Do it for her
…
It was a bright and cheery Monday morning, a school day no less. The sun was cresting over the hills, the garden grass dewy and shiny in the early morning light. The kitchen overlooking the garden was alive with the clinks of cutlery and the warm sharpening aroma of Ground Vacuo coffee. The toaster pinged and deft hands plucked them from the hot slots.
The coffee was warm and inviting to the dulled morning senses, as Parents Jaune and Pyrrha Nikos-Arc readied their daughter for the day. Jaune poured two cups of the black liquid, stirring it with a spoon, clinking away against the inside of his "World's best dad" mug and Pyrrha's "Worlds best Mom, sorry not sorry" cup.
"She got her books?" Jaune asked as he placed his hands on his wife's hips to move around her back to the fridge, humming a cheerful tune as he retrieved the milk. Pyrrha smiled contently, tucking children's books and math homework into the adorably small backpack.
"Books, check. Homework, check. Aaand her lunch. Check." Reaching into the bag she slotted in the plastic box of neatly made sandwiches and fruit chunks, for a taste of sweetness after. "It's so cute, I swear." She giggled as she zipped up the bag.
"Speaking of cute, where is Oriana?" Jaune asked, stirring the milk into his and her coffee. Pyrrha set the bag down and padded out the room and up the stairs.
"Oriana?" Pyrrha called, more muffled the further away she got. Jaune hummed a cheery few notes as he spread butter and Mistrali jam over toast, setting the plates of crispy bread onto the table. As he sat in his seat and flicked open the newspaper with typical dad fashion, the snoot of his Auburn furred doggo Luna appeared under the tabloid.
"Oh yeah, sorry boy." Jaune huffed, slapping the paper down and getting up with a groan, the happy dog clacking on the tiled floor around his feet. Jaune poured some kibble into a bowl and set it down by Luna's water dish, bathed in gold light by the back door. "There you go buddy." He ruffled the big dog's ears, before seating himself heavily.
Then came the loud uneven footfalls of an excitable six-year-old.
"Dad!"
"Kid!" Jaune laughed as she giggled. "All ready for school?" he leaned forward on his elbows, cradling his mug of coffee. Pyrrha padded in behind her daughter, leaning over to kiss her goldy red locks.
"Have your breakfast, Oriana." Pyrrha instructed as the six-year-old kiddo clambered into her seat. Ori frowned at the toast.
"Heyyyy, this isn't bacon and eggs!"
Jaune laughed merrily. "Well I can't be doing that every morning, kiddo! It's a treat, occasional, kay?" He smiled, sipping his coffee as Pyrrha sat in her seat opposite.
"Exactly. It's not good for you in large amounts, but an occasional treat is okay." Pyrrha licked her thumb, scrubbing toothpaste marks off the edges of Oriana's lips. "Such a messy pup."
Ori whined and eventually relented to her mother's cleansing. Then the bright blue-eyed girl gasped. "Oh! Dad?" She drew out the name as Jaune looked up over his paper.
"Yeah kiddo?"
"You know the school play?" She asked, picking up her toast to give it a munch.
"Mmm?" Jaune lowered his coffee cup from his lips. "The one this Wednesday, right? The school's doing a show about The girl who fell through the world, right?"
"Yeah!" She nodded brightly. "Well, Daffodil's Dad was supposed to play the Rusted Knight, but he dropped out." Ori shrugged, biting her toast. Pyrrha lowered her mug from her lips with knitted brows.
"Oh? Is he okay?"
"I dunno. Daffodil just said something about ex-explosive dia-"
"Okay, not at the breakfast table, darling." Pyrrha chuckled awkwardly. "Though we hope he gets better soon." Jaune and Pyrrha shared a stare.
"Yeah, we do. Jeez. No amount of Aura helpin that, um a-anyways." Jaune cleared his throat into his fist. "So, who's playing the Knight now?" He asked, thumbing some crumbs off Ori's cheek. Ori shrugged.
"No one's volumteered!"
"Volunteered, sweetie." Pyrrha smiled adoringly.
"Yeah dat."
Jaune knitted his brows at where this was going. Ori looked up at him with big blue eyes.
"Daaaad?"
"Y-Yeah?" he gulped, sweating. Oh no.
"Could you play the Rusted Knight?" Ori asked. "Pleeeeaaaase?"
Jaune gawked and Pyrrha snorted, lowering her coffee cup with a quiet cough.
"On Wednesday? So... two days time?" Pyrrha looked at her bewildered husband. Jaune gave a nervous laugh.
