This took longer to write than I wanted because I started to play Hades and wanted to do nothing with my life other than play it. Then Cyberpunk 2077 came out and the same thing happened lmao. So if you were wondering why Ch 3 took so long to come out, it's because I wanted to play through a story instead of write one for a while lol
On a side note, I highly recommend Hades. It's an amazing game. As for Cyberpunk... Well, it's phenomenal... If you can get it to run. I have been graced with a super gaming PC so it works flawlessly for me, but other people can't even get passed 20fps on it.
EDIT:
So I realized I uploaded the wrong version of this, I had two for some strange reason. I swapped it for the right one a few hours after it's initial release. It really just has some spell checks and adds another few lines at the very end.
I want a Date (3/4) – Ruby?!
A few hours passed since Weiss broke Yang's scroll. They were currently in Professor Oobleck's class along with team JNPR. Weiss eyed Jaune and Pyrrha every few minutes, finding it hard to concentrate on class. After her initial outburst in the mourning, her team managed to calm her down and tell her to wait for their explanation. It was only a matter of time until the article reached their eyes after all. Of course, she herself could present it to them but... Something about asking if he's... 'Seeing' Pyrrha felt... Weird. Scary, even.
In Nora's words, They weren't together-together! Just... Dating... A little. If someone else were to come into the picture, especially someone like the Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos herself then... That was fine... Right?
Ookleck's class ended and Team RWBY got up and left a few seconds after JNPR. On their way out Jaune was waiting for Weiss at the door. Her shoulder's stiffened at seeing him and she acted on impulse.
"Hey, Weiss. You wan-" he didn't finish what he was going to say because Weiss tucked her head down and speed walked passed him without saying a word or even looking at him.
Jaune blinked. "Ooookay, never mind." he said and looked at Ruby, Yang, and Blake. "Did something happen?" he asked.
Yang looked at him. "Outta curiosity, you guys read the news?" she asked.
Jaune shrugged. "Uhh... Not really. Nora doesn't like boring articles, Pyrrha tries to avoid them because they're usually about her, Ren tries to- and I quote- 'separate himself from worldly issues', and Uh... I've never been good at keeping up with current events..." he ended sheepishly.
Ruby sighed. "Right. Of course." she then smiled up at him. "Well... It's a good thing that whatever's happening has nothing to do with the news! Right girls?" she aimed glances at her team.
Blake looked confused at the statement. "What, but Ruby- Ack." Ruby elbowed her in the side and looked up at the faunus to speak through her teeth. "Right Blake?"
The cat girl rubbed her side and sighed, looking up at Jaune. "Right. Nothing to do with the news." she relented.
The three of them then walked away, to catching up to Weiss and leave a very confused Jaune. On the way, Blake prodded on Ruby's infinite wisdom on this matter. "Ruby, why didn't you just tell him?"
The girl turned towards her teammate. "I didn't want him or Pyrrha to feel bad! Jaune gets upset easily and Pyrrha never stops apologizing!" she leaned in close to Blake and Yang to whisper. "Think about it, if Pyrrha learns about this, we're going to be hearing 'I'm sorry' for weeks!"
Yang and Blake turned their head to glance at team JNPR happily talking then shivered. That was true. The two turned back towards Ruby.
"Alright Rubes, so what's the game plan?" Yang asked and Ruby grinned. "I'm glad you asked dear sister of mine." she said and grabbed both of them, activated her semblance and flung the three of them into a Red, Yellow, and Black twister of colors which slammed into Weiss, adding white to the mixture.
"Wha?!" the heiress whined.
The door to their room flung open and Ruby ended her semblance sending the three of them tripping inside while she slammed the door shut. "Time to begin Operation: Honey Rose!"
Weiss was tapping her foot with her arms crossed waiting for Ruby to explain. "What is this about Ruby? What 'operation'?"
The younger girl chuckled. "Well, since you're insecure about Jaune right now then I'll just have to get it out of him myself!"
Weiss' eyes narrowed towards her partner. "'Insecure'? I- I'm not insecure about him just..." she looked away. "Un-assured."
Blake sat down on her bed and pulled a book out from under her pillow. "That means the same thing." she'd say before opening the book up to read where she left off.
Weiss glared at Blake for a second before Ruby ran up to her. "Relax! It'll all work out, trust me!"
The heiress rolled her eyes and took a step away, turning around. "That buffoon can do whatever he wants for all I care." she huffed.
This made Ruby smile ear to ear. "Perfect! Now to start phase one: I ask Jaune out on a date!" she said and instantly used her semblance to dash out of the room.
It took Weiss a moment to process what she just heard but when she did her eyes widened and she turned around, staring at the open door in shock. "Wait, what?!"
Before she could question anything Ruby reappeared in a flurry of rose petals. "He said 'yes!" she grinned and pumped both arms.
"What?!" Weiss repeated, the shocked expression on her face turned to fury.
"How... How dare he! Pyrhha was one thing but Ruby?! She's nothing but an immature child!"
Before Weiss exploded, Yang placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hang on, Ruby. What exactly did you say to him?"
