The Spring Equinox Dance

RWBY

Chapter Two

A Date with Ruby

Genre : Romance/Humor

Summary : After an academic meeting with Goodwitch discussing his poor grades, Jaune contemplates leaving Beacon. However, Ozpin offers him a chance to prove his worthiness to stay enrolled. Jaune must overcome his challenge by the Spring Equinox. Obstacles from teammates to former friends threaten his task: capturing the most dangerous of hunts, a date to the school dance.


It was outside of a fancy restaurant in an alleyway where Yang pinned Jaune to a wall.

"Now I expect this night to go off without a hitch!" Yang held a brick to Jaune's face. "Ruby's inside and she's waiting for you to get in there and treat her like a princess by enjoying a nice, sweet, candlelit dinner." Yang growled. "You hear me? I want my sis treated like a princess tonight."

Closing her hand into a fist, the brick crumbled.

"She's a princess! She's definitely a princess! Treat her like a princess! Got it!"

"Good boy," Yang smiled with a pat on Jaune's head.

Jaune breathed in and out deeply. He was facing death incarnate that wouldn't hesitate to make him a eunuch at an instant.

"I promise I'll treat her like a princess and be an absolute gentleman. I'll pull out her chair for her, open doors for her, won't touch her-"

"Wait! What did you say?"

"I said I won't touch her…"

Yang's eye twitched.

"Are you calling my sister ugly, bub?" A shell cocked into the chamber.

Jaune waved his hands in front of him. "No! Absolute not! Your sister is very pretty! Cute!" Jaune cowered and said, "please, just don't hurt me."

"Oh!? So now you're having impure thoughts about my sister!?"

"No! I wouldn't even dream of touching her!"

"What? So my sis isn't good enough for you? Is she so unattractive you wouldn't want to be seated at the same table as her? The thought of you two holding hands while taking a romantic beach-side stroll so disgusting to you!? Well is it!?" Yang leaned in close and whispered, "choose your next words wisely, Jaune Arc, or else you may be Jaune Dead."

"I… like your sister… and for tonight I… will court her… with the purest-the absolute purest-of intentions," Jaune whimpered.

Yang plucked a pebble from the ground and pinched it between her two fingers.

Dust slipped through her fingers.

"See to it you do," said Yang as she rubbed her fingers before blowing on the tips. "Oh and before I forget," said Yang as she approached Jaune.

"Wh-what now?"

Yang pinned Jaune to the alleyway wall and brought a knee between his legs.

"You better behave yourself lover-boy," Yang whispered into his ear. "And if I hear if my sister was not pleased, even if it's just by the amount of ice in her strawberry lemonade, I'll smash a certain body part of yours so hard your ancestors will scream just as loud as you will."

Jaune gulped.

"Reasonable," Jaune nervously smiled.

Yang pulled her lips from Jaune's ear and faced him. Their noses were inches apart. Jaune could feel Yang's sweet fire-orange and mango breath and the smoothness of her skin. His eyes wandered down and he saw the paleness of her collarbone next the softness of her...

"Want a kiss for good luck?" Yang's lips were full and plump.

A hand was brought up to Jaune's face and her fingers slide across his cheek. For a moment, Jaune was about to say yes. But on a rare occasion in his life, thinking overcame instinct and Jaune gave his reply.

Jaune shook his head.

"Ab-so-lute-ly not," Jaune stated, eyes closed.

Yang gave Jaune a pat on the head.

"Good boy," said Yang before delivering a high powered headbutt to Jaune. "Real men get headbutts for good luck. Tata for now," said Yang with a wave. Mounting her motorcycle, Yang drove off.

Stars and canaries danced around Jaune's head before he realized Yang had left. Jaune brushed himself and returned into the restaurant.

He found Ruby sitting at the table, quickly reading through the menu.

"Hey! There you are! Where's Yang?"

"It's going to be just the two of us," said Jaune as he took his seat.

"Oh!? Really!? Just the two of us!?" Ruby clapped excitedly. "I've never eaten dinner along with a boy before... at least boys there were conscious." Jaune gave Ruby a horrified look. "Yang said they were paying if it was a double date but they ended up sleeping on the floor with mysterious bumps on their heads," Ruby shrugged as she took a large sip of strawberry lemonade.

The thought of a pair of Jaune's stones being crushed to dust by Yang Xiao Long entered his weak-mind.

