Hi everyone, long time no see! Sorry it's been so long. I finished the semester, went on vacation, and got COVID lmao. But I'm better now, and as a reward for having to wait so long, this chapter is definitely longer than usual. Thanks again for the reviews and support. It always makes my day to see it.
Let's get it started!
Beta: Wolfy & DamonSkyHartXV
Cover Art: Gyanguirus
Chapter 3 - The Woes of Cookies and Catering
"YOU!"
Jaune couldn't help but wince as the girl's shrill voice rang throughout the gym's reception area. His head twitched as the sound reverberated through his skull, which was still a little weary from Sun's beating from earlier.
How does this girl keep finding ways to endanger my health? He briefly pondered as he rubbed his ear and turned his focus towards her. She stood with her petite shoulders squared and her index finger still outstretched towards him. He wasn't really sure what to expect. Jaune wasn't really one for confrontation, as it usually ended up with getting the short end of the stick, and in this case, the last time he'd seen her she'd stormed out of their promoter's office in a distraught rage.
He was a little nervous to say the least.
"You!" She repeated, as if he hadn't heard her the first time. "You're the guy I hit with the door yesterday."
Despite the circumstances, he felt the tips of his ears burn as he recalled their little accident outside of Glynda's office. He was sure they were red. Nothing like running into the person that knocked you flat on your butt on the worst day of your professional career. His right hand came up to rub at the back of his head as he attempted a sheepish smile.
"Yep, that was me. You got me good." he said with an embarrassed chuckle, hoping a joke might lighten the mood.
It had the opposite effect as he watched her face go red as she whirled away from him, her small hands balling into fists as she raised them to her hair in frustration.
"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed as she turned back to face him. "I didn't mean to leave you there! It was just that I was in a hurry and the door was right there, and I was really upset and you were right outside the office when I hit you and I just couldn't—" Jaune watched in an equal mix of surprise and amusement as the girl continued to spiral, voice steadily getting higher and higher and she continued to attempt to explain her actions, her hands darting all over the place in wild gestures.
Suffice to say, any tension he felt between himself and the girl had evaporated completely as he continued to watch her struggle to stay on topic. Deciding he'd stared long enough, he figured he'd rescue her from the derailing of her own train of thought.
"No worries," He started, letting a small smile spread across his face as her erratic motions began to cease as she returned her attention to him. "I'm sure you didn't mean it."
"That's exactly what I'm saying," she finished as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Just a little accident. Totally. Wrong place, wrong time. Could've happened to anybody." She cut off with a quick giggle that was more awkward than comical.
Ok, she's definitely a little anxious, Jaune thought as he watched her flounder for any way to continue the conversation. Remembering what he'd approached her for, he decided to take the initiative.
"Sorry to sneak up on you like that, I just wanted to tell you how great your spar was."
She looked at him, surprise clear in those silver eyes as her brows darted up. Then they drew down. Her face shifted from momentary shock to something else. Hesitance. "Y-You saw that?"
Well, he promised himself he'd congratulate her, and he would.
"Yeah," He started as he smiled at her, recalling the flawless moonsault that earned her the win, "You were awesome! I haven't seen too many people around here pull moves like that before."
She stared back at him for a moment, clearly still unsure of what he was saying. Did she think he was messing with her? Patronizing her? Oh man, was he coming off that way? He didn't mean to.
"Sorry, was that too much?" he asked weakly. He was shaken out of his doubt as her voice broke the silence.
"You thought I was a-awesome?" she asked, but in truth it came out more as a squeak. He couldn't quite tell if it was embarrassment or genuine surprise.
But Jaune Arc was never one to let someone's talents go unappreciated. Even if he was having a hard time right now, that didn't mean he couldn't still elevate those who deserved to be praised. In fact, it was all the more reason to.
"Yeah, the way you ended it too, that moonsault into the pin was incredible!"
It was like he'd flipped a switch.
