Welcome to the next chapter of RWBY: Team DUSK, before starting the story. Let's answer some reviews:
altajir95: I thought it would be the case. I must admit that it's kind of a chore coming up with the different chapters to almost fill in the semester since it's never explained how much time passes, except for a "few months", which could be more than three months for a semester. The events in RWBY start around the end of the first semester. But, Weiss was the main focus, I thought that it wouldn't make much to keep up the typical trope.
Arkos
During the combat classes of Glynda Goodwitch, there was a match being held right then and there between the two leaders of their teams. But, the clear difference in training and experience made it obvious who the winner would be. A match between Daniel and Jaune, the former held up his sword and shield, Crocea Mors with a much firmer stance. As Retribution was swung, he blocked it with the shield as much as possible, but it held the force to knock Jaune in another direction.
"Well, someone improved a lot since the match against Cardin."
Daniel casually said, showing an honest look.
"Y-Yeah, I have Pyrrha to thank for that."
Jaune replied, laughing nervously.
On the monitor, it could be seen that Jaune's aura was heading more into the red zone after a couple of hits from Daniel. It was surprising for most he could last this long against Daniel, not that the silver-eyed young man made that much of an effort to end the fight as fast as possible. At the same time, it wasn't as if he was going easy on Jaune either.
"Uh, Daniel, I wanted to say thanks for not treating the fight as if you were fighting against a kid."
"Oh, no problem. I take the fights I'm in seriously."
At that, Jaune wore a nervous smile, while Daniel wore a casual smile, with the blonde letting out an awkward air at what was about to happen.
"I'm going to lose in the next attack or so, aren't I?"
"There's a high chance of that."
"Please don't make it embarrassing for me."
"Got you, pal."
Daniel gave a reassuring smile, something which Jaune found himself almost wanting to believe, considering its authenticity. Not surrendering as the leader of Team JNPR, Jaune stepped backward holding the sword and shield in his hands. It was a thing about Jaune, if he was going to go down, then he was going to go down fighting until the end, something proven during the fight against Cardin.
"That's such an admirable trait about Jaune. It's something that you wouldn't ever see from most people who would suffer loss after loss, but never lost that spirit," Daniel thought, as he examined the firm stance that he'd maintained without faltering at all. From that, and the determination in Jaune's eyes during their match. "He has the natural talent of a leader, a strong aura, and learning from THE Pyrrha Nikos. If Jaune gains the right training and experience, then he could be one of the strongest leaders here. I wonder what his semblance is going to be. Well, that can wait for later."
After that thought, Daniel looked to find Jaune performing a straightforward slash at him, something that he avoided by stepping backward. Instead of stumbling forward, Jaune kept a firm stance, standing back up then held up his shield in preparation for a counter-attack. As expected, Daniel didn't let that chance slip, moving right up towards Jaune and aiming a side-kick.
"Urgh!"
Jaune immediately felt the kick's impact from behind the shield, something that sent him backward and off the ground.
"Jeez, as usual, Daniel's kicks seriously…uh oh."
As Jaune was reeling from the kick, he looked forward to finding Daniel already in a position to attack before he could land on the ground. His hands were gripped on Retribution's hilt just as Jaune was landing on the ground, then it was swung.
"Gah!"
Jaune groaned as Daniel sent him backward with Retribution, then hitting the ground, causing the last bit of aura to hit in the red. That signified that Jaune lost the match between himself and Daniel. Despite the loss it, didn't cause the slightest deviation in the blonde leader's personality. Standing up, he looked to find Daniel in front of him holding out a hand. Smiling, Jaune took Daniel's hand, who then helped him up to his feet without a feeling of spite about it. Witnessing such a thing sparked applause from the others.
"Wonderful, I can see that some students have taken to the idea of proper sportsmanship," Glynda stated, as she messed around with the Scroll in her hands. "I can tell that Jaune has been steadily improving since his first time in the arena. If you keep this up, then we won't have to be worried about you upon graduation."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
At Glynda's faint humor, Jaune felt himself scratching the back of his head.
"And Daniel, as usual, you're proving yourself as a competent enough fighter already. Though, it does appear as if you're too lax in a battle."
"Sorry about that, but that's just my personality."
Daniel replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Humph, I could take him on."
Cardin seemed to utter, showing more or less a competitive side.
"Oh, would you want to fight me next, Cardin?"
Daniel asked, sparking surprise from Cardin, who didn't think that someone, aside from his team could even hear him. It caused those such as those from Team DUSK, RWBY, and JNPR to glance over towards them wearing the same deadpan look.
"H-How did you hear that?"
"Oh, I didn't. There are kinda too many people talking to hear one voice in the crowd," Daniel replied, wearing a joking demeanor. "But, I just thought you said something. And I guess that I was right. So, what I still got time for a fight, unless Miss Goodwitch has trouble with it."
"Hmm, not much. I haven't chosen Cardin to fight against someone for a while, so that could work if you're alright with it."
"I'm fine with it. I mean, unless Cardin doesn't want to."
"I mean…."
"If you're feeling a little bit worried, then I could fight you and your team at the same time."
"Eh?"
Cardin asked, feeling humiliated at this point.
"I mean, I kinda admit that I did a number on you a couple of times before. So, I understand if you'd be a little bit taken aback by the sudden challenge from me. So, I thought that fighting alongside your team would make it much better for you."
Daniel replied naturally, but it sounded as if he was goading them too.
"Damn you, Daniel! Who do you think you are thinking that you could take us on at the same time?! We're going to show him that we're not some pushovers that he can mess with!"
Cardin declared something that sparked a reaction from his teammates, who stood up too.
[Right!]
At that, the group left to begin preparations in their combat attire, something which caused Glynda to turn her eyes suspiciously toward Daniel.
"And what was the purpose of that?"
"Oh, well, I thought that those four have been brooding around a bit too much for a couple of days, and it was a bit sad watching that. And so, I came up with the idea to stoke some fire back into them again. I thought that it'd be better to nip that in the bud for you, Professor Goodwitch."
At the thought, Glynda could see that being some motivation for Team CRDL again, having witnessed a lack of such a thing from the team. Thus far, the four haven't made much progress as a team, a stark comparison with Jaune, a student who made some improvement. But, there was another reason behind this, something that even she could see in the silver-eyed young man.
"And the other reason is?"
"Oh, I haven't fought against more than one person in a long time. So, I thought that this would be a good shot at that again. Didn't want to lose my touch in that area."
"Ah, yes. Your school records have been specific about that detail."
Glynda said, having no reason to reject that idea, seeing it as a learning experience for Team CRDL. There was a hint of curiosity about how Daniel would handle fighting against four people at the same time. She thought it'd be some great insight for the students too about handling more than one opponent too.
Not much time passed until Jaune returned to the same seat as his team, something which earned him a pleasant smile and a pat on the back from them.
"That was a good match, Jaune."
Ren started something that earned a nervous laugh from the leader.
"Yeah, though I don't think that I could have a chance to beat Daniel anytime soon."
Jaune replied, scratching the back of his head.
"That's true, but I think that you did better than whatever Cardin and his team will do."
Nora pointed out, almost looking forward to the fight, if not for the fight that she gets to see Team CRDL getting a beating again.
"You've made some great improvements from all the training that you've been doing thus far. If you put your mind to it, then I'm sure you'll be able to fight against Daniel more and more as you two spar."
Pyrrha stated, showing a great amount of faith in Jaune's potential as a leader.
"Hey, Pyrrha, do you think that you could beat Dani?"
