Kapitel 132: 34
Chapter 34 – Billy Jaune
"You look like you're walking to your own execution."
"That would be because I am."
Three days…
Three days, seventy-two hours, three-hundred and sixty-two scroll messages from Penny. And despite all of that, they still hadn't managed to come up with any solution for her. Oh, they'd come up with a wide range of ideas – most contrived and insane – but even the ones among them which had looked viable (even if that was a little tenuous a term at best) had still be thrown aside.
Pay a student to fake for her… well for one she was an ex-terrorist orphan. She didn't exactly have much in the way of lien, usually having to work part-time or rough it on the streets every time there was even a school holiday. Beyond that, even if she did find someone who was willing to do it for cheap – or even for free – it would still mean her apparent boyfriend was alive and kicking in Beacon. Yang and Ruby would become suspicious as to why she wasn't spending time with him if they didn't see the two together…
And knowing them it would be a disaster… if it wasn't Yang hunting the poor guy down to demand why he was neglecting her partner, then it would be Ruby assuming she needed to play relationship counsellor and stalking the guy.
Either option was a nightmare. So here she was… walking down the corridors of Beacon in her long black dress, trying to ignore the occasional appreciative looks from the students milling around. Damn Yang and her choice of a split leg dress, especially since it flashed some thigh every time she moved.
"A tad dramatic," her companion floated beside her, hovering along at waist height as he unsubtly checked out her long legs. "It's just a little embarrassment if you admit he couldn't make it. That won't kill you."
"But Yang might. Particularly if she thinks I'm trying to welch out on our agreement."
"Yeah… not to mention Ruby will be devastated," Blake stumbled but managed to stay upright, "And Weiss will look at you with that expression… you know, the one which says she isn't angry – just disappointed in you."
Oh she knew the one… and now she was feeling even more reluctant to turn up to the event. Oh Gods, was it too late to back and find one of the doctor's coma patients to possess?
"They'll probably demand you have the guy meet then another time too. Maybe even tomorrow outside of Beacon. Yang's kinda like Zwei when she sees something that interests her – just won't let it go."
"You're not helping… you realise that, right?" The undead teen shrugged, doing a lazy cartwheel through the air so that he was hovering in front of her, partially blocking her sight of the path ahead.
"Well if someone hadn't run her mouth and said she'd bring her boyfriend here then this wouldn't even be happening. You really ought to think these things through."
Like he had when he entered Beacon, right before he got himself killed? She swallowed the words before she could speak them, knowing it would just make what was already going to be an epically bad evening all the worse.
"Are you sure you can't unlock some kind of ability to materialise?"
"Fairly sure," the ghost rolled his blue eyes, "Just as much as I'm sure I still can't possess your clones. And trust me, the idea of taking yourself to the dance is just as narcissistic as it sounded yesterday."
Blake sighed… it hadn't been that bad of an idea. The fact that she couldn't really control or change the appearance of her clones aside… and that they tended to vanish if they were touched. Okay, it had been a bad idea. She'd been desperate – the good ideas had flown out the window with the possessed mannequins and sex robots.
It's a sad day indeed when a sex robot is what I honestly considered my best option…
This wasn't how she'd seen Beacon going, if she were being honest.
Still clear from Yang, Blake mused to herself as she slipped past a few of the columns surrounding the dancefloor, a single glass of punch in hand. Men and women danced together in the middle, though how you were supposed to dance to such heavy music, she had no idea. This was no doubt Yang's influence. Since she was fairly sure Weiss would be dead before ever admitted to liking something quite as `wubby` as this.
"Not seen Yang or Ruby," Jaune whispered into her ear. If there was one benefit to him then it was that he could act as a scout for her if needed. "Nor Weiss now that I think about it. Looks like you're clear."
"Yang has to greet people for the first half-hour, she's going to be busy with that for now." It wouldn't last however… the party had already been going on for almost an hour, at which point the hostess would be free to leave her role and enjoy the event itself. No idea where Ruby was though…
Weiss… the last Blake had heard she was going with Sun's friend, Neptune. So she was probably spending the evening having fun with him. Blake wished the frosty girl well on that front… he looked a little flirty and silly for her tastes, but if that was what Weiss liked then great news.
