Ruby. Was. Exhausted.

After the initiation, and the team formation, everyone was tired. But Ruby had ended up in in what was probably the worst team of the entire school, maybe after Team BRVE... but she wasn't so sure. Yeah, that Blake girl didn't look much like a good leader, but she seemed... okay.

Yeah, who was she kidding. Her team was the worst of all, despite having a cool name.

Yang was pretty okay... if only she could have the tiniest hint of respect for Ruby herself. Her sister believed in her, she really did, but her authority faded as soon as she demanded or ordered something. Why, she would never know. She had just tried to forbid her to make those hideous puns and jokes of hers, and the blonde hadn't taken it well.

Weiss was... impossible. Yes, she was definitely impossible. Stuck-up beyond any definition, the girl in white firmly refused to take any order from her since she had been declared leader. She had thought the girl had forgiven her in the Emerald Forest, but it really seemed she was wrong. Weiss was the less social person she had ever seen. She was snappy, grumpy, annoying and overall a very unpleasant presence.

Speaking of presence... or rather lack of it.

Pyrrha wasn't that bad. She was an incredible fighter, and incredible student, and incredibly gorgeous... but also incredibly distant. She had barely uttered five words a day -on the lucky days- since she had become part of the team. She replied to most questions with noncommittal noises and when she was forced to speak, she spoke as little as possible. Only in class she was slightly less laconic, and she gave the answers as long as they needed to be.

The four of them formed Team RWYN.

Its name couldn't have been more right. They were a ruin, a wreck of a team. Yang passed her time listening to music, chatting on her Scroll or just wandering around, showing off her remarkably appealing looks. Weiss studied and messed with Dust, sometimes causing small explosions and sometimes blaming Ruby for them, and she hated to be talked to from anyone except Pyrrha, who she tolerated only thanks to her fame. Pyrrha, instead, trained until her very bones ached and then passed the rest of her free time reading in silence, never exiting the dorm.

And so Ruby was forced to stay outside, not willing to be "home" when the inevitable argument between Yang and Weiss would happen. Weiss would complain about the music's volume, and Yang would complain about Weiss, and then Weiss would get angry, and everything would degenerate into misery for anyone in the room. The Weiss/Yang arguments were the only thing that could bring Pyrrha to exit the dorm.

And that was exactly why the two of them were now wandering aimlessly through the Beacon's courtyard, neither talking and both wondering when it would be safe to return to their dorm. Ruby wasn't usually a good friend-maker, and the two of them had made kind of a deal: you don't speak, I don't speak. The silence was heavy, but at least it was awkward on both sides, and she wasn't the only one being socially inept.

The two of them had wandered until they had found themselves in the hall, where they had the misfortune of meeting Cardin Winchester nonetheless, although without his team. He wouldn't be a problem, especially because both Ruby and Pyrrha could beat him... the latter without using her weapons nor Semblance and having her hands tied behind her back. Oh, and with broken legs. However, for once, the large boy seemed not even to notice them as he instead read something on the student's notice board. That was strange, too. Cardin wasn't exactly famous for his reading skills.

"Hey, Cardin, what's on that?", asked Ruby, trying to break the silence. Cardin was a bully to many, but he wasn't stupid and he knew which students could kick his sorry ass. "Must be interesting if even you are looking".

"Not as much as you think", he grumbled back, stepping aside to let them see for themselves. "It's a small one-or-two times job, depending on how many take it up. Prices for Dust are kinda increasing due to all the robberies, plus I wouldn't mind a bit of pocket money".

Pyrrha nodded politely while Ruby frowned as she read the bulletin. Cardin was way nicer than most people would think, but he still wasn't exactly the kind of person she'd get along fine. But then again, she didn't get along with her very team, so who was she to speak?

"Here at Beacon?", asked Ruby, surprised. "Go guess what's going on".

"I have actually no idea", he admitted, frowning. "But at least it's not Vale. Working there for such a small job wouldn't even cover the costs for the Bullheads".

"Today at two?", continued Ruby, and then she frowned. "It's one-forty. Are you going to take it?". It was strange how easier it was to talk with Cardin when he wasn't the cocky bully he usually was.

"I'm gonna see what's it about", he said. "If it's convenient, then... well, no one ever said you must always do what you like. If it pays, and it's just for a couple of days... why not?".

Ruby nodded. She had seen the practical side of Cardin only a couple of times before, and she couldn't say it didn't fit him. It was almost like it was his bully side that clashed with him. "Well, for me I think it's a good idea for staying out of the dorm. And to make a little of money, of course".

"Xiao Long and Schnee still arguing?", asked Cardin, and his tone was serious. Sometimes Ruby had to remind herself that Cardin the bully and Cardin the boy were the same person, because sometimes it really didn't look like that. "I thought they had run out of arguments long ago".

"Unfortunately, they don't need new arguments in order to bicker endlessly", she sighed, and then she turned to Pyrrha, cringing a little as she prepared herself for the awkwardness. "And... what about you, Pyrrha? Are you going to see what's this about?".

Pyrrha looked away and seemed to be thinking about it, but Ruby knew she was just taking time, trying to come up with a polite yet bland response. "I... I guess I could give it a try... at least see what's going on", she conceded in the end. "Besides, I don't have to accept it if I don't want to".

"Well, it says Beacon courtyard, the bench in front of the Huntsman statue in the avenue", grumbled Cardin, already regretting telling them about it. He would've liked for himself not to be seen with people like Ruby or Pyrrha. "And it's in about a quarter of hour. I'm going".

Nodding, Ruby followed. Nodding along, Pyrrha went after her.

#####

"Jaune, remind me once again why am I coming with you!?".

"Because you owe me four, and this pays off one!".

Junior's motorbike wasn't less clashing with him the second time, but at least he wasn't dressed as a knight. Behind him rode Joan, who had tried to convince him to let her guide, but he had said that Junior had lent the bike to him and so he was supposed to take care of it. She had grasped the implications and had sulked for a while. The two of them were almost at Beacon, and she was starting to doubt her decision to help him with setting up his pub.

The bike roared as they bolted through Beacon's gates and into the courtyard, attracting the attention of several students as they passed. While attracting attention was something he would be willing to do for his local, he wasn't sure if attracting that kind of attention was a good idea. He was pleased to see that three people were waiting for him before the Beacon statue, each a bit separated from the others and looking in a different direction, but they were there nonetheless. He couldn't help a grin as he halted the motorbike with a screech and parked it in a lot before dismounting and removing his helmet, grinning at Joan as she scowled at him for the crazy ride. The truth was that he was already in the nick of time, and he had had to guide like that to save time.

When both of them had put their helmets away, they walked up to the statue, waving at the three sitting there. At first they seemed to frown, but then the middle one -also the shortest- waved back at them cheerfully. Jaune couldn't help but think that those could very well become his customers in a near future.

"Hello. My name's Jaune, and she's Joan. Were you waiting for me?", he asked, smiling kindly.

"Yeah, we were. You said you have some work to do, right?", asked the only male of the three, a tall brunet far bulkier than any of the other four. "What kind of work? And how much do you pay?".

Having had a similar conversation, although with swapped roles, when he was fifteen, he didn't found it difficult to reply. "To answer your questions, yes I have something for you to help me with, I'm setting up a local and I would pay you forty lien per hour".

"A local here in Beacon?", asked the shortest one, basically jumping up and down in excitement. "When do you open?".

Taken aback by the girl's cheerfulness, it took Jaune a few seconds to regain his bearings. "Soon, Ruby", he laughed. "I'm still unpacking and sorting out the mess of everything, but thankfully I took after my mother, so I should be fine in a week or two... hopefully one".

Joan frowned. "You know her?".