Yang asked that question, leaning forward in her seat, sparking a good question among the group, who watched Daniel stretching to limber himself up.
"That's a good question," Pyrrha thought, thinking back to the last time that the two of them fought against one another. "The first time we fought, I could tell that Daniel was a cut above the rest, compared to the other people I fought thus far. He knows about my semblance too, so that means he'll think about a countermeasure to it as well. And Daniel doesn't seem to be new to fighting empty-handed. I do think that a fight between us would be one I would enjoy."
At the thought of a fight with Daniel, it seems as if the spirit of a warrior was ignited within Pyrrha, who expressed honest feelings about it. Hearing such a thing sparked some amusement from her friends, all of whom wondered who would end up winning that fight.
"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing this fight. I know that Daniel is going to put on a show."
Ruby excitedly said, not taking her eyes away from the arena.
"That is Daniel, he always tries his hardest to have the time of his life, while showing off."
Weiss pointed out, feeling herself looking forward too.
"Oh, I wonder if Dani simply wants to show off in front of his girlfriend."
Yang pointed out, leaning a bit closer to Weiss, who looked surprised about that, but instead looked confident in that comment rather than flustered.
"Of course. But, I wouldn't doubt that Daniel wouldn't do anything aside from his best."
Weiss replied, with more confidence compared to usual.
It was official for them, Daniel and Weiss were dating one another, something their friends and team knew about; and were happy for them. Of course, such a development seemed to have sparked a new sense of confidence in the heiress.
"Well, someone sounds much happier since Dani confessed. It's almost as if you're a different person than the Ice Queen that we got to know."
Yang joked.
"You can say whatever you want Yang, because I simply proved that Daniel is mine."
Weiss stated confidently, crossing her arms.
"Is that so," Yang teasingly questioned, then turned to find that Daniel was preparing to fight against the entirety of Team CRDL. "Yo, Dani!"
"Yes, Yang!"
Daniel called out in response.
"If you beat Cardin and his team without getting hit, then I'll treat you to a meal in Vale!"
"Eh, what the hell, Yang?!"
Weiss, of course, reacted to Yang's apparent taunt, almost as if nothing happened before.
"I feel as if that was a taunt directed at Weiss," Daniel pointed out, giving a deadpan look, while coolly shrugging his shoulders. "Sorry, but I don't feel like being a pawn for a joke right now!"
"So, you're saying that you can't? Oh, and here I thought that the great Daniel Norden was confident in himself."
At that comment, Daniel seemed to almost flinch at the obvious taunt and challenge; something that his friends all but noticed, the corners of his mouth could be seen twitching.
"Well, Yang hit Daniel's nerve."
Blake pointed out, taking her attention from her book for a moment.
"Oh no, Daniel isn't going to let that one slide."
Ruby added, already knowing Daniel's competitive personality.
"Tell me about it," Weiss groaned knowing Daniel's personality better than anyone. "I doubt anyone with Norden as their last name would let that taunt go unanswered. His mother was the worst one when it came to that."
"I hear a lot about Daniel's mom, but I doubt she's that reckless."
Alyssa stated, but then Weiss pointed out.
"There are several stories in Atlas Academy of her and Daniel's father breaking their classrooms rooms because of multiple alterations between one another. Their teacher, who was an experienced Huntsman once tried getting in the middle so they knocked them out in the process."
[…?]
For those who were aware of that, Atlas Academy was a strict school. So, the thought of someone knocking out an instructor over a personal fight was insane.
"So, what you're saying is that everyone in his family is insane?"
"His uncle was the most sane one among them. I haven't talked to Daniel's cousins much, so I wouldn't know much about them either."
Weiss pointed out.
"Challenge accepted, Yang!"
Daniel announced something that caused Yang to giggle much to the dismay of Weiss.
In the middle of the combat arena, Daniel found himself faced off against the entirety of Team CRDL, all of whom with their weapons prepared.
"Alright, you ready to eat your words, Daniel?"
"Yeah, I don't think that's physically possible. I mean, unless they're printed out."
"Do you always have to be a smart ass?!"
"Yes, that's a part of my charm."
Daniel replied, giving out a thumbs up and a smirk, causing the group to groan from annoyance.
"Alright," Glynda called out, causing the Aura meter for Daniel and the members of Team CRDL to appear on the monitor. "Begin!"
"Rah!"
The first to move was Cardin, who swung The Executioner with a wide swing, though Daniel jumped backward to avoid it; causing it to hit nothing but air. He moved his head to the side, avoiding gunfire from Dove, who aimed his weapon, named Hallshott at him. Daniel looked on to find that the members of Team CRDL just rushed at him without the slightest plan in mind.
"Hasn't it been more than a month since school started," Daniel looked on with a blank look as he avoided a series of swings from Sky's Feather's Edge. "Even Ruby's, Jaune's, and my team worked well enough together the first time we met each other. But, these guys suck as a team together."
Just as Daniel thought that he ducked just as Cardin swung The Executioner, striking Sky strong right in the face, sending him backward. It sparked a long "Ooooooh!" from the crowd witness, almost as if the two could feel that last impact, causing him to lose a large chunk of aura.
"Well, good thing aura is a thing, because that would have been a broken nose and face."
"Ah!"
Cardin was surprised as Daniel managed to aim an upward kick despite the position, causing The Executioner to be sent into the air. Placing his hand on the ground, Daniel swept Cardin off his feet just as his mace was coming down straight at his face. It stopped just inches from Cardin's face, and Daniel caught it without trouble despite it being held with one hand.
"That's a bit too disrespectful even for me."
"Uh, thanks?"
"No problem. You might want to brace yourself, though."
"Uh!"
As Daniel pointed that out, Russel, who'd got a running head start, held Shortwings in front of him, then leaped forward as he turned into something like a buzz saw.
"1, 2…and…3."
Before Russel reached him, Daniel leaped up, causing the green-haired young man to pass him. Just then, Daniel kicked Russel straight at the downed Cardin.
"Ugh!"
Cardin felt the impact from Russel falling on top of him at full force, combined with the momentum caused by the previous spinning around.
Daniel landed on the ground just as Sky rushed holding Feather's Edge, then started performing multiple slashes at him without hesitation. But, he avoided them without much difficulty at all, considering that none of them was as precise as some of the attacks he had to survive thus far. Just as Sky made one find swing, in a surprise, he felt his weapon leaving his hands as Daniel quickly disarmed him. He then felt his world around upside down, as Sky experienced an expert throw.
"Tch!"
Dove clicked his tongue, firing Hallshott straight at Daniel several times as he picked up Feather's Edge, and then spun the weapon around to block the bullets. Noticing such a thing, Dove rushed straight at Daniel wielding his sword without the gun function. Just then Sky felt the experience of being flung straight into the air from where he was standing and landed right on top of Cardin and Russel, both of whom tried standing back up. From there, Dove, the last man standing among Team CRDL kept swinging Hallshott straight at him.
"Alright, that's good."
Daniel said as he kept dodging, the attacks that Dove aimed straight at him.
He could tell that despite not being as good as the people he knew, Dove was the most skilled person on Team CRDL. However, it didn't seem as if the team of bullies was up to par compared to the other students that he'd seen fighting together before. But, Daniel took hold of Dove's wrist just as the sword passed him, then put him in an arm lock. He then swung his leg forward, causing the near-silent Huntsman-in-Training to be lifted off of the ground. His body was lifted off the ground as he was tossed in the direction of the other members of Team CRDL.
"Ugh, stop doing that!"
Cardin demanded as he was getting tired of having someone thrown at him.
"I don't have a choice. I don't have anyone else to throw at you," Daniel stated, spinning around The Executioner in his hands with almost no effort. It wasn't surprising considering that he hauls around Retribution and handles the recoil behind it. "Well, I'm going to end things here. But, you guys need to work on teamwork."
Before either of them could utter one word, Daniel swung The Executioner forward, unleashing an explosive wave straight toward Team CRDL. It consumed the entire team, causing their auras to fall into the red zone, something which signified their loss to Daniel.
"Winner, Daniel Norden…for the second time."
"If you're going to take any advice here, then let me say this. Even if one or two of you are far stronger or more skilled than the other, it doesn't matter if the entire team ends up stepping over one another in a fight."
Daniel left those final words to the downed members of Team CRDL, who were now covered in smoke caused by the explosion. Most of them coughed breathing out a puff of smoke, before falling back to the ground. But, this did trigger something within them.
[One of these….Daniel! One of these days, you'll eat your words!]
Each of them said before stumbling to the ground. And sparked another round of applause from the people who watched the entire match from beginning to end.
"That was awesome, Daniel!"
"I always fight to impress."
Clap!
As usual, both Daniel and Ruby high-fived, something that produced a notable sound.
"So, I guess that means a certain someone is happy to have won Yang's little bet."
Weiss pointed out, as she inched closer to Daniel, who glanced to the side while laughing nervously. And tried to ignore the 'Schnee Glare' being aimed at him by his girlfriend.
"It's so cute seeing him so docile in front of his girlfriend."
Alyssa giggled, staring at the couple.
"Yeah."
'Agreed.'
Sandra and Hunter agreed.
"So, are you and Coco still having some outings?"
Alyssa redirected the question at Sandra, sparking an immediate reaction from her partner.
"Ugh, you always bring up Coco each time I mention relationships. We're not even dating."
Sandra replied, crossing her arms.
"Oh, are you being defensive?"
The mention of their friends' 'relationship', sparked some laughter and questions among the friend group as it continued. It, however, sparked a certain feeling within a certain redhead, who had found herself glancing at the person she came to know as her teammate, partner, leader, and student. To most, it would be viewed as an irregular attraction, but Jaune was much different from the people that Pyrrha met throughout her entire life. As a student, she became the strongest student in her combat class. From the endorsements and becoming the idol that people believed should be admired, but not approached, it made making friends difficult.
"Aside from Hunter, there weren't that many people who approached me wanting to be friends. It wasn't until I came to Beacon Academy that I met people whom I could consider my dearest friends. But, Jaune didn't even know who I was the first time we met. And then afterward, he treated me as if I was any other normal person. He might have lied to get into Beacon and he might not have been the strongest student. But, he's someone important to me."
As Pyrrha thought about that, she came to continue thinking about the different feelings that welled up as soon as she began talking to Jaune. It was something that caused a notable color to begin appearing on the redhead's cheeks while thinking about it.
Once combat class and then school soon ended, as promised Daniel and Yang found themselves sitting outside a cafe, popular among other Beacon Academy students. As school ended, the two were dressed in casual clothing instead of their school uniforms.
"I almost thought that we would've gone somewhere more expensive because I got a certain someone in trouble with their girlfriend."
Yang pointed out, laughing nonchalantly.
"I'm not that petty. Besides, I would end up loving my man card if I made a woman pay for an overly expensive meal over a grudge."
"Oh, is that so," Yang asked, drinking from her drink. "You know, if you keep on talking like that, then someone is going to keep attracting attention from the opposite sex."
Yang stated, giggling to herself.
Both of them sat there, eating the cake and coffee they ordered.
"I often hear that, but it's hard not to speak my mind," Daniel replied wryly, spinning around the fork in his fingers in an absentminded manner. "But, did you bring me here just to tease Weiss?"
"Hm, I don't know what you mean."
Yang 'innocently' replied, wearing an expression that seemed to match.
"I don't doubt that you did call me out here just to tease, Weiss," Daniel rationalized something that Yang herself could agree with. "But, does me being here have some other purpose?"
"Oh, Dani, sweet ever so intuitive and handsome, Dani."
"Yes, I know I'm more attractive than the average Joe. Sometimes more often than I care to recall," Daniel said that last part in a low tone as if wryly thinking about some traumatic events. "But, do you have to bring it up every time you feel like it?"
"Yes."
"Alright, then. I guess I'll get used to it just for you."
Daniel jokingly pointed.
Daniel and Yang had this unique and causal relationship with one another, something which made it easier for them to interact.
"No, but what gave me away?"
"You ordered an extra coffee."
Daniel replied, pointing at the extra coffee cup.
"Oh, can't a girl order an extra coffee?"
"True, but who could I have bought this extra coffee for?"
"I don't know, Pyrrha."
After that comment was made, Daniel pointed at Pyrrha, who stood there dressed in casual wear, something that caused Yang to hold out her arms dramatically.
"Yes, our dear guest this find evening is, in fact, Mistral's legendary Champion."
"I wouldn't call myself legendary, though."
In response to Yang's dramatic praise, Pyrrha found herself almost flustered at the compliment.
"You planned this didn't you?"
"You have no proof."
"Pyrrha?"
"Yang told me what time to come and when to come out."
Pyrrha immediately replied, something that caused her to give an apologetic wave, while uttering "I'm sorry." over to Yang.
"She's also one of the most honest people that we've ever met."
Daniel pointed out as Pyrrha took a seat in between him and Yang, then took the coffee that the blonde ordered for her. Seeing as the three people that Yang wanted to be there apparently, the three kept sitting there, taking in the outside ambiance for a couple of minutes.
"Sooo, what did you want to talk to me about Yang?"
Pyrrha asked, having simply received a text message to meet herself and Daniel at the cafe. But, she wasn't told a single thing about the purpose behind the meeting.
"Oh, I just thought that you'd like some help with your little problem."
"My problem," Pyrrha said, getting into a confused look. "But, I don't have any problems to speak of. I'm doing well in my usual classes, training Jaune, and getting to know my teammates and friends. I don't think that there's any trouble that I'm having."
"Wow, you just said that you're doing beyond awesome without sounding cocky."
Daniel pointed out, something that caused Pyrrha to look a bit flustered.
"I-I mean, I didn't to sound cocky or anything."
"Hahaha, I swear I keep meeting people here so easy to tease."
Daniel teased something that caused Pyrrha to almost remain in the same position, drinking her coffee, holding it using both hands and staring forward. It was such a cute reaction from the redhead, who was known as being a great champion for Mistral, something that the two could agree on.
"I'm not talking about school life. I'm talking about your romantic life."
"…," At the mention of that, Pyrrha had felt herself pausing, then made an error drinking the coffee in her hands. "*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* W-What're you talking about?"
"Oh, so that's what's going on. Alright, I'm in."
"Daniel?!"
"Great to have ya onboard Daniel."
"Yang?!"
Pyrrha looked back and forth between the two friends that she had made upon entering Beacon Academy; one of which was during their departure there, whereas the other was during their initiation. She received a surprising shock from hearing such a plan revolving around the relationship she had with Jaune. Right now, Pyrrha felt content with the relationship between herself and Jaune. It wasn't anything serious, but the two were friends and partners, both of them spent some time together too, in and out of training.
"Come on, Pyrrha don't you want to take the first step outside the friend zone?"
"What if I'm comfortable in the friend zone for now?"
