Jaune Reacts to The Games We Play, Part 1!
A/N: Welcome, one and all, to Weiss Reacts! Now, I must apologise for last chapter, as I don't feel Yang was punished sufficiently last time. She must be punished more. MOAR
Alright, onto the subject of this chapter! Firstly, a huge thanks to rgm0005, otherwise known as Ryuugi, for letting us do his story, and D.C. Draco for acquiring his permission to do so! Now, let's get this somewhere important before the night ends, eh? For posterity, the version we're doing is the FF version, not the one on SpaceBattles, as I was specifically told to do that version.
DISCLAIMER: RWBY does not belong to me, otherwise there would be a RWBY MMO already.
The Games We Play belongs to Ryuugi/rgm0005.
All mentioned franchises and characters belong to their respective owners.
It was a relatively normal afternoon in RWBY dorm. For once, Yang, as part of her rehabilitation from needlessly flanderized antics, had opted to take out Weiss for a nice shop around town as an apology for everything she did.
It wasn't the only thing she wanted to do, but it was a start, and appealed to the extravagant shopper that the heiress repressed under her typical facade of hyper-sanity. After barely half a minute of deliberation, the heiress and the brawler had disappeared onto a bus to Vale, leaving the dorm completely to Ruby- Blake had disappeared to work on something the moment Yang left, telling her to tell anyone who asked that she'd gone to work on Norn's chassis or something.
The reaper, of course, didn't ask any questions. It was just a thing you learned not to do in RWBY dorm anymore. Weiss had taught her that lesson fairly well.
Ruby was quietly browsing the Dustnet on the dorm's computer, lightly slapping at the keyboard, unable to think of anything to do.
"Ugh..." The reaper groaned. "Why does today have to be so boring? I'd spar, but the arena's shut down today because someone broke the sensors last time there was a fight there. I COULD go over to JNPR dorm, but I'm not sure I want to know what Nora's doing...
I mean, there's still trying to drag out Minako or something for fun, but-"
Suddenly, interrupting Ruby's train of thought, someone knocked at the dorm door. She jumped slightly, squeaking in surprise, before getting up to open the door.
"I wonder who'd be trying to get into the dorm at this time..." Ruby mused, checking the dorm's clock carefully before opening the door; it was a dishevelled Jaune, waving sheepishly at her. He sighed, frowning at the befuddled crimsonette.
"Heeeey, Ruby. Uh, something kinda came up at my dorm, and I have to stay here for a little while."
"Came up?" Ruby inquired, tilting her head. "What do you mean, came up?"
Ruby's question was interrupted by the squealing of what sounded like a horrified Melanie, followed by a roar that she could only describe as a sort of echoing, glopping noise.
"IT'S ONLY THE PANCAKE MAN! HE ONLY WANTS TO HUG YOU!" That was Nora, presumably, judging by the elated tone in her voice. Ruby sighed, facepalming.
"I...figured it had something to do with Nora."
Jaune laughed drily. "Yeah. Can I go in? I think this place is possibly the safest I can be from crazy stuff happening."
"This is?" The reaper sounded amazed as she moved aside to let her friend in, shutting the door behind him. "How is this dorm the safest place from antics? You realise we live with Yang, right?"
"Well, Weiss hasn't been kidnapped by Velvet for a long while now, right? Yang probably has some stuff or traps or something set up to make sure nothing kidnaps her." The knight pointed out. "Plus, the alternative is staying with Minako's dorm, and Dust knows she's about as big of a prankster as Yang is..."
Ruby nodded in agreement. "You give a good point there. So...err...d'you wanna do anything? You want anything to eat? We got cookies, pizza and chicken in the fridge."
Jaune grabbed a chair from nearby, sitting down on it. "I dunno. Don't you guys normally read fanfic or something? You guys do nothing but read fanfic when you stay here, anyway.
Also, I kinda already ate, but thanks. If you've got anything to drink, I'll take that, though."
"...you have a point there." The reaper nodded, agreeing. "Alright. We have a bunch of cans of People Like Grapes Soda and Yellow Moose in the fridge. Grab yourself a can, I'll look to see if there's any cool new fics."