Ruby frowned as well. "You know me?".

The larger boy frowned just like the first two. "You know her?".

Jaune resisted the urge to snicker at the scene. "Kinda. I came to discuss the idea of a business with Headmaster Ozpin the same day Ruby arrived here at Beacon. We kinda stumbled into each other and, as civilized people, we told each other our names. And that reminds me... your names?".

"Ruby Rose!", exclaimed Ruby, smiling widely.

"Cardin Winchester", gruffly said the large boy.

"Pyrrha", quietly replied the third student, who hadn't spoken yet. She looked strangely familiar. He must've seen her on the arrival day, too.

"Very well. Ruby, Cardin and Pyrrha. If you wish to take up my offer, then follow me". He smiled at the three of them so brightly you'd think they were best friends. "Otherwise, I bid you farewell. I'd like to hang around longer, but I fear my business is waiting".

Nodded towards them in a final farewell and walked away with Joan, his smile not wavering once. He'd done it. Now it was just a matter of time before he could properly open his own local. Behind him, the three students seemed to hesitate, then Cardin shrugged and followed him. Not wanting to be considered less brave than the boy, Ruby rushed after the three of them. Left behind, Pyrrha bit her lip as she considered her chances. Everywhere in Beacon she could be ambushed by fans, and the dorm wasn't an option. With a heavy sigh, she followed them.

They didn't have to walk for long before they came up with the local. It wasn't huge, but it surely wasn't small, and it was at least intact, without any crack in the walls and a handful of chairs Jaune glared at when he entered. The counter was already there, although from the look Jaune gave it, it seemed not for long. It was a bit unclean and untidy, but overall it was okay. The two blondes inspected everything first, and only after they were satisfied they came back and smiled at them in a sinister and creepy way. Cardin was used to it, due to his previous experiences in unqualified works like those, but Ruby and Pyrrha had never worked like that one day of their lives, one for laziness and games and the other for training and advertising jobs.

"Very well, the first thing we will need is to sweep all the floor. Ruby, would you please take care of that? Perfect, thank you. Pyrrha and Cardin, you will help Joan with taking in what we need and out what we don't. The chairs and the counter, for example, seriously need to be replaced. May you handle it? Thank you". His smile was kind, but his voice was firm. He was in Arc business mode, now, and he had taken after his mother. "If something, anything, comes up, don't hesitate to ask me. Better to ask than to mess up, right?".

Without waiting for their answers, he sauntered off, beginning to clean the shelves and the fridges, and especially the kitchen. When Ozpin had told him that unfortunately they hadn't any room large enough with a kitchen separated from the main room, he had been all the happier. That meant he could keep an eye on what was happening in his local without having to go back and forth from the kitchen. Also, since he would only prepare small meals and snacks, it wasn't a real problem having less space.

Ruby let out a relieved sigh after he went away. She had never worked like that, but at least she knew how to sweep a room. Before beginning to work, she sent a quick message to Yang, explaining her whereabouts and what was she doing to avoid a sister-storm come raging to check on her. Since she was getting paid, and well enough, for that, she decided to do her best and sweep every single corner of the local, going as far as asking Jaune if she had to sweep upstairs, too, but he replied that upstairs wasn't going to be business, so it was out of their job and not to worry about it. After she was done with sweeping, he made her clean the walls, all the walls of the room, and it took her quite more time to handle that task than to sweep the room.

Pyrrha, Cardin and Joan, meanwhile, managed to move out all the chairs they had found in the room and then even the large, heavy counter, that was lifted by Cardin alone and brought out. Jaune and Joan had to wait for just three seconds before a loud crash came from outside. Grinning knowingly, Joan walked out to help him balance the damn thing again, not once scolding him for having dropped it. After they finished the van with the furniture Jaune had prepared had arrived, and they were burdened with the task of bringing it in. Jaune was ready to tell them where to put the counter, and then just told them to drag chairs and tables in, since he could arrange them later on his own.

