Doubt

''Here comes the airplane, Lapis~''

The next morning wasn't as bad as Lapis thought, although Raye eerily calm after his disapperance last night. But he knew she was not completely happy.. he could FEEL it.

Raye was brightly smiling, but her smile didn't reach her eyes as she helt a spoon with food towards him. Originally he planned to refuse it as he sometimes did after too much embarrasment of this mouthfeeding.. this time she was very adamant as she showed a scary levels of patiences that Lapis has never seen of her.

The other children by the table was grinning or laughing slightly at Lapis as he made various of expressions as he underwent Rayes persistence.

Only one at the table that wasn't grinning nor laughing was the red cat eared faunus, Crim.

Grinding his teeth in silence, he watched as Raye kept giving attention to the white haired human child.

While Crim was brewing in dark thoughts towards them, Jade was watching the interraction them aswell.

'Raye.. you really..' Jade thought with a gentle smile, before switching her gaze to Lapis, her thoughts turned complicated.

A sound of someone rushing down the staircase echoed into the dinner room interrupted Jades thoughts as she turned her head towards her student, Lilu.

''Finally up now, sleepyhead?'' Jade said with a bright smile as she watched Lilus face turning red from everyone watching her from the table.

''A-Ah.. over..slept..'' Lilu sheepishly let out before her eyes landed to Lapis before turning quiet.

''Well.. you better hurry up, school starts soon dear'' Jade exclaimed before returning to her food, only for her to be interrupted by Lilu who almost shoved a paper to her face.

''Hm?'' Jade let out as she glanced and took the paper off Lilu before she went to the empty dining chair.. next to Lapis.

''Your weapon?'' Jade lightly exclaimed in surprise before looking at the blushing Lilu, who meekly nodded.

While Jade was reading and examining schematic, the children was excited for Lilu and started talking to her in excitement.

While Lilu was trying her best to answer the endless question of the younger children, Crim himself was baffled by Lilu, as he hasn't gone far with his own schematics.

'What the hell!?, No way!' Crim thought in anger as he glanced towards Jade.

'Fucking human favoritism' he continued as he started grinding his teeth harder.

Trying to clear his thoughts and calm down, his anger spiked again as he noticed Lapis looking at him with a 'taunting' smile. ''Excuse me'' he said quietly with barely helt anger as he left the table.

'Finally she stopped..' Lapis thought in relief before he glanced back at Crim and felt his anger spike before he excused himself from the table. 'What now?' Lapis thought in confusion.

''Are you sure about this, Lilu?'' Lapis thoughts got interrupted as he heard Jade speaking to Lilu again, wanting to know about Lilus weapon he turned his head facing them, but Lapis noticed Jade twitch as his gaze landed on her. 'hm?' Lapis blinked in confusion.

''W-Well..'' Jade let out before coughing slightly, ignoring the childs gaze on her. ''Although the weapons design is impressive, having an all around effective range is..'' Jade let out before glancing back at the schematic depicting a spear with shotgun and sniper capabilities before glancing back at Lilu. ''Good.. There are however several issues with it, Lilu'' ''Issues?'' Lilu let out nervously.

''Well, first of all.. It's quite unbalanced'' Jade let out as she showed the schematic towards Lilu while she pointed to various of locations. ''To fit the weapon with the dust tech, you have sacrificed alot of weight, especially the spear head. Because of this the weapon would be very unbalanced'' she let out before sighing lighty as she continued ''Speaking of sacrificing weight, cause you need to fit two different dust tech in the spear, you made the spear itself quite hollow.'' Jade said as she placed the schematic down on the table while she kept looking at Lilu.

''While a hollow spear isn't that much of a issue itself, it's a issue of using one while you are still huntress-in-training, Lilu'' Jade gently exclaimed as Lilu hesitantly opened her mouth before closing it again. ''What do you mean..?'' Lilu quietly mumbled.

After drinking some water and taking a deep breath, Jade continued as she watched Lilu carefully.

''You focused on versatility but you sacrificed balance and durability. Balance can be fixed easily from a few alterations, durability is abit more finicky. Durability can be fixed if you made the weapon using a different metal, but the academy only hands out standardized huntsman metal, Yes?''

Seeing Lilu faintly nod she continued ''Because of that, if you use this spear'' she exclaimed as she tapped the schematics, ''it will break''

Glacing as Lilu who seem to be deep in thought, Jade finished her food as she watched her if she would figure something out.

As the silence continued, Raye stood up from her chair and looked at the children, ''Now children, let's leave them alone for now. Homework is calling'' hearing the various of childish complaints as they placed their plates in the sink, Jade couldn't help but to smile as she watched the children.

Seeing Raye reach for Lapis, Jade said ''Ah, Raye. You can leave Lapis here. Me and Lilu can watch him while you help the children, yes?'' Raye hesitantly thought as she slowly nodded before following the children out of the kitchen, glancing at Lapis occasionally.

Feeling Lapis watching her, Jade glanced back before looking at the still thinking Lilu.

'This is it huh?' Lapis pondered as he watched her.

A few minutes of silence continued, only sound of a fork hitting the plate occasionally.

''I don't know..'' Lilu finally let out, hearing the sound of defeat from Lilu, Jade couldn't help but to laugh alittle.

''There is a easier and cheaper way of increasing a weapons durability, which leads me back to your question from earlier.. do you remember when I taught you to strike the tree without the wooden spear breaking?'' Jade let out with a smile as Lilus eyes started to glimmer as she let out ''Aura!''