Jaune obliged, sauntering over to the fridge to grab a can, while Ruby casually looked up new fanfics in the DustFiction archive. She saw one that caught her eye, looking interesting.
"The Games We Play..." Ruby carefully read out the title, before her eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets. "...holy Dust, one-thousand-two-hundred-thirty-one reviews?!"
Jaune whipped around, staring at the screen and nearly dropping his can. "Wait, what!? That's...that's more than that one crappy story Yang thinks that that Elf guy writes about us!" He cried, disbelieving and rushing over to the screen. "What's this?!"
"I...I have to read this." Ruby nodded quickly. "Come on, quickly! Let's read it! I want to know why it's got so many!"
"Good Dust..." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm in this one. Why does everyone like reading about me?"
"Well, in the series, you're basically the only guy or something like that." Ruby explained. "I mean, apart from Sun and Ren, but...you're the first one. And the fans like you."
Jaune just gave her a curious look. Ruby pouted. "Yang always talks about that kind of stuff, so...I guess it kinda rubbed off on me..."
The knight nodded slowly, staring at her. "...riiiight. Well, we should start soon, eh? I mean, it's pretty long, given it's about a hundred thousand words."
"R-right..." The reaper nodded, rubbing the back of her head, still in shock at the vast number of reviews the story had managed to obtain. "...y-yeah, we should start soon..."
Chapter 1
"So...my life's an RPG." Jaune noted, sighing. "...of course. Well, this ought to make my life hell somehow."
Ruby frowned. "Oh, don't be so pessimistic."
"I mean it! I even heard of this one fic where I essentially have to make visual-novel style choices or suffer!" The knight cried, "...alright, let's see what we've got here. So...I'm level two...and wouldn't MP be something like AP, for Aura Points? Or SP, Spirit Points?"
"Persona already took that one though." Ruby pointed out helpfully. Jaune nodded. "That's true...
Also, what the heck?! I get levels for freaking taking out the trash?! Good Dust. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing..."
"Oh, oh, that means I could basically make you grind by telling you to walk short distances." Ruby realised. "That would count as quests, right?"
"...I suppose. If the story says that doing chores counts as quests..." The knight responded. "Pretty sound. Also...Dish Washing is a skill that needs training?"
The reaper shrugged. "Maybe you'll need to throw dishes like frisbees or something to save people. I dunno."
"That...doesn't sound all that implausible." Jaune admitted, continuing to read the fic. "So...I focused Intelligence and Wisdom.
If that were me, I'd focus Luck. Dust knows I need more of that than anything else..."
...
Chapter 2
"Huh. So I can also grind my newfound stats by reading books and punching trees, like my skills..." Jaune rubbed his chin. "Huh. Pretty cool, considering it looks like these stats scale better than real life work would normally..."
Ruby's eyes goggled at the bonuses Aura provided. "...that'd be broken in basically any game system late game. Free thirty percent stats to everything?! That's like...you didn't even have to work for those and all you had to do was read one book?!"
The knight chuckled. "Guess having a real life HUD has it's advantages...and it's disadvantages...like for example GOOD DUST SHUT UP ABOUT MY THEFT LEVEL RISING."
"Huh. I thought that usually brings stars to your rating." Ruby tilted her head, curious.
"Wrong game." Jaune reminded her. "Also, my story self's a genius for thinking about that kinda stuff- but then again, he is focusing Intelligence and Wisdom as his stats.
I wish I had that kinda skill to deal with what I have to here..."
"Yang would probably find a way to prank you anyway." The reaper pointed out. "Or Ren."
"True point...also, that's pretty bullcrap. I can just see what people are?" The knight tilted his head at the mention of Tukson being a 'White Fang Book Trader'. "Then again, that would scupper all my weird admirers trying to disguise themselves as men. Or men trying to disguise themselves as women to get close to me."
Ruby cringed. "Eesh."
"Yeah. That." The knight groaned. "And when THAT doesn't happen, instead, Nora somehow brings pancake batter to life."
...
Chapter 3
Jaune winced. "You know, reading about Professor Tukson being so vulnerable kinda...feels weird. I mean, I know he used to be a bookstore owner, but it feels so...weird...to read something based on the show."
"He did say he always made himself look weak so he wouldn't have to twist people into pretzels." Ruby recounted wistfully. "I mean, look at him. He's got the muscles of a god."
"And apparently he fought off Cthulhu or something with Miss Lupin a couple of weeks back..." The knight recalled a story Yang told him. "Huh...wait...a quest?"
"Uh-oh." Ruby looked worried. "White Fang quest, but with such a good reward..."
Jaune exhaled. "This ought to be traumatising, knowing how this sort of stuff usually turns out...
And I accepted it. Well, at least I'll get a book, right?"
The reaper nodded slowly. "At least we know you live. There's still another twenty-three chapters."
Jaune's eyes narrowed. "Somehow, that doesn't reassure-
Oh come on, seriously?! First quest out of the house and freaking giant robots and injured Faunus! What is this?!"
"Typical wake-up call boss." Ruby shrugged. "Y'know, like Cheren. Or the third boss of Tartarus- I forgot what he was called."
"Greaaaat." The knight muttered drily. "Well, this ought to go well."
...
Chapter 4
"Y'know, I can see Blake flipping when she realises she's in this story working with Adam." Jaune mused, chuckling. "Either because she's not being afforded her 'manly' respect or because she has to work with Adam."
Ruby nodded, pouting. "Yeah. Adam's mean. A good fighter, but meaaaan."
"Damn it. I'm just a kid! Why do I get thrown into this kinda stuff again?!" The knight cried in exasperation. "Oh, great. At least I don't get gunshot wounds by being riddled with autocannon fire or something. At least being a video game character helps with that-oh, hey, I levelled up.
Cool."
"Should've turned your Aura on..." Ruby pointed out. Jaune shrugged.
"Work in progress." He responded. "Also, meh. Wait...oh come on! Really?! An escort mission?!
Well, at least the White Fang aren't a bunch of terrible AI companions unlike every other game that uses those. Dust knows how bloody that would be if that were the case..."
Ruby winced. "And you die if you fail? That's...a lot of trouble to be going through for one book you don't even know you can use."
"How do you know?" Jaune inquired.
"Well, doesn't every game have stuff you need to be at a certain skill rank to use or something? That's been a thing since forever." The reaper answered matter-of-factly.
Jaune accepted her explanation, nodding. "Well, I sure hope not. This'll make this one heck of a shaggy dog story."
Chapter 5
"It seems no matter WHERE I am, or in whatever screwed up universe, I end up in some sort of screwed up situation that's not even my fault." Jaune complained. "Why me?!"
"You're an easy target." Ruby admitted, shrugging. "You're basically the cute everyman who everyone likes.
Yang's words, again, not mine."
"Never knew Yang was that deep." Jaune remarked drily as he continued reading. "Good Dust, not even five chapters and I'm in the thick of trouble..."
Ruby giggled. "Well, at least you keep your mother's words to mind."
"Well, I probably didn't have anything to go on when two seconds after wanting to buy a book I end up having to drive through a freaking warzone!" Jaune snapped. "He seems ridiculously calm about the whole thing! I'd be losing my head-
Wait, did I just...DID I JUST CRASH A FREAKING CAR INTO A GIANT DROID WITH AURA?!"
Ruby stared at the screen, in awe. "...now THAT...is what you call road rage.
Oh Dust, I'm turning into Yang."
...
Chapter 6
Jaune rubbed his temples. "So...I went through all of that just to find out, that all the books were...worthless because my stats are absolutely tiny."
Ruby nodded. "Uh-huh."
"Dust dam-wait, what? Forty points?!" Jaune stared at the screen in disbelief. "That's just...ridiculously convenient. But forty points?! Good Dust."
The reaper stared at the screen. "And those abilities! What the...free healing, free stat boosts. Six chapters in, he can all but beat first year Huntsmen and Huntresses without much more training!"
"My stats look pretty low, but all those boosts plus Aura..." The knight noted, calculating them in his head. "Good Dust that thing's overpowered."
Ruby nodded in assent. "You think?! Never seen any normal RPG character get so much free buffs at level thirty, let alone thirteen!"
...
Chapter 7
"So, in the space of seven chapters, I gained, basically, powers only advanced Hunters the likes of Professor Goodwitch and Professor Fall could even dream of, fought alongside the White Fang, and probably gained more intelligence and wisdom in a day than even Weiss could in three months." Jaune summed up the chapters he'd just read carefully.
Ruby nodded. "Yep, sounds about right."
"Like I said before, I'm either unlucky and screwed, or unlucky and overpowered and screwed in fanfics." The knight sighed, grumbling. "Alright. So...
Oh, wonderful. It's actually a question whether or not I should steal something to boost my stats. Well. Wait, wait...what? Crocea Mors just gave me some metal affinity thing or something. That's...cool."
Ruby looked jealously at him. "Why do the fans give you fun stuff but blow my limbs off?!"
Jaune, meanwhile, looked only more irritated. "And of course, my dad ships me with Blake.
While, I'll admit, Blake's...not bad looking, and pretty intelligent...she's just not my type."
"You have a type?" The reaper looked curiously at him. Jaune flailed.
"Y-you don't need to know what my type is!"
...
Chapter 8
"...ooooh and I already think this world's pretty badly screwed up. Possibly even more than the show." Jaune noted, shuddering at the description of the workers in Mantle.
Ruby nodded slowly. "Oh...yeah..."
"...and of course, I just get dragged into White Fang business and now Blake- Blake- is expecting me to fly a ship, to another country, risking my life, because I accidentally got involved in something crappy the week before! Perfect!" The knight cried. "This is ridiculous.
And no, closeness with the White Fang- a freaking terrorist group- and Blake will NOT be enough to make this even remotely a good idea! Right? Right, me?!"
The knight pleaded, before staring at the screen in disbelief.
"...so, for the sake of a bunch of crappy EXP points, I'm going to basically fly to another country, to help out people who, at this point in time, are all but actual terrorists, and risk possibly dying?! Greed really must be my sin."
"Blake would probably murder you if she heard that." Ruby pointed out, chuckling. "Then again, she's the one who calls them terrorists now."
"...I swear, this really shouldn't seem like it's worth the trouble, even with all the skills I just got for free..." Jaune groaned, shaking his head at himself in the story.
...
Chapter 9
"Yes, go to Dad for help, but, y'know, not back out." Jaune remarked drily. "I mean, it's the right thing to do, but..."
"Well, you did say you were overpowered." Ruby shrugged. "You can probably handle it."
"True point..." The knight admitted, taking a sip of his energy drink. "...aaaand I'm...about to summon a metal elemental from my own weapon.
Serial escalation, thy name is this fic. Wait...wait...did I just...DID I JUST TURN MY WEAPON INTO GIANT FISTS?!"
Ruby stared at the screen in awe, crossing her arms and pouting.
"...t-that's not fair! Why do you get to turn your own weapon into part of your body, but I have to get my arms blown off?!"
"Well, I am going to basically fly into Hell soon, so I don't think you want to switch places with me right this instant." The knight retorted. "...although I don't exactly want to have my limbs blown off either..."
...
Chapter 10
"Yeah, you've got a point, Blake." Jaune nodded. "My power really is bull. Also...yeah, that's pretty...overpowered.
Pretty sure the only thing stopping him right now is his low level, and that's...not going to be like that for long if I'm getting nearly a million XP for this quest."
Ruby chuckled. "...hehehe...you're making Blake trust you, too. That's pretty adorable, y'know."
"And the tease is ridiculous." Jaune mused. "...well, at least I'm not learning every skill under the Sun.
Although...those prerequisites...this Bai Hu guy must've been basically our Tukson and Weiss' dad combined. At least I got one skill out of it. Also...if he's weaker than Hunters and Huntresses training in Signal at this point, either his stats really are pathetically low, or their Hunters are strong.
Hm...this fic's pretty interesting. You wanna keep reading, Ruby?"
"Sure." The reaper shrugged casually. "Why not? Got nothing else to do, and this story's pretty interesting."
To be continued...
Chapter count: 10/26
A/N: Welp, nothing to say here, except a huge thanks to everyone involved in getting this chapter to fruition, as always, and MY EXAMS ARE FREAKING OVER YES
So, I hope you enjoyed that, leave your ideas, comments, reviews, criticisms, suggestions and thoughts, and I hope you have a GREAT day! Until next time!