Pyrrha replied, sounding as if she were a child, who was afraid of stepping outside of their comfort zone.
"Oh, dear Pyrrha, sometimes in life you have to take risks. Go and step outside your comfort zone and do just the craziest things imaginable to have fun."
"Yang, the first time I met and got to know you. And Ruby told me that you abandoned her on your first day in Beacon. I realized something," Daniel started, pausing a bit, and drank from the coffee in his hands. "You're the type to push someone into the water so that they can learn how to swim, aren't you?"
"Hey, my methods might seem harsh. But, they're with the best intentions."
"I'm pretty sure that's the same line everyone says before something bad happens," Daniel pointed out, causing Yang to stick her tongue out at him, uttering: Nyah! "But, I can admit that sometimes you have to take risks when there's something that you want. I mean, Pyrrha, I know that you're comfortable with the current relationship that you and Jaune have. If you want to end it here, then we'll end it here. But, I'll ask once more, are you sure that you don't want to try and build up a relationship beyond friendship?"
At that question, Pyrrha thought about the words from Daniel, which sounded nothing short of sincere. A part of her was happiest with the relationship between herself and Jaune, however, there was another part of herself that wanted to enjoy more things that she hadn't thought of before. It was the same feeling that got stronger, during the times when Jaune tried flirting with Weiss all the time. Deep down in the redhead's heart, she wanted that to be her instead.
"Um, if I were to agree, then what would I have to do first?"
Pyrrha shyly asked.
Hearing such a thing caused a bright smile to appear on Yang's face, whereas Daniel was wearing an expression of pride in her.
"Alright, so good thing that I have three different plans, which would make confessing to Jaune much easier."
Daniel stated, holding out three fingers signifying the plan in mind.
"Alright, now I'm interested in hearing this," Yang stated, wearing a smile as she looked forward to hearing about this plan. "So, this is the first strategy meeting in getting Jaune and Pyrrha together?!"
"Y-Yang, please don't say that out loud!"
Pyrrha held out her hands, looking flustered as Yang shouted that out loud. It seemed to gain some kind of attention from the other patrons and some people. But, that didn't seem to last long as some of them started to go on about their business.
"So, let's first talk about the target."
"Could we please not talk about Jaune as if he's an animal?"
"Well, we don't…."
"Don't think about making that joke, Yang?"
"Boo."
Yang stuck out her tongue at Daniel.
"Well, first things first, let's see what we know about Jaune thus far. First, he is a nice and friendly guy."
"He's goofy and outgoing."
"Jaune tries his hardest in things no matter what they are. Each time we meet on the roof to train, he continues to get back up and continue. His instincts as a leader are top notch too, he seems to come up with a solution to a battle when I can't even see it. I can tell that…."
For a minute, Daniel and Yang sat there listening as Pyrrha continued talking about Jaune, however, paused after realizing what she'd done.
"Alright, so, we've covered what we know about Jaune and how much Pyrrha likes him."
"…sorry."
Pyrrha silently and apologetically replied.
"Alright, let's start with the main issue of the developing relationship between Jaune and Pyrrha."
"Yeah, Jaune is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. But, he's kinda dense too."
Yang pointed out, something which no matter how harsh or hard to admit, the three sitting at the table there can agree with that point.
"Alright, so in this situation, going through the usual route of developing feelings might not be the smartest one on Remnant," Daniel explained, holding out his first finger. "Alright, plan A is the easiest and simplest one, where you and Jaune continue spending as much time together. But, unlike before, the two of you would continue to build up a relationship."
"Ah, that sounds nice."
Pyrrha said, thinking about proceeding with Plan A.
"Alright, so plan B might be a little more difficult for you," Daniel pointed out, something which caused Pyrrha to become somewhat worried, but prepared. "Now, for this one, you have to show off a bit more of your charm to Jaune."
"M-My charm?"
Pyrrha asked back, almost unsure whether or not she was imagining those words.
"Yes, this sounds like it's more of my territory," Yang pointed out, feeling as if the group had stepped more into a favorite territory of hers. "Please listen to me now, Dear Pyrrha, I know that you've likely trained your entire life to become one of the greatest Huntresses on Remnant. I don't think you've realized you're a truly attractive young woman with the nicest personality."
"W-What…?!"
"Wow, that has to be one of the most straightforward comments ever. But, she's not wrong."
Daniel stated, with Pyrrha's face turning bright red from the compliment being given to her, placing her hands on her cheeks at the comment.
"So, I doubt that someone as clueless as Jaune would be able to avoid looking at you for long. I do think that you should take advantage of it. I don't know how about undoing your hair from your usual style, and asking Jaune to help you redo it."
"I don't think that'd work."
"Yeah, it wouldn't work."
"Huh, why not? It seems to be the perfect chance for them."
Yang seemed confused about the reason that Jaune wouldn't be affected by that.
"Yang, Jaune has seven sisters."
At Pyrrha's comment, Yang immediately realized that Jaune must have been used to such things growing up and it likely wouldn't have a psychological effect.
"Alright, then how about another plan," Yang immediately went onto another plan. "So, seeing as your group will continue going out together. How about the slight change in some of your outfits? It doesn't have to be anything all that major, just something different enough to attract Jaune's attention. You know, just the slightest change in the pajamas you're wearing. Or a brand new outfit during a teammate outing?"
"Well, I'm sure that Yang's ever so intimate knowledge of clothing would be capable of aiding in that. So, let's lead to the last plan," Daniel pointed out, then moved on to the last one. "And that just leaves us with the most difficult and yet the easiest solution to the potential relationship concerning Jaune and Pyrrha."
After that, Daniel paused, leaving Yang and Pyrrha in suspense about what the last plan would end up being with a wondering expression. As if doing it with intention, he paused to take a long sip from the coffee in his hands as a look was directed straight at him by them.
"Alright, so plan C is in all honestly the easiest one, but the most difficult thing that you'll likely ever do," Daniel said, then started looking seriously at Pyrrha as a worried look appeared on hers. "First things first, you'll need to go straight up in front of Jaune. Then, you're going to look him dead in the eyes, almost to the point of Jaune wondering what you're doing. And finally, you confess all the possible feelings that you have for him."
"What," Pyrrha said, with the thought of doing that alone causing numerous feelings and thoughts to continue appearing in her mind. "What? What? What? What?! What?! Whaaaat?!"
Pyrrha's reaction to Plan C caused Daniel and Yang to witness absolute panic and agitation, which would be seen on Mistral's Champion. Her eyes seemed to swirl around as her arms frantically moved around with no actual intention in mind. As Daniel thought, that plan would end up being the most difficult thing that Pyrrha has ever done in her entire life. She had been trained by one of the best teachers in Sanctum Academy, who has become renowned among their past teachers. But, doing such a thing seemed to be something beyond impossible for her to accomplish no matter how much she tried.
"Alright, so plan C is out of the table."
Yang stated with a hand being placed comfortably on Pyrrha's back, something which she could appreciate as a simple thought of it caused her to panic.
"Alright, so we have plans A and B."
"I'm sorry, but the thought of doing something like that…I can't do that," Pyrrha stated, leaning forward as a long sigh escaped from her mouth while looking forward. "Ugh, I often wish I had your confidence in that regard, Daniel. It just seems as if you have a better understanding of people's feelings."
"No doubt about that. Dani, it just seems as if you're just attuned to the feelings of women. It's seriously an attractive trait."
Yang stated almost flirtatiously.