Ruby looked over to her sister and smiled confidently. "I asked him if he wanted to go to the arcade tomorrow." she responded then placed both hands against her hips and puffed her chest out. "He said that it sounded fun."
Blake looked up from her book. "Ruby, I don't think he-"
"Sounds perfect." Yang interrupted then yanked on Weiss' shoulder a bit to turn her around towards Blake who gave her a questioning look. "Look, Jaune's an idiot that doesn't realize Ruby asked him out, and Ruby's an idiot that doesn't realize Jaune didn't realize." she shrugged her shoulders. "Just let it play out, Ruby's terrible at explaining her plans, but they do tend to work if she pulls them off."
Weiss sighed and pinched the space between her eyes and sighed. "Those two dolts are going to shorten my lifespan."
Ruby was giggling in the background. She was actually kind of excited. She's never been on a real date before!
They were on the move. Ruby and Jaune met up at the bullhead station. Weiss was already at the station down in Vale waiting for them. Not to meet up, but to spy. Though she'd never admit it. To make sure she wasn't found out, she did something she never thought she'd do in her life time... She asked Blake to help with her outfit.
The faunus reluctantly agreed and it ended up being a Dark Blue hoodie with black sweatpants. She even wore a pair of sun glasses to better hide her identity. Pale blue eyes might just give her away if either one of them look in her direction.
The two of them walked down the sidewalks of Vale, heading towards the arcade just like they said they would. Weiss made sure to stay close, but not too close. The sidewalk across the street felt safe. Unless they had reason to turn and look that way she should be fine.
They stopped walking. Why? The arcade was still around the block. Weiss quickly slid over to the side and leaned behind a lamp post, turning her head to keep her eyes on the two. Jaune was holding his stomach and Ruby looked like she was giggling. The two then walked into a nearby fast food restaurant.
"They're going to eat together?!" she lowered her sunglasses just below her eyes and glared at the two of them walk in. She could watch through the clear windows as they ordered and sat down with their food.
Jaune and herself haven't even eaten together yet! Only during lunch time with everyone else, but that doesn't count! Her icy eyes glared at the two while they took a bites of their burgers and chatted. How dare Ruby do this with her boy- … Boy that is a friend and nothing more!
"Tch." she scoffed. It was then that she heard some kind of snap a few feet away from her. She turned her attention to the noise and saw someone else looking in her direction as well. It looked like a woman. She wore a heavy red jacket, a Mistral Tournament sports cap covering bright red hair and a white face mask to cover her mouth and jaw.
She was crouched down behind some shrubs that went along the sidewalk then flinched backwards once Weiss noticed her, revealing green eyes. The heiress put two and two together.
"Pyrrha?" the girl froze upon hearing the name.
Lowering her face mask to rest under her chin "... Weiss?" she asked back, perhaps recognizing the voice. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Weiss slid behind the shrub as well to be next to the champion.
"What are you doing here?!" she whispered in aggravation.
Pyrrha leaned backwards and looked rather awkward, trying not to make eye contact and instead focus on the bushes they're hiding behind. "O- o- o- Oh... W- well... You know... Just... Getting out of the dorms." she gave a nervous chuckle. "Fresh air and all that."
Weiss lowered her sunglasses under her eyes and glares at the champion who seemed to shrink under the icy gaze with each passing second. The hoodie, mask, and hiding. It was obvious what she was really doing. Her thoughts went back to the article of her and Jaune she read earlier this mourning.
"Are you spying on Jaune?" she'd incriminate.
Pyrrha's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Well that answered that question. But instead of answering, she'd instead stammer a retort to the heiress.
"W- well what about you?!" she'd question and Weiss nervously fixed her glasses to cover her eyes once more. "You're not the type to hide yourself behind a outfit like that..." The champion's eyes narrowed. "Are you spying on Jaune and Ruby?"
Behind her glasses, Weiss' eyes were panicked. It looked like Pyrrha figured it all out, but she wouldn't just let her get away with that!
"O- of course not!" she'd answer a bit too quickly. So quick in fact that she didn't have anything to say after and just glanced around nervously. "I- I- Just... You know... I mean, I'm just so famous and all that I wanted to get out without people noticing me." she'd then looked towards Jaune and Ruby still eating. "Seeing those two dolts was just sheer coincidence!" the heiress crossed her arms acting confident in her reasoning.
Pyrrha blinked a couple times. Weiss was almost positive she didn't buy into the excuse, but against all odds the champion seemed to agree.
"I- I see." the red head nodded. "Me as well. I just wished for a stroll out in Vale without getting too much attention from my fans." she nodded.
Weiss seemed to catch on. "Good... Good. So... we're in agreement that this is all nothing but a pure coincidence and neither of us are spying on Jaune. Nor will we tell anyone of this meeting in the future."
Pyrrha lifted her face mask back up and nodded. "Oh, Y- yes. Privacy is of the up most importance for us... Celebrities."
"Of course. Glad we're on the same page here." Weiss spoke.
"Yes." Pyrrha nodded once more.
