章節 722: 65
Chapter 65
Following their homework time, dinner, and evening Aura-training; Team RASP had retired to their room as usual, each of them taking turns going through their evening routine. However, there was one slight wrinkle. While Ruby was in the bathroom, getting changed into her pajamas, Weiss and Pyrrha quickly cornered Jaune.
"When are you asking her?" demanded Weiss.
"Wha-what makes you think I'm gonna ask her?" Jaune countered nervously.
"Why wouldn't you?" asked Pyrrha. "I thought you liked Ruby."
"I do!" countered Jaune, before freezing and cringing, the eyes of all three participants in the conversation darting to the bathroom door, worried that Ruby might overhear them. Assured that they hadn't been overheard yet, they returned to the topic at hand. Jaune spoke quieter. "It's just, I...I'm not sure I..."
"You're not sure you what?" Weiss pressed.
"I don't even have a chance," said Jaune as harshly as he could, while trying to keep his voice down. "I mean, Ruby is just...amazing. She's one of the strongest people I know...period. She's sweet and kind and...beautiful. The way she moves when she's fighting, it's..." Jaune let out a long sigh, unable to find the words. "She's done so much for me, ever since I met her. I couldn't even begin to thank her enough."
Jaune looked down at his lap, his hands curling into fists. "And here I am, just some dork, who just happened to luck out by being her partner. How could a plain loser like me hope to-"
He was cut off in the most unlikely manner imaginable, when Pyrrha abruptly slapped him across the face, the crack of her hand against his cheek echoing through the room, drawing a sharp gasp of surprise from Weiss, who covered her mouth in shock.
"Guys! Is everything okay out there?" asked Ruby from the bathroom, her attention drawn by the unexpected sound.
"Everything's fine," Weiss shouted back quickly, still aghast at what Pyrrha had done.
Meanwhile, Pyrrha glared ferociously at Jaune. "Don't..." she growled, "...don't you dare start. Do you have any idea what it's like, to have people assume they're not worthy of you, no matter what you might think about them? You have no idea how hard it is, when everyone assumes you're too good for them, when they put you up on a pedestal, where you can be idolized and worshipped...but always be alone. Don't you dare do that to Ruby." Tears actually began to leak from Pyrrha's eyes.
Jaune rubbed his cheek, stunned by the unexpected violence from his normally gentle and docile teammate. "I...uh..." Wait! Haven't I heard something like this before?
His mind flashed back to a few months ago, when he and Sasame had had their quiet discussion on the roof of the dorms. Sasame, while certainly being gentler about it, had told him much the same, stressing the importance of not talking down about himself, and not thinking that Ruby was "too good" for him, when it was clear that him being around her made both of them so happy.
Managing to recover from her own shock at Pyrrha's behavior, Weiss found it in herself to scoff at Jaune. "Honestly, I can't even begin to understand why you might think she doesn't like you, or that she would say no. We've all seen how the two of you are together. If I didn't live in the same room with both of you, and spend most of my waking time around you, I'd think you were dating already."
Pyrrha nodded her agreement. "You make her happy, Jaune. I know she'd love to go to the dance with you."
"But...what do I say?" asked Jaune.
"Just ask her," advised Pyrrha. "Don't bother with anything fancy. Don't try to put on a show, or make a production out of it. Just go ahead and ask her."
Beside Pyrrha, Weiss nodded decisively.
Jaune rubbed his cheek again. Fortunately, as usual, his impressive supply of Aura had done its job, and the welt that Pyrrha's slap had left across his face had already vanished, ensuring that he wouldn't need to deal with any awkward questions from Ruby, when she came out of the bathroom. Thinking over what Weiss and Pyrrha had told him, and mulling over his own feelings, he found himself wondering why he was making so many excuses.
"All right," he said. "I'll do it."
"When?" asked Weiss.
"Um..." Jaune hesitated.
Pyrrha and Weiss shared a look, sly smiles appearing on their faces. "How about right now?" suggested Pyrrha, the partners turning to look at Jaune again.
"Huh?"
"That's a wonderful idea," said Weiss, nodding her agreement. "Pyrrha and I will step out for a moment and give the two of you your privacy. You ask her, and that will be that."
The pair of them made their way out the door. "Don't you dare chicken out," Weiss warned, before shutting it behind them, leaving Jaune alone in the room again.
He only had a few seconds to himself, before the door to the bathroom opened, and Ruby stepped out. "Jaune?" asked Ruby, blinking in confusion, looking around. "What's going on? Where did Weiss and Pyrrha go?"
"They, uh...they stepped out for a bit," said Jaune, unsure of what else to say. He'd wished he'd had just a little longer to steel himself for this.
But now Ruby was here, right in front of him. Granted, Jaune saw her every single day, both in her clothes and the silk pajamas she was wearing now. Still, it had been a while since Jaune had taken so much notice of her appearance. Right now, wearing her red jinbei, with their black rose-print design, her hair freshly brushed, Ruby looked so soft and vulnerable. Jaune knew that was just an illusion though, that she was still every bit as strong and formidable as she was when she was fully-dressed. But it was a beautiful look for her.
Ruby also appeared to be more conscious of the situation than usual, staring back at Jaune. Her left hand reached across to grip her right arm, above the elbow, and she averted her eyes slightly, her cheeks reddening for a reason she couldn't describe.
Jaune blinked, then cringed, realizing he'd just been staring at her. Had his sisters been here, he knew he'd have gotten a piece of their minds for ogling a girl like that. He blinked and averted his eyes away from Ruby. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered.
"It's o-okay," said Ruby, feeling just as awkward, for some reason.
Jaune wrestled with his feelings. Weiss and Pyrrha were right, he wanted to do this. He wanted to ask Ruby to the dance, maybe even see if they could do more than that. Given how obvious it was, it shouldn't have been so hard. Yet Jaune found his words stopping up in his mouth. Those old insecurities were bubbling up all over again, even after Pyrrha had just freshly slapped them out of him.
Perhaps he should have chalked it up to his upbringing. Jaune's sisters had teased him mercilessly about how he behaved around girls, turning into an awkward, stuttering mess, especially if it was a girl he liked. They made jokes about how unlikely it would ever be for him to get a girlfriend. They made predictions about how long he would be a bachelor for. His parents didn't do that. But Jaune could tell that his mother's assurances were largely perfunctory, and always rang hollow. His father's advice, saying all he needed was confidence, also seemed to have done more harm than good.
But he was here now, at Beacon, in a place that his entire family had predicted he would never be able to get into. Hell! His father had laughed at Jaune, when he'd said he'd gotten in. But he was here. He was living in a dorm room with three incredibly talented, powerful, smart, and beautiful young women, across from a room with three more attractive girls, whom he interacted with on a regular basis. And he'd managed to become friends with all of them.
Considering all the things he'd done, all the things that were supposed to have been impossible for him; dorky, weak, pathetic, silly Jaune; asking his partner out to the dance shouldn't be such a difficult thing at all.
Taking a deep breath, Jaune stood up. Walking over to stand in front of Ruby, he was once again struck by her appearance. She's so small... Granted, that was a bit of an exaggeration. Jaune didn't know much about such things, but he figured that Ruby's height was probably average for her age. Neo had certainly been smaller too. Once again, it was the effect of Ruby's current state of dress, in her pajamas, without her cape billowing around her, which always seemed to make her come off as bigger than she actually was...larger than life, really.
Ruby looked up as he approached, her eyes meeting his. Jaune was struck dumb all over again at the sight of her silver eyes. Like just about everything else about Ruby's appearance, they were beautiful, shining with a color beyond the gray eyes he'd seen in other people.
"Ruby," he said softly.
"Y-yes...?" she said, her mouth hanging open slightly, while she gazed up at him with an expression that looked...hopeful.
She wants me to ask, he realized. Just that thought made giddiness surge through him. Jaune couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face. "Ruby Rose...would you..." He paused, his nerves keeping him from making a proper delivery. "Would you...please...come to the dance with me?"
Ruby's eyes widened, her mouth dropping a little farther, accompanied by a soft intake of breath. Jaune could have sworn that her eyes literally shined. Then Ruby broke out into a radiant smile that put everything about her appearance before to shame.
"Yes!" she shouted, throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him.
Smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt, Jaune hugged her back, holding Ruby tight against him, relishing the feeling of her body's contours pressed up against her own.
"I was getting worried," said Ruby, pulling far enough back that she could look him in the eyes. "I thought you might not want to."
"Maybe you should've asked me," teased Jaune.
"Maybe," Ruby teased back. "Would you have said yes?"
"Considering who was asking, I don't think I could say no," Jaune replied.
"You're getting this suave-talk thing down," Ruby said with a giggle.
"Thanks," said Jaune, pulling her up against him.
Ruby pressed her face into his shoulder with a happy sigh. A comfortable silence fell over them, the need to say or do anything else vanishing. All Jaune wanted to do was keep holding her. He could tell Ruby felt the same, as her breathing continued to slow, to the point where he was beginning to think she might fall asleep against him. Jaune would have been happy to spend all night like this.