"You just don't stop," Daniel pointed out jokingly. "But, I wouldn't recommend going through the same thing that I went through in Mistral. A lot of it involved hearing about some no-so age-appropriate advice from some more 'experienced' women."
"Dani, at some point, you're going to talk about what happened in Mistral, because mention Mistral every single time we mention something you learned."
"Yeah, I know."
Daniel replied, holding out his hand.
"So, what's the first thing that we'll be doing first in regards to this?"
Pyrrha asked, poking her fingers together.
"Well, shouldn't do anything too complicated for Jaune like being too different from usual or something. Jaune is someone who might think that Pyrrha is out of his league," Pyrrha seemed confused about the words that left out of Daniel's mouth, but he continued speaking. "Jaune might still see himself as someone who doesn't deserve to be inside the same school as those who worked hard to get here. His partner happens to be someone that everyone has their eyes on, to the point of being seen as an untouchable idol. So, just being around such a person could make it seem almost impossible to be with someone like that."
"Kinda weird that Jaune kept pursuing our Ice Queen, though."
"I think that it was because of their first interaction when Jaune thought that Weiss was being serious rather than sarcastic when we all first met," Daniel stated, then found himself continuing with the conversation. "So, seeing as Pyrrha isn't all that comfortable with it. The first thing that we should do is slowly break down the initial thoughts that Jaune has about Pyrrha. Alright, this is going to be the first start of Arkos."
"Arkos? Isn't that the last parts of their last names?"
"I like it."
Pyrrha stated, feeling flustered about the name.
From there, the group kept sitting there in the same position, talking about whatever came up in discussion some of which didn't concern what was planned between Pyrrha and Jaune. It was a simple conversation between just a group of friends who'd become close in a short period despite the randomness of their meeting. At some point, they decided to return to Beacon Academy, seeing as their first meeting about this personal matter was a success.
At night, there was a meeting happening on the roofs, between the brand new couple, the heir and heiress of two of the most prominent families in Atlas. Both of them were dressed in clothing that seemed prepared for bed, as the two shared a conversation.
"So, that's the idea? A double date?"
Weiss asked, tilting her head towards Daniel.
"Yep, the overall idea of this date is to give Jaune some real 'experience' on an actual date with Pyrrha acting as a testing girlfriend in that regard."
"You do realize that there are several things that could go wrong?"
Weiss asked back, already knowing that this particular situation held several holes behind it.
"Yeah, but isn't that the point of being a bunch of teenagers coming up with plans that may or may not blow up in your faces," Daniel replied jokingly something that sparked a wry stare from Weiss. "Besides, Pyrrha gave the go-ahead herself. She's steeling herself up for this."
"Well, in that regard, I can understand where Pyrrha is coming from at least."
Weiss said, feeling sympathy for Pyrrha, who was attempting to attract the attention of someone who didn't even realize her feelings.
"Oh, really how?"
Daniel asked teasingly, just to get a pinch from Weiss.
"Seriously, Daniel," Weiss replied, pouting and glancing to the side. "Well, I already said that I would be helping in getting them together just to Jaune to stop inviting me to places. Plus, I do want to help Pyrrha too. And it would mean that we'll be able to go out on a date again. But, I would like to go out on a date alone later."
"Sure thing, I thought about something too."
Daniel stated in a smooth tone.
"Of course, you did. You always seem to do so much for me."
Weiss replied, leaning her head against Daniel's shoulder as the two kept sitting there underneath the moonlight and in silence.
Since the two confessed to one another, it felt like a weight lifted off of their shoulders, causing them to have more of a casual air about them. For Weiss, she felt as if a longtime dream of hers was coming true right then and there, as some more of her emotions could be brought out onto the surface. There wasn't a single thing that she felt that she needed to be worried about. But, there was one thing that brought up some concern.
"So, what do you plan on doing in regards to Ruby?"
Weiss asked, not removing her head from Daniel's shoulder.
"Hm, that depends on what you mean about that."
Although Daniel was well aware of what Weiss meant about that, he just played coy, almost as if he tried to lessen the seriousness of that question.
"Daniel, I'm serious. Ruby, to me…might be someone that I consider a real friend, the second one that I had aside from you. And I don't want that to be ruined this early on from a dispute over a guy."
"I doubt that your friendship with Ruby is going to end over something like that," Daniel pointed out, not seeing the two of them ending things over him. "Besides, I think that the two of you have been arguing with one another long before I was even added to the equation. And something tells me that won't be stopping anytime soon, which in itself can also develop a friendship and bonds because it's just about getting your feelings out sometimes."
Hearing Daniel's words seemed playful, but also informative too.
"Yeah, but…."
"Well, it might still be too early for Ruby to refer to it as actual love, rather than a crush that might not last all that long. I mean, I doubt that she has had many interactions with guys before."
"Right, but I doubt your particular responses towards women made that easier. If I didn't know you, then I would have accused you of being a womanizer."
"I'm never going to be freed from that for a long time, aren't I," Daniel laughed at that comment and the feeling of judgment being sent at him. "Sorry about that. Most of the advice that I got from various older women in Mistral, and comments from my mom has cursed me. She cheered me on about not being afraid of dating women as long as I genuinely liked them."
"Right, that makes sense for a family whose semblance reflects their tendencies to bend the rules."
"Or that might be more her wanting multiple grandchildren with unique traits."
"Right, her grandchildren, which would be our children…our kids…kids…adorable and cute…."
Weiss' face began turning red at the thought of their children being born and imagining what they would look like in such detail that it almost seemed real.
"Remnant to Weiss, Remnant to Weiss. Don't escape into fantasy, or else you might not return."
Daniel stated, holding his hands in front of his mouth as he touched.
"Like you haven't thought about what our child might end up like," Weiss stated proudly crossing her arms, then looked at Daniel with a questioning look. "Right?"
"Of course."
"R-Really, and what did you imagine?"
"Well, boy or girl, I'd imagine they'd have your hair and my eyes. More than that, I'd imagine their personality would be a mix of ours," Daniel replied, causing Weiss to imagine that and he then gave out a wide smirk. "But, thinking about that makes me think that kid might end up being the most rebellious person in Atlas' history."
"I'm not a rebel, though."
"Weiss, I think that everything about your usual outfit is asymmetrical, aside from your hair."
"Then, I'm not much of a rebel."
Weiss pointed out, almost surprised that Daniel could notice such a small detail, but that made her feel almost a lot more special.
"I think that dating the person your father doesn't like can be considered rebellious."
"Right, I'm dating you to rebel against my father. It has nothing to do with whatever feelings I have for you," Daniel and Weiss shared a laugh as the two had their sarcastic back-and-forth. "It does make me wonder which one of our semblances our child might inherit, seeing as ours is passed down from parent to child."
"That's a good question, but it would be awesome to see a mix of ours."
"It'll be a long time, but I find myself looking forward to it. Speaking of, there's still something that I can't do when compared to what Winter can do."
"I think that's a given considering Winter is an official Huntress. I'm guessing that learning the summoning is just the slightest bit difficult."
"More like impossible! No matter how much I tried it during training, I could never pull it off."
"Well, as long as you continue working on your Glyphs. I'm sure that you'll eventually fall into it rather than simply straining yourself to attempt it."
"I guess you're right," Weiss stated, agreeing to Daniel's words, but then turned to him. "So, how about you and the enchantments?"
"If we're talking about a real enchantment, then it's about the same as writing a report for Professor Oobleck. But, at most, I think ones like Haste are about the limit of what I could do now. I did pull off one for Retribution, but that is nearly half-assed compared to what my aunt and mom showed me."
