Kapitel 724: 67
Chapter 67:
Saturday was a completely different kind of experience for Ruby. She couldn't quite say why. Sure, the dance was looming that evening. But it wasn't as though some paradigm of the world had shifted. Everything was the same as it had always been. She woke up in the same bed, in the same room, to the same sound of her teammates doing the same. They might have been forgoing their usual Saturday training (not wanting to exhaust themselves before the big event), but they weren't planning anything exceptional. They'd find things to occupy their day, then return to their dorm room and get dressed up, and then go to the ballroom.
So why did everything feel so different?
Throughout the day, Ruby kept glancing at Jaune, wondering why she felt so nervous around him, all of a sudden. Nothing had changed. Jaune hadn't suddenly started glowing. He hadn't suddenly become the most handsome and attractive hunk Ruby could have possibly imagined. He was still the same dorky, goofy knight she'd met on Day One, even if he was growing more capable by the day. Him asking her to the dance hadn't suddenly caused her to see him in a new light.
So why did looking at him make her feel different?
Ruby didn't have the answer to those questions. She wasn't sure if she could bring up her worries to Weiss or Pyrrha. The other two girls on her team were as cool as cucumbers, clearly old hands at this sort of thing. Granted, they had both admitted that this would be the first time they would be going to a social event with someone specific. But it wasn't as though they were doing something monumentally out of their comfort zone. And Ruby found herself doubting that either of them would be able to tell her why looking at Jaune suddenly made her feel so different.
Curious and worried, Ruby turned to Yang.
"Really now...?" said Yang, a wide grin forming on her face. "Looking at Jaune has you suddenly getting butterflies in your tummy, does it?"
"Yaaang," groaned Ruby, leaning back in her seat, her gaze sweeping upward to take in the blue sky above, Ruby having called Yang out to a secluded corner of the courtyard for this conversation.
"I'm just saying," said Yang, mocking dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, "my adorable little sis is growing up so fast. It makes me proud."
"Laugh it up," grumbled Ruby, glaring sourly at Yang. "Are you gonna help me to figure this out or not?"
"What's there to figure out?" asked Yang, her question strangely earnest. "You like Jaune, don't you?"
"Yeah," said Ruby.
"Being around him makes you happy, right?"
"Yeah."
"So you're going to the dance with a boy you happen to like," summarized Yang. "It's not the most absurd thing in the world, Ruby. You're not actually feeling anything different about him. You're just paying more attention to the way he makes you feel suddenly. You're giving it more thought, dwelling on it more, and that's making it seem like a bigger deal than it really is."
Ruby blinked at Yang for a few moments. "Is that all?" she asked.
"Pretty much," said Yang. Reaching across, she took Ruby's hands in her own. "Listen, this dance shouldn't be some huge romantic revelation for you. Just go and have fun. Dance with Jaune. Hang out with him. Talk to him. Focus on having a good time. Don't worry about your 'relationship' or feelings. Just do what feels natural and right."
Ruby's petulant expression made an abrupt comeback. "Does that mean I can ditch the heels?"
"Nope, those are mandatory."
"This is tyranny!"
Ruby's conversation with Yang had helped to eat up a little time. It also served to make her feel a tiny bit better. Despite Yang's advice, Ruby couldn't quite help but continue to worry over how much her feelings for Jaune were standing out to her suddenly. Although, part of her felt surprised that she'd actually managed an impressive milestone.
She'd actually treated Yang like an older sister. Ruby had sought Yang out for advice and comfort. And Yang had provided it, maybe teasing Ruby a little, but never belittling her. On top of that, she showed no signs of the hostility she'd previously expressed toward Jaune. Considering that this was the girl who'd once nearly beat Jaune to a pulp for daring to so much as touch Ruby, it was considerable progress.
For her part, Yang found herself reflecting on how much had changed. She'd come to realize that, had Ruby not run away, she likely would have never met a boy like Jaune. Taiyang would have likely kept Ruby locked away in their home, unable to meet anyone or form any connections at all. It made Yang wonder just how their father could have been so selfish...and how she could have been so willing to go along with it.
But those weren't concerns for now. Evening came. They had dinner, then retired to their rooms, separating by gender to get dressed for the evening. The girls would use RASP's room as a dressing room, while Jaune, Ren and Sun would use RYNB's room to change into their suits. Sun, in particular, needed some help from Jaune to get properly dressed up.
Once they were finished, the boys stepped out into the hall to wait for the girls to finish their own work. The sounds of high-pitched voices, accompanied by giggles, and even small shrieks, echoed out from the room.
