Summary: Jaune wants to make cookies for Weiss on Valentine's Day. Who else better to teach him than the master of cookies herself?

The Master

Written from the perspective of Ruby Rose

"Am I doing this right?" asked Jaune.

We were in the dorm kitchen when he presented me his bowl full of lumpy cookie dough. He had a big smile on his face. He looked so proud. He kind of reminded me of - well, me, when I was a little munchkin making cookies. My response would break his heart.

"Nope," I answered truthfully.

"Oh," was his deflated reply.

I then proceeded to lay out everything his cookie dough did wrong. He added too much butter, sugar, and chocolate chips. It was amateur-ish really. People think bad cookies can be hidden under excess sweetness but that's not true at all! He was also mixing inappropriately so all the chocolate chips were sinking to the bottom. It would make for inconsistent bites of chocolate.

It was disappointing. I'd have thought a guy with seven sisters would have learned to bake a decent batch of cookies!

Jaune immediately began trying to remedy his mistake.

We continued in silence as I mixed another batch. I was making enough cookies for everyone - from Team RWBY to JNPR to even team CFVY and CRDL.

Jaune threw his bowl into the sink, undoubtedly frustrated at another failed attempt.

"How do you do it, Ruby? What's your secret?"

Jaune leaned closer.

"I don't have a secret. I just, you know, bake!"

"But do you have some special trick? What goes through your mind? All I think of is how much I'm going to mess up…"

I placed a finger on my chin and thought. I remembered some advice my mother gave me…

My mind wandered to a distant memory…

"I think of someone I want to make cookies for," I said. "Who do you think of when you try to make cookies?"

"Myself."

"Yeah, don't do that."

"So what do I do!?"

"Let's try this. Think of someone and try to make cookies for that person."

Jaune nodded and went off to make a batch.

"Too cold," I said.

"But I blasted it in the oven!"

"It's still too cold… these cookies are as hard as ice." I returned the cookie. Jaune's sad face was reflected like a mirror on the polished tray.

"Try these!"

I picked up a piece of burnt blackness.

I hesitated a little before I took a nibble.

They… actually weren't too bad…

But...

"There are… too… dark? Also I think you got a bit of cat hair in this one," I said. I moved my tongue around to get that little sucker and returned the cookie back to its tray. It was another failure.

"Drats!" Jaune then stormed of with his tray of blackened crispies.

I finished chugging a whole gallon of milk.

"Too hot," I said, trying to refresh my air supply. I wiped some tears from my eyes.

Jaune looked at his tray of red-devil-pepper-cookies.

"Should I like, put them on a window still?"

"No, I mean, like… did you put hot sauce in these?"

Jaune looked up at the ceiling before turning around and walking away.

"This one tastes like nothing."

"But I thought of-"

"Tastes like nothing."

"Okay…"

"Jaune."

"Yeah?"

"Why does this one have pieces of… broken chicken legs?"

"I'll try again."

"You do that."

"This one tastes like ashes."

"But-"

"Tastes. Like. Ashes."

Jaune chucked his tray out the window.

It was almost midnight. Blake had fallen asleep a few minutes ago. Lucky for me, I knew that kitty's every little hiding place.

With Ninjas of Love on my lap, I began my nightly ritual.

I just couldn't wait to know how the Hidden Love Village master ninja was going to escape from his erotic current predicam-

Knock. Knock.

"Who the heck could that be?" Yang grumbled.

"Ruby! Go answer the door!" Weiss shouted as she piled the pillow over her.

I tiptoed down the ladder and onto the floor. Opening the door, I saw a familiar face.

"Jaune? Is that you?"

His face was covered in soot. His hair was slightly singed. He smelled like burnt toast. But it was Jaune all right and in his hands was a tray of cookies.

"Red Velvet. In the shape of rose petals. With a glass of strawberry milk to wash it down." He paused. "The milk was store bought because I didn't want to-"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with," I said.

I picked up one of the cookies.

They were indeed shaped like rose petals. Each of them appeared to be carefully cut - right down to having withered ends and darkened pink bases with darker red, almost blood-like, tips.

I took a nibble.

Sweetness engulfed me.

I took a bigger bite. A real bite.

My eyes widened.

This cookie… This cookie was…

I giggled.

This cookie was just right!

I swiped the tray from Jaune.

"Thank you," I said before slamming the door on him.

I was about to return to bed when I remembered something. I turned back and opened the door. His dumbstruck face was still there.

"And good night!" I said before slamming the door on him again.

I picked up another cookie and munched on it.

Nothing beats a good book with a tray of delicious cookies and cold milk! I thought with a smile.

The Master Fin