Glimpses into Another Time: May: The Party
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AndrewJTalon
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Beacon, Vale
- - -
The party in the unused Beacon dorm was in full swing—string lights twinkling like mischievous stars, bass thumping hard enough to make your eardrums throb, and plenty of teenaged bodies packed tight in a chaotic swirl of laughter, spilled drinks, and dancing that skirted the edge of "indecent."
May Zedong—Vacuo orphan, quiet sniper, eternal wallflower—hadn't planned on drinking. Heck, she hadn't planned on attending at all.
She'd come because her team dragged her along. BRNZ—Brawnz, Roy, Nolan, and her—were supposed to "bond." Instead, they'd spent the night goofing off: Brawnz arm-wrestling upperclassmen, Roy and Nolan challenging people to drinking games, leaving May to hover awkwardly in the corner, Aura Sight picking up everyone's moods in glowing overlays she couldn't turn off.
Frustration had simmered all evening. She did the work—scouting, planning, covering their reckless asses in missions—while they played leader and clowns.
One cup of glowing punch to loosen up. Two because it tasted like candy. Three because the warmth felt nice. Four because she forgot how many she'd had.
Now the world tilted pleasantly, her usual shyness drowned in liquid courage.
Her team was mid-laugh-Brawnz flexing for a crowd, Roy and Nolan cheering-when they turned to May.
"Hey, May! You wanna go get me my Scroll?" Brawnz asked, "I wanna show off how awesome I was in that fight!"
May scowled. Truly scowled. It was surprising enough that Roy and Nolan were taken aback.
"Why? Can't you get it yourself?" She demanded, her words slurring slightly as she started on a slow burn.
Brawnz for his part was merely confused.
"Well, why can't you go get it for me? That fight was so cool and I totally dominated," Brawnz went on, oblivous to the anger about to be unleashed.
"I dominated! I shot the Grimm! You guys always leave me out!" she snapped, louder than she'd ever been. "I do all the work! Scouting, planning, watching your backs—and you just fight and goof off like idiots!"
The group froze. Nolan blinked, reaching out to her. "May? You okay?"
"No!" She swayed, pointing accusingly. "I'm tired of being invisible! You're the leader, Brawnz, but I'm the one keeping us alive!"
"I didn't mean that you-" Brawnz tried, but May's temper was well and truly lost.
"I didn't even want to be here! But you still made me come because I don't get to do anything!" May raged, "I'm just your-your PACK MULE! YOUR GUN! AND I'M SICK OF IT!"
Brawnz gaped. Roy tried to salvage things.
"We just wanted you to have a good time-!"
"WELL I'M NOT!" May yelled, throwing the cup down.
Her eyes stung. The buzz soured into embarrassment. She turned and staggered away—out a side door, into the cool night air of the balcony.
The breeze hit her like a truck. She gripped the railing, head spinning, regret crashing in.
Stupid. So stupid. Now they'll think I'm crazy.
Footsteps approached—soft, careful.
"You okay?"
May turned. Jaune Arc stood there, looking concerned—one hand in his pocket, a half-finished bottle of something mild in one hand.
She huffed, looking away. "Fine. Just… air."
Jaune joined her at the railing, leaving space. "Parties are intense. I get needing a break."
May glanced at him—tall, kind eyes, that awkward sincerity everyone teased but secretly liked. Her Aura Sight overlaid his glow: steady gold, warm, threaded with quiet determination and a flicker of loneliness.
They stood in silence a moment.
Then the words spilled out.
"My team… they're great fighters, but I do everything else. Planning. Watching. Shooting. Chores... And they just… don't see me."
Jaune nodded slowly. May kept going on, quiet and ashamed.
"They-They've saved me... But they're also jerks. They make me do the laundry, the paperwork, the cooking, the cleaning... I have to do everything... They even dragged me out here and-and I didn't want to. I didn't want to see everything! I didn't want to do all this... I just... I just wanted...!"
She sniffled, and began to cry. She felt a handkerchief touch her hand. She looked up, saw Jaune was offering her the cloth. She took it, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. She flushed, and handed it back. Jaune awkwardly shook his head and smiled softly.
"Keep it," he said. May nodded, a bit unsteady. He got close to support her.
"I... I can see everyone's Souls," she mumbled, "I can see so much and it's... It's so much. It's overwhelming... I'm so tired... I'm so tired of being the strong one..."
"I'm sorry," Jaune whispered. "I... I get that. I mean... Being overwhelmed. Not the seeing Souls thing."
May looked at him—really looked. His Aura was bright, honest. No pretense.
"I... I have Aura Sight—they think it's cool, but it's… isolating. Always seeing more than people want. I can see so much... So much I don't want to."
"That... That still sounds amazing," Jaune said eagerly. "My godfather has a similar Semblance, and he's super cool. He's an incredible archer! There's nothing he can't hit." He grinned. "I bet you're just like him."