Sadly, it wasn't to be. The door swung open, and Weiss and Pyrrha came in again, prompting Jaune and Ruby to jump apart.
"We're back," announced Weiss with a sharp huff. "Did you finally do it, Arc?" Seeing Jaune nod hesitantly, she smirked. "Good! Now then, in honor of you finally discovering your spine, Pyrrha and I shall graciously allow you next use of the bathroom."
Pyrrha was already gathering up Jaune's onesie, and pushing it into his arms. All Jaune could do was stammer and stutter, unable to muster up a coherent word of protest as Weiss braced her hands against his back, then pushed him across the floor, towards the bathroom.
"Now get in there and get done," Weiss insisted firmly. "Pyrrha and I don't want to be kept waiting. We have important things to talk about with Ruby, so don't even think about trying to eavesdrop."
One last push sent Jaune stumbling into the bathroom. A second later, a Glyph appeared on the door, slamming it shut. The boy out of the room, in a sense, Weiss turned to Ruby with a victorious smirk on her face. "And now...we have things to discuss," she said, speaking in a tone that sent shivers of fear dancing down Ruby's spine.
Adam's roar was one of pure fury, as he slammed the butt end of his weapon into Meinrad's stomach. The muscular man doubled over from the hit, stumbling back. Pulling back, Adam transitioned to a swing that caught his lieutenant across the face. Meinrad's mask cracked, and the man was knocked sprawling by the blow. Adam stood over his prone form, panting and heaving.
Ilia stared at them, eyes wide, her mouth hanging open, her entire body paralyzed by fear. She'd seen Adam rage before. He'd vented his anger on objects, but never on people. But now here he was, beating his own lieutenant. For a moment, as she watched his entire body tense, she feared that he was about to draw his sword, that she would see that red blade, having been reforged again, emerge from its sheath. Would Adam really go so far?
"Do you have any idea what your incompetence has cost us?" demanded Adam, glaring down at Meinrad, who could only groan in response. "That Paladin was priceless. And now it's ruined...and you couldn't even bring down a single one of those damn flies. This degree of failure is unacceptable!"
And what about you? Ilia wanted to ask. After all, Adam was one to talk about failure, having been beaten twice, by the same girl no less. Granted, Meinrad had been piloting the pinnacle of Atlesian military technology. But he'd been up against no few than ten opponents, when all was said and done, including the girl who'd bested Adam twice. It was more than hypocritical for Adam to berate Meinrad for his failures.
Yet, not one word escaped her mouth. She knew Meinrad had to be thinking the same thing. Yet he said nothing too. They were already wary of Adam's rage, and they were certain that, if either of them was foolish enough to give voice to their thoughts, the head that spoke those words would be rolling across the floor a second later.
He's out of control, thought Ilia, a cold sweat streaming down her face. He has to be stopped.
Adam paused, his breathing slowing down. Then he turned to regard Ilia. "Blake was there?" he said.
Wordlessly, Ilia nodded.
"Does she know about this?" he asked gesturing to the cavern around them.
Ilia turned, taking in the scene, watching a few of their other Paladins clanking around, pulling double-duty as cargo haulers and forklifts, moving crates and pallets, while other soldiers milled about, loading up supplies onto the waiting train. Looking back to Adam...she slowly shook her head.
"No, we spotted Blake before I could finish the speech."
Ilia could practically feel Meinrad's surprise and shock, though he had the sense to say nothing. It was a huge gamble on her part. If Adam found out that she had just lied, then her head would likely be rolling across the floor, given the current state of his temper.
"And you're certain she has no idea about this?" asked Adam.
"She knows that something is going on," said Ilia. After all, there was no way Blake couldn't realize it, seeing as they'd paraded an Atlesian Paladin in front of their rally. Even a complete idiot would understand that the White Fang wouldn't be amassing so much firepower without the intent to do something with it. "But I doubt she has any idea where, and definitely not when."
To a certain extent, Ilia believed the latter assertion. There certainly hadn't been any hint of the timing of their upcoming operation in her speech. So Blake and her new friends had no way of knowing when the next White Fang attack was coming.
Looking back, Ilia found herself wishing she'd slipped some kind of hint in.
"Good," said Adam, his posture relaxing. He turned to throw one last glare down at Meinrad. "We need to make absolutely certain this attack works. I will tolerate no more failures."
Again, Ilia and Meinrad had to fight to keep from bristling at the hypocrisy behind those words. Fortunately, Adam was already moving off to something else. Ilia made her way to Meinrad, helping him up off the floor.
"Why did you lie to him?" asked Meinrad, his voice a low rumble.
"Do you want to die?" Ilia asked him. "Sorry, but giving my life for the cause is one thing. Getting cut down because our leader can't keep a lid on his temper is another."
Meinrad grumbled, but didn't dispute her argument, much to Ilia's relief. She helped him to a small crate, which he was able to use as a seat. At least there, he could spend some time letting his Aura recover his body from the beating it had just taken. In the meantime, Ilia was already mentally composing another report to Sienna. She'd expressed uncertainty in her last missive. But now Ilia was certain. She was certain that Adam could not be entrusted with his position for a moment longer. If this kept up, he was only going to become a bane to the very cause he was supposed to serve.
Now she found herself silently praying that Blake did come, and try to stop their operation. In spite of what she had said, upon first meeting up with her former-friend again, Ilia found herself swallowing her words. Blake was right. We can't allow this to continue.
But the real problem was Adam himself. At his level, he was more than capable of killing anyone who tried to stop him. On top of that, he'd engendered a sense of fanatical loyalty amongst most of his followers. Even Meinrad, for all that he was disturbed by Adam's display of temper, and the beating he'd just received, was still fully behind the attack they were about to execute. Right now, Ilia was alone, amongst the Vale Branch, in her belief that this attack could not be allowed to happen. Something had to be done. But Ilia wasn't sure she could do anything...or that she had the courage to go through with it.
Blake...please...find us...stop us...
"Wow! A formal dance? That sounds like fun."
Ashley grinned at Ruby over their coffee mugs, the two of them enjoying the warmth of the afternoon at a table in the courtyard.
"Yeah," agreed Ruby, her expression faltering slightly. "Weiss says we're gonna go into Vale, Friday afternoon. She wants us all to get dresses."
"What's wrong with that?" asked Ashley, picking up on Ruby's unease. "I mean...you wear a dress at a formal dance. That's normal."
"I know," said Ruby, looking down. "I was just thinking about the last time Weiss took me to get a new outfit. It's...draining. And I know that, since this dance is such a big deal, she's gonna be even more picky and persnickety than she usually is."
Ashley laughed at the idea, though she had yet to be fully exposed to Weiss' usual personality, for all that she'd gotten some good glimpses of it. "It's too bad," she said, once she calmed down. "I wish I could go. I'd like to see you in a dress."
Ruby blushed, in spite of herself. Granted, Ashley was just teasing, but it was hard to forget that she'd tried to start a relationship, which Ruby had needed to turn down due to basic incompatibility. Still, she was glad that Ashley was comfortable enough that she was able to tease her like this.
She was also struck by a realization from Ashely's words. Could she come?
Granted, this dance was supposed to be for students from the Academies. However, she'd heard that at least a couple of students had significant others not at Beacon, who they would be bringing to the dance. Perhaps, seeing as Ashley was technically a guest at Beacon, she could be allowed to attend as well.
However, the warning that Neo had imparted lingered at the back of Ruby's mind. Even now, the only reason Ashley was permitted out of the suite that Glynda and Ozpin had so generously provided her family was because Ruby was with her. Even then, it was still a considerable risk, considering the possibility that someone might still be planning to make an attempt on the lives of Ashley and her parents.
The dance would be an even bigger risk, with numerous people mingling together within an enclosed space, and countless distractions to take attention away from keeping an eye out for Ashley's safety. A would-be assassin wouldn't even need the help of the illusions that Neo had warned them about, simply able to use the crowds to slip in close, and then strike, before anyone was the wiser.
Ruby kept that to herself though, not wanting to worry her friend unnecessarily.
"So, you're going with Jaune?" asked Ashley, her question surprising Ruby.
Squeaking and blushing again, Ruby nodded shyly. "He asked me last night," she said, her voice a nervous whisper.
"Finally," said Ashley, letting out a small laugh.
"You knew?" asked Ruby.
"Well, it wasn't hard to see that that boy was crazy for you," said Ashley, grinning cheekily. "I think he was about to faint with relief, when you turned me down." She sighed and affected an expression of mock annoyance. "Lucky jerk."
Ruby found herself giggling, in spite of her embarrassment. "Yeah, it wasn't easy for him," she said.
"Maybe you should've just asked him," Ashely countered, grinning mischievously to see Ruby's face almost start to glow from her blush.