"Sounds like they're having fun," said Jaune, adjusting the red bow-tie that rested over his white button-down shirt, over which he wore a gray vest, followed by a black jacket with gold thread outlining the hems. Looking down, he made one last check of his black dress-pants and matching shoes. Everything seemed in order.
"I don't even know how you can keep up with all this fashion-stuff," complained Sun, fiddling with his tie. "Stupid...neck-trap," he muttered, before Jaune reached over to slap Sun's hand down.
Neptune might have helped Sun pick out his outfit, but Jaune had done the lion's share of work in making sure that Sun wore it properly. It didn't help that Sun and Neptune were still on the outs with each other, Sun annoyed that Neptune was so willing to hurt Weiss' feelings in an unnecessary effort to preserve his pride, while Neptune had been annoyed that Sun kept pestering him about it. Learning that Weiss was going with Ashley instead hadn't done much to alleviate the situation, so Sun had turned to Jaune and Ren for help.
Sun's ensemble was much more simple than the other two boys. All he had on was a white, button-down shirt, tucked into a pair of tan dress-pants. The shirt's short sleeves showed off his muscular arms, while a dark-blue tie dangled down from his neck.
The first time Sun had tried dressing himself, he'd left multiple buttons below the collar of his shit unbuttoned, with the tie tied directly around his neck instead, while the collar had been left sticking almost straight up. It had taken Jaune more work than it should have to fix the outfit. Then there had been a brief argument, where Jaune and Ren had needed to force Sun to leave his bracers and gloves behind, leaving Sun feeling underdressed...ironically.
Ren, for his part, looked perfectly composed in his dark-green suit. It was a variation on his usual tailcoat, with purple lining on the inside, and a matching color decorating the hems. Underneath that, he wore a white shirt, with a pink tie, matching the streak that ran through his hair.
A moment later, they were joined by Dove, who'd dressed up in CRDL's dorm. The other boys had to blink a couple of times, Dove's ensemble being quite eye-catching, mainly because of how bright it was. It wasn't garish, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the inverse of what they were expecting.
Dove was dressed in a pure-white suit-jacket and pants, which he was wearing over a black shirt, accompanied by a red tie. The one thing they could say for sure was that it looked good on him.
"Girls taking their time?" asked Dove, coming to stand next to the other boys.
"As they are wont to do," said Jaune, remembering how long his sisters could spend getting dressed for their social engagements. Jaune might not have noticed as much, had they not always hogged the bathroom to do their makeup.
"At least we don't have to worry about time," said Ren, checking it on his scroll.
"With Weiss?" scoffed Jaune. "Trust me, if we had to worry about time, we'd hear a lot less laughing coming from that room...and a lot more screeching."
"True," agreed Dove, the boys sharing a laugh of their own.
The door opened to reveal Yang, looking gorgeous in her white neck-halter dress, with its gray hems and short skirt. It left both her arms, and much of her legs, bare, as well as accentuating her impressive bust. Even though none of the boys before her were going with her, they all stiffened nervously at the sight of her.
"Well hey there," said Yang, giving them all a grin. "Sorry to keep you boys waiting. But we're ready now."
Opening the door wide, Yang revealed the rest of their group.
Weiss and Ashley were the first to emerge, Ashley wearing the dark-green dress she'd picked out from the day before. Weiss' dress was similar to Yang's, all white in color, with a short skirt that ended a little ways above her knees. Hers sported cutouts at the waist, and was held up by a translucent mesh that ran over her shoulders. Ashley, who was hanging on her arm, looked positively giddy, while Weiss seemed plenty happy herself.
They were followed by Blake, who was clad in a dark-purple neck-halter dress, with a tight skirt that had been slit up the right side. A narrow, black sash had been tied around her waist, while her neck, shoulders, back were covered by a mesh similar to the kind that Weiss wore. Clasping her hands together in front of herself, she tilted her head demurely as she walked out to Sun, who could only stare at her in breathless awe.
"I knew you'd look good in a tie," she said playfully, giving him a smile.
It took Sun a few seconds to pull his thoughts together. He opened his mouth, working to find the right words. Finally, he did his best to grin confidently. "My lady," he said, holding out his hand to her in a laughable imitation of a noble courtier.
Blake laughed softly, then gratefully accepted Sun's hand, allowing him to lead her out of the way, and allow the other girls to make their exits.
