The living room was cloaked in shadows, lit only by the flickering light of a few candles, creating an atmosphere ripe for adventure. Ruby, seated at the head of the table with her Dungeon Master screen in front of her, was practically vibrating with excitement. "Alright, adventurers! Welcome to our Dungeons and Dragons campaign! Tonight, you will venture into the infamous Shadowed Forest of Eternal Nightfall!"

"Sounds like a place where we'd get lost and be eaten by Grimm," Weiss scoffed, tapping her pencil against her character sheet, which depicted a regal sorceress that looked suspiciously like her.

"Pfft, you're just jealous because my rogue is cooler than your over-the-top diva!" Blake shot back, her character, a stealthy rogue, perched on the edge of the table, a smug grin on her face.

Yang leaned back in her chair, flexing her biceps as she adjusted her barbarian mini. "Just remember, when the big bad wolf comes, you're all looking to me for protection. I don't want to hear any complaints when I'm carrying your sorry selves out of there!"

Jaune, fidgeting nervously with his character sheet, chimed in. "And I'll be right behind you, making sure everyone stays… safe!" He held up his cleric figurine, looking hopeful.

"Alright, adventurers!" Ruby clapped her hands, cutting through the banter. "You stand at the entrance of the Shadowed Forest of Eternal Nightfall. It's dark, and you hear the distant howls of… um, yeah, let's just say 'creatures.'"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Creatures? How very descriptive, Ruby."

"Hey! You're not the Dungeon Master!" Ruby shot back playfully. "Now, what do you want to do?"

"I'll scout ahead," Blake said, her voice low and serious. She glanced at the imaginary trees, leaning forward in her chair like she was already in character.

"Wait, Blake!" Yang interjected, "You have to roll for stealth first!"

"Fine!" Blake rolled the dice, and everyone leaned in with bated breath. "Nineteen!"

"Nice! You sneak into the forest with ease!" Ruby said, pretending to write it down. "As you creep through the underbrush, you come across a mysterious bottle lying in the grass. It's labeled… 'Ancient Elixir of Strength!'"

Jaune's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "I drink it! It could give me super strength!"

"Jaune!" Weiss exclaimed, exasperated. "Did you even check for traps?"

But Jaune was already acting on impulse. "I don't need traps! I'm a brave cleric!" He downed the imaginary potion in one exaggerated gulp, and everyone watched in anticipation.

Ruby's grin widened. "Suddenly, you feel a strange sensation wash over you. You've aged... dramatically!"

"What?!" Jaune shouted, glancing down at his character sheet. "How much?"

Ruby laughed. "Congratulations! You're now a 75-year-old man!"

"Seventy-five?!" Jaune looked aghast, his voice suddenly gruff. "I can't believe this! I just wanted to be strong!"

"Great, now he's old and cranky!" Yang snickered.

"Back in my day," Jaune's character wheezed, adjusting imaginary glasses, "we didn't chug potions like they were ale! We took our time, we researched! Why, I remember when we had to walk uphill to get to the village!"

"Seriously? How are you now a grandpa?" Nora guffawed, nearly rolling off her chair in laughter. "Do you have grandkids too?"

Jaune glared, his expression a mix of irritation and confusion. "I don't want to talk about the kids these days! They've got no respect for their elders!"

Blake chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "This is priceless. Maybe we should make Jaune do this all the time."

"Jaune, what's your favorite type of tea?" Weiss asked with a smirk.

"Earl Grey!" Jaune snapped, forgetting he was playing a character. "With a hint of lemon, if you must know! And stop laughing at me!"

Yang put her hands up defensively. "I'm just impressed you even remembered the flavor of your tea!"

As the laughter continued, Ruby decided to bring the focus back to the game. "Alright, alright! The Shadow Elf King awaits you in his dark castle, but first, you must face the Goblin Horde!"

"Great, I'll go first!" Yang said, slamming her mini onto the board like she was about to tackle a real enemy.

But before Ruby could respond, the door creaked open slowly, revealing Winter Schnee, who stood there with a bewildered look on her face. "What is going on in here?" she asked, glancing at the chaos of characters and laughter.

Ruby beamed. "Winter! Want to join us for D ?"

Winter's eyes widened slightly as she took in the scene: Jaune, now "aged" and ranting, Blake laughing so hard she was nearly crying, and Yang posing heroically. "Um…no thanks," she said slowly, taking a step back. "I'll just—"

Before she could finish, she turned and slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Should we invite her next time?" Ruby asked, her grin still wide.

"Definitely!" Yang laughed. "Maybe she could be the 'wise old sage' or something!"

"Or the villain!" Nora suggested, and everyone burst into laughter again, the night filled with joy and the promise of more outrageous adventures to come.