Pet Quartet (ch18)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

Adam's group is making plans, but Blake and her friends are none the wiser...

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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												Chapter 18. A Playful Afternoon

A few days after their exciting day at the park, Blake woke up to a room full of sunshine. Yang was curled up next to her as always with Weiss nestled in the retriever's bandana. Since they'd all gotten a little makeover, Weiss had preferred to make her nest there instead of in Yang's fur, because then it would be messy and Yang never wanted to bother smoothing it out, which always drove Weiss mad.

Blake's whiskers twitched as she mused about them, then she brought her gaze down to the mouse snoozing across her paws. Ruby was bundled up in her cape with her mouth slightly open and her nose twitching, most likely dreaming of cookies.

Blake rasped her tongue over the mouse's head affectionately. She was glad Ruby and recovered from her ordeal in the basement so quickly. Blake had gone down herself to ensure their humans had closed up the cracks in the wall for good and was satisfied with the results.

Their house had been very peaceful for a while now, and the four friends were enjoying their days together to the fullest.

Blake shifted slightly closer to Yang for a moment, bumping her head against her sleeping friend and letting out a purr. Blake dozed for another few minutes until the sound of Yang's empty stomach broke the silence. Weiss and Ruby sighed and yawned as they woke up and said their good mornings.

"Mm, I feel you, Yang!" Ruby said, patting the dog's belly with her front paw. "I'm starving!"

"Oh, for goodness' sake," Weiss huffed. "She's still sleeping. Yang! Wake up or else you'll miss breakfast!"

"Huh? Wha-?" Yang lifted her head sharply and excitedly. "Did someone say breakfast?"

"Calm down," Blake chuckled. "In a minute."

The four of them stretched their wings and limbs and went about their morning routine. Weiss went to the window to have a look at the day outside, and Blake hopped up to join her. Ruby went with Yang around the house patrolling for unwelcome bugs. Blake kept an ear tuned in to them as they walked around the house, but she talked to Weiss for the moment.

"Looks like it's going to be a hot day," she noted.

"Yes," Weiss agreed. "We should take it easy. We can't have anyone getting heat-stroke. We'll have to keep those two in check. The last thing we need is another vet visit."

Blake shuddered.

"Yeah. You're right."

Yang and Ruby returned a few minutes later.

"Nothing to report!" Yang announced. "Just a couple of bees up by the gutter."

"Oh! Oh!" Ruby bounced up and down on Yang's head. "Maybe we could find some of their honey!"

"You dolt," Weiss chided her. "Taking honey from bees is how you get stung! Honestly, I have no idea how you survived so long without us."

"Eheehee~"

Their playful chatter tapered off when they heard their humans waking and coming down the stairs. Everyone was greeted and pet good morning before they all settled in their respective places in the kitchen to eat. Yang wolfed her food down quicker than usual today and hurried for the door.

"Come on, you snails! Let's go outside! It's a beautiful day!"

"Just a moment!" Weiss chirped. "Some of us like to chew our food before swallowing."

Yang was left to bounce and knead the carpet at the door in anticipation while the others finished up. But just as the other three made their way over, the woman followed them.

"Just a moment, you." She reached down to pat Yang's head. "You're coming with me first."

Yang tilted her head in confusion.

"Awww, but I wanna play!"

"Don't complain," Weiss said. "There will still be plenty of time for you to play. We have all day."

"She's right," Blake agreed.

"Don't worry!" Ruby chimed in. "We won't start without you, Yang!"

So the woman opened the door for them all, but while Ruby, Weiss, and Blake headed for the yard, she lead Yang to the front porch. There, the woman sat down in a chair and pulled out a brush. Yang's tail began to wag.

"Oh, boy! A brush?" she barked, and her human laughed.

"You're going to need to be as light as possible in all this heat."

Blake and the others watched in amusement from nearby as Yang flopped down at the woman's shoes and began her treatment.

"That's good," the cat purred. "That'll help her keep cool."

"Maybe so," Weiss said. "But what about you? Your fur is already burning, Blake!" Weiss flapped her wings and lifted off from her perch on Blake's shoulder. Ruby scuttled up and rested her paw on Blake's leg, then quickly recoiled.

"Gah! She's right, Blake! You're gonna boil like an egg!"

"Hey!" Weiss chirped.

"Oh, right. Sorry. No egg jokes."

Blake purred again, sweeping her tail around Ruby.

"I'll be fine. I'll just stick to the shade today."

"That sounds like a plan."

Weiss flittered off to the bird bath for a moment to greet her free-flying friends, though she still refused to hop into the water there; she would much rather enjoy her sink baths.

Ruby bounded across the yard and underneath the porch where Yang's brushed-out loose fur was flying all around now. She gave a knock to the wood and called out.

"Penny? Are you there?"

There was a ruffling sound, and then a minute later the sunk with the rusty patch of fur came running up.

"Sal~ut~tations, Ruby my friend! I was just getting ready to head outside!"

"Great! Once Yang is done getting brushed, let's all play together!"

"That sounds wonderful!"

Ruby took off running and Penny gave chase in a small game of tag. They scampered all across the yard, giggling and tumbling through the warm grass. Blake watched contentedly from beneath her bush, and Weiss from the bird bath. A few minutes later, the sounds of excited panting and paws had them all turning their heads.