May blushed deeply.
"I... I am a pretty good shot," she whispered, "But when you can see so much... Y-You see so much of people and they don't understand..."
Jaune's eyes softened. "That sounds hard. Am... Are you seeing anything bad with me?"
May beamed into his chest.
"No," she whispered, "I... I like seeing you..."
They talked—really talked. About feeling on the outside. About hiding parts of themselves. About quiet places they escaped to, books they loved in secret.
The punch wore off slowly, leaving warmth that wasn't alcohol.
May's heart raced. She looked up at him, voice soft but steady.
"Jaune… would you go out with me? Like… a date?"
Jaune's eyes widened. "May, I—"
Panic hit. "Forget it! I'm buzzed, stupid—"
"No!" He caught her hand gently. "I'd love to. But… you've been drinking. How about you ask when you're sober?"
May stared, then nodded—shy, hopeful. "Okay."
He smiled. "Promise?"
"Promise. Also... Sorry."
"Sorry? For what-?"
May turned and threw up over the balcony railing. She then passed out. Jaune held her, bright red.
"Oh boy..."
The next morning, May woke with a pounding headache and crystal-clear memory.
She groaned into her pillow. She'd asked Jaune Arc out. While buzzed. Like a complete idiot.
She'd yelled at her teammates too. What was she thinking?!
"Uh..."
She looked up from her bunk. Brawnz, Roy and Nolan stood in front of her, looking contrite. She flushed and wrapped herself in her blankets.
"Um... G-Guys... I uh... Um..."
Brawnz sighed.
"Hey. We're... Sorry, okay?"
"He's the most sorry," Nolan muttered. Brawnz glared at him before he looked back at May. He reached out a hand and rested it on her shoulder.
"What I mean is... We did just want you to have some fun," Brawnz said, "Because you do work so hard."
"And we do appreciate you, May, even if we don't say it," Roy agreed. He handed her a glass of water and aspirin. She took them, wincing but grateful.
"Thank you," she murmured shyly. Brawnz grinned.
"We'll get you breakfast! You need protein after all that."
"Yeah," Nolan agreed. The three headed out, muttering quietly to eachother. They shut the door behind them. May sighed, burying herself in her blankets.
Her scroll buzzed. She read the caller ID: Jaune Arc?!
Hey May. Still on for that date? Festival tonight? Sober you this time.
May's face burned. But her heart soared.
She typed back, fingers trembling.
Yes. I'd love to.
- - -
The party in the unused Beacon dorm was in full swing—string lights twinkling like mischievous stars, bass thumping hard enough to make your eardrums throb, and plenty of teenaged bodies packed tight in a chaotic swirl of laughter, spilled drinks, and dancing that skirted the edge of "indecent."
May Zedong—Vacuo orphan, quiet sniper, eternal wallflower—hadn't planned on drinking. Heck, she hadn't planned on attending at all.
She'd come because her team dragged her along. BRNZ—Brawnz, Roy, Nolan, and her—were supposed to "bond." Instead, they'd spent the night goofing off: Brawnz arm-wrestling upperclassmen, Roy and Nolan challenging people to drinking games, leaving May to hover awkwardly in the corner, Aura Sight picking up everyone's moods in glowing overlays she couldn't turn off.
Frustration had simmered all evening. She did the work—scouting, planning, covering their reckless asses in missions—while they played leader and clowns.
One cup of glowing punch to loosen up. Two because it tasted like candy. Three because the warmth felt nice. Four because she forgot how many she'd had.
Now the world tilted pleasantly, her usual shyness drowned in liquid courage.
Her team was mid-laugh-Brawnz flexing for a crowd, Roy and Nolan cheering-when they turned to May.
"Hey, May! You wanna go get me my Scroll?" Brawnz asked, "I wanna show off how awesome I was in that fight!"
May scowled. Truly scowled. It was surprising enough that Roy and Nolan were taken aback.
"Why? Can't you get it yourself?" She demanded, her words slurring slightly as she started on a slow burn.
Brawnz for his part was merely confused.
"Well, why can't you go get it for me? That fight was so cool and I totally dominated," Brawnz went on, oblivous to the anger about to be unleashed.
"I dominated! I shot the Grimm! You guys always leave me out!" she snapped, louder than she'd ever been. "I do all the work! Scouting, planning, watching your backs—and you just fight and goof off like idiots!"
The group froze. Nolan blinked, reaching out to her. "May? You okay?"
"No!" She swayed, pointing accusingly. "I'm tired of being invisible! You're the leader, Brawnz, but I'm the one keeping us alive!"
"I didn't mean that you-" Brawnz tried, but May's temper was well and truly lost.
"I didn't even want to be here! But you still made me come because I don't get to do anything!" May raged, "I'm just your-your PACK MULE! YOUR GUN! AND I'M SICK OF IT!"
