blockquote
p class="MsoNormal"It was late at night and for whatever reason Lie Ren was wide awake. He was unsure exactly what kind of a force chose to awake him at such an odd hour in the night – he knew it to be an odd hour due to how unnaturally quiet it was. With teammates like Jaune and Nora, and team RWBY across the hall, it was rarely that quiet, meaning it was still the wee hours of night. Normally he slept rather soundly throughout the night (despite Nora's loud melodic snoring). And as always, Ren would wake up rested and refreshed from the full eight hours in sleep mode./p
p class="MsoNormal"Now was not such a case for some reason and it perplexed the young man. He could have gone back to sleep if he closed his eyes, that was what normally worked whenever he mysteriously would awaken. But now for some reason that wouldn't work and try as he might, sleep evaded Ren as his mind remained actively awake. He didn't even think of anything specific in particular and yet the fact Ren's mind was very much awake made the young man remain awake. Sighting Ren hopped out of bed and decided to head for the kitchen for a snack./p
p class="MsoNormal"Perhaps it was his role as chef for his teammates and their respective friends that urged Ren to cook at that very moment. Maybe he had subconsciously wanted some food and it was hunger that made his body awaken, although Ren didn't feel particularly hungry, nor did he recall having any food related dreams. As it was fall and somewhat colder than normal in the evening (cold enough that he slipped on Nora's extra pair of fluffy pink slippers), making Ramen seemed an obvious choice as he already had prepared ingredients in the fridge meaning it wouldn't take too long to prepare. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was even the added bonus of its warmth which would heat his body from the cold night. Ren yawned as he thought span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanof sauces and toppings he could add into it as he made his way around the corner of the hallway./p
p class="MsoNormal"As Ren walked he found that the light in the kitchen was on. It was somewhat odd given the late hour. Most likely, another student was in the kitchen and after also waking up also had the same idea to get some food. Ren wondered whom it might be as he neared it before hearing several light but eloquent curses echoing from the kitchen. Ren knew of only one person who had such a cultured but refined use of language and merely laughed as he stepped into the kitchen. As he predicted the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company came into view. She was standing in the middle of a rather messy kitchen, her brows furrowed in frustration and lips in a pout./p
p class="MsoNormal""Drat! How did that cake explode - I didn't even set the oven on fire this time? This is not going as planned at all!" Amusingly Weiss adorned one of Ren's aprons around her small frame. She seemed to still be in her pajamas as well which included large, fluffy white bunny slippers, a Christmas present courtesy of her scythe wielding partner./p
p class="MsoNormal""Perhaps you added too much flour causing the cake to expand." Ren's voice startled the Schnee heiress who squeaked right then and there. She held up a long wooden spoon in self-defense and raised it at Ren out of instinct. The sight of Weiss holding the spoon up as a defensive weapon, wielding it much the same way like she would her elegant weapon Myrtenaster, almost made Ren chuckle but he held back as Weiss blinked at him in confusion./p
p class="MsoNormal""How long have emyou/em been there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""About one second. But it was long enough to figure out what you're up to. However, I am just not sure as to why..." Ren's eyes trailed to a suspiciously long trail of liquid baking mix. He had nearly the mind to rush towards the cabinet and take out his cleaning products and immediately mop up the mess until he shook the thought./p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss relaxed out of her stance and dropped her spoon with a sigh. She leaned onto the counter and seemed rather exasperated. Ren waited patiently as Weiss fixed loose strands of her hair, her own eyes trailing around the kitchen as she did so./p
p class="MsoNormal""I've been trying to make a cake as... an apology, for Ruby. I messed up the other day when she asked me to look after a cake she was baking. And well..." Weiss began to mumble staring at the ground. The surprise on Ren's face was evident at the explanation. It was honest but rather unexpected of Weiss' character. Yet it was just that which rather warmed Ren's heart./p
p class="MsoNormal"Like a sage, Ren pursed his lips together as he closed his eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal""I see. Well then, allow me to offer my assistance."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss blinked as she glanced back up at the young man. Ren was already in the kitchen getting right to tidying up all around her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh- oh Ren thank you – thank you Ren! I don't know how to repay you!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You needn't repay me Weiss. I love to cook and would be happy to help you. I only ask..." Ren secured his favorite apron around his waist. "Please do nothing to the cook."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The silence was deafening for those few seconds in the kitchen. It was only ended as Weiss coughed into her fist before Ren then went about showing her the ropes./p