''Yes.. Aura can be used to reinforce this weapon of yours, but because you're an huntress-in-training, you can't handle the strain of making sure a hollow weapon doesn't dent as you need to apply more aura than usual, any less will result in the weapon durability unable sustain the damage during fights, and thus the chances of the weapon denting and damaging the dust tech within is high.'' Jade exclaimed before standing up and walking over to her, handing her schematic back.

''A weapon that breaks during an onslaught of the Grimm will prevent you from saving people, and it might even get you killed aswell.''

''My recommendation?.. Focus on a single area, having a wide combat coverage is useful sure.. but you are spreading yourself thin, your current combat style is close combat, improve it and add either medium range or long range into it.. but not both.'' Jade exclaimed as she gentle patted Lilus head.

''All huntsmen ain't perfect all around combatants Lilu.. each of them has a specialty they focus on and any weakness they have will be covered by their teammates. As you currently only attending Oscuro Academy you don't have the full grasp of how important teammates are for huntsmen and huntresses.'' Jade exclaimed in a faint bitter tone that was missed by Lilu.

''Combat schools like Oscuro focuses on the individual, but an individual cannot beat the Grimm threat alone..'' Jade continued before watching Lilu put on a thinking expression before Jade glanced towards Lilus schematics.

''You can just go and prep for Oscuro Lilu, I'll take the plate away, okay?'' Jade said, Lilu faintly nodding before standing up taking her schematics with her.

''No rush, Lilu'' to which Lilu nodded before she gentle patted Lapis soft white hair as she left with a blush.

Silence overtook the kitchen dining table as Jade quietly sat down on Lilus chair.

Silence continued as the white haired child kept observing the old woman who seemed to be in deep in thought before she turned her gaze towards the child, no warmth nor cold in her gaze.

''I'm still waiting for that answer, Lapis'' she barely let as her gaze never left his.

Pondering what to do, Lapis opted to stay silent, to which Jade added ''And don't think of staying silent, I know you can speak.. I.. saw it.'' to which Lapis flinched as his thoughts went in turmoil, before his gaze for a moment flashed into a hollow frigid gaze before returning to normal, but it wasn't missed by Jade who momentarily was unable to breath.

Gritting her teeth and felt unsure if she continued, she eventually let out ''Well..?''

Lapis continued to watch Jade before eventually giving up as he lightly shrugged as his childish voice echoed in the quiet kitchen,

''What.. answer?'' to which Jade responded ''What are you?''

''Human'' Lapis quickly responded, ''Does it.. matter?''

''Yes, for the safety of the children. I don't know what kind of person you were before being reincarnated'' she exclaimed as she tightned her hands, ''and you don't feel human''

Glancing at Jade in confusion, 'reincarnated?' deciding to bite the bullet, Lapis continued.

''I am.. human, but how did you know.. that I'm.. reincarnated?'' Lapis let out as Jade merely shifted in her seat, ''Not the first time I interacted with one..'' she lightly exclaimed before quickly trying to change the subject.

''The childrens safety is my top priority.. How do I know that you won't hurt them?'' she said as she tried to see any lies in his eyes, but she realised she was unable to read him like she usually could.

''You.. don't'' a small amused smile crept up on Lapis face as he saw her doubts.

''It's that simple.. anything I'd say to you.. you won't believe.''

Glacing around the kitchen as his thoughts went elsewere, he continued,

''If you.. not knowing who I am makes you doubtful.. Be amused at my current.. position.'' Lapis lightly exclaimed as his throat started to feel dry. ''What do you mean?'' she hesitantly asked as Lapis returned his gaze on her.

''I am.. almost 2 years old.. in a place that I have no.. memory of. Huntsman.. Aura.. Faunus and all.. I never knew of their existance.. 6 months ago..'' he said as he saw Jades eyes staring at him in doubt, but also confusion.

'Amnesia?' Jade thought as she observed the child, unsure if she should believe him or not.

''If.. you don't want to risk it.. Just..'' Lapis said before moisting his throat as his gaze turned into a blank hollow. ''Just kill me.''

Feeling a shiver throughout her spine, she was flabbergasted as Lapis continued.

''I can't fight back, so just do it.'' he quietly said, his gaze steadfast on hers. ''This reincarnation deal.. is a one-time thing.. kill me, and I won't ever be a issue for you..'' 'I hope..' Lapis said and thought..

Hearing such a childish voice saying that with such sincerity made her shiver stronger, she shook her head as she let out.

''Don't say that.. I just.. want to know that the children.. won't be hurt..'' although Lapis and herself noticed she wasn't completely sure by her words herself..

''I won't..'' Lapis exclaimed as a faint warmth returned to his gaze, ''I feel.. home.. here..'' he quietly exclaimed before turning his gaze out of the window. ''I can.. barely remember pieces of my past.. but I know that.. the feeling of.. home, was.. gone.. alongtime ago..''

Silence returned to the kitchen as both Lapis and Jade was deep in thoughts, before Jade made up her mind as she let out as sigh.

''Fine.. But don't think I'll let my sights off you, Lapis.. and I forbid you sleeping with Lilu again.'' she let out as his gaze returned to hers.

''I won't.. expect any less'' he exclaimed with a relieved smile as Jade took the plate to the sink and started washing the dishes.

Watching her back, Lapis desided to ask something that had been on his mind for a long time.

''Jade.. If it's not much to ask.. but.. can you teach me how to me a huntsman?'' to which Jade froze before she turning off the running water.. a few minutes of thinking before eventually she turned it back on.

''Not until you're six~'' she exclaimed with a light smile, her thoughts unknown.