Over the next couple of days, Jaune wondered if the entire trip to Vale had been some sort of dream his overactive imagination had cooked up. After returning from their trip, they'd gone their separate ways and hadn't spoken since. That was not an unusual occurrence; Blake wasn't exactly what you would call a chatterbox. Classes had resumed for the week and between all the history homework that had been handed out and Professor Goodwitch upping the intensity of their drills in combat class, not to mention his own private lessons with his partner, his schedule was completely filled with little free time to speak of. He was kept so busy that he almost forgot about the whole affair, until one quiet Thursday afternoon, a shadowy ribbon looped around his wrist as he was reaching for the handle of his dorm room door and reeled him in across the hall.

The door to Team RWBY's room slammed shut behind him.

"Wha-" Jaune yelped, only barely keeping his balance.

"Jaune," Blake said warmly. Jaune traced the familiar black ribbon laced around his arm back to her hand, understanding dawning.

"Er – Blake, hi," he greeted awkwardly. "What's up?"

"I need to take your measurements,"

"Come again?"

Blake produced a roll of measuring tape with a smile. "I need to take your measurements so we can tailor everything to your size. We want everything to look perfect, right?"

"Oh," Jaune said dumbly. So it hadn't been a dream after all. That day had really happened. He really was going to dress up as Captain Atlas in front of hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. He felt a little sick just thinking about it. "Uh, alright, I guess."

Blake's smile became wider. "Great! This will work better with as little clothing as possible, so if you could strip down, we can get started."

Jaune blinked. "Uh, what? Sorry, I think I misheard you."

Blake poked him in the chest with one of her long, well maintained nails. "Strip."

"Right, so I didn't," Jaune said blankly. Against his will, he felt a bout of self consciousness. He was alone with a beautiful girl, in her room, and she was asking him to take off his clothes. How many times had he thought about this type of situation? Those fantasies hadn't contained Blake but it wasn't like she was an unwelcome feature. He struggled to keep his eyes off the beds. "Are you sure? Where is the rest of your team?"

Blake waved her hand uncaringly. "They're busy, don't worry. We won't be disturbed. I told them I needed the room for a little while."

She had clearly thought this through.

Still, Jaune wavered.

"What are you waiting for?" Blake asked impatiently. "The sooner I get your measurements, the sooner we can start getting the costume together. We really don't want to be leaving this to the last minute. Oh, what size shoe are you?"

Then she reached forward and began unbuttoning his school blazer. Frozen in shock, he replied automatically, "Twelve."

Unbuttoned, she ran her hands inside and over his shoulders, peeling the jacket back until it fell to the floor with a muffled rustle. The feel of her small, strong hands ghosting over his shirt felt pleasant. Working on his tie, he just stared as his heart rate spiked, her deft fingers making quick work of it, sliding it from around his neck until it pooled on the floor beside his jacket. He jolted in alarm when those same fingers began tugging at his belt.

"Remove your shoes," she ordered, prying open the buckle and unlooping the pliable leather. He barely heard her, blood roaring in his ears, yet he obeyed, pressing his feet together as he swiftly pulled his shoes off, kicking them away.

He couldn't believe what was happening.

The sound of his belt buckle clinking together pierced the thudding in his ears, and it was one of most erotic sounds he had heard in his life. He wasn't sure how two pieces of cheap metal coming together could sound such a way, maybe the implication of what the sound meant? But in this case, it didn't mean anything like it should. He jumped when her knuckles brushed against his abdomen as she yanked the belt free, dropping it to the floor without a care. Pulling his vest up over his head and throwing it aside, she began on his shirt, starting at the bottom and making her way up. Each button felt like an age, every time her fingers pressed against him sending a bolt of lightning up his spine.

He was about to have a very visible problem.

Blake paused after unhooking the last button, staring at his chest, eyes darting down to admire his abs. Idly, her fingers flittered over his skin before she pulled her hand back in surprise.

"Sorry," she muttered with a look of astonishment, shocked at her own daring. As if she hadn't just stripped him without a care in the world only moments ago. "I didn't mean-"

Jaune swallowed, voice rough, "S'fine."

Blake peered up at him, her cute little cat ears flicking back and forth. He hadn't noticed before but she wasn't wearing her bow. He wasn't sure when it had begun but sometime after the Vytal Festival, she had taken to showing her faunus traits. Not all the time, and usually only where their teams could see and no one else, but it was a start. Jaune thought she looked a million times better without the bow, personally. This was Blake Belladona as nature intended. No fear of rejection, just her true self.