"Heh, ooh, uhh... w-well what about Mr Lewis? He always seemed like a big Rusted Knight fan!" Jaune tugged his shirt collar. Ori shrugged, kicking her legs beneath the table.
"Nah, he said he's not manly enough. Whatever that means." Ori shrugged. "Pleeeeaaase Dad? The show must go on!" She firmed her lip, slapping her tiny fist down into her palm. "O-Or at least that's what Mr Shakespeare says at school."
"Mr Shakespeare's the school cook, isn't he?"
"Yeah, but he says theatre is art. A-And that we should do Macbeth next."
"You're all six!"
"Yeahhh." Ori shrugged, sighing. "Daaad, why don't you wanna play him?"
Jaune huffed. "I uhh, well... I'm... I'm not a good actor!" He run his hand through his hair. "I mean Pyr, c'mon. Remember when I was an extra on that commercial you did?"
Pyrrha suddenly started laughing loudly, covering her mouth with a blush at her family's wide eyes. "Ahem. Um, no! You were wonderful!"
"I tripped over the sound guy and flew through the table." Jaune deadpanned.
"Whoa." Ori gasped. "Cool!"
"Uh huh. Awesome." Jaune mumbled. He sighed, tapping a rhythm into the side of his mug. He looked back to his daughter's big blue eyes, and then to his wife's big supportive green ones, the corner's crinkling with love and the same support she'd given him from the moment they met, all the way to their six-year-old daughter.
"Pleeeaaase?" Ori begged.
Jaune relented. "It's Wednesday, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright, fine. I'll do it." Jaune huffed as Ori stood up on her chair to fist pump.
"Yeah!"
"Don't stand on the chair Oriana." Pyrrha frowned, Ori sitting rapidly.
"Sorry!" Ori smiled up at Jaune. "You'll do it?"
He smiled back. "Sure, why not. Maybe this'll be my big break, you never know." He chuckled with Pyrrha. He sobered. "Do uh, do I need an outfit?"
"Oh. Yeah. Daffodil's dad was practicing in the costume when he had the expl-"
"Okayyy, we get the idea." Pyrrha looped some hair behind her ear. "And Jaune. Honey, you're already halfway there to Rusted Knight. You already have armour." She shrugged, lacing her fingers under her chin.
"I guess, yeah." he shrugged. She smiled laxly.
"Then we'll get some washable markers and make it look all rusted. Wipe clean after."
"That's... a great idea." Jaune nodded, rubbing his chin. "Do I uh, have many lines?"
Ori fumbled off the chair and rooted around in her bag. "Not too many." She hefted out the binder of quotes, slamming it on the table. Jaune blinked at it, then his wife.
"Uhh..."
"Then you die." Ori shrugged up at him. Jaune raised a brow.
"Oh yeah. I get poisoned by the brat- Alyx I mean." Her Dad huffed, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, well I'll grab some washable markers after I drop you at school and then-"
"No, I wanna help!" Ori bounced. Jaune chuckled, calming his daughter.
"I'll just buy them on the way back. Then tonight you and I can paint the armour, okay?"
"Grand!" Ori giggled, a quote she'd picked up off her Mom, it was adorable really. "Ooh! We need to make a helmet too!"
"What, what is- is there anything else I need to know?!"
"Yeah! Don't eat Mrs Lavender's cooking." Ori deadpanned, before leaning forward to whisper. "That's what got the last Rusted Knight."
"Hah! The Knight did get poisoned huh? Seriously though we hope Daffodil's Dad feels better soon."
...
That late afternoon, Pyrrha picked her daughter up from school, opting to walk home through the nature walk, hand in hand as her excited Ori babbled about her day and the Play on Wednesday. Pyrrha smiled lovingly as her daughter hopped and skipped over stones, all while firmly grasping her mother's hand.
"... And then Dandelion said Oh yeah? Then she shoved him."
"Aw well that's not nice." Pyrrha frowned. Ori shrugged.
"Nah, he deserved it. Plus, they made up after." Her child explained, before humming a tune. "Oh! Mom?"
"Yes, dear?" Pyrrha smiled down at her. Ori beamed back up.
"You're coming to the play, right?"
"Of course! We booked front row seats! And besides, who else is going to film my daughter's big show, hmm?" Pyrrha swung her arm as Ori giggled upward and then gently back down to her feet.
"Yay! I'm sorry we don't have any roles for you to play." Ori shrugged. Pyrrha smiled.
"Oh, hah, well that's okay, I'm sure I'll be fine, not too heartbroken about it." Gods I dodged a bullet there.
