Chapter 3: Zombie
Sunshine poured into Ruby's bedroom, striking Jaune in the face. He slowly roused, wiping his eyes with both hands before rolling over to look to the inner side of the bed.
Ruby was still sleeping, facing away from him. The covers had settled just below her shoulder, exposing her bare back and a pale but creamy skin tone.
Oh, shit… now I've done it.
His head ached with an all too familiar sensation. Apparently one of his more severe hangovers would be accompanying him today.
Even the shower the two shared post-coitus wasn't enough to sweat away the remaining alcohol in his system.
"Ohhhh, motherfucker!" He groaned, squinting his eyes. Although the sun's brilliance left a relaxing warmth on the red covers of Ruby's bed, the light was downright unbearable. Even looking at the whitewashed walls brought on slight dizziness. And when his head wasn't spinning, it was throbbing with an impressive headache.
Ruby finally stirred, rolling over to face Jaune. "Well, good morning~" She said with a sleepy yet velvety tone.
Jaune let out a sigh, before replying with a 'morning' in return. His memories slowly returned to him, although downright fuzzy. Small details were already forgotten.
"Did you sleep wel-" Jaune began, before hearing the front door open and close, almost slamming.
"Oh, oh no…!" Ruby began. The panicked look on Ruby's face gave Jaune the notion that he didn't want to know what was about to transpire.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked cautiously.
Ruby shook her head quickly, before jumping up and attempting to gather all the clothes that had been previously tossed about the room.
"No, it's my sister!" she worriedly whispered, furiously gathering Jaune's clothing. "If she catches you in here, your bits are as good as gone!"
Jaune's face shifted to sheer terror. "My b-bits?"
At that point Ruby literally vaulted Jaune's clothing into his face. She also pulled his bare ass out of bed, and pushed him into an open closet within her room.
"Don't make a sound. Get your clothes back on and wait for me to let you out." She instructed. Jaune nervously nodded before she shut the twin doors swiftly. From the slats in the closet door Jaune could see Ruby gather up her lingerie, and stuff it under the covers before jumping back in bed.
Soft knocking was heard on the door to Jaune's left.
"Come in!" Ruby announced.
A figure entered the room, greeting Ruby a good morning. Jaune noticed a large headful of vibrant blonde hair.
"Morning Yang!"
"Morning, sleeping beauty. What are you doing in bed so late?" Yang presumably asked.
The two shared small bits of conversation, before the blonde stated she was headed for the kitchen. From what Jaune eavesdropped, she was apparently there to have a late breakfast with Ruby.
Leave it to me to run into family post-sexy times… Both Ruby and Jaune collectively thought.
Jaune quietly got dressed in the closet, being mindful of not making too much noise. Ruby did the same just outside, before heading out to accompany Yang. Before she left, she whispered to Jaune:
"Don't come out until I let you. There's a fire escape outside the bedroom window. Pop the screen out and head down when it's time."
Jaune nervously swallowed as he stood in place. He had completed dressing, but felt his stomach drop when he made a small but noteworthy realization…
His loafers were still in the living room, lazily kicked off to one side of the coffee table. It must've been dumb luck that kept Yang from spotting them on the way in.
This was a problem, two actually. It was highly likely that he would be unable to complete his not-so-picturesque escape running on just dress socks. Luckily his pants still had all his valuables, so the shoes took priority.
So, despite Ruby's instructions, he decided to chance the risk of retrieving his loafers. With a little preparation, his plan would be executed with minimal exposure.
The first step was to prep the window for escape. He opened it and quietly popped off the protective mesh screen on the outside, letting if drop onto the grating of the fire escape. The actual escape structure itself consisted of metal steps with a retractable ladder at its base.
Next, he would retrieve the shoes. Jaune creeped out into the carpeted hallway, and listened for the sisters. They were still in the kitchen, so grabbing his shoes would have to be quick.
He peered around the corner, waiting for Yang to turn her back from the living room. The smell of eggs and hash browns filled the air.
This was it. With Yang distracted, Jaune quietly and quickly shuffled over to the front of the loveseat. He pressed himself to the floor, and retrieved his shoes. With them on, he waited to initiate his exit phase.
"Okay, let's eat!" Yang announced.
Apparently, the duo had wrapped up cooking. Jaune let loose a string of curse words mentally.
This complicated things a bit. The dining table was just to the right of the loveseat. It would be impossible to sneak out of there without being spotted.
Ruby and Yang took a seat at the dining table, positioned on both ends.
"So, did you go clubbing last night or something? Yang asked. Ruby nodded, eating her food. She was evidently trying to keep Jaune out of the spotlight by not elaborating.
"Alright, fun!" Yang agreed, before her tone grew darker. "Who's the dude you brought home then?"
Sweet motherfucking dust… Jaune cried internally. Yang did see the shoes.
Ruby was at a loss of words. How could she forget about Jaune's shoes? She would have to backtrack. A little white lie, maybe.
"Oh, just some fellow…" Ruby began, still searching for an explanation. "He already left."
"Really?" Yang questioned. "Then I guess I'll have to toss those shoes of his. Damn shame." Yang deadpanned.
She stood up, and began walking over to the loveseat. Jaune's heartrate shot skyward.
This was it, now or never.
"CATCH YOU AROUND RUBY!" Jaune screamed as he bolted from in front of the couch. Yang jumped back startled, before giving chase.
"HOLY SHIT, HE'S STILL HERE!" Yang angrily shouted. She was hot on his tail too, until he literally jumped out of the window in Ruby's bedroom.
Jaune traversed down the fire escape, nearly falling as he skipped steps. Yang threw numerous strings of curses from the window, intended for Jaune. Such combinations of words would make a sailor sweat.
He reached the ladder, and held on as the metal structure slid down to contact the ground. His jumping off left the ladder to quickly bounce back into its retracted position. He made for a dead sprint.
"YOU… WELL DRESSED HEATHEN!" Yang shouted, watching the blonde boy bolt. By then her Dictionary of Curses and Insults (23rd Edition) had been sufficiently referenced.
Jaune ran for what seemed like forever. Numerous faces blurred passed as he maintained a steady jog. Who knows if Yang has a vehicle?
Eventually, he arrived at a jewelry store, located in what appeared to be the business district of downtown Vale. He was hoping that the local employees would have an idea of how to get him back to his truck.
Walking inside, an employee came to greet Jaune. The inside of the store was covered head to toe in reflective, white marble. Glass cases displayed all the product, glittering and catching the eye.
"Hello, sir. Welcome to Schnee Jewelers, Vale Branch. What can I do for you today?" The female employee asked. She too was covered in white, brandishing a slim fitting business dress. The only thing that could distinguish her from the background was her skin, complexion, and hair.
Jaune smiled, and tried to simplistically explain his situation. The employee was able to give Jaune a handful of directions, before an older man, white in the hair, stopped her mid-conversation.
"Hey! We are a jewelry dealership, not an atlas. Get the hell out if you aren't here to browse the selection."
Jaune furrowed his eyebrows as he stared down the older fellow. He too was wearing all white, this time in the form of a business suit and dress shoes. Skinnier in stature, he appeared to be one that was more bark than bite. The sheet white mustache and slicked back hair was impressive, however.
Damn, you one old and waspy motherfucker... I'm just looking for a little direction here.
"A foul mouth like that will kill business, old bastard…give me a minute here." Jaune retorted, pointing at the old fellow. The man angrily scoffed.
"Thanks for the help miss." Jaune concluded, walking out. The older man glared daggers into the young gun's back, before hounding on the poor employee. Jaune couldn't help but feel sorry for the mistress.
After a rather daunting walk, Jaune found his way back to the neon strip. The street and venues were more or less just a barren side of town during the day. His truck was luckily where he left it, untampered by neither thief nor towing company.