Pyrrha was next. Her red dress' skirt extended all the way down to her ankles, also sporting a long slit along the right side. Her hair was done up in its usual style, complete with her circlet, while the dress' collar rose up to encompass her neck in a an imitation of the gorget she normally wore. Her green eyes twinkled with excitement as she took in Dove, who smiled calmly, and silently offered his hand to her, which Pyrrha gladly accepted.
After Pyrrha, a pink blur rushed out of the room, Nora tackling Ren with enough force to throw him to the floor. "It's time!" she squealed excitedly, grinning and nuzzling into Ren's shoulder, while he sighed and hugged her back.
The others barely caught a glimpse of Nora's strapless, pink dress, with a pale-pink skirt that flared out around her legs. Before they could take in too many details though, Nora had already stood up, and was hauling Ren down the hallway at a speed that would have done Ruby proud.
"That girl is a force of nature," observed Yang.
"Poor Ren," added Weiss.
"He didn't seem to mind too much," noted Dove wryly, having noticed that Ren hadn't made a single noise of complaint, for all the rough treatment he was receiving.
"Well, that leaves..." Yang paused, taking notice of the one person who hadn't emerged from RASP's room yet. "Ruby?"
"C-coming," announced Ruby, her voice accompanied by a few grunts, and the stilted sounds of an awkward, stumbling walk. "How do Weiss and Pyrrha fight in these things?"
Ruby finally made it to the door, reaching out one hand to steady herself against the frame. Despite her unsteady posture, and the nervous grimace on her face, Jaune felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her.
Ruby was wearing a dark-red dress with a short skirt, displaying the dark-grey leggings she wore beneath it. A thick, black sash was wrapped around her waist, with the bodice of her dress being split down to the sash, with black lacing connecting it together. Like Weiss and Blake, her neck and shoulders were covered by translucent mesh, though Ruby's featured black hems. On her feet were the source of Ruby's discomfort, a pair of black pumps, upon which she tottered unsteadily.
She didn't so much as walk to Jaune as she collapsed against him, Jaune catching her by her arms, and helping Ruby steady herself. For his part, Jaune's face felt as though it was about to catch fire. "Y-you look beautiful," he said softly.
Looking up, Ruby momentarily forgot her plight, her own face reddening as she saw Jaune staring at her with such an adoring gaze. "Th-thanks," she said, averting her eyes.
A click and a flash from Yang's scroll caught their eyes, and they looked over to see Ruby's sister, grinning evilly, still holding the incriminating device in her hand. "You two look sooo cute together," she cooed.
"Yaaang!" Ruby wailed petulantly, while the other girls giggled.
"They're sisters all right," Blake whispered to Sun.
"Yep," Sun agreed.
"Well, we should be off," declared Weiss, leading Ashley down the hall.
"We're going on ahead," added Blake, her and Sun making their way past Ruby and Jaune.
Pyrrha flashed the pair an encouraging smile as she and Dove did the same. Finally, Yang gave the pair one last teasing grin, before setting off herself. Ruby and Jaune stared after them for a moment, before looking back at each other.
Ruby was still clinging tightly to Jaune's supporting arms. With a startled yelp, Ruby disengaged, flailing her arms. However, she'd forgotten that she hadn't yet recovered her balance, and immediately began to keel over. Acting quickly, Jaune slipped an arm around her waist to keep her upright. Before he could think too much about what he was doing, he pulled Ruby up against himself, Ruby found herself leaning against Jaune's chest, one hand resting on his shoulder. Looking at him again, she blushed even harder, then pressed her face against his other shoulder
"Sorry," she said, whimpering slightly.
"It's okay," said Jaune, tightening his hold on her waist a little. "I guess it would be tricky, walking on heels for the first time."
"Yeah," grumbled Ruby. "Stupid...lady-stilts. Weiss and Yang just want to embarrass me."
"I don't think they'd go that far," said Jaune, patting Ruby's arm sympathetically. He disengaged a little. "Here, just lean on me while we walk. You'll be able to get used to it a little, by the time we get to the ballroom."
It was an awkward, uneasy walk. Ruby was grateful she had Jaune's arm to hang onto. However, as he had suggested, by the time they actually reached the dance itself, Ruby was getting the hang of walking in her heels, though she was certain that her ankles and calves would be unpleasantly sore, by the time the night was over.
Reaching the entrance to the ballroom, they were surprised to see Velvet there, greeting the guests who entered. She looked beautiful, wearing a long, dark-red dress, similar to Pyrrha's, although Velvet's was completely strapless, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Her long, auburn hair was done up into a tight bun, highlighting the contours of her neck as well. She beamed at the pair as they made their entrance.
"Ruby, Jaune! It's good to see you."