div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby could smell a sweet delicious aroma which tickled her nose. She was mostly asleep yet began to awaken as the smell grew stronger. Her vision was dark as she still partly was in rem but the aroma that smelled like desert gradually pulled her into awakening. Memories of holiday mornings back on Patch waking up to a large breakfast with hot cocoa and sweet treats were triggered by the smell which also made Ruby feel her heart warming. She then awoke to a quiet room, her room she shared with her teammates back at Beacon./p
p class="MsoNormal"When Ruby did open her silver eyes she realized that her partner and teammate Weiss Schnee was above Ruby. She sat at the edge of her bed, her legs swaying in the air of the top bunk, and in her arms Weiss held a small but pretty cake with frosting covering it all around./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey..." Weiss said. She smiled as she spoke which made Ruby smile back. It was not something she was really used to; her partner never really was there smiling at her when she woke up before. It was a nice feeling that made Ruby feel cheery./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey Weiss." Ruby glanced at the cake which she now knew was the source of the delicious aroma that wafted into her senses. Then she looked back to Weiss holding the cake. Her white hair and pale skin somehow was shining in the twilight making the heiress look almost fairy tale like. "Am I dreaming?" Ruby had to ask./p
p class="MsoNormal""No Ruby, this emis/em the real Weiss. And this emis/em a real red velvet cake which took all night to make." Weiss lifted-up said cake to make her point. Ruby scratched the back of her head as she laughed lightly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ha... yeah. That explains the lack of flying lions and lighting ninjas." Ruby muttered sheepishly. Weiss rolled her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyways... here you are Ruby. A genuine cake. And I didn't even burn the kitchen em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"this/em time."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby's mouth had already been salivating when she first looked upon scrumptious desert in her partner's lap. The smell of the freshly baked desert also made the young huntresses stomach growl and she was ready to eat it. Somehow Ruby barely noticed that at the very top of the cake squished into the frosting was a single red strawberry – Ruby's favorite fruit!/p
p class="MsoNormal""You... made this?" Ruby asked Weiss. Her partner blushed and nervously twirled part of her long hair from her ponytail./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, Ren did help me somewhat." Ruby raised a brow at Weiss. The heiress relented. "Alright, fine. He... Ren helped with nearly every part. But I em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"did/em add the ingredients and even turned on the oven em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"by myself/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss smirked proud of the fact. Ruby chuckled. That was so like her partner./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks. And hey, no hard feelings bout, y'know. You killing my last cake." As Ruby said this Weiss blushed recalling her blunder. Though the heiress quickly composed herself with a huff of her cheeks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, a Schnee first and foremost upholds their duty. It was my duty to make it back up to you." Weiss mocked her own upperclass tone. Though she and Ruby then quickly began laughing at that. She then reached for a fork Weiss held in her hands before taking a piece with it and then taking a bite./p
p class="MsoNormal"In those few seconds of Ruby chewing down the sugary dessert a million concerns surfaced in her mind. What if she added too much sugar? Well Ruby might like that actually since she didn't mind when things were too sweet (which was a whole other concern for Weiss regarding Ruby's health). But what if there was too much food coloring? Again, perhaps Ruby would like that since she did have a favoritism for bright warm colors – her outfit being the big example. Or what if Weiss had baked it for too long? What if she hadn't baked it enough? What if she accidentally got Ruby sick and sent to the hospital and then she had a disease and then could no longer be a huntress or -/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's delicious!" Ruby exclaimed with a mouthful of cake in her mouth. Weiss blinked glancing at her partner's blissful face. Ruby was smiling brightly as she swallowed the bite she had taken. However there was a smidge of frosting on her cheek side./p