"I'm glad I asked you," Blake said after a moment.

"Hm?"

"You're going to be the best Captain Atlas, I swear it."

"Right," he answered with a cough.

Captain Atlas – he was going to be Captain Atlas.

Shrugging off the shirt, he hesitated for a second before pulling his pants down in one swift movement. Stepping out of them, he felt his cheeks flush as he stood in front of her with only a pair of black boxer briefs as protection. Thankfully, he wasn't standing at attention but it was a close thing. He could feel the stirrings in his gut but he clamped down on it with every ounce of will power he possessed. Now wasn't the time. They weren't hooking up, this was something different. Platonic, as absurd as they may have sounded when he was standing in nothing but his underwear.

Blake nodded, eyes raking up and down his body. "Great, let's get started."

Producing a small note pad and pen, she placed them on the floor and unraveled the tape. She began with his shoulders, stepping around him so his back was facing her. He fought the urge to jump when her fingers touched his skin, followed by the cool material of the tape. Placing one end on the highest point of his left shoulder, she held it in place and pulled it across to the highest point on the right. He felt her breath ghost along the back of his neck, raising the hair as she muttered the measured number to herself. Kneeling to jot down the results, she then started on his chest, reaching around under his arms.

"Are you cold?" She asked with a whisper in his ear.

"No," he replied.

"You're shivering."

Jaune cleared his throat. "I'm fine."

He took a deep breath and then exhaled through his nose, trying to calm down. She was close enough that he could smell her shampoo, even after an entire day of school. Her soft hands scorched a trail of sensation across his chest and around his sides as she pulled the tape taut. The waist was next. She decided to do this from the front, lining the tape up with his belly button and pulling it around. The tips of her kitty ears tickled the underside of his nose, causing him to squirm and threatened to make him sneeze.

"Stay still," she admonished lightly as she moved on to his hips. Feeling her hands settle over the material of his boxers made his mouth go dry. One tug and he would be completely exposed. The scent of her shampoo was stronger now that she was in front of him, a light fruity fragrance with a hint of warm spice. He fought the urge to lean in and smell her, hands clenching into fists. His insides writhed.

"Oh god," he muttered in alarm as she knelt down in front him, inviting his imagination to run wild. She measured the width of his thigh, around his knee and ankle, before moving onto his inseam. Jaune tensed as her fingers crept up his leg, toward his crotch. Goosebumps erupted across his entire body.

"Oh," Blake exclaimed in surprise.

"What? What is it?" Jaune asked in a panic, heart freezing in his chest. He wasn't displaying, was he? He glanced down quickly but was reassured; he hadn't popped a surprise boner, nor was he peeking out anywhere. He wasn't sure he could live through that type of embarrassment. This wasn't meant to be sexual. She was just taking his measurements for cosplay! He didn't want to make things weird because he couldn't control himself.

"I dropped the tape," Blake replied sheepishly.

"Oh," Jaune answered through clenched teeth. She'd nearly given him a heart attack. "Right, uh – we almost done?"

"Almost," he felt her fingers creep up his inner-thigh again. It felt like it took an age as she held the tape in place, her other hand smoothing it down the entire length of his leg. Peering down, he frowned as she leaned in, her nose twitching as she all but nuzzled his leg.

Wait, was she-?

It felt like all the air was sucked out of the room as the door opened behind him. There was a moment of utter stillness, broken only when the sudden intruder gasped. Blake moved swiftly, the door slamming shut as she assailed the new comer. There was a brief scuffle as they wrestled for dominance but Blake was the bigger, physically stronger combatant. By the time Jaune turned around to see what was happening, she already had her prey subdued.

"Blake!" Ruby yelled into the carpeted floor. "What are you doing?"

Blake had a crazed look in her eyes as she pressed her team leaders face into the floor, her other hand and ribbon restraining the younger girls arms. Ruby bucked and flailed as hard as she could but there was no escape. She was much too small and helpless without her scythe, and Blake had all the leverage in the world by simply sitting on her.

"She saw us," Blake met Jaune's eyes. "We must silence her."

Silence her? "Wait, hold on,"

Ruby managed to turn her head so she could speak without the carpet getting all over her tongue. "What were you two doing in here? Why are you naked!?"

"I'm not naked," he defended. "Not completely!"

Ruby looked mortified and upset. "Were you guys doing naughty stuff?"

"No!" "Yes!"