"I-I couldn't do that," she said, looking down and tapping her index fingers together.
"Yep, you two were made for each other," deadpanned Ashley with a smirk. "What about Weiss and Pyrrha?"
"Well, Pyrrha got asked by Dove," said Ruby.
"That squinty boy?" Ashley asked, remembering some of the pictures of Beacon life that Ruby had shown her, a few of which included the boy in question.
"Yeah," said Ruby. "They've been spending a lot of time together. Pyrrha keeps getting his help to try out new moves with her Semblance. When he asked her, I think she was so happy she was about to pop."
"I could see that," said Ashley, chuckling at the idea.
Granted, she might not have been as enamored of Pyrrha Nikos as someone from Mistral would be, but she would have balked at the idea of asking someone so famous out to the dance. Of course, now that the truth behind Pyrrha's Semblance had been revealed, Ashley could also see resentment as something that kept the other students from approaching Pyrrha.
"And Weiss...?"
"She's gonna ask Neptune," said Ruby. "He's that guy with blue hair."
"The one who helped you on your last mission, right?"
Ruby nodded.
Ashley couldn't quite keep a frown off her face. She remembered some of the pictures that Ruby and Weiss had shown her of the boy. Granted, Ashley had to admit that he looked handsome, even if she didn't swing that way. But he struck her as one of those boys, the kind who put on a suave front, but were secretly jerks underneath it all. Still, she supposed that it was Weiss' right to ask him out, and Ashley had to admit that she wasn't some kind of perfect judge of people, particularly of someone she'd never actually met or interacted with.
"Is Yang going with anybody?" Ashley asked instead.
Ruby shook her head. "Not that I know of," she said. "She doesn't seem to mind, even though everybody else is gonna have a date. But I guess that's Yang for you."
"She's got confidence in spades," said Ashley, nodding in agreement.
I wonder if Yang could take Ashley to the dance, thought Ruby. It seemed feasible, though she couldn't make any promises on her sister's behalf. Still, if Yang was with Ashley, then Ashley would be a good bit safer. After all, Yang's style was built around unarmed techniques, so, even without her signature gauntlets, Yang would be more than up to the task of protecting Ashley, should anyone try anything, especially in close quarters. Ruby silently resolved to run it by her sister, and see what Yang thought of it.
They continued to chat about the upcoming dance. Ashley learned that Team CFVY was behind the setup. It had actually been a near thing with the second-year team. They'd been off on a Search-and-Destroy mission of their own, while RASP and RYNB had been hunting down clues on the location of Ironwood's Paladins. It had been speculated that they wouldn't be back in time, with a high possibility that the Grimm numbers were high enough that CFVY's mission would run longer than originally projected.
But, much to everyone's surprise, as well as their own, CFVY had actually wound up finishing their mission early. They'd returned, explaining that the Grimm had been strangely sparse, and had vanished entirely before long. The village headman who'd initially sent the mission request had been strangely sanguine about the whole affair, even paying CFVY a considerable bonus, before eagerly sending them on their way. Coco and Velvet had been unable to express anything but utter bemusement at the strange turn of affairs, though Ruby had an inkling of an idea of what had really been going on. She kept those thoughts to herself though.
The afternoon wore on into evening and, much to Ruby's regret, it came time to take Ashley back to her family's quarters. Ruby still had homework to get done after all, so she couldn't afford to spend her entire afternoon just chatting. She supposed that she and Ashley could work on their homework together, Ashley having been sent assignments by her school, once the faculty there had been appraised of the situation. Ruby figured it might even be fun to once again shock Ashley with the idea of seeing a Huntress-student do something so mundane, as well as what homework Ruby might be doing.
But Ruby had promised to meet up with her friends first. So, with some reluctance, she escorted Ashley back to the faculty quarters and dropped her off, before returning to her dorm room to get her books.
When she arrived, Ruby was greeted by something she had not been expecting, the sound of someone crying. Opening the door, Ruby looked in, her eyes going wide at the sight of a familiar figure in white. Weiss was hunched over her desk, sniffling and shuddering, wiping furiously at her eyes and nose.
"Weiss?" asked Ruby, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her, rightly figuring that this was something her friend would not want other people finding out about.
Weiss jerked in her seat, whipping her head around to look at Ruby, her expression terrified. Despite Weiss' best efforts, Ruby could still see the red under her eyes.
"What happened?" asked Ruby, going to Weiss chair, and resting a hand on her shoulder.
Weiss shuddered. "It's nothing," she said, turning away.