p class="MsoNormal""You got a little - hold on." Weiss reached for Ruby's cheek rubbing away at the frosting. She was ready to move her hand away when it was grabbed by Ruby./p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss was confused then. Ruby was staring at her with a straight face then. Didn't she say she liked it? What had made Ruby suddenly drop such a cute expression? Weiss was confused for only a second as her answer came in just a few seconds./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby lifted up Weiss' thumb and without any hesitation licked off the frosting from it. Weiss gasped at that and her heart for a moment raced faster than ever and the world seemed to freeze. But as quick as it came, time moved forward as Ruby licked her lips together enjoying the sweet taste of the frosting for a few seconds./p
p class="MsoNormal"At that the heiress' face was as flushed as Ruby's red hood. "Ruby did you just –"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Weiss that frosting was AMAZING! I couldn't let you have it for yourself- sorry!" Ruby laughed in apology. Weiss was speechless. Her mouth wide open and her normal pale complexion growing redder with every passing second. Ruby then got worried waving her hand to get her partner's attention./p
p class="MsoNormal""Weiss you okay? You look like you're burning up Weiss?" Ruby said with her face nearer to her partners. Weiss was speechless./p
p class="MsoNormal"emThis girl.../em/p
p class="MsoNormal"The heiress fainted right there on the spot – luckily having Ruby's bed to fall upon (and the cake safe in Ruby's hands). Ruby was caught off guard at her partner fainting and continued to try and nudge her back awake as she called out her name. All of this occurring as a certain silent huntsman listened in from the other side of Team RWBY's door./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ren smiled stepping back away from Team RWBY's room. His apron and pajamas were covered in flour and he looked like a mess, but Ren minded not and saw his work as good as done. With morning arriving soon Ren opted to catch up on the sleep he'd missed staying up with Weiss. He approached the room door of Team JNPR reaching for the knob when it was suddenly slammed wide open. It would have startled Ren out of his fluffy slippers had he not already been used to a certain pink haired booper's energetic ways./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ren! You weren't in bed mister! Were you out and about being a sneaky ninja? Did you bribe the head master – or start a fight club? Tell me about it later - I'm starving! Can you make me some pancakes pretty please?" Nora said in a very outdoor voice. As always, she had no filter, and as usual she had in hand her fork and knife ready to devour fluffy flat cakes of flour./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ren sighed. His partner's wicked smile widening all the more./p
p class="MsoNormal""A chef's work is never done."/p
/blockquote
p class="MsoNormal"It was late at night and for whatever reason Lie Ren was wide awake. He was unsure exactly what kind of a force chose to awake him at such an odd hour in the night – he knew it to be an odd hour due to how unnaturally quiet it was. With teammates like Jaune and Nora, and team RWBY across the hall, it was rarely that quiet, meaning it was still the wee hours of night. Normally he slept rather soundly throughout the night (despite Nora's loud melodic snoring). And as always, Ren would wake up rested and refreshed from the full eight hours in sleep mode./p
p class="MsoNormal"Now was not such a case for some reason and it perplexed the young man. He could have gone back to sleep if he closed his eyes, that was what normally worked whenever he mysteriously would awaken. But now for some reason that wouldn't work and try as he might, sleep evaded Ren as his mind remained actively awake. He didn't even think of anything specific in particular and yet the fact Ren's mind was very much awake made the young man remain awake. Sighting Ren hopped out of bed and decided to head for the kitchen for a snack./p
p class="MsoNormal"Perhaps it was his role as chef for his teammates and their respective friends that urged Ren to cook at that very moment. Maybe he had subconsciously wanted some food and it was hunger that made his body awaken, although Ren didn't feel particularly hungry, nor did he recall having any food related dreams. As it was fall and somewhat colder than normal in the evening (cold enough that he slipped on Nora's extra pair of fluffy pink slippers), making Ramen seemed an obvious choice as he already had prepared ingredients in the fridge meaning it wouldn't take too long to prepare. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was even the added bonus of its warmth which would heat his body from the cold night. Ren yawned as he thought span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanof sauces and toppings he could add into it as he made his way around the corner of the hallway./p
p class="MsoNormal"As Ren walked he found that the light in the kitchen was on. It was somewhat odd given the late hour. Most likely, another student was in the kitchen and after also waking up also had the same idea to get some food. Ren wondered whom it might be as he neared it before hearing several light but eloquent curses echoing from the kitchen. Ren knew of only one person who had such a cultured but refined use of language and merely laughed as he stepped into the kitchen. As he predicted the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company came into view. She was standing in the middle of a rather messy kitchen, her brows furrowed in frustration and lips in a pout./p
