Here we are at Chapter 75. Let's get back to Ruby, Velvet, Rokurou and, Blake as they continue their mission in Menagerie. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 75. Enjoy.


Chapter 75: Of Dates and Dads

In Mistral, Ruby's group are hard at another day of training. This time, Oscar, with Ozpin in control, is duking it out with Jaune in a hand-to-hand sparring match. Jaune is throwing a few punches at Ozpin, who blocks with his arms held up. Ozpin then throws two cross punches at Jaune, who ducks under them and throws an uppercut that Ozpin leans back to avoid. Meanwhile, the others watch from the sidelines.

"They're both getting better at this. Remember when we first started at Beacon; how Jaune was back then?" Nora asks.

"You mean how he was basically a walking punching bag for just about everyone in the school?" Velvet deadpans, resting her chin in her right hand like she's bored.

"Hey, I heard that!" Jaune yells.

But his focus is off, and Ozpin takes advantage to throw a punch to his stomach, followed by headbutt to his chin.

"Try not to lose focus in the middle of a fight, Mr. Arc. It will cost you," Ozpin instructs him.

Jaune rubs his chin, "Ugh, yeah, I got it," Jaune groans before getting back in the fight.

"Ugh, this is getting boring. Let's spice things up a bit," Magilou whines before she pulls out a card and throws it at the fight. It hits the ground between the two fighters and they turn to stare at her, just as everyone else does. "Now dance, dance to the waltz that the mighty sorceress, Magilou, is playing!" Magilou shouts as she starts throwing card after card at them.

Ozpin then turns control back to Oscar, "What are you doing?!" Oscar yells as he ducks under one card thrown at him.

"You might want to start running," Ozpin calmly notes.

Oscar and Jaune start running, ducking, and doing whatever they can to avoid Magilou's cards of doom, while the others watch on, unsure of what to do.

"Um, should we stop her?" Ruby asks Velvet.

Velvet sips a cup of tea that she got from out of nowhere, "Nope. I'm starting to enjoy myself now," she says, and sips her tea with a small smile.

"How many cards does she have, and where does she get them from?" Nora whispers to Ren, who just shrugs his shoulders.

Magilou laughs evilly as she throws some more cards. Jaune does a jump split over one card, rolls underneath another, and ducks under a third, only to get blown back by a fourth that blows up in front of him. Meanwhile, Oscar is just running around frantically, trying to avoid getting blown up. He makes some rolls to avoid a few cards, but then ends up doing a crab walk to barely dodge two more. After a few more moments, Magilou finally settles down.

"Ah, now that was fun... So, you two still alive over there?" Magilou calls out.

Everyone looks to see Jaune and Oscar laying on the ground, panting heavily, but alive.

"She... She's a monster," Jaune barely gasps.

"I can't even feel my toes," Oscar adds as he tries to catch his breath.

Ruby just glances at Velvet, "I'm glad Magilou's on our side," she mutters.

"She always prefers to do things her own way. Nothing new there," Velvet notes.

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, Rokurou is having a drink with Ghira in Ghira's study as he goes over some paperwork.

"So, how's the plan to get people to join our cause?" Rokurou asks, taking a sip of his drink.

Ghira sighs, "I wish I could say that it's going well, but that would be far out to left field. The people have been quite hesitant to join us, and even thow Blake and her friend have been out there, trying to get volunteers, so far no one has stepped up," Ghira explains.

"Hmm, I've been listening in around town, mingling with the common folks to see what's on their minds, and what's on their minds isn't good. They're scared. They want to help you, but they don't want to have to put their lives on the line. So, they're taking the easier of the two options," Rokurou says.

Ghira rubs his eyes a bit, "I knew there might be a few that would be hesitant, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I believed that the Faunus of Menagerie would do the right thing, but maybe when I asked them to fight for the humans that forced so many of them to this island, maybe I was asking for too much," Ghira laments.

"We just have to find a way to inspire them enough to join the fight. And soon, too. Because if this Adam Taurus gets his way, blood's gonna be spilling not just in Mistral, but in Menagerie soon enough as well. Faunus aren't looked in a good light, but if Haven falls, that light will go out completely," Rokurou says, sipping his drink again.

"I know," Ghira mutters.

"Well, we just have to keep trying and figure a way out of this funk. There's not use in sitting around, crying about it. Blake and Sun aren't giving up either, so we have to keep up with them," Rokurou says.

Ghira nods, "Agreed... Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you... You're not 'interested' in my daughter, are you?" Ghira asks, getting really serious.

Rokurou chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, no way, papa bear. I think of her as a friend and a fellow blade wielder. That's all. I came to help because she's a friend of my friend, Velvet. As for going anywhere further than that, I'm not interested. No offense to you or your daughter. I just haven't had the best of luck with women in the past, and blades are much simpler to deal with," Rokurou replies.

"How so?" Ghira asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, they don't try to kill you in your sleep or steal your stuff when you're not looking, or pour acid down your throat, use you for a human experiment, or try to cook you alive," Rokurou says, a big grin on his face.

Ghira deadpans, "Just what kind of women were you dating before? On second thought, I don't want to know," he says, shaking his head a bit.

"Well, anyway, you don't have to worry about me. You'd probably have to be more worried about Sun hitting on your daughter. Speaking of which, why don't you like the guy? I mean, yeah, she's your daughter. You want what's best for her, and you're trying to protect her. I get that, but don't you think you could give him a little bit of a break though?" Rokurou asks.

Ghira sighs, "Maybe, it's just... Blake is growing up, I know this, but I just want to make sure that the man she ends up being with is the right man for her. Especially after what happened with Adam Taurus," he notes.

"Yeah, Blake told me a little about that once. They were close once, right?" Rokurou asks.

"Very. She admired him back when she was with the White Fang and cared about him. However, over time, she began to see the kind of person he really is, a person I did not want her to be with because I could see the kind of monster he truly is. While it may sound a little bad to say, I am glad she didn't end up with him and follow down the same path as him. Blake is a sweet girl, who cares about her friends and family, and I know that I can't always be there to protect her. She's growing up, and I want there to be someone there to help her and protect her when I can't. I was just thinking it would be someone... different than this Sun character," Ghira explains.

Rokurou grunts in amusement, "Heh, that's interesting. While I admit, he may not look it with how he dresses, he's actually a good guy that looks out for his friends. I mean, let's run down a list. One: he followed Blake all the way from Vale because he wanted to help her. If he didn't care about her at all, he wouldn't have bothered and moved on to someone else. Two: he's a skilled fighter. Granted, he still has much to learn and I'm not a fan of the kind of weapon he uses since there are no blades involved, but that's just me. And third: we know that Blake doesn't talk much and is more introverted, while Sun rarely shuts up and is more outgoing. You know what they: opposites attract. Besides, he helped Blake realize that she was making a mistake by running away from her friends. I just sort of added to that effect. While yes, there are times where he can be a big idiot, no one is perfect. Just give him a chance, and I'm sure he'll prove worthy of your blessing," he explains.

Ghira glances away, "As much as I hate to admit it, you have a point. I guess I could at least give him a little bit of a chance to prove himself. Besides, they're not actually together right now, anyway. There's always time for her to find someone else," Ghira says as he goes to sip his drink.

"So, when's the wedding?" Rokurou jokes, making Ghira do a spit-take with his drink.

"THERE IS NO WEDDING!" Ghira yells, going into dad mode.

Back in Mistral, Ruby's group are back inside the house after another hard training session, and after Magilou had practically knocked out Oscar and Jaune with her little performance. Ruby is coming down the stairs from her room and sees Velvet checking her weapons by the front door.

"Hey Velvet, what are you doing?" Ruby asks as she walks up to her girlfriend.

"I'm just going to take a little walk around town. I've never really been to Mistral before and I want to see some of it with my own eyes. We saw some of it with the others when we first came here, but we had business to take care of before, so we didn't really have a chance to look around. Since Jaune and Oscar are pretty out of it, I figured Ozpin wouldn't mind... And I wasn't gonna wait for his approval anyway," Velvet explains.

"Oh, can I come with you?" Ruby asks.

Velvet smiles, "Sure. I'd like that. We can sort of make a date out of it," Velvet says and offers Ruby her arm. "Shall we?" she asks.

Ruby giggles and takes the offered arm, "Yes, we shall. Onward!" she cheers.

The pair leave the home to explore the kingdom. They walk through mostly the upper sections of the kingdom to stay away from the lower areas where Qrow says things tend to be a little less... friendly. Ruby has a big smile on her face at being able to have another date with Velvet, being as how they haven't had one in a long time. They visit the shopping district first, checking out the stalls, some of which they've seen, while others not so much. Velvet almost had to drag Ruby away when they found a few weapons stalls in the district, and her weapon-loving girlfriend was mesmerized by them. Soon enough, the pair find a spot to get something to eat at a place that specializes in seafood dishes. Ruby has some fried flounder while Velvet has some shrimp skewers.

"Enjoying your meal, Ruby?" Velvet asks.

Ruby chews through some of her food, "Oh yeah, this is really good. It's been too long since we've last been on a date, don't you think?" Ruby says.

"Yes. A lot has happened since our last date. It feels like a lifetime ago," Velvet notes.

"Hey Velvet... Do you think, after all this 'save the world' stuff has been taken care of, could we go on another date like this?" Ruby asks.

Velvet sees the concern in her eyes and shows a soft smile, "Of course. And we'll try and make time for dates along way, don't you forget. We can't always be fighting every moment of every day. It's moments like these that are one of the reasons we fight after all. But, let's not worry about that right now. Let's just enjoy ourselves, okay," Velvet says.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Remember back at Beacon when you were becoming popular with the boys, and the girls, and I got a little jealous of them?" Ruby asks.

"Heh-heh, how could I forget? I believe you threatened a few of them at one time, said that you would 'use their bones to sharpen Crescent Rose's blade' or something to that affect, correct?" Velvet asks.