"Ruby, if anything-anything at all-makes you unhappy. Please tell me. Tonight I, Jaune Arc, will make sure you are treated like a princess. You understand me!? A princess!"

"Haha! Okay!" Ruby smiled before turning back to her menu. "So… what are you going to order?" Jaune squinted his eyes at the menu. Yang had forced him to take Ruby to an upscale restaurant in a wealthy part of town filled with foreign high-class cuisine which Jaune could not read the names of.

"I can't read any of these words," Ruby said with a confident smile.

"That's not something you should be proud of." Jaune scratched his head. "I actually can't read these either."

"No matter! We will have our dinner! It will be delicious!" Ruby pondered for a bit. "I think I'll order a cheeseburger and milkshake."

"I don't see that on here…"

Ruby shrugged. "You can always ask. Waiter! Excuse me!"

A waiter strolled over and in a bored voice asked, "may I take your order, ma'am? sir?"

"Yes! I'd like a cheeseburger with fries and a milkshake, please," Ruby said with a great, big smile. "Oh, but can you hold the pickles?" Ruby continued in a low whisper to the waiter, "they taste so gross."

The waiter coughed into a gloved hand.

"Ma'am… we do not serve cheeseburgers, fries, nor milkshakes at this establishment."

"You don't?" Ruby asked. Genuine confusion was on her face. "Why not? Everybody loves cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes." Ruby's face began to frown.

"Ma'am are you joking-" Jaune quickly waved down the waiter.

"Yo! Uh… waiter, let's have a chat," said Jaune as he rose from his seat, threw an arm around the waiter and walked away from the table towards a hallway. When the two turned the corner and were out of sight from Ruby, Jaune spoke to the waiter. "Now look here, my date's sister is going to neuter me with dust-powered shotgun shells if I don't make sure she has a good time. Now look at her," said Jaune as he pinched the waiter's face and directed it towards Ruby, peaking from behind the corner. "What do you see on her face?"

"The face of a young pretty whom-I-presume-to-be female person." Jaune stared the waiter. "What? She might be a very handsome boy who decided to dress as a girl for the night. I don't judge."

Jaune groaned at the world.

"No no no. I mean what kind of expression? Does she look happy?"

"I see a frown," said the waiter. Jaune pulled the waiter's face towards him.

"Now look at me," said Jaune. "What kind of face do you see?"

"A male face-"

"No no. You look at me. Look at me.," said Jaune. He had two fingers pointed towards his eyes. "I'm the captain now."

"Sir… what does that even mean?"

"You do as I say," said Jaune as he pulled out his wallet. "Take this lien, buy a cheeseburger, fries, milkshake and whatever else you can get from Jack in a Vytal, dump some fancy green stuff on it and serve it to her. Got it?"

The waiter looked at the large amount of lien pushed into his hand and nodded. Returning the table, Ruby smiled at Jaune as he took his seat. The waiter then gave a short bow to Ruby and said, "very good ma'am. Cheeseburger with no pickles, fries, and a milkshake."

"Thank you!" Ruby said. Her face glowed with a smile any guy would want to protect and she closed the menu. The waiter and Ruby looked over at Jaune, anticipating his order.

"And what shall you be having, sir?"

"Huh? Me? Oh that's right, I need to order to…" Jaune looked at the menu and found all of the names in foreign languages and difficult to pronounce. "How about…" Jaune mumbled the food name while pointing at it in the menu.

"Ah! Broiled pork brains stuffed in intestines served on a bed of lima beans. Excellent choice, sir," said the waiter.

"Wait! What? How can that possibly be a thing? No no, I change my mind… uh…" Jaune said a different food name. "And I think I'll have that with a…" Jaune read another food name.

The waiter's forced smile turned upside down.

"Sir… you just said you shave your back with cactus needles in Vacuo," the waiter coughed. "And your mother eats the possums that flow endlessly from your father's southern lawn."

"I didn't realize you were fluent in Vacuo," said Ruby.

"Oh forget it… you know what? I'll just have chicken," said Jaune closing the menu.

"Very good sir," said the waiter as he jotted into his notepad. "What kind of chicken?"

"Just pick me something I'll eat," Jaune waved off before dropping his face into his hands and groaning. Ruby giggled. The waiter shrugged and wrote down an order for Jaune.

"It will be here, shortly," he said before bowing and departing.

With the waiter gone, Ruby leaned across the table and gave Jaune a poke.

"Hey hey! I'll share some of my fries with you," said Ruby with a smile. "You can have those short crumby ones that end up on the bottom of the box. I call dibs on the long ones!"

Jaune looked up.

"You're so nice Ruby," Jaune said as they continued with dinner.

After dinner, the pair decided to take a stroll through the city and stumbled through the shopping district. It was that Ruby spotted something of immense interest to her.

"Is that… oh! It's one of those… what do you call it… maid cafes!" Ruby pointed excitedly.

"Maid cafes? I didn't think they actually existed outside of cartoons…"

"Yeah! It's always been on my bucket list to go to one!" Ruby looped her arm around Jaune's. "Come on! We still haven't eaten and the night is still young, let's go! They should definitely have some milk and cookies!" Ruby threw an arm into the air and began pulling Jaune inside the maid cafe.

Weiss and Blake peaked from the alleyway corner.

"Look at them! I told you they were going on a date! I just told you!" Weiss exclaimed excitedly. "I still can't believe our team captain is going out with another team captain, especially that babbling buffoon Jaune. It's like one of those love stories you hear on the radio."

"Uh huh. Should we really be following them? What they do with their personal relationships and romantic pursuits is their business," said Blake. "Shouldn't we respect that as part of their privacy as human beings?"

"No! We must absolutely follow them! They stopped being humans and started being a couple when they started going out! They're an item! They're a thing! And I must learn all I can about this… this… thing!"

"Why?"

"Why…? Why!?" Weiss' eyes bulged with fury. "Obviously!"

"Obviously what? You just stopped at obviously," said Blake who tilted her head. "I'm not following…"

Weiss sighed.

"The reality is I have nothing better to do than spy on my team captain's personal life and it makes me so-so-so-so curious to know the who-what-why of the Jaune-Ruby dating sensation currently occupying all the rumors on the school social networks!" Weiss squealed with excitement as she typed frantically into her phone.

"You're such a gossip," Blake sighed.

"Look! The school gossip forums!" Weiss proudly showed it to Blake on her phone.

"Beacon actually has one of those? Why is Ozpin the moderator for the Student Shipping Boards…"

"Details! Our first course of action is to maintain observation and figure out the who-what-why of the Ruby-Jaune date! I must know their relationship progress at all times! Conversations… if they've held hands or, dare if it passes my lips, exchanged phone numbers!"

Blake rolled her eyes.

"You can ask Ruby when she gets back."

"Not good enough!" Weiss whined. "I must know now!"

"Well they entered a maid cafe," Blake murmured. "Well we can't tail them anymore," said Blake as she started walking in the direction towards Beacon. "Time to go back."

"Not so fast!" Weiss began pacing back and forth in the alleyway. "There has to be something," she said with a thoughtful look towards the cafe.

"We can just go home," Blake mumbled.

"A ha! I've got just the perfect way to get in," said Weiss as she pointed towards the cafe. Pulling Blake's hand, Weiss approached the maid cafe. Grabbing a sign from the window, Weiss showed Blake her discovery. "Yes! Excellent! Just as I thought!" Weiss presented the sign to Blake.

"Help wanted," said Blake as Weiss gave her a mischievous smile.

"Read the applicant qualifications," Weiss smiled and rubbed her hands together with sinister intent. Blake held the sign and read.

"Tall, long haired, preferably black-haired and possesses a feline physique… Okay but what does that have… Wh-What? What's that look for? Weiss…? I don't like where this is going…"

Without giving her an answer, Weiss grabbed Blake's arm and pulled her to into the maid cafe and demanded to see the manager about an excellent new potential hire.

Ruby and Jaune were seated, waiting for their waitress to take their order.

"Huh? Blake?" said Ruby. Jaune looked up from the menu and saw the black-themed member of Team RWBY in a maid outfit, sporting bells, cat ears, and even a tail. "Wow!"

"This. is so. embarrassing," Blake sighed as she set down complimentary drinks onto the table.

Blake's outfit gave her chills. It was black and white outfit with white frills. There was cloth in most appropriate places but noticeably, and pleasantly, lacking around the cleavage. The outfit was complete with white stockings.

Doing her best to keep some modesty, Blake held the circular tray over her chest.

"What are you doing working here, Blake?" Ruby asked.

"I, uh, I needed m-money?"

"For…?"