"Well, I'm sure that you'll fall into it rather than simply straining yourself to attempt it."
Weiss returned Daniel's words at him, something that caused a faux laugh to escape from the young man's mouth.
"Haha, using my own words against me."
"I do, and what are you going to do about it?"
Weiss teasingly asked, sending a victorious smirk toward him.
"This."
"Huh?"
As Weiss was wondering what Daniel would do, he immediately leaned forward and kissed her, something which sparked surprise in the heiress. She didn't reject this, however, returning the sign of affection, continuing with the kissing session until she stepped back to catch her breath.
"Ha, I wasn't expecting that."
Weiss replied, having finished catching her breath.
"Kinda the point, Snow White."
"Snow White?"
Weiss titled her head at that comment.
"What you don't like it?"
"No, I kinda like it."
Weiss replied, smiling at the nickname.
From there, the two remained in the same position, loving the calm and cool atmosphere outside, for a couple of more minutes before heading outside.
In the room belonging to Team JNPR, the teammates were undergoing their usual routine before the night. Ever the dutiful student, Pyrrha was double checking her homework; calm and patient, Ren was sitting down right on his bed meditating; as energetic as ever, Nora was working out; and as casual as usual, Jaune was reading from a new issue comic purchased in Vale. Each of them was going on about some business on their own, however, it became easier for them to stand the energetic sounds Nora made.
"Nora is all that truly necessary?"
Ren asked, opening one eye as he watched Nora continuing to work out and making energetic sounds.
"Yes, Ren! All this is me energizing myself! As I continue working out!"
Nora replied as she kept working out without losing the slightest bit of her energy while laughing to match all of that energy. Witnessing such a thing from his childhood friend, Ren simply shook his head and proceeded to keep meditating. It wasn't that he was bothered at all, it was because he'd gotten used to such things a long time ago and could meditate even with this. It was that neither Jaune nor Pyrrha was used to Nora's rowdy antics and might interrupt the two of them. But, it didn't seem to bother the two of them, who continued going about their business without stopping.
"Ngh and I'm done with that last bit of homework," Pyrrha stated, stretching out her arms, then turned around to find her leader reading his comic in peace. "Jaune, I finished the homework that was assigned to our class. If you want me to help you with yours, then I wouldn't mind."
"…."
"Hm? Jaune?"
Pyrrha got out of her seat and then approached Jaune, who still seemed focused on whatever he was reading to not pay much attention to whatever was around him. Getting behind Jaune, she could see that the comic book looked to be one about a costumed superhero.
"Jaune."
Pyrrha called out, smiling as she touched Jaune's shoulder, causing him to jump.
"Huh, oh Pyrrha. Sorry about that," Jaune replied embarrassed he scratched his hair and turned right around to face Pyrrha. "Did you need something?"
"I finished my homework and I wanted to know whether or not you wanted to take a look at it."
"Oh, thanks. I'm never sure that my answers are right or not."
"Well, don't forget if you're ever in need of help in school don't be afraid to ask me."
"Thanks, Pyrrha, you've been a great help to me."
As Jaune and Pyrrha shared that moment, Ren and Nora looked on too, interested in seeing their interactions.
"It's no problem. I think that's natural for partners," Pyrrha replied, as a smile could be seen on her face, She was interested in whatever Jaune was reading. "So, what are you reading?"
"Oh, this is a cool comic about a normal guy who ends up turning into a superhero. He didn't start like that and was inspired by the words of his uncle to continue doing the right thing. You know, with great power, also comes great responsibility. It's called Spider-Boy."
"That's interesting."
Pyrrha said, not knowing much about comics. But, hearing Jaune sound enthusiastic about it made her happier it attracted him this much of his interest.
"Hey, want to read it with me?"
Jaune asked, pointing out the book.
"…?!"
His question no matter how causal seemed to have surprised Pyrrha, who wasn't expecting to hear such a thing from Jaune. Her pause seemed to have caught Jaune's attention, who, in turn, thought that there was something wrong with the suggestion.
"Oh, you might not be interested in this. I'm sorry for…."
"No, I didn't mean it like that. I was simply surprised about your offer," Pyrrha immediately replied, causing Jaune to wear a surprised look. After calming down, she wore a casual, if not strained smile on her face from the overly active reaction. "I would love to see what my partner is interested in."
"Alright. Wait, I think that it would be better if you had a better idea of what's happening now. So, let's start with the first volume."
Jaune said, immediately heading in the direction where he held the first volume.
As Jaune was doing that, Pyrrha for some reason turned around to find Nora giving an energetic thumbs up from both hands. And Ren could be seen awkwardly doing the same thing having been urged by his childhood friend, a thing that caused Pyrrha to nervously smile. Jaune soon returned holding the first issue of Spider Boy in his hand, then sat in a position where she could read along with it. It was the simplest thing, but Pyrrha felt glad that such a thing with Jaune included her like this.
On the weekend, as planned the double date was going about as planned, Daniel and Jaune, both of whom wore casual clothes. One of whom looked almost nervous about the entire thing, even the clothing was something that he'd gotten sometime before.
"I don't know about this, Daniel."
Jaune pointed out, feeling somewhat nervous.
"What? I thought that you wanted some experience going out on a date."
Daniel added, standing beside Jaune.
"I know, but it kinda feels awkward going out with a couple. And I'm going out with Pyrrha, who I'm not dating."
Jaune pointed out, turning over to Daniel, the second friend he'd made there.
"Well, you could consider this practice for yourself and Pyrrha," Daniel replied. "As impossible as it might sound to most, even a champion does want to date someone too."
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, who wouldn't want to date someone like Pyrrha?"
"Oh, is that so?"
Daniel asked teasingly, rubbing his chin and leaning towards Jaune with a playful look.
"D-Don't look at me like that. I doubt that Pyrrha would be into a guy like me."
"I don't know. You never know what someone's preference could be. I knew someone in Mistral, who was the very definition of a loyal coward, but he's dating someone out of his league."
"I-Is that so?"
Jaune was surprised about the fact that Daniel referred to someone as a 'loyal coward' wearing the most casual expression on his face. But, it seemed as if it wasn't spoken out of malice, at least, he knew that Daniel couldn't talk to his friends like that. He then noticed Daniel looking at his Scroll for the time, returning it to his pocket, and looked up.
"Yeah, Weiss and Pyrrha should be here in a minute or two."
"A-Alright. Any final words of advice, so that I don't mess this up?"
"Yeah, actually, there's one piece of advice that I could give," Daniel replied, causing Jaune to wait for those words and notice him placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't get too nervous and go over the top by acting like someone you're not. Trust me, it can be kind of a put-off for people acting like that. So, just be Jaune Arc."
"Alright, I think that I can do that."
Jaune replied, feeling the advice given to him by Daniel as the best thing that he could do right then and there.
Soon enough, Weiss and Pyrrha arrived right on time, dressed in stylish casual clothing, but the most surprising thing was that the redhead had her hair undone. Surprisingly enough, Pyrrha wasn't wearing her usual gold headpiece, which didn't seem like much, but all of it caught Jaune's attention. Same as Jaune, the outfit she'd worn was something Yang aided her in purchasing.
"Whoa…."
Jaune seemed surprised by the change in outfit, something that seemed to make Pyrrha feel more flushed about the entire thing. Seeing that the two of them got the right reaction to noticing someone and being noticed, Daniel clapped his hand gaining their attention.
"Alright, my dear friends let us get this practice double date started," Daniel stated, gaining Jaune's and Pyrrha's attention, both of whom were looking forward to this. "So, the first thing that we'll be doing is heading out towards the movies. The ever so classic and a perfect event for a date. I have taken the liberty of ordering four tickets ahead of time. So, all we'll need to do is head there and get whatever we need."
"So, what's the movie that we'll be seeing?"
Weiss asked, standing beside Daniel.
"Well, considering that two guys and two girls would be seeing the movie together. I thought that it would be best to choose one that matches our various preferences. So, it'll be an action and romantic comedy."
"Is that so?"
Weiss tilted her head to the side, wondering what kind of movie this would end up being.
"If you guys are that interested in seeing what the movie is, then you might as well come and see for yourselves," Daniel pointed out, almost teasingly making it so that the three of them would be all the more interested in it. "I don't know what it's about myself. I just looked up a popular movie of that genre and I'm sure that neither of you has seen it either."
Daniel pointed out, causing them to become more interested in seeing the movie, which the silver-eyed young man ended up choosing. Having that in mind, the group found themselves heading out toward the movie theater with anticipation. Together, the four of them proceeded to walk down the streets, with Daniel and Weiss walking together and Jaune and Pyrrha walking together.
"I wonder how today is going to go."
Weiss wondered out loud, but enough for just Daniel to hear.
"Well, it all depends on Jaune and Pyrrha. As I said before, this is just a practice date to lead their thoughts in the right direction. For him, who has the thought of Pyrrha being too good for him? And she doesn't know how to approach Jaune with her feelings. If both of them step into an unknown zone, then it'll open up their perspective towards a new thing."
Hearing Daniel point out such a thing, Weiss stared at him with a surprised look.
"It's so weird hearing those words come out of someone who once referred to himself as the biggest menace to be born in Atlas."
Weiss pointed out, causing him to chuckle and shrug his shoulders.
In the back, Jaune and Pyrrha were walking side-by-side, but almost more awkwardly, something which wasn't all that weird considering a date was still a date. It was, in fact, a new territory for the two of them, as neither almost didn't know what to do with one another.
"It feels kinda weird going out like this. I mean, Daniel and Weiss are the real couples here," Jaune pointed out and then started nervously scratching his head. "Are you alright with being here with me?"
"Of course I am," Pyrrha immediately replied but then returned to normal as Jaune noticed her reaction. "I-I mean, is there was anyone that I think that I could trust for something like this, then it would be you."
Hearing such a thing caused Jaune to almost feel some pride and happiness building up from hearing that alone, something which caused him to smile.
"Well, then I hope that I won't end up screwing this up."
"I'm sure that it'll be fun if we're out together."
Pyrrha stated that smiling with a genuine look, while Jaune looked on wondering whether or not he could do such a thing. But, he wanted to ensure that it would be fun for Pyrrha, considering all the things that she has done for him thus far. Pyrrha remained beside him without their friendship being changed even when he temporarily went over towards Team CRDL and he acted almost indifferent around his team. So, this was the last that he could do for Pyrrha, even for a practice date.
In the movie theater, the group went to watch a movie called "Mr. & Mrs. Foster", a film, where the plot is about a married couple with normal lives. However, the two soon came to realize the two were assassins from a competing group assigned to assassinate a single target. After it was botched, the two were then assigned to kill each other; but after an intense battle, the two made passionate love that night too.
"I must admit that this is a good movie."
Weiss stated as she sat right beside Daniel in the movie theater, the group bought the usual popcorn, candy, and soda for the occasion. Both she and Daniel sat in a row behind Jaune and Pyrrha, with the person who'd ordered the tickets doing this to give both parties space.
"Did you have that much doubt in me?"
Daniel asked, looking glancing at his girlfriend.
"Hmm, maybe somewhat."
Weiss replied almost teasingly.
Weiss found herself looking forward to the movie, with more interest in what was happening in it. She didn't know what to think about the film, but then it started garnering her attention as it continued forward. It was interesting to see that the couple were assassins without the other's knowledge until the two ended up on the same mission as one another.
"So rude, my heart hurts."
Daniel feigned a hurt expression as he kept looking forward.
"Yeah, right."
As if matching the playful air, Weiss tossed popcorn straight at Daniel, who, in turn, caught it in his mouth without one hitting him. He stuck a tongue straight at Weiss in response to catching the popcorn without much trouble. A blank stare was aimed straight at him, then rolled her eyes before glancing at the movie again with a single, silent "humph". Daniel gave out a silent laugh as he turned his attention back to the film. Both of them showed such a unique and dynamic relationship, which made it almost a pain for others to witness.
Jaune and Pyrrha, both of them watched the movie too with equal interest, several things had earned their attention. It was, in fact, a great genre that Daniel chose for their group to see, enjoying the film from its beginning and possibly toward the end.
"Wow, this is a great movie. I didn't think that a romance film would have this much action."
Jaune pointed out, continuing to watch the film in front of them.
"Same. I like the fact that it shows that even assassins from opposing sides could develop feelings for one another. And the moments between them are fun to watch too."
Pyrrha added, glad that she could watch this movie.
For her, the action was great too, but the romance scenes between Mr. and Mrs. Foster were something that looked appealing as well. Watching such a movie with Jaune beside her made it all the more special for the red-haired Huntress-in-Training. It was the first part of their date, being together in a dark room watching the romance of a male and female assassin. As one would expect, there wasn't much that experience that the two had during a date, practice or not. So, neither Jaune nor Pyrrha had much experience in this situation, not knowing what to do in this situation.
"…."
Jaune almost found himself turning around just to see what Daniel and Weiss were doing but stopped as soon as he remembered his friend's honest words.
"Don't get too nervous and go over the top by acting like someone you are not. Trust me, it can be kind of a put-off for people acting like that. So, just be Jaune Arc."
In thinking about those words, Jaune kept himself from turning around and thought more about what he'd do in a situation like this.
"You know, I never thought that there would come a time when I'd willingly watch a romance film."
"Hm, what does that mean?"
Pyrrha seemed interested as Jaune leaned closer to her to whisper that to the redhead.
"Well, that's the downside to having seven sisters. I'm sometimes stuck watching films like this when I don't want to watch something like this. But, I'm having fun this time. So, that's a plus here."
Jaune said honestly, something that caused Pyrrha to feel her chest heating up at those words, meaning that the young man was having fun around her.
"Yes, same here. I am having so much fun here with you."
Pyrrha said, who started feeling bold enough to place her arm near the same armrest as Jaune but wasn't yet at the point of grabbing onto his hand. It might have been the simplest contact, but it made her happy nonetheless, something that Jaune could somewhat see for himself.
Both groups kept watching the film as it continued until the end, causing them to each agree that it was worth the watch. Seeing Jaune and Pyrrha did look the slightest bit closer, Daniel could see that was a decent start for the potential couple.
After the movie theater, the group went to a restaurant that wasn't fancy, but different from the one that the group would often frequent. Daniel, Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha all sat together at a table meant for four people, each one finished putting in their order to the staff. Seeing that, the group was free to talk among themselves until all their orders came.
"Well, that movie was better than I thought that it would be at first."
Weiss stated, sparking a conversation.
"Oh, yes. I loved the dynamic between Mr. and Mrs. Foster," Pyrrha stated, not forgetting the entire scene between the couple from start to finish. "It was interesting seeing how things progressed for them, with their lovely truly blossoming after truly getting to know one another."
"Yeah, well, the action scenes were awesome too. I wasn't expecting it all to end in a small warehouse like that."