"Okay. Oh! And Citrus is bringing her cat! He's gonna be the Curious cat!"
"Is... Is that the same cat that clawed Jaune at her birthday party a few years ago?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Well, this should interesting." Pyrrha snorted as they neared home.
Eventually keys jangled in the door, and they stepped inside their comfy abode. "We're home!"
"Daaaad?!"
"Let's get your shoes off first." Pyrrha giggled at her excited adorable daughter. Ori undid her Velcro strips on her booties and kicked them off, Pyrrha sighing as she ran off into the house. "Messy pup."
"Daaad?! You didn't start without me, did you?!"
Pyrrha snorted as said husband descended the staircase, his Huntsmen armour nestled in his arms. He missed the bottom tread and Pyrrha quickly pressed her palms into his chest, stopping his slip.
"Oop!" they laughed softly, noses touching. "Thanks." he smiled. She smiled back, giving him a soft kiss.
"Hello again." She sobered. "You are okay doing this right? I know you hate having all eyes on you and such."
Jaune shrugged with a smile. "Nah, I can suck it up. It's a kid's school play. The rest of the cast is six years old, so I'm sure the stress on getting your lines perfect won't be an issue. Remember the girl in the tower play from a few years back?"
Pyrrha giggled, resting her forehead on his. "I do, yes. The girl in the tower completely forgot her lines and stormed off in a tantrum."
"See? So, if I forget em I'll just do that, it's what all the big method actors do." He shrugged as Pyrrha giggled, cupping his cheeks with fondness.
"Oh, how I adore you, my husband." She kissed him once more, softly.
"There you are! Ewwwww yuckie kissy!" Ori hid behind Luna as he panted happily. Pyrrha smirked at Ori.
"Jaune, I think our daughter finds kissies yuckie."
"Hmmm seems so." He set his armour down. "You know what that means." He quickly hefted his daughter up as she giggled and tried to escape, Pyrrha pouting her lips and getting nearer.
"Nooo!" Ori laughed as Pyrrha peppered her with kisses.
Luna was just happy to be there, and he couldn't wait for them to find the hairball he'd hacked up in the kitchen!
...
A hairball cleaned up, and dinner cooked and eaten, the Arkos household was settling into a cosy evening. Fed and content, Pyrrha was softly napping on the sofa, with Luna sprawled out by the foot of the chair. The sun had gone to bed and stars shone brightly in the night sky overhead.
The fireplace had been lit a few hours prior, crackling and popping away softly, embers and soot climbing up the chimney breast. And sat on the floor by the fire, Jaune sat cross legged with an intricate carboard creation in his lap. His tongue stuck out as he pushed two flaps of card together.
"Okay Ori, a little tape here?" He tapped the joint with his thumb. She nodded and slapped the tape in place. "Nice!"
They sat back upright and held the Carboard Knight's helmet up in the flickering light.
"Not bad, huh?" Jaune smiled to his daughter as she excitably bounced.
"It's grand!" She grabbed the pack of pens. "Now we colour it in!"
Jaune laid out some newspaper and seated the helmet on it, leaving Ori to colour and rust it up. He stood and pressed his palms into his lower back, stretching with a groan.
"I'm gonna go make some coffee." He yawned, padding by Pyrrha softly dosing on the sofa. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her brow, to which she startled awake and threw her husband down over her body into a headlock.
"Ah!" Jaune gasped. "I have to remember to stop startling a sleeping Pyrrha Nikos." He grumbled as she woke properly, gasping and letting him go.
"Oops! Sorry, my love." She yawned. He sat up off her, chuckling and rubbing his neck. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" She touched his cheek.
"No, gods no." He chuckled, turning her palm to kiss it. "I'm making some coffee, want some?"
Pyrrha stretched and hummed contently. "That sounds lovely." A pleased sigh escaped her lips. Then she saw the helmet Ori was colouring, gasping. "Oh my! You've done a wonderful job, you two!"
"Look Mom!" Ori stood and held it up to her. "See I did the rust and stuff!"
"I see, it looks wonderful!" Pyrrha smiled. Ori finished colouring it as Pyrrha stood from the chair. "Once you've finished the helmet it's bedtime though, Ori."
"Aww but Mom!" Ori frowned.
"No buts missy, we can colour your father's armour tomorrow evening, it'll still be ready in time." Pyrrha crossed her arms. Ori sighed.
"Okayyyy."
"Good girl." She kissed her daughter's head.
...
With the cardboard helmet glued and taped together with a colourful coat of browns and whites, Oriana went to bed with little delay, snoozing away and snuggling her cuddly Ursa Bear. Pyrrha pulled her door shut with a gentle click and padded over the landing to her own room, sighing contently.
"She's fast asleep. I think her rather eventful day tuckered her out." Pyrrha giggled, shutting the door and getting ready for bed in the ensuite. Jaune took his reading glasses off, closing his book over his quilted lap. He sat in thought, tapping his glasses to the paperback graphic novel.
"Hey, Pyr?" He asked.
"Mmm?" She responded around a toothbrush and a mouthful of minty paste. Jaune huffed.
"You... I know it's just a kids play but, do you think I can do this well enough? Like, I don't want to embarrass Ori, or mess up the play for all the other kids and parents who wanna remember it forever!" He slumped back in his pillow with a sigh. He heard Pyrrha spit her toothpaste and the faucet run for a while as she washed her face.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he gave a soft smile as Pyrrha padded out the bathroom and sat on his side of the bed, cradling his bearded chin in her palm. She smiled lightly.
"And why do you assume you'll fail?" She asked softly and Jaune blinked at her with his big blue eyes.
"Oh um... I dunno. Guess cos it's me? I could trip or something." He shrugged. Pyrrha placed his comic on the bedside table and lifted his arm to drape over herself as she lay her back against his chest. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her ear softly. "I know it's important, and I don't wanna mess it up."
"I know you're going to do a grand job, my love." She smiled as they lay together. "Want to know how I know?"
"How?" Jaune asked as she sat up to lock her green gaze with his blues.
"Because she's your baby, your daughter. I've seen you move heaven and Remnant all to make her laugh for just a moment. So no, I know you'll be fine. Because after all, you'll be making memories with her." She cupped his cheeks and gave him a soft kiss, pushing their smiles together.
"I love you." He breathed in between kisses.
"And I love you, my Jaune." She whispered, as they got into bed and lay together as sleep claimed them.
...
The next day passed with a blur, another sunny day come and gone as evening skies painted orange and pink glows across the land. And with bellies filled with Jaune's fabulous 'Salmon En Papillote' for dinner, the family went to work on finishing the Rusted Knight costume.
Pyrrha sat with her daughter in her lap as they meticulously streaked the washable browns and blacks over the armour, darkening it and giving it a pitted rusted look.
"How's that looking, Ori?" Pyrrha sat back, looping some hair behind her ear. Ori giggled.
"It's looking..."
"Grand!" They exclaimed together with a laugh. Oriana gasped and sat up out of Pyrrha's lap, as her Dad walked down the stairs in the base layers of the outfit: Some brown baggier pants, and a long black shirt.
"How's this?" he asked. Oriana stuck out her tongue in concentration as she picked up the storybook and compared the artwork of the Knight to her Dad.
"It's grand!" She bounced. "Oh! We finished the armour! Now you can try it all on and be the Ru-Rusted Knight!" The excitable six-year-old giggled. Jaune smiled fondly as he picked up his armour, once bright white and gold, now streaked with blacks and browns. He gave Pyrrha a chaste kiss then headed upstairs with it all bundled in his arms.
"I'll be right back!"
"Okay!" Ori bounced. "Ah Dad's the Rusted Knight, yes yes yes. Hey Mooom?"
"Yes, Ori?" Pyrrha asked, sitting on the heels of her feet on the carpet.
"Can you help me do a handstand?" Ori lifted her arms. Pyrrha tilted her head.
"Why do you want to do a handstand?"
"Why not?" Ori asked, and Pyrrha shook her head with a chuckle. Couldn't argue with that logic.
"Tell you what, I'll help you in the garden tomorrow. No chance of breaking anything out there... Like Mommy's Vase." Pyrrha motioned the hyper six-year-old away from the mantel piece.
"Ooh yeah. Hey Mom?"
"Yes Ori?" Pyrrha chuckled. Ah Kids and their ability to move from topic to topic like lightning. Oriana flopped into Pyrrha's lap, making the mother giggle. She brushed some of the gold and red locks out of her blue eyes with adoration.
"Do you think I'll be good in the Play?"
"Oh of course! I think you'll make a wonderful Jinxy!" Pyrrha smiled fondly, kissing Ori's nose as she giggled. "You've got your outfit all ready?"
"Yep! We finished them at school today, I made a rac-raccoon mask out of pay-paper machie?"
"Papier Mache?" Pyrrha hummed fondly as Ori nodded.