The hesitation left her expression as quickly as it had crept in, those enchanting silver eyes that had momentarily appeared dull began to shine like two bright lanterns. Her chest swelled as she stood straighter, an earnest smile spreading across her face.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, with a tone so genuine he couldn't help but grin back at her as she continued. "It's been a while since I used that one. High risk, high reward. It's my baby after all." she said, preening with pride.
"Of course," He replied. "You were so fast; he couldn't keep up at all."
"I know right! I just kept zigzagging and jumping off the ropes then BAM!" She crowed, throwing a knee at the air as if reliving the moment she'd clocked her opponent on the chin with it just a little while ago, excitement crackled like lightning in her eyes. Clearly, she wasn't used to getting an opportunity to talk about her matches.
Jaune couldn't help but laugh as he watched her, the awkward chit-chat from earlier long forgotten as the girl's infectious energy revitalized him, the weariness of his loss to Sun fading away.
"That knee you did back there," Jaune inquired, "Was that Harriet Bree's signature move?"
The girl's eyes widened with glee. "You know her?" How could he not? He'd always been a bit of a wrestling nerd, and Harriet Bree was currently ranked in the top twenty wrestlers in the singles division. Her ring nickname was "The Hare," named for her incredible speed and viscous combinations. While not exactly the most popular wrestler, her promos falling a bit flat, Jaune could definitely appreciate her skills.
"Of course I do, she's one of the most underrated in the company right now."
"That's what I'm saying!" The girl grinned back. "She's one of my favorites. The Hare can run circles around anybody."
"Kind of like what you did with that guy." Jaune noted, smiling back.
She flushed a bit, clearly not used to the praise, but she nodded back shyly. "Yeah, just like that."
"Yeah, you definitely got him good." He joked. "What was with that guy anyway? Seems like he totally blew you off." He said as he felt his brows draw down at the memory of the jerk that slapped her hand away. "What happened to sportsmanship?" The girl's cordial demeanor dropped for a moment as her eyes flicked away from his.
"Y-yeah, some sportsmanship." She offered with a weak laugh that he couldn't help but feel sounded a bit too forced. Way to go, Jaune. He thought to himself. Clearly, she was still reeling from it.
An awkward silence descended over the two of them. The girl felt it and went to say something. It must've gotten caught in her throat, because she let out a quick cough before resigning herself to looking out the window at the rainy parking lot. He went to break it, but something gold over her shoulder caught his eye. While the pounding rain almost managed to obscure any sight from the window, the bright headlights of a hulking yellow behemoth of a van shone through the precipitation as it pulled up in front of the performance center.
"What the heck is that?" He heard the girl next to him mutter under her breath in incredulity.
Good Ol' Sun, Jaune smiled as he rolled his eyes at the obscene sight of the Bananawagon. Couldn't have had better timing. He'd never been great at introductions or carrying on small talk, especially when it was spur of the moment. Hell, if he hadn't seen that jerk snub her after her win, he didn't even know if he would've walked up to her. He was so much better at promos. Wrestling's sacred art of the microphone. Something about the crowd and their energy fueled him, or at least sharpened his wit.
A quick beep of the horn startled him from his thoughts. That was right, Sun was waiting for him. His grip tightened on his gym bag as he lifted its strap onto his shoulder. He turned back to the girl.
"Welp, there's my ride," he started, "It was nice talking with you–" He trailed off, his mind grasping at straws until realized. He hadn't even asked her name. Wow Jaune, you're really killing it today huh. He thought with a groan. Thankfully, he was rescued before he could continue to make a fool of himself.
"Ruby." she said, a small smile playing on her face as she spoke. "I'm Ruby."
Jaune flashed a smile back. "It was nice meeting you Ruby. I hope I see you around here again sometime!" She gave a nod and a timid wave back as he turned and began his walk to the entrance.