Brawnz gaped. Roy tried to salvage things.
"We just wanted you to have a good time-!"
"WELL I'M NOT!" May yelled, throwing the cup down.
Her eyes stung. The buzz soured into embarrassment. She turned and staggered away—out a side door, into the cool night air of the balcony.
The breeze hit her like a truck. She gripped the railing, head spinning, regret crashing in.
Stupid. So stupid. Now they'll think I'm crazy.
Footsteps approached—soft, careful.
"You okay?"
May turned. Jaune Arc stood there, looking concerned—one hand in his pocket, a half-finished bottle of something mild in one hand.
She huffed, looking away. "Fine. Just… air."
Jaune joined her at the railing, leaving space. "Parties are intense. I get needing a break."
May glanced at him—tall, kind eyes, that awkward sincerity everyone teased but secretly liked. Her Aura Sight overlaid his glow: steady gold, warm, threaded with quiet determination and a flicker of loneliness.
They stood in silence a moment.
Then the words spilled out.
"My team… they're great fighters, but I do everything else. Planning. Watching. Shooting. Chores... And they just… don't see me."
Jaune nodded slowly. May kept going on, quiet and ashamed.
"They-They've saved me... But they're also jerks. They make me do the laundry, the paperwork, the cooking, the cleaning... I have to do everything... They even dragged me out here and-and I didn't want to. I didn't want to see everything! I didn't want to do all this... I just... I just wanted...!"
She sniffled, and began to cry. She felt a handkerchief touch her hand. She looked up, saw Jaune was offering her the cloth. She took it, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. She flushed, and handed it back. Jaune awkwardly shook his head and smiled softly.
"Keep it," he said. May nodded, a bit unsteady. He got close to support her.
"I... I can see everyone's Souls," she mumbled, "I can see so much and it's... It's so much. It's overwhelming... I'm so tired... I'm so tired of being the strong one..."
"I'm sorry," Jaune whispered. "I... I get that. I mean... Being overwhelmed. Not the seeing Souls thing."
May looked at him—really looked. His Aura was bright, honest. No pretense.
"I... I have Aura Sight—they think it's cool, but it's… isolating. Always seeing more than people want. I can see so much... So much I don't want to."
"That... That still sounds amazing," Jaune said eagerly. "My godfather has a similar Semblance, and he's super cool. He's an incredible archer! There's nothing he can't hit." He grinned. "I bet you're just like him."
May blushed deeply.
"I... I am a pretty good shot," she whispered, "But when you can see so much... Y-You see so much of people and they don't understand..."
Jaune's eyes softened. "That sounds hard. Am... Are you seeing anything bad with me?"
May beamed into his chest.
"No," she whispered, "I... I like seeing you..."
They talked—really talked. About feeling on the outside. About hiding parts of themselves. About quiet places they escaped to, books they loved in secret.
The punch wore off slowly, leaving warmth that wasn't alcohol.
May's heart raced. She looked up at him, voice soft but steady.
"Jaune… would you go out with me? Like… a date?"
Jaune's eyes widened. "May, I—"
Panic hit. "Forget it! I'm buzzed, stupid—"
"No!" He caught her hand gently. "I'd love to. But… you've been drinking. How about you ask when you're sober?"
May stared, then nodded—shy, hopeful. "Okay."
He smiled. "Promise?"
"Promise. Also... Sorry."
"Sorry? For what-?"
May turned and threw up over the balcony railing. She then passed out. Jaune held her, bright red.
"Oh boy..."
The next morning, May woke with a pounding headache and crystal-clear memory.
She groaned into her pillow. She'd asked Jaune Arc out. While buzzed. Like a complete idiot.
She'd yelled at her teammates too. What was she thinking?!
"Uh..."
She looked up from her bunk. Brawnz, Roy and Nolan stood in front of her, looking contrite. She flushed and wrapped herself in her blankets.
"Um... G-Guys... I uh... Um..."
Brawnz sighed.
"Hey. We're... Sorry, okay?"
"He's the most sorry," Nolan muttered. Brawnz glared at him before he looked back at May. He reached out a hand and rested it on her shoulder.
"What I mean is... We did just want you to have some fun," Brawnz said, "Because you do work so hard."
"And we do appreciate you, May, even if we don't say it," Roy agreed. He handed her a glass of water and aspirin. She took them, wincing but grateful.
"Thank you," she murmured shyly. Brawnz grinned.
"We'll get you breakfast! You need protein after all that."
"Yeah," Nolan agreed. The three headed out, muttering quietly to eachother. They shut the door behind them. May sighed, burying herself in her blankets.
Her scroll buzzed. She read the caller ID: Jaune Arc?!
Hey May. Still on for that date? Festival tonight? Sober you this time.
May's face burned. But her heart soared.
She typed back, fingers trembling.
Yes. I'd love to.