Just before they finished, a very lost Velvet Scarlatina entered the room, timidly asking for Jaune. The boy was covered in a thin layer of dust -normal dust- and sweat, but he was as lively as the Sun. "Ozpin sent you, right?", he asked with a wide smile. "Coffee, I guess?".

"He said to do the same brew you did last time", she replied, shyly. "I have the money with me".

Jaune smiled and nodded. "No problem. Just wait here for a second, and I'll have Ozpin's order ready. He asked for a thermos, I suppose".

"Yes, please", she nodded. "I-If you have one, that is".

"Of course I have. Just tell Ozpin from me to return the thermos when he can, okay?". He gave her one last smile and busied himself behind the counter. Velvet nodded once again before she was suddenly aware of a very unfriendly presence behind her. Or rather four unfriendly presences. Cringing inwardly, she turned to face Team CRDL.

"Oh, look, a bunny!", laughed Cardin, beginning to circle her. "Or should I say a rabbit?".

"What a freak", chuckled Russel as he circled her other side.

Ruby tensed up. She couldn't beat up Team CRDL -especially because all together they were too strong for her alone- but that didn't mean she didn't want to.

As soon as Cardin grabbed one of Velvet's rabbit ears, however, a firm voice rang out from the counter, and when they turned they could see a very pissed-looking Jaune frowning at them. "Let her go. She's a customer here, and I won't allow customers to be mistreated in my local, even if I haven't opened up yet", he said.

His voice wasn't icy like Weiss's nor severe like Goodwitch's. It was more like the voice of a disappointed parent finding out their children were misbehaving. "And as for you, Cardin, I fear you're done here. Let me get you your lien, and then I have to ask you to leave, please".

He placed a handful of liens on the counter, gesturing him to take them. "Although you are entitled your own personal opinion, this is my local". His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "And I do not approve of racism against Faunus, nor any other kind of prejudice. You will be free to be customer once the pub will be up and ready, but only if your behaviour in here remains civilized".

His words struck Team CRDL like a rain of bricks: hard. Cardin had released Velvet's ear in surprise and the others were standing motionlessly around the poor girl. Ruby, Pyrrha and Velvet alike were all frozen in surprise, although they were far more pleased by it than CRDL. The only one who didn't look surprised was Joan, who continued to carry in chairs as if nothing happened.

"Uh...". Cardin mentally slapped himself for the unarticulated sound. He wasn't stupid and he knew he had to obey, since Jaune was literally the houseowner, but he needed to do it in a way to save his pride. Opting for a hard scowl, he stomped over to the counter and snatched the liens, huffing heavily as he strode out of the room. "Whatever. If you are with the animals, then I guess I have no business here".

Team CRDL stepped out of the local feeling the hard glares from Ruby, Pyrrha, Joan and Jaune.

They were lucky, though, because not even ten minutes after they had gone, two more people arrived in the local. One was White from the courtyard, Jaune recognized, while the other looked just so vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. He just named her Yellow.

"Hello. Nice to meet you", he greeted them with a smile from behind the counter. "But I fear the local won't be open for a few more days".

"We're not here for that... not yet, anyway", said Yellow. "My sister messaged me saying you were paying her for working here. Is that true?".

"Although I do not know who are you talking about, if she said so then yes", he nodded lightly. "I'm still setting up and I needed a hand or two, so I asked and I got some help from Ruby and Pyrrha over there. Cardin was here, too, but he... left".

Joan snickered at his terrible lie, and received a glare from Jaune.

"Yeah, he can be pretty much a jerk when he wants to", nodded Yellow. "I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister. And this is...".

"Weiss Schnee", White interrupted her with an outraged huff.

"Yeah, she can be pretty much a jerk, too", finished the blonde, earning an icy glare from Weiss.

"How dare you!", she exclaimed. "Do you even...".