The two entered an awkward silence, neither wanting to ask the other anymore questions in fear that they would get questioned themselves. It lasted three or four minutes with them both glancing between each other then Jaune and Ruby who were still eating.
Then...
"Oh!" Weiss gasped as she observed Jaune and Ruby dump their trays and leave the fast food restaurant to walk into the arcade which was just around the corner.
Both Weiss and Pyrrha watched them walk inside and both wished to follow but the awkwardness of each others company stopped them from doing so.
"Ahem" Weiss cleared her throat and got Pyrrha's attention. Weiss would then look at the champion. "So. Pyrrha. I appear to be quite famished... What about you?" she'd ask in a rather rough tone.
Pyrrha blinked for a moment in confusion. But then saw Weiss flick her eyes in the direction of the arcade and back. It clicked. "Oh!" she smiled under the mask. "Y- yes. I could certainly eat."
Weiss smiled with a nod. "I see. Then... Would you wish to accompany me to that arcade for disgusting fast food? It certainly seems to be the only place worth our money for miles."
There was a normal restaurant just behind them that served actual food.
… It was ignored.
Pyrrha nodded happily. "Yes! Sounds perfect to me." she stood up and gestured towards the arcade. "After you."
Weiss nodded. "Why thank you." she'd say and walk passed her. Pyrrha however quickly caught up and the two walked side by side into the arcade to continue stalking Jaune and Ruby's date.
It's been a while since they entered the arcade. To Weiss and Pyrrha's defense they really did get some food. Just french fries with melted cheese on them. More of a snack, really.
Pyrrha took a fry and grimaced as she pulled her mask down to take a bite. "These aren't very good for you..." she'd mumble.
Weiss on the other hand stared at the cheesy stick between her fingers in disgust. "... It was the easiest thing on the menu." she'd mumble and take a bite herself. The Schnees weren't used to greasy food like this so she made a grossed out face while chewing. After swallowing, she glanced around and saw others eat stuff like arcade pizza with delight. "How do they do it? Have they no respect for their bodies?!"
Pyrrha sighed. "I've been trying to get Jaune on a healthier diet. He has some... Interesting tastes."
Weiss scoffed. And picked up another fry, taking a minor bite out of it. "Don't remind me. If I wasn't there, Ruby would only eat sugary sweets all day."
Pyrrha chuckled. "We've got quite the partners it seems."
Weiss stared at Pyrrha not knowing exactly what to say to that but just sighed, letting her 'proper' mask fall a bit. "Yeah..." she'd mumble and turn towards Jaune and Ruby playing a shooter game. "I was hesitant at first... But well, I'm glad it was her in the end." she'd let out a rare genuine smile.
"The Ice Queen's gotten rather warm, hasn't she?"
The nickname drop snagged Weiss away from her thoughts and snapped her attention towards the champion, who's eyes were wide and panicked.
"O- oh! I'm sorry! I just... Never called you it before and... And... Well it just flowed off the tongue, I guess I... Uhm..." she sighed and looked downward dejected. "I'm sorry."
Ah, the Pyrrha apology. It was standard practice at this point. Impossible to dispute as well. The champion was surprisingly nervous on how others thought of her. Or... Was it really so surprising? She had thousands of adoring fans, did she care about what they thought of her? Weiss certainly couldn't care less about all the suitors sent her way by father or from Atlasian high society.
Weiss looked away. "It's fine." she'd grumble. While hearing the nickname wasn't ideal, the least she could do is give the Invincible Girl a pass. Especially since she was the only one who's ever apologized for it.
They both were silent after that for a few moments before Weiss asked a question. "Has... Has Jaune ever called me that before?"
Pyrrha looked up, losing her feelings of awkwardness to set eyes on what could only be described as a meek girl who just refused to make eye contact. Did that question really push her that far?
Apparently so.
"He's... Well..." Pyrrha was nervous to answer that question. "There was this... One occasion in particular where you... Promptly turned him down after he wrote you a poem an-"
Weiss' face snapped forward and a blush appeared covering her cheeks. "Okay that's enough!" she'd demand. The heiress knew exactly which moment Pyrrha was speaking of. That poem, that damn poem! She was particularly direct with him that day after being bombarded with Ruby and Yangs shenanigans for the entire afternoon... Perhaps it was too direct, the poem was surprisingly well made just... Ugh, it was so corny and silly and absurd and oh so sweet!
Well, now it was sweet. When she read it, it was just corny, silly, and absurd.
She sighed. It was amazing he still had feelings for her considering their history. She turned to view Jaune and Ruby now playing a new game- Dance Dance Remnant. They were actually doing very well. Even drew in a small crowd. Wait, wasn't Ruby bad at dancing? Apparently turn something into a video game and it made her a master... Perhaps that would be a good way to get her to study...
HIGH SCORE!
The machine's speakers vibrated, alerting everyone in the area. Pyrrha as well. Looked like Jaune and Ruby got the top score for their game. Tickets were flying out of the machine and lights were flashing. Some in the small crowd were even clapping. The two gave each other a high-five and then put in their initials for their name before leaving.
