[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

Radian, Vale

Eight Years After Salem's Defeat

---

The front yard of the Arc farmhouse was a chaos of small running feet and late-afternoon light. Petra chased little Neptune through the grass with single minded intensity. Somewhere inside, Jaune's voice rose and fell as he wrangled dinner and their newest baby, Kazuma.

Arslan sat on the porch steps with her hands folded in her lap, watching it all with that same unshakable calm she had carried through war and wedding and every long night since. Pyrrha sat beside her, too still, eyes on the children and not quite on her oldest friend.

"Pyrrha," Arslan said quietly. "You still love my husband, don't you?"

Pyrrha's shoulders tightened.

"It's all right," Arslan continued. "You can admit to it."

Pyrrha was still hesitant to admit such a thing, but she knew when she had been had. She let out a thin breath.

"How long have you known that I was still in love with him?"

"That's not important." Arslan's gaze stayed on the yard. "What is important is that you admit it."

Pyrrha sighed. "Yes. I'm still in love with Jaune. I have never stopped being in love with him… nor will I ever."

Arslan nodded once. "I understand…"

She almost looked amused.

That, more than the words, irritated Pyrrha. She narrowed her eyes.

"You do realize you're not pregnant anymore, right? Which means I'm more than okay with fighting you right now."

"No, no…" Arslan's mouth curved, just slightly. "I mean… Pyrrha. If I made the offer, would you join us?"

Pyrrha answered with zero hesitation.

"Yes. Absolutely."

Arslan studied her for a long moment. "Would you be willing to join the Church of the Tablebreaker? Genuinely. Not live a lie?"

Again, without hesitation. "Yes. Absolutely."

Arslan's eyes warmed with something that might have been triumph. "…So you finally admit I am right about your paganistic gods failing you and being false?"

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. "You realize I only argued with you on that because my publicist told me to, right? I haven't been inside one of those temples since I was eight."

"I know." Arslan's voice was almost fond. "But you are most becoming when you are pouting."

Pyrrha crossed her arms and pouted. "I'm not pouting."

Arslan smiled. "You are."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, the fight going out of her in a playful huff. "Okay, fine then. I was pouting. Now, what else do I have to do?"

"Marry Jaune," Arslan said simply. "With a ceremony involving myself. Then… we are a true family."

Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow. "And you're fine with me moving in as a result of that?"

Arslan turned to look at her fully then, calm and serious and kind in the way that had always made Pyrrha feel comforted and outmaneuvered at the same time.

"Pyrrha… I am all right with expanding our family and sharing so that one of my oldest friends doesn't die alone and miserable."

Pyrrha clicked her tongue. "Tsk. I hate that I can't argue against that. Still…" Her gaze drifted back to the yard, to Petra wrestling Neptune into the grass, to Isabelle and Nick tumbling after them. "What do we tell your—our kids, let alone our family and friends?"

Arslan did not hesitate.

"The truth."

She watched her children laugh, sunlight caught in their hair.

"We did save the world, after all."

Pyrrha shrugged, a small, helpless smile tugging at her mouth. "Fair enough. We are afforded some amount of leeway after all."

"Agreed," Arslan nodded. "But I am still glad we will be in the same afterlife, now that you admit I am right."

Pyrrha scowled.

"Pride and gloating are a sin, you know."

Arslan smiled gently.

"I will do penance later."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Vacuo City, Vacuo

One year, nine months after Vytal

---

The walls of Vacuo shook under another barrage.

Smoke hung over the city walls. Grimm screamed in the dunes beyond. A Hydra reared above the outer line, three throats glowing as it gathered fire.

Jaune stood between Sun and Ren in battered gold and rust-dark plate, the Rusted Knight's cloak snapping in the heat. He was older than the boy who had fallen into the Ever After. But that didn't mean he was wiser.

The first fireball swelled in the Hydra's left mouth. Then the other heads glowed with fireballs. All pointed at the three Huntsman on the wall. The regular troops fled. They stayed put.

Jaune tilted his head. "…Guys? First one to dodge the magic fireball is a chicken."

Sun's grin was immediate. "…You're on."