Sun had opened the passenger door and was waiting for him, impatiently tapping his fingers on the van's gaudy golden wheel. "There you are dude!" He exclaimed. "Bout time, now hop in, you're letting the rain in. This baby ain't cheap!" Jaune gave an apologetic laugh and climbed in, buckling his seatbelt. The van pulled out from in front of the gym and drove off.
"So," Sun started, "Who were you talking to?"
"Hm?"
"Come on bro, that girl you were talking to in there. I have eyes y'know." Sun deadpanned. It turned to a teasing grin. "Since when did my boy grow the balls to start approaching the ladies?"
Jaune sighed. Of course, even through the pouring rain that Jaune was barely able to see the van out of, Sun would still find a way to see if Jaune was talking to a girl. Even back when they were taking wrestling classes, Jaune would find Sun winking or whistling at him anytime he so much as looked in a woman's direction. To his credit though, he was always down to wingman.
"It's not like that, man," he groaned, "I saw her sparring earlier and wanted to talk to her about it."
Sun hummed. "Was she good? Couldn't recognize her from the back."
Ruby soaring through the air in her gravity defying moonsault flashed across his vision. "Dude, she was incredible."
Sun's eyebrows rose. "Sheesh, high praise. Maybe I'll have to see if she's down to spar next time I'm in town."
In town? Right, his mind had been so busy with the spar and meeting Ruby he'd totally forgotten Sun was leaving in a few days. Then he'd be without a gym buddy yet again. Maybe he'd take Ren and Nora up on that group training session offer. As fun as it would be, it didn't fix the problem with needing to make a change. Oh well, problems for later. He switched his focus back to his friend.
"So, what's the plan, Sun? About going back to Vacuo?" Jaune inquired. Sun grinned as he turned the wheel to the right. "I'm glad you asked, bro. Nep and I are packing up the apartment today, we leave tomorrow, then it's back for some sweet, sweet, training with the boys. I figure we've got a few more months before we come back for the tag tournament anyway."
"How're you feeling about it? I mean you did a number on me today." Jaune joked back.
"You did fine, bro," Sun was quick to assure him. "Nep and I are gonna kill it! Mark my words dude, you're gonna be hearing them crown The Beach Boys the new Vytal World Tag-Team Champions."
That was Sun for you, always brimming with confidence. Jaune did wonder who he'd end up rooting for if it came to Sun and Neptune versus Ren and Nora in the finals. Hopefully he'd be able to play the neutral party if it came to it. Both groups were special to him.
"What about you, Jaune? What's the plan?"
Jaune's brows drew down. "Like, for the future? Or just for now?
Sun gave a quick chuckle. "One step at a time, man. What's your next move?"
Jaune let his eyes drift shut. "Well, I've got one more show appearance on Friday for a promo, then I start my break. I'm thinking I might ask Ren to train with me, or maybe see if Ms. Goodwitch knows someone."
Sun grunted in acknowledgement as they turned onto Jaune's street. The Bananawagon slowed to a stop at the curb and Sun pulled the keys out of the ignition, before turning to look at him. "I meant what I said in the gym brother, whatever it is you're looking for, you're gonna find it. Next time I see you, I'll be meeting the brand new badass Jaune Arc."
There he went again, always knowing how to pick someone up when they were down. Jaune leaned forward and gave him a quick one-armed hug, before nodding his thanks and opening the door, hopping out and walking to his door.
When he reached the doorstep, he gave a look over his shoulder, waving Sun off as the monkey boy started his journey back to Vacuo.
/
His heartbeat throbbed in his ears like a heavy drum, creating an anxious rhythm that threatened to overtake him. His stomach hadn't quite settled despite his best efforts, flipping, flopping, and threatening to empty itself with every labored step he took up the steel stairs. His mouth was dry, and he made a vain attempt to swallow his spittle to wet it. In a strange way, the familiar ailments filled him with warmth.
It was showtime.