"Yeah! Dat! And we painted our masks and stuff. I chose purple and black. Dandelion wanted to use reds though, and I said nooo Dandelion, I want it to be purple!"
"And what'd she say?" Pyrrha asked softly.
"She said okay." Ori shrugged, gasping at her Dad's footsteps on the staircase. Both Pyrrha and Ori looked up as Jaune descended the steps.
"How's it look?" Jaune asked, muffled by his cardboard helmet. Ori gasped and big hearts appeared in her eyes.
"Ahh! Dad it's perfect!" Ori laughed, getting up and running over to Jaune. He chuckled, rubbing his head gently as to not break the helmet.
"Heh, yeah it's good, right?"
"Do I have a thing for the Rusted Knight?" Pyrrha said to herself as she closed the childhood book with a blush, because Jaune looked great! The armour looked truly worn and aged, and the helmet worked well enough, there was a clear difference from metal to card, but it did the trick.
Jaune took the helmet off and swished his hair back and forth and Pyrrha bit her lip with a blush.
"Ooooh."
"Hey Mom, why are you blushing? Is it hot?"
"Uhh, yes, I'm a little flushed. B-But don't mind your old Mother!" Pyrrha giggled gingerly. "Jaune! You look grand! The costume turned out great!"
"Yeah, it did, didn't it?" Jaune smiled as he twisted to and fro to see the armour from different angles.
"Much better than Daffodil's Dad's cardboard one!" Ori exclaimed. Jaune set the helmet down on the side and sat on the bottom tread of the stairs. Jaune took Ori's hands as she bounced. He smiled at her.
"And you think your old man will do a good job?"
"Yes!" Ori beamed. "You're the bestest Dad ever!" She hugged him. "I love my Dad."
Jaune's eyes teared up, before wrapping her up in his arms, Pyrrha smiling softly with her hand over her heart. They reeled out of the hug, and he smiled at his little girl.
"Welp. Big day tomorrow. You practiced all your lines?"
"Yep! Jinxy doesn't have too many lines. Oh, what about you Dad?"
"I read them over lunch!" Jaune smiled. "I don't have too many, especially after act 3."
"Oh yeah cos you die."
"Yep." Jaune chuckled. "So, I can just lay and nap on the stage, it's gonna be great."
"Daaad." Ori giggled. Jaune scooped her up against his armoured chest, grinning to Pyrrha. She smiled back fondly.
"Well, early to bed tonight. Big day tomorrow." Jaune smiled.
"Aww, early?" Ori frowned. Jaune chuckled, kissing her forehead.
"Trust me kiddo, you'll appreciate the extra hours tomorrow."
"Okayyyy." Ori sighed heavily as Jaune set her down and she climbed the staircase followed by Luna. "Cmon boy we gotta go to bed."
"All the best actors have early nights, kiddo! We'll be right up to tuck you in!" Jaune called. He smiled and shook his head with his hands on his hips, still fully in costume. "You okay Pyr?"
Pyrrha blinked her blush and drool away and nodded. "Mmm hmm! You just look great! The costume came together perfectly."
"Well, it was your bright ideas that made it possible." Jaune wrapped his arms around the small of her back, pulling her tight against him. "Thank you, for your support in this. I know on paper it's just a kid's school play, but... it's important to Ori. So, we'll go out there and wow everyone!" He chuckled lightly. Pyrrha smiled, cupping his cheeks and giving him a long kiss.
"You will do a wonderful job, my amazing husband." She beamed.
...
And so, the big day had arrived. The stage was set, quite literally, with plastic rocks, cardboard cut outs and large crudely painted backdrops by the wonderful six-year-old cast.
Parents began to file in, finding seats in the dimly lit gymnasium. As seats began to fill, Jaune began to panic, peeking through the stage curtain.
"Ahh I dunno if I can do this." The Rusted Knight jumped from foot to foot, armour clanking. "W-What if I mess up ah!"
Sharply turned around by his wife, Pyrrha held his cheeks in her palms, narrowing his vision to only focus on her. He softened and cupped the backs of her hands.
"You are going to do amazingly. Just like our little daughter is, okay?" Pyrrha smiled, leaning in to softly capture his lips in a kiss.
"Ewww yuckiee!" The cast of kids stuck their tongues out. Ori lifted her raccoon mask.
"Mooom, Daaad! Grossss!"
"Sorry, we're sorry." Pyrrha giggled to the kids. "Oooh you all look so cute! Okay, go and have fun all of you! And look after the Rusted Knight for me!"
"Thanks... I think." Jaune chuckled sheepishly as Pyrrha gave him one last kiss and a reassuring cup of his cheek. Then she was ushered out by the kids and a teacher to get to her seat. Jaune blew out a breath, sheathing his sword at his hip.
"Mister Arc!" A little girl called Citrus, one of Oriana's friends from her class called. He smiled and knelt.
"Hey kiddo! You all ready?"
"Yep! I'm playing Alyx!"
"I can see that." He chuckled at the girl as she twirled to show off her outfit, lifting her rabbit broach. "You've done a great job on your costume kiddo!"
"Thanks! My Mom helped me! Lookie! My cat is playing the Curious Cat!" She lofted up the long animal, a horrid shade of messy pink, purple and blue. Jaune leaned back from the hissing cat.
"Heh, uhh wasn't he white last time I saw him... g-got clawed by him?"
"Yeah, but we coloured him in for the show."
"You coloured him in?! Well, no wonder he's pissed." Jaune mumbled to himself as the cat hissed again. "You and I are gonna have beef I can tell!" He frowned at the angry cat. "You uh, you used washable markers, right?"
A teacher came out and clapped, getting the classes attention. Jaune stood in the corner, leaning against the wall with a smile as the kids all sat down in costume and listened to the teacher's instructions. He couldn't help his face splitting grin at his own daughter sat and bouncing in her purple clothing and crude raccoon mask. He was so proud of her.
He stood a little taller and slid the cardboard helmet over his head. Here we go... Do it for her.
Pyrrha sat in the front row, chatting with some of the other parents, one of them being an old friend from school, Ciel Soleil. "...Yes, well that's what I said. Something for us to consider I suppose. I don't think we'll have any more, put it that way." She chuckled.
That's when Pyrrha gasped in delight at the extra heads of colourful hair entering the gymnasium. She waved them over to the six seats beside her.
"Hey P-money! Thanks for the invite, we wouldn't have missed this for the world!" Yang grinned, sitting in one of the plastic seats. Ruby beamed a happy smile with a wave to Pyrrha and Blake chuckled with a wave of her own, sitting beside Yang and leaning around her to whisper to Pyrrha.
"Is it true, Jaune's playing the Rusted Knight?" Blake asked.
"Oh yes, we made a costume and everything. He's taken it very seriously." Pyrrha beamed. Weiss sat down and adjusted her messy white bun.
"Well, I for one am very excited to see the blonde doof play the Knight... and my favourite Niece play Jinxy!" Weiss grinned with a bounce, hugging her coat to her chest.
"Where's my niece?!" Nora slumped in the seat next to Pyrrha. "And Jaune-Jaune? Ooooh you better gimme my Arc puppies!"
"Nora, shhh. It's starting soon." Ren huffed with a slight chuckle, leaning over her to squeeze Pyrrha's hand. "Hello Pyrrha."
"I'm so glad you guys could make it! Oh, this is going to be grand! I can tell!" Pyrrha bounced with a giddy smile.
"Holy shit, Ciel? Yo where you been all these years girl?"
"Shh!" Weiss elbowed Yang as the lights dimmed and the stage light turned on - aimed at the ceiling until a small child's voice went "Oopsie!" and it angled to the stage, Pyrrha gasped and sat quietly, biting her lip to contain her grin. She took out her scroll ready to film it, along with the rest of RWBY and NR.
As some small stagehands came out and quickly placed down some scenery and ran off the stage, so too did some kids dressed as Mice and Citrus playing Alyx. She laid on the stage floor and it began.
"Oh dear! It seems I have fell through the world!" Alyx sat up. "And I've found these rat hunters!"
"Mouse hunters!" Came a whispering yell from offstage.
"M-Mouse hunters!"
"Aww that mouse is cute." Ruby beamed. The audience giggled at the show, watching and filming their kids. The scenes played out just like the book, with handmade green vines being wrapped around Alyx a little later.
"Oh no! I'm caught in vines! And what is that creature!" Alyx exclaimed on stage, as a taller child walked on set dressed in colourful purple attire and a cardboard mask and long cardboard claws. "It's the Jablewalker!"
"Jabberwalker!"
"Yeah that!"
Once again parent's and audience goers laughed as the children played out the Fairy-tale, Pyrrha bouncing in anticipation. Alyx wondered around the stage as stagehands cleared it up, and then she got a thumbs up to continue.
"Now where is my knife?" She asked.
"Ah hah!" Oriana leaped onto the stage, Pyrrha gasping loudly, covering her mouth with a sorry to the audience. She lifted her scroll and could barely contain her glee, along with her beaming and proud friends. "I'm the Jinxy peddler! And if you want your knife back, you'll have to give me one of your happiest or saddest moments!"
"Oh." Alyx said. "Like... when I lost my cat?"
"You did? Aww when?" Ori dropped her arms and character. A few off-stage calls from teachers and the kids got back on track to the sheer amusement and delight of the audience watching. Pyrrha was just brimming with pride, along with RWBY and NR as they filmed their own clips. A little while later, and a hissing cat in a distressing shade of purple and pink was dropped on the stage, hissing and walking up to Alyx.
"Ooh boy, what happened to that cat?" Nora asked Pyrrha.
"I um... hope they're washable inks put it that way." She whispered back. Alyx gasped in delight on the stage.
"Aww my cat! I love my cat. Uhh I mean Curious! Curious cat!"
After a few more scenes, and a Jabberwalker return, Pyrrha gasped giddily as her Husband stepped out onto the stage, raising his sword. RWBY and NR all gasped and Yang tried to bite her lip to stem her laugh.
"Uhh s-stay back! Get behind me, Alyx! Huzzah!" He had put a plastic cover over the sword for safety purposes, as he gently tapped it against the cardboard Jabberwalker.
"Thank you for saving me oh Rusted Knight!"
"Oh, you're welcome. This place is a nightmare you know?" Jaune exclaimed with a sigh, the audience giggling loudly. Pyrrha was biting her lip hard as she filmed it, Weiss snorting into her palm at the rusted goofball on stage.
"Pyr! Aww Ori's adorable!" Yang whispered. "And man, the Dork knight rises huh?" She laughed quietly with Ruby and Blake.
Ren, Nora and RWBY were all quietly swapping occasional whispers about how adorable the show was, but Pyrrha was completely fixated on the stage show. It was funny how Jaune was at least sixty percent taller than the rest of the cast, and a lot older.
He took off his helmet and swished his hair and Pyrrha swooned, blushing and hiding behind her scroll, Yang wolf whistling and earning a laugh from the crowd.
"Hey I heard that!" Jaune frowned at the crowd, getting another laugh in response. "Ahem. Oh Alyx. Why won't you let me guide you back home?"
"Okay." Alyx shrugged, petting the hissing curious cat. "Let's go!"
And eventually they got to the campfire, a flickering battery lamp being placed behind orange plastic, and Jaune sat around it with Alyx.
"Why don't you trust me, Alyx?"
"I dunno just don't."
"Oh." Jaune slumped. Alyx got up.
"I made you some poison!"
"Uhh." Jaune held the bowl as someone off set whispered "Soup!"
"Soup! Some Soup."
"Oh well okay then." And he pretended to drink from the empty bowl, before gasping and clutching his chest and staggering around the stage. This went on for about a minute before he finally fell to the floor in a dead heap.
"YES! That's Theatre! That is ART!" The school cook exclaimed from the back of the hall, Jaune putting a thumbs up before playing dead again. Then the cat hissed and made a beeline for Jaune, who screamed and rolled away from the feral beast. He held the cat from his face, yelling and scrambling about as the audience gasped.
"Ah THIS THING HATES ME!" He rolled through the flickering lamp. "AHH I'M ON FIRE TOO?!" As Oriana walked on stage with a prop fire extinguisher, pretending to extinguish him. "Ah thanks kiddo." Then the curtains closed to move onto the next scene, leaving the audience to nervously chuckle and applaud, all unsure if that was supposed to happen or not. Pyrrha knew it certainly wasn't as she gave a meek chuckle.
And so, the show went on until closure, and at the end the cast all linked hands and bowed to the applause of the audience. RWBY and NR all smiled proudly as they clapped, and Pyrrha just couldn't wait to see her two adorable stars after the show was done!
Eventually the lights came on and parents filed out with their children or met them behind the stage. Pyrrha sat with her friends and chatted about the show and their own lives until the crowded gymnasium lessened. Sighing contently, they got up and got going to see the stars behind the scenes.
Some Parents sidled by Pyrrha with their colourfully painted and dressed children, until eventually she saw them, Jaune with his arms folded over his chest as he smiled and chatted with a teacher at the back.
"Mommy!" Oriana exclaimed, running up to her, face smudged with paint and a clear band around her eyes where her mask went. Pyrrha bent down and wrapped her daughter up in a hug, peppering her in kisses.
"I am so proud of you! Ahh you were amazing as Jinxy!" Pyrrha beamed, another kiss. "Oooooh my big girl, you'll be a theatre star in no time!" She giggled with her daughter.
"Mom, you're crushing me."
"Oops! Sorry, dear." She meekly chuckled. "Oh, well done, Ori. I am so proud of you! Aaand, look who else was here to see?!"
Oriana gasped as her aunts and Uncle padded around the stage corner. "Ahh you all came!"
"Of course we did! C'mere, give Auntie Nora some sugar!" Nora hefted her up in a fit of giggles. Ori was overwhelmed as her adoring aunts and Uncle congratulated her on the show and her costume, not long after being sat up on Yang's shoulders. Pyrrha smiled up at her giggling Oriana.
"I'm just going to speak with your teachers and get your Father and then we can go home for a big delicious dinner, you deserve it." She gave her one last kiss on the head.
"Okay kiddo, now you gotta tame the dragon!" Yang grinned as Oriana laughed and held on for dear life, much to the amusement of the rest of the Aunts and Uncle, Pyrrha giggling as she made her way over to Jaune.
"...So I think we're both of the opinion if we haven't had another one yet, will we? I mean we're not getting any younger. And one is enough of a handful, you know?" Jaune snapped his gaze from the other teacher to Pyrrha. "Oh hey! Hey hun! Oof!"
Pyrrha hugged him tight. "I am so proud of you, Jaune! Oooh you were so wonderful!" She leaned back out the hug and smiled at the Teacher. "Hello Lewis. You must be really proud of it all."
"I am, yeah the kids did great. Is it exactly what I wrote? No, but I should know better than to hand a Stage play to six-year-olds." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Pyrrha smiled.
"Well, it was wonderful. We all loved every second of it." Pyrrha shook his hand with a beaming smile. "Many cherished memories made tonight."
"Yep. Man, I am beat too." Jaune chuckled, scrubbing his face. "Being a stage actor is hard."
"Daaad?" Ori asked. Jaune blinked down at her.
"Yeah kiddo?"
"We can't find Citrus' cat."
"Oh shi..." He balked, looking around. "Well heh, I'm sure the little sh-" Pyrrha elbowed his side. "-Shangel, little angel is around here somewhere. Well, we should get going anyways. You guys need a hand cleaning up?"
"No, you guys go home, you've done enough. Thank you for stepping in on such late notice, Jaune. And you for helping set up the hall, Pyrrha. It's so appreciated." Mr Lewis smiled.
"it is our pleasure. Come along Ori, let's get you home and washed up, hmm?"
"Coming! See you guys tomorrow! Hope you find your cat!"
Jaune blinked at RWBY and NR, then his shoulders sagged. "Ah shit. I am never gonna hear the end of this, am I?"
"Sup vomit boy?!" Ruby grinned, before her cheeky grin sobered to a soft one. "You did great out there." Jaune smiled back tiredly.
"You know, for a second, we all thought you really died up there. It was so… realistic." Blake snorted as Jaune rolled his eyes fondly.
"Oh the way he rolled around grasping his throat. It was so… gut wrenching." Yang grinned.
"I think you mean retching." Weiss smirked. Jaune nodded at the banter.
"Yup, uh huh, keep it up gang. Nora, anything to add?"
"You didn't fumble your lines as much as the six-year-olds." She shrugged, holding Oriana upside down as she giggled.
"Thanks… I think." Jaune scrubbed his head with a weak chuckle.
"You did great." Ren smiled. And all the other's dropped the cheekiness for sincerity.
"Yeah. You really did."
"Except now I gotta live up to this for my kid! Bagheera's got his first play coming up in June! I'm gonna have to do it or I'll never hear the end of "But Uncle Jaune did it for Ori!" Yang frowned at him, Blake giggling.
Jaune chuckled, as Oriana scrambled free of Nora and leaped at her Dad. He stumbled, catching her tightly.
"I love you Dad." She squeezed him tightly.
"I love you too, kiddo." Jaune breathed tearily, hugging her back as Pyrrha covered her mouth with hearts in her teary eyes. Yang sighed.
"Urgh." She leaned to Blake. "You know we're so screwed right?"
"Oh yeah, hundred percent. Hope you're ready to play the gingerbread man." Blake whispered back.
"It's so beautiful!" Weiss sobbed, holding her hankey to her eyes. Eventually the group started to move towards the exit, all ready for a lovely quiet evening to catch up and celebrate Oriana. Jaune hugged his daughter and wife tightly, unawares of the missing cat that was gripping on the back of Jaune's armour with a sadistic smile.