The sounds of music permeated a dingy concert hall. Waves of pure force cut through a thin haze of pale smoke. They undulated with pitch and vibrato, a melody somewhere between aggressive and inspiring; a challenge upon those who dared to defy, yet also a relatable tale to those of a like mind. It was the perfect end to an albeit short showing.

Jaune stood among the audience, taking in with awe the spectacle wrapping up before him. The room smelled of alcohol, and sweat, and of a sickly sweet scent he couldn't place. It was a full house for the modest venue. A few hundred people crowded the floor. A glance to the left revealed his companion. Penny gave a similar level of attention, but with that innocent smile that never left her face.

Upon the stage, RWBY played their hearts out. Led by their effervescent frontwoman, the four girls came together in the rapture of performance. Picks met strings and sticks beat on skins. Amid it all, a single voice rang out. Yang put her heart and soul into it, a wave of conviction which broke upon the crowd.

He's the joker in the pack
Wrecks the common track
And leaves just unrecognition

And he moves like a truck
Along with lady luck
Fear, hate, and desperation

The song transitioned briefly to heavier chords, a departure from the jaunty verse.

I ain't no king, I ain't no ace
Cuz I've never seen such grace

((Throw me aside))
And I'll still come back
((Throw me aside))
Cuz I'm the joker in the pack
((Hey!))

The chord progression on each repletion of throw me aside became all of a sudden aggressive, thus adding to the declaration. There was only a brief reprise before the second verse and pre-chorus. In the latter, Weiss had the harmony. The chorus, this time around, repeated itself once.

Watch the black sheep
He's going real deep
He fights his own little war

And he knows the deal
The wounds won't heal
The world keeps on knocking on his door

(I ain't no king, I ain't no ace)
(Cuz I've never seen such grace)

((Throw me aside))
And I'll still come back
((Throw me aside))
Cuz I'm the joker in the pack
((Hey!))

((Throw me aside))
And I'll still come back
((Throw me aside))
Cuz I'm the joker in the pack
((Hey!))

The band fell away, leaving only Yang and her guitar. She stepped just in front of the microphone stand as the bridge emanated from her fingers. It was a play on the verse progression, just with different emphasis on the same chords. Each one was punchy, interspersed by rapid palm-muting. The first took up much more time than before, and the other two followed a more linear walk down. This pattern repeated again before Ruby played a blazing fill and everyone else came back in, transitioning to the next part.

This was just the chorus progression. Over it, Weiss played a solo. It started with a triple repetition of the same little run. She beat on a chord at the highest two strings before ferreting a short ascend on the G above them. When that was over and done with, she let loose a brief yet devastating little run which most certainly wasn't in the original recording; her last little chance to show off before the end.

When Weiss finished up, the song hit a coda back to the first verse.

He's the joker in the pack
Wrecks the common track
And leaves just unrecognition

And he moves like a truck
Along with lady luck
Fear, hate, and desperation

I ain't no king, I ain't no ace
Cuz I've never seen such grace

((Throw me aside))
And I'll still come back
((Throw me aside))
Cuz I'm the joker in the pack
((Hey!))

((Throw me aside))
And I'll still come back
((Throw me aside))
Cuz I'm the joker in the pack
((Hey!))

The song ended on a sustained chord while Yang played the chorus through it just one more time. It ended on a final chord, oddly tender for the tone of the song. Yang let her instrument die out naturally.

But it wouldn't be silent in the hall. Where the music faded, cheering rose to replace it. The crowd undulated and shouted admiration for the quartet before them. Jaune and Penny lent their voices to the fray, and for once Jaune couldn't hear her over everyone else. There were just too many other people. He viewed this as only a good thing. RWBY deserved to play larger audiences than even this.

"Thank you all for coming out," Yang shouted over them, her voice electronically amplified. "Be sure to stick around for your headliner, The Red Wings, coming up next!"

With that, RWBY unplugged and departed the stage. A cheering surge played them out. Meanwhile, Jaune wasted no time cutting his way through the crowd en route backstage. Though it were only his second time acting as the official unofficial roadie, he knew the drill. Now that they were done playing, it was his job to help them tear down.

To his surprise, Penny trailed right behind him. He kind of expected her to head home, just like last time, but that clearly wasn't the case. Not he was complaining, of course. The more help, the better.

It occurred to him as the pair reached the backstage door that Penny might not actually be allowed back there. He thought about saying as much, but immediately abandoned such thoughts. Penny was much stronger than she looked. If she truly wanted to help, Jaune knew he couldn't stop her. So, to avoid complications, the boy just held the door for her.

This particular venue had its own backline of speakers and monitors. As such, the only pieces of equipment RWBY had to worry about were amp heads, pedal boards, microphones, and various accessories. With so little to do, it took the six of them mere minutes to move everything off stage and into Weiss's white van.

When the work was done, they all stood outside in a rough circle. Jaune noted how many of his interactions with this group ended up in such a configuration. He found himself nestled between Penny and Blake. To Penny's left, Yang knuckled her back. It audibly popped a few times, and Jaune noticed both Ruby and Weiss cringe.

"Alright. Good show, everyone," Yang said. The group murmured in response.

"Strange time of day, though," quipped Blake.

"I know, right" Ruby agreed.

"It feels so much later," Yang added.

At their conversation, Jaune glanced toward the sky. A setting sun shown against a modest layer of gray clouds. It had already rained once early in the morning, but had cleared up slowly since. All it left behind was an overcast sky and humid air. Still, they girls were right. Considering most of their shows took place at night, the presence of the sun meant it was rather early.

"Well," Yang began, "if no one's ready to go home yet, we can always hang out a little longer."

"I'm assuming you have something in mind," said Weiss.

"Yep," nodded the blonde. "There's a nice little diner near here. Anyone hungry?"

"I could eat," Jaune said.

"I'm starving," Ruby was a little more dramatic about it.

"You mean Jewel's, right?" Weiss inquired. Jaune squinted slightly. That name struck him as oddly familiar.

"Yep, that's the one. You feel like going?"

"I'm down," Weiss said. Everyone else swiftly voiced agreement.

"Are you coming, too, Penny?" Jaune asked. "You sure you don't have to go home?"

"Not today, but thanks for asking," replied the girl. "My father said, since it's so early, I didn't have to come home right after the show."

"That settles it, then Although…" Yang trailed off, looking at the array of vehicles parked out back of the venue. "I'm not too keen on the idea of taking five cars. That seems a bit much."

"Carpool?" Ruby asked.

"Carpool. I can take Ruby on my bike, while the rest of you pile into the S-U-Schnee." Yang's pun was met with more than a few groans. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I can't believe you just said that out loud," admonished Blake.

"I thought it was clever,"

"Thank you, Penny." Yang said. "So, how about it, we go get food and save the environment?" Once again, everyone was in agreeance. "Alright, cool. We'll meet you there, then. Come on, Rube-Tube." She turned around and began to leave.

"I told you not to call me that!" Ruby complained, but still fell in behind her sister.

An awkward moment passed between the remaining four. Jaune didn't really know how to proceed from there. He could see the target vehicle, but wasn't sure how to approach it. How does one initiate a carpool? A glance at Blake revealed she had similar reservations. Penny just waited patiently, a bit curious perhaps. Weiss looked at them all and rolled her eyes.

"You three are hopeless." She tossed a set of keys to Blake, who barely caught it. Weiss made for her SUV. "Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting."

That was all the inspiration they needed. Everyone left followed Weiss the short distance to her white behemoth. Along the way, a loud roar signified the breath of life in Yang's motorcycle. Jaune looked back just in time to see Ruby—sitting in the back—put her helmet on, a black thing with a ladybug on the right side. She looked cute.

He reached the S-U-Schnee—dammit Yang—along with his friends, and they promptly entered it. Blake took the driver seat, while Weiss rode shotgun. Penny got in the back behind her, which left just one spot for Jaune.

Blake turned the key and shifted into reverse as Jaune was just getting his seatbelt buckled. The swiftness with which Blake operated the controls informed him she'd driven this vehicle at least once before. He was curious, but not enough to pry. When everything was all squared away, she backed out and merged into the road.

Almost immediately, Jaune realized sticking the three quieter members of the group in the same car may have been a bad idea. Despite sound from the motor, it was dead silent inside the cab. Now, Jaune didn't mind a little spot of not talking, but it still felt a bit awkward. Should he say something and risk making it worse, or just wait until they arrived at the destination? Then again, it wasn't fair to rely on just Yang and Ruby to make conversation, even if they were quite good at it. What's more, there was one other person riding along with them.

He looked over at Penny, worried for a split second to see her looking distant or uneasy. A single glance reminded him who he was dealing with. The redhead currently occupied herself with looking out the window, her posture relaxed as she leaned lightly on the door. Jaune couldn't see her face, but he imagined it wore a smile. Of course, Penny failed to pick up on any sort of discomfort someone else may feel in this situation. With a little grin for his adorable friend, Jaune set about mimicking her.

In this way, the drive went by without a hitch. All in all, they drove for maybe ten minutes before Blake slowed down for a gentle right turn. By the time they reached the parking lot, Ruby was dismounting Bumblebee while Yang waited. Blake chose a space left of the bike, the opposite side of the two girls. She switched off the car, and everyone within began to depart.

Jewel's diner was rustic in appearance, longer than it was wide. Large windows with little wood between them revealed the red, brown, and gold interior. Much of it was reserved for copious seating in the way of both booths and tables. A small milk bar took up a portion of the wall furthest from the door. Though it was mostly normal, the appearance of the building gave Jaune a moment's pause.

"I thought this place looked familiar," he said to himself. "Hey, uh... do you guys mind if we go somewhere else?"

"Why the hell would we do that?" Weiss criticized. "We're already here."

"Well, yeah, but, I don't know." Jaune diverted his gaze. "I guess I changed my mind?" Even he didn't believe that.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You can go elsewhere if you choose, Jaune. I choose to eat here." With that, she began toward the building. Blake and Penny followed her.

"Sorry, Jaune. Looks like you were outvoted," Ruby said before following along.

"Come on, it won't be that bad." Yang offered her encouragement.

"Yeah, if you say so." Jaune walked toward the building, while Yang fell in beside him.

It was warm on the inside, almost startlingly so, as if heat from the nearby kitchen leaked into the dining area. There ratio between occupied and open tables was roughly even. It was still too early for most people to eat dinner, so the patrons consisted largely of old people, though there was one young couple sharing a giant ice cream sundae.

A black sign with white lettering told new patrons to wait before being seated. The sextet of new arrivals gathered just ahead of the entrance.

"Be right there!" A waitress called from behind the bar. She was a pleasantly plum woman in her thirties with dark hair tied back in a frazzled braid.

"How many in your party?" The waitress asked when she reached them.

"Six," answered Weiss simply.

"Okay. I'm sorry, but all of our large tables are currently occupied. We can push two together, or you can wait if that's not alright." The waitress laid out their options.

"I think we could squeeze into a booth," suggested Yang. "Those three are rather small." She made a rough gesture in the direction of Weiss and Penny, the former of whom visibly tensed at the quip about her size.

"That'll work, if you all don't mind." The waitress gave a few seconds for complaints to arise. None did. "Okay, then. Follow me." She walked off to the left, grabbing six menus in the same motion. It was a simple thing, but it managed to impress Jaune.

He and the rest followed their host to the second-to-last booth on their west by the windows. The waitress made swift work of laying the menus in six separate spots.

"And here you are," she said with a smile.

"Thanks." Yang returned the expression.

"I'll be back in a few minutes to get your drink orders."

"Sounds great, thanks." At Yang's acknowledgment, the waitress departed.

Yang was the first to sit. She slid on the far end of the booth to lean up against the window. Jaune sidled up next to her. He expected Ruby to take the last spot on his side, but was surprised to see her sit across from him next to Blake. Even more astonishing was he when Weiss took the spot for herself. Jaune kept all comments to himself as she plopped down daintily and their shoulders brushed for just a split second. He'd never been this close to her. All this shuffling left Penny to take up the final spot, which placed her across from Weiss.

Jaune picked up his menu and began thumbing through it. The multi-page contraption began with appetizers and drinks. It was a pretty standard assortment of beverages: sodas, coffee, beer, etc. The rest of it, though, Jaune had no idea.

"So," he said, "what kind of food does this place serve?"

"It's mostly Valeish and Atlesian fare; hearty, basic foods, but well-prepared" answered Weiss without looking up from her menu.

"Do you like coffee, Jaune," Ruby asked.

"I do," he replied.

"Then you have to try their hazelnut. It's to die for."

"Alright, I'll think about it." He didn't have the heart to tell her it was probably just a bit too late for coffee.

"Their tea isn't bad, either," added Blake.

She looked back at her menu, but only for a second before a sneeze escaped her lips. It was a small and dainty thing, one which she barely managed to conceal in her shoulder. The moment it happened, both of the sisters gave high pitched coos, like one would for a kitten.

"The sneeze!" Yang exclaimed.

"It's so cute!" Ruby spoke at the same time. Jaune looked between all of them a few times. The sisters were enraptured, while Blake was clearly embarrassed.

"I think I'm missing something," he said.

"Blakey has the cutest little sneezes ever," explained Yang.

"They're absolutely adorable," echoed Ruby. Hearing those two go on about her, Blake just heaved a sigh.

"I go out of my way to not sneeze around them, because this is what happens." She gestured toward Yang. "That one just snuck up on me."

"I, too, think your sneezes are cute, Blake," Penny said, almost bluntly.

"Thanks, Penny." Blake sunk down in her seat just a little, squishing herself against the window.

"My little sister has the same problem," Jaune offered in an attempt to pull the spotlight away from poor Blake. "They're really small and quiet. If my other sister is anywhere near, she'll—"

"Jaune!" The sound of his voice from somewhere in the diner cut him off. He looked up, and his heart sank.

"Oh no..." he all but whispered.

"What? What's going on?" Yang asked, looking around for the source of the disturbance.

"Speak of the devil..." was the only response Jaune could form.

As the one who called out to him approached, he tried to make himself smaller. Fat lot of good it did, though, because she locked eyes with him the instant she appeared. A few steps found her standing next to their booth, garnering the attention of everyone seated there when she did.

"Hey, Mari," Jaune tried, voice little more than a thin warble.

"You should've told me you were coming by," his sister said. "When Lynn said you showed up surrounded by pretty girls, I almost didn't believe it."

"I take it you two know each other?" Yang ventured a guess.

"You could say that." Mari gave a devilish grin. For his part, Jaune just huffed a sigh.

"Mari, this is Penny, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, and Yang." Jaune pointed to each girl respectively. "Guys, this is my sister, Marigold."

"Hey," said Blake.

"Hiya," Yang was much more enthusiastic about it.

"Nice to meet you." Weiss, formal as always.

"Sal-u-tations, sister Arc." And that, of course, was Penny.

"Oh, so this is the light music club. He's told me so much about you guys." A hint of recognition passed Mari's tone. Jaune just groaned and shrunk a little.

"Has he now?" Yang gave him a sidelong look. "All good things, I hope."

"Great things, actually," clarified the new blonde. "He goes on and on about how amazing and talented you all are."

"Mari," Jaune pleaded, drawing out her name in a pitiful whine. Yang and Ruby both gave him little grins.

"Oh, I'm sorry, This must be embarrassing for you."

"No, please, tell us more," Weiss insisted.

"Nope, that's all the sibling torture you get," Mari remained firm. "Besides, I'm sure he embarrasses himself plenty without my help." Jaune whined and slipped under the table slightly.

"Yeah," agreed Ruby. Jaune slid further. "It's okay, though, because he's really sweet." Jaune knew that was a compliment, and while he appreciated the gesture, he didn't really want his sister to be present for it.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me." Marigold gave her brother a look gushing with fondness before returning to the rest of the table. "Well, I don't want to keep you, or anything. I just thought I'd come say 'hi' and maybe meet these friends I've heard so much about."

"It's alright," Yang said.

"Do you guys know what you want to order yet? I can get it started."

"I thought you were a cook, not a waitress," said Jaune.

"I am, but if I'm going to the kitchen anyway, I might as well bring your orders back with me," Mari gave an excellent explanation, one which Jaune couldn't counter. "So, anyone?"

"I'll have the chicken fingers," Ruby piped up.

"Got it." Lacking any paper, Marigold took this down on her Scroll.

"And I'll have the chef salad, please," said Weiss.

"Seriously, Weiss? That's it," Yang challenged. "Come on, live a little."

"I am living. Be glad it's not a Caeser."

"Chef salad, got it," Marigold said as she finished typing. "Anyone else?"

"I'm not sure, sis," supplied Jaune. "I don't even know what you guys have here."

"I'll make you anything you want, Jaune, forget the menu."

Jaune felt his cheeks heat up, though he was flattered by both the kindness and intensity of her response.

"I think I need a few more minutes," he replied simply.

"Of course." Mari allowed a short pause for anyone else to speak up, but was met with silence. "Alright, well, Lynn will be by shortly to get the rest of your orders."

"Thanks," Yang said with a smile.

"Thanks, sis," echoed Jaune.

"Think nothing of it," she deflected. "Enjoy your night." Mari received various replies as she went back to the kitchen.

"She seems nice," observed Penny before Mari made it through the doors.

"She is," Jaune agreed.

"Makes me wonder what went wrong with you," quipped Blake. Jaune almost levied a response to that, but just took it in stride. There was nothing to back up that statement, and he was sure Blake realized as much. It was just a stupid joke.

The night passed with revelry and much food. Jaune ended up sticking to the menu with an order of a small Atlesian-style pizza. Yang went with a bacon cheeseburger, and Blake—predictably—ordered fish and chips. Penny went without, just like she always did at lunch. Jaune wanted to call her out, but realized she maybe just wasn't hungry. Not his place to pry, regardless.

When it was all said and done, he piled back into the S-U-Schnee with the same group as before. They followed Yang back to the venue. A parting hug from Ruby saw Jaune back in his own vehicle and on his way home.

During the drive the boy realized he'd never actually done anything like that. He'd never eaten out with friends, and certainly hadn't carpooled with any of them. It was just another on the ever growing list of firsts he attributed to this group. For what must've been the millionth time, Jaune wondered what he'd done to deserve them, what karmic force afforded him such incredible fortune. He looked forward to the next time he broke bread with them.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I almost skipped this chapter entirely. It feels trite and forced, like filler in a bad anime. However, I think it's necessary for Mari to meet the Light Music Club if she's to remain relevant. Also, I couldn't think of a better place to use the song from the beginning. So, we have this. The new plotline I talked about starts next chapter.

Songs featured in this chapter, in order of appearance:

"Joker in the Pack" – By Bombshell Rocks

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