'J + R'
'J + R' in big, bold letters which took up half the screen. Jaune + Ruby. Weiss' eyes widened. But J + W sounded much more attracting, didn't it?! The heiress' jaw locked and she glared at the letters like they were her archenemy. Deep down she knew it was, dare she admit- childish. But... Ugh she just couldn't help it.
Pyrrha suddenly stood up, snapping her from her thoughts. Weiss glanced over to see the champion take off her sunglasses and stare straight forward. Her face was unreadable but Weiss could certainly sense an aura of malice surrounding her.
"Weiss." the champion spoke. "I would like to play that game, but it requires a partner." she turned down to look at the heiress. "Would you like to accompany me?"
The question hung in the air for a moment. If it was anyone else, they might've been intimidated by the expression. But she was Weiss Schnee! She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Sister of Winter Schnee and future huntress!
She was also a school girl with a annoying crush on a complete and utter moron. But don't tell her that.
Weiss stood up and looked into Pyrrha's eyes. A normal person might find them emotionless. But Weiss could see the determination inside those green globes. For she also held it in her own icy glare. "Yes. I believe I will. Let us put the previous record holders to shame, shall we?"
The two walked over to the dance machine feeling more unity and conviction than ever before.
They both stepped onto the dancing platforms, still wearing their disguises. There were two, each with directional arrows pointing in four directions as well as angled arrows in the corners. It was simple enough, even someone with zero experience with the game would understand how it works.
"We have to pick the same song as them." Pyrrha would say and Weiss nodded while scrolling through the list. The music on this machine irritated the songstress. All of them seemed to be songs written for the arcade game, so beat music without any vocals. Guess they were too cheap to get the rights to real musical talent.
"I think I found it." she said and clicked down on the button. 'J + R' scrolled up the screen, showing who held the highest score, taunting them. She narrowed her eyes at the letters and in a small act of spite, scrolled the difficulty up a level. A higher difficulty meant more points after all!
'Extremely Extreme' it read. What a stupid name for a difficulty setting.
As the game started up Pyrrha looked over towards Weiss who was staring down, familiarizing herself with the foot panels. "Do you know how to play?" she'd ask which made the heiress look at her.
"Hmph. My dancing isn't limited to only ballroom activities." she'd retort and turned towards the screen. It seemed the game was finally starting. That answer seemed to be enough for Pyrrha and also turned her attention to the game.
3!
2!
1!
DANCE!
The music boomed and the screen was quickly bombarded with fast moving arrows. Up, left, right, up-right, left and right at the same time! Pyrrha was nailing every single one, not only with her expert foot work but also using the bars along the railing of the floor pad to lean against or hold herself up while she did harder movements. Her multiplier score was going up significantly with each step and combo.
Weiss on the other hand... She stepped too early on the first arrow, then tried to time the next correctly but failed. The screen flickered red and made a showcasing her failure for all to see and hear. The next few steps went just as poorly, missing some arrows entirely and even getting her feet tangled to the point she tripped backwards to end up leaning against the railing.
"Tch!"
"This game has zero sense of rhythm! Random arrows coming out of nowhere! What poor design, only children with no musical sense like Ruby and Jaune could play this silly game."
It was then that she'd look over at Pyrrha and open her mouth in surprise, watching her hit every arrow perfectly timed and continue along to the next. The champion either didn't seem to notice Weiss' glances or didn't have time to acknowledge them. But the fact of the matter was that Pyrrha was obviously the one keeping them afloat in the game this long.
Weiss frowned and quickly stepped back up to give it another shot. Pyrrha was phenomenal at almost everything, but she refused to fall behind in dancing of all things. Game or not.
It was difficult, she couldn't get a multiplier over 4x while Pyrrha was sporting a 36x one already! Her teeth were gritted and she looked down at Pyrrha's platform every few seconds to try and learn what the champion was doing that she wasn't. It cost her points but at this rate it wasn't going to matter unless she picked something up from Pyrrha's technique.
After a few moments she did realize some things. The red head's movements were flawless. If Weiss didn't know any better she'd assume the girl had this game, song, and platform memorized. But Weiss recalled Pyrrha saying she doesn't play video games too often. But then what was it?
Step- miss. The screen flashed red again.
What did Pyrrha have that Weiss didn't?
Right arrow- she barely made it but then tripped up for the down-right arrow, getting another red flash to showcase her failure once more. It was maddening.
When she looked at Pyrrha once more she just hit three arrows in rapid succession. Up, up-right, down-right, then literally spun in a twirl to tap another two arrows. Down-left, up-left. She came out of the twirl to continue hitting more arrows without pause. It was at that moment Weiss realized what the champion had that she didn't.
Freedom.
Her movements were full of it. She watched the screen and only the screen while spinning, sliding, and taping her way along the dance pad having full confidence her abilities will carry her through it. There was zero doubt in herself.
It was something Weiss herself never achieved. Not in combat, not in dancing, and not even in her everyday life. She was surrounded by strict rules, guidelines, and the looming threat of being a disappointment ever since she was a child.
'Not like that, do it this way', 'That's incorrect. Make sure you follow proper etiquette', 'Left foot forward... But not that forward', 'Either do it the right way or not at all', 'Never embarrass the family.'
The heiress' subtle glances went from fishing for information to that of envy. She couldn't even deny it, it felt like Pyrrha was and would always be more talented than herself at this rate. That... Didn't sit too well. Weiss stopped dancing and stood in the center of the platform, she took a deep breath to clear her head. Constant red flashes and noises signaling her missed arrows bombarded her but she paid it no mind.
Focus.
Rather than watching her own screen, Weiss decided to solely watch Pyrrha's movements. Not just her feet hitting the pad, but also her weight distribution, arm movement, hand placement, even where she was looking. Their screens were mirrored after all, watching Pyrrha gave her all the information she needed on where to hit the arrows, she just had to translate it correctly.
She began to dance once more, following Pyrrha's movements. Right arrow, left arrow, up and down, up-right- miss. She kept going. Down, up, down-left, right- miss. She ignored it and kept trying.
After a few mess ups, Weiss began to get better. Her multiplier hit 16x and she was doing rather well. Her and Pyrrha's movements were in perfect sync. Mirroring one another perfectly now.
Up, down, left and right, down-right, down, down-left, grab the railing to help spin yourself to reach the up-right arrow so you'll have enough time to place your other foot on the up arrow.
Perfect sync.
It seemed Pyrrha caught on to Weiss' improvement as well because her movements got sharper, more refined, and most certainly faster. Was Pyrrha holding back even in a dancing video game of all things, or did she just get more into it? Either way it didn't matter, Weiss already got used to her movements and was able to continue to follow them even without watching her now. In fact, Weiss would only glance at the screen every couple seconds just to memorize the next half dozen steps to come, execute them flawlessly, then look back.
The game let out a flash and the arrows stopped while a guitar solo began playing. The words "Take a break!" appeared on the screen with a countdown from 20 ticked down every second.
Weiss took a heavy breath and heart Pyrrha do the same. She turned her attention back to the screens to see how they were doing.
Their scores were vastly different, Pyrrha almost hitting one million while Weiss hasn't even reached half a million. It irked her a bit. Was it possible to 'catch up' in a game like this? Perhaps, but only if Pyrrha messed up. That being said, they could still beat Jaune and Ruby's score!
Weiss looked over at Pyrrha and saw the champion also looking in her direction. She was still wearing her disguise and seemed to be breathing heavily. The hoodie didn't exactly leave a lot of breathing room... It was then Weiss realized she was in the same state, in fact she could feel herself sweat from under this thing. Gross. Now that she thought about it, the heavy clothing also hindered her movements and put more pressure on her stamina.
That wouldn't do.
Both the Heiress and Champion seemed to have the same realization as they both took off their glasses and unzipped their hoodies, tossing them over the railing.
Pyrrha even took her face mask off. She was grinning ear to ear while breathing heavy breaths. It seemed she was having fun. Weiss couldn't argue it was more entertaining now that she was getting the hang of it either.
Five!
The game snapped them from their thoughts. It was now counting down from five so they'll be ready for the second round.
Four!
Weiss and Pyrrha continued to stare at each other while it counted down. Both were sweaty, breathing heavily, and made sure to lock eyes. Green honest globes versus an icy blue glare.
Three!
It was stupid... But Weiss not only wanted to get the top score anymore, but to also defeat Pyrrha. The champion in question let out a final huff for air then glared back confidently at her as if she caught the challenge.
Two!
Both of them stood up straight and turned back towards the screen, ready for more.
One!
This wasn't about just Jaune and Ruby's score anymore.
DANCE!
The screen instantly filled itself with arrows once more, even faster than in round one. But for the Weiss right now it was child's play! She hit every arrow perfectly and even set up for future arrows before they had to be hit. Both her and Pyrrha were now sporting the same multiplier- 64x. It seemed to be the highest possible.
Up, down, left, down-left and down-right, up, righ-
Pyrrha slipped.
Pyrrha slipped.
She hit the right arrow but tripped a bit. As it stood, there was no chance she'd reach the left arrow in time. In that moment two thoughts sprung into Weiss' mind:
1- A miracle happened and Pyrrha's multiplier will reset! She could actually win this!
2- A disaster happened and Pyrrha's multiplier will be reset! They could lose this!
While the two opposite thought processes plagued her, Weiss turned fully and slammed her right foot onto the left arrow to get an 'Okay' on the screen. Her multiplier didn't go down but it was worth less points.
I can win. I can win. I can win... But only if I let Pyrrha lose.
Throwing someone under the bus just to come out ahead was something her father would do. Something he's done all her life, even to herself! She would not be like her father.
Weiss leapt off the left arrow and leaped across Pyrrha's platform to land with her left foot hitting into her left arrow, getting a 'perfect' on Pyrrha's screen. To Pyrrha's credit, she seemed to understand exactly what Weiss was doing the moment she crossed borders and used the momentum from her trip up to move onto the heiress', hitting her next arrow in kind.
Down, left, up and up-right, up-left, right, down.
They continued as if nothing happened but now on each others dance pad, having full faith the other will keep their score and multiplier intact.
It was at that moment that Weiss felt the theoretical dance floor become larges, doubling in size to be exact. Eight arrows per pad, sixteen in total. Rather than keeping to their own eight, Weiss and Pyrrha began to intervene on the others for the two of them to handle all sixteen arrows together.
No longer were they mirroring each others movements, rather they made their own personal ones yet kept in perfect sync regardless. Both of them made sure that not a single arrow wasn't landed on right on time for a perfect score. At rare moments they'd make eye contact while passing by one another just to see an excited grin on the others face.
The final arrow was going down the screen so both Weiss and Pyrrha leaped off their pads and landed on their opposites. Both their feet slammed down on the final 'up' arrow, ending the song.
The screen exploded with fireworks along with a cheering crowd. Their score: 7,826,173 was plastered on the center of the screen. That was three million higher than Jaune and Ruby's score! The two girl grinned and turned to one another slapping their hands together into a clasp like they were ready to arm wrestle.
The machine asked for their names and the two of them released their clasp and hit each others initials considering they were standing on the wrong dance pads.
W + P
It took up most of the screen with animated fireworks going off in the background. The two girls smiled, it was such a silly thing but getting the high score together in this dumb arcade game was such a breath of fresh air for them both.
It was then that Weiss realized how exhausted she was after that. The concentration it took to move with Pyrrha for that long really took it's toll. It seemed Pyrrha was in a similar shape though looked like she was already catching her breath.
A flash of light.
Weiss blinked. "Huh?" It was then that the clapping and cheering finally grabbed her attention. "What?" she could have sworn it was from the game, but apparently the two of them managed to generate a crowd of people. A large crowd, probably everyone inside the arcade, actually. She could pick out a few things they were saying.
"Oh man, that was awesome!"
"Is that the Pyrrha Nikos?!"
"The Invincible Girl is here?!"
"What about the other one?"
"Is- is that Weiss Schnee?!"
"THE Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos?! Together in some crummy arcade? What're the odds?!"
Weiss and Pyrrha flinched back a bit, not ready for the sudden bombardment. Pyrrha seemed to collect herself first, looks like she was used to the common rabble already. Though Weiss never experienced the lower class'... Enthusiasm to this extent. While perhaps a bit flattering it was also... Jarring to say the least.
More flashes. Quite a few of them were taking pictures.
"Can I get an autograph?!"
"Sign my shirt!"
"I want a picture!"
She felt a tug on her shirt and turned to see Pyrrha giving an apologetic look. "Let's get out of here." Weiss nodded so the two grabbed their jackets and Weiss used her glyphs to make some platforms over the crowd for the two of them to get up and over. Once outside the arcade doors, the two entered a sprint to get away from the crowd of people. It was quite easy to, even after the workout they had. Having hunter training had it's many perks.
Once they were far enough away, Weiss let out a deep huff and leaned forward to place her palms against her knees while breathing heavily. Pyrrha jogged over to a building's wall and leaned against it, also out of breath.
They stayed like that panting for a few moments until Pyrrha released a light chuckle. Weiss glanced over to see the red head lifting a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the laughter. Though it seemed infectious because Weiss suddenly began to laugh as well.
Both of them standing outside, out of breath, laughing without care at night.
Night? When did it get so late. Ruby and Jaune did leave for the arcade around late afternoon... It made sense.
Pyrrha's chuckles came to an end and she smiled. "That was fun." she'd state.
Weiss took one final deep breath and nodded. "... Yes. It was." she'd respond. It was rare for the two of them to have a moment like this. In fact, this was probably the first. The last time her and Pyrrha were speaking alone was during initiation when Jaune interrupted them.
Oh, right. Jaune.
Weiss began to get a little nervous. They made quite the spectacle inside the arcade after all. Did Jaune and Ruby see them? It seemed Pyrrha noticed her worried look.
"Relax, I'm pretty sure Jaune and Weiss left before they noticed us. They're both the kind of person who would start cheering louder than anyone else there after all." she'd giggle.
Weiss sighed. "Ain't that the truth. Sometimes I feel like Ruby is too childish for her own good."
Pyrrha nodded. "I understand. Jaune can be a bit... Overwhelming at times" her mind traveled towards their team attack names. "But I wouldn't want anyone else as a partner." she added.
Weiss thought about that for a moment. Would she trade Ruby? The girl certainly wasn't her first choice for a partner, that wasn't even a secret, everyone knew their rough start. In fact, the person Weiss wanted more than anyone for a partner was Pyrrha. At least in the beginning. The events which transpired today reinforced that idea as well. She couldn't help but feel it as a missed opportunity...
But now that she's been Ruby's... Friend, for a while now, she would never trade her. As for Jaune... As involved as they were with each other, she would never want that train wreck for a partner.
Weiss crossed her arms. "Overwhelming an understatement. The guy's pushy when he wants to be, but then useless when he needs not to be."
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed into almost a glare. In fact, Weiss could have swore the champion was angry. "He's making astounding progress from what I can see. I've rarely met someone with his passion to improve."
Weiss sighed and lowered her arms. "I guess, but wanting to improve will only take you so far. At the end of the day talent comes into the picture." she'd argue and gesture towards Pyrrha herself. "I mean, if he's only improved this much after years of training I'm actually worried for his well being out on the field.
Pyrrha's eyes widen. No one else knew he forged his transcripts. From an outsiders perspective, he must seem awfully talent-less. But Pyrrha knew better, watching at the rate he's improving she can happily call him a genius. Though, not to his face. She wouldn't want him to get too cocky, he's very impressionable after all. If only he was trained from an earlier age...
She looked down. "Just... Give him time." she smiled and looked up. "I'm sure he'll surprise you."
Weiss stared at Pyrrha for a moment then shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, she hopes he will. With the way things are going she might have to choose between him or her huntress career and... Well, she'd be lying if she wasn't nervous about that. In the past few weeks the two of them have gotten closer than she ever expected. With him or any guy, really.
Weiss turned around. "Let's go ba-" her scroll started ringing and she lifted it up to see Ruby calling. "Ruby? What could she want?" her mind immediately went back to the arcade.
"Did she see us?!" Weiss turned to give Pyrrha a nervous look. In which the champions gave a nervous smile. Weiss just took a deep breath and hit the accept button. Normally Ruby's face would appear on the scroll now, but instead there was only audio.
Jaune and Ruby were walking down the sidewalk back towards Beacon. The bullheads usually stop once it gets late at night so they made sure to leave the arcade just a bit early. They just chatted like normal and maybe had some casual talk about a shop they walked towards.
But now. Now it was time for Ruby's plan. You see, this wasn't all just a ploy to get a date with Jaune Arc. No. Well, the date was fun, plus she hasn't visited the arcade in a while. And what's the point of going to an arcade without a friend?
Anyway, Ruby lifted her scroll out while Jaune was talking and hit the call button to call up Weiss. She'd then slide the scroll back into her pocket and get ready. Once the call was received, she felt a slight vibrate acknowledging it.
Jaune's been complaining about how the gun play worked in one of the games for a while now. "The guns on that game seriously didn't work right! I would hav-"
"Hey Jaune?"
Ruby interrupted him. The young knight turned. "Yeah?"
"How do you feel about Weiss?"
The question made him trip and sputter a bit. "W- w- what? I- I mean, well... You know already don't you?"
Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "I know you like her but... How much?"
A blush spread itself across his cheeks "How much does he like her? Why's she interested in that?" Part of him wondered if she was worried for her partner... That was a Ruby thing to do... But that didn't make sense, she'd always apologize for Weiss whenever she turned him down...
Actually, maybe she was playing both sides. That was also a very 'Ruby' thing to do now that he thought about it.
He scratched his cheek "W- well... She's beautiful, that's for sure."
Ruby looked a bit disappointing. "... Annnnnnd?" she prodded. "There's plenty of pretty girls in beacon, what made Weiss special?"
Jaune sighed, feeling more awkward. Spilling his guts like this was tough. "Ugh, okay. Okay." he'd say and take a deep breath to prepare himself. "I guess it's just her whole demeanor... Her attitude."
Ruby nodded, hoping he'd go on.
"She's cold and rough around the edges... But she has so much pride, I saw it the moment I laid eyes on her; even if I didn't notice what it was at the time." his blush remained but he smiled and looked down at the ground while they walked. "The way she carries herself, talks, acts, later I even saw her fight." he looked back to the first time he watched her during their initiation. The way her glyphs let her walk on air, how she could create ice out of nothing, wave her rapier like a magic wand and all kinds of elements would shoot out. He turned towards Ruby. "The first thing that popped into my head after seeing her fight was-"
"Snow Angel."
"Ice Queen."
Ruby spoke at the same time as him, assuming they could have fun saying the 'Ice Queen' joke simultaneously. But was apparently wrong. Jaune just chuckled.
"... That was the second thing. She can be pretty cold."
Ruby snorted a laugh. "Yeah... So you thought all that the first time you met her?"
This time it was Jaunes time to snort. "Gods no! I only noticed a pretty face... But well, after getting to know her I realized that the stuff that drew me in was everything I didn't notice." he smiled brightly now, almost like he was bragging about himself! "She always tries her hardest, even in simple tasks. Some might see her scar as a bad thing, but it just shows how determined she is. I can't think of another person I'd want to stand beside."
Ruby was grinning ear to ear now. Finally! Someone understands! Her bestie was the best! Ice Queen, sure. But she was so much more than that! The words used to describe her accurately always alluded her. Until now that is, Jaune's description of the Schnee was perfection!
"O- okay. But what about the whole 'Snow Angel' thing?"
He turned to look at her confused. "What do you mean?"
"Why 'Snow Angel'? What make that pop into your head?"
Jaune hesitated before looking up into the night sky. "... Everyone has their limits I guess but, well, she never backs down. I don't think there's a thing on Remnant that could pin her down. For her, the sky's the limit." he'd sigh and lower his head to face straight. "For a guy like me, I can only watch in awe..." he paused. "Though, I hope one day I can support her from below."
When he turned back to Ruby her eyes were sparkling and held both her hands clasped together in front of herself. "Awwwww, Jaune that was so sweet!" she'd squeak then launch herself forward to give the tall cheesy knight a big cheesy hug!
"Ack, Ruby!" he flinched.
The call cut out after Jaune whined Ruby's name.
Weiss stared down at the scroll with an unreadable expression. She knew the buffoon didn't care about her name. He was too dumb too. But... This?! This was too much. They way he spoke about her it was like he saw her as a goddess.
A Snow Angel.
A blush quickly spread across her cheeks and she felt the need to cover her lower face with her free hand just to hide it. What was always a term which irritated her now forced her to have such a... Pathetic response just from thinking of it! Unfit for a heiress and certainly a Schnee! Her elder sister would chastise her!
"That idiot, that complete moron!"
The way he even spoke of her scar was... Was... Ugh, too much! It was a blemish! Because of it she could never be perfect! But now this absolute buffoon is saying it showcases her hard work?! Why? Why is this weak, stupid, pathetic, uncultured, nerd her dream man?! Why couldn't it be anyone else? What will Winter think?! Is this fate? A sick joke?! Her father despising him was literally the only positive thing about him!
You know, except his kindness, loyalty, selflessness, and love...
UGH!
Weiss began gritting her teeth. Not... Exactly in anger, just... She was very confused. Or rather, conflicted. She needed to be perfect. Needed to be the best she could be. Jaune gave her everything she'd ever wanted in a man but... He was a child, a boy. She's been dating him for the past few weeks because she has hope in the future but... Not as much as he does.
He wants to support her? Only Winter's ever openly desired that. And sure, her team is great and supportive as well but they were stuck together! Jaune's... He's choosing to go out of his way. He chose constant heartbreak from her cold words shutting him down for weeks until this point. He's making this so difficult. So much more complicated then she ever thought it needed to be!
She was snapped out of her long thought process when Pyrrha shook her shoulder. Weiss turned her head towards the champion. Her eyes widened. What she saw... It felt like she was seeing things. It was hands down the upmost fake smile she's ever laid eyes on. Even when she looked in a mirror back at home in Schnee manor, nothing touched this.
Her eyes were almost void of light and her smile looked incredibly forced. Perhaps to the untrained eye it would seem like a normal grin, but Weiss had some unfortunate experience in this regard.
"Let's go, Weiss. The bullheads back to Beacon will shut down soon." she'd say then turn to face away and begin walking.
Weiss wanted to stop her, ask her what was wrong. But before the words could come out of her mouth the answer already crossed her mind.
Jaune.
That was is. Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, the champion. Did she... Did she like Jaune? … It was the only thing that happened in the last few minutes which would drastically change her expression from laughably happy to what could only be described as miserable incarnate.
Weiss' expression dropped as well into a sad one. If... That was true... She doubted they'll have another fun outing like this. Sitting together at lunch they probably wont talk much. Whenever her a Jaune are together, what will Pyrrha do? The thoughts began to plague her more and more as she thought about it.
The heiress caught up to Pyrrha to walk beside her. Though neither said anything and just stared off to the side while they walked towards the bullheads in an awkward, saddened silence.
Weiss was now walking down the halls of Beacon. Once they got on campus Pyrrha said she'd like to take a walk and the two parted. Weiss decided to simply head back to her dorm. On the way she bumped into Ruby who seemed to just leave their room. Her eyes widened towards her partner.
"Oh, hey Weiss!" Ruby chirped and ran over. "Just goin' out for a little snack, you want anythi-"
Ruby's next words became frozen in her throat as Weiss reached in a pulled the younger girl into a hug. It only lasted maybe two seconds before she pulled away and gave her leader an icy glare. Ruby for her part gasped dramatically and let out a happy screech! "Bestie hug!"
Weiss' glare hardened. "If you tell anyone about that, I will deny it to your final breath. Are we clear?"
Ruby let out another exasperated gasp! "Secret bestie hug!" she whispered to the best of her abilities.
The heiress turned away, rolling her eyes and walked into their room while Ruby just stared at her with sparkling silver eyes.
This was a whole lot longer than I thought it would be! I knew exactly which plot points I wanted to hit, I just didn't expect it to be so long after being written out. I'll admit, towards the end my attitude while writing was- 'holy shit I just wanna be done with this'. Not exactly out of boredom or irritation, just impatience. I wanted it written out already and posted lol Due to that, I'm not 100% sure I captured Weiss, Pyrrha, or Jaunes spiraling emotions as well as I could have. But battling my impatience has been a lifelong fight which I've lost at every turn.
Anyway, I've decided to respond to some comments on the final parts of each of my stories. So if you've got something you wanna say/ask, go ahead. Feel free to say anything, even negative stuff. I don't care too much. I'll respond to them in the final chapter of 'I want a Date', Part 4
Next Chapter: I want a Date (4/4) - Weiss