Ren closed his eyes for half a second, as if privately asking the universe why he was like this... Then said: "…Very well."

Below the wall, Glynda Goodwitch stared up at them.

"What."

They stayed still.

The fireballs came closer.

Closer.

Closer.

All three tensed.

All three leaned back, just a fraction, like men preparing to look cool while dying.

KABOOM.

The blast took the battlement apart. Jaune, Sun, and Ren were launched off the wall in three separate, undignified arcs and slammed into the packed sand at the base of the fortifications. Dust exploded outward. A chunk of battlement followed them down.

Ruby, Glynda, and Blake stared at the three craters in utter disbelief.

"ARE YOU ALL STUPID?!" Ruby shrieked.

Yang's voice carried from further down the line. "YEAH! I WOULD'VE WON THAT!"

"SHUT UP YANG!"

Glynda was already striding toward the impact zone, riding crop in hand, Aura crackling around her like a storm front. "Honestly! What were you thinking?!"

Jaune groaned from the bottom of his crater and lifted one gauntleted hand. "Urgh… Wanted to impress you, Glynda."

Glynda's eye twitched.

"JUST BECAUSE YOU DID IMPRESS ME DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT STILL ANGRY!"

Sun popped up from his own hole, hair full of sand, triumphant. "DIDN'T DODGE AT ALL! HA!"

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. "Idiot…"

Weiss arrived at a run, took in the scene, and stared in disbelief.

"What happened?!"

"First one to chicken out... And dodge the fireball... Lost," Sun reported as Blake fussed over him.

Weiss gaped.

"WHY?!"

"Just... Felt like acting like a young fool," Jaune chuckled, his Aura going back to full strength and healing the other boys instantly.

Weiss's eye twitched.

"Why is everyone I know insane?"

Ren sat up slowly. "Ow… Why did I do that…?"

Nora vaulted the rubble, eyes shining. "For kisses from me, winner!"

Ren blinked. Considered this. Nodded, faintly beatific.

"Ah."

"Please, I totally won," Sun scoffed.

"I'm the one who healed you," Jaune huffed.

Glynda hauled Jaune to his feet by the front of his breastplate.

"You are never doing that again," she said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And if you make another bet like that, I will levitate you into the next fireball myself."

"Yes ma'am."

Jaune saluted and went back up to the wall. Sun was already climbing, shouting that he had technically won. Ren followed, because Nora had promised kisses and that, apparently, was enough.

Ruby stared after them, then at Glynda.

"…You're going to marry him, aren't you."

Glynda straightened her glasses, cheeks pink, and refused to look at anyone.

"That," she said, "is neither here nor there. We have a war to finish."

 

[digcat]

Thanks for all the updates today Andrew.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

The first fireball swelled in the Hydra's left mouth. Then the other heads glowed with fireballs. All pointed at the three Huntsman on the wall. The regular troops fled. They stayed put.

Jaune tilted his head. "…Guys? First one to dodge the magic fireball is a chicken."

Click to shrink...

Jaune groaned from the bottom of his crater and lifted one gauntleted hand. "Urgh… Wanted to impress you, Glynda."

Glynda's eye twitched.

"JUST BECAUSE YOU DID IMPRESS ME DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT STILL ANGRY!"

Click to shrink...

Yang - "You just nearly got cooked by a fireball while trying to impress Goodwitch, you know what this means, VB?"

Jaune - "I'm gonna be stuck peeling potatoes, and getting a lectured on maturity by everyone under the sun?"

Yang - "That too, but mostly the fact that now you're officially hot for teacher!" *finger guns*

 

[zMADLAXz]

Yang - "That too, but mostly the fact that now you're official hot for teacher!" *finger guns*

Click to shrink...

A good Yang Pun? In this economy?!!

 

[Muramasa]

Jaune tilted his head. "…Guys? First one to dodge the magic fireball is a chicken."

Click to shrink...

We all know he didn't say "coward."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The trip back to campus had been fairly uneventful; Penny's virgin alarm being on edge making sure they had sat with a responsible amount of distance between them during the airship ride home.