Jaune added.
"Ah, so I can see this as another successful outing headed by Daniel Norden."
Daniel stated, feeling a smirk gracing his face.
"Don't get a bigger head than you already have."
Weiss stated, pinching Daniel's shoulder, causing him to almost give a dry laugh.
"Well, I do appreciate that Daniel went out of his way to do this for us and Weiss too. It could have been a private date between you too, but you two went through the trouble of including us."
Pyrrha stated, clearly showing her appreciation on her face.
"Yeah, I feel the same. I think that I might have a better idea of what it might mean to take a girl out on a date due to what happened today. I thought that it would have been awkward being out like this. But, being with Pyrrha like this made it not feel all that weird."
As Jaune said those words, before turning his head in another direction to stave off the awkwardness he felt by uttering those words out loud. It sparked an immediate reaction from Pyrrha, who felt her heart almost skipping a beat from there. She turned her attention towards Daniel, who seemed to be signaling for her to continue with the conversation from there.
"…," breathing out, Pyrrha seemed to push away some of the awkwardness that was festering in her chest. "Well, I wouldn't mind doing this again Jaune. I mean, it would give us more time to bond, which would be good for our…relationship."
Pyrrha appeared to have struggled to get those last words out. But, upon hearing those words, Jaune turned back to his partner with a surprised look. It felt like hearing weird such words from Pyrrha, however, that caused him to feel a lot better having said such words.
"Yeah, I think that would be fun. I mean, I do owe you for helping me all the time."
Jaune stated, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, I'll be back."
Weiss said, almost signifying that she was heading toward the bathroom.
"I'll come too."
Pyrrha stated, almost rushed. But, it looked as if she was trying to find someplace to get rid of the nerves which were building up within her chest.
"…."
Seeing as the two women were gone, Jaune looked nervous and was tapping on the ground with his foot.
"Jaune want a second?"
"Yes, I'll be right back."
Jaune immediately stood up from the table, then headed over toward the men's bathroom to collect himself with what happened echoing in his head.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Daniel reached into his pocket to find that his Scroll was going off.
Yang: I can see the 'practice' date is going well.
Blake: Jaune is doing much better than I thought.
Ruby: That movie was so awesome!
He received three texts from the members of Team RWBY, without Weiss. But, it wasn't just them.
Nora: I hope that Jaune doesn't screw this up!
Ren: It was hard keeping Nora quiet in the theater. But, it was a good movie.
He received two texts from the members of Team JNPR, without Jaune and Pyrrha. All of them were added to a private group chat, which didn't include them. All of them were placed in a specific position in the restaurant so that neither of them would get caught.
Daniel: You know, we might need to talk more about better disguises.
Ruby + Yang: What's wrong with our disguises?
Daniel: A hat, sunglasses, and trench coat make you look more suspicious.
Blake: He's not wrong.
Nora: How come Alyssa, Sandra, and Hunter didn't come?
Daniel: Alyssa and Hunter had a group project. And Sandra thought of a new song. Pyrrha is coming back.
At that response, Daniel returned his Scroll to his pockets, then found himself looking on as the relaxed redhead sat back at the table.
"So, are you feeling alright?"
Daniel asked, causing Pyrrha to nod her head in agreement.
"Yes, I just didn't think that I would hear that."
"Hearing such words from someone that you like might have that effect."
"Did it feel the same with you and Weiss?"
Pyrrha asked almost immediately.
"Yeah, it did. Even if I didn't show it much on the outside," Daniel replied, placing his chin right on his hand with a relaxed look. "I felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulder after that. To be honest, I should've done that at least three years ago. But, then my life started turning into the definition of chaotic."
"I see," Pyrrha said, thinking back to the first time that she met Daniel and heard his last name. No matter how much Daniel seemed comfortable with it, Pyrrha couldn't bring herself to utter the words in her head. "Because I was heading to Beacon, I didn't have much time to focus on anything else. But, hearing the name Norden made me think about what I heard before. An incident from close to over seven years ago, where two Altas Huntresses aided in a training mission for the students of Haven Academy. But, they had to defend themselves from a large Grimm horde that attacked them. Miraculously, the students were protected, but one of the Atlas Huntress died so that her sister and the students could return home. Her name and portrait were said to have been memorialized inside Haven Academy. Some students said it was as if a flash of silver light could be seen from a distance. She was your mother, wasn't she Daniel?"
Her compassion made it impossible to ask such a question, but it seemed as if Pyrrha's glances caught Daniel's attention.
"Something on your mind, Pyrrha."
"No, no it's nothing."
Pyrrha seemed to recover and made it sound as if there was nothing wrong.
"Hm, alright. So, want to hear something interesting?"
"Oh, and what would that be?"
Pyrrha asked with interest.
"My family's Semblance, Runes can manifest a set of twenty-four runes, with the number that a person could manifest depending on different factors," Daniel replied, with Pyrrha being surprised that he'd started explaining his Semblance. "Each rune has its own effect, which could be used for things like influencing the effects of Aura or Dust. But, if they're arranged in a particular order, then they could produce more unique effects."
"Daniel, are you sure that you should be explaining your semblance?"
"Coming from the person who explained hers to us," Daniel answered, returning the same compliment, something which Pyrrha couldn't reject. "So, consider us on an even playing ground."
Hearing those words from Daniel caused a bright and honest smile to appear on Pyrrha's face. She explained what her semblance did during the Cardin incident, and in return, Daniel explained his. If Pyrrha had to be honest, it did interest her how the Runes and Glyphs were similar but different. If there was one thing that she noticed, then it would be that the Glyphs' activation is much faster, but the Runes could do things that they were not able to do.
"Are you sure that you should be explaining your semblance?"
"Well, stopping me from using my semblance involves stopping me. If that's the case, I can just accept the challenge."
At that, Daniel held out his balled-up fist towards Pyrrha with a competitive smirk, in return she returned the same smirk and bumped fists with Daniel. Both of them were the first friends that either made during their arrival inside Vale, with an equal amount of respect for one another.
"First, you might need to focus on the target known as Jaune Arc."
"R-Right."
Pyrrha stated, returning to her former position.
Soon enough, Weiss and Jaune returned to their seat beside their respective partners, with them proceeding on with their practice date. Their practice date continued from there, their orders being properly brought straight to the table. From there, the group of four proceeded to eat, while continuing with a basic, no-so-complex talk with one another. A laugh or two was traded at the table, often from some interaction between Daniel and Jaune, both of whom seemed to be in their element in that regard.
The people watching them, Daniel and Weiss could see that their practice date was going along without even the slightest issue. Of course, this was simply the first step in progressing the relationship between both Jaune and Pyrrha, however, if the group had to be honest, this was a good first step for them.
A/N: Well, this is the end of the next chapter of RWBY – Team DUSK, I have to admit that it took some time for me to get this chapter out. To be honest, I didn't know what to do in this chapter and had to think about it more. In the end, I decided to make this a Jaune and Pyrrha-focused chapter, with the growth of their relationship, with their friends aiding them in that. So, the ever-so-sociable duo consisting of Daniel and Yang came together to aid their redhead champion in getting closer to Jaune. But, let's not forget that Daniel and Weiss are an official couple.
I also explained somewhat about Daniel's Runes, but there are going to be some more explanations about what they're capable of. But, the same as Weiss' Gylphs, there looks to be another application for them. Also, I want to be some clarification on Daniel's fighting style, which is reminiscent of that of Jeet Kune Do, if you know it, then you know it.