p class="MsoNormal""Drat! How did that cake explode - I didn't even set the oven on fire this time? This is not going as planned at all!" Amusingly Weiss adorned one of Ren's aprons around her small frame. She seemed to still be in her pajamas as well which included large, fluffy white bunny slippers, a Christmas present courtesy of her scythe wielding partner./p
p class="MsoNormal""Perhaps you added too much flour causing the cake to expand." Ren's voice startled the Schnee heiress who squeaked right then and there. She held up a long wooden spoon in self-defense and raised it at Ren out of instinct. The sight of Weiss holding the spoon up as a defensive weapon, wielding it much the same way like she would her elegant weapon Myrtenaster, almost made Ren chuckle but he held back as Weiss blinked at him in confusion./p
p class="MsoNormal""How long have emyou/em been there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""About one second. But it was long enough to figure out what you're up to. However, I am just not sure as to why..." Ren's eyes trailed to a suspiciously long trail of liquid baking mix. He had nearly the mind to rush towards the cabinet and take out his cleaning products and immediately mop up the mess until he shook the thought./p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss relaxed out of her stance and dropped her spoon with a sigh. She leaned onto the counter and seemed rather exasperated. Ren waited patiently as Weiss fixed loose strands of her hair, her own eyes trailing around the kitchen as she did so./p
p class="MsoNormal""I've been trying to make a cake as... an apology, for Ruby. I messed up the other day when she asked me to look after a cake she was baking. And well..." Weiss began to mumble staring at the ground. The surprise on Ren's face was evident at the explanation. It was honest but rather unexpected of Weiss' character. Yet it was just that which rather warmed Ren's heart./p
p class="MsoNormal"Like a sage, Ren pursed his lips together as he closed his eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal""I see. Well then, allow me to offer my assistance."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss blinked as she glanced back up at the young man. Ren was already in the kitchen getting right to tidying up all around her./p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh- oh Ren thank you – thank you Ren! I don't know how to repay you!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You needn't repay me Weiss. I love to cook and would be happy to help you. I only ask..." Ren secured his favorite apron around his waist. "Please do nothing to the cook."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The silence was deafening for those few seconds in the kitchen. It was only ended as Weiss coughed into her fist before Ren then went about showing her the ropes./p
div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby could smell a sweet delicious aroma which tickled her nose. She was mostly asleep yet began to awaken as the smell grew stronger. Her vision was dark as she still partly was in rem but the aroma that smelled like desert gradually pulled her into awakening. Memories of holiday mornings back on Patch waking up to a large breakfast with hot cocoa and sweet treats were triggered by the smell which also made Ruby feel her heart warming. She then awoke to a quiet room, her room she shared with her teammates back at Beacon./p
p class="MsoNormal"When Ruby did open her silver eyes she realized that her partner and teammate Weiss Schnee was above Ruby. She sat at the edge of her bed, her legs swaying in the air of the top bunk, and in her arms Weiss held a small but pretty cake with frosting covering it all around./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey..." Weiss said. She smiled as she spoke which made Ruby smile back. It was not something she was really used to; her partner never really was there smiling at her when she woke up before. It was a nice feeling that made Ruby feel cheery./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey Weiss." Ruby glanced at the cake which she now knew was the source of the delicious aroma that wafted into her senses. Then she looked back to Weiss holding the cake. Her white hair and pale skin somehow was shining in the twilight making the heiress look almost fairy tale like. "Am I dreaming?" Ruby had to ask./p
p class="MsoNormal""No Ruby, this emis/em the real Weiss. And this emis/em a real red velvet cake which took all night to make." Weiss lifted-up said cake to make her point. Ruby scratched the back of her head as she laughed lightly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ha... yeah. That explains the lack of flying lions and lighting ninjas." Ruby muttered sheepishly. Weiss rolled her eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyways... here you are Ruby. A genuine cake. And I didn't even burn the kitchen em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"this/em time."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby's mouth had already been salivating when she first looked upon scrumptious desert in her partner's lap. The smell of the freshly baked desert also made the young huntresses stomach growl and she was ready to eat it. Somehow Ruby barely noticed that at the very top of the cake squished into the frosting was a single red strawberry – Ruby's favorite fruit!/p