The walk back to the dorms from the airfield was similarly uneventful, though the evening breeze was a touch unpleasant on their still damp clothes. Penny had hosed them both down after the White Fang scuffle—efficient, thorough, and completely unconcerned with dignity. Blake's dress clung to her in a way that would have been mortifying if she weren't still a little tipsy and very determined not to show it.

They paused outside RWBY's dorm.

Blake looked up at him, posture straight, smile composed in that careful Nadeshiko way she sometimes slipped into when she wanted to look collected. "Thank you, Jaune. I had a very nice time."

"Me too…"

She was still a bit tipsy. Still a bit wet. She tugged lightly at a damp section of her dress, smile turning just a little sultry.

"It's a shame we don't have somewhere private so I could hang this to dry… while we have some tea." Her eyes flicked to his soaked clothes. "And you as well, of course…"

Jaune's brain short-circuited. "Ahh… W-Well…"

Penny raised her water cannon.

"Woah woah woah—Penny. Flirting is okay."

Penny's head tilted. "But Friend Mrs. Belladonna instructed me to be extra vigilant with Friend Blake!"

Blake's ears flattened. "And what do you mean my mom warned you? She's the one that told me to—!"

She stopped. Took a breath.

"No. That's fine. I—I think I'm good."

Jaune lifted a hand, voice gentle. "Easy, Blake. Easy. Penny? Please give us some privacy? I don't think we'll get attacked in here."

"Would that not be in violation of my orders?"

Blake's eyes narrowed. "And what are your orders, Penny? The exact wording."

"To safeguard Friend Jaune Arc as a Very Important Person Vital to Life on Remnant."

Blake gestured toward the window. "And what if there's someone wanting to… shoot a bazooka through the window? And it's a proximity fuse? In that case, giving us some privacy while you go on patrol would…?"

Penny froze, processors visibly wrestling with the hypothetical.

Jaune jumped in. "How about you sweep outside and give us some privacy? Just for a bit?"

"Okay, Friend Jaune!"

Penny bounded off down the hall. Blake watched her go, a small, fond huff escaping her.

"…She's nice. Strange, but nice."

She rose onto her toes and pressed a quick peck to his cheek. "Thanks again, Jaune."

"You're welcome, Blake." He swallowed. "Um… listen. You're absolutely stunning. Honestly I don't think a single Huntress is bad looking and you're all gorgeous. I'm… it's ridiculous how lucky I am."

Blake's smile turned wry. "Good to know water doesn't ruin the look."

"But… I mean… ugh. Did you see I Have a Scroll in Another World? I feel like that guy. Totally unworthy of all this attention."

"Well, you aren't a bad catch yourself, Jaune." Her voice softened. "We all were… either too wrapped up in our own issues, or too immature, to notice until recently. Besides, I think Weiss saw your dad and realized you're an investment or something."

Jaune's ears went pink. "Well… I saw your mom and, well… I'm glad to see the future."

He cupped her cheek. Blake's smile turned genuine. She laid her hand over his.

"I look forward to next time."

She rose onto her toes again and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

Jaune kissed her back a little more fervently, arms tightening around her. Blake wrapped her arms around his neck and guided his hands to her waist. When he scratched behind her ears she made a small, squeaky moan, one foot lifting behind her like something out of an old movie.

"Mwah—"

They pulled back for a moment to take a breath, and then Jaune closed his eyes as they leaned in for another hungry kiss…

There was suddenly nothing in Jaune's arms. He opened his eyes and looked about the empty hallway, blinking in confusion as Penny returned from her perimeter sweep.

"Area secure!" Penny proudly announced. Then she joined Jaune in looking up and down the hallway, "Where's friend Blake?"

It would take a moment before either of them would be able to answer that question.

Blake in turn was also wondering where she was. She remembered Jaune closing his eyes to lean in for another kiss and she remembered eagerly leaning for it, and then the entire world was rose petals.

Up was rose petals. Down was rose petals. Left was rose petals. Right was rose petals. Forward was rose petals. Back was rose petals.

When the world stopped being rose petals Blake found herself in an unfamiliar room seated at a table under a painfully bright light that focused its illumination in a small circle around the table, obscuring the rest of the room in shadows.

"BLAKE BELLADONA!" Ruby Rose slammed her hands on the table across from Blake with a furious gleam in her eyes. "You tried to drag Jaune into a sleazy love hotel!"

"No I didn't!" Blake's answer was reflexive.

"Then why did your scroll's GPS put you within a hundred yards of Domina's Desire Den?" Ruby accused with a dramatic pointing of her finger. Yang stepped out of the shadows and opened her own scroll to reveal a map displaying the evidence backing Ruby's claim.

"You guys were tracking my scroll?" Blake's voice was more surprised than accusatory.

"Don't be surprised," Weiss stepped out of the shadows; "You made me track Winter's scroll during their date. Turnabout is fair play."

"Your sister's an agent of a foreign government!" Blake protested, "She could have carted him off to Atlas without anyone noticing before it was too late with all the resources at her disposal!"

"Blake, your parents rule Menagerie, you are a foreign government," Yang observed. "On top of that from what all our future kids have said, your middle name's currently flight risk."

Blake opened her mouth to object again, then closed it as she thought better of her kneejerk rebuttal. Her teammates weren't wrong per se, what with eleven out of eleven different futures saying she would in fact be a flight risk. Any argument for the contrary 'I wouldn't disappear on you guys' position would have a massive silent 'yet' on the end that would echo in everyone's ears. Only time and trial would remove that 'yet' from the equation.

Deflection was a losing game, and Blake cursed her reflexive response for starting it. The only way forward was to face her friends' original accusation head on.

"I hadn't planned on taking Jaune to Domina's Desire Den, or any other love hotel," Blake began her defense. "If I had I would have tried taking him to either Hanna's Honeymoon Honeypot or Beatrice's Backdoor Boudoir. Ending up in the vicinity of the triple-D was just how events panned out."

"And when you just so happened to end up near a love hotel," Weiss layered an impressive amount of disbelief in the three words she had emphasized, "You didn't try to get him to follow you inside."

Blake reminded herself that deflection was a losing game and bit the bullet; "I'm not going to lie to you. I tried to tempt him into a visit."

There was an almost immediate reaction where her teammates and several other young women still in the shadows either yelled her name or mumbled disappointed and disapproving phrases that were indecipherable thanks to the yelling. Blake raised her hands in a placating gesture that did little to quiet the cacophony at the moment, but it didn't take long before she could continue without having her voice drowned out by the noise.

"He didn't go for it," Blake could vividly remember the look in his eyes and the feel of his lips and hands. The desire she stoked had been palpable in his gaze and touch, yet there was restraint there. Sexy, sexy restraint. A restraint that might have wavered yet hadn't broken even as she upped the ante with her most salacious proposal. That restraint was something the rest of the girls would like to hear about. "I hit him with my best and he stayed in control; and since none of us are going to have a chance to wear him down I don't think we have anything to worry about from each other."

"That's what someone wanting us to drop our guard would say!" Ruby challenged. The other women in the room all vocalized agreement with that sentiment.

Blake opened her mouth to further argue her point when the door to the room swung open and a switch was flipped, dispelling the darkness and silencing everyone as they looked to see who had stumbled upon the interrogation. As Blake's own gaze turned to the doorway she confirmed the girls that had remained in shadow were the other future brides aside from Winter and Glynda, and relief flowed through her as she saw Jaune standing there.

"What's with the film noir setup-" Jaune didn't finish the question before Blake used a shadow clone to get out of the chair and arrive at his side before the others could react. The other girls tensed as she placed her hands on his shoulders but didn't do anything else so as to not cause a scene in front of the blond boy.

"The girls were just a little overeager to find out the details of our date," Blake explained even as she traced her hands down his arms. "They didn't mean to interrupt our farewell kiss."

Jaune raised a somewhat skeptical eyebrow, "Well, if you say so…"

"And since you're here we can finish it properly," Blake reasoned before going in and Jaune found himself swept up in a wild ride.

"BLAKE!" Ruby squawked at how brazenly her teammate went at it.

"HOW! HOW! HOW DARE!" Weiss sputtered as her hands clenched into fists.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Yang fumed as she crossed her arms and her eyes danced between lilac and red.

"BLAKE!" Pyrrha wailed as she wrung her hands together.

Pyrrha's distress made Blake feel just a little bit bad, but if they were going to make this whole thing work they were all going to have to get used to seeing Jaune being affectionate with the others.

And so Blake turned up the heat, figuring now was as good a time as any to get started on that, in spite of the way Emerald had started growling.

May in turn shifted awkwardly. "Blake, um… well… I guess this is…"

Arslan's voice was prim and strained. "You could at least wait until you're properly married for that kind of behavior."

Blake's ears flicked as that comment grabbed her attention, causing her to finally pull away and leave Jaune in a dazed state while she fixed the lioness with an incredulous expression and asked; "…Really? You can't even kiss your boyfriend before the wedding? Are you for real?"

"You're literally dry humping his leg in the middle of a doorway," Arslan pinched the bridge of her nose while her other hand gestured towards Blake's hips.

"Whut?" Blake glanced down. She was, in fact, straddling his knee. "…Okay. That was not a conscious decision," the obsidian haired faunus muttered in genuine surprise.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha looked hurt as she saw him coming out of the daze Blake had left him in. "We barely got to make out."

"I-I'm really sorry, Pyrrha!" Jaune apologized with a sincerity nobody that heard it could doubt.

Blake looked at the redheaded champion as an idea popped into her head and a Cheshire grin split across her face, "Well he has another leg; get in here!"

Everyone gaped at Blake's suggestion for a moment as all of them were caught off guard, then Pyrrha scrambled forward and Jaune suddenly found himself on another wild ride.

"P-p-Pyrrha!" Weiss sputtered again as her checks flushed crimson.

"P-MONEY!" Yang cried out as her hands went to her hair. Then her eyes finally went fully crimson, "BLAKE!"

"BLAKE, DON'T DRAG PYRRHA INTO YOUR DEGENERACY!" Ruby slapped her hands over her eyes, opening the fingers of her right hand to peak through. "ABSOLUTE! DEGERNACY!"

Arslan started rubbing her temples while heaving a disappointed sigh and muttering an impromptu prayer. "Emperor Above, please grant me patience and a forgiving heart lest I harm some heathen harlots."

"Umm…" May's hesitant whisper was just the right tone to cut through everyone else's voices to be heard by all; "Can… could I have a turn?"

The room was abruptly silent as an unconsidered possibility was suddenly considered.

Blake and Pyrrha pulled back from Jaune who was clearly trying to process what had just happened. Pyrrha flushed in embarrassment from having acted so shamelessly in front of her friends while Blake looked out into the hallway.

"Sorry, but I think we're going to have to cut this short before Penny and her Demon Fire Hose get here," Blake did sound genuinely apologetic.

Yang blinked, her eyes lilac again. "Demon what—?"

"I'm sure you'll find out." Blake tried to dismiss the question.

"Oh," Ruby gestured at Blake and Jaune's clothes. "Is that why you're wet?"

"…Yes." Embarrassment entered Blake's voice for the first time since the date ended.

Emerald's smirk was vicious. "Because you were getting too hot for TV and she decided to treat you like a misbehaving cat?"

"Yes." Blake's shoulders slumped a bit.

It was at that moment Penny rounded the corner and saw where everyone was.

"FRIENDS!" Penny happily called out as she hurried down the hallway to them. "I see you've found Friend Blake after her mysterious disappearance!" Ruby coughed. Penny didn't seem to notice as she continued; "What happened?"

"Uhhh…" Ruby shared a look with the other women in the room as she looked for a way to answer that question. Blake in turn decided helping her team leader out was a good start towards defusing some of the tension between them.

"It's a long story, and it's fairly late," Blake smiled at the ginger android. "Which means we can't get into it now if we're going to get a full night's rest."

"It is late," Penny agreed. She then turned to Jaune, "We should return to your dorm and set up the defenses for your slumber."

"Right," Jaune agreed, having finally collected himself from Blake and Pyrrha's joint assault. "I'll just say goodnight to everyone and we can go."

Blake stepped back from him with practiced grace. "Thank you again, Jaune, for tonight. Until next time."

"Sure, Blake. Next time." Jaune smiled at her before turning his attention to Pyrrha, "Until next time, partner."

"Until next time, Jaune," Pyrrha gave him a small smile that was equally fond and bashful.

"Ruby, Emerald," Jaune looked to the two girls he addressed, "Are both of you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Ruby responded quickly as a bit of a blush dusted her cheeks. "I'm ready and looking forward to everything!"

"I'll also be ready," Emerald answered with more confidence than she was actually feeling in her bones.

"Good, I'll show both of you a good time then," Jaune promised. He then went down the line wishing each lady a good night's rest before turning from the room ready to depart with Penny.

That was when Hex Skvader came jogging up the hall.

"Hey! Hey, guys!" The rabbit boy called out with the clear intention to start a conversation.

Penny tensed and took a somewhat defensive posture between Jaune and the approaching faunus. Hex slowed and held up both hands in the common 'I mean no harm' gesture.

Blake's voice went flat. "I don't know why you are here, but if it's not a message from the faculty, staff, or our families, you can just turn around and leave."

"No no no, I just… I heard you guys got attacked by White Fang, and I'm really sorry to hear that! It's all over social media!" Hex explained his presence, "The videos are all pretty crap and you can't really tell what went down, so I-" The rest of Hex's words were drowned out by the collective gasps of everyone that hadn't been there.

Jaune paled. "Oh geez…"

Blake facepalmed. "Oh no…"

Yang's volume jumped. "WHAT?!"

"YOU WERE ATTACKED?!" Weiss shrieked.

Arslan stepped forward with grave concern in her tone, "Are you injured?"

"We're okay!" Jaune said quickly and firmly. "It was just three members of the group—they were arrested—"

Hex pressed on, all concern and too-bright sincerity. "I'm just saying, I'm really sorry, Princess Blake! And Jaune. I'm glad neither of you were hurt," The rabbit boy then focused his attention directly upon Blake, "Also, I'm really sorry for not recognizing you for who you were sooner! Your disguise was so amazing!"

Blake's smile was thin. "I'm sure you are. Thanks for the concern. We're good. You would be amazed at what can slide past notice if you aren't expecting it."

Weiss deadpanned, "It was a bow over her ears."

Ruby frowned. "I mean… did any of us notice that?"

Silence. Awkward, heavy silence.

Blake gave Jaune a small, awkward wave and closed the door, leaving Jaune alone with Penny and Hex in the hallway.

Wanting to end the awkward silence Hex tried to restart the conversation with Jaune. "Well… She's brilliant, huh, Jaune? I guess all of them are, but still… eleven women is a lot. What's your plan to handle all of that? I know you said you wanted all of them to be proper wives, but the roles of consorts, concubines and handmaidens are all still recognized by the legal system for a reason you know?"

Jaune didn't even look at him. "…Good night, Hex."

He walked off with Penny.

Hex stood alone in the hall for a moment before running his hands down his face and muttering some self recriminating words to himself before heading in the direction of his own dorms; "Wrong time wrong place Hex, wrong time wrong place."

Inside the room, Blake turned to face the assembled women. Expressions ranged from suspicious to concerned to murderous.

"…So I should get changed into some dry clothes." Blake tried to delay the inevitable.

Ruby killed the lights again and snapped the spotlight back on.

Weiss kicked a new chair behind Blake so she sat down hard. Yang looped a rope around her with practiced speed.

May squeaked. "Ah! Th-that seems a bit much—!"

"Tie her more tightly!" Emerald snapped.

Weiss sniffed. "The perverted cat would just like that!"

"Good," Pyrrha interjected as she tried to slide back into formation the lot of them had agreed upon before they had grabbed Blake. "It will distract her from lying."

Blake stared at them as she and the chair she was tied to were dragged back to the interrogation table. "Is this really necessary?!"

"Yes!" Most of the women agreed in the same breath.

May followed in a smaller voice, "A little."

"What? You kissed him happily, Pyrrha!" Blake tried to look for help. "And you joined me!"

Pyrrha flushed as some of the other girls gave her the stink eye. She then grabbed a chair and sat at the interrogation table as if she was going to submit to the same impending verbal shellacking Blake was about to face.

"Pyrrha?" Blake questioned, surprised that the redhead apparently decided being on Blake's side meant taking the same imminent dressing down.

"We all agreed to court Jaune fairly," Ruby returned to her position across from Blake as chief interrogator.

"Yeeesss?" Blake acknowledged trying to figure out where the others thought she had been unfair.

"A fair courtship means you can't set a pace where half of us can't follow," Ruby explained with a slight growl in her voice.

"A pace you can't…? Did inviting Pyrrha not make it clear you're all welcome to join?" Blake asked.

"There are several jurisdictions where Ruby is not yet considered legal," Arslan stepped forward with a scowl. "As a Princess of Pandu there are several legal ramifications connected to May losing her virginity."

"There are?" May whispered in surprise as her eyes widened.

"As Jaune's teacher Glynda could face serious social ostracization if they get too handsy before he graduates," Arslan went on. "As for myself? I have taken several vows concerning chastity, which I explained to you only a couple of days ago." Arslan took a calming breath before continuing, "So taking things to the precipice of sex risks crossing several lines that we are better off keeping our distance from so there aren't any accidents before those lines can be crossed without consequences. So yes, you just tried to set an unfair pace where almost half of us can't follow for one reason or another."

"....oh…" Blake now saw the shape of the problem.

"So we're going to have a nice long chat about the appropriate pacing of this courtship in the interest of keeping this from happening again," Arlsan finished as the rest of the girls gave supportive nods.

Blake looked at the rest of her prospective sister-wives as she processed what Arslan had said. Her eyes drifted to Weiss and saw how the heiress scowled at the wall behind Blake, reminding the cat faunus of the kind of romances she had seen the Schnee girl read. There were only one or two bodice rippers, the rest had been proper chivalric things and slow burns. Her white haired friend was more than capable of matching her energy, but if she had a choice she'd want to do things the 'proper' way first.

"Alright," Blake settled into the chair and her bindings and tried to get comfortable for the undoubtedly lengthy upbraiding she was about to go through. "Lay it on me."

And so the other girls vented while Blake contemplated how to move forward in her relationship with Jaune without turning things up to eleven at the earliest possible moment.

It was a harder puzzle than she was happy to admit.

 

[zMADLAXz]

And so the other girls vented while Blake contemplated how to move forward in her relationship with Jaune without turning things up to eleven at the earliest possible moment.

It was a harder puzzle than she was happy to admit.

Click to shrink...

Embrace your inner adventurer and bring Jaune along whenever something sufficiently troublesome brews in the horizon is my suggestion.

She has the optimal combination where the WF are a legitimate enough threat that need attention, have an emotional connection with her but lowkey enough to not demand greater effort than her, Jaune and Penny.

What each girl is missing is that Jaune is a shonen-harem protagonist. You do not get to Ride the D-dragon before going on an adventure to slay a dragon first.

That approach directly gives an advantage to Ruby, Blake and Yang. Cause these three have a knack of getting into trouble and they just need the ability to get Jaune in trouble alongside them to deepen their bonds via shared experiences.

 

[digcat]

Ruby on Blake duty.

Spoiler

 

[QuestOverlord]

In a microcosm, they are now experiencing a large scale societal issue.

Unless all of the women agree to withhold any sexual favors until receiving proper commitment to the relationship, any that violate the pact will receive a significant leg up, at least in the short term.

The more appealing those that violate the pact make it seem, the more likely other women will break and decide to offer themselves as well.

Penny has her work cut out for her.


Also lmao at Blake getting reality checked multiple times. While Winter is a member of a foreign military, she is a foreign princess, meaning she is actually an agent of her nation's government (though her parents would stop her from doing anything too damaging back at home). Additionally, she is by far the flightiest of any of the women, even more so than the one with a semblance allowing her to dematerialize and teleport…Truly, Blake only had a happy ending in spite of herself in her timeline…