"Thanks, Vel," said Ruby, smiling back.
"I hope you have fun tonight," said Velvet, quickly ushering them inside.
Already, the dance was in full swing. Couples in dashing suits and colorful dresses whirled about the floor to the classical music drifting over the gathering. Others were gathered about at the fringes of the room, forming small knots of conversation. Some were seated at tables, others on chairs that lined the walls. A long table held a few snacks in the form of basic finger-foods, assembled around the punch bowl.
"So...how are you feeling?" asked Jaune, looking over at Ruby.
Ruby sighed wistfully, staring out at the dance floor. "I'd like to dance," she said, her tone a little morose. "But I don't know this kind of dancing at all."
"You've danced before?" asked Jaune, beginning to lead her along the edges of the dance floor.
Ruby blushed. "Well...it's a bit tricky. My first formal teacher taught me the Mumyo Saigyo style of swordsmanship. Its movements have their basis in dance, so I actually learned quite a bit about dancing from him." She glanced nervously out at the waltzing couples. "But it was a bit different from this kind of dancing...and I didn't have to worry about these darn heels."
Jaune patted her hand sympathetically. "Let's walk around a little more. That'll help you get used to them. Then, once they switch to a slower song, we can go out on the floor, and I'll walk you through it."
"You know how to dance?" gasped Ruby incredulously, staring up at him.
Jaune smirked back down at her. "It's pretty amazing, the things you learn growing up with seven sisters."
"I can't thank you enough for this," said Pyrrha happily, letting Dove lead her through the steps of the song currently playing.
"Well, I figured that we spent enough time together already, so why not," said Dove, smiling back, before guiding Pyrrha through an artful twirl, the two of them coming back together without missing a beat. The move had Pyrrha giggling happily. She felt as though her own feet had wings, and she didn't want this moment to end.
Even before her Semblance had been outed, Pyrrha had figured she might be going to an event like this alone. People's tendency to put her up on a pedestal meant that very few would have had the courage or initiative to ask her out like this. Of course, after her Semblance had been revealed, being asked by anyone had become even less-likely, with Pyrrha certain that the other students would avoid her like the plague.
And that had been true...for the most part. The only exception had been Dove, who'd been willing to train with her, and be the test dummy for new techniques involving her Semblance. The more time they spent together, the more Pyrrha found herself appreciating him. While he was a fierce fighter in the ring, outside of it, he was exceptionally gentle and quiet, but still confident enough in himself to speak to her as an equal, not as some exalted goddess.
It was rapidly turning into the best night of her life. Once again, Pyrrha found herself glad that she hadn't listened to her parents, and left Beacon. She was happier than she could remember being in years.
"You're surprisingly good at this," commented Weiss, as she and Ashley moved gracefully to the strains of the song currently playing.
Much to Weiss' surprise, Ashley gave her a wry smile. "Not expecting a plebeian, like myself, to know a thing or two about formal dances?"
Weiss sputtered and blushed. "Uh..W-well...th-that's not..."
Ashley laughed. "It's all right," she said. "I can understand. I guess it goes to show that no learning ever goes to waste."
"Huh?" Weiss blinked, staring at Ashley in surprise. "You took classes?"
Ashley shifted her eyes away, blushing a little. "It was an elective in my first semester," she admitted.
Weiss supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. After all, while she had been mostly homeschooled, she had received training in formal dancing herself. It wasn't as though people spontaneously came into being, knowing the steps to a formal dance like this. What really surprised Weiss was that Ashley wasn't merely dancing with her, but Ashley was leading the dance. It took Weiss a few extra seconds to realize that, while they were moving to the same music as the other dancers, Ashley was guiding their movements, keeping their turns more conservative, while their steps allowed them to keep clear of the other dancers. The apparent reason for such differences swished behind Ashley.
"When you're a faunus with a sizable tail, you need to learn a few extra tricks," said Ashley, cluing into Weiss' thoughts.
"But everyone else in your school is human, right?" asked Weiss, wondering how Ashley had learned about such things.
"Luckily, our instructor knows about faunus-dancing too," said Ashley. "It's actually pretty nice. When I was admitted, the administration reviewed their teachers' awareness of faunus issues in various classes, to make sure I could be properly accommodated."
"That is nice," noted Weiss.
It also spoke to a fairly progressive mindset. It implied that they were looking towards admitting more faunus in the future. Granted, the official divisions, with regard to admissions, were based more around the school's tuition than any kind of racial bias. But conditions in the faunus quarter were such that almost no faunus could have afforded to go to such an institution, Ashley having only managed to get in through a scholarship.