"Oh you know… school expenses… paper and pencils and that sort of thing. Notebook costs can really add up," said Blake. She couldn't let Ruby and Jaune know Weiss and her were trailing them on their date. "B-besides, what are you two doing together here?"

"We're on a date!" Ruby said proudly. Ruby grabbed Jaune's arm and pulled him close. "Isn't it romantic?" Ruby said with a dreamy expression on her face.

Well Ruby was never one to subtle, thought Blake. Blake turned to Ruby's date.

"Jaune?"

"That tail!" The once-quiet Jaune exclaimed much to Ruby's displeasure.

Blake's tail moved with motion of her hips.

"Th-there's a wire in it," said Blake as she turned to showed Jaune her rear. With a rotational movement, she made the tail twirl. "I-it's nothing really… I-I only just learned that trick when I was trying out the outfit in the mirror." For some reason, tail twirling came very naturally to Blake.

Then Jaune stared at Blake's ears.

"Those ears are amazing too," said Jaune, impressed by the realism of the ears. "They're just so cute!" Jaune stared at the ears with starry-eyed fascination.

"R-really?" Blake blushed.

Sitting silently and arms crosse. Ruby glared at Blake who mouthed a "sorry" for the attention she was stealing away from Ruby. Jaune was still staring at the ears.

"Can I… can I touch them?"

Blake froze.

Letting another person touch your ears was an extremely intimate act in faunus culture. Sometime done only between lovers. Blake began sweating, her mother had reminded her never to let boys touch her ears or else she'd be called shameless and a harlot.

But Jaune didn't know she was a faunus or the ears were real.

Maybe, Blake thought, it wouldn't hurt to let him.

"S-sure… I mean, of course, Master," said Blake reluctantly. She did her best to try and stay in character. Blake took a seat beside Jaune.

Mesmerized Jaune scooted closer next to Blake and brought his hand to her head.

Jaune's fingers ran through Blake's hair, reaching just below the ears. A gentle stroke of his fingertips sent a pure ecstasy through her mind. Blake's mother had always told her never to let the boys touch the ears. It was perverse, she told her, something that humans do to faunus who lose all self respect, who were subjugated, enslaved.

But why, Blake thought through the tears of pleasure, did it feel so good?

Blake purred.

"Whoa Blake. That sounded so real. Just like a big cat or something," said Jaune as he continued scratching her behind the ears. He began experimenting with different touches and strokes with his finger. "This fur is so soft… wow! I can't believe they have cat ears this real!"

Blake's cheeks were flushed and her eyes closed. She had to bite her lip to cease the purring.

Ruby sat back in her seat, leering at the display. She was pouting but Jaune didn't noticed as he was too engrossed in Blake's ears. She sucked out her drink through the straw until there was nothing but ice.

"Blake! Refill!" Ruby shouted as she slammed the glass onto the table.

Blake broke out of her trance.

"Of-of course, milady! Right away!" Blake scooted out of the booth and hurriedly affixed her headdress. Catching a quick glimpse of Jaune, she averted her gaze. "I'll be right back, milady…." and with a glance at Jaune, "...m-master…"

Blake grabbed the glass and left. The bells on her dress jingling and tail strangely limp.

"Wow! Ruby! Did you hear how Blake sounded? It was if she was a real cat!" Jaune nodded. "Blake would make an excellent maid, don't you think?"

"Yeah… sure..." Ruby said before giving Jaune an accusing eye. "So are you into girls like that?"

"Like what?"

"Girls who wear maid outfits and bells," Ruby pouted. "I could wear one too if you wanted," Ruby continued in a low voice. "I want this," said Ruby pointing at the menu.

Jaune looked at the menu. "You want that? Sure, I guess."

When Blake returned, Ruby made her order loud and clear and decisive. Blake looked at the item Ruby ordered. Her cat ears twitched as Blake scribbled the order down on her notepad.

"One Lover's Sundae Special coming right up," said Blake.

After Blake left, Ruby scooted even closer to Jaune.

"Jaune."

"Ruby?"

Ruby grabbed Jaune's face with both of her warm hands and pulled his face from Blake's tail to the direction of her face. "Jaune, look at me."

"Looking," said Jaune.

"Who do you see?"

"Ruby?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed in anger. "Your date!" Releasing Jaune's face, Ruby pouted and cross her arms, unwilling to look at Jaune's face. "Remember, Jaune, tonight I am your date!"

"Yeah but I don't see what's wrong," said Jaune rubbing his cheek.