"Hey, guys! I'm here!" Yang burst into the yard, tail wagging, and tongue lolling. Her coat shined and gleamed in the golden sunlight almost as if Yang herself was the sun.

"Whoa!" Ruby poked her head up from beneath Penny's tail. "Yang, you look amazing!"

"I'll say," Blake agreed. "How do you feel?"

"Like a newborn pup!" she barked.

"Wow!" Penny chimed in. "I must agree you look rather sleek, Yang! Would you mind if I used some of your excess fur in my nest?"

"Go right ahead! Now where's my ball?"

Weiss flew up to search from the air, pinpointing the soft green ball Yang loved so much. She swooped down to pluck it up from beneath a bush and brought it back to the dog, dropping it at her paws.

"Let's take it easy today," she advised. "It's very hot out."

"Oh, is it?" Yang smiled. "Sorry, I can just go back inside then."

"Ugh, Yang!" Weiss rolled her eyes, but Ruby rolled over laughing.

So they began playing catch and fetch together with the ball. Rather, it was more like keep-away. Ruby, Weiss, Penny, and Blake grabbed and pushed the ball to one another and tried to prevent Yang from getting her paws on it, which let her run around and work off all her energy.

Blake would get it whenever it went into the bushes or garden and roll it back out to the others. Ruby and Penny passed it back and forth across the yard as Yang trampled between them. Whenever she got it, they started a new round.

The few times the bowl rolled into the street, Weiss stopped the game and watched from above to keep an eye out for cars as Yang went to retrieve it.

They played all morning, and by noon all five of them where splayed out in the shade, panting.

"That… was so much fun!" Yang whimpered happily, rolling onto her back. Ruby and Penny both climbed up onto her belly. Weiss hopped over to Blake to check on her.

"How are you doing with that black fur of yours?"

"I'm fine," Blake purred, giving her a lick.

Their humans came out a moment later with bowls of fresh cold water for everyone. They all lapped it up and splashed it onto each other a little to cool down.

As they were drinking, Blake noticed the man put something strange out on the lawn. It looked almost like a plant bulb, only it was metal. He stuck it into the ground and connected the hose to it.

"What's that?" Ruby wondered.

"Dunno." Shrugging, Yang led the way as they all wandered over, sniffing curiously.

"Hm…" Penny hummed. "I feel like I've seen these in other yards before, but I can't exactly remember what they do… Oh! That's right!" Suddenly, she turned around and bounded off a little way. "I would advise you all to take cover!"

"Huh?" The others watched her curiously. Weiss hopped onto the little thing in the ground and tilted her head.

"Penny, what are you-"

But before she could finish, the object beneath her feet suddenly came to life. Water spurted forth, sprinkling high into the air and covering them all in sprays of cool wetness. Weiss twittered in surprise and flew up a few feet as Blake yowled and darted away. But Ruby and Yang cheered in glee.

"Oh my gosh! This is so cool!" Ruby cheeped. "Literally!"

Yang opened her jaws and began biting at the water, jumping up and down over the sprinkler and getting absolutely soaked.

"This! Is! Awesome!"

Blake slowly crept back toward them, licking herself dry. She had to admit she did feel a lot cooler now though. Penny came rambling back to get a bit of water in her fur as well, though Weiss still hovered above.

"How messy! It's nothing compared to our usual baths."

"Maybe!" Ruby squeaked. "But this is sooo much more fun!" She joined Yang in jumping all around and trying to bite the flying droplets, rolling around in the wet grass to cool off with her little cape flying behind her.

Blake and Weiss shared a glance and were in silent agreement they didn't want to get that close to the sprinkler. So they stayed off in the shade to one side and watched the others play for a while. Blake groomed Weiss' feathers for her, and in exchange Weiss flapped her wings and fanned some cool air onto her.

But after a little while, even they swallowed their pride and approached the sprinkler, and eventually got used to it, too.

Throughout the afternoon, their friends came by to play as well. Pyrrha brought Jaune, Nora, and Ren, Coco and Velvet left their yard for once, and somehow even Sun and Neptune managed to hear about all the fun being had and joined in.

Nearly every animal in the neighborhood joined in to play in the sprinkler, play fetch, catch, or tag or anything else, and chat together. It might have been the most fun day yet.

By evening, everyone wished their friends well and headed home for some supper. Blake and her flock saw everyone off before retreating up to their door as well.

"Boy!" Yang was saying. "I'm beat! That was so fun!"

"Just don't shake on us again!" Weiss begged her. "I need a warm sink-bath."

"I might take all night to dry off," Blake joked. "We're gonna need to groom for a while."

As they all enter through the flap on the door, Ruby went last. She turned to give Penny a hug before she went.

"That was such a fun day!" she squeaked. "I'll see you tomorrow, Penny!"

Penny swished her tail around the mouse and hugged her back.

"Goodnight, Ruby! I shall see you tomorrow!"

They bumped noses, and with that Ruby hopped in through the flap Yang was still holding up with her tail. Penny smiled before wandering back to the porch to collect the bushels of Yang's shed fur for her nest.

She was so happy from her wonderful day with friends that she failed to notice all of the glinting eyes glaring from the shadows.

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A/N: Someone has eyes on Blake and her friends now... When will they make their move?