"Weiss, it's obviously not nothing," said Ruby firmly. "Please...You don't have to put on a tough front with us."
Weiss shivered, then shook. "It really is nothing," she said. "I shouldn't be feeling like this...not over something so pointlessly silly."
Ruby began to ask, then she had an inkling of an idea. "Is it Neptune?"
The jolt that ran through Weiss' body was all the answer Ruby needed.
"Is he going with somebody else?" asked Ruby.
Weiss shook her head wordlessly.
"Oh..." Ruby's eyes widened as the realization seeped in. "He turned you down, didn't he?"
Weiss nodded. "H-he said that the dance sounded lame, and that he didn't really want to be caught going to it with anyone."
"Lame...?" Ruby frowned, having a hard time believing that anyone would think like that. After all, the entire student body of Beacon, along with nearly all the visiting students, were practically trembling with excitement over it. She could hardly imagine anyone being reluctant to go, much less reluctant to go with Weiss Schnee, one of the smartest, most beautiful girls in all of Beacon. Ruby might not have been an expert on romantic matters, but even she knew that more than half the boys in the school would jump at the chance to do what Neptune had just refused to.
Something told her there was more going on here, but it was all on Neptune's end of things, so she couldn't figure out what, for the life of her. However, she did know that she had to do something for Weiss. Her own friend's wellbeing was much more important right now, though Ruby silently wondered why Neptune would do something so ridiculous.
"You're an idiot," said Sun flatly, giving Neptune a deadpan look. "You know that, right?"
"Shut up!" snapped Neptune, glaring at his partner. "I can't tell her something like that. She'll think I'm lame."
"You are lame," said Sun. "Seriously, you turned down Weiss Schnee, the classiest girl in school, when she came to you no less. Not only that, you did it in the douchiest manner possible, just because you didn't want to admit you don't know how to dance."
"Shut up!" repeated Neptune. "What would she think of me, if she took me to a dance, then found out I can't dance?"
"Uh, I'd be more worried about what she thinks of you now," Sun countered. "I mean, it's not like you sounded like a total jerk, acting as though going to the dance with her would be a complete drag. Seriously, where do these moronic macho-man insecurities come from, man?"
"Look, it's over and done with, and that's that," said Neptune stubbornly, before glaring at Sun. "And don't you dare spill."
"Fiiiine," groaned Sun, laying back on his bed. "You're still an idiot. And don't blame me if her friends come around, looking to put your head on a platter. I ain't protecting you."
Doesn't matter, thought Ruby forcefully. Right now, she had to figure out a way to make things better for Weiss.
Weiss sighed, leaning back in her seat and using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes, before blowing her nose into it. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you just had a wonderful afternoon with Ashley, and now I've ruined it."
"You haven't ruined anything," said Ruby, hugging Weiss around the shoulders. "Maybe you should come with me next time. I know Ashley likes seeing you."
"I'd like seeing her too," Weiss admitted. "God knows, it would be a better use of my time than what I just did." She sighed. "It'd be more worth my while to ask her than Neptune."
Ruby blinked, something clicking inside of her. "Weiss, do you uh...swing both ways?" Ruby always felt awkward, trying to clarify such things.
"Yes," said Weiss.
Huh, mused Ruby silently. I had no idea. Granted, she sometimes got the feeling Weiss might have had a crush on Pyrrha at some point. But it seemed that Weiss' initial desire to be the strongest pair at Beacon had shouldered aside any romantic inclinations.
But that also gave her an idea. "Why don't you ask Ashley to go with you then?" she suggested.
"What?!" exclaimed Weiss, sitting upright in surprise, throwing off Ruby's arms.
"U-uh...it's just that...I thought Ashley might have fun at the dance," said Ruby bashfully. "And the two of you do get along really well, er...and Ashley really seems to like you...and I thought she might be getting tired of being in that suite with her parents all the time."
Weiss stared at Ruby, clearly mulling over what Ruby was suggesting. To Ruby's surprise, Weiss' cheeks actually began to turn red. "Th-that...doesn't seem like a terrible idea."
"Great!" said Ruby, beaming brightly.
"But we should run it past Ozpin," said Weiss, drawing a surprised start from Ruby. "Our friendship regardless, Ashley and her parents are in protective custody, so it may be that taking her to the dance would be an unnecessary security risk."
"All right," said Ruby. "Do we go to Ozpin before or after you ask Ashley?"
"Before," said Weiss, frowning. "I don't want to get her hopes up, in case Ozpin doesn't allow it."
"All right," said Ruby.
Much to Ruby's surprise, Weiss was willing to put off homework, in order to go visit Ozpin in the tower. As always, getting an audience with him seemed inordinately easy, considering just how busy his position must have been, though Ruby silently entertained the fantasy of Ozpin kicking back and sipping his coffee, while making Glynda do all the work. She could almost picture such a strained relationship being reality, however utterly unfeasible it must have actually been.
Much to their surprise, Ozpin was more than amicable to the idea.
"I believe it would do Ms. Forrest well to get out more," he said, giving them a calm smile. "Her safety is important, but we do not want her to feel as though she's being imprisoned. It saddens me that we cannot find a similar impetus to give her parents time to go out more. I shall have to look into that."
"Thank you, Professor," said Weiss, sagging with relief.
"However," began Ozpin, his expression growing stern, "that does not mean that there won't be...stipulations."
"What kind?" asked Ruby, leaning forward.
Ozpin frowned. "From what we know, Ms. Forrest's life may well still be under threat. As you have surmised, Ms. Rose, taking her to the dance would also be placing her at risk, in a situation where you will be surrounded by any number of people with a great deal of activity going on.
"Therefore, Ms. Schnee, since you will be the one escorting Ms. Forrest, you must be mindful of her safety at all times. Where she goes, you go. Do not leave her side for a single moment, even to get a glass of punch or use the restroom. I know it may be awkward, in the case of the latter, but remember that we must be on guard against a possible illusionist, who could approach under virtually any pretense. When you are not out on the dance floor, I advise against getting caught up in any crowds, and keep to the fringes of the room. Do you understand?"
"Yes," said Weiss firmly. "May I have permission to take Ashley into Vale to get her a dress?"
"You may," said Ozpin with a nod. "The same stipulations apply there as well. Do not leave her side for a moment. If she uses a dressing room, make sure you have line of sight to it at all times."
"Understood," replied Weiss.
"Very well then," said Ozpin, leaning back, his smile returning. "In that case, I wish you a pleasant time at the dance, and I hope that you can ensure that Ms. Forrest has an enjoyable evening as well."
"Thank you, Professor," said Weiss, before she and Ruby made their way back into the elevator.
"Phew...feels like we're taking a head of state to the dance, instead of a friend," said Ruby.
"It can't be helped," said Weiss, scowling. "It's ridiculous how stupidly vindictive the White Fang are being."
It may not really be the White Fang, thought Ruby, frowning slightly. Granted, Adam was just petty and vindictive enough to want to have Ashley killed, simply to spite her. But Ruby's suspicions of Cinder's group were getting stronger by the day, her feeling that they might try to kill Ashley on behalf of the White Fang approaching the level of conviction.
"In any case, we're going to need more time to shop for dresses," said Weiss, frowning. "I'll have to get advice from Coco."
"Coco?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.
"She's the fashion expert on campus," said Weiss. "And since she has Velvet as a teammate, she must know the best places to shop for a dress for a faunus." She sighed, adopting a sour look. "I can say for sure that the establishments that my family would normally patronize would not be very accommodating to Ashley."
"Oh..." said Ruby, not really knowing what to say to that.
"In any case, that can wait until I ask Ashley," said Weiss. "After all, the first thing to do is be sure that she would be willing to come."
As it turned out, Ashley was ecstatic at the idea of going to the dance. Though, perhaps, from the blush on her face, Ruby thought she might have been ecstatic at the prospect of going with Weiss. In any case, Ashley was more than happy to accept Weiss' invitation. Much to their surprise, Ashley's parents gave their blessing, even Elowen, who had always acted the most suspicious of Weiss. They kindly waved off Ruby and Weiss' apologies for leaving them behind in the room, while their daughter enjoyed herself at the dance, promising that they would have plenty to do with their time.
So it was that RASP and RYNB found themselves on an airship, along with Ashley, all nine of them heading into Vale, Friday afternoon, to get their formal clothes for the dance. Weiss, in an extreme show of generosity, insisted upon paying for everyone's garments, even the boys'. As she had promised, Weiss had gotten in touch with Coco to find faunus-friendly establishments, where they could shop.
Ruby viewed the whole affair with trepidation, remembering how she'd been nearly exhausted the last time Weiss had gotten her fitted for an outfit. And now she was going to be trying on a dress for a formal event, which all but assured that Weiss would be even more picky than usual.
She wasn't wrong. However, the presence of six other girls kept Weiss sufficiently distracted that she wasn't induced to keep sending Ruby in and out of the dressing room, trying on dress after dress. Of course, part of that was that Weiss kept a careful eye on Ashley, ensuring that the civilian girl was watched at all times, and making sure to task someone to keep an eye on her, whenever Weiss herself had to step into the dressing room. Given the intensity of Weiss' supervision, Ruby would have thought that she held Ashley in suspicion, though she knew it was merely to ensure that absolutely nobody could potentially threaten the girl.
So, overall, it wasn't nearly as stressful an experience for Ruby as it had been the last time. It was also enjoyable to see all the other girls try on their dresses, and show them off. On top of it all, the owner of the establishment was incredibly cordial. It appeared that invoking Coco's name, and the promise of an extra-large purchase at the end of it all, had induced him to utilize every ounce of hospitality he possessed, even providing them with refreshments.
Afternoon wore on into evening, and Ruby exited the dressing room in her latest ensemble, stepping before the waiting eyes of the other girls-the boys were made to shop separately-and submit herself to their judgment once again.
Yang took one look at Ruby and froze, midway through her sip of ice-water. She set it down with a triumphant grin, snapping her fingers decisively and pointing straight at Ruby. "That's the one," she said.
Self-consciously, Ruby rubbed at her bare shoulders and blushed..
"Hmm..." hummed Weiss, exercising a bit more discretion. "I think you're right," she said.
"Does that mean I'm done?" asked Ruby hopefully.
Weiss' eyes narrowed, and Ruby found herself cringing away from her scrutiny. "Stand up straight!" commanded Weiss imperiously. "And don't bunch up your shoulders!"
Unable to help herself, Ruby obeyed.
Weiss looked at her for another few, uncomfortable, seconds, before smiling. Ruby got the distinct impression that the delay was more about making her sweat than Weiss actually needing the time to arrive at a decision. "It will do," she said finally.
"Thank God," breathed Ruby, slumping.
"Go change, and we'll get it reserved," commanded Weiss.
"Yes, Ma'am," said Ruby, turning and marching into the back.
"And then we'll find the proper shoes to go with it," added Weiss, smirking slyly.
Ruby froze in the middle of getting her dress off. "Wait! By 'proper shoes,' do you mean...?"
"Yes," said all the other girls in attendance.
"Noooooooooo!" Ruby wailed from behind the curtain, to the amused titters of the other girls.
Ruby made her exit from the room, freshly despondent. "Why...?" she groaned. "Heels are murder."
"They promote balance and proper posture," Weiss replied.
"By which you mean leg and back pain, and potential long-term injuries," Ruby countered. "I don't even know how you can fight in those."
"Practice," Weiss replied smugly.
"Whatever," grumbled Ruby with a defeated sigh.
"Now then, with Ruby settled, it's your turn again, Ashley," said Weiss.
"All right," said Ashley, with considerably more eagerness than Ruby had displayed, hopping off the bench and picking the next dress off the rack.
"Looks like she's having fun," observed Yang.
"Well, this is a rather 'normal' activity for girls, including civilians," said Pyrrha. "This is probably one of the few kinds of outings we can take her on, where she isn't completely out of her depth."
"True," agreed Blake.
They all paused to imagine what it would be like if they had taken Ashley to go shopping for weapon parts or Dust, easily able to envision the lost and befuddled look on her face as she examined items that she would have never laid eyes on before, in the normal course of things.
"It helps that it feels pretty normal, compared to being hounded by a bunch of crazy jerks," added Nora at a whisper.
The others nodded. Considering the current state of her life, this was probably a welcome dose of normality for Ashley, the chance to venture out of the protective bubble she and her parents were currently being kept in. With all her friends from Beacon present, Ashley was decently safe from any attempts on her life by the White Fang, particularly with all of them on the watch. When she wasn't in the dressing room, she was seated right next to Weiss, who was careful to remain close at all times.
While they waited for Ashley, the door to the fitting area opened, with one of the female attendants entering. "I hope you don't mind," she said, "but we had another party come in for a fitting. Would you mind terribly if they joined you?"
"Of course not," said Weiss, though they all tensed slightly. Until they were sure of who was in this other party, they couldn't be sure that this wasn't an attempt by the White Fang to get close to Ashley.
They relaxed slightly when a trio of humans filed through the door, but not completely. After all, Neo had shown that the White Fang, presently, were not completely averse to working with or employing human agents, even if it was under presumptive duress. However, Ruby broke the silence with a shocked gasp, her eyes widening with recognition at the curly, orange hair; pale-green eyes; and freckle-spotted face of one of the girls.
"Penny!"
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