“Things were looking bleak for Team RNJR…”

Ruby’s tone was low and ominous as she leaned forward from the edge of her bed. She commanded the attention of the entire room.

Penny’s attention at least. Yang and Nora were focused completely on their video game on the other side of the dorm room, bumping shoulders aggressively as they battled. Though sitting with Penny on the bed opposite of Ruby’s, Blake and Weiss were equally distracted.

“What then?” Penny asked. Her fists clenched in anticipation as she leaned forward to match Ruby.

“Penny, stay still!” Weiss squawked indignantly from behind her.

Penny squeaked out a tiny ‘oops’ before hurriedly unclenching her fists and sitting up straight. Weiss huffed and set back to brushing Penny’s hair while Blake went back to work on her nails.

Penny chided herself internally. Ruby and her team went out of their way to have a slumber party just for her. She was even getting the princess treatment! She’d never had her nails painted before and if she wanted her hair changed she’d usually have to ask her father to design and machine a new set for her. She endeavored to be a better slumber partier.

“Nothing was working,” Ruby continued. “Ranged weapons didn’t put a scratch on it and even Jaune’s new sword-sword, Crocea More, only made the Grimm angrier. Ren had just gotten thrashed and the beast charged him! Nora tackled him into shelter under a nearby house, but it didn’t care. I fired round after round into its back,” Ruby mimed each shot, “but the Grimm ignored me. It reared up, brought its giant hooves down, and--!”

Ruby jumped up on the bed with her hands braced above her for effect. She paused dramatically and if Penny had to breathe in the first place she would have held her breath.

“It stopped! Its rear hooves were firm on the ground but its front half floated in the air! I jumped down to get a better view,” Ruby continued her act by leaping from the bed to the floor, “and that’s when I saw him. Standing between his friends and certain death, Jaune stopped the Grimm’s charge dead with brute strength alone!”

Before she could rise to her feet and cheer, Blake and Weiss each placed a hand on her shoulders to keep her seated. Penny couldn’t help but wiggle eagerly in her seat. Ruby certainly lived an exciting adventure after Beacon.

“It was noodle against demon horse noodle!” Ruby said as she continued acting out the struggle. “The odds were against him. With two tons of evil Grimm pressing down from above-”

“There is no way this ‘demon horse noodle’ weighed two tons,” Weiss said, cutting Ruby off. “And what kind of Grimm is a ‘demon horse noodle’ anyway?”

That was a good question. Penny scoured her memory and couldn’t find any Grimm that she would classify as a noodle. She could imagine a Grimm horse easily enough, but a horse noodle? Maybe it was like a centipede with hooves? Maybe Specialist Schnee would know.

“It must have been a new type!” Ruby argued. “Back me up here, Nora.”

Without turning away from her game, Nora responded. “Yup. half horse, half noodle, all demon. Big as a house.”

Yang snorted derisively, eyes still focused on their game. “Okay, sure. But two tons? No way. Ol’ Vomit Boy might have beefed up a bit since Beacon, but even I couldn’t lift two tons over my head.”

Nora laughed. “Aww, that’s okay buttercup. Being third strongest of the group is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The game paused with a cheery tone and the room fell completely silent. Weiss and Blake’s movements stopped briefly and they shared a quiet sigh before continuing Penny’s pampering. Ruby mumbled a quiet ‘oh boy’ before Yang looped a not-so-friendly arm around Nora’s shoulders.

“Third, huh?” Yang asked, and even Penny thought she saw a faint flickering of flames coming off the blonde’s mane. “Who are you putting at first place in this little fantasy of yours?”

Nora laughed loudly and likewise looped an arm about Yang’s shoulders. “You know there’s only one queen around here.”

They were on their feet in an instant, hands locked together in a tense grapple. Penny glanced from Ruby to Blake to the girls locked in mortal combat. What was happening?

“Oh yeah?!” Yang grunted as she tried to force the shorter girl down to the ground.

“Yeah!” Nora returned with a snarl, not giving an inch to the taller girl.

“Put your muscle where your mouth is, short stuff!” Yang hissed.

Mouth muscle? Did she mean her tongue? Did she mean..? Penny thought Nora was ‘together together’ with Mr. Ren. And wasn’t Yang likewise with Blake? Would their partners mind? Was that something friends did to compete? She’d have to ask Ruby.

“You, me, arm wrestling. Best two out of three. Winner take all!”

Oh. That made much more sense.

“Arm wrestling?” Nora snorted, stepping back. “Puh-lease, buttercup. If we’re doing this then we’re going to settle it once and for all. We’re going to the gym to hit the weights.”

Yang cracked her knuckles. “Fine by me. I’ll show you who’s the strongest. We just need a witness. Who’s down?” she asked, turning excitedly towards the others.

“Pass,” Weiss and Blake deadpanned in unison.

“I am a little...indisposed?” Penny offered apologetically. She would hate to interrupt all of Weiss and Blake’s hard work.

“Looks like it’s up to you, Rubes,” Yang said with finality.

“Uhhhhh….” Ruby stammered, looking to the others for help.

“Oh!” Penny interrupted. “I would like to hear the rest of Ruby’s story, if you don’t mind.”

Ruby sagged in relief and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ her way. Penny preened - she was glad to be of service. She did want to hear the rest of the story, truthfully. Ruby was a sensational storyteller.

Yang clicked her tongue and turned towards the door. “We’ll be back soon. That is, if Nora can even walk after I’m done with her.”

“Pffft!” Nora answered, following her rival. “You’ll be dragon your sorry butt back here in no time.”

Yang froze before she reached the door. Turning back, she stared Nora down for a long moment before bursting into laughter.

“Dragon?” she guffawed, throwing a friendly arm around Nora and pulling her towards the door. “That’s a good one.”

Nora laughed merrily along with her, returning the side hug as she pulled the door open. “I’ve been holding onto that one.”

Before they could make their way out, Weiss shouted after them. “Hold it you two!”

The laughing girls stopped and turned back to the heiress, eyebrows raised.

“You can’t go out looking like that!”

Both girls looked down at their clothes. Tank tops, short shorts, and bare feet. Excepting the last, it seemed like standard gym gear to Penny. Not that she’d ever gone to a gym.

Nora and Yang shrugged in unison. “It’s after midnight. No one’s going to see anyway,” Yang said.

They turned away and headed out of the room chatting amicably, the aggression from just moments ago completely forgotten. “I can’t believe they’re going to galavant across campus dressed like floozies…” Weiss grumbled as the door swung shut. Ruby and Blake laughed quietly at that.

“Soooo...where was I?” Ruby asked, settling back on her bed.

“The demon horse noodle,” Penny beamed, excited to hear the rest of Ruby’s tale.

“Right! Noodle vs noodle, battle of the century,” Ruby’s eyes narrowed briefly before she giggled. “Or like five seconds. Jaune ended up flat on his back, so naturally I, as team leader, had to swoop in to his rescue…”