The common room was absolute chaos.
Jaune paced like a caged Beowolf, scroll clutched in one white-knuckled hand, voice cracking on every call. "She's not at the playground. Not at the library. Not answering her scroll—wait, she doesn't have a scroll, she's four!"
Ruby was halfway out the window, Crescent Rose half-unfolded. "I'll check the cliffs! She loves the view!"
Weiss had already pulled up the academy's security feeds on her scroll, muttering, "If that child has been kidnapped-!"
Blake's ears were flat under her bow, shadows flickering at her feet. "I knew I should've put a tracker on her shoes."
Yang cracked her knuckles, hair sparking. "Whoever took her is getting punched into next week."
Pyrrha stood rigid in the doorway, spear gripped too tight. "We should split up. I'll take the training fields—"
The door slid open with a cheerful ding.
Mint strolled in like she owned the place, black hair bouncing, a playful glint in her mismatched eyes. On her hip sat Mia, happily licking a massive strawberry-chocolate swirl cone, both cheeks smeared with ice cream and a sticky grin on her face. Mint's other hand held an identical cone for herself.
Silence crashed over the room.
Jaune's scroll clattered to the floor. "MIA ARC!"
Mia's ears drooped instantly. "Papa…?"
Jaune crossed the room in three strides, voice tight but controlled. "You cannot just disappear like that! No note, no telling anyone, nothing! We thought someone took you! Mint, you can't just—!"
Mia's lip wobbled. The ice cream started to drip forgotten onto the floor as big tears welled in her blue eyes. "I-I'm sorry… Mint said it was a surprise… and ice cream…"
The tears spilled over.
Jaune's anger evaporated like mist. He dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms, cone and all, hugging her tight against his hoodie.
"Hey, hey, shhh. I'm not mad at you, kitten. I was scared. I love you so much and I got really worried. You can't run off without telling me, okay? Promise?"
Mia sniffled into his shoulder, nodding hard.
"Promise…"
Mint watched the whole thing with a soft, almost shy expression. She lifted her hands and signed slowly and clearly so everyone could see:
<I'm sorry. I thought it would be fun. She was safe the whole time.>
Jaune exhaled, still holding Mia close, and gave Mint a tired but genuine look. "I know you care about her. I do. Just… next time, tell someone. Please."
Mint's smirk returned, slow and dangerous. She signed again, then rested one hand boldly on Jaune's shoulder, leaning in with a wink hot enough to melt steel.
<As recompense… I could always give her a little sibling.>
The room exploded.
Ruby squeaked so loud her voice cracked. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Yang's hair flared like a bonfire. "Oh you did NOT just—"
Weiss's rapier half-unsheathed with an icy chime. "You absolute harlot—!"
Blake's shadows multiplied in outrage. "Mint, I swear on every book I own—"
Pyrrha's spear slammed tip-down into the floor hard enough to crack the tile. Her voice was dangerously calm.
"I will politely ask you to remove your hand from his shoulder before I politely remove your arm."
Nora, from her perch on the couch, cackled like a hyena. "Ten lien says she actually does it!"
Ren just sipped his tea, hiding a tiny, amused smile behind the cup.
"Sucker bet."
Jaune remained frozen, bright red from neck to ears, mouth opening and closing with zero sound coming out. Mia, still tucked against his chest, looked up curiously.
"Papa, what's a harlot?"
Jaune made a strangled noise.
Mint just winked again, gave his shoulder one last playful squeeze, and sauntered out the door like she hadn't just dropped a live grenade into the middle of the room.