Microphone clasped a little too firmly in his right hand, he finished climbing the steps to the apron of the ring. Not quite inside, but the area just outside the ropes, barely big enough for someone to walk across, or in some extreme cases, to battle on. He paused for a moment and turned to face the sea of clamoring bodies, pausing to take it all in. The dull roar of the crowd weaved in with his own theme music made his blood boil with excitement to the point where he could practically feel it racing through his circulatory system.
I'm really going to miss this, he thought to himself, finally feeling alive for the first time in several days.
He took a deep breath before he ducked between the ropes and climbed into the empty ring. Jaune looked down at his outfit, relieved it had survived its last wash, and even though the ol' duds were on death's door, he was happy he had them at this moment.
Even the judgmental pants.
He waited a few beats for the restless crowd to settle, letting the tension build up. It wasn't every day he had his very own promo, and he was sure they were wondering just what exactly he was out here to do. Was he going to call someone out? Was he going to throw in the towel? Letting them do the thinking themselves was the perfect way to start his speech. The lights that shone down on him wreathed him like a halo as he finally brought the mic to his lips.
"I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here, and let me tell you, you're not the only ones."
Something simple to start off and pique intrigue. Now it was time to get to the good stuff.
"You may have seen it, but earlier this week…I lost to Cardin Winchester."
He'd been hoping for it, and kind of knew it was coming, but he still couldn't help but smile as the crowd booed in displeasure at the name of his former opponent.
"Well, I appreciate that," He laughed. "But hey, Cardin's a real competitor and I lost fair and square. And I gotta be honest, I'm starting to get a little sick of it." A hand came up to rub the back of his head as he let himself speak from the heart, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
"I'm tired of coming out here and losing fair and square."
He could hear a few murmurs of agreement in the crowd, so he let himself continue.
"I'm better than that," he started, gritting his teeth as the crowd began to swell, "I know I'm better than that!" He went on, emotion creeping into his voice. The anxiety and fear were nowhere to be found as he drove the mic back to his mouth. "You people know I'm better than that!" He finished with a yell as the crowd roared their agreement behind him. They still had his back, even at his lowest.
He waited for them to quiet down before he continued, the mass of bodies now fully invested in his next words.
"And I'll prove it to you. I promise. But right now, I'm not sure that I can." He then took a deep breath and prepared himself to say the words he'd been dreading since his talk with Goodwitch.
"So I'm leaving."
The crowd erupted in protest, a mix of boos and yells of displeasure at the insinuation that he was hanging up the boots. He was quick to rescue them.
"Not for good," he laughed as he pulled them back in, "But I'm going to take a long break. I'm going to train hard. I'm going to improve. I will become the person you always thought I could be. And when I come back, I promise you all…" He left himself trail off, building anticipation, then he ripped the microphone back to his mouth and poured out his heart.
"I WILL BE A VYTAL CHAMPION!"
He felt a wild smile spread across his face as the sound engineers in the back got their cue. His theme music blasted through the speakers, finishing his promo with a victorious farewell, rather than a sad exit. Jaune threw his left arm up and forward in a furious fist pump to the crowd. He stepped forward and slipped through the ropes with ease, the cables bouncing off his back and closing, almost like a curtain call. He hopped down to the floor and began his walk up the ramp.
To his joy, there were even a few hands that reached out for him as he walked through the lines of adoring fans. He made sure to high five as many as he could. Were they treating him nicer because he was leaving? Sure, but at that moment it didn't matter.
"You'll gettem Jaune!" A kid on his left yelled.
"You got this buddy!" A man on his right hollered at him.
Yeah, he really was going to miss this. As he made it to the top of the ramp and back on the stage, he turned around one last time, making sure to take a mental picture of the arena and the fans, before giving a quick wave and walking behind the curtain.
He entered the gorilla, the strangely named part of the stadium that served as a staging area. The room was adorned wall to wall with monitors showing the arena and ring. He likened it to an ant colony, watching several sound engineers, lighting technicians, and managers dart around. This was where the magic happened. It also wasn't unusual to see wrestlers waiting here ready for their music to hit before they went on to entertain the crowd.
Today though, he noticed it seemed busier than usual. It typically wasn't this packed unless there was some big return happening. Whatever it was, he hadn't heard about it. He spotted Ms. Goodwitch at one of the monitors, looking stern as ever as she chatted with someone's manager. She was the heart and soul of the operation after all, since he was still yet to see Ozpin around. She spotted him and gave him a quick nod and a small smile.
I must've been pretty good, then, he thought, a little pride creeping into his posture. He continued through the mess of people into the hallway and started the journey back to the locker room. He found himself enjoying the contrasting silence of the stadium's vast hall, letting himself wind down after the thrill of his segment.
"THERE'S MY FEARLESS LEADER!" He heard a voice shriek in joy.
And there it went. He couldn't help but smile as he tried to brace for impact. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the pink comet rocketing towards him. Then the only thing he felt next were his bones shifting as two adorable but wiry arms wrapped around him and plucked him off his feet.
He found himself looking down at the smiling face of Nora Valkyrie. She giggled as she spun around, bringing him in tow.
"Nora," a voice called out from behind them, "You're going to kill him if you keep it up." Jaune craned his neck to see Ren catching up to them, electing to walk rather than tackle.
"Okay Ren." Nora said in a singsong voice and set Jaune down. She turned her attention back to him. "You were great out there, Jauney! Really riled em' up."
Jaune laughed and rubbed his head with a sheepish smile. "You think so?"
"She's not wrong," Ren started, "It was a good speech, Jaune."
Nora rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated groan. "They're called promos, Ren. Speeches sound like old man stuff."
Jaune chuckled at her antics while Ren just let his eyes drift shut. That was the two of them for you, couldn't be further opposites and yet they were inseparable. They were right, the promo had gone well. The crowd had eaten it up, but he couldn't help but feel it was bittersweet. He could talk all the smack in the world, but at the end of the day, he was still at the bottom of the totem pole here. He wasn't even able to take out Sun. After all, his whole speech was basically apologizing for being a loser to them, with a vague promise he'd make it up to all those who'd believed in him.
No pressure.
"So where are you two headed?" Jaune inquired, seeing as the two were in their ring gear. While he'd seen Ren's plenty of times, it was always fun to see Nora ready for battle. She wore a white sports bra top with hot pink accents. Her logo was stamped on the bank. A dark pink hammer with a lightning bolt crashing through it. The sleeves fed into big clunky pink shoulder pads to really sell the barbarian look. Thankfully, they were clipped on, and Nora usually ditched them once her entrance was over. She wore pink boyshorts and tall white boots, leaving a long stretch of thigh, or thunder thigh as Nora would call them.
Those tree trunks she called quad muscles were the foundation of her power. And while her outfit didn't leave a lot to the imagination, if you got caught gawking, you were sure to pay the price.
"We've got a match in ten!" Nora cheered. "And as Ren always says–"
"Every bit of practice counts." Ren finished.
"Awesome." Jaune smiled. "By the way guys, the gorilla is packed today. I saw it on my way here. You should probably head there early to get a spot to warm up."
Ren tilted his head and hummed. "That makes sense, considering what today is."
Jaune drew a blank. He'd only been gone for a few days. "What's today?"
Nora gawked at him. "You didn't read the email?"
Ah. No, he did not. In fact, he hadn't checked his work email since Monday. Glynda had already told him what she wanted from him, no need to keep checking. He glanced back at Nora who gave him a pointed "Go check it" look. He thumbed his scroll from his pocket and tapped the email icon. It didn't take long for him to find it. In bold letters the subject read "UPDATE: NEW SIGNING" He opened it.
Hello All,
We are excited to share with you that Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, has officially signed with the Vytal Wrestling Company. Pyrrha made her name on the independent circuits and has won Mistral's branch of the VWC's regional singles tournament four years in a row. She is bound to add an exciting new dimension to our already stellar lineup. Please give Ms. Nikos a warm welcome as she joins us this Friday for her debut.
Best,
Glynda Goodwitch & Ozpin
Co-Promoters of the VWC
The scroll nearly slipped from Jaune's grip as his eyes widened. "You're kidding. They actually got her to sign."
Nora nodded at him. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it. She's been the talk of the industry for months now!" Four tournament wins in a row? Jaune could see why.
"She's the hottest new prospect since Dragonheart." Ren added.
Jaune hummed at the familiar name. It was one he hadn't heard in a long time. Back when he was new, Dragonheart was all anyone ever talked about. She was supposed to be the next big thing. Lauded as the greatest wrestler to ever grace Signal's promotion. However, shortly after she signed with the VWC, she dropped off the circuit with an injury, and never really came back. It looked like the company wasn't waiting around this time before they threw Pyrrha right into the spotlight.
"Good for her." Jaune mumbled. Just what he needed, another singles star to compete with. Nora must've noticed his doubt and marched up to him.
"Don't get all worried Jaune." She smiled, taking on a slightly teasing tone. "Besides, that tag offer's always open if you don't wanna tussle with the big bad invincible girl." She gave a light punch to his shoulder, and he smirked back. Ren's voice cut through their shenanigans.
"Nora, Jaune said we should get a move on before it gets too crowded."
"Coming Ren!" She called out, turning towards him before freezing in place and looking back at Jaune. "Wait! Jauney, could you do me a biiiiig favor?"
Jaune had been down this route before. "You're gonna have to tell me what it is first."
Nora looked scandalized, but her mischievous tone undercut her expression. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do," Jaune started, "But last time I did you a favor you tried to piledriver me off the ring apron onto the floor." And hadn't that been an unfortunate trip to the chiropractor. Thankfully he'd convinced her to do it onto several soft mats instead.
Nora's expression morphed into a grin. "Fair enough. It's dessert-for-dinner day in catering and I was wondering if you could grab me a few of those stuffed pancakes they got there."
"They're called crepes, Nora." Ren chided.
"Same difference." She huffed back and the two descended into a fierce yet quiet debate over the identity of pancakes.
There they go again, Jaune thought to himself. He decided to interrupt before they really got into it. They already had a match tonight; they didn't need another right now.
"You got it, Nora." Jaune said and made a mental note to hit up catering once he'd changed out of his gear. "You're the best!" Nora crowed back as Ren pulled her towards the gorilla.
Man, he loved those two.
/
The aroma graced his nose even before he pushed through the door. Catering was the same as it ever was. He didn't get down here too often, on account of usually having his stomach thrown around fifteen times in all different directions before he had a chance to partake, but the few times he had eaten here it had been great.
The walls were lined with tables covered in stainless steel trays containing a dream buffet of everything you could ever want. Sometimes they had themes. Cookout burgers and hot-dogs, holiday dinners with turkey and mashed potatoes, and even a seafood night. He usually made sure to avoid seafood nights, especially after half the locker room was floored with food poisoning from the shrimp they'd been served. Glynda had been on the warpath. Or she would've been if she hadn't been confined to her private bathroom for the duration.
Tonight was dessert themed. Despite the appetizing spread, there were only a few people partaking in the buffet. The trays were stacked high with chocolate-chip-cookies, chocolates, and anything that would give you a mouthful of cavities. There was a whole ice cream bar complete with a chocolate fountain next to it. The VWC never did anything halfway, and when Vale's branch was the biggest, you got to enjoy whatever luxuries came with that.
He spied the crepe table and grabbed a paper plate, picking up the spatula and placing three crepes on the platter. He paused, and thought better of it, moving to grab three more to make it six. Nora's ferocious brutality was only matched by her vicious appetite. He ended up circling back to the cookie table to grab Nora a few extra goodies. She'd give him a big hug when she found he went the extra mile. He also made sure to pack a few shortbread sweets for Ren. The two deserved it.
As he turned to leave and catch the rest of their match, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over and saw a small figure he hadn't seen when he'd come in, seated over towards the far side of the room by a supply closet.
The figure seemed to be hidden behind a small mountain of chocolate-chip-cookies and chocolate-covered strawberries. What got his attention, however, was a little flash of silver behind the cookie cacophony. There was only one person he knew with silver eyes around here.
"Ruby?" He called out. "Is that you?"
The cookie mountain didn't move, but he did notice two silver chips that didn't look like chocolate now looking at him. Was she hiding from him? He did kind of ruin the mood a few days ago. Maybe she just wanted to eat her cookies in peace. After all, she didn't exactly strike him as extroverted.
"Ruby, I can see you, you know."
He heard a muffled curse, then saw a head of black and crimson hair pop out from behind the sweet haul.
"H-Hey Jaune." She said, giving him a quick wave.
"Were you hiding from me?" he asked as he began to walk over.
"Nope." She replied a little too fast. Her eyes shifted to the pile of sweets in his hand. "Wow, that's a lot of crepes."
Jaune looked down at her cookie mountain and raised an eyebrow. Ruby followed his gaze to her pile of baked goods and flushed.
"This is totally different! Cookies are ten times the snack crepes are!" Ruby spluttered, looking up at him to give him a fierce pout. She almost looked like a puppy trying to be intimidating. The two held eye contact for a second, before they both began to break out in laughter.
"You looked so mad!" Jaune laughed as he set down the crepes in fear of dropping the delicious payload, happy that she'd seemed to have forgotten the awkward end of their last conversation.
"Because you insulted the best snack ever!" Ruby yelled back, her own pile of cookies threatening to fall from her lap.
"Sorry, sorry. How are the snacks today?" He inquired.
"They're the best!" She cheered as she popped another in her mouth, reaching over to wash it down with a glass of milk.
"I can tell, considering you've got around seven more to go." Jaune joked.
"You've got no room to judge! I can see that crepe abomination." Ruby joked back.
"Jokes on you, these aren't even mine." He quipped.
"That's what they all say." Ruby accused, pointing a finger at his chest.
Jaune just shrugged his shoulders and grinned. He paused for a second, as it occurred to him this was the second time she'd made him laugh when he was with her. Ruby seemed to have a knack for lowering his guard. Plus, it wasn't every day you got to meet someone who knew the lower ranked wrestlers. Usually when you asked someone around here who inspired their moveset, you'd get answers like Coco Adel, Clover Ebi, and especially former champ Qrow Branwen. It was early to be sure, but maybe Ruby knew her stuff.
"I saw your promo," Ruby began as she took another swig from her glass of milk, "You were amazing out there!"
Jaune flushed at the praise and gave a half-shrug. "Eh, it was alright, nothing special." He sighed and looked away. "Nothing amazing about telling the fans "Hey look at me! Sorry for disappointing you all again!"" A sing-songy bitterness found its way into his voice as he finished the thought. It only took a second to realize he'd let a bit of his own self-loathing out and turned to face Ruby. Her blank expression stared back at him, as if she was worried to interrupt.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to vent–"
"I don't think it sounded like that." She murmured. Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Really?" He asked.
"Are you kidding me! You had the whole arena buzzing. The way you got them to cheer, it was like magic." She began, looking him dead in the eye as she spread her arms. "Your words, the passion in your voice towards the end, the promise to become a champion, it was electric!" She was gesturing animatedly with her hands now, her silver eyes practically glowing. "The way you opened up to them, let them know your pain and feelings, it was raw, it was real."
Jaune found himself unable to look away from her as she continued, any traces of the awkward girl gone as she analyzed his promo.
"It was relatable to everyone who's ever felt they didn't belong. You inspired them, Jaune. You gave them something to believe in. Someone to believe in. Don't take that for granted." She finished, her smile appearing almost wistful as she stopped to take a breath. Her expression dropped as she looked back at him, face suddenly going white. "I did it again, didn't I? I went off on another tangent and that must've been really weird for you to hear, and it sounded like I paid WAY too much attention to your segment, and we don't know each other too well yet and you definitely think I'm weird now and–" Her voice continued to get higher and higher with every sentence.
But in truth, Jaune hadn't even noticed. He felt his heartbeat in his ears again, but for a completely different reason. He had taken it for granted, hadn't he? He'd gone out there and laid himself bare for everyone out there, taking that pain that swirled like a storm inside him and brought it to the surface to make them a promise he had to keep. But the second he'd gone backstage he'd let reality bring him right back down again. If he didn't believe in that promise he'd made them tonight, if he didn't believe he'd come back and win a world championship, he'd be letting them down before he even gave it an honest effort. Ruby was right.
She really did get it, didn't she?
"–And now you probably just want me to leave you alone!" She finished with a wail. Jaune laughed and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Ruby. That means a lot."
"Eh?"
The girl in question looked up at him in confusion. "So, you're not weirded out?"
"Nope." He replied. "I think…I think I really needed to hear that today."
"No problem! That's what friends are for after all." She nodded back, a hint of hesitation in her tone, mixed with a little bit of hope.
"We're friends?" Jaune asked.
Ruby flushed before looking back at him. "Well, you thought I was pretty cool at the gym and we're talking now, and we laughed about my cookies but if you–"
"Friends it is." Jaune assured her as he watched her light up. Maybe she was just having a crummy day or maybe she just didn't have too many friends, because his words clearly had an impact on her.
"You're really passionate about the business huh?" Jaune asked.
"Definitely," She started, "I've been a fan since I was five!"
"Then why haven't I seen you on the show?" Jaune wondered out loud. It was something that had been on his mind since he saw her here. He'd seen her in the ring, Ruby was incredibly talented, definitely better than he was at least. However, during his time here, he couldn't recall a single time he'd seen her before meeting her at the gym earlier that week.
He realized his mistake the second he saw her reaction. Her brows drew down and the toothy grin she'd worn ran away from her face. Her little shoulders hunched, and she looked away, gazing back towards the buffet tables.
"No reason." She said, voice barely above a whisper. Jaune instinctively put his hands up in surrender, not that she saw him. It was a habit he'd picked up from when he'd accidentally said something that pissed off his sisters.
"Sorry," He quickly began, "I just thought that since you're so good in the ring that you'd be on tele–" She cut him off.
"I don't get to go on television, Jaune." She murmured miserably. "They won't let me. I get dropped off here, I have to come to this same small freaking room and eat catering all day while everyone else gets to compete, then my sister picks me up and I go home. That's all I get to do."
"I didn't mean to make you upset." Jaune stated, not wanting to trouble his new friend. "I just–"
"It's okay, you didn't know." Ruby cut in as she gave him a shaky smile he knew she didn't feel. "I-I think I'm done with my cookies now. I'll see you around, Jaune." She finished as she got up and skulked towards the door.
He thought about stopping her, but let her go, not wanting to force the issue.
The classic Arc "Put your foot in your mouth" technique never fails, he grumbled to himself.
Ruby really was an interesting one. She was his friend, at least he was pretty sure she still was. It floored him that she couldn't get on TV. Was that why she stormed out of Ms. Goodwitch's office back when she hit him with the door? Glynda had mentioned it, but he thought it was just a one-time thing. Clearly, nobody had any intention of letting Ruby on the program. But why? Did they just not have any material for her? Why wouldn't they? She was fast, strong, and knowledgeable. On paper she sounded like the ideal candidate.
One thing was for sure though, as he watched her push her way out the door and into the hall.
He'd get to the bottom of it.
There's another chapter in the books! I'm really proud of this one. This is the first chapter/story I've ever written where there's no big action scene. Just that sweet, sweet, character development. Let me know what you think in the reviews. Any feedback is appreciated always :).
I'll try and get the next chapter done as soon as I can, but until then, thanks again for reading!