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both", said Jaune, suppressing a grin at the scene. "My name's Jaune".

"I'm Joan".

"Still, I see you already recruited two of my teams", smirked Yang, walking up to him. "Do you have a thing for redheads?".

He immediately went red. "W-What?! N-No!", he sputtered out, stepping back. "It's j-just work!".

"Yaaang!", whined Ruby, blushing as well. "Stop harassing my boss! He's the one who pays, not you!".

Joan laughed heartily at the scene. "Yang, I can assure you Jaune doesn't have "a thing" for redheads", she grinned at the other blonde. "Not yet, at least".

"Joan!", Jaune hissed. "You traitor!".

"Since you're gonna live here from now on, I don't have to fear you making me sleep on the couch any more", she shot back with a smirk. "Although I'll have to learn how to cook... but I can manage".

"You two live together?", asked Yang, with a huge grin and an expression that clearly indicated she hadn't understood the situation completely.

"Yep", tiredly replied Jaune. "Moved in Vale a few months ago".

Yang couldn't resist teasing further her sister's boss. "Did you two have sex yet?".

A long silence followed.

"W-What?", asked Joan, bewildered. "Sex?".

"Yang...", said Jaune. frowning. "...she's my sister".

Yang's eyes went as wide as the sky when she pieced together what had just happened. For once, her teasing nature had backfired terribly, and she blushed so much even her hair looked a little less blond and a bit more orange. She looked around for help, but Pyrrha, Jaune and Joan were just standing there with embarrassed expressions, while Ruby seemed on the verge of a fit of laughters.

"I-I'm...", she stammered. "...s-sorry?".

Ruby exploded in a howling laughter.

#####

"Ruby, stop laughing!".

"Nope!", shot back the crimsonette, still doubled over in laughters. "I'm never gonna let you live that down!".

"Ruby, behave", ordered Weiss, icy as usual. "You're being indecorous".

"She asked them if they had had sex already!", exclaimed Ruby from her bed, holding her stomach to stop it from hurting for the loud guffaws she had been laughing ever since they left Jaune's new local. "And they were siblings!".

Yang, still red as a tomato, sat on her bed with a scowl. "Hey, it's not my fault! They really looked like a couple!", she retorted.

"Although Ruby does have a point", said Weiss. "They were clearly siblings, and unless they are involved in incest, that is illegal and immoral, you should have noticed their relation was similar to yours and Ruby's".

"Had this happened to you, Ice Queen, you would be all "oh, their relation was so similar to a couple's it was impossible to discern siblings from lovers", wouldn't you?".

"That is why I would never commit such a mistake", huffed Weiss. "Pyrrha, help me. Tell those two little brats I wouldn't have mistaken them for lovers".

There was no answer. When the three of them looked at Pyrrha's bed, they found it utterly empty. The redhead was nowhere to be seen, probably having foreseen a discussion and having wisely decided to remain out of it.

"Looks like Pyrrha hit the road", commented Yang. "Or maybe she just wanted to stay away from the Ice Queen".

"Yang, stop immediately!", ordered Weiss, pissed off. "You and your stupid nicknames are unethical not to a fault, to a sin! And Pyrrha would never have a walk just to stay away from her partner".

#####

"Thanks for the help, Pyrrha", said Jaune, finally stopping to wipe the various glasses and plates clean. "You really helped me out with this".

She nodded briefly as she put down the mop with what she had just cleaned the floor. It had been a long afternoon, but at least she had passed it away from fans and team discussion. Jaune had been a very gracious host, and he hadn't even frowned once when she didn't respond to his attempts at conversation. Instead, he had just chosen to ignore her muteness and speak to her like a normal person would do, although not receiving answers.

"Here's your money", he said, putting the liens on the counter. "Would you like a something to drink?".

She cautiously took the money, moving deliberately slowly to delay her answer as much as possible, but when she looked up again he was still there, with an amused glint in his eyes and a smile on his lips, as if she hadn't spent three minutes to put away her money. She swallowed dryly, but there was no reason for which she could refuse. Unless...

