[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

I included a common room and kitchenette in White Knight Errant because such an environment gives you a lot of opportunities for slice-of-life and character-building stuff, comedic, dramatic, romantic, and so on. So! Here are some ideas to work from:

For instance, Cooking Tiers. Who are the best cooks among teams RWBY and JNPR?

Pyrrha, Weiss, and Blake? Utter disasters. They have all burned water at some point.

Ruby is only good at cooking sweets.

Ren and Nora can cook some decent stuff since they were on the road, but aren't as familiar with modern appliances or anything really complicated.

Yang and Jaune are the best overall.

So! Some ideas from there:

-Pyrrha tries to cook for her team, and it's a complete catastrophe. Jaune then begins to instruct her, as he's happy to pay her back for her tutelage. They bond.

-Jaune and Yang end up having to take care of the others because they had to take care of their siblings, and bond like a Mom and Dad.

-Ruby mistakes Jaune cooking desserts for her as hints of love and takes Penny's advice on how to attract Jaune's attention back.

-Nora has a maiden's crisis when she likes Jaune's pancakes more than Ren's and feels she's in a love triangle. Blake eggs her on for the lulz.

-Blake becomes obsessed with Ren or Jaune for how well they cook fish stew, leading to drama.

 

Oh?

- - -

Blake had not enjoyed this mission at all if she were being honest. Weiss even less so, which made their bickering worse.

They were to accompany Team JNPR on a low-level mission to a village out in East Sanus to protect it from Grimm, and to resolve the issue that caused Grimm to multiply. Apparently the local farm workers were demanding higher wages, and the company that employed them was denying them those raises.

Blake had initially sympathized with the farm workers when they arrived and started killing Grimm. She'd even encouraged a few of them to strike back at the company. Then they'd gotten mad with her, and so had Ruby and Jaune.

Jaune had taken her aside when they got a moment of peace between Grimm raids in one of the fields.

"Blake," Jaune stated, "This isn't helping the mission."

"These people are clearly being oppressed by those with more power-"

"Blake!" Jaune growled. "I thought that a reformed terrorist would have realized the world isn't so black and white."

Blake winced.

"I-How do you-?"

"Ruby told me," Jaune stated, "I asked for information on anything that might compromise the mission. I think that's a pretty big red flag."

"So what, you're going to hold my past against me-?"

"I won't hold anything against you as long as you obey Ruby and I and keep these people alive," Jaune retorted, his voice hard as steel. That took Blake aback briefly.

Blake glared heatedly at him, expecting the goofy young man to back down. He always did when Weiss snarled.

"Injustice isn't something you can just ignore-!"

"The argument between these people is going to get everyone here killed," Jaune stated firmly, glaring back at her, "If we don't resolve it, more people will die. We can fix people being poor or rich later, but right now? The priority is people's lives. Got it?"

She frowned, and slowly nodded. In all honesty, she'd gotten used to Ruby's style of leadership: Get yelled at until they finally did what she wanted done and fight whatever was threatening them.

Jaune... His team obeyed him without question. He didn't have to yell, except when things were loud. Even Nora, the hyperactive ball of energy, followed Jaune's orders. Not always to the letter, but she got it done.

He was very... Focused. Honestly, he hadn't hit on Weiss once. Something the heiress seemed to disbelieve, given the looks she kept giving him.

The real eye opener was the meeting at the village hall, with the company representative on one side of the wooden assembly room, the worker's rep on the other, the village mayor at her desk on the top of the square, and Teams RWBY and JNPR on the bottom.

The farm workers rep began. She was a built woman with her brunette hair in a tight bun and wore overalls. She angrily decried the company not paying them overtime due to the Grimm attacks, accusing them of being like the SDC with price gouging.

Weiss had very nearly leaped to her feet at that, but Jaune had reached out and held her back without looking. All of Team RWBY was very surprised at that. Pyrrha had just smiled warmly, while Ren remained calm and Nora grinned.

Then the company rep, a local, equally well built balding redheaded man in somewhat nicer clothes than the rep, gave his side of things.

"We haven't been able to increase wages because the Grimm attacks are hurting our ability to get resupply through," he stated, "We're not hording anything. We're not being greedy. Those are the damn facts, you stubborn jackass! If we could get spare parts for the farm equipment, we wouldn't have this issue! But you keep attacking us and drawing these damn Grimm here!"

"You're the one who keeps sending our workers out to the fields when Grimm are around!" The worker rep shouted back.

"Would you rather starve?! We paid Hunters to come out here-!"

"Hunters in training! A bunch of kids!" The worker rep sneered.

"And they did the job!" The company rep shouted. He glared. "If I could hire them instead of you bozos, I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?! What if we all walk off the job?!"

"Where's the food gonna come from, jackass?!"

"You've got plenty of fertilizer coming out of your damn-!"

Jaune nodded to Nora. She slammed her hammer onto the floor, making a loud BANG! Everyone started. Jaune nodded.

"Okay, now that I have your attention," Jaune said, "We were asked to arbitrate and settle the dispute. So that's what we're going to do." Jaune turned to the farm worker's rep.

"It is true, given all the work I've seen you guys doing under these conditions, you could definitely use a raise," he said, "Fighting Grimm even as a Hunter is difficult, fighting them off while farming? That's really tough. So yes, you're absolutely right. Under these conditions, you should get more money."

The farm worker rep smirked in triumph, as Weiss balked. Blake smirked a little herself.

"However," Jaune turned to the company rep, "The company isn't your enemy here. If they don't have the money and can't get supplies through, then that's the fault of the Grimm, not them. You both need eachother. Plain and simple. The company rep is a guy from your village-You're in this together, he's not some guy with no stakes in this at all."

The company rep smirked nastily back at the farm worker rep. She glared back.

"And both of you need to stop treating this like your own personal feud," Jaune went on, and both reps glared at him.

"How dare you-!"

"You little-!"

"You're divorced," Jaune said blandly. The village mayor coughed, and shrugged as both reps glared at her.

"He did ask about you two before we began," the mayor said.

"So," Jaune said, "With that in mind? Let's work on figuring out what we can do about the current situation, in a way that we can all agree on. At least for the time being."

As it turned out, the farming equipment all required one main component to function: An energy converter for Dust to electricity. Jaune had some of the worn out ones brought in. He handed them to Yang and Ruby.

"You guys know motorcycles and engineering," he said, "Is there any way we can fix these?"

"Hmm," Ruby hummed, "Maybe. The thing is, the conversion coils wear out and get warped over time. If we had a really strong magnetic field, we might be able to get them into some kind of working condition?"

"It wouldn't be a long term fix," Yang warned, "But I've been able to keep Bumblebee running on refurbished converters for a few months longer than they would have lasted otherwise."

Jaune turned to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha?"

Happily, Pyrrha used her Semblance, with Ruby and Yang's guidance, to warp the coils back into some shape. They then went out to a tractor, and tested it out. The converter failed to start once, but the next time, the machine roared to life.

"Okay," Jaune said, turning back to the mayor and the two reps, "If we can refurbish some converters for you, can you resume work long enough to get the supply chain going again?"

The farm worker rep frowned, but slowly nodded her head.

"I think we can," she said, side eyeing her ex-husband, "We'll have to go slow but it's doable."

"Slow is better than nothing," the company rep agreed, "If you could do the same for a few of the supply trucks, we might be able to get some more from a trading outpost nearby?"

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, who beamed.

"Leave it to me, Jaune!"

"All right," Jaune said with a warm smile, "I'd call that a done deal!"

- - -

Pyrrha worked very hard with Yang and Weiss to fix as many converters as possible. Blake and Weiss had helped out wherever they could, mostly by going on patrols around the village. On one such patrol, she went out with Jaune around the perimeter. They didn't say much until they got outside. Then...

"You were... Surprising," Blake admitted.

Jaune blinked.

"Hm?"

"Tonight," Blake said, "You stayed calm and in control the whole time. You found a solution to the problem."

Jaune sighed and shook his head.

"We bought them some time. Pyrrha, Yang and Ruby figured out the solution," he said, "It's temporary, and it doesn't solve a lot of their other problems-"

"No, but it keeps people alive," Blake said quietly. "Isn't that the main priority?"

Jaune stared at her for a long moment... Then he smiled. She found it in herself to smile back.

"Yeah," he said.

"I do have to ask," Blake continued, "How did you... Keep cool? Negotiate so well?"

Jaune shrugged, scanning the horizon.

"My dad's head of Radian's militia. We don't have a police department, just a Ranger station. They mainly deal with crimes outside the walls, so the militia has to handle a lot of disputes. Domestic stuff, whose cow tramples whose fence, stuff like that. My dad did a lot of conflict resolution, and brought my sisters and I along. My mom's a doctor and pretty well respected, too, so she handles stuff like that as well. And my sister Tanya? She's a really cutthroat businesswoman. She was trading in candy, toys and money since she was like, seven."

"But you're... At Beacon, you're always so..." She trailed off.

Jaune shrugged.

"I guess... I feel more comfortable here," he admitted, "People living their lives, trying to sort crap out. I-I can't afford to be bumbling or a goof here." He smiled and shrugged. "I guess... Here I know how to be. At Beacon? Not a clue."

"I think acting like this would be a good start," Blake said softly.

"Really?" Jaune asked, blinking.

"Definitely," Blake smiled. "Even if you don't know what you're doing, acting like you do? That can definitely make all the difference."

Jaune nodded.

"Maybe... Thanks Blake."

"Any time."

- - -

That... Just sort of happened.

 

The world didn't make sense anymore. That was the one thought stuttering through pyrrha's mind.

Being told of becoming a maiden, seeing the secret chamber under the school. Watching Cinder kill the woman in the pod.


And then watching Cinder die. A cruel barbed black dagger being pushed through her throat from behind by a dear friend.

Jaune: I think you've done enough.

Pyrrha: Jaune? I dont- what's going--

Ozpin: Mr.Arc, I believe you have some explaining to do.

Jaune: Probably. But not to you.

*A ominous black glow seeps from the blade in jaunes hand and spreads through cinders body eating away at it and turning it to ash.*

Ozpin: what?

Jaune: wondering where you're fancy little light show is? It's gone Oz. One maiden down.

Ozpin: you foolish boy do you know what you just did?!

*Jaune visibly angry*

Jaune: I DID YOUR FUCKING JOB! You arrogant old sack of lies. If there's no maiden there's no key to the vault. If there's no key then there's no way to get to the relic.

*Ozpin raises his cane*

Ozpin: and where did you learn this info? From Salem? She can't be trusted! She's using you Mr.arc!

Jaune: oh get over yourself, you think that you and your wife are the only people who can make plans, news flash oz, we're people not pawns.

Pyrrha: I don't understand, did you lie to us? Lie to me?

*Jaune glances at his partner clearly starting to have a breakdown*

Jaune: I told no lie. My name is Jaune Arc, I'm from Radian. I became a huntsman even though my parents didn't want me to and gave me no huntsman training.

*Jaunes eyes turn to Ozpin colder than ice*

Jaune: I am Jaune Arc infiltration and assassination specialist of Radian. A town made up of people who have defected or descendants of people who have defected from these two immortal immoral assholes.
I undertook a mission against my parents protest to enter beacon and destroy one of the maiden powers or relics.

Ozpin: how?

Jaune: another of your mistakes. You and your wife spent so long looking for ways to permanently kill each other, and when they didn't work you just forgot about them.

*Jaune waves his ash covered knife around*

Jaune: while they can't kill a immortal they work quite well against mortal magic.

*Jaune starts wiping his knife off*

Jaune: surprisingly cruel, or maybe not so surprising. To put a spell in a knife that makes the targets own magic eat itself in a disintegration spell that even breaks down the soul.

*Jaune smiles. It's not a kind look*

Ozpin: I can't let you leave here.

Jaune: you also can't stop me.

*Before Ozpin can do anything Jaune disappears in a flash of white*

Pyrrha is alive, cinder didn't get the maiden magic, and Jaune didn't get hurt.

Pyrrha is alone, the maiden magic is destroyed, and Jaune is gone.

A true pyrrhic victory.

 

A common trope for fics is pretending to be someone's boyfriend/girlfriend for a whacky scheme. Usually a nice guy who won't take too much advantage of the situation. However, every man has his limit...

- - -

"Enough is enough, everyone!"

Jaune glared at the collection of women he'd called to his dormroom, his arms crossed over his chest. Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, Weiss, Blake, May Zedong, Cinder Fall, Penny, and even Professor Goodwitch were all present and staring back at him in a mixture of confusion, apathy, forced indifference, or a happy oblivious smile (Penny).

Nora and Ren were off to the side, sharing a bucket of popcorn as they watched raptly.

"Mister Arc," Glynda said calmly, "I don't know what you mean but you should be more respectful in your tone-"

"I'M TIRED OF BEING YOUR FREAKING GIGOLO!" Jaune shouted angrily.

Silence fell harder than a boxer indebted to the mob. All the women looked at each other, eyes narrowing.

"Jaune, what do you mean?" Pyrrha asked slowly.

"Oh like you don't know?!" Jaune demanded. "You started this whole thing! You insisted I pretend to be your boyfriend to keep the paparazzi off your back! I did that! That was fine!"

"For shame, P-Money," Yang sniffed. Jaune glared at her, and Yang shrank back.

"And then, you asked me to pose as your boyfriend for couples events at a club! Which we wrecked!"

"It uh... It was fun though right?" Yang asked, laughing nervously as Goodwitch and Weiss glared.

"How utterly repugnant, but expected of you, Xiao-Long," Weiss sniffed.

"Oh like you can talk!" Jaune growled. "You dragged me off to those stupid social events!"

"I-I needed something to get my father off my back," Weiss protested weakly, "And Sun wasn't interested so I couldn't even piss him off-"

"Wow, that's pretty low, even for you," Blake deadpanned. Jaune stormed up to her and glared heatedly.

"Don't get me started on you, Blake! Your mom keeps demanding to know why you aren't pregnant yet!"

Blake flushed and tried to look innocent as everyone else glared at her.

"Um... She needed reassurance after I became a terrorist and never spoke or wrote to her for two years?" She tried.

"That is the worst," Ruby sniffed. Jaune glared at her, and she coughed. "Um... When I asked you to be my pretend boyfriend, Jaune, it was just practice, y-ya know? For the real thing? And you're my best friend and I trust you?"

"That kind of gets you off the hook," Jaune stated, "If not for the fact you got me into a fight with Roman Torchwick. TWICE!"

"He was stealing comic books, Jaune!" Ruby cried, "And Dust! He's an utter fiend!"

"Hmph," Cinder sniffed, "At least I'm just pretend dating Jaune for non-nefarious reasons."

"You're smuggling Dust," Jaune deadpanned. Cinder coughed.

"F-For non-nefarious reasons!"

"Honestly, I don't even know how much detention you've all earned," Goodwitch sighed. Jaune's glare turned to her.

"When are we meeting your mother again, Professor? She still demanding grandkids?"

Goodwitch coughed.

Jaune turned his glare on Penny.

"Penny, I was fine with going out as friends, but why do you keep telling everyone I'm your boyfriend?"

"Is that not accurate, Friend-Jaune?" Penny asked, tilting her head, "You are a boy, and a friend. Thus, Boyfriend! Am I missing context? Is it because I am a perfectly normal human woman?"

Jaune sighed, then turned his attention to May.

"May, you..."

He paused.

"I... Don't think we are fake dating?"

"Um, n-no," May said, blushing, "I was actually um, going to ask you out for real?"

"Oh," Jaune muttered, "Um... That's cool-"

"You can't do that!" Pyrrha cried. "W-We're... We're fake dating him!"

"Yeah!" Ruby growled. "Go get your own real boyfriend!"

"ENOUGH!" Jaune shouted. He glared sternly. "The point is... I was fine with helping you all out in a pinch. But I'm not just gonna be your fake boyfriend. May just wants to date me for me, she doesn't want to use me! So either this ends, or...!"

He was going to think of an alternative, but... Ending all this nonsense was really all he had. There wasn't another option-

"Or we all actually date him!" Penny said cheerfully.

Jaune blinked.

What.

He winced, preparing for the onslaught of female violence... Waited... Waited some more...

"Well," Ruby mused, "It would be nice to have a big family! Just like Dad, Mom, and Auntie Raven tried!"

"Yeah, totally," Yang agreed.

"I..." Pyrrha flushed. "I suppose... We could share. It would be the least we could do for Jaune, given how we've abused him."

"I..." Weiss blushed. "I-I agree too! N-Not that I like him or anything, it would just be fair!"

"Well... I'm not getting any younger," Glynda mused.

"You're all a pack of utter degenerates," Cinder sniffed... Before smirking. "I can work with that."

"Oh my," May mumbled, blushing brightly.

"Just like in my fanfics," Blake sighed happily.

"HOORAY!" Penny declared. "Let us enact the Harem Ending, Boyfriend-Jaune!"

Jaune looked at the pack of ravenous women, and then to his other friends.

"Uh... Ren? Nora?"

"You're on your own, buddy," Ren stated firmly.

"Good luck, Jaune-Jaune!" Nora said cheerfully. "We're rooting for you!"

They then jumped out the window, leaving Jaune to his fate.

- - -