#9daysoflancaster

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: First Time

It was after the fourth day of tracking that it finally rained. We’d known it was going to happen, too. After the first crack of thunder, Ruby let out a low whine. 

“No,” she just pleaded. It would still be hours before the rain came and washed most of our tracks away.

She was tired and wet and cold. And I really wanted to get her into the tent and into her sleeping bag.

I didn’t know what to do or say. We could both see the storm coming, feel the wind pick up and the humidity increase. I could do nothing but start to look for a good place to set up a tent.

Ruby and I had done some light training, but you really didn't push yourself or work out too much when you were trying to catch up to something like this. For my sake it was time to take watch and just to top my night off I had to be especially on guard tonight.

It was unusual for me to stay focused on watch, but I had to. I could feel something. It didn't feel like a person or anyone I knew so it was probably not nothing but the equivalent.

Grimm.

I waited until it got close enough that I was sure I could destroy it without letting my senses drift from where Ruby slept.

I was sitting out waiting for the creature to stop nagging at my range and actually enter. It was just pacing around the edge of my senses and eventually I'd had enough.

I kept my body low and my limbs out, but stealth wasn't my strong suite. It jumped through the bracket at me rather than I at it.

I moved in a burst, sweeping the long blade between us to stop its approach. It pushed me back a step and my ankle caught something.

I tripped and it fell on me. My armor held out its claws but its teeth snapped at my aura. I grunted and threw it off of me.

It was an Ursa. a different bone structure for a different part of the world but that seemed to be all the difference between those here and those in Vale.

It landed but rolled towards me quickly with a snarl but as I stood, I held my ground. I already knew how to deal with these. I swept Crocea Mors downwards over my head and cut its face diagonally and deep enough that I'd opened up large sections of its ribcage.

It fell and began to dissolve. I stepped back warily. I felt nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

I listened and heard no song of Grimm. The animals had gone quiet, too. Fearing a battle between two distant predators might involve them, but it was already over.

Then, distinct in the cold night distant, the zip of the tent.

I sighed.

"Jaune! Jaune, what was that." She was in thick socks that probably didn't feel good in the wet, icy, muck.

She had Crescent Rose ready though. Her biceps and triceps stood out in her shirt. She had nothing on but her simple ‘T’ and some long bottoms in the night.

I stared at her white clothes in the sleet before coming to my senses. “It was just a small Grimm. Everything’s fine.”

She breathed hard. “You're supposed to wake me up.”

You needed sleep and it was nothing I couldn't handle.

I looked her up and down. There was brisk and then there was being in PJs, in negative ten, with a wind chill, and at ninety-five percent humidity.

I walked over and dragged her into the tent. I flicked the flap open, but the inside was frigid. Just a few moments of being open had sapped whatever warmth was inside. “You can't act like this was my fault. You're supposed to wake me.”

I nodded and rubbed her hands in mine. I pulled her wet socks off too. Her feet were just chilled to the absolute bone. I was considering trying to start a fire.

“Say something!”

“Huh what? You're right. I should have woken you up. Come on get some new socks on and get warm.”

“I feel like I need a can opener with you; you’re just so it's like -ugh. Aren't you frustrated?”

“No, I am.” I assured her.

“Well why aren't you showing it?” Ruby wrapped her arms around her knees under her covers. “And your semblance too, you’re not excited at all when it activates when we train.”

“It only activates when I’m losing, doesn’t last long, and doesn’t do anything but make me glow.” I shook my head and laughed a little.

It was fitting though, if I’d had this power at Beacon I would have been just as able to help Pyrrha.

She hit me hard, enough sting. I gasped, my hand going to my chest where her hand hit my side, through some gap in all my armor she’d casually exploited to jab at just one of my ribs past a strap.

“You were thinking you were useless again. Weren’t you, Jaune?”

Fuck.

“I’m sure it does more than make you look good.”

Whiplash.

I waited.

“Well?” She wondered.

“Well to what in all of that?”

“All of it!”

“I was trying to keep up the pace and find it and be on our way to Haven.”

“So, it’s because I need to get to Haven.”

“Well that is your plan.” I laughed and turned to look at her.

“Ugh.” She murmured and looked down.

Huh?

“What is it? Is it something I said?”

She didn't look impressed by that. She crossed her arms confidently and set herself sideways. “Then what's it like? I forced you out here. To come with me to Haven and trek all the way across the world with me. Even though I had no idea how far that was.”

"Ruby, I did know how far it was. And I did know that if you hadn't…"

If she hadn't what, exactly? I was trying to fight but it was hard. It was a little like Weiss had rubbed off on Ruby, in some of her best ways. I'd found that confidence and authority attractive before but when it was directed at me it was hard to fight.

What could I possibly tell her? That I needed her to tell me what to do and give my life direction?

She just told me how stressed she was. I couldn't add to that. I clicked my jaw in thought.

My teeth clacked together audibly.

She looked from my eyes to my jaw. Like I'd just bit her hard. “You shouldn't do that to yourself.”

I laughed. “That's what I mean. What would I do if I didn't have you right now? If you hadn't taken me in, I don't know where I would have gone.”

“You would have found something.”

No. My family. I stole this from them. I can't go back. And Nora and Ren they got in with like a scholarship for orphan hunters-to-be or something. They were homeless again. I think they thought I'd abandon them.

“No. So, when you asked me to come it was just-it was a no-brainer. What would I have done? What alternatives would I have had? And if I hadn't gone with you, would I have found Pyrrha’s armor, even? Would I know for sure what happened? It was like destiny. And this is too.”

“You really think so?” I watched her hands fidget through her hair, somehow plucking at the red tips even out of the corner of her eye.

“Well no, it’s more like I need to make this the timeline where I succeed, but we can. You know?”

She shook her head. “You think if we're smart and hardworking enough, it'll be enough? That's not like you.”

“Ruby, this is just a setback. Even if it takes months. We have no timetable for getting to Haven. No tournament. No obvious target beyond the school and city which should be in a state of high alert.”

Supplies still got traded as far as here so we know the blackout-panic hadn't destroyed the place.

Haven was probably still there, Just waiting for her, even if it didn’t know it.

“But what about your semblance?” She pressed me. “You and me. Are we making progress there?”

“We’ll have time to figure out how to use it.” If it had a use.

“Tss” I let out as I clutched a rib. She jabbed me again.

“You and me,” she went on. “You butt.”

“Us?” I wondered stupidly.

“What are we, Jaune?” She glanced at me. “What am I to you?”

Good question.

I thought about it. It wasn't like I could just say she was my partner because that had connotations to huntsmen. If I just blurted out, she was my new partner it would hurt everyone.

Besides, she had made it clear that Weiss was her best friend. Whatever that meant to her.

"You're my oldest friend for sure." I told her. I knew that much. Who was there before Pyrrha? Family didn't count. "Things are rough for me right now but it wasn't like I didn't think about you before, too.”

“That's not fair,” she whispered. “Pyrrha was…She made it clear she liked you a lot.”

Ouch. But…

“You were so nice and sweet to me when I didn't deserve it. I could always count on you for advice and it was always good. “

“I don't know…” she trailed off. She pinched her lower lip between her index and thumb. She was listening close, her eyes intense on my every word.

“Even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. So, it sounds dumb to say something like boyfriend, but you can if you want.”

“We're a couple.” Ruby translated listening closely. “You make things so complicated.”

“The thing about that is-“

“Do you love me?”

“Uh, yeah.”

She smiled, flushing, but she managed to roll her eyes and look right at me. For a moment I could hear nothing but the rain against the tent.

"Jaune I need you to better than 'uh yeah.'" she smiled adorably. It took me a second to realize she was teasing me. By the time I did so, my eyes flicked down to her lips and back up to her eyes. It was too late. Her smile roared across her face.

“You really want to kiss me, don't you? You can. You know. Maybe not all the time but you can kiss me.”

I did. I pushed her back against her thin mattress. I could feel her hip bone against my abdomen and the smooth curve of her sides. I put my hands around her back and pulled her in close to me and she let out a tiny sigh.

Her mouth opened in the slightest way and I couldn't help myself. My tongue went forward at the same time I rolled us more forward, pinning her more beneath me.

She groaned into it, smiling into the kiss as I sucked on her tongue, then lip, then pulled away.

Or tried to.

I drew back slightly but she had a tight grip on my shirt with her left hand. I hadn't even noticed. And her other hand became nestled in my hair.

She just… giggled at me, and, without so much as opening her eyes, dragged me down again.

She rolled her hips up into mine and wrapped her legs tightly around my waist. She pulled me into her and I could feel her pulse beat between her legs. I bit down on her bottom lip. And she moaned and through her thin pajama bottoms I felt her against me. I mean I felt her core against my own. She ground herself hard against me in a bold and inexperienced fashion and I let out a moan that she devoured. 

She whined a little up at me when I pulled back but she gave me a pleased sigh when I just took my shirt off. She reached out and ran a palm down my chest to my sides and kept her other hand buried in my hair and pulled me close to her. 

Our teeth clicked together a little as I ran my tongue against her molars. She tried to push against my tongue with hers but I overpowered the wet muscle. She drew back with my tongue in her mouth and sucked on it gently but firmly. I throbbed in my pants at that. I imagined what it would feel like to have her mouth around a different piece of my anatomy and I groaned and grew harder at the thought. I reached a hand down to cup her little breasts through her sleeping tee. She moaned into my mouth as I did. I found her nipple and started to toy with it until it grew firm and erect through her shirt.

I pulled away briefly but it was only to help her pull her pj shirt over her head. She wasn't wearing a bra. Her milky breasts plopped down to my sight with little pink nipples and areola.  I stared at her body in earnest and I felt a pulse from between my legs at the sight of her body. I wanted to be inside her so badly it hurt. I was so lonely and incomplete. 

I pushed her back down and let my mouth stray down her body. I started at her lips then kissed my way over to her left ear and down around her jaw where I sucked softly and she let out a light gasp and bucked her hips up at me helplessly. I savored the power I had over her in that moment and I tasted her aura. Flowery but sweet like cinnamon. She was so tasty as I moved my way down to her chest and sucked on her right nipple. She let out an adorable little squeak and bobbed her hips. I ran one hand down her pants, down her leg and rubbed at the inside of her thigh as I sucked. Then I twisted my hand into her pants and over her panties. My fingers splayed out over the last garment covering her little flower and I stroked easily down her slit where she was soiling the fabric of her panties. 

"Jaune!" She cried out my name in a way that made me feel like a man. 

I slipped a finger beside her panties and into the gash of her body. I rubbed my way up and down and she reached down and grabbed my face and yanked me up to kiss her while I stroked her little rose. It felt so small. My erection rubbed against her side as we kissed deeply and I rubbed her folds. 

"Don't stop," she panted breathlessly. I found a nub at the top of her flower that made her writhe and shout out. I rubbed it again hard and she bit my lip firmly. "R-right there," she breathed out.

I had no intention of slowing down or giving her any sense of quarter. I wanted her writhing and she was. She was rolling her hips into my finger desperately. She wanted so badly to finish and I had the power to give that to her. 

I rolled little circles around her clitoris. I would occasionally flick it and I would toy with her folds to tease her and build her up before she came crashing down. She tried to reciprocate and reach a hand down to my own pants but I was merciless in my attempt to distract her and make her cum. 

"I'm s-so clo-ose. Please Jaune. Oh please let me. Just let me…"

I started really rubbing her clit. I pinched it and rubbed it hard.  I made her break off into stammers and moans. 

"Oh-h I-I-I'm-m… Oh y-yes. Ah-hah-ah-ah." Then her whole body tensed up in what was almost a frightening fashion and she thrust her hips wildly into my finger. Fluid gushed out of her and got the tent wet between her legs. She lay there and just breathed hard for a long minute. She struggled desperately against the successive waves that poured down over her. I had done this to her with a single finger. Me.

She was shaking a little as I sat her up and gave her a drink of water. "I want to do that again to you so badly," I murmured close to her ear and she shuddered. 

I put my hand back between her legs and flipped my finger inside her little tunnel. She moaned and gripped me hard like a Mistrali finger trap. 

"Wait… it's too sensitive for you to-ah- for you to… for you." 

"But you're bucking your hips into my finger. Doesn't that mean you like it?" I wondered. I pressed harder against her right little walls and I ran my finger up to her clit again and gave it a rub. 

"Ah-hah. Please… I can't help it. Please…" I wasn't sure what she was begging me for. More or less. I gave her more and I ran my finger down her body and into her once more. I rubbed against those squeezing walls and made her grasp me tightly like she was scared of drifting away if she didn't latch onto me. She dug her nails into my back but I hardly registered it. "Stop… wait…"

"Why? You like it," I pointed out. I felt so powerful. I had so much control over her whole form like this. 

"I want to touch you," she pleaded. I brought my finger up to her clit and brushed it and she gasped and leaned forward. 

"Then do it. I'm not stopping you." I played with her. 

"I can't like this. You're… it's too much. Please Jaune. Oh please. I'll let you touch me again afterwards but please let me touch you."

"Fine." I drew back and relinquished the quivering power I held over her. She pushed me back and went straight for my pants after I released her. 

She wrestled with my belt for a long time with her hands brushing over me. Eventually she worked me free from my pants and once she had it in her hands she just stared at it in incredulity. It was unusual. She stared at me with my pants down the same way I looked at her without her shirt. She took me in both her hands and gave me a tentative stroke with her tiny hands. I groaned a little in the quiet of the tent with the rain splattering down around us. She crawled until her head was nearly in my lap and gave me a curious lick. My cock twitched and my hips rose up a little. 

She wrapped her little lips around my head and gave a tiny suck. I felt myself quiver with precum straight into her little mouth. She swallowed it immediately. Her throat bobbed as she took it down. Then she slowly wrapped more of her mouth around me and ran the tip of her tongue around my head. My hands went to her hair and I moaned. It was a noise and action she seemed eager for more of because she bobbed her head up and down on my shaft. 

"It tastes odd. But I can grow to like it if you want," she murmured in the dark of the tent. 

"Yes please," I managed.

"Who would have thought sucking your dick would make me so wet," she went on. Then she took me back into her mouth. She made an attempt to swallow the whole thing and pushed herself down on the base but she only got up to a mouthful. So she brought her hand up and wrapped it around the parts she couldn't swallow and when she rose up she took that hand with her and then she would lower herself back down and wrap that tiny hand around the base of me. She used her hand on what she couldn't fit into her mouth as she bobbed her head up and down. She always gave the head of my dick a little suck at the top. A tight squeeze of pleasant pressure. 

She spun her tongue around the whole of me and made my cock twitch into her mouth with yet more precum. I felt my balls tightening and a weight in the pit of my stomach which implied that an inevitability was arriving. I was going to cum in little Ruby Rose's mouth. The sheer audacity and lewdness of it could drive a man to orgasm on its own. But she kept thrusting her body down and away at me as well. Her tongue coiled around me and she applied suction to make it so deliciously tight. Her hand gripped me firmly near the base and was getting wet from her spit. She offered no complaint when I thrust my hips up into her waiting mouth in time with her bobbing head. I couldn:t help myself. 

"Ruby, I'm going to finish if you keep that up."

She attacked me with renewed vigor and let out a quiet satisfied hum in the back of her throat which vibrated me and sent me to the edge. I reached down and grabbed the fistfulls of her hair and gave three mighty thrusts that left her unsure of what to do with her hands and at my mercy. 

I groaned as I deposited my seed in her mouth and she started swallowing and tightening her lips and tongue around me and that only intensified my orgasm. 

I had just defiled her pretty lips. She got up in the tent after swallowing. She let out a satisfied little noise as she did. I couldn't be sure whether she liked the taste or she just liked what came with it. She pulled off her pants and soiled panties. It had been true. She had gotten so unbelievably wet. Her thighs were slicked a little with it. She was drop dead gorgeous in the quiet light of the moon. her breasts were modest but full and perky. And the way her pelvis ran down to her little flower was something you had to see to believe. She had a rocking hourglass figure from all the combat and training. 

She positioned my wavering cock at her apex and straddled me. I didn't dare ask something like 'are you sure?' She had my dick in her hands and was longing herself up. She was sure. 

"Is this your first time?" She asked me. She was really only asking about Pyrrha. 

"I know the basics. But I've never done anything with them."

"A first time for both of us then," she decided that that was enough and she slid my head into her. She let out a quiet squeak between pain and pleasure as she lowered herself. I felt her walls wrap around me and squeeze me tight. Their soft velvety wetness was superior to my hand by miles and even to her mouth. Dare I even think that after the heights of pleasure brought to me by her pale lips and what lies behind.

She let out the full groan and she moaned my name. "It's so big. It hurts like… like something good."

"It hurts?" I asked. 

"Fuck yeah it hurts. But it's a good stretching kind of hurt. Just give me a minute."

I could barely contain myself from moving as her tight walls hiccupped around me. It was all so tight everywhere and it felt like she was pulling me deeper in even as she didn't move. 

She put a hand down on my chest and rocked her hips so I barely moved within her. She seemed to like that motion so she kept it up. She was grinding her wetness hard against my pelvis. I reached down with one hand and thumbed that extra special nub at the top of her slit. She called out and moved her hips a little more. She was almost glaring at me for that. She hadn't expected it. I did it again.

"Hah-ha-ah. Tease me a little, Jaune."

I decided that I would. I flicked my fingers through her folds down to where I was embedded in her. Then I rotated slowly back up to her clitoris and squeezed. She let out a little squeal and she lifted her butt and brought it back down on me. Whenever I touched her clit she would squeeze my dick with her insides in a convulsive fashion. It was delectably on point. 

She rode me with lifts and rocks of her hips and I tasted her body as best as I was able until she let out a call in the night and collapsed on me with her insides pulsing almost violently around me. Lubricant flushed forward from her flower. She laid on my chest and I kissed her softly. Then I started to slowly thrust up into her insides.  They were so soft and they squeezed me but they parted around my rigidity so easily. The texture of them was like nothing I had ever felt and I kissed her deeply and drank in her sweet sugary aura. Red rose petals floated down around us as she lit up crimson. That mixed with my own blue and flecks of gold. I pushed her back until she was upright. She just looked at me dazed and confused. She was still riding out the high of her last orgasm. I wanted to keep her there always. 

I pushed her until she was chest down in the tent bedding and I was behind her. I pushed my way inside and bent over her body. She pushed back back in time with my thrusts into her from behind but it was weak and almost, dare I say it, pathetic. I slipped my body down onto her and compressed her hard into the bedding by laying on her. Then I slipped one hand between her legs and over her thigh and I started to play with her petals and nub again. 

"Fpuh-uh-gsh-oh-'' her moans became completely incoherent. The angle I thrust into her met hard with a spot two inches inside and towards the front that I could already tell that she liked when I hit and rubbed against it. Then I started to fondle her folds. First I would grace along one side then the other then I would meet at her apex and rub her clit tightly. This new angle was good for me too. She was so tight and the angle I was thrusting in would occasionally poke against something hard which I knew was her cervix. It would kiss back at me ever so gently as I really started to give it to her. I abandoned teasing her and strummed her clit like a guitar. 

"Keep going. Don't stop. Ooh-ah. Don't stop, please."

I had no intention of stopping and I bent low to nibble on the back of her ear and suckle on her neck. I ran kisses down her back and her body became confused. She wasn't sure whether to grind down onto my hand or push back against me and so she settled for a mixture of both. 

I felt her walls tighten around me and I knew that it was just a matter of time for us both. I squeezed her clit and she arrived again with loud moans and the whisper of my name. Her body went into spasms and her thighs began to quiver from all the stimulation she had received that night. A few more thrusts and I had finished as well. I launched myself as deep inside of her as I could reach and departed my seed directly into her waiting womb and love canal. 

We both lay breathing hard and sweaty in the tent. 

She rolled over to me with a little smile and kissed me on the lips. She giggled happily along and snuggled her hot naked body against mine. I was exhausted from expending myself twice. Usually alone I could only ever do it once. So this has been a lot for me. It had been a lot for her too. We drifted off to sleep together. Thoughts of clothes abandoned in the hot tent. Tomorrow will come and I may have to deal with some consequences of tonight but they could wait. 

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

I got down off the back of the animal before Ruby.

She was already waiting for me there.

She called its name and it came when called. She didn’t even need to pull her hair back as she rode, either, she somehow looked relaxed and focused. To be honest I was just so amazed to even watch her move above me.

She slung her legs up and over it and gently held the pommel in one of her small hands. The tips of her fingers just enough to reassure. She hardly needed it for balance; she was so graceful.

Her other hand was firmly in the mane of the stallion’s mane. After the night in the rain, we’d returned to Higanbana where they’d offered us horses. They’d already been made aware of our affairs and the local Dono was not to be out done by GaiLong, evidently.

I’d explained to them that unless they had an awakened horse, they would not be able to carry me, let alone the both of us. Mei-Chi had smiled at me and I knew I would regret it.

“Who taught you how to ride?” I wondered.

“Oh, my mother showed me how when I was young. It’s easy if you know how to care for it.” Or you’re a Nisdy Princess. I watched how easily she controlled it and made it calm. Sure, it was trained but when I’d been encouraged to take the lead on the animal it had given me nothing but contempt.

“Do you know how?” She wondered. “You’ve somehow expertly dodged climbing on the back of one.” She stroked it gently with her hands. Enjoying the sensation.

“I… know the basics,” I hedged. “I have ridden before.”

“Yikes, that bad, huh.” she teased me, and I groaned. “But not in a while and with someone else.”

I shook my head, “this’ll be a first for us.”

[zaheela]

For some reason the original post from the Lancaster event went missing for no apparent reason... This one had followed up day 2, and is a direct continuation of this.

It could end up disastrous, it could just be a repeat of before, but the thing is, humans are adaptable and social beings. Your first love will always be special, but just pining over whats lost only makes you lose sight of something just as precious.

[lancaster-romantic-world]

Preferences

Yang: You know Ruby I've been watching you play Smash Bros for years now and I've noticed something about the characters you like to use

Ruby: What do you mean

Yang: Well you like to use Link the blond cute/handsome guy with a sword and shield but you also like Ike the tall, heavily muscled, broadsword using guy with no ranged options

Ruby: So what *raises eyebrow*

Yang: Nothing just something I noticed about your taste and that I should've seen certain "things" sooner

Ruby: *Tilts head in confusion*

[krustalos]

Commission I did for mastaofbitches from Deviantart!

And in time for 9 Days of Lancaster too.

[ezmodo]

Homesick

https://zaheela.tumblr.com/post/184554879691/ezmodos-request-of-a-lancaster-themed-picture

We're barely outside of the kingdom. Why is there no stinking signal?!

Ruby balanced near the end of the thickest branch she could find, leaning out dangerously as she held her scroll aloft.

“Miss Rose?” a voice called from somewhere down below.

Ruby moved further out on the branch, holding her scroll to the east this time. Still no signal.

“Miss Rose?” the voice called again, louder this time.

She wasn't technically a “Miss” or a “Rose” anymore, but she'd let it slide.

“Yeeeaaaah?” she responded, practically on her tip toes now as she waved her scroll to and fro to try to find any amount of reception. I need a bigger tree...

“Do you see any, um, Nevermore?” the girl asked, her voice closer than before.

Nevermore? What Nevermooooh crap, Ruby realized suddenly. That was the fib she fed the student before climbing up here however long ago, wasn't it.

Ruby peered down through the foliage and spotted the girl, a mouse Faunus diligently making her way up the tree. One of the students she'd been tasked to lead on their first field assignment, alongside...

The tree shook violently, wood snapping and cracking at its base. The mouse girl squeaked and hugged the trunk for dear life while Ruby balanced among the upper branches.

“Whatcha doin' up there, sis?” Yang shouted up, sweet voice dripping with restrained anger.

“R-Recon?” she offered, trying to keep the guilt out of her voice. “We were just about to head back to camp!”

“Good, good,” Yang said happily, cracking her knuckles. The student had climbed hastily back down and now stood a fair distance away from the brawler. “Because the rest of us were wondering what our leader was doing up in a tree for the LAST!”

Crack! Another powerful blow rocked the tree.

“HALF!”

Boom!

“HOUR!”

Ruby gulped. Busted. She tucked her scroll away and leapt from the tree, letting her semblance carry her quickly and safely to the ground. Going wide around her sister, Ruby landed next to her younger charge.

The girl had a finger pressed to a communicator in her ear, speaking softly to her team on the other end. “No, no Grimm. All clear here. We'll be back soon.”

Ruby offered her best smile as she brushed rose petals from the girl's shoulder. “Back to camp?”

The mouse Faunus' eyes darted nervously past Ruby's shoulder before offering a brisk nod and scurrying away back towards camp. Before Ruby could make her own escape, Yang's arm snaked around her shoulder and pulled her into a bone-breaking side hug.

“Look, Rubes, I get it,” Yang murmured compassionately, iron grip loosening. “They'll be fine. She'll be fine, you know that. But we need you here. These girls busted their asses so they could go on a mission with the Ruby Rose, you know?”

“I know.” Ruby let out a long sigh, hand resting on her hidden scroll.

They wanted Ruby Rose, but they had gotten Ruby Arc.

---

Ruby sat on the edge of camp, back resting against a stout tree as she stared at the contact on her scroll. Still no signal. She'd have to give up for tonight and hope for better luck tomorrow. They were only about half a day's walk away from their mission area, a small town on the edge of the forest. Maybe the village will have a range extender...

Clicking her tongue at the grayed out 'call' icon, Ruby expanded the photo she'd chosen for Jaune's contact. She'd taken it just two days ago, the day before she left with Yang and Team STRW. Ruby had spent the morning at Beacon meeting with Professor Goodwitch to go over mission specifics and expectations the headmistress had for the rookie team. Ruby called home afterwards to check in and Jaune had told her that they had just cleaned up and were about to start dinner.

She came home to her living room destroyed, a minefield of toys she had to navigate to make it to the couch where her two most favorite people rested. Her husband, dopey as ever, still had his scroll in hand with her contact pulled up. Cleaned up, huh, Ruby thought wryly, smirking at the trail of drool that leaked from the corner of his mouth.

On his chest, rising and falling with her father's steady breathing, slept her sweet little Primrose. Pumpkin Pete was clutched in her tiny fist, her constant companion for nap time. Her hair, gold like Jaune's (and equally unruly), was tinged with Ruby's own red. The girl looked so much like her father when she slept, but when awake you'd see her mother's silver eyes, bright and inquisitive, staring back at you.

Ruby found herself sighing for the umpteenth time that trip as she studied the picture of her family. Was it always going to be this hard? Jaune had gone on a few missions since Prim was born and he got teary every time he came home. He'd been a softie for years now and, sweet as it was, she teased him thoroughly for his tears. Now, though, she wasn't so sure she wouldn't do the same.

It's not like she was worried. They were back home on Patch, Prim probably already snug in her crib for the night. She just missed them. She missed tucking Prim in. She missed feeding her and burping her after. She missed reading her stories the baby didn't understand, she missed singing to her, she even missed changing her.

This was her first mission since Prim was born six months ago and only her second day away from home. Ruby already felt like she was losing it.

“Scootch over, mom.”

Ruby looked up to find Yang smiling down at her. She scooted over as requested, letting her big sister join her under the tree. Yang tousled her sister's hair on the way down and came to rest at Ruby's side, shoulder pressed to shoulder.

They sat there quietly as they watched two members of Team STRW build a fire. Tara, a fiery redhead, had their back to them. She gossiped endlessly at her partner. Sophie, the mouse Faunus who followed Ruby earlier, worked quietly, occasionally offering a mumbled response whenever the redhead paused to breathe. Ruby failed to notice the girl peering quietly at her through pale yellow bangs. The other two members of the team (whom Ruby, to her shame, didn't remember the names of) were making a sweep of the surrounding area for Grimm.

“Was Mom like this too?” Ruby murmured, stroking the face of her child on the screen.

Yang shrugged. “Probably. I'm pretty sure all moms are crazy at the start. It'll get better.”

“Mm.” Ruby didn't feel like it would.

“Really though,” Yang said, turning to her sister. “Prim's with Jaune. And Dad's not even thirty minutes away if there's anything Jaune can't handle. I meant it earlier when I said we need you here.”

“Goodwitch told you, right? They earned the right to be out here with us.” Nodding towards the two students ahead of them, Yang continued. “They were ranked near the bottom of their year until they found out the top scoring team of the semester would have their first mission with you as their lead.”

Ruby chewed her lip. Way to disappoint, Ruby.

“And they did it. Worked through every weekend, came in first in academics and just barely second in combat,” Yang said. She continued, a bit more quietly, “I've got a fangirl, you know? Ol' Red there, Tara. It's kind of cute. She just talks and talks and talks, told me aaaalllll about it. Twice.”

“You've got one too, you know,” Yang said, nudging her little sister. Ruby finally looked up from her scroll and met eyes with Sophie. The timid girl quickly looked away, busying herself with the fire.

“Tara told me all about that, too,” Yang said with an exasperated sigh. “You didn't notice, right? She has a rose embossed on the stock of her rifle and everything.”

Shame burned in Ruby's gut as she watched the mousy leader of Team STRW work. “I...”

“But that's why I'm here, sis,” Yang said, climbing to her feet and extending a hand down to Ruby. “To keep you in line. Let's go say hi.”

Ruby smiled up at her sister and reached up to take her proffered hand. Yang, however, didn't move to grab her.

“Nuh uh. Scroll. Hand it over.”

“But-”

Yang rolled her eyes. “But nothing. I promise I'll give it back once we reach town or if anything comes through. These girls know that being distracted can get you killed, they don't need to see it.”

Ruby relented and passed her scroll up. Her sister was right, she needed to get her head in the game. Yang smiled brightly and offered her other hand to help her sister to her feet before leading her towards the still unfinished fire.

“You girls struggling? I brought an expert camper to show you how it's done,” Yang joked. “Ruby here walked across two continents like a dumb ass and camped out nearly every night.”

Ruby glowered at her sister for that as she joined the two students at the fire. “We were keeping a low profile.”

“Suuuure you were. Over half a year on the road with some guy who you just happened to end up marrying later? 'Low profile', sure.”

“Yang, it wasn't-”

“Really, Miss Rose?” Sophie cut in suddenly. “You walked that far? Why?”

“There was an attack coming to Haven and I kinda sorta had to run away from home to protect it,” Ruby laughed uneasily. “And Sophie?”

The mouse girl perked up, probably because Ruby had remembered her name.

“It's Arc. Ruby works for me, though,” she told the girl, smiling.

“O-O-Okay Miss Ruby!”

Ruby shot Yang a glare when her sister snorted at that.

---

Ruby spent the rest of the evening chatting with Sophie, giving the girl tips on everything from setting a camp to weapon maintenance while out in the field. The girl listened raptly and Ruby wasn't entirely surprised when Sophie produced a small notepad to take notes.

Yang had the other three members of STRW with her on the other side of the fire, sharing battle stories. Yang had the girls eating up every word as she weaved stories of destroying Grimm, routing the White Fang, and all around kicking butts. Tara especially was enraptured, gasping and laughing at every major point.

“Let's take a break,” Yang finally said, stretching for the sky. She pulled out Ruby's scroll and shook it at her from across the fire. “Hey Rubes, got any new pictures? Mind if we take a look?”

“Go for it,” Ruby responded before turning back to Sophie. Ruby had the girl's rifle laid across her lap.

The other three girls crowded closer around Yang as she started going through Ruby's scroll. They ooh'd and aah'd at all the right points even if they were probably only being nice. What teenage girl cared about babies? Ruby hadn't at all until she had one of her own.

She didn't notice when exactly the group went quiet but something about the silence bugged her. Looking up from Sophie's rifle (named Silver Rose, much to Ruby's embarrassment), Yang's had a wide grin as she pointed out something on the scroll, holding it up closer for the girls to inspect. Their faces were painted red by the fire, flames shining in their wide eyes.

“Cute butt,” Yang said casually.

Ruby smiled and went back to inspecting the rifle. “Prim has a cute everything.”

“...I guess she got the butt from her dad...” Tara added quietly.

That was a...weird conclusion to draw, Ruby thought.

Yang chuckled. “Never knew dudes could pull off the whole naked apron thing, but dayum Vomit Boy.”

Ruby's head snapped up so quickly that rose petals fluttered down on her shoulders.

Yang was staring her down from across the fire, smug grin plastered on her face, and she realized that the other girls' faces weren't red from just the fire. Ruby couldn't see it clearly through the back of the scroll, but she could just make out her bright red apron and the blond wearing it (and nothing else) posing saucily in front of the bathroom mirror. Ruby delicately handed Sophie's rifle back to the girl and immediately sprung to her feet, making a mad dive for the scroll.

“T-T-Those are private!” she squawked as Yang danced away, holding the scroll high out of her sister's reach.

Yang laughed heartily as she continued to evade her sister's desperate grabs, leading her all over the campsite. Their leader Sophie looked thoroughly confused while the rest of her team giggled and elbowed each other.

After several minutes of chaos, Yang finally put her mortified younger sister in a friendly headlock until she petered out.

“Yaaaaang,” Ruby whined, trying to wrestle her way out of the hold. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life, and that was saying something. “Please give it back.”

“You have got to learn how to use private folders, Rubes,” Yang admonished. “What if I had been Dad?”

Ruby covered her eyes in shame, shuddering at the thought. Teenage girls ogling her husband was bad enough, she didn't need Dad seeing that side (literally) of Jaune. Thank the gods they stopped at the apron... Ruby thought. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

“So!” Yang announced, turning towards Team STRW with a defeated Ruby still firmly held in a headlock. “What did we learn from crazy mom-slash-wife Ruby Arc today?”

“Hide your porn?” one girl put forward, getting laughs from her friends.

“Find a guy with a nice butt,” another posited, getting even more laughs.

Ruby let out a withering sigh. This is one way to finally get away from the “perfect savior of Remnant” label, I guess.

“There's more to being a huntress than what we learn in class,” Sophie offered

Ruby nodded sagely at the girl's wisdom. That's my fangirl, she thought proudly.

Yang nodded along. “Solid answers all. What about you, Tara?”

The redhead tapped her lip in silent thought for a moment before answering.

“Never get married or have kids?”

“Nailed it!” Yang laughed, Team STRW (sans Sophie) laughing along with her.

I wanna go home... Ruby thought grumpily.

---

Sophie stood a little bit taller as the bullhead descended towards Beacon's landing pad. It was a successful mission through and through. A week out in the field, no casualties, no major injuries, and a thoroughly satisfied client. Miss Ro-...Miss Ar-...Ruby hadn't even had to help with the fighting, while her sister only joined in once to show off her skills for the team.

A week with her hero was like something out of a dream. Ruby was so different but so much better than what she had expected. She was nice, and awkward, and kind of a dork, but still an immensely competent and skilled leader. Everything Sophie hoped she could be one day. Ruby had even said she wanted to help her tinker with her rifle once they were back at Beacon!

Puffing out her chest in pride, she looked over to Ruby to thank her for everything she had done. The silver-eyed huntress met her gaze with a smile, but as soon as the bullhead doors started to open she disappeared in an explosion of flower petals that left the group staggering. Yang just laughed and offered the team her apologies as they followed the trail of petals towards Beacon's main entrance.

They found Ruby standing before the statue in the courtyard, an impressive mass of stone featuring a proud ponytailed huntress raising her spear high in victory. With her were Professor Goodwitch and a man that could only be Jaune Arc. And in Ruby's arms was Primrose, the daughter she had heard too much about.

The baby girl squealed in delight as her mother raised her high over her head over and over, each time bringing the girl down to her face to blow exaggerated raspberries into her stomach. The headmistress watched the spectacle with a soft smile, something Sophie had never seen on the stern woman's face before. Ruby's husband stood just off to the side, sniffling a little. Was he crying?

Noticing the group, Professor Goodwitch turned and faced them with her usual critical eye. Sophie swallowed heavily and stepped forward.

“Team STRW reporting in. The mission was successful with no major injuries sustained,” she reported smartly. “I have a preliminary debrief ready now, unless you would prefer to wait for the detailed report.”

The professor nodded firmly. “Good work. Mrs. Arc here has spoken quite highly of you all. I believe you've earned a rest. Enjoy your extended weekend and deliver your report first thing Monday morning.”

“Ma'am!” Sophie responded in the affirmative, squaring her shoulders. Ruby must have spoken highly of them indeed if the famously strict Professor Goodwitch was being so lenient.

“Thanks for watching out for Ruby for me. I really appreciate it.”

Jaune approached, hand extended. “Oh, uh, Jaune, by the way,” he added quickly.

Sophie heard a quiet “oh, we know” from Tara behind her, followed by a burst of giggling. What were they on about?

Jaune went from girl to girl for introductions. Sophie accepted the handshake proudly, but her teammates were red-faced and giggling during their turns. How could they be so rude to Ruby's husband?

“Hey Professor?” Yang asked suddenly. “Mind if I take STRW here out for dinner? I wanna hear about Beacon.”

Sophie watched her partner practically vibrate in place as she waited for the answer.

“No wrecked nightclubs,” was all Professor Goodwitch said before turning away and leaving the group.

“Awwww yeeeeaaah, par-tay!” Tara cheered, giving an excited high five to Yang.

Ruby and Jaune, hand resting around his wife's shoulder, approached the group as they chatted excitedly about their upcoming night on the town.

“You guys did really well,” Ruby said, favoring each girl with a smile. “You're all welcome to come by Patch anytime, we'd love to have you.”

“Definitely,” Jaune added. “I wanna hear about your mission. Ruby always glosses over stuff.”

Ruby affectionately headbutted her husband's chest at that.

“Really though, come by this weekend. I'll make lunch, whatever you guys like. I'll have you know,” Jaune added proudly, “I'm a pretty crack chef.”

A quiet snort was all Sophie heard before Yang and the rest of Team STRW burst into laughter.

(Thanks again to the fantastically talented @zaheela for the art. Make sure to throw money at them. Happy 9 Days of Lancaster!)

[fate-117]

Themes

Good morning, everybody. 

Sorry I am just getting around to posting this, especially since a lot of you asked and generously opted to help me out. This list is for artists and writers alike, and is optional and is always open to more suggestions. If there was anything you wanted to do but did not see, go for it!

So, anyway, here is the current list of themes for Nine Days of Lancaster! 

Fluff and Friendship

First Date

Competition

Family Photo

Party

Surprise

Sick

Celebration

Firsts

Misunderstandings

Reluctance

Varied schedules

Jealousy

Yearning

Heroism

Sincerity

Healing

Family

Trust

Future

Fairytale

Childhood love

Forgiveness

Best friends first, lovers second

First child versus third child

Overwhelming innocence

Best Friends

Fond Memories

Married

Roommates

Graduation

Wardrobe Malfunction

The last bus/train of the night

Convenience store at 2:33 AM

Perseverance

Unexpected talents

Getting locked out

Teamwork

Dreams

Weird/awkward collections

Angst and Tragedy

Secrets

Surprise

Misunderstandings

Reluctance

Varied schedules

Jealousy

Heroism

Trust

Family

Lost

Hardship

Illness

Misunderstandings

Reluctance

Survivor's Guilt

Death before confession

Doubts

Yearning

Heroism

Sincerity

Healing

Memories

Nightmares

Fears

Unspoken words

Unkept promises

Good luck, happy muses, and have a good day. Special thanks to @ultrabooster10000

[curiousscientistkae]

Day 9 of 9DaysOfLancaster: Some more Headcanons

(yup last day of the thing. Managed to get something out all 9 days. Im just gonna end it with some more dumn headcanons cause i got nothing else. Mostly family headcanons)

---

-Jaune so cried when all this kids where born. You can’t tell me otherwise. 

-Garnet was a easy baby. He didn’t give anyone that much trouble. However, his little sis, the second she could walk she was being a shit. She needed a leash for reasons and the flooring around her crib was covered in padding. Ruby and Jaune where happy when Azure was like her brother. 

-All the fam loves to go to something like comic con. They are all fuckin nerds. 

-Drei is very protective of the kids. Ruby and Jaune dont have to worry about when they leave their kids at home. Drei will protect them. Milo is still learning but he is more playful and timid.

-Christmas is always fun when Yang and her family comes over and Jaune’s sisters come over for the holidays (course also Tai, Qrow, and Jaune’s mom and dad). There is always something going on and people talking and just having a good time. However, the adults do keep a watch on the kids cause all those cousins and siblings will get into some trouble. Without a doubt one kid will hurt themselves during these events.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 days of Lancaster: Hoodie Thief

Jaune: Hand me my depression hoodie Rubes.

Ruby: You only have one hoodie.

Jaune:

Ruby: That's it. We're going hoodie shopping. Let's go to the mall.

Jaune: I only need one hoodie Ruby.

Ruby: Not if you're calling it your depression hoodie.

Jaune: Yeah?

Ruby: Yeah.

Jaune: And why are you so fascinated with my hoodies?

Ruby: I'm looking out for you. You butt.

Jaune: Sure. We can go shopping. I don't think I'll wear them but we can buy them.

Ruby: What a load!? I want to steal your clothes and I want them to smell like you so you better be using them.

Jaune:

Ruby: Come on. You don't want to just see me in my hunting clothes. Do you?

Jaune: I could look at you in those skirts and corset all day.

Ruby: Well I don't want to wear a tight corset all day. It's hard on my boobs.

Jaune: I'm hard on your boobs.

Ruby: Oh you! Come on. Guy clothes are comfortable. Hoodies are soft and comfortable and smell like you. Smell is good for memory. Yoga pants and jeans are tight. Bras are tight. Sometimes a girl just wants to relax in her boyfriend's hoodie.

Jaune: I suppose that's pretty sexy.

Ruby: Yeah?

Jaune: Yeah. Like my flag flying over a ship. It's sexy and a bit proud. It's a sign you're mine. Which is sexy. It also shows you want to be around me. Which is sexy. I suppose if you were skipping around in one of my hoodies with nothing on underneath I wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself.

Ruby: What would you do?

Jaune: Nasty shit. But I'd also kiss your forehead and let you spin away from me like a princess. What's not to love?

Ruby: Would you bend me over something and give it to me?

Jaune: I'd certainly like to. I think the exact mechanics of that would be tough because of how short you are but it could work.

Ruby: Don't call me short!

Jaune: You are though. You'd swim in one of my hoodies. You're so small. It's adorable.

Ruby: I'm tired of being adorable. Maybe I want to be sexy.

Jaune: You are sexy. But you're also adorable. It's both. You can be and are both. They aren't mutually exclusive things in my head.

Ruby: I could get used to wearing just one of your hoodies and some panties.

Jaune: Don't tease me. I am but a man.

Ruby: If I could choose between teasing you sexually and not teasing you sexually I'd choose to tease you every time.

Jaune: That's because you like when I can't control myself. You like when I touch you.

Ruby: It just goes to show that even when you're the one in control you aren't in control.

Jaune: Do it. Force my hand. I bet I could make you beg to suck my d-

Ruby: Okay! Okay. Maybe you can. Don't be gross.

Jaune: But you like going down on me. It's okay. I like the nasty stuff too.

Ruby: Shut up.

Jaune: You're filthy. You're a dirty girl.

Ruby: Hush.

Jaune: I'll make you call yourself filthy. I'll do it. On gods I'll do it. *kisses her neck*

Ruby: *lets out a shuddering moan*

Jaune: *sucks at her pulse*

Ruby: No hickies.

Jaune: I want to mark you up. You wanna wear my hoodie, I get to mark you and you have to beg me to mark you. Those are the rules.

Ruby: What if I-

Jaune: Hush now. I'm going to take my time with you. Don't rush me. I like this.

Ruby: I-

Jaune: No talking.

Ruby: *moans a little as Jaune kisses to her collar*

Jaune: You're so loud sweetheart. Don't you want me to keep going?

Ruby: I...

Jaune: Hush. Talking will just make me go slower. You wouldn't want that, would you?

Ruby: *gives a frenzied and confused whimper*

Jaune: See what I mean? You can't even be quiet with what I gave you.

Ruby: This isn't fair!

Jaune: No. What isn't fair is that you get to walk around freely without a thought in your pretty head of what you're doing to me. You get to sit there all transcendent.

Ruby: Ah! Hmmm! Mmhm.

Jaune: That's my good girl. Now I believe we were going hoodie shopping.

Ruby: What?! We can't leave now! You made me horny.

Jaune: And you wearing my clothes is what exactly? You get to tease me but I don't get to tease you?

Ruby: When you put it like that...

Jaune: When I describe the situation you mean? Come on. Sort yourself out.

Ruby: How bad did you mark me up?

Jaune: Pretty bad. I won't lie.

Ruby: I can't walk around like this!

Jaune: Sure you can. You can do it proudly. Like a wife loved on in the best way.

Ruby: Fuck. Now I need make up.

Jaune: Nah. You look sexy. You look like you're mine. Which the marks prove.

Ruby: Fuck. Why would you do this?

Jaune: I wanted to mark you and hear you moan. Which part of that was out of character for me?

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Partners

Jaune: I have no partner.

Ruby: What about me?

Jaune: You have Weiss... she's your bestie or whatever. I can't just call you my partner. Not with Weiss around. It has connotations for hunters. I never really had that either. A best friend. Ren is for sure my bro but he has Nora. A bit of an insecurity of mine.

Ruby: I'd like you to be my partner. Weiss isn't here.

Jaune: Sure. Just until you and her are reunited.

Ruby: Fuck off.

Jaune: Beg pardon?

Ruby: You heard me. I love you. You frustrate me sometimes. I feel like I need a can opener with you.

Jaune: What? You want more?

Ruby: More! When are you going to tell me more about you?

Jaune: I thought I made it clear I wanted you to like me?

Ruby: I love you! You goofball! You butt! Tell me everything.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Stranded

I rattled the gate. It was locked down tight. I might have been able to break it but there wsa a camera up above us which would capture me. I was sure Ruby could cut the lock but that was the same problem. 

“So we’re locked out of campus for the evening?” Ruby asked. 

“Sure seems that way,” I responded. 

“Where are we going to sleep?” 

“We’ll have to find a hotel.”

“Ha,” Ruby laughed. “Reminds me of Anima.”

I grinned a little at the mostly good memories. “Anima was good times.”

“So where do we start looking?”

I pulled out my scroll. I started googling. “The nearest hotel is a couple blocks that way.” I pointed South. “No wait that’s an BNB.”

“So?”

“So it probably wouldn’t work out.”

“Why not?”

“Well...” I didn’t have a ready retort. “I suppose it could...that is to say...”

“Lead the way,” Ruby demanded with a smirk. I grinned back down at her. I closed my scroll and began to walk through the crystal like buildings which made up Atlas. 

Ruby took my arm. I looked down at her but she wouldn’t meet my eye as she skipped to keep up with my gait. I slowed down for her so she could walk beside me easily. It wasn’t like we were in a rush. 

“You know Jaune...” She began.

“I probably don’t. Tell me,” I shot back. 

“Never mind, then.” Well alright. Keep your secrets. 

I held the door for Ruby to the BNB. She walked in and up to the register where a lanky dude in a t-shirt was standing looking bored. I glanced around. There were neon hearts and light up arrows. My face reddened. 

“Rubes?”

“Yeah?”

“I think... this may be... like, a love hotel.”

“A love hotel?”

“Yeah, you know. A place for couples. To get away.”

“What’s the big deal? Its just for a night.”

“Yeah. I think that’s the jist of this place.”

“One room please,” Ruby said to the dude by the counter.

“Enjoy your stay,” he returned sounding bored. Ruby scanned her scroll to pay before I could argue. I would have paid but I still had my reservations about the hotel we found ourselves in. Ruby grabbed my arm and half dragged me to the room we’d be staying in. There was a large heart shaped bed in the center of the room. I shot Ruby a glance. Her face was beet red like her hair. 

“I’ll just take the floor,” I managed. It should be comfortable enough and there were plenty of pillows on the bed.

“Nonsense. We can share.”

“Rubes-”

“Yeah? What’s the big deal?”

“Its inappropriate.” 

“Why? I trust you.” She looked up to me with her cool grey gaze. I looked away blushing. “Jaune. I trust you.”

I sighed. “I’m a guy Rubes. You’re a girl.”

“So this is about gender roles.”

“Not necessarily,” I protested. “I’m straight.”

“And I’m demi,” she shot back.

I blinked at that. “So it wouldn’t be a big deal for you but it would be for me,” I tried to explain.

“Why wouldn’t it be a big deal for me?” She wondered.

“Well... you’re demi.”

“But I trust you,” she shot back with a glare and some heat. I flinched.

“All the more reason its inappropriate,” I carried on.

“So this is what Pyrrha went through.”

“What?”

“Jaune, I’m comfortable sleeping with you.”

“This has nothing to do with sleep!” I protested. 

“I know!”

“What? Rubes I-”

“Jaune, won’t you sleep with me?” She pressed. She looked up at me with big silver eyes. “I know the implications of what I just said. I’m not a little girl.”

My throat was suddenly very dry. “Rubes you’re my best friend.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be friends with you. I’m very flexible. Want to see?”

I swallowed hard. I choked on air. “Yeah. I do.” She led me inside by the hand and shut the door. 

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Hoodie thief

I walked into my house. Our house. My house. The house in which I lived with my future wife. That house. The outside had a loop before the garage of red gravel and a long gravel driveway. There was a column of trees as a windbreaker off to the east side of the house. The building was two stories and had red stone by the base cobbled together before red-brown wood planks and tall glass windows. 

Over the double door front entrance was an arcing roof and great glass windows. The master had large windows by the head of the bed and in the bathroom. There was a patch with a patio at the front entrance and a hanging balcony patio out back. 

At once it was very different to and similar to the house I thought I grew up in. It had a lot of rooms. It was very tall. The kitchen and family room and atrium were large with hanging chandeliers in the atrium. But the color scheme was different from the white house I recalled. They both had tall windows but the overall floor plan was different. Too different to say that they were similar in any way. I also wasn't sure which room my mother slept in in that tall white house. I couldn't remember where the master was. Maybe it hadn't been anywhere at all. 

I moved from the garage through the laundry room. To my left was the master and two bedrooms. To my right was the dining room and kitchen and past that was the family room, atrium, and stairs leading up to the other rooms where the kids would one day reside. Past even that was the office annex. 

Ruby was in the kitchen baking cookies. She was wearing a pair of shorts and one of my hoodies. At a guess I would say that was all she was wearing with no bra but probably panties. Bras were, I had learned, uncomfortable. They were the fist casualty whenever either of my ladies arrived at home. Which I was fine with. The less clothes they wanted to wear, the better. 

"How was work?" Ruby asked. She popped a ball of cookie dough into her mouth and marched around the kitchen island to the fridge and found the eggs. She shut the fridge behind her and danced back around to her dough. 

I walked slowly in her direction. Like she was a gazelle I was afraid would get spooked. I stalked up on her slowly and steadily. 

"Well?" She demanded. "Don't ignore me!"

"Work was fine. I worked one on one with this girl who has a precognitive semblance. She has some blind spots I'm worried will get her killed."

"Don't be so negative. I'm sure she does fine."

"She got both her legs broken by this gravity manipulator serial killer."

"Dark," Ruby granted. I came up behind her. "But I'm sure you do your best to help her so she doesn't get hurt again. You always take so much responsibility on yourself. You could probab-eep!"

I grabbed her by the sides all at once and started tickling her fiercely by poking the places around her ribs. 

"Jaune!" She giggled. "Jaune! Stop!" 

I didn't. I picked her up into the air so her feet kicked as I thrashed her mercilessly. She couldn't stop laughing as I poked her over and over. I poked just beneath her ribs and she bent and cackled in a delicious laugh. 

"Jaune! I mean it!"

I didn't let up. I held her in the air and tickled her until she was pink and panting and only then did I set her down but I kept my arms wrapped around her waist as I held her from behind. She breathed hard and a few last laughs escaped her as I just held her close to me. She turned around grinning up at me with the glow of her laugh around her face. Her short hair was covering her eyes a little when her bangs got all messed up. 

I could tell she really wasn't wearing a bra. I knew it! And she was doing just to tease me! "Pfft." She blew her hair out of her face and I kissed down along her neck. She shivered in my arms and leaned on the countertop near the stove. I pushing her until her elbows were down and her butt was out and she looked so delicious with her legs spread apart ever so slightly. "Jaune…" she whined as I sucked between her jawline and her ear. She leaned into my touch. I took my right hand and found her waistline. I teased with her pants and the place above her womanhood and below her hard abdominals. 

"You should be on this countertop," I whispered. 

"W-why's that?" She breathed. 

"It's where the snacks belong. And you, sweetheart, are a full meal. I'm about this close to eating you."

"I'm making cookies…" she whined and tried to shrug away from my kisses. But I knew I was turning her on. I could see her pokies through my hoodie. "Jaune…"

"Play hard to get all you like," I hummed. "You ought to be ashamed of how you tease me."

"I'm not teasing you on purpose!"

"Hard to prove," I countered. 

"Well I'm not!"

"Sure you're not. My hoodie with nothing on underneath and those tight little shorts. And you just prance and dance around the kitchen without a thought in your pretty little head of what you're doing to me. Is that right?"

"We-well… when you put it like that…" she panted. 

"When I describe the situation? You mean?" I asked bewildered. 

"I'm just in comfortable clothes baking cookies. And brownies. And cookies in the brownie batter," she blew some hair out of her face and leaned into my kisses. 

"Delicious," I hummed as I sucked on her neck and tasted her sugary cinnamon flavor. Just a hint of fresh flowers and something sweet. 

"Cookie-brownies are good…"

"Sweetheart I'm talkin' about you. Your aura is so sugary. It tastes good going down. And when I feel you against me it just smells so right."

"Your aura feels nice wrapped around me…" she sighed back into my kisses. 

"I think you like it. This sick power you have over me. You like drawing me out and making me hungry for you. You do, don't you? You love that I can't keep my hands to myself."

"Y-y-you say that now…" she stuttered as I nibled on her earlobe. "We'll see if you still feel that way when I'm pregnant with your baby."

"I can't imagine I'll want to hold you down and make love to you then. But we'll see what happens to my protective instincts when you start bringing my sons and daughters into this world."

She shivered in my arms again. 

"You're going to be a loving, doting father," she purred as I kissed the back of her neck and the apex of her head. 

"We'll see," I disagreed in part. 

"You're already a good husband. Or good husband material. I'm not Ruby Strife yet. Neither is Weiss 'Weiss Strife.' But you're already sweet and you want to take care of me."

"You don't need me to take care of you…" I trailed. 

"But I will."

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Denial

Jaune: I don't know how to feel about Ruby.

Yang: You have a crush.

Jaune: I don't have a crush. I have attachment issues and someone giving me affection.

Yang: *laughs* Sure Vomit Boy. Sure. That why you'd kill and die for Ruby?

Jaune: She's a good person and I'm nothing. What decision is there to be made there. It's no contest.

Yang: Here. Hold this for me. *hands him a single white rose*

Jaune: What the hell?

Yang: Oh Ruby!

Jaune: What the fuck are you doing?!

Yang: Do what comes naturally. Just relax and be yourself. She already likes you.

Ruby: What's up Yang?

Jaune: Rubes...

Ruby: Yes?

Jaune: I think this is for you... *hands her the little white rose*

Ruby: Oh?

Jaune: Yeah... I just... I don't know.

Ruby: Come get a coffee with me.

Jaune: I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'm kinda a wreck.

Ruby: You're a cute and honest wreck.

Jaune: Thanks... I'm not the most masculine man...

Ruby: That's okay. I like how metrosexual you are. I like that you're willing to cry in front of me and you don't bottle up out of some twisted sense of pride.

Jaune: Yeah? Well... I just wanted you to know, you know? Just in case. I mean I could be dead this time tomorrow so...

Ruby: Don't talk like that...

Jaune: Sure. Well I think you should hold onto that, *points at the rose* it was a gift I think but you should have it.

Ruby: It smells nice.

Jaune: Smells like you, I bet.

Ruby: How do I smell?

Jaune: Like roses. Its clean. And gentle. And a bit like cinnamon and sugar. I like it. It tastes good.

Ruby: Oh? Is that all?

Jaune: *laughs* No. It drives me nuts to smell you. Its crazy how you're inside my head. Leave me the fuck alone! Won't you?

Ruby: You want me to leave?

Jaune: No. I want you to stay. You just live rent free in my mind. I cannot stand it.

Ruby: About that coffee...?

Jaune: Yes. Sure. You and me. We'll get drinks and chat.

Ruby: Sounds like a lovely evening.

Jaune: Yeah. It does. Doesn't it? I think.... I think things will go better if you break my heart....

Ruby: What?

Jaune: I mean... I'm a mess. And you're perfect. I'm like a human garbage can.

Ruby: You're sweet and kind. And you always take the worst responsibilities on yourself. Because you're a leader. Sure you're always training to take down Cinder but she has to go. I don't know how we can possibly take her prisoner. I see the good in you. You can't hide it from me. Honesty and hard work. That's what you're really like. And I love that about you.

Jaune:

Ruby: This is when you say it back.

Jaune: Fuck. I love you too Rubes. You... you have me pretty firmly in a corner here.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Hidden Relationship

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

I chased Ruby's bottom lip with hunger and she rolled her fingers through my hair. She giggled against my lips as I sighed in pleasure at the touch of her small hands.

I pinned her down against my unkempt bed with a vigor that made her roll her pelvis up at me and I growled.

"You rascal ." I broke off the kiss to look her in the eye but her gray gaze just seemed to say 'who, me?'

Yes you. If it wasn't you, then who?

I ran one frustrated hand under her body and along her back, pulling her close to me. I slid under her shirt and I bodily picked her up off the bed and held her against me as I devoured her lush, full lips with some savagery.

I touched the whole of her curved back with my arm and she heaved up into me with heavy breaths. Her skin just felt so fantastic against my own as I cradled the whole of her small form against my larger one. She let out another noise, one that made me feel like a demigod and she breathed out my name with a tiny mewl.

"Oh, Jaune..."

It left her pink lips like a prayer and I dove back upon them with my own.

It had been weeks since I'd held her so close. It had been weeks since we'd been able to share more than parting looks and careless touches. I could feel her want against my own in a steady rhythmic pulse which only sped up over time. She flushed as red like the tips of her hair as I chased her tongue around her mouth. Then she suddenly closed her lips and sucked on my tongue gently in a way that made my chest heave. It made me throb for her.

Our teeth met briefly and savory, softly clicking together when I deepened our kiss. She moaned, a low sound in her throat I wouldn't have thought the young woman capable of making. It only made me want to devour her flesh more. I kissed down her neck and over her jaw line until I arrived at the dimple in her collar and sucked against her supple skin.

So great was my hunger as I knelt between her legs that I nearly left behind hickies and marked her smooth flesh with my possessiveness. I had to remember not to mark her as she grabbed my face in her arms and moaned again. Gods I would do so fucking much just to hear her moan like that. That was why I did what I did. This is what I fought for. It nearly made the weeks of passing touches worth the wait just to hear her cry out quietly and writhe against the sheets.

Our auras merged and flared like touching candle flames and she hissed beneath me, clawing against my shirt, just searching for purchase. She rubbed against the massive scars the Scorpion had left along my chest and I moaned loudly, almost a deep grunt. Red mixed with gold and flickers of blue flame. Crimson petals drifted from the air around us as the heat of our moment intensified.

Her legs tried in vain to wrap around my waist but my frame was too wide to allow that. She gave a little noise of protest which was absolutely delicious as she failed to pull me even closer to her.

The door to the room burst open.

"Hey Jaune have you seen my- what the fuck!?"

I was hauled off of Ruby by pure main strength and was turned to face Yang. I saw her eyes flash red from violet. I met the heated glare with pure stupid apathy as I was brutishly shoved against a wall hard enough that my head cracked against it.

"Have you seen," she hissed, "My. Sister."

"Yeah,” I muttered duly. "She's around." My head cracked against the wall again painlessly. I felt slow, big, and dumb.

"Yang what the hell?!" Ruby shouted from where she sat up on the bed. Her fingers still deep in the sheets as she propped herself up.

"You were having sex!"

"I was super well aware!" Ruby huffed and blew her messy hair out from in front of her eyes. "Will you let him go, please?" Yang released me and I stepped back from the tan wall and away from one of the green plants which lined our Mistrali rental.

"Well. Explain, asshole," Yang demanded her hair burning in orange and yellow. Her enormous mane was inflamed from the heat of her anger.

"Yang I like him," Ruby spouted from behind her sister. "I should have told you, Jaune was helping me keep it a secret."

I nodded dumbly, still half cocked. Blood was flowing from other places back to my brain. I wasn't reacting swiftly to the situation and I wasn't sure there was much I could have said.

"Really? This dumb motherfucker?" Yang turned her gaze around at Ruby.

"Yang!" Ruby sat up straighter on the bed and dropped the sheets she'd still held clutched in those tiny hands. "I. Like. Him. And why not? He makes me feel safe. He makes me feel good. I like him. He always has my back and I love how much I trust him."

Yang staggered, looking at Ruby in disbelief. "How long?"

"A little before we picked up Qrow. Maybe a month." Ruby 'pffted' upwards blowing her hair out of her face again.

"This whole time?" Yang whipped back towards me. "This whole time you've been taking advantage of my sister?"

"I keep telling you it isn't like that!" Ruby protested.

"Then why sneak around about it?!"

Ruby gestured emphatically. "This! This is why, Yang." She turned her head sideways slightly. "I was trying to find the right time to tell you."

"And what? He was all too happy to go along with it?"

"Yes! He does whatever I ask him to do, he's like a big puppy. He's harmless."

"I just saw him murder a bunch of people. Calmly."

"We haven't had the chance to talk recently…" Ruby confessed, sounding meek for the first time. "But that's the job, Yang. Sometimes bad guys die. Roman Torchwhick died. You killed people too. That's the job sometimes. I knew that. You knew that."

"Yeah but I was busted up about it was the difference."

"Jaune was super messed up the first time he killed someone. You weren't there for it. You were back at Dad's. And Jaune had my back. When Tyrion came for me, to kidnap me and take me to Salem, Jaune was willing to die for me! He almost did die for me! How much more ideal and sweet a guy could I have found and you're still not happy with it? What was I supposed to do? No one was going to be good enough for me in your mind."

Yang's hair deflated. Her eyes flicked back to violet as something like shame took her over. If I was a betting man it wasn't over her outburst of anger, but rather over the fact she'd flinched.

"Jaune," I looked up at Ruby, still feeling dazed. "Would you give us the room? Please?"

I nodded along. "Sure. Of course." I walked past the crouching tiger I felt Yang represented within the room and shut the door behind me. I leaned back against it and wiped my hands across my eyes and sighed out loud.

"You got caught." It was Weiss. I couldn't muster up the heat of a glare. I felt too tired, bone deep tired. I met her icy blue eyes, her hair was down around her shoulders and not in its usual ponytail.

"Yeah. We 'got caught,'" I let out. I was leaning deeply against the door such that our eyes were level.

She flushed a little scarlet. "Just kissing or something more?"

"A little of column A and a little of column B."

"Well you're still…" she trailed off pointing downwards. She was only looking out of the corner of her eye with her head turned away, as if to give me a sense of modesty.

I was still half cocked, thank you Weiss. Super appreciative.

It wasn't her fault, though.

I exhaled, hard, and took a few deep breaths. I tried to slow my heart rate back down and get my anatomy under control.

"Yeah well you know," I managed. "It'll go away."

"Is that how it works?"

"Yeah. That's how it works," I spouted stiffly.

"You could have locked the door."

"The doors don't have locks," I said dry as ice. "We figured somebody would knock first."

"And that would have helped?"

"Maybe? Probably? I don't have a plan for everything!"

She snorted at me in a quiet 'ugly' laugh. Yuck it up, Weiss.

I leaned against the door and tried to forget Ruby's pulse between her legs. It was pretty difficult. I was intentionally avoiding the word 'hard' but 'twas also that.

"Seems to me this whole situation could have been avoided if you'd just talked to Yang."

"Wasn't my decision. I'm just the dumb boyfriend. Dumb boyfriends follow their smart girlfriends' orders. Especially where family is concerned."

"What about your family?"

"They'd be amazed I got this far."

"With a girl?"

"Just in general." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Weiss gave me a pleasant smile at that, the sort I would have killed for freshman year. It was warm around the edges, yet firm in the center. Blue eyes glowing softly in the morning light of Mistral. The deep dusk reds couldn't seem to touch Weiss's eyes.

"Coffee?" She asked. "Or were you going to avail yourself of a cold shower?"

"Ha. Ha." I pronounced my 'ha's. "I think I'm good on that shower." I felt confident enough to stand up straight and I followed her down stairs for some of the brown beverage.

Weiss evidently took her's dark. I watched her quietly make it, arms folded in the kitchen over my blue cotton shirt. She handed a cup to me and I guess she knew I was a pussy because she offered me cream and sugar. I availed myself of some; mixing the white with the brown. Just a little though. I wasn't Ruby. I heaved yet another sigh.

"So now the only one who doesn't know is Qrow." She blew over her drink.

"And Oscar, I guess." I cheered her when she offered her mug in my direction."Or Ozpin or whatever they are."

I took a sip and winced at the temperature.

"Careful, it is hot."

"I just about got that memo, thanks. One more just to make it sink in." I took another sip and winced. "Yep, still hot."

"Well don't do it again! You'll just hurt yourself."

I shrugged. "Pretty sure Yang would be on board with the concept of me suffering."

"Well let's not give her what she wants. I'll take it from you, you know. You have to be patient."

I blew over the top of the liquid distinctly impatiently.

"You're worse than Ruby sometimes." She was smiling, though.

"Yeah," I agreed. "How are you holding up after yesterday? Couldn't have been easy on the inside."

"Not sure if you heard or not but the Don picked me to be his escort for the night. He had some lines of hyper laid out on his bedside table, even. For the evening, I suppose. A man of indulgence."

"I hadn't," I prompted.

"I held him down with my semblance and made him talk. On the whole, I'd say I had the easiest job. Not like you boys outside."

"It got messy, I'm just glad none of you got hurt."

"How are you holding up with it?"

"Killing people, you mean?"

She nodded, leaning her head on one hand as she looked up at me from the table she'd taken a seat at.

"I'm alright at it. I think I might even be good at it. Killing people. It does get easier."

"How many?"

"I used to know, used to have a number. Went from one, to two, then five but... But now I've lost count. A bunch. A whole bunch of people."

"I'm sorry, Jaune."

"Sometimes it be like that,” I snapped my fingers and pointed off in the distance. She didn’t look distracted by my antics so I sighed. “It's what we signed up for."

"I haven't killed anyone, not yet. I probably will at some point, though. Seems inevitable, doesn't it?"

"Some poor sap without aura and then, bam." I nodded. "Even with aura you can't exactly tell how full they are sometimes so you just go right through."

"Gods."

"That's how my first one went. This bandit. I had my semblance and I just spent it and I cut him."

"You're unbelievably strong with your semblance active." Weiss nodded along like she could see it. "The point of Myrtenaster will probably be like that, especially if I have some speed behind me."

"Exactly." I took a sip, the coffee had finally cooled down enough that I could drink some. I almost found myself pounding the drink.

"Well, aren't we chipper?" She sighed.

"Just pragmatic. You didn’t actually tell me how you’re holding up.”

“Didn’t I?”

“No. You dodged it.”

“Did I now?” She teased with an upwards tilt of her chin. 

“You just said you figured you had the easiest job then you changed the subject. You should answer the question I asked you. Just so long as we’re both being completely honest with one another.”

“And are we?” She wondered.

“If we’re not, I want to take back everything I told you since you arrived in Mistral,” I blew on my coffee. She gave me a dainty laugh. “So, how are you holding up?” I pressed. 

“Not so great,” she confessed. “I’m not doing so great. But it wasn’t the absolute worst day of my life. So there’s that. I didn’t have to kill anyone which I’m thankful for. Just torture which I’m not sure is any better.”

“It’s not. Plus you had to wear those outfits.”

“Which you should admit you liked,” she fired right back. “It’s okay. I saw you stare at Ruby.” And you . It went unsaid but she saw me stare at her too. I couldn’t… I couldn’t really help myself. Her platinum hair went good with the black. And you know me. I’ve always thought that she was beautiful and talented and smart and a little queerly funny. So yeah. There was that.

“So what if I did? A bit of a nightmare if I ever asked Ruby to wear one. Besides she’s sexy enough in one of my shirts or her pajamas.” I sipped my coffee. 

“Is she really?”

“You ever see Ruby blush?” I asked. “It gets me out of bed in the morning.”

“Well, I suppose…”

“You see how Ren's holding up?"

"Nora got him out of the place early. She called it a 'not-date' and left. I think she killed somebody too. Just crushed their rib cage."

"Lords above," I sighed. "Just you, Ruby, and Oscar, now. I suppose, depending on how you wanna cut that Ozpin thing."

She took a long drink of coffee at that, deep in thought and staring out a window onto the little courtyard we trained in.

"So the only thing left to do is get Qrow back up and walking. Job's done."

"Aren't we taking some gang lord's word on that."

"Qrow thinks she'll honor it."

"She? Well, isn't that progressive?"

"I figure Malachite isn't so bad. She seemed to run things clean, or as clean as such things can be run, and Qrow has had past dealings with them."

"You've met some of them?"

"This pair of twins. Evidently they're Malachite's daughters. One in white and one in red. Huntresses, the both of them."

"One on white and one in red huh?" Yang was standing by the banister. "Well I think I know where I heard that name before now."

"We cool?" I asked.

"Yeah. We're cool. Sorry for blowing up on you."

"S'no biggie."

"Kinda. You were there for my sister when she needed you. Needed somebody and I… I wasn't."

"No one blames you for that," I said. "You were hurt."

"So were you, what with Pyrrha and all."

"S'no biggie. It affects us all differently. My motivations to keep going weren't all so pure."

"Join us, Yang," Weiss encouraged. "Coffee?"

"Thanks." She strode into the room. Weiss stood up to pour Yang a mug. "Nora and Ren?"

"Out," Weiss and I said together.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked.

Yang snorted and I heard some plumbing going. "Said she was going to take a cold shower. Thanks," She said, accepting the coffee from Weiss.

"We were discussing yesterday," I said. "What horrific thing happened to you?"

Yang snorted again. "I uh I killed two people."

"How'd that go?" I asked.

"Awful. After Weiss got chosen we started hearing screaming from the 'presidential suite.'" Yang quoted. "Not even the kind you could maybe think was ‘the dirty.’ That sorta kicked things off. I just reached out and killed a guy. Just crushed his head. I thought he'd have aura."

"And even if he did…" Weiss trailed.

"Right," Yang nodded. "I shot another guy with my gauntlet and Ruby and Nora took care of the other two guys. Then I ripped my way through the locked presidential suite door. Weiss already had things under control by then but…" She trailed off. "Well then we came down the stairs and saw the mess you and Ren had to deal with. Saw you kick that guy."

I nodded. I still remembered the way his head had felt under my boot.

"And the rest…" She gave a shuddering breath and lifted the coffee to her lips. "The rest is history."

"Miserable," Weiss said, shaking her head.

"Some guns went off. You saw the girls who got shot," Yang said. "Just waitresses or whatever."

I nodded.

"And that was my day. How was yours?" Yang asked, sipping coffee.

"Wasn't quite the worst day of my life," I said. "But it's up there. It does get easier."

"Jaune, and I mean this with all politeness, I really really don't want to hear that," Yang said. "It should be hard. It deserves to be hard. It's well… you know."

I nodded like I got it, which I did.

I heard the plumbing shut off and Ruby exiting one of the bathrooms. I just listened.

"So you and my lil' sis." Yang broached. "How'd that happen?"

"She kept saving my life."

Yang let out a low whistle. "Way she told it, it was the opposite."

"You know how modest Ruby is."

She nodded. "You knew about this kerfuffle, Weiss?"

Weiss nodded. "Ruby told me. She- well - she was happy to share it with somebody."

I could have flushed at that.

"And that somebody couldn't have been me." Yang agreed sullenly, Weiss and I shared a look but Yang seemed mostly disappointed in herself. "That day you were also covered in blood. You'd just killed somebody then, too."

Three. Killed three. I even knew two of their names. I just nodded. "Some dumbasses without aura. Needed some information and he and his friend tried to fight me. Over nothing was the worst part. He died for nothing. I mean I went and unlocked his aura but he was already nearly cut in half so I'm not sure if he lived or died. I'm counting it as a death, though."

"You keeping count?" Yang asked.

"Was. Stopped yesterday." I finished off my coffee.

"He says he lost count." Weiss stepped in and refilled my mug. Bless her. She said it like it was the worst thing that could happen to a person and to be fair it really sucked.

"Good gods." Yang sighed. "That'll happen to me too. One day I'll just be like 'was it ten or twelve. I can't remember.'"

"The fight was fast and had a lot of bodies yesterday. You might get lucky. Or unlucky. Whichever."

"Which is worse not knowing or knowing?" Yang laughed.

"Not knowing," I answered.

"You weren't supposed to answer that fast, Jaune." Weiss handed me my mug back.

"Ask me no questions…"

Ruby popped her head down. "Oh, you're…?"

"We 'aight." Yang answered.

"It's fine," I said.

"I have coffee here just for you Ruby." Weiss brushed some spilled coffee grounds into her hand and into the sink. Ruby came jostling down to us and accepted the cup.

Ruby came over and gave me a peck on the cheek. Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just get it out and done with now."

"Is that how you think it works?" Ruby asked.

"Oh just because you have a boyfriend now doesn't make you all knowledgeable."

"It might." Ruby responded but there was a quiver of laughter to her voice.

"Please share what it's like with us humble mortals," Weiss said. Ruby fell back and I caught her. I put an arm around her waist and held her close to me.

She leaned her head back against my chest and sighed. "It's nice. It's nice not having to hide it, either."

"Ugh." Yang rolled her eyes but she was smiling. I wasn't sure what they had talked about up there but something must have gotten through to Yang.

"Are Ren and Nora dating yet?" Weiss asked.

"Kinda. More than before but less than you'd think," I answered.

"Figures," Yang said.

"Hey kid," Qrow wheeled up. "What's uh, what's going on here?" He was looking at Ruby in my arms, looking relaxed.

"Jaune and Ruby are a thing." Yang answered. "Sorry you're the last to know."

"I could have guessed," he grunted. "Come on kid. Meeting with the Malachites."

"So just me then. Okay." Yang muttered.

"Will you be okay alone?" Ruby asked me.

I slammed back my coffee and nodded. I would be just fine, I think.

"I'm coming too." Ruby decided. No one argued with her.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster Training

It was eerie, camping in the town square. By their very nature search and rescue operations don’t try and hide at all, can’t, even. It set my teeth on edge, but it was necessary.

“We’ll be training a little too, but we’ll try and keep it down.” I let Ren know. He was scrapping some dinner together and some other meals. We'd found perishables that the bandits hadn’t bothered to take and would literally rot if we didn’t eat them.

Ruby had wondered if that made us better than the bandits but together the three of us convinced her otherwise.

From, “you can’t give it to anyone.”

To, “you can’t save it for later.”

And fervently, “all this in all these empty houses will be rat food if we don’t eat it now.”

She gave in but didn’t eat much.

She was stressed, they all were. Especially considering how far we just got set back in terms of our travel time. Money really wasn’t an issue. Huntsmen could make a living anywhere and with communication down…

With communication down the law of the land in most places was whatever the guy with the most fighting power said it was. Who were you going to call and how were you going to call them and what would they do by the time they finally arrived to do something, if they ever came at all?

Huntsmen will have even fewer problems making money anywhere. Perhaps too few.

I set another log on the campfire. There was a flare of sparks and the fire snapped a few times at me. I stared at them like the patterns they made would reveal something to me but there was nothing at all.

Nora was already turned away from the dim light in her sleeping bag. Ren being emotional had evidently exhausted her beyond her energy.

Ruby had found a clearing she liked as we’d set up camp and I followed her there now from the campsite. I hadn’t bothered to take my armor off at any point. I needed to get used to it and I’d do it by wearing it sixteen hours a day, more, probably.

“You’ll probably need a whole new fighting style, I mean, have you ever practiced with a broadsword?” She chatted as we walked.

“I haven’t but a sword is a sword.” What’s so hard to understand about swish-swish-stab? A lot, to be honest. “I’ll be able to figure it out.”

“I know some of my uncle’s moves.” Ruby continued. “Would they help?”

“I’m bad enough that they literally couldn’t make me worse.”

She looked like she wanted to hit me for that but couldn’t because she was about to hit me anyway.

I stared at her from the side, watching her pink lips move out of the corner of my eyes. She reached up while she was talking and brushed her short red and black hair over her ear with one hand.

She was building up contained excitement like a diesel engine getting warmed up and I had to smile. Once she started talking it released like a wave and I found myself nodding and listening along as she carried on the better part of three conversations at once.

 “A lot of his moves are horizontal, it’s hard to swing a sword that big upwards. The ground gets in the way. His most powerful attacks are usually ones that come downwards, though, using gravity. His weapon is different, you know?” I did, I was confident she’d told me, at least. I’d hear it again, though. "It’s a broadsword with a similar scale to yours but also turns into a scythe, and, unlike yours, it has a gun too.” She looked at me to make sure I was listening. I was entranced with her lecture.

"It’s actually a lot more complicated than yours but you’ve always been simple," she continued.

I agreed so, I nodded.

“I don’t mean simple like that. I mean simple like- well, you know.”

I did, so I nodded.

“But every person is like that, everybody is unique.”

“-what?”

 “Weapon!” She corrected herself a tad-little loud. “Every weapon is like that.” She glanced at me.

She dared me to call her out.

I couldn’t possibly.

“I really don’t know much about fight with shields, though, I’m sorry I won’t be more help. But like I said, swing downwards instead of upwards and it’ll help.”

I grimaced. If I swung the broadsword down, I’d need to lift it up again. It seemed obvious but the thing was heavy now. I’d need to do it as little as possible to conserve energy.

I watched her spin away from me into the clearing.

It took me a second to realize she was waiting for me and I stepped opposite her and drew the broadsword from my back.

Ruby’s scythe extended and she reversed her grip on it, holding the weapon behind her back. I didn’t think for one second it was an opening. I couldn’t cross the distance between us before she would move.

Still, I knew if she were willing to spend ammunition on a sparring match, then I would be the one forced to approach. In the spirit of that I charged at her anyway.

I committed to an attack with Crocea Mors, swinging from my shoulder down at her. She danced out of the way, her footwork was tight and fast. She was able to stay just out of my range, dipping in to slice across my breastplate with her scythe before I could bring my weapon around again.

It was enough to buffet it and I was encouraged further to back up when she rolled the scythe around her body in an upwards diagonal arc.

It wasn’t where I wanted to be, backing up was so much worse than side stepping. On the back-foot your opponent could charge and stand and fight you.

Pyrrha had hammered that into me none-too gently. Sometimes she used her shield as the hammer.

Sometimes she hadn’t.

Ruby stepped with me, staying inside where I would feel comfortable with the sword.

I lashed out with my foot in a clumsy kick, balancing the sword’s weight with my own mass and all my armor on just one leg with little practice. The kick flat out missed and Ruby had the good grace not to laugh. She did catch the leg I was left standing on with her scythe and yank me off my feet.

I felt myself whirl through the air and land flat on my back.

“Sorry Jaune.” She smiled down at me sheepishly. I couldn't be mad at that.

I got to my feet shaking my head. “I’ll get over it. I’m not afraid of looking like an idiot.” I leveled the broadsword at her. “I still have plenty of aura for you to beat out of me.”

She took that as a sign to continue and this time she rushed me.

I sidestepped lashing out with Crocea Mors into the space I had just occupied. It collided with Crescent Rose’s barrel with a heavy metallic clank. The weight was enough to stop Ruby’s momentum and she squealed adorably as she strained against it and the noise she made was enough to distract me a little.

She retreated spinning the crescent behind her, before she reversed again, rotating once more towards me in whirlwind of red and steel.

“How are you not getting dizzy?” I implored.

She giggled at me for that like I was just being just so extra silly when I truly did want answers. It sometimes felt like I could barely stand up without my head spinning and here she was like a top.

I raised Crocea Mors and blocked the blade of Ruby’s scythe with a grunt. I turned my wrists to block her next attack when she came around the other side.

I like to say my efforts impeded her but really she just hit me three times anyway.

Her blade swept across my stomach, glancing off my armor. I threw out Crocea Mors to try and gain some space, but she simply stepped back then back in and hit me hard in the side of the head with the back of Crescent Rose.

I stumbled back but she was all over me sweeping her blade towards me and chipping away at my aura. I grunted lowering Crocea Mors to defend once again. I blocked then thrust my blade out and swung it upward, Ruby easily dodged the thrust but wasn’t ready for me to continue my assault. I rushed forward. She jumped, elegantly dodging the attack with her semblance and a flare of red petals.

She flowed to my right like water before she zipped to the left with vanishing speed and seemed to hit me from behind as her scythe extended to a nearly impossible range. She threw me off balance. Her scythe was a spinning blade of death that sunk deep into my aura, shredding away chunks of it. I stepped back like I was going to retreat but I whipped the blade out and I clipped her side.

She rolled with the attack to the ground to avoid me chasing her, but I had stopped.

The sword made a meaty noise when it hit her, it was the first time I’d hit anybody or anything with it and I immediately regretted how hard I had swung it and that its first target was Ruby besides.

We were just training, and it wasn’t like she was out here swinging to hurt me. I winced slightly. She looked a little winded. Her hand dropped down a little. I shouldn’t just be throwing out haymakers at her.

Duh, Jaune, what a way to say thank you.

Her body shimmered with soft red light as she recovered, getting to her feet. I let her rise unassailed; in a real fight I’d be all over her; I wasn’t above hitting someone while they were down, after all, the world had no problems doing it to me, but this was just training.

“Are you alright?" I asked, my eyes roved her body, looking for any sign of injury. Her hand rose from where I had hit her, and she nodded.

I was sure Ruby could go toe to toe with nearly anyone, I’d seen her fight Yang and Pyrrha. But my sword weighed as much as either of them did, soaking wet in full gear. And unlike a potential Yang based weapon, Crocea Mors had all of that force condensed into a tight blade.

Ruby’s own weapon was spindly in comparison and for a moment I wasn’t totally sure that I wouldn’t crack her barrel in half if I came down really hard on it.

“I’m fine. That hurt, though, you’ve gotten stronger.”

“It's the new sword, it’s heavier,” I dismissed. “It’s easy to hit things hard with a giant sheet of metal.”

“Well, I’m sure that's true, too.”

I continued to look her over. I was thinking about her hit and run fighting style.

That old big kicker-why?

Why did she bother retreating when she was so strong? It wasn’t just a fighting style preference. I was beginning to suspect that she needed to. She needed to dodge rather than block and she couldn’t afford to tank hits like I could.

She wasn’t weak - it was impossible to think that, really. It was honestly weird to think about her as fragile, too, even with the evidence right in my face.

“How am I doing so far,” I managed between pants.

I decided I would give her a moment to catch her breath, if she needed it. It looked like I had knocked the wind out of her, even through her Aura.

“You need to move more, you stand too still.” It was familiar advice, and it brought me back to rooftop training sessions with another redhead. I changed tracks, not wanting to think about Pyrrha right now.

Thinking about Pyrrha only made me want to train. I wanted to train and fight until I was strong enough to kill Cinder.

It was fucking bullshit that Cinder got to walk around while I didn’t even get to bury Pyrrha. I shook my head, thoughts of revenge clearing. I had a long way to go until I could hold a candle to the woman who killed my partner.

Besides I was training now, I couldn’t be more training than I currently was.

“Well it’s hard to keep up with you in terms of movement,” I deflected but made it clear I agreed. Standing rooted like a tree would only serve to cost me precious aura. Plus, now I had two sources telling me to get my ass in gear and move around the battlefield. Not that I’d ever ignored Pyrrha’s advice but sometimes lessons took a while to stick.

We started again.

I slashed two wide arcs at Ruby, and she ducked under one and deflected the other. The large sword wasn’t cutting it for me right now, but the point was to train with the new form. My movements were telegraphed with the broadsword, much more so than with the bastard sword and the shield would also allow me to defend myself from her wild slashes better, but the point of training right now was to learn how to use the new length to my advantage. It was not necessarily to use the best weapon for the situation.

She hit me twice with Crescent Rose before I felt the blade swing around me. She traded places with it, swinging me and herself in a sort of orbit connected by her weapon. She brought me around in a wide arc before she used a tree to halt her moment and mine. I could only watch as Ruby effectively pulled the blade towards her and through my aura.

It clotheslined me hard into the ground and made a loud gonging noise as it her blade dinged off my freshly polished armor. I lay there on the ground with my chest flashed with soft golden light as my aura flickered. Ruby seemed to realize that I’d had enough and stepped back, folding her scythe behind her back as she did.

I tried to rub my chest through my armor for a moment before managing to puzzle together that it wasn’t helping. Even through the protection granted by my soul and armor it was enough to sting.

I sat up and just tried to focus on breathing.

Ruby sat down next to me. Plopping down in her skirt with practiced ease.

“Was it really okay to re-forge Pyrrha’s weapons like that?” Ruby asked. “I know I sort of talked you into this. I didn’t mean to make you do something you might regret.”

I understood the sentiment immediately, but this felt right.

“Her sword was in pieces and it would only have served as a reminder that she wasn’t actually invincible,” I began. It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it. “And I’m sure that she would be fine with me using her shield to defend myself, too. And you know there’s going to be something satisfying about killing Cinder with a weapon reinforced with the one she broke.” I chuckled lightly at the morose thought.

“Well, I guess it’s okay, then?” She struggled to find something to say after that. “I’m sure you’re right.”

We sat quietly together in the forest lit by moonlight. It wasn’t a full moon, like the night before, but still plenty bright.

“Jaune…” She trailed off.

“Yeah?” I answered anyway, ignoring her hesitation.

“About Pyrrha…” She pressed on.

“What about her?” I could talk about her, with Ruby of all people, at least. I didn’t particularly want to, but I would.

“Did you and her ever…”

“No, we didn’t. I didn’t know until it was too late.”

“Oh.”

I realized my fingers were brushing my lips. The rough material of my gauntlets was nothing like Pyrrha’s lips and my fingers tasted like sweat and grime.

So soft.

I remembered the way she’d kissed me before she left. It had been desperate but with a certain finality. She’d known she was sending her valedictions to me at the time.

I’d known too.

“She was a really good friend...”

“The best.” I agreed readily. I wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

“Would you have?” She grimaced looking pained. “Sorry.”

“I don’t know. Alright? I really have no idea. I don’t get to know.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Ruby slipped into silence and I watched her fight herself again for a long minute. “But she wouldn’t want you fighting Cinder.”

“Well of course not.” Hell, the last thing she’d done was push me into a locker and not give me the choice of dying with her. Which I wasn’t bitter about at all. “But that doesn’t change how I feel. So, I’m still going to.”

“But…” She trailed. Her concern was like a fire, it flickered out towards me but there was nothing for it to catch onto. I was already burnt down inside.

“Hey look.” I pulled my sword over to where we sat. “You wanted to see how the mechanism works, right?” Anything for a change in subject, literally anything. It was weak but Ruby seemed to understand.

She just nodded and listened while I went over the weapon with her. I could tell that she remembered how the mechanism worked part of the way through his explanation, she’d helped design it, after all. She just needed the refresher, but that was it.

I explained all of it anyway.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Injury

Oniyuri was a ghost town. 

Ruby took the lead, bouncing up until she stood on horseback and peered out at gray walls. The buildings looked dilapidated, as did the fence now that I thought about it. I checked the map. “That’s strange.” 

“Another destroyed town?” Ruby wondered.

“We should search for survivors.” I stowed the map and took off. 

“Don’t leave me in the dark!” Our blindfolded prisoner shouted. 

I sprinted towards the circle shaped opening in the walls. Ruby made it there first and in a single great leap no normal woman could pull off, she landed antop of the walls. She bounced from there to a watch tower which had no platform to stand on from which one could watch. 

I checked and found nothing. Ruby dropped down, her legs easily taking the thirty foot fall. She lifted the platform in question from where it lay beside the tower on the ground, checking under it. “Anything?” She called out.

“Clear over here.” I moved from the building I’d been checking. “The place seems abandoned.”

“Hey I found something!” Ruby called out to me. She brushed aside leaves where a small sign had been overgrown. “Oniyuri,” she read. “This is it? What happened?” Ruby wondered, her voice coming out small in the courtyard. 

Grimm claw marks on what was left of a door. Shattered windows and broken down walls. 

I didn’t hesitate, it was time to get moving. “Come on, let's push through here.” I mustered, sticking around so much negativity wasn’t going to serve us any. 

My hand rose to my weapon, pulling at the hilt slightly. Nervously. I felt something. I wasn’t alone in it, either. Ruby peered ahead through the scope of Crescent Rose. 

A man in brown and white flipped into the courtyard, landing neatly with a bowed posture. 

The man said nothing but his hands flicked out claw like weapons drawing on either hand. Without a word he blitzed towards us, no, straight towards Ruby, with a manic laugh.

Ruby intercepted him first, lashing out like an insane tornado. The man danced back, giving ground easily.

Ruby snapped a kick out and followed it with a spray of bullets. She twisted and he ducked under the massive swing before raising his arm and stepping inside her guard. A clawed hand lashed out and Ruby had to lean far out of the way to dodge it. She gave a gasp as she did. Put on the defensive, a swift kick from the clawed man forced her back. The man went high but kicked low again, Ruby ate the attack with a grunt. 

The man laughed like he was in hysterics all the while. He whipped out the blades on his forearms, Ruby blocked them with Crescent Rose but didn’t block a jump kick which caught her center of mass. She rolled back but the man had speed to spare, he was able to catch up to her.

He crossed both arms, scissor-slashing at her but she caught the blow against the barrel of her weapon. A high crescent kick lashed out at Ruby followed by a jab. She rotated Crescent Rose to block but the man was within her range and didn’t miss with the brutal shoulder check that flicked her to the ground.

I was there to cover Ruby immediately. The man slid beneath my slash and bounced up at me, landing on the edges of the shield. The man peered down at me with a wide grin. I glared up at the man, and I swung the man back and Ruby hit him hard with Crescent Rose, clipping him.

He launched back through a white wall, cartwheeling through the air. His yellow eyes glowed out at us from the building. Ruby got back to her feet preparing Crescent Rose for a second assault.

“We’re not looking for a fight!” I called out to him. 

Though you’ve found one by attacking Ruby.

“Who are you?” Ruby wondered. 

The man flipped down. “Who I am matters not to you, or- well I am curious about you.” He pointed at me.

“Not interested,” I returned.

“No?” The man continued, he seemed to take it in stride. “Well, I suppose I only really matter to you.” He pointed behind my tank at the backline Ruby. I didn’t so much as take my eyes off the man. 

“Me?” Ruby wondered.

The man broke down laughing. “You really don’t have the slightest clue, do you? Oh how exciting this must be.” That laugh was really getting on my nerves. 

“What do you want?” Ruby demanded.

“Oh the rose has thorns. My little flower, I’m here to whisk you away with me.”

“And what if she doesn’t want to go with you.”

“Well, I’ll take her.” He made it sound so obvious. Like getting through and killing me would be the most straightforward thing in the world. The way he’d danced around us so far… the fight didn’t look promising. 

“Yeah. You'll have to kill me,” I vowed anyways, my shield at the ready and sword poised to strike from behind it.

“ Perfect ,” The man purred.

I blinked and the man was gone. My eyes traced his outline but...

“Jaune!” Ruby called out to me in warning. I felt the danger from behind me. Ruby immediately opened fire, trusting my aura, armor, and shield to see me through. I began to turn around towards the blindingly fast opponent. 

The man had to duck under Ruby’s fire, unable or unwilling to press his attack and eat the bullets with his aura. The man bounced in the air, spinning like a top off my shield. I threw him off. Pressing my attack with a shout.

The man turned it into an elegant flip and kicked Ruby so hard she flew off her feet. I swept my sword at him. I tried to catch him off guard but the man cartwelled under the attack. 

Too telegraphed. 

His heel came down on my head, a cry of pain left my lips before I could stop it followed closely by a second one as I was swiftly side kicked in the face. I fell backwards and our aggressor charged at Ruby again, unrelenting. 

My semblance activated, strumming through me like a cord, I dashed forward and Ruby did too, we scissored him and I spent my semblance now faster than ever, as soon as I got it, really. 

I bunkered behind my shield, waiting out the shockwave Ruby’s speed and my attack had created. When I peeked. Our opponent was still standing. He’d… caught my attack with his tail. A long brown scorpion’s tail which protruded from his lower back and a deep gash in his aura from where Ruby pounced. 

Now she stalked around the outside of a wide circle with him and I in the center, waiting for the right moment to strike like a wolf. 

The man giggled. “Surprise.” He kicked off the ground and then towards me. He kicked me twice; brutal kicks seemed to be the man’s style in conjunction with his claws. 

“What is this about?” Ruby stepped forward. “The WhiteFang? Roman Torchwick?”

“Plastic soldiers and pawns. My heart and body belong only to our goddess.” The scorpion took an arrogant bow. 

“Cinder.” Ruby murmured. Her eyes narrowed up at him. 

The bitch herself.

“Hm. Only in her wildest dreams!” With that the man launched towards us again, kicking off the roof he was on hard enough to splinter it. His tail whipped out at Ruby. She deflected it but a brutal punch knocked her down again. 

I sidestepped the tail twice but not the following kick to the back. I tried to rush him, trying to flank him but the man’s foot colliding with my shield stopped my approach. Against this opponent the shield was just getting in the way. I slid the sword into the shield and slid it off my arm, drawing the massive sword from it. 

My foe was fast enough to get in on me but hopefully with a little range and a little luck...

The blade clicked into place, the simple mechanism snapping into position easily. The blade was enormously heavy compared to the bastard sword I’d been wielding, I gripped it in both hands to steady it. I wasn’t sure I’d be fast enough to catch the man with it, but I’d promised I’d die before I let this creep take Ruby and dammit I would.

I dashed forward but my opponent dashed away from him towards Ruby. He punched her twice with the brutal blades and flicked her into the air. With blinding speed, the man was already where Ruby was going to land, he wound up and comboed a kick to her stomach. 

I could see her aura break in a radial pattern from the foot. 

“Ruby!” I shouted.

The man glanced up at my charge, his eyes widening in surprise for a brief satisfying moment before I caught him center of mass with the broadsword. I started by drawing an ‘x’ in the air and on his body. The glow of my sword stayed where it struck him, holding him in place.

Next I carved a shallow ‘L,’ with two cuts. Low and then rising. I watched him. He was stuck in place still, like he was in butter or stuck in slow motion.

I finished with a tremendous slash all the way through the patterns I had drawn which showed through the air. I cut through the sapphire blue haze and shattered the shapes I carved in the air with a flash. 

I watched a crackle of purple sweep out across his torso from where the sword impacted him. You can't fake that. One hundred pounds of brutal steel impacting him had hurt him. I held Crocea Mors steady in one hand. Steady, easily, even with just the one arm. 

It was light. I swung it casually across his body and back towards neutral, glaring at the man. 

“Jaune!”

“Stay down Ruby!”

I began to charge the next one. 

I watched the man roll across the ground before he stopped, catching himself with the hooked blades. He let out a viscous sound, part snarl, part laugh. He scuttled towards me, low towards the ground but…

I met him in the middle and Ruby shot him in the face. I refused to give ground and allow the lunatic to get any closer to Ruby. Crocea Mors swept forward but was deflected off the man’s right wrist blade. I reversed the blade, bringing it around his body and back down. 

My foe grunted, catching the blade again with both wrists. 

The tail…

I leaned out of the way as the tail lashed through his space. It whipped from over the man’s head towards me but I’d seen it coming. The man was getting predictable. Plus with six feet of metal between us, I was outside his range. I brought my blade down towards the tail and the man reared back, giving ground and watching me warily. 

I didn’t let up. I jumped, raising Crocea Mors over my head in a tremendous arc and brought it down against the man again. The man braced his tail and blades against the attack but three hundred pounds of man and metal bore down on him. I watched as the man’s feet sunk into the cobbled ground, aura sparking from here his tail braced against the blade. 

Believing he saw an opportunity the man rushed me, closing the distance that my long arms and sword provided. I lashed out with a low kick, unable to bring the blade to bear in time. It connected against the side of the man’s knee. I threw my weight into another kick with the other leg, a round kick which impacted the man’s gut.

My jab and follow up brought him the space I needed to bring Crocea Mors around in a low flat arc. It sung through the air with thick satisfying noise, but not nearly as satisfying as the sound the blade made against the man’s aura. 

He rolled back and I chased him.

I need to end this now.

I jumped like I was going to hammer him with another massive overhead blow. He raised his weapons in defense. It was a tomahawk landing and I stepped in and grabbed him out of the empty hop. I tossed him into the ground and where he bounced I pursued. I slid my sword into the ground and brutally shoved the edge into his chest. I tore up the cobblestone street behind me as I did.

I screamed out a battle cry, trying to land a decisive blow. I rushed forward with all my might and thrust Crocea Mors forward. The man slipped to the side, dodging by a fraction of a hair. He followed it with two brutal kicks and three jabs into my chest. Then he sank his hooked gauntlet into my stomach. 

I grunted. It wasn’t so bad. He hit like a fucking pussy. 

I spat up some blood and looked down. 

It was pretty bad. The worst, even. 

“Jaune!”

“What’s the matter?” The man mocked. “Run out of power? Or do you have another one in you?” Tyrian twisted his fist and the blade sank further into my stomach. The tail came around and hovered just before my face. Giggling and wiggling the tail right in front of my mouth before it vanished, the pressure disappearing from me accompanied by an agonized howl. 

“Jaune, oh lord, stay with me!” 

I didn’t. 

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I was, for the record, not tired of waking up with Ruby taking care of me. I was not. I was tired of being shot and stabbed, but not the rest of it. The rest of it was awesome. 

I was in a real bed as opposed to our tent this time. Ruby was in the bed next to me and she stirred slightly in her sleep where she clutched my arm. I sighed looking at her. Fuck she was dangerous. She was just sleeping there with her bangs down over her face and her arms around one of mine. Her lips looked so pink and soft and barely parted. 

I started to sit up. Poking at the bandages and stitches in my chest, I winced a little. She stirred with me, her eyes blinking open as I rose. 

"Don't touch it!" She shouted-whispered as I twirled a sitch and gasped. Oh yeah, none of that analgesic stuff. What was I? A pussy?

I almost passed out from the pain, though. My vision tunneled and I swayed back into the pillow. 

The blades left deep marks which even my armor and aura wouldn't prevent from forming scars. She shoved my hands out of the way and placed her own there instead. “Does it hurt?”

I groaned. Her fingers were cool and my chest felt inflamed. 

I was lucky he hadn't decided to open fire with the weapon point blank. That would have turned my torso to hamburger and I doubt whoever Ruby found to put me back together could handle that much gut-shot. 

Not because they were a bad surgeon. It would have probably just have been super lethal. 

I nodded. “I'm not super comfortable.” I confessed. “What happened?”

“I cut his tail off while you had him, uh, distracted.” Ruby said with some venom. “He ran off but there's no way that he'll be recovering without help and I sent word out once we arrived.”

“And our prisoner?”

She tapped the tips of her pointer fingers together. "I had to let her go. I needed the speed to get you here." She sounded like I was going to be upset with her over it. Over saving my life. 

“Which is?” I wondered.

“Higanbana.” 

“Thank you. Ruby. You saved me again.” 

Silence met me before…”I put you in danger. Didn’t you hear him?”

“I heard him laugh. He was nuts Ruby.”

“He was here for me.”

“So am I.”

“Butt! Stop being sweet for a second and listen to me!” She protested. “He worked for whoever Cinder is actually working for. This is serious business."

"Ruby, these people were always your enemy." She chewed her lip. "That makes them my enemies, too. Plus Cinder's friends are absolutely against us. Nothing has changed except we know one of their faces."

"I suppose…except he didn't work for Cinder. He works for someone else."

"And I don't work for Ozpin. Just you. A different beast is all, Rubes."

"He was a monster." I nodded along. He was, that Tyrian. He could have killed me but he was having too much fun torturing me. 

I was ever so grateful. 

"Let's stop him next time," I decided. 

"Do you really think we can?" Ruby asked. I nodded. He hadn't been invincible. 

"He took us by surprise and we don’t have any real team attacks which use both of our semblances. Speaking of, did you catch his semblance?"

She shook her head. "He never used it. I'd recognize his weapons though. I gave the village a description but…"

If they weren't hunters or had a hunter's mindset they might not really get why that was important. 

"Sounds like you took care of everything."

"Right. So you just rest now. You worked so hard for me. Let me look after you for a bit."

What? Had she missed the last few months of constantly saving my life? Her lips pressed softly against my cheek and then she moved them against my lips and she sighed a little next to me. 

I felt her relax next to me on the bed and wrap her arms around me gently.  I couldn't help but unwind either. Muscles ached and bruises throbbed but I hardly felt either as I slowly let her pull me back down. 

I found my anesthesia when she slipped her tongue into my mouth and one of us moaned softly. She smirked and I knew it must have been me. Her lips turned up against mine. She was having a little fun taking care of me and who was I to take that from her? I chased her tongue back into her mouth and she wrapped her lips around my muscle and sucked gently. I moaned again. It had been a bait. She made me chase after her. 

She pulled back suddenly. “Jaune there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It’s about my eyes.”

“Okay.” I’d seen them, they were fantastic. “What about them?”

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Have you ever really tried to relax? I mean to squeeze all the relaxation you could out of a time period and just let the people who profess to care about you look after you while you heal and rest and try and figure things out. What an unbelievable nightmare. 

I could not for the life of me sit still. I was going stir-crazy in ‘safe’ Higanbana. I was just supposed to let Ruby handle things and try and focus on just getting better but in the end I found myself pacing the small hotel room and narrow city streets over and over again. 

And Higanbana was for the most part truly safe. It had high walls and guards with good discipline. Some of them even had their aura unlocked. It was maddening. 

My only saving grace was Ruby who had the energy to keep me from being bored out of my skull. She even asked me one early morning with bright eyes and a finger to her lips, “Jaune?”

“Mhm.” I wondered. Her voice was a certain timber that made me want to reach out and grab her.

“Can we go on a date?” She finished. She could have asked me to stab myself with that tone and expression and I would have. A date, though?

A date. 

A date. Of course. We were a couple after all. She would want that kind of thing. But what would that kind of thing look like?

It looked like me listening to her gush about my semblance and weapons over ice cream which she fed me, because I was hurt. 

“Your semblance is actually wild Jaune. Really.”

“Really, really?” I asked.

“Just imagine how you can force your enemy into some of your traps.”

“My traps?”

“Please, it’s how you fight. You make people think they’re safe and then you surprise them. That was true even before you unlocked your semblance.” 

“I do?” 

“You play mind games and think about it this way. The moment you start charging your semblance your opponent is in disadvantage. If they let you charge it, then you’re winning. If they approach you to stop you from charging it, then they're still playing your game and you’re still winning.”

“Huh. I think I have to stand still to charge it.”

“Even so you can force the enemy to approach you or you’ll get better kill and movement options.” She nodded with her words and glowed as we walked through a park together. 

She had loved the idea of enlightening the guards with aura and had taken to doing three or so a day while I healed. I wanted to step in and do more but she shut me down.

We found a small place which sold these little treats with sherbert in them. Ruby chirpily ordered for both of us while I just watched her move and talk.  

We took a rest together, over the next few days it was some of my favorite times, just strolling through the Animatic courtyards and gardens in public places. 

“Plus you are always forcing the enemy to approach you or you’ll be even harder to deal with. You don’t need a gun if you can fight like that either. Though…”

“I don’t like guns.”

“You have hers still.” I looked down. I still had Viriscient’s gun. I pulled it from a belt and handed it to her. 

“Here. You take it,” I said. 

“Why me?”

“You’ll get more out of a sidearm than I will.” I returned with a shrug. 

“Still…” she took it anyway and looked at it both ways before flicking it apart. She quickly took a look at the internal mechanisms and hardly turned her nose up at it. “It is nice… is it really okay to use it? I mean it was a bandit’s.”

“If it's by you then it's not a bandit’s anymore.” I shrugged. “You could always take it apart and see how it works.

“I think I’ll keep it then.” She smirked. “Also, you're implying I can’t tell how it works.” 

“You’re right I should know better.” I earned a quick cold kiss for that, ice cream still on her ruby lips. 

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[wu-sisyphus-gang]

9 Days of Lancaster: Dealer's Choice/First Date

I struggled to consider what I was doing right now my first date. Especially with the context that recollections of some of Pyrrha’s and I’s ‘outings’ provided.  

Fuck.

Not dwelling on that. 

By any other measure, a stroll through some town market with a guy and a girl who were now a thing was a date, right? Even though it was a patrol and we did basically the same thing yesterday, now it was different. Now we were ‘together.’

Ruby didn’t seem to mind at all, though, she flowed from place to place with her typical energy. It was as though she’d never been through these streets and past these stalls. She could just walk up to some person and talk to them. 

I… I really liked that about her.

Fuck.

She called me over from some RV that seemed to be a permanent feature in the square. Some short-term-long-term food-truck-restaurant? I wasn’t sure, but when she spun and called to me with a wave, I felt my jaw and was struck by the realization that I wasn’t sure just how long I’d been holding my teeth clenched together.

My face ached but she made me smile anyways as I paced over to her.

She smiled right up at me and I had to look away. I really wasn’t sure how I was even supposed to look at her. I almost meant that literally. Could I just, like, look at her now? Whenever I wanted?

I was trying not to be stressed about her of all things right now. Still, though…

“What’s up?”

“They’re moving people in from around the area.” She explained. I cocked my head. Beihfing and I had both been united about a panic. “They started a few weeks ago. I guess after the tower fell, a lot of people moved to bigger places, weird.”

Oh, maybe they hadn’t all died. Huh. “It's not that weird,” I disagreed, I eyed the woman Ruby had been talking to. She was twenty-five--thirty with blonde hair which made her stand out a little here, but her skin tone made her a match for some of the locals in terms of origin. “You had to run?”

“Well we couldn’t order dust or anything and it was pretty scary being mostly alone.” She shrugged, her casual ease with her emotions struck me. I was a total fucking stranger to her. Well, I was also a huntsman, so I didn’t analyze it and just nodded. “It was a good thing too, what with the other villages.”

I figured it was an open secret in GaiLong at this point, but I wasn’t sure. That kind of news would travel fast until everybody knew it at which point, why bother pretending? It was common knowledge.

“What’d you need?” I asked the two. 

It was Ruby who lured me in. “They wanted to pull the motor and alternator out of it and use it as a winch for other stuff. They’ve already pulled out all the bolts, but they don’t - well, if they already had a winch then they wouldn’t do this. 

“So?”

She rolled her eyes, “so nobody but you can lift it.”

The woman looked down at Ruby. “I’m telling you it weighs, like, four hundred pounds, easy.” I walked around and looked down into the hood. It was some dust-based thing with Atlas stamps, all smooth edges. It wasn’t designed to be repurposed. It was designed, perhaps, to not be able to be repurposed. Some technology was like that.

I reached down with one hand and, with a heave and a grunt, I lifted it and set it down. Ruby absolutely could have lifted it.

The woman blinked at me. “Oh uh.” Her eyes flicked to Ruby and back to me. “Could you set it over here? Then? If it’s not too much trouble?”

“Uh, no.” I returned.

She glanced at Ruby again. “No?”

“No, it’s not any trouble.” I clarified or tried to. “I didn’t mean… Not ‘no’…” I sighed. “Where do you want it?”

Ruby was laughing at me. I could see it as I passed her, following the woman to some cinder blocks. Our reward was something which I was assured was not ice-cream but was some kind of frozen custard-yogurt-stuff with sugar in it. 

To me it was good, for the time that I had it, that is. When we returned to the inn I still hadn’t showered after Ren and I trained that morning. Then I made the mistake of entrusting my teat to Ruby who had already nearly finished hers. 

When I got out of the shower there were only a few bites left of mine. “Ruby-“

“I left you some!” She pouted at me. I watched her take the last bite of hers from where she sat on her bed and set it daintily on the nightstand. Then she looked up and her smile never changed but she leaned forward onto her hands and stared at me.

I abruptly felt like covering myself, the towel and shorts I had on still showed off most of what I looked like. “Are you just going to stare at me?”

She blinked like I was alien. “Yeah.” Fair enough. I started putting on clothes anyways as she rolled around the bed. “I mean you stare at me, too, right.” I did. I had more than usual today, too, I didn’t want to hide what I felt from her. She continued, though. “I mean maybe not. Maybe, you like to look at girls like Sahov more?” 

“Who?” I wondered.

She tossed a pillow to my face. “The girl we were just talking to!” 

“Um…” I trailed off.

She slumped down into the covers. “Forget it.” 

“Ruby,” I started. I pulled a shirt over my head and began walking over to the bed. 

“I said forget it!”

I sat down. “Rubes you know you’re incredibly good looking right?”

“What?” She sat up from under the covers. “Yang’s the pretty one, I’m the cute one.”

“Ruby, if I didn’t know you and you came up to me on the street and started talking to me, I would assume I was being pranked somehow.”

“Ugh.” She let me know her disgust, but she wasn’t under the covers anymore and she was giving me this much sort of… sly smile.

I’d never seen that one before and it wasn’t something I usually associated with her. She crawled onto my lap and turned to face me, burying herself in the crook of my neck. I hesitated for a moment but let my arms rest around her slightly. 

“You really don’t think I’m cute.” She blushed. “I mean…”

“Oh yeah I just can’t stand to look at you,” I kissed her. Her bottom lip fit between my two and my ego was fed when I felt her relax in my arms. I chuckled as I pulled away.

She hit me and she was as red as I’d ever seen her. “Butt.” 

When I started laughing, she shut me down by kissing me again.