Battle of the Bands
Chapter 4: Practice and a Date
The sun rose on the city of Vale, shining bright over the Schnee Hotel. 'Red Like Roses' had been given two adjoining suites for their stay, and the girls were passed out. Unfortunately, there were things to do, and as the phone began to blare its ringer, there was a simultaneous groan from the six.
"Whaaaaaaaa-" Ruby cried out, rolling out of her bed onto the floor with a loud thud. "Who ordered the wake up call, and why did they not bring strawberries?!" She scowled, walking into the main living area.
Nora burst out of the sheets of the pull out couch with a grumpy look on her face. "Yeah! And the pancakes! Where are the pancakes?!" She looked around, smelling the air for the mapley goodness she knew and loved.
Blake yawned as she left her room, stretching her arms over her head, her black bow already tied in her hair. "If I had to guess, it was probably Weiss who gave us the rude awakening, as we probably have-"
"Work to do! That's right, Belladonna! Our scores should be sent to us any minute now, and we need to know where we stand against the other groups!" Weiss announced as she exited her room, already dressed and ready for the day. "I assume we'll be getting them via email or text message, or perhaps even a-"
"GOOOOOOD MORNING, CONTESTANTS!" The television screeched as it came to life, the face of Coco Adel coming into view. Yang and Pyrrha ran out of their rooms to see what the commotion was, giving each other slight glares as they walked out. "I hope you all slept well, and if you were still sleeping, get up! Last night was amazing! The thrills, the chills, the sounds! Our judges had a difficult time scoring such amazing groups, but it has been done! So, without further ado, our current rankings are as follows, and remember, the points will be tallied after each round to see where each group stands, and the points go in eight, six, four, and two! So, here we are: Eight points to 'Shining Arc', Six points to 'Red Like Roses', and Four points each to 'Red Wings of Death' and 'Never Miss a Beat'! Remember that you have today off to practice, prepare, and relax! This has been Coco Adel, your resident MC until Velvet wakes up! Oh, good morning Velv-" she was cut off as the broadcast shut down.
The room was silent, the girls each staring forward blankly until "WE'RE IN SECOND PLACE! WE AREN'T TERRIBLE!" Nora cheered, Ruby joining in with her as they locked arms and marched in a circle. Yang grinned, pumping her fist in the air, grinning at Blake.
"Stop cheering! We're only in second! The boys BEAT US. We must do better than that! Today is going to be all about practice, making sure we're perfect in the next round! No excuses!" Weiss ordered, stomping her foot on the floor."
Yang rolled her eyes, flopping backwards onto a recliner. "Oh relax, Weiss-cream! So we aren't in first! No big deal! There's still the next few rounds to catch up! And we're only two points behind! When we take first next round, we could tie it up, or even take first if the dorks mess it up!"
"Yang is right. In competitions, the important thing is to remember to stay calm, and never let your opponents psyche you out. We're still in second, and during our next performance we won't be rushed to start like last time. We should be performing third, so we have plenty of time before the performance tomorrow. Until then, we should eat breakfast, get dressed, and head to our designated practice area!" Pyrrha chimed in, getting nods from each of the girls and a surprised look from Yang.
"Very good! I've gone ahead and sent for room service, so we shall eat, and then we work our magic in the practice rooms! So now that we're all in agreement…Ruby! Cookies are not breakfast!" She ran towards the girl, chasing her around the room as the others laughed.
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Meanwhile, the boys were having a sleepy start, having stayed up late playing games on Ren's DustCube. Sun was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly. Neptune had stretched out on the recliner, snoring just as his friend did. Ren exited his room, sighing as he stretched, taking the time to put on a pot of coffee. He went about making breakfast in the in-suite kitchen, the smell of coffee and pancakes slowly filling the room, waking Sun and Neptune. The blonde and the blue quickly made their way to the counter bar, Ren rolling his eyes as he dished out food to his friends.
Jaune made his way out of his room, phone in hand as he searched for their scores. "Guys, we're in first! I don't know how, but we're in first!" He cheered, earning a woo from the band. Sun and Neptune high fived as they stuffed their faces, Ren merely smiling as he drank his coffee. Jaune grabbed a cup for himself and a few pancakes, pouring a copious amount of syrup on them. "Looks like the girls came in second, and the other two bands tied! I've got a good feeling about today!"
"Speaking of today, what should we practice? I mean we have our big number saved for the finale, and there's two potential rounds before that!" Neptune chimed in, having just downed a mouthful of pancakes.
"Wrhph iph we pway va fong ver vhe-" Sun started, his cheeks bulging with pancakes.
Neptune backed away in disgust. "Dude! Chew your food, swallow your food, THEN talk! Not cool!" Jaune laughed and Ren just rolled his eyes at the spiky haired blonde.
*GULP* "What I was saying was, what if we practice a simple number today, just as practice, but we save our good stuff for the actual performance?" Sun said, getting a nod of agreement from the others. "Besides, Jaune has a little date with Yang today, don't you, Jaune?" Sun smirked at his fellow blonde, laughing as color rushed to the boy's face. "Relax man! She clearly likes you, and your adrenaline will be pumping after we practice, so there's nothing to worry about!"
Neptune slapped Jaune on the back, grinning. "So Jaune, what are you two gonna do? Dinner, movie, a trip back to the room and f-"
"NEPTUNE!" Jaune shouted, his face beet red. "I just planned on hanging out with her, casually! Nothing like tha-"
Jaune was silenced as a hand came onto his shoulder. "Jaune, just take things slowly. From my experience, the best thing you can do is spend time with someone, letting things come naturally." Ren chimed in. "Just be yourself, and have fun with her. Never know what could happen."
"I guess you're right, Ren. But I'll worry about this in a bit, for now, everyone get showered and dressed, and we can head down to the practice room!"
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The girls walked into their practice area, admiring the view. Their instruments had been locked in here overnight, and all equipment was accounted for. "Alright, let's give 'Time to Say Goodbye' a go! That should be a good number for our next round. It's full of energy, and shows off our talents quite nicely!" Weiss half said/half ordered. She received eye rolls and nods, so she simply rolled her own eyes and made her way to her mic.
(Time To Say Goodbye - Jeff Williams)
[Verse 1: Weiss]
There's a point where it tips, there's a point where it breaks
There's a point where it bends and a point we just can't take
Anymore
There's a line that we'll cross and there's no return;
There's a time and a place, no bridges left to burn anymore
[Part two: Pyrrha]
We can't just wait with lives at stake
Until they think we're ready
Our enemies are gathering
The storm is growing deadly
[Chorus: Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake]
Now it's time to say goodbye
To the things we loved and the innocence of youth
How the time seemed to fly
From our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew
[Verse 2: Weiss and Pyrrha]
There's a day when we'll fight and we're not gonna fall
There's a day when we'll stand
And a day when we won't crawl anymore
There's a moment in time and there's no going back
When we're pushed too hard and we won't hold our attack
Anymore
We can't just cling to childish things
As evil just grows closer
Humanity's in jeopardy
This fight is far from over
[Chorus: Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake]
Now it's time to say goodbye
To the things we loved and the innocence of youth
With a doubt in our minds
Why we chose this life and at times we can't help wondering...
[Bridge: Blake]
Were we born to fight and die?
Sacrificed for one huge lie?
Are we heroes keeping peace?
Or are we weapons
Pointed at the enemy
So someone else can claim a victory?
Yang hefted her bass up, playing a few notes before Ruby shredded her way into a guitar solo, backed up by Yang and Nora, her hair flying as her head bobbed to the music.
[Chorus]
Now it's time to say goodbye
To the things we loved and the innocence of youth
How the time seemed to fly
From our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew
Nora gave out a loud woo as the girls clapped for themselves. "We've got this round in the bag! No one beats 'Red Like Roses' and gets away with it!" She cheered, earning a laugh from her friends.
"I agree with Nora! This round is totally ours!" Ruby cheered, jumping on Yang's back. The sisters romped around the room in a war chant, Nora joining in as Pyrrha, Blake, and Weiss just laughed. None of them noticed the door closing and a hand pulling away. "Oh! Yang, aren't you supposed to be meeting Jaune soon?"
Yang gasped, checking her scroll. "It's already noon?! I'm gonna be late, and I'm not one to leave a guy YANG-ing, am I right?"
Another simultaneous groan came from her friends. "Oh just go see the dolt already, Xiao Long. I can only handle so many of your puns per day before they start to wear on me."
Yang just grinned as she left, heading for the boys practice area. As she wandered the hallways of the hotel, she saw 'Dark Roast' enjoying their time at the coffee shop, snickering slightly as she passed. "A coffee named band hanging out in a coffee shop, I guess that's really rich…in flavor!" She said to no one in particular. She blinked, before shrugging off her own joke. "Meh, I'll save that one for later." She wandered a few more minutes before she saw a flash of blonde hair exiting a room. "Jauney!" She yelled as she ran and half tacked him to the ground.
Jaune looked up to the girl now half straddling him. "Well good morning to you too, Yang." He smiled, blue eyes meeting lilac, earning a smile in return. "You all already done with practice?" He asked, propping himself up onto his elbows.
Yang grinned, nodding as she removed herself from the blonde. "Yep! And don't think that just because you're in first that we've given up! 'Red Like Roses' is making a comeback, loverboy!" She lightly tapped him on his shoulder, both laughing.
"I wouldn't have it any other way! But hey, for now, let's just uh, well, you and me spend time together?" Jaune said/asked nervously.
Yang rolled her eyes, locking her arm to his. "Jaune, don't be nervous, okay? Just be yourself, that's how I li-I mean how we all like you!" She blushed ever so slightly, going totally unnoticed by Jaune.
"Well…I guess I can try that! So I was thinking that maybe we could get some lunch first? Ren made a huge breakfast, but by the time I got up, Sun and Neptune had eaten most of it. Hungry?" He asked her as they walked arm in arm.
She nodded, blonde locks waving. "Starved! Weiss ordered some dainty little princess meal from room service. Hardly a breakfast if you ask me!" Jaune laughed and she smiled. "How about we eat here? There's a chain back in Patch, and I think you'll like the food!"
Jaune grinned at her. "Sounds great to me! Though I can't say I've ever heard of 'Shopkeep Come and Get Your Noodles' before…
The pair walked inside, not noticing the two figures in trench coats and hats pop out from the bushes. "Nora, this is ridiculous. Do we really need to spy on Jaune and Yang?"
Nora looked at him, almost hurt. "Don't you like your skulking coat, Ren? I got in in green since that's your favorite color…" She kicked the ground slightly, looking downwards.
"Nora, I didn't mean anything like that." Ren said, not having the heart or courage to mention that his favorite color was actually pink. "I'm just saying, is it absolutely necessary to spy on Jaune and Yang? I'm sure the two of them would just tell us about it when they got back tonight." He looked at her honestly, before she burst out laughing.
"Of course it is, silly! We have to know what's going on so we can tell Blake and Ruby! I'd have gotten them coats to come along, but finding a red and black coat in early fall is just so difficult!" She said as her bright pink coat flapped around her, earning a look from Ren. "Now come on! We can't lose them inside!" Nora charged forward, dragging Ren behind her.
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"So I said to the guy, 'Rectum? Damn near killed him!'" Yang said, causing Jaune to burst out in laughter. She smiled at this, her inner self cheering. "He laughed at my joke! No one ever laughs at my jokes!" She scooped up some of her noodles, slurping them down as Jaune recovered.
"You get into the craziest adventures, you know that?" Jaune said, still laughing. "So this Scarlet guy, what about him? He seems like an…interesting guy?" Jaune half questioned.
Yang rolled her eyes, smirking. "Scarlet is well…interesting? He's a bit weird though, always posing hypothetical questions, like, 'So you get a million lien, but…' type things. Well that and dumb questions like 'What if your legs…didn't know they were legs?'. Ridiculous, right?"
Jaune laughed, smiling once more at the blonde in front of him. "Completely. Hey Yang, don't mind me saying, but you look great today, by the way," he said, blushing slightly.
Yang smirked, cocking her head to the side. "Why THANK you, ladykiller. Gotta look good for you!" she said flirtatiously, causing Jaune to blush even further. "But really Jaune, I'm having a good time. I'm glad we're doing this." She laid her hand on top of his, giving it a slight squeeze.
As the two looked into each other's eyes, the bill came down in-between them, ruining the moment. Yang went to reach for it when Jaune suddenly snatched it up, laid some lien inside, and closed it. "Shall we be going?" He asked, standing and reaching his hand out to her.
Yang stopped for a moment, taking in Jaune's chivalry. "Stupid blonde dork. But he's MY blonde dork, so I guess I'll let it slide this time." She smiled, taking his hand and walking out the door with him. "So what's next on our agenda for our little rendezvous?'
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could see the new Spruce Willis movie in the theater? I'd never expect a movie theater inside of a hotel, but the Schnee family loves to go big!" He smiled at her as they walked hand in hand towards the elevator.
"An action movie? You're speaking my language, Jauney! But don't think I'm letting you pay for tickets! You got lunch, I get the tickets. I'm a girl, but I can still pay just the same as you," she said seriously, giving him a stern look.
Jaune froze, his face going into shock. "Yang! I mean, I didn't mean to offend you or anything!" he stammered out.
Yang continued to glare at him as the seconds rolled on.
"PFFFFT! Ahahahahahahah!" Yang fell to her knees laughing.
Jaune stood there, utterly confused. "Uh, Yang?"
"You should have seen your face! I don't really care who pays, but you don't HAVE to pay for everything, Jaune. I can chip in whenever." She smiled at him, standing back up and winking at him again.
Jaune rolled his eyes, before pulling her to the ticket stand. "Just for that one, you're buying the popcorn, Yang."
"Done deal! Mama loves her some buttery goodness!"
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Meanwhile, in a practice room downstairs, a boy in a fedora sat watching a video clip on his scroll. "This is perfect, Neon! We have just enough time to tweak it for tomorrow. We're on first anyway, so it should throw the others off their game!" Flynt said, grinning slightly maliciously.
"I don't know about this guys, shouldn't we just play something of our-" the drummer began to say before Neon cut him off.
"Quiet, Kobalt! If we want to win, which we do, we have to do whatever it takes! Now, let's listen to this a few more times so we can make it ours." Neon said, voice full of nefarious intent.
Kobalt sighed and walked over to Flynt, looking down to the video of 'Red Like Roses' from their practice this morning.
OMAKE:
"Guys, can we talk about this please?" Jaune shouted as he was dragged into Sun's garage. "I told you, I just sing in the shower, really!"
Sun and Neptune shook their heads. "No way, Jaune! We're going to test you out by playing a classic! Everyone knows this one! If you manage to sing along, you're our singer, and if not, we'll let it go! Deal" Sun stuck his hand out.
Jaune sighed and shook Sun's hand. "Fine, let's just get this over with."
Sun headed to the drums, Ren picked up his guitar, and Neptune picked up his bass, the three beginning the opening chords and beats.
(Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones)
Jaune's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar beat. "Guys, really no I can-"
[Intro]
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY OH, LET'S GO
[Verse]
They're forming in a straight line
They're going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds
The Blitzkrieg Bop
They're piling in the back seat
They're generating steam heat
Pulsating to the back beat
The Blitzkrieg Bop
[Chorus]
Ey, oh, let's go
Shoot'em in the back now
What they want, I don't know
They're all revved up and ready to go
[Verse]
They're forming in a straight line
They're going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds
The Blitzkrieg Bop
They're piling in the back seat
They're generating steam heat
Pulsating to the back beat
The Blitzkrieg Bop
[Chorus]
Ey, oh, let's go
Shoot'em in the back now
What they want, I don't know
They're all revved up and ready to go
[Verse]
They're forming in a straight line
They're going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds
The Blitzkrieg Bop
They're piling in the back seat
They're generating steam heat
Pulsating to the back beat
The Blitzkrieg Bop
[Intro]
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY, OH, LET'S GO
EY OH, LET'S GO
Jaune shouted out the last note as the others played the final chords and beats behind him. "WAHOO! Looks like we have our singer!" Sun shouted, earning a cheer from Neptune and a nod from Ren.
"Well, a deals a deal, and an Arc never goes back on his word!" Jaune said, smiling from the rush he felt. "So what now?"
Sun shrugged, looking at Ren. "Dust Cube?"
Ren grinned, "Dust Cube."
A/N: BUM BUM BUMMMMMMM! That's right, Team FNKI is a bunch of lousy cheaters. Don't get me wrong, I loved them in Volume 3, but hey, every story needs a sub-antagonist, right? RIGHT! In regards to the placement and point system, I'll explain a bit.
'Red Like Roses' was late and caught off guard, so they lost points due to that. 'Shining Arc' dominated the first round with Chelsea Dagger, earning favor from the judges for their energy and sound. 'Red Wings of Death' and 'Never Miss A Beat' tied for third, as they were good, but they just weren't…there, ya know? But I've got plans for all four bands in the next few chapters, and round two songs have been chosen! I majorly appreciate the song suggestions that were sent in for 'Shining Arc', as that's the second person to suggest the boys performing a Def Leppard song! Who knows?
Oh yeah, I do! But really though, the support I'm getting on this story is fantastic, so please, keep enjoying and keep those reviews rolling in! I'm trying to get these chapters out quickly, as I've had some down time at work recently to plot out point A to point B chapter wise while sitting there. Next chapter should be out within the next few days! Read, review, PLEASE REVIEW! Enjoy!