"What's wrong?" Ruby gasped as if Jaune had the audacity to ask such a question. "What's wrong is that you're paying attention to other girls more than me!"

Jaune gave Ruby a confused look.

"Girls actually get jealous? I thought that was just in cartoons."

"No! We can get jealous! Just the other day Blake had this delicious chocolate cake and it was just so good and I got so jealous that I snuck a few bites but before I knew it the entire cake was gone so I smeared the frosting and crumbs onto Weiss' lips while she was sleeping and so Blake thought Weiss ate the cake while she was sleeping walking!"

"What," said Blake who was delivering the pair their Lover's Sundae Special.

"Oh! Blake… I, uh, you look fantastic! Very cute!"

"Y-yeah," Jaune agreed. "Especially those ears. They're just so darn cute!" Jaune was cut off from further compliments with a sharp elbow from Ruby. "Ow!" Ruby glared at Jaune.

Blake said nothing. Frowning at Ruby she departed.

"I think she's mad at me. Do you think she's mad at me? I think she's mad at me," said Ruby. Jaune looked Blake's rear and watched the tail twirl intently. Ruby elbowed Jaune hard. "Stop staring at other girls! For tonight you are my date and I expect complete faithfulness!"

"I think you're the one mad at me..." Jaune leaned back into his booth seat before noticing the sundae. "Whoa! This sundae is huge!"

Taking a spoon, Jaune was about to take a bite before Ruby slapped the utensil from his hand.

"Ladies first," said Ruby with a puff" Taking a scoop she took a bite. Her eyes closed, Ruby sunk her cheek into her free hand and left out a soft moan of satisfaction. "How delicious," Ruby commented before taking another bite.

"Uh… is it my turn yet?"

"Nope," said Ruby with another scoop. Ruby moaned in delight from the sweetness of the ice cream. Various flavors of pleasure entered her mouth with each spponful. "This is delicious. Yup yup," Ruby said softly.

Before long the sundae was gone.

"I think that's the exact opposite of what you do with a lover's sundae," Jaune commented sadly.

Ruby glared at Jaune. "Oh, so we're lovers now?"

"N-no?"

Ruby frowned. "Then what are we Jaune? What are we?" Ruby pushed Jaune flat onto the both seat and was on top of him. Her nose to his nose. "Who am I to you? What are you to me? How do you feel about Blake?"

"What does Blake have to do with any of this?"

"Answer me!" Ruby used one arm to pin Jaune's chest down as she reached for her scythe resting across the table from her. "Just answer!"

"Ruby, I don't know what-"

"Just tell me something!" Ruby glared at Jaune.

"You're cute?" Jaune shrugged.

"I-I am?" Ruby pulled back from Jaune. "Did Jaune just say I was cute? Oh… Oh! Wait, oh… b-but oh oh oh!" Ruby pressed her cheeks to her face and averted her gaze from Jaune, caught up in another fantasy.

"Anytime? I mean, you're a great friend," Jaune sighed.

Ruby became silent.

Jaune looked up. Ruby's face was blank. Her eyes widened and staring deep at Jaune. Jaune could feel the depth of darkness in his heart as Ruby's eyes began to glaze over and stare deep into his soul.

"F-friend?" Ruby said. "Friend!?"

Ruby slammed her hands on the table and stood up, knocking the chair backwards.

"Ye-yeah, we're friends. Aren't we?"

Ruby's lip twitched. Her head tilted slightly and back. Her hands were shaking and her breathing intensified. The air became hotter and uncomfortable for Jaune. Rubbing the tears from her eyes, Ruby wailed.

"Jaune… you and Ruby are disturbing the customers," Blake whispered.

"Yeah," said Jaune. "I'll just… hey, where did Ruby go?"

Ruby was missing from her seat.

Blake sighed. "Ruby already ran off." Pushing Blake aside, Jaune ran out of the restaurant, seeing a trail of scythe cuts and high caliber sniper rifle rounds lodged into the walls.

Jaune found Ruby sitting on a park bench. Destruction sewn around her.

"Ruby?"

Puffy eyed and sniffling, Ruby looked up at Jaune before averting her gaze. She was pouted as she calmed down, scythe resting beside her but still within easy reach to decapitate a certain date who only saw her as a friend.

Saying nothing, Jaune took a seat beside her. Ruby huffed and scooted away from Jaune.

"What do you want, friend?"