But perhaps the school was reviewing their conditions, and considering revising that, perhaps to give other faunus, like Ashley, a better chance at a high-class education that could hopefully enable them to live better lives in the future. It was certainly an idea that spat in the face of the White Fang's rhetoric.
Thinking about the White Fang brought reality crashing back down on Weiss for an instant. She suddenly realized she was letting her guard down. Dance or not, Ashley was still at risk. However, ironically, Ashley's style of dance, which gave the other dancers a wide berth, was well-suited to keeping her safe, as it made it all but impossible for a potential attacker to approach them covertly. But Weiss would have to keep reminding herself not to let her current partner out of her sight, not until Ashley was safely back in her family's quarters.
Blake couldn't quite keep herself from laughing as she and Sun didn't so much as dance, but lurch across the floor in movements that barely managed to mimic the other dancers. What Sun lacked in skill though, he more than made up for in enthusiasm.
"You should laugh more," Sun noted, absolutely smitten with the radiant smile on Blake's face. "It sounds great."
"Thank you," said Blake, feeling another giggle rise in her throat.
Unexpectedly, she slowed their dancing down, and leaned in close to Sun, resting her head against his shoulder. The arm Sun around her waist tightened its hold, pulling her body flush against his front.
Blake sighed contentedly. "Thank you...for everything."
"It wasn't much," said Sun.
"You've risked your life to help me and the others, despite having no real reason to," said Blake, looking up into his eyes.
"I've got all the reason I need, right in front of me," said Sun, smiling down at her.
Blake's response was to blush, then lean in to nuzzle against his shoulder again.
"How are you feeling?" asked Jaune.
"A little bit better," said Ruby, smiling up at him.
They'd made a couple laps of the ballroom, enjoying the sight of their friends having fun, most of them out on the dance floor. Seeing Blake and Sun's clumsy efforts was a sight that served to make Ruby feel a little less self-conscious about her own difficulties; as was the sight of Ren trying his hardest to remain standing, while he and Nora swept through the crowd, the pair not so much dancing as Nora was swinging Ren around in her arms, while Ren was holding on for dear life to keep from getting thrown off his feet. They also saw Yang drag a nervous Russel out onto the floor, and then lead the poor boy through an energetic dance of their own, complete with Yang being the one to guide Russel through spins and dips.
"Ready to give it a try?" asked Jaune, smiling confidently down at Ruby.
"Y-yeah," said Ruby.
Hearing the current song switch to a slower one, Jaune led Ruby out onto the floor. Taking her right hand in his left, Jaune slid his right arm around Ruby's waist, while she rested her left hand against his shoulder. From there, they began to move, Jaune quietly whispering the steps to Ruby as he led her through them, one at a time.
It wasn't anything artful or graceful. Ruby's movements were halting and nervous, while Jaune kept from trying to put her through anything too fancy. As they danced, Ruby could feel several pairs of eyes on her, people all around them watching with interest. She supposed it was inevitable. In some ways, she had supplanted Pyrrha's status as the Invincible Girl on campus. Ruby could feel people watching them, and couldn't help but wonder if they were silently judging her, expecting her to fail in some fashion.
"Don't think about it," Jaune whispered to her softly, locking their gazes together. "Just keep your eyes on me, all right?"
"Okay," Ruby whispered.
As they continued through the dance, Ruby started to get a hang on the simple pattern of steps Jaune was using, not needing his guidance any longer. Gradually, her entire posture began to relax, and she found herself slowly drifting closer to him, until she was pressed up against him, her head resting contentedly against his collarbone. For his part, Jaune simply held her, while continuing to set the rhythm and lead them through the pattern of steps. Ruby followed along easily, her training being perfectly suited to this sort of thing.
Ruby would have liked to continue for a while longer. However, much to her disappointment, the song drifted to an end, and was soon replaced with a more energetic one. She and Jaune were forced to hastily abandon the dance floor, while many of the other couples swept into a dance with a much more rapid tempo.
"Having fun?" asked Jaune as he and Ruby escaped to the snack table and punchbowl.
"That was great," said Ruby, feeling a bit breathless, despite the fact that their dance hadn't been the slightest bit energetic.
Jaune quickly poured them a pair of glasses of punch, which they began to sip from, while they searched through the crowd of other students to see how the others were faring.
Ashley and Weiss were happily chatting away with Blake and Sun, the four of them seated at one of the tables that ringed the ballroom. Ruby noticed that Weiss was keeping Ashley's back to the wall, ensuring that no one could come up behind her. Pyrrha and Dove were still out on the dance floor, and looking as though they were still having the time of their lives. Ren was collapsed on one of the seats around the edge of the ballroom, clearly exhausted, barely having the strength to hold the glass of punch clutched in his right hand, much less to lift it to his lips. He was being fanned by a giggling Nora, who appeared to find his fatigue hilarious. Yang had switched Russel out for Cardin, and was now whirling the taller boy around the floor with much the same enthusiasm she had his smaller counterpart. Ruby couldn't be sure, but she thought she could sense a small degree of mischief in Yang's desire to completely wear out the other three boys of CRDL.
Looking around some more, Ruby spotted Ozpin, along with Port, Oobleck, and Glynda. They had occupied a small corner of the ballroom on their own, looking to be having an agreeable time talking over glasses of punch (or a mug of coffee, in Ozpin's case). Ruby found herself smiling as she saw none other than General Ironwood approach the group, holding an inviting hand out to Glynda. After a moment's hesitation, and an encouraging look from Ozpin, Glynda accepted the General's offer, handing her glass off to Port, and allowing Ironwood to lead her out for a round on the dance floor.
Aside from Velvet, Team CFVY were all in attendance, as was to be expected from the team who had organized the event. Coco and Fox were standing behind the DJ booth, picking out the songs. Velvet was still greeting people coming in through the door. Yatsuhashi was slowly making his way around the ballroom's perimeter, his large frame and imposing presence serving as a means of keeping order, leading Ruby to suspect he was acting as the bouncer for the evening, in the event that someone got...rowdy.
A familiar presence brushed against Ruby's awareness, and she glanced up to see a pair of familiar faces looking down from one of the ballroom's balconies. She saw Emerald, clad in a dark-green dress; and Mercury, wearing a black suit; looking down over the rest of the students. They were hardly the only ones wandering around the upstairs area, but Ruby couldn't help but feel nervous at the fact that they were watching the crowd below so intently. Of course, she couldn't confide her suspicions to Jaune. At best, she'd have to keep an eye on them, particularly when it came to paying attention to their position, relative to Ashley.
Then Ruby sensed a familiar Aura approaching her. As before, she was thrown off by the lack of other indicators that an actual person was coming near her. Glancing over, Ruby grinned to see Penny, looking lovely in a short, pale-green dress, held up by a pair of straps over her shoulders. Penny approached them with a cheerful grin on her freckled face.
"Ruby! You made it," declared Penny excitedly.
"Of course I did, silly," said Ruby with a small laugh. "I'm glad you made it too..." Her voice trailed off slightly, and Ruby looked around in confusion. "Where are your teammates?"
"Uh...Hic!" The hiccup appeared to be the only answer that Penny could sheepishly offer.
"You ditched them, didn't you?" deadpanned Jaune.
"N-no I didn't-Hic!" protested Penny...rather unconvincingly.
Then Ruby sensed another familiar presence approaching. "Well there you are," observed Piper, approaching the group, wearing a tight-fitting, strapless minidress, with a pink color that was a few shades darker than the hue of her eyes. There was a look of mirth in her eyes as she saw a momentary expression of distress flash across Penny's face. "You can't lose me that easily."
"I wasn't trying to lose you-Hic!...Honest!...Hic!" Penny's protest, once again, rang fairly insincere.
"Uh huh," said Piper, rolling her eyes with good-natured amusement, apparently seeing Penny's efforts to escape her management more amusing than troubling. "Remember, Penny, how you behave yourself tonight will determine how willing General Ironwood is to let you out and about in the future."
"I know," said Penny in an annoyed tone.
"And...we agreed that you were going to be on your best behavior for me, didn't we?" asked Piper, leaning in to stare intently into Penny's eyes.
"Yes," said Penny, averting her gaze slightly.
"And we agreed so that Ciel could enjoy herself with Rain, without having to worry about her getting in trouble, because you wandered off again," added Piper.
"Yes," said Penny, sounding much more contrite now.
"Good," said Piper, her voice softening. She reached up to gently pat the top of Penny's head. "Now, remember to behave yourself."
"Yes," said Penny tiredly, expressing a tiny bit of annoyance at being addressed like a mischievous toddler.
"Come on, don't be like that," said Piper, sighing. "I know it's hard, with Ironwood keeping you on a short leash all the time. But we agreed that Ciel needs an evening to spend without needing to worry, right?"
"Yes," said Penny.
"Where is Ciel?" asked Ruby, looking around.
"Over there, with Rain," said Piper, pointing out to the dance floor.
