Friday evening arrived with the promise of normalcy. No classes, no training sessions, just two teams hanging out like regular students.
Team JNPR showed up at Team RWBY's dorm with snacks. Nora had somehow acquired enough cookies to feed a small army. Ren brought tea. Pyrrha contributed fruit and healthy options that everyone politely ignored in favor of junk food. Jaune brought popcorn and chips.
"Perfect timing!" Ruby opened the door wide. "We're still deciding what to watch!"
The room had been rearranged. Beds pushed together to create a massive seating area. Pillows and blankets everywhere. Yang had rigged up a large screen to her scroll for projection.
"I vote action movie," Yang said immediately. "Something with explosions."
"We watched an action movie last time," Weiss protested. "How about something with actual plot and character development?"
"Action movies have plot!"
"'Die Hard' doesn't count as plot."
"'Die Hard' is a Christmas classic and you will respect it!"
Blake spoke up from her corner. "What about a documentary? There's one about ancient civilizations that looks interesting."
Everyone stared at her.
"A documentary," Yang said slowly. "For movie night. Blake, I love you, but no."
"I'm just saying it could be educational."
"We have enough education Monday through Friday," Ruby said. "Weekends are for fun! How about a comedy?"
'Documentary for movie night. Blake really is the most Blake person to ever Blake.'
They eventually compromised on an action comedy about huntsmen fighting Grimm in ridiculous scenarios. The kind of movie that was objectively terrible but entertaining enough to enjoy with friends.
Everyone settled in. The movie started with an explosion and never really slowed down. Characters said one-liners before fighting Grimm with increasingly absurd weapons. The plot made no sense. It was perfect.
"That Beowolf did NOT just get defeated by a guy with nunchucks made of rubber chickens," Nora said, laughing.
"The physics are all wrong too," Weiss complained. "You can't use a grappling hook like that. It would never support his weight at that angle."
"Weiss," Yang said patiently. "It's a movie. With rubber chicken nunchucks. Physics left the building in scene one."
"I'm just saying, if you're going to make a movie about huntsmen, at least make it realistic."
"Where's the fun in that?" Ruby was completely engrossed, eyes glued to the screen.
'Weiss is fact-checking the rubber chicken movie. This is my life now.'
Halfway through the movie, there was a knock on the door. Blake got up to answer it.
"Team CRDL?" she said, surprised.
Cardin Winchester stood in the doorway with his team behind him. He looked uncomfortable.
"We heard there was a movie night," Cardin said. "Thought we'd... ask if we could join."
Awkward silence filled the room. Cardin had been a jerk since day one. Bullying faunus students, making snide comments, generally being unpleasant. His team wasn't much better.
But Yang shrugged. "Sure, why not? More the merrier. Just don't be a dick."
"I'll... try."
Team CRDL filed in and found spots on the floor. The movie continued. The atmosphere was slightly tense at first, but gradually everyone relaxed back into enjoying the absurdity on screen.
During a particularly ridiculous fight scene, Cardin spoke up.
"Arc."
Jaune looked over. "Yeah?"
"About our match in combat class. You're pretty good."
'Is that... an apology? From Cardin Winchester? Am I hallucinating?'
"Thanks. You're not bad either. Just got caught off guard."
"Right." Cardin was quiet for a moment. "Maybe we could spar sometime. Not in class. Just practice."
"Sure. I'm game."
Nora leaned over and whispered to Jaune. "Did you just become friends with Cardin? Is this character development?"
"I'm as confused as you are," Jaune whispered back.
The movie ended with an explosion that destroyed half a city and somehow everyone survived. Credits rolled. Yang stretched.
"Alright, what's next? We've got time for another one!"
"Something with less explosions," Weiss requested. "Please."
"Less explosions?" Yang looked personally offended. "What's the point?"
They argued about movie choices while everyone raided the snack table. Jaune found himself standing next to Blake on the balcony, getting some air.
"You okay?" he asked. "You've been quiet tonight."
"Just thinking." Blake looked out over Beacon's grounds. "About how different this is from what I expected."
"Different how?"
"I thought Beacon would be more... formal. Serious. Everyone focused on becoming huntsmen." She smiled slightly. "But it's also just kids hanging out, eating junk food, watching bad movies."
"That's not a bad thing."
"No. It's nice, actually. Normal." Blake glanced at him. "You're different from most first years. More focused. Like you're preparing for something specific."
'Oh good. Blake's perceptive. That's not concerning at all.'
Careful. Blake was perceptive.
"Just trying to make sure I'm ready," Jaune said. "Being a huntsman is dangerous. Want to make sure my team survives."
"That's good leadership. Your team is lucky to have you."
They headed back inside where Round Two of movie selection arguments was reaching its peak.
"ROMANTIC COMEDY!" Ruby declared.
"NO!" Yang and Weiss said simultaneously.
"What's wrong with romantic comedies?!"
"Ruby, you're fifteen. You don't even like romance."
"I could like romance! I just haven't found the right romance to like yet!"
'Ruby arguing for romantic comedies. The world is truly upside down.'
They eventually settled on a mystery thriller that kept everyone guessing. Halfway through, Pyrrha leaned over to Jaune.
"This is nice," she said quietly. "Just being normal students for a night."
"Yeah. It is."
"You've been tense this week. Everything okay?"
"Just adjusting to Beacon. The advanced combat seminar is intense. Ozpin's attention is... uncomfortable."
"He's just impressed with your skills. That's a good thing."
"Maybe. Or maybe he's suspicious."
"Suspicious of what?"
"That I'm not telling him everything."
Pyrrha was quiet for a moment. "Are you? Hiding something?"
Jaune met her eyes. She deserved honesty, at least partial honesty.
"Everyone has secrets, Pyrrha. Things they don't share. Things that wouldn't make sense to explain." He paused. "But I promise you, nothing I'm hiding is dangerous to you or the team. I just want to keep everyone safe."
"I believe you." She smiled. "And when you're ready to share those secrets, I'll listen. Until then, I trust you."
That trust was heavy. Comforting but also terrifying.
The movie ended. It was almost midnight. Teams started to disperse, heading back to their dorms.
"Same time next month?" Ruby asked hopefully.
"Definitely," Jaune agreed. "But next time, I pick the movie."
"Deal!"
Team JNPR headed back to their room. Nora was still buzzing with energy despite the late hour. Ren was already preparing for bed with his usual calm efficiency. Pyrrha was organizing notes for Monday's classes.
Jaune checked his scroll before bed. Message from his father.
"Your mother wants pictures of your dorm. Your sisters want to know if you've made friends. I want to know if you're keeping up with training. Call when you can."
Jaune smiled and typed back. "Will send pictures tomorrow. Made plenty of friends. Still training hard. Everything's good here."
He set his scroll aside and pulled up the system privately.
[Days at Beacon: 8]
[Team Integration: Optimal]
[Cover Identity: Stable]
[Estimated time until Quest 2: 1-49 days]
One to forty-nine days. The window was narrowing slightly, but still unpredictable.
"System, any chance you can give me more warning next time?"
[Negative. 24 hour advance notice is maximum time allowable]
[Random activation prevents timeline exploitation]
"Yeah, I figured."
[Recommendation: Maintain current trajectory]
[Social bonds strengthening, combat skills developing appropriately]
[Continue integration]
"That's the plan."
Jaune closed the system and lay back. Eight days at Beacon. Felt like longer. He'd formed a team, made friends, established his cover, survived Ozpin's scrutiny. Things were actually going well.
Which probably meant something was about to go wrong.
'Murphy's Law. Still in effect. Still waiting to strike.'
But for tonight, everything was fine. His team was safe. His friends were happy. Beacon was peaceful.
He'd take the win.
Tomorrow would bring more training, more classes, more preparation. But tonight, he'd just been a normal student at a movie night with friends.
He closed his eyes and let sleep take him, his danger sense passively monitoring the room, his aura slowly regenerating.
Just another Friday night at Beacon Academy.
'One normal night. I'll take it.'