oz."

He tossed the trinket to the boy, who easily caught it with one orange glove. Upon touching his hand, the staff extended from the head of the cane. The boy took a moment to examine his new possession before looking up at Qrow again.

"I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting to hear today," Qrow allowed, "but have I got a story to tell you..."

Jaune had been quiet since he and Cinder had reunited. He'd gone along with her at her suggestion with nothing but a passive nod. He hadn't asked any questions or offered any opinions of his own. He just followed after her as she led him through the backstreets and slums of Mistral's underbelly, and he was using his not-inconsiderable brawn to cart around the food and medicine they'd been collecting from less-than-savory merchants.

Cinder had never thought silence could be so loud. Her -Pyrrha's- memories of Jaune were strongest when there was a strong emotional investment, and she always felt deep concern when Jaune was quiet or deep in thought, because it was so out of character for him. Whatever his friends had discussed with him (which was almost certainly about Cinder and whatever relationship he had with her) had clearly affected him deeply.