Ruby rubs her head a bit, "Heh-heh-heh, I may have gone a bit overboard a bit..." she says and then frowns. "But, it's because I was worried," she admits.

"What would you be worried about?" Velvet asks.

"I was worried... that you would end up being with one of them instead of with me. I know I'm not the smartest. Weiss has that nailed down. I also wasn't the prettiest girl. Yang took that one. And as far as being cool and chill, Blake had that role. Plus, there were other girls there that were hotter than me, and I couldn't really compete with them in a lot of aspects that most girls have. I just never thought you'd actually want to be with me," Ruby explains, looking said.

Velvet can see the worry written all over Ruby's face, and gently takes Ruby's hand in her own, gaining her attention.

"I choose you Ruby. I CHOSE you. Not because you were the prettiest, even though I think you are, and while you may not have been the smartest girl in school, or the calmest and collected, you had something none of the others had. You have a heart that's bigger and kinder than any other I've ever met, in both my old world and this one. You accepted me for who I am and what I am, and who I was. You have always been there for me. I fell in love with you because you are you. Nothing else matters. I am yours and you are mine, or have you already forgotten our special night together?" Velvet says.

At this, Ruby blushes, "O-Of course not. I could never forget that... It's kind of hard to," she replies, embarrassed.

"Heh, so you see, you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't have done that with just anybody. I love you, Ruby Rose. And that will never change," Velvet says, smiling.

Ruby smiles back, "And I love you too, Velvet Crowe," she says.

"Come on, let's finish up our meal and then get ready to head back. We can check out a few other places on our way home," Velvet suggests.

"Sounds like a great idea," Ruby concurs.

Back in Menagerie, Rokurou dukes it out with Sun in a little sparring match, with Blake watching from the sidelines. Sun twirls his staff around, while Rokurou blocks the strikes with his blades. Sun jumps into the air to smash his staff down on Rokurou, but the demon samurai catches the staff in between his blades and moves it to the side, giving him the chance to kick Sun away in the stomach. Rokurou then makes another attack at Sun, jumping into the air and spinning sideways at Sun with his blades like a buzzsaw, forcing Sun to block with his staff, but gets knocked back. Rokurou allows Sun to get back on his feet and the two stand a short distance away from each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. During this time, Ghira comes out to watch the fight and stands next to his daughter.

"How's the sparring coming along?" Ghira asks.

"It's going somewhat. Of course, Sun isn't doing too well against Rokurou. The difference in skill and experience between the two is like a go-cart going up against a semi-truck. Rokurou's holding back to make things a little more even. Of course, I'm pretty much in the same boat as Sun. I'm nowhere near skilled enough to defeat Rokurou either," Blake says, sitting down on the stair next to her father.

Ghira crosses his arms, "I see..." he trails off before sighing. "So, this friend of yours, can he be trusted?" he asks.

"Yes, as strange as it sounds. He's always there to help his friends. He may a little annoying at times, but he means well. He helped me realize that I made a mistake by leaving me friends behind, thinking that they would be safe without me there. He's a dork, but he's a good friend," Blake describes Sun.

"Uh-huh, and... you... like him, right?" Ghira asks the big question.

Blake quickly blushes at this, "W-W-Where did that come from?!" she almost yells.

"I can sort of understand, Blake. You're at that age, and you're getting curious about boys your age as well. While, I admit, I really don't like him, he has at least been helping us as best as he can in getting the Faunus to join our cause. And if you trust him, I can at least give him SOME benefit of the doubt. But only SOME," Ghira says.

"Dad, now is really not the time to be having this conversation!" Blake tells him, embarrassed.

"I'm just saying, that if he wants to have even a small chance with you, he needs to earn my blessing first," Ghira adds.

Blake covers her blushing face in her hands, "Just please, stop," she pleads.

"Um, is everything alright?" she hears and looks to see Rokurou looking at them confused, while Sun is on the ground behind him, on his hands and knees and having trouble getting back on his feet.

"I could use some help here," Sun groans.

Blake, however, quickly takes her leave before Sun has a chance to find out what's going on and make her feel even more embarrassed, leaving both Ghira and Rokurou confused.

"What did you do?" Rokurou eyes Ghira.

"Why do you think I did something?" Ghira retorts.

"Because I know I didn't do anything, and banana breath here is too exhausted to have done anything," Rokurou says, gesturing to Sun, who now collapses completely onto the ground.


And that's the chapter. Took a little while to figure out what to write in this chapter, but what can do you do. The next one will be going back to Yang and Weiss' group, and all the chaos that comes with that. Rokurou continues his time with Blake and her family while preparing them for the battles that await them. Meanwhile, Ruby and Velvet spend some more time together after so much time had passed since their last date. Anyway, will Ghira ever give Sun a chance? Will Rokurou get Blake and Sun ready for the next big battle in time? Will I ever figure out where Magilou keeps all of her cards? Until then, please Read and Review.