Now what would be even better news would be if she managed to dodge them all night and then claim she'd been looking for them… and how sad, her partner had come out too – such a shame that they'd missed one another.
Very sad, much regret.
"I think the windows by the far wall will be the best bet," Amber eyes followed where he was pointing. The far wall of the hall had just enough people to cover her, while also being far away from the dance floor – what was arguably Yang's domain. The windows were open, leading out onto the gardens that made up the outside plaza where the CCT lay. Since they were in the opposite directions of the dorms too, that meant there would be less chances of anyone stumbling upon her.
"You're good at spotting places to hide." A few young men and women moved out of her way as she headed over, one or two making rather clumsy attempts to bump into her – no doubt hoping it would spark a conversation – or more. Tonight was not a night to put up with clumsy flirting however… no way.
"I was never the most popular kid at school," he paused, as though waiting for shock or a denial from her. When he realised none was coming he instead settled for a small glare, "Anyway, that meant a lot of events where I didn't know what to do or say to girls. So I used to hide on the edges where people wouldn't see or come to talk to me."
"My brave sir knight."
"Oh bite me… not like you're doing any different right now."
Touché… sort of. It wasn't like she could criticise him for the decisions he'd made when he was younger. Maybe she'd been more successful in that area, but she'd also made more than enough mistakes in other ways.
"There you are," a cocky voice called out.
And it looked like she had made yet another mistake, she was forced to consider as Yang skipped up to her. Blake actually found herself surprised by the blonde's dress choice. There weren't many people who went with cream dresses nowadays… she'd half-expected Yang's to be even more risqué than her own.
"Here I am," Blake echoed, feeling like it was the beginning of her eulogy. Maybe she could delay for a little… "Have you seen Ruby?"
"Saw her earlier struggling to balance on her heels," Yang shrugged, stealing Blake's glass to take a long sip before handing it back.
"Ooh, indirect kiss?" Blake rolled her eyes.
"She'll be fine," Yang continued, "I think she just went out for some fresh air. You know this kind of thing isn't up her alley."
"Hmm, what's this?" Blake paid only half attention as he floated outside the window into the bushes. It wasn't like he could get lost from her or anything.
"It's not exactly my kind of event either…"
"Yeah but you owe it to us for making us worry about you. I'm a little less inclined to be merciful when you made my sister miserable."
Hello guilt…
"So," Yang's face took on a hungry edge, "where is he?"
"I don't know," amber eyes glanced away from lilac as she searched the room for some kind of escape. "Have you seen anyone that looks unusual?"
Yang pushed a finger to her chin, "I saw Penny earlier… she's flanked by two armoured guards but is also dressed in a men's tux for some reason. Not sure who she's hoping to fool with that moustache though - it's dark brown."
"W-Who can say?" Blake nearly choked.
"H-Hey, I think I found something in the bushes…"
"Enough about that though. We should totally try and find your man. If he's here on his own then it would be rude to leave him wandering around, right?" Yang looked so utterly excited, eyes flashing as she bounced on her feet. Blake was half glad Jaune was wandering around in the bushes so he wouldn't comment on the interesting things that was doing to Yang's bust.
"Why don't we wait here?" She had to try… any attempt that would give her the pretence of claiming he hadn't been able to find them and had given up – even if the excuse felt weak. The blonde clearly wasn't having it… not if the way she held her hands on each hip was any indication.
"Blake, you can't invite a guy to an event like this… then when he goes to all that effort just not even look for him!"
Here comes the moment of humiliation…
Blake sighed, about to move away from the wall but for two hands quickly covering her vision. It was so sudden that she didn't even react, "Hey Blake," a masculine voice purred into her ear, "guess who?"
"Eeeeeeeeeee!" Yang's high-pitched whine nearly broke her ears. Blake's hands latched onto his, whoever the random guy was. It didn't sound like Sun or anyone she knew. She pried the fingers away, tilting her head to the side in time to see the rugged face of a young man in the uniform of an Atlas soldier.
"W-wha?"
"Surprise," the man whispered as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
In any other moment she'd have stopped it – likely with force. But as his lips pressed to her cheek and one arm wrapped around her shoulder… she could only gape at his eyes.
They flickered with blue fire.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein