A/N: Drakengard is property of Yoko Taro and RWBY is property of Mounty Oum+ Roosterteeth! Please support the official release!


Bitter Sweet

"Because who spends 12 years getting a P.H.D. for fun!?" Jaune argued.

"Teachers aren't doctors! You aren't making any sense! Stop trying to confuse me!" Zero projected her reasoning boisterously.

"A lot of the professors here have doctorates!"

"Why would someone who has a doctorate waste it on teaching if it could be helped!"

"This is the most scholarly either them have been, I think," Blake noted with an almost-smirk.

Now that breakfast was eaten, Jaune and Zero had moved over to the couch where they could 'chat' and not hurt those around them with their exaggerated hand gestures.

"I don't think I've ever seen Jaune come out of his shell this much," Pyrrha commented to the others still at the table. Her finger slowly went to her chin in thought. "It's almost a little worrying…"

"Low sugar tolerance?" Ruby offered an explanation with a shrug. "On the occasions when even I've had too many cookies and had a sugar rush, I pretty much felt like I can do anything." Those memories of sugar overload were a little hazy… and held whispers of chaos and mischief. But it made her face contort into a wistful grin.

"I see someone's feeling better," Pyrrha murmured from her seat beside her.

"Hm?" The shorter redhead perked up at the utterance, looking to Pyrrha at her side.

"Oh nothing," Pyrrha shook her head dismissively. She usually tried to avoid fibbing, but this matter was especially delicate. When the two teams idly chattered at lunch, the warrior couldn't help but notice that Ruby had a mask on. There was no reason for the others on her team to notice it, but she did. The warrior knew what it was like to put up a peppy, happy front so that those around you didn't feel bad. She'd done it for most of her life. Up until she arrived at Beacon at least. That was why if Ruby was genuinely happy for the moment, Pyrrha was happy for her.

As the white noise of the argument between yellow and white continued, Ren pondered Ruby's theory aloud. "In my haste to make enough pancakes for everyone-" He glanced at Nora who gave shameless purr. "-I probably did miscalculate the sugar proportions for the syrup."

Not the least bit troubled, the hammer-wielder of team JNPR slapped the table in her enthusiasm. "Another JNPR-weekend-breakfast success!" She looked excitedly at Ruby. "I told you we were fun breakfast-buddies!"

After team JNPR was formed, Nora made Ren's culinary gift apparent to her teammates almost immediately. The pink-eyed man, considerate as he was, offered to cook for his teammates on the weekends when he wouldn't be rushed to work his magic before class. It was nice to end the week with some real cuisine instead of the pleasant (yet clearly synthetic) food the school offered. Nora had randomly gave verbal invitations to said weekend breakfasts more than once during their lunch breaks.

Ruby giggled, "Sorry for not taking the invite so-… Actually, it was Blake's idea." As she spoke the last bit, she itched her cheek. "I've been a little preoccupied up to now…" She defeated the nagging urge to look away from the others.

"It was just a thought," the dark-head said noncommittally, a beat of pink coming back to her face. It was just a random thing she remembered to bring a little more levity to a morning with a rather rough start.

"Sure," Ruby chuckled at her teammate's unnecessary bashfulness. The redhead knew that her team and JNPR's could have had a lot more fun regularly if she'd only tried to snap out of her funk more often. I wish I could just make whatever's happening go away already. Her silver eyes looked to still-arguing couple of goofballs on the couch and felt warm. But this is a nice break.

"Well whatever the reason," Pyrrha replied, "We're glad you guys could make it." Nora and Ren smiled and nodded in agreement. They thankfully didn't make a remark about Yang or Weiss' absence. "And I don't think what's going on over there," the taller redhead nodded towards the fiasco happening on the sofa, "has anything to do with sugar. Not if Jaune ate Pumpkin Pete's cereal as often as he said he did…" She didn't care if her face was on; that cereal was not good for any living creature.

"Sugar or no sugar, nothing powers up a Jack-hammer like flapjacks!" Nora declared with a rub of her belly. She was clearly found of the moniker Zero had given her.

At Nora's remark, a thought came to the man with a pink stripe in his hair. "Not that I mind it," Ren suddenly interjected, "but I would like to know why Zero feels the need to nickname everyone almost immediately." He didn't particularly mind being called 'Lotus' but it would still be nice to know why.

"She says she's always been like that," Ruby said as she recounted talking with her partner about it briefly. Her couldn't help noticing that Blake lean in at that along with the rest of the table. The redhead had definitely noticed that the albino had a way of getting people interested in her one way or another. If that wasn't true I still couldn't blame them for being curious. She calls Ozpin and Glynda, 'the Wiz' and 'Sugar-tits' when they're not around, after all. Trying not to interrupt her own thoughts with a giggle fit, she went on to explain her partner's naming habits.

"It's about not being fake, you see? Zero only gives people names that fit. Even her name is honest; that's why she's Zero…" The memories of the girl's own rants against herself threaten to sadden her. She is not nothing! She didn't let her straight face falter."As in 'zero nonsense'. If you have certain flaws, strengths, or traits, it's something you should be able to own in front anybody. Whether your title is metaphorical or just plain…blunt." Her eyes looked to the back of Jaune's head briefly. "She wants everyone to feel inclined to fly their true colors."

"So, it's matter of inward and outward harmony," Ren said thoughtfully. "I can respect that." He nodded in approval.

"If I count all the people I've meet who probably wished I wasn't me," Nora sniggered mischievously.

"I'm even more glad to have meet her then," Pyrrha said with a small smile. "It seems harder and harder to meet people who value honesty these days."

Blake seem to fold into herself, saying nothing as her crossed arms tightened their hold on one another. Her expression didn't change but her eyes looked…colder. Ruby politely pretended not to notice. It was the least she could do since Blake hadn't prodded her or Zero.

The redhead tapped her fingers on her pant-leg as the main problem reared its again. The crimson leader looked to the back of her partner's animatedly bobbing head. Ruby and Zero still had a sinister dilemma…and two sisters who were scared for them. But what could they honestly do with how little they knew?

I hope we can do more than just wait for something to happen again…


A/N: It has come to my attention that I may or may not have used the term "lobby" correctly. It would probably have been more apt to say student lounge. But the title would have had nearly as good a ring to it, yeah?

Anyway, I would like to thank PatricktheObserver again for their feedback and insight as well as providing/predicting ideas for the future. I think it's safe to say you've done more observe at this point, which is most appreciated.

On a final note, if any of you who are wanting a little more melodrama, it should at least get a little bit thicker next chapter

Read Fav, Follow, Review! Thanks a million for all that you do!