Jaune scratched his head. "Look, Ruby, I'll be the first to admit I know absolutely nothing about women."

"Got that right," Ruby huffed.

"And this date was a tiny bit… kind of… okay, it was completely forced." Ruby glared at Jaune, demanding he get to the point. "But what I'm trying to say is that you're a really cute girl and nice person!"

"And what does that matter if I'm not seen as more than that?"

"Is it really that important?"

Ruby brought her knees to her chest on the bench. "All my life I thought boys were gross and icky because they thought I was weird and obsessed with weapons. I can't help if the thoughts of custom cartridges are discharged at the rate of ten thousand rounds per minute!"

"Weapons are cool," Jaune assured. "Weapons are definitely cool. Yeah… I've got nothing."

Ruby giggled before letting out a deep breath.

"I just wanted to have a date, just once." Ruby looked up at the shattered moon. "I wanted a romantic evening with dresses and dinner and everything… I didn't want a pity date with a friend." Ruby turned to Jaune and placed her hands on the bench.

In the moonlight, Ruby's lips appeared glossy as she leaned towards Jaune.

"R-Ruby?"

"For tonight," Ruby began. "Even if it's only for tonight, please look at me as a woman."

Looking down at the bench, Ruby awaited the answer.

Without thinking, Jaune agreed.

The pair took a walk through the city before ending up back on the school high atop the Beacon Clocktower. Overlooking the entire school the pair took seats along the ledge. Ruby dangled her legs, being bold. Jaune, however, was nervous he might fall and plummet to his early demise.

"Ain't this a great breeze?" Ruby smiled as she embraced the wind.

"Y-yeah,' Jaune agreed. "Kind of chilly though," he said rubbing his arms.

Ruby leaned closer. Their shoulders touched.

"Warm enough for you?" Ruby asked innocently.

"It's warmer," said Jaune before sneezing. "But it's still pretty cold."

With a sigh, Ruby lifted Jaune's arm and placed it around her shoulders and she leaned onto his chest. She could hear Jaune's heartbeat quicken.

"You are pretty warm. Whatcha talkin' 'bout Jaune?"

Jaune was red. His mind was elsewhere now.

"I-I think anyone would be warm… like this, I mean."

"If you're having naughty thoughts raised your hand," said Ruby.

Jaune raised his hand.

Ruby giggled. "I didn't think you'd be so honest."

Jaune's thoughts cleared from his mind. "Wh-what? I wasn't paying attention. Something about raising my hand?"

"You're hopeless," said Ruby as she returned leaned into him. "But this is pleasant."

"Hope we can do it again sometime," Jaune said without thinking as he relaxed. Ruby couldn't think of anything to say to that.

The two sat in silence looking out on the lamplit campus of Beacon beneath the moon. After spending a long while with Ruby, Jaune escorted Ruby back to her dorm room.

"I had a lot of fun!" Ruby smiled as she fumbled around her dress for a key.

"Me too."

"Sorry I made you do this," Ruby said at the doorway. "I just… wanted someone to look at me, you know? I know Yang forced you into this and I was being unreasonable. I'm a bit of crybaby about this kind of stuff."

"No problem-o. Anytime," said Jaune who felt a wave of weariness overtake his body. His bed was so close.

"And I know this wasn't a 'real' date… but...I hope you ask me out again sometime, you know, for...for real..."," Ruby said in a low, soft voice. Her face flushed red and gazed downward.

"What was that?" Jaune asked through a yawn.

"No-it-was-nothing-never-mind-I'll-see-you-tomorrow-good-night-bye-bye!" Ruby slammed the door on Jaune who shrugged, stretched his arms, and figured Yang wouldn't pulverize him. Thus, Jaune returned to his room.

"At least there's no more girls I need to go out with," Jaune smiled as he plopped onto bed. Perhaps Jaune could finally get some rest.


An exhausting battle to contain Nora within the school boiler room had taken its toll on her. Ren's assistance had been invaluable. Nora was padlocked and chained while Ren was keeping watch over their unconscious teammate. With the psychotic member of their team taken care of, Pyrrha set out to look for the missing captain of Team JNPR.

It was night when Pyrrha found Velvet at a quaint little school park next to the vegetable gardens. Velvet offered a stroll to clear her minds. The search was going no where and thus, Pyrrha accepted. Even if she didn't enjoy Velvet's company, this was an opportunity to scout out the enemy, Pyrrha reasoned.

Also, Pyrrha needed to forget about Jaune, if only for a moment.

"What is the pinnacle of oneself?" Velvet mused aloud.

Pyrrha followed close. "I suppose being the best person you can be," she answered. "Learn all you can and train all you can."

Velvet skipped ahead of Pyrrha.

"I do not disagree," replied Velvet. "We have similar viewpoints you and I."

"Oh?" Pyrrha caught up. "Should I be flattered?"

"Not at all!" Velvet laughed. "Self-cultivation on the inside; glory and achievements on the outside," said Velvet. Looking towards her rival, Velvet continued, "You possess many accolades from your triumphs in tournaments. I suppose you are only half way there."

"If you'd like, I can train you for tournaments," Pyrrha offered. "But I've been told I'm a cruel taskmaster of an instructor."

Velvet covered her mouth in a giggle.

"I will have to pass on that offer, Pyrrha but thank you. Although…" Velvet skipped on top of a fountain block. "I"m very confident I won't lose to you," said Velvet.

"In a tournament?" Pyrrha smiled back at Velvet. "I think the advantage goes to me."

"Oh most undoubtedly. But I was thinking of a different sort of contest. But what I lack in physical strength I make up for in other qualities." Velvet walked ahead of Pyrrha. Pyrrha was certain it was deliberate so Velvet could wave her rear at her like a cottontail rabbit.

"I see you are not afraid of abusing your assets," Pyrrha commented.

Velvet laughed.

"Should anyone be?" Velvet did a somersault on the fountain block. "If one has gifts and one has goals, isn't natural to use exploit everything to acquire it?" The pair paced around the circular fountain. Velvet on top of the fountain blocks and Pyrrha on the park pathway. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at Velvet.

"What is it that you want?" Pyrrha asked. The circular games were tiresome and Pyrrha asked a straightforward question more suitable to her style.

Velvet smiled.

"I want him," stated Velvet.

The person Velvet was referring to was obvious but it still caught her by surprise. Pyrrha paused in her steps as Velvet paced ahead of her.

"I won't let you have him," Pyrrha finally said.

"Does he belong to you?"

"Yes," Pyrrha answered without skipping a beat.

"Did you allow him to have a date with Ruby tonight?"

Pyrrha's eyes gave a momentary expression of surprise. "Wh-what?"

"So you didn't know. Interesting." Velvet looked at her fingernails boredly. "He should have returned to the dorms by now. Intelligence and information gathering is my… speciality," said Velvet.

"You know a lot but all that knowledge won't save you from me in a fight."

"How brutish!" Velvet squealed in feigned defenseless. "I thought you couldn't stand bullies?"

Pyrrha twitched. "I am not a bully. I am defending what… what…"

"Defending… what?"

"I'm defending what belongs to me!" Pyrrha declared.

"Ah! How surprising!… well, is that so? Then, how about we make a bet, Pyrrha?" Velvet suggested. She skipped off the fountain block and walked before Pyrrha. "A bet to settle this conflict between us once and for all as to who can continue their companionship with Jaune," she smiled.

"A tournament?" Pyrrha leaned in close to Velvet. "I try not to enjoy myself in battle but against you, perhaps once, just once, I'll indulge myself."

"Feisty," Velvet said with a mocked shudder. "But no, against a seasoned tournament victor like yourself, it wouldn't be fair. I was thinking more of a contest."

"A contest of what?"

Velvet smiled and turned around.

"Whoever he takes to the Spring Equinox Dance will be the victor and she will have exclusive rights to Jaune Arc," Velvet proposed. "And the other will not interfere in the victor's companionship."

"A moment please," said Pyrrha.

The wind swept the leaves around them in the moonlit park. Empty cans tumbled towards Pyrrha who, with a wave of her hand, raised them to hair.

"Magnetism." Velvet observed. She was not surprised.

With a flick of her wrist, the cans were crushed and sent hurling to a recycling bin.

"Is my answer clear?" Pyrrha asked.

"It was rather obvious given how boorish your manners are," Velvet insulted through a smile.

Shaking their hands, Pyrrha Nikos and Velvet Scalatina agreed to their contest.


The plan to spy on Ruby and Jaune's date was a disaster, Weiss admitted to herself. Blake couldn't leave work and Weiss found the chase by herself less fun without someone to tag along. Weiss was, however, flattered by the amount of free sundaes she received from lonely men in the cafe while she waited for Blake to finish her only shift.

Hey, Weiss figured, rich is rich but free is free.

A hot bath and the best soaps Schnee money could buy failed to rub off the shame and embarrassment of the spying failure. It was her fault, Weiss admitted.

But still, Weiss felt guilty all the same.

"Probably nothing," Weiss assured herself in the bath. "I simply needed to ensure that my team captain was adhering to strict moral standards and if there was any possible chance of an infraction I'm sure Blake or Yang or Pyrrha would have done the same. Right duckie?"

Squeezing the yellow duckie, it replied, "quack quack"

"See! I knew you'd agree with me!" Weiss smiled to herself before it slowly melted away. Hearing her duckie agree with her was fine and dandy, but even Weiss knew it was her who did the quacking sounds.

Sinking into the bath, mouth below the waterline, Weiss released some air making bubbles.

What am I doing, Weiss wondered?

"No matter," Weiss said as she rose from the bath. Dried and dressed in her night clothes, she collected her mail and sorted through it before finding an envelope with the Schnee family emblem pressed into sealed wax.

"Father…?" Weiss read.

Weiss entered the room, her face paler than usual and in her hand a letter and an opened envelope with a wax Schnee emblem. Walking towards her bed, Weiss plopped face down onto it. Her face was buried into the pillow.

Blake, who did not lift her eyes from her book, asked, "what's wrong, Weiss? Got a love letter from Professor Port?"

Weiss mumbled into her pillow.

"What? It was a joke." Blake put down her book. "You okay?"

Weiss lifted her face. "I need a date!"

"A date for what?"

"The Spring Equinox Dance! My father says he's coming and he's hoping to meet my date!" Weiss folded the letter and placed it into her drawer. "Which means, I need to find a date."

"Okay," said Blake, returning to her book. "So find a date."

"It's not that simple!" Weiss stood up and waved her arms up and down in frustration. "My date needs to be strong, tall, handsome, witty, knows when to talk, when to not talk, table etiquette, a gentleman, good with kids…"

"Whoa there," said Blake. "Sounds like you're looking for a fiance."

Weiss sat down. "I might as well be… if I don't find a suitable date, my father is going to make me sit through so many marriage interviews," groaned Weiss. "They're such a bore! Always 'my family owns this' or 'my family owns that' and it's like a ladder company or something! Ladders! Do you know what kind of nightmare I'd be living if I ended up Weiss Schnee Ladderstepper?"

"You could always do worse, I guess," Blake causally replied.

"Yes! But a date! If I have a date and convince my father he's my boyfriend, I won't need to go to those blasted interviews! Isn't it perfect?"

"Sounds like a reasonable plan," said Blake. It wasn't in her opinion but it made Weiss happy. "So what's your bare minimum and essentials? Let's start with that before you start getting all picky."

Weiss sat up and stroked her chin.

"Definitely going to need a good bloodline… a respected family name," murmured Weiss.

"Uh huh," said Blake who tried to return to her book. But her mind drifted off to her 'master'.

"Someone obedient… at least we can train him to shut up on command in my father's presence and let me do all the talking…"

"Sounds good so far," said Blake, who wasn't really paying attention. Blake was imagining her master's fingers running through her hair, between her ears and his delicate touch.

"And someone so utterly hopeless, they wouldn't have a date otherwise and be so desperate to go out with me and obey my every whim and command… a certain doofus," said Weiss rubbing her hands together deviously.

In the midsts of her fantasy, Blake's bow twitched.

"Weiss… you don't mean…?"

Weiss smiled, "He's perfect for the job!"

And what that, Weiss stood up, went across the hallway and knocked on the door of Team JNPR ignoring the protests coming from Blake.

Jaune opened the door, surprised to see the heiress.

"Weiss?"

Giving Jaune a huge smile, Weiss puffed up her chest before presenting her proclamation.

"I, Weiss Schnee, hereby bestow upon you, Jaune Arc, the most prestigious and sought after honor of escorting me to the Spring Equinox Dance." Weiss' eyes were closed in triumph but her ears did not hear cries of joy. "What? You should be grateful I'm giving you an opportunity of a lifetime."

"Get in line," said an exhausted Jaune who pointed a thumb back into the room at two figures sitting on his bed.

"Hello Weiss Schnee," said Velvet with a sly smile.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha waved.


It is not enough that my ship sails, all other ships must burn.

Chapter Two Fin