The boy hopped into the back, and stretched out on his small mattress. Its length took up the entirety of the truck bed, but was thin enough to leave open space to one side. The entire mattress was supported by a cleverly constructed wooden frame, and allowed for underside bin storage.
Home sweet home, by Jaune's standards. Creating nifty solutions in his living situation was always a welcoming challenge. The bed frame was one of many such innovations.
The only remaining tasks would be to clean up his dress attire, and to get ahold of the owners of Trade 4's Jazz Lounge. The spectators of his roadside performance paid nicely, so hopefully tips would be plentiful.
With this in mind, Jaune finally grabbed a can of non-perishables from one of his bins. Considering he hadn't had any food since the night before, he was a little more than hungry.
A can of chili… one of many gourmet selections suited for the traveling man.
Jaune happily ate his meal before changing into some casual wear. He headed out for Trade 4's, trumpet in tow.
If there was anything Jaune learned over his few years of traveling and performing at live venues, it was that almost every business prepared an hour or two before actually opening. Although the current time registered about 1:23 in the afternoon, he was willing to try and get in contact with the owner early.
He walked up to the main entrance, and gave the glass door a polite but sufficient series of knocks. Nobody was quick to reply, until he saw a face from inside come into view to inspect the visitor. It appeared to be a male, balding and wearing attire suited for a bartender.
The man indifferently pointed to a chart attached to the window, listing the hours of operation.
Jaune shook his head, before cupping this hand to talk through the glass.
"I'm here to see if you guys are available for hosting a gig?" He asked.
The man nodded in understanding, before unlocking the door.
"Ah, another performer." The bartender said. "Follow me and I can get you a talk with the owner."
The two headed inside. The interior of the lounge appeared well kept, brandishing a large number of round tables covered in silk white tablecloths. The stage sat to the far right, centered and elevated on the wall behind it. A small jazz ensemble was already there, conducting sound tests and rigging all of the electrical tech.
Seeing this slightly made Jaune's heart sink, be he was unsurprised. He was definitely not the only jazz cat within the city limits of Vale.
The duo walked behind the bar, following a hallway that lead into the back of the building. Signs hung on the doors in the hall listed Supply, Restrooms, and Main Office. The bartender quietly entered the office while Jaune waited outside, before returning and ushering him in.
The office itself was incredibly roomy, boasting a number of bookshelves and a large desk. Situated behind it was the apparent owner, wearing white office casual. She was pale, wearing the same hair color of the pompous prick from the jewelry store. Her pair of vibrant light blue eyes could pierce one's soul. A couple of chairs were situated directly in front of her desk.
"Ms. Schnee, we have a visitor. He's looking at snagging a gig." The man said, before exiting on the woman's cue.
"Sit down, please." The owner asked, in which Jaune quickly did so.
"Weiss Schnee." She said, holding out a hand. Jaune firmly shook it.
"Looking for a gig, I see?" she asked, expressionless.
Jaune sighed, and prepared to initiate the so-called negotiation process.
Author's Note
Hey guys, C707 here.
Here's another chapter for you all. I'm having fun coming up with all of the possible scenarios for Yang later down the line, so look forward to that. Otherwise, it appears our boy is trying to set something up with the Schnee.
I'm glad to see that I can still maintain semi-weekly updates. Work has been hell lately, considering the things are starting to get drier and hotter outside. Fire season will soon be upon us, and I'll let you all take a guess as to what my seasonal occupation is. Be advised that I could be gone on a fire dispatch up to 14 days. If a new chapter isn't posted by the date I specify, then I'm out in the field.
Another thing. Please stop by my profile, and take a glance at the poll I'm running. The feedback I receive there will be incredibly helpful for the brainstorming process now as I look ahead past the main arc.
Thanks for taking a read. Any feedback or thoughts will be incredibly appreciated.
Regards,
C707