"I don't want to take up more of your time, sir", she politely replied. "I should be going, now".

"You're not taking up my time, since now I would call off the work just the same", he shot back. "And please, my name is Jaune. "Sir" makes me feel old. Spare that for when I'll be forty like my dad".

"I wouldn't want to intrude...", she began, but this time he didn't even let her finish.

"Heh, it's no problem whatsoever. Besides, I'm used to intrusions... thanks to Joan". He chuckled awkwardly. "I can assure you you wouldn't be a bother".

"I...".

"Look, I don't want to force you to accept this", he said. His voice was still kind, but now it was also serious. "There is no shame in refusing an offer. You don't need an excuse. And offer is an offer because it can be turned down".

Pyrrha bit her lip. Refusing would be impolite. "A tea, please", she said eventually.

"What kind?", he immediately replied, smiling once more. "I have a lot of teas".

"I... a Mistralian Fire Lotus, if you have one", she said. Despite the name, that kind of tea was a pretty cheap and dull-tasting brew. She didn't want him to pay too much to serve her a tea.

He smiled enigmatically as he began preparing. "What do you want me to add to it? Sugar? Honey?", he listed off, rummaging through the recently filled shelves. "Milk? Fruits? Cacao or chocolate? I know that is an uncommon brew, but believe me I've seen it done more than once".

"I think I'll take a normal one", she replied.

"Those were all "normal one" options", he chuckled as he began heating up the water. "Wherever you order a Mistralian Fire Lotus, they bring you at least sugar, milk and honey to blend in it".

She nodded, although that was new for her. She had of course never tasted that tea, since her agent always insisted for her to order only the best at restaurants.

Finally, Jaune placed a steaming mug in front of her, and then proceeded to place milk, sugar, honey, several fruits and even hot chocolate beside the mug, crowding the counter. "Your pick", he said cheerfully. "That's the least I can do for someone who helped me for five hours straight".

She nodded again and took a sip of the tea, wincing a little when it scalded her mouth. Scorching her throat wasn't a good idea, so she decided to add some milk to tone the heat down a few notches. Jaune grinned evilly as she reached out for the milk, having probably served the tea boiling hot on purpose to make her either let it cool down, or at least take some milk.

The second sip was much cooler than the first, although it still was warm enough to be called hot. She was taken aback by the taste. She had always been told that the Mistralian Fire Lotus was a very bland tea, but what she was tasting was everything but that. She couldn't say it was the strongest tea she had ever drank, but it surely lived up its name now. She saw Jaune's grin as he noticed her surprise.

"The Fire Lotus is a brew commonly underestimated because of the recent habit of brewers to use low quality ingredients and leaving the tea to brew less time in order to make it quicker", he explained. "Also, since the tea isn't very famous, they preferred to take quality from it in order to focus more on common teas".

She nodded slightly at the explanation, but she didn't say anything.

His smile didn't waver once, and he was returned to his work once she didn't give any sign of being willing to speak. She finished her tea in silence and tried to pay for it, but Jaune's simple and invincible argument was that he wasn't gonna touch those liens, and that he would've returned them to her dorm if he had to.

That lead to a new awkward situation on her part, because while it was true it was a friendly offer from a boy, he was also a bartender and the owner of that local and business. Shuffling awkwardly on her feet, she nodded and left the room with a quiet and quick farewell. He laughed and farewelled her as well. "You've helped a lot today. Are you gonna come back tomorrow?".

She didn't answer. Maybe she hadn't heard.

#####

"Mmh", hummed Ozpin, sipping his coffee, oblivious to the glaring Glynda Goodwitch, who had the feeling of having been called only to witness the Headmaster praising the coffee. "This is really good".

"You. Are. A. Damn. Old. Bastard".

"Glynda, language".