There Ciel was, clad in a long, deep-blue dress, held up by a narrowing strap over her left shoulder, while leaving her right shoulder bare, the hem of her bodice angling asymmetrically across her cleavage, dipping down about halfway to her waist on her right side.
She was dancing in the arms of a handsome young man who was looking at her with an enraptured expression, blue eyes that were a match for her own looking out from over chiseled cheeks, dark, reddish-brown hair extending out over his forehead, before sweeping slightly to the right. Behind his head, it was tied into a thin tail that extended down to just past his shoulders. At present, he was dressed in a blueish-gray suit, over a white-shirt, with a black tie.
Much to their surprise, Ciel's face was illuminated by the smallest of smiles, and it appeared that she was genuinely enjoying herself, dancing with this boy.
"So that's Rain," noted Ruby.
"I remember him," said Jaune, having already seen him before, in the boys' fitting room, while they'd been picking out their clothes.
"He seems nice," said Ruby.
"A pretty good guy all around," said Piper, grinning. "A bit of a doormat though. He could stand to assert himself a little more...though I can at least say he's no slouch on the battlefield."
Beside Piper, Penny was twitching impatiently. Finally, she broke into an exuberant grin. "I know! Ruby! You should dance with me!"
"Wha-what?" sputtered Ruby, caught off-guard by the sudden proposal, out of left field.
"Come on!" shouted Penny, grabbing Ruby's arm and towing her eagerly out onto the dance floor.
"Hey! Wait! Hold on! I'm not used to these things yet!" Ruby's protests were ignored and she had to fight her hardest to keep from being pulled off her feet as Penny tugged her right into the midst of the other dancers, then began to whirl the pair of them about enthusiastically.
"That girl..." sighed Piper, watching them with disgruntled amusement. She gave Jaune a wry look. "Sorry about her stealing your date there."
"Not a big deal," said Jaune, noting that, despite putting more effort into remaining upright than actually dancing, Ruby did appear to be enjoying herself with Penny. Turning back to Piper, he offered her his hand. "Shall we join them, Milady, seeing as you need to keep close to her and all."
Piper laughed and took Jaune's offered hand. "A pleasure, Milord," she replied.
Jaune led the pair of them out, and soon they were amidst the dancers as well, Jaune carefully leading their movements to keep them near Ruby and Penny the whole time, getting an impressed eyebrow raise from Piper at his skill.
When the song switched, they quickly traded partners, Jaune successfully stealing Ruby back from Penny, while Piper took over as the android's partner, much more able to keep up with her movements, mainly because, unlike Ruby, Piper had clearly not been badgered into wearing heels by her teammates.
Emerald and Mercury looked on from above, watching as the various couples swirled about the floor, some heading off to rest, others stepping back on. They noted, in particular, the disposition of the faculty members, and the members of the two teams that had become such a thorn in the White Fang's side lately.
"It appears that all the dancers have partners," said Emerald softly, while Mercury smirked next to her.
Cinder's voice came back over the earbud that Emerald had synched with her scroll. "How much time do I have?"
"You should probably be back home by midnight," suggested Mercury, half-jokingly, "just to be safe."
"I'll keep an eye on the clock," declared Cinder, her voice cutting out.
"And she's off," observed Mercury, he and Emerald returning their attention to the dancers.
Once again, they noted the position of Ashley, who had returned to the dance floor with Weiss. "Looks like we won't get our chance tonight," he noted. "Those two are joined at the hip."
"Huh, maybe the heiress has a thing for the faunus," mused Emerald. "Wouldn't that be something?"
"Something interesting," agreed Mercury, pulling out his scroll. "You wondering what I'm wondering?"
"What her father might think of it," said Emerald, smirking in agreement, producing her own scroll as well.
It appeared that the chance to eliminate their target wouldn't come this evening. However, the two of them, having been firmly coached by Cinder, were keenly aware of the opportunity to sow the seeds of discord later on down the road.
After another couple of songs, Ruby and Jaune emerged from the dance floor. Thanks to her growing confidence at moving about in heels, Ruby had been willing to try dancing through a couple of songs that had faster tempos than the slow one she and Jaune had danced at the start.
While Ruby wasn't tired yet, she was feeling more than a little hot and sweaty. At Jaune's suggestion, the pair of them moved outside to cool down, away from the heat of a room being occupied by countless warm bodies. Stepping out into the cool evening air, Ruby immediately felt the chill of the evening breeze wicking away the sweat from her exposed skin.
"Phew...that's better," she said with a satisfied sigh.
"It feels pretty nice," agreed Jaune. "So...having fun?"