p class="MsoNormal""You... made this?" Ruby asked Weiss. Her partner blushed and nervously twirled part of her long hair from her ponytail./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, Ren did help me somewhat." Ruby raised a brow at Weiss. The heiress relented. "Alright, fine. He... Ren helped with nearly every part. But I em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"did/em add the ingredients and even turned on the oven em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"by myself/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss smirked proud of the fact. Ruby chuckled. That was so like her partner./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thanks. And hey, no hard feelings bout, y'know. You killing my last cake." As Ruby said this Weiss blushed recalling her blunder. Though the heiress quickly composed herself with a huff of her cheeks./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, a Schnee first and foremost upholds their duty. It was my duty to make it back up to you." Weiss mocked her own upperclass tone. Though she and Ruby then quickly began laughing at that. She then reached for a fork Weiss held in her hands before taking a piece with it and then taking a bite./p
p class="MsoNormal"In those few seconds of Ruby chewing down the sugary dessert a million concerns surfaced in her mind. What if she added too much sugar? Well Ruby might like that actually since she didn't mind when things were too sweet (which was a whole other concern for Weiss regarding Ruby's health). But what if there was too much food coloring? Again, perhaps Ruby would like that since she did have a favoritism for bright warm colors – her outfit being the big example. Or what if Weiss had baked it for too long? What if she hadn't baked it enough? What if she accidentally got Ruby sick and sent to the hospital and then she had a disease and then could no longer be a huntress or -/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's delicious!" Ruby exclaimed with a mouthful of cake in her mouth. Weiss blinked glancing at her partner's blissful face. Ruby was smiling brightly as she swallowed the bite she had taken. However there was a smidge of frosting on her cheek side./p
p class="MsoNormal""You got a little - hold on." Weiss reached for Ruby's cheek rubbing away at the frosting. She was ready to move her hand away when it was grabbed by Ruby./p
p class="MsoNormal"Weiss was confused then. Ruby was staring at her with a straight face then. Didn't she say she liked it? What had made Ruby suddenly drop such a cute expression? Weiss was confused for only a second as her answer came in just a few seconds./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ruby lifted up Weiss' thumb and without any hesitation licked off the frosting from it. Weiss gasped at that and her heart for a moment raced faster than ever and the world seemed to freeze. But as quick as it came, time moved forward as Ruby licked her lips together enjoying the sweet taste of the frosting for a few seconds./p
p class="MsoNormal"At that the heiress' face was as flushed as Ruby's red hood. "Ruby did you just –"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Weiss that frosting was AMAZING! I couldn't let you have it for yourself- sorry!" Ruby laughed in apology. Weiss was speechless. Her mouth wide open and her normal pale complexion growing redder with every passing second. Ruby then got worried waving her hand to get her partner's attention./p
p class="MsoNormal""Weiss you okay? You look like you're burning up Weiss?" Ruby said with her face nearer to her partners. Weiss was speechless./p
p class="MsoNormal"emThis girl.../em/p
p class="MsoNormal"The heiress fainted right there on the spot – luckily having Ruby's bed to fall upon (and the cake safe in Ruby's hands). Ruby was caught off guard at her partner fainting and continued to try and nudge her back awake as she called out her name. All of this occurring as a certain silent huntsman listened in from the other side of Team RWBY's door./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ren smiled stepping back away from Team RWBY's room. His apron and pajamas were covered in flour and he looked like a mess, but Ren minded not and saw his work as good as done. With morning arriving soon Ren opted to catch up on the sleep he'd missed staying up with Weiss. He approached the room door of Team JNPR reaching for the knob when it was suddenly slammed wide open. It would have startled Ren out of his fluffy slippers had he not already been used to a certain pink haired booper's energetic ways./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ren! You weren't in bed mister! Were you out and about being a sneaky ninja? Did you bribe the head master – or start a fight club? Tell me about it later - I'm starving! Can you make me some pancakes pretty please?" Nora said in a very outdoor voice. As always, she had no filter, and as usual she had in hand her fork and knife ready to devour fluffy flat cakes of flour./p
p class="MsoNormal"Ren sighed. His partner's wicked smile widening all the more./p
p class="MsoNormal""A chef's work is never done."/p
/blockquote