Jaune blinked and stared at Blake. Ruby struggled even more vigorously for naught.

"That's right," Blake continued when no one else said anything, looking rather demented. "We were doing naughty stuff! Sex! We were doing sex!"

Ruby kicked against the floor.

"I asked for the room, didn't I? Didn't I ask to not be disturbed? Why are you here, Ruby Rose?" Blake leaned down over the girl, pinning her even more effectively. "You said I could use the room for a couple hours, so why are you here?"

"Get off me," Ruby thrashed. "Get off, get off, get off."

"Guys, come on – Blake, get off her."

"She knows too much."

"She doesn't know anything, you're just confusing her. Ruby, we weren't – you know, doing that."

"Sex," Blake repeated at his awkward denials. "We did sex."

"We did not," Jaune refuted hotly. "Ruby, listen – nothing like that was happening, I swear."

Ruby paused in her struggles, "Really?"

"Yes, really," he replied, ignoring Blake's look of betrayal. "Blake, come on, let her up. She was going to find out, anyway. We were going to the convention together; it was only a matter of time before she knew."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby sagged against the floor, boneless. "I'm so confused."

Blake hesitated for a moment before slowly backing off. Ruby remained on the floor as the cat faunus untied her ribbon, releasing her arms. Ruby's school skirt had bunched up in the struggle, something Jaune only now noticed, hurriedly turning away as she let out a squawk of alarm, straightening out the garment.

"Did you see?" she asked quietly.

"No," he hadn't seen anything important.

Fabric wasn't important, right? It was just cotton. Like a shirt; a light pink shirt.

"Really?"

"Really."

Ruby sighed as she regained her feet, patting down her uniform. Her cheeks were a healthy rose to match the highlights in her hair. "Right, so – what is going on here?" She glared at Blake. "Why did you attack me?"

Blake was staring mulishly at the floor so it was left to Jaune to explain the situation. "She was taking my measurements."

Ruby blinked, her head tilting slightly. "Measurements?" Her eyes widened. "She was measuring your-"

"No!" Jaune denied instantly. "Ruby, you have a dirty mind."

"Y-You're the one standing in my room, naked!" she threw in his face, stomping the floor. "D-Do you have any idea what this looks like?"

"If you're so worried, why are you staring at him?" Blake needled childishly. Ruby poked her tongue out.

"Am not."

Jaune hurriedly pulled on his pants to regain a little bit of modesty, though it was a little late. They'd both seen practically everything he had to offer.

"She was taking my measurements for new clothes," Jaune continued after a bout of silence. "She – ah, well, she wants me to cosplay for her."

"Cosplay?" Ruby perked up, looking surprised. "Wait, you are into that? I never knew."

"I mean, sure, I guess," he rubbed his neck. "I'm kinda new to this sort of thing. It was Blake's idea, really."

Ruby glanced at her teammate. "Huh – so you're into cosplay?"

Blake looked at Ruby warily, nodding.

"And to hide that fact, you decided to lie and say you guys were having sex?"

"That was all her!" Jaune pointed at Blake. "I had nothing to do with that!"

"I was embarrassed, okay?" Blake exploded, wanting the floor to swallow her up. "I panicked!"

Ruby couldn't help it. She laughed.

"Blake, you're so silly," her giggles shook her entire frame, and were contagious. Soon Jaune was laughing with her. "How is that more embarrassing than what you said?"

Blake opened her mouth, paused, and then shut it with a click. Her face flushed scarlet when Ruby laughed even harder. "Shut up."

She may put forth an unflappable, cool demeanor most of the time, but Jaune was quickly learning that Blake could be a bit of a scatterbrain when pressure was applied. It was one of the things that Jaune had been pleasantly surprised about when it came to Weiss. No matter how cool, cold and collected the heiress tried to act, underneath it all she was a bit of a goofball. It was just that she rarely showed that side of herself and only to those she considered close friends. It was a position that Jaune hadn't really been able to claim until very recently. It was something the two girls shared in common, though he doubted they would ever admit it.

"So who are you meant to be cosplaying as, anyway?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Captain Atlas," Jaune revealed, knowing Ruby was also a fan from all their geek out sessions. "At least, we are going to try-"

"Captain Atlas!" Ruby appeared in front of him a burst of rose petals, looking ready to vibrate right out of her shoes. Jaune leaned back in alarm as she invaded his space. "Really? Oh my god, I can totally see it. Can I help? Can I? Can I?"

"Uh, sure, I don't mind," Jaune looked to Blake. "She can help, right?"

He wasn't sure but Blake seemed to be pouting. "I guess," she capitulated as Ruby turned her adorable eyes upon her. "Actually, you might be a really big help, Ruby. We need to find a matching shield for the one he uses in the comics."

That got Ruby even more excited. It may have been a simple round shield with no mecha-shift or dust technology to speak of, but it was the shield of Captain Atlas. It was one of the most iconic armaments in the history of comic books. Not only did it appeal to her because it was a weapon – and a shield was totally a weapon! – but it was also a huge part of her other geeky hobby, wielded by one of her favourite characters.

"Just you guys wait. I'm going to make you the best darn shield you've ever seen. You'll be throwing that bad boy around in no time," Ruby stated proudly, hands on hips. "This is going to be so awesome."

"Wait, make it? You don't mean like an actual shield, right? Won't that be kinda expensive?" From what he understood, most people used cardboard, plastic or paper mache for complicated accessories like weapons or armour, like that boy he'd seen at the park. The average person couldn't afford to get an actual sword or gun made, or an entire suit of armour, not just for a simple hobby.

Ruby looked completely unconcerned. "Nah. Beacon has a ton of old parts and scrap. I'm sure I can whip up something totally cool in no time. Pyrrha's shield is similar enough; I can ask to borrow it to get some measurements and a get a feel for the general design. Then I can collaborate with one of the professors, they're always willing to lend a hand with stuff like this. By the time I'm through with it, you'll be able to take it with you when you hunt Grimm."

Jaune felt that maybe they were starting to go a little overboard with this project, he already had a perfectly usable shield and didn't need a second one but one look at Ruby's delighted face killed whatever objections he may have had. Even Blake looked excited by the prospect, another layer of authenticity to create the perfect cosplay more than enough to bring her completely on board with including Ruby.

"This might work out, after all," Blake mused. "Ruby, how are you with armour? I have the perfect jacket for him but the shoulder is armoured and requires alterations, think you can handle it?"

Ruby thumbed her nose. "Handle it? Psh, it has already been handled." She blinked. "I mean that I'm so good that – not that I've already done anything yet, it's just a saying, urgh, you get it, right?"

Jaune laughed. "Really cool, Ruby. Nailed it."

He gave her a thumbs up.

"Oh, be quiet," she grumbled.

Jaune saw Blake's ears twitch moments before the door handle began turning. It had only opened a crack before Blake's foot slammed into the wood, forcing in shut with a bang.

Weiss let out a very unlady-like shriek from the other side.

"What is the meaning of this?" she thundered a moment later, irate.

"Blake?" the voice of Yang called out, confused. "You okay in there, girl?"

"It seems my team doesn't listen very well," Blake growled. "Jaune, you're going to have to use the window. I'm not sure how long I can delay them."

Jaune began hurriedly collecting his clothes. It was one thing to be caught half-naked by Ruby in their room; it was another to be caught by Yang or Weiss. They would not be half as understanding as the younger girl was, not by a long shot. The blonde girl would never let him forget it and it wouldn't be long before the entire school found out about it, while Weiss was liable to report him to the faculty. Not that he was breaking any rules, necessarily, Blake had invited him in, but he would never be able to look Professor Goodwitch in the eye ever again if she found out about this.

Ruby pulled open the window quickly as Yang began pounding on the door.

"Hey, Blake," she called out. "Let us in!"

"Just a moment," she yelled. "I'm a little busy!"

"You're holding the door closed," Weiss accused. "Step aside!"

Jaune scrambled over the desk and onto the windowsill, arms full of clothes. One look down and he was overcome with a sense of vertigo. Stepping out onto the ledge, he only had a moment to judge the distance between him and the nearest tree when he heard the telltale sound of Weiss activating one of her glyphs.

The last thing Jaune remembered was the sound of wood splintering, Blake's cry of surprise and the horror filled eyes of Ruby Rose as he plummeted to the ground like a bag of bricks. The bushes below did little to break his fall. He landed flat on his back and was out like a light, not an ounce of feeling when one of his shoes bounced off his face.

AN: Okay, I guess I've hit some sort of groove with this story. The chapters being shorter probably help a lot, and the silly nature of the idea itself lets me bit a bit less strict with the characters. Not that my other stories are overly serious. Anyway, hopefully this weirdo version of Blake is as amusing to you as it is to me right now. And now Ruby has joined in on the fun. Now I'm pretty sure this will be the last thing I write before the year is out, so Happy New Year.