"Lots," said Ruby, turning to face him. "Thank you so much for coming with me."
"It was my pleasure," replied Jaune.
An impulse welled up inside of Ruby, and she embraced it, by wrapping her arms around Jaune, a gesture he happily returned. They held their embrace for a long moment, simply taking the time to enjoy the feeling of each other's presence.
Pulling away, they spent another moment simply taking each other in. For his part, Jaune was awestruck by Ruby. The moonlight from above spilled down over her, throwing the creamy tones of her skin into stark contrast against the darker hues of her dress, while her silver eyes seemed to shimmer with a light all their own. The blissful smile on Ruby's face, as she stared back at him, only served to make her all the more beautiful to his eyes.
"I'm glad I came with you," said Ruby.
"I am too," said Jaune. He hesitated for a moment. "Ruby..."
"Yes?" Ruby blinked up at him.
It took Jaune a moment to come up with the words he wanted to say. "It's just...uh...I...I just want to say that..." He paused, taking a breath to steady himself. "I can't even begin to tell you just how lucky I am to have you for a partner. If it weren't for you, I'd still be a dork who didn't know the first thing about being a Huntsman. Everything I've managed to accomplish, since coming here, it's all thanks to you."
Technically, without Ruby's help, Jaune would have likely been a red smear across one of the trees of the Emerald Forest, a mere few seconds into the Initiation. But he decided it was better not to bring that up. It might spoil the mood.
"I feel pretty lucky too," Ruby replied. "I'm really lucky to have such a wonderful partner. When I'm around you, I always feel at ease, like I don't have to worry too much about my problems, or the difficulties ahead of us. Without you, I might not have even found the courage to go through with the Initiation, after I found out Yang was coming here." A mischievous twinkle appeared in her eye. "I'm glad I didn't club you over the head and drag you back to Goodwitch."
"Yeah, I'm pretty glad about that too," agreed Jaune, giving her a sheepish grin, making Ruby giggle.
The conversation trailed off, the pair of them still staring at each other, no longer fully embracing, but still touching. Looking down at Ruby, Jaune found himself feeling a new impulse. Hesitantly, he began to lean closer to her again, not pulling her into a hug this time, but instead bringing his face towards hers. Looking up at him, Ruby's eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to do, her mouth drifting slightly open. Feeling a similar impulse, Ruby allowed her face to drift closer to his as well.
The moment was perfect. And the two of them were completely lost in it...lost...until Ruby abruptly caught a flicker of motion behind Jaune. Her eyes widened even further, and her enraptured expression vanished with an abrupt gasp. She jerked sharply away from Jaune.
The sudden change in Ruby's demeanor shocked Jaune, making him flinch. A wave of panic rose up within him. "Ruby?" he asked nervously, afraid that he'd taken things too far. Does she not feel the same way? Did I misread her? Oh God! What if she hates me?
But Ruby wasn't looking at Jaune, instead stepping past him, looking towards the roof of the dormitory, which stretched out, across the courtyard from them. Realizing that something had caught her attention, Jaune felt his panic subside, disappointment at the ruined moment taking its place. Turning around himself, that disappointment was then replaced by confusion, as he too saw what had drawn Ruby's attention. "Who is that?"
A woman with long, black hair was running along the rooftop, vaulting over gables as she made her way along the length of the building. She was dressed in a tight, black outfit, which hugged the contours of her body. It was hard to make out the details from a distance, but she looked as though she was wearing a mask.
Ruby frowned, stepping forward. "She looks like she's heading for the tower," she observed. Taking another step, Ruby reached behind herself, her hand drifting towards the small of her back...only to freeze when her fingers curled around empty air.
Uh oh... Unfortunately, Weiss had shifted on her usual willingness to accommodate Ruby's habits, instead insisting that Ruby leave her sword behind this one night. Now, confronted by this suspicious situation, Ruby felt she needed to take action, but was without her weapon. Even worse, thanks to her usual habit of carrying Akaibara with her, Ruby had never bothered with storing her weapon within the rocket locker assigned to her. Tonight, it was hanging on its wall rack, over her bed, where she usually left it when she slept. Not only did she not have her weapon, Ruby didn't have the means to call it in her time of need.
"Jaune, can you-?" Ruby's voice cut off abruptly as she turned to address Jaune, only to see his diminishing back, Jaune heading in the direction of their dorm at a full sprint.
A wistful smile appeared on Ruby's face, her unease over the situation briefly washed out by a swell of affection. He really is the best partner ever, she thought, before setting off after the mysterious woman.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein