"Cardin Winchester; you are going on a date with Cardin Winchester?!"
"Not just any date. I heard it was super special date!" Nora shouted.
Weiss looked up from her fingernail filing to throw a glare the girl before turning her attention to the blond boy sitting across from her. "It's not a date Jaune. There will be a gala event hosted by all the dust mining companies in the coming weeks, and as a representative of the Schnee Dust Company, I have to attend, with an escort."
Jaune cocked his head to the side before raising his arm to hide a chuckle directed at the heiress. "So out of all people you picked Cardin to be your escort?"
Weiss rolled her eyes and snapped back at Jaune in a hushed icy tone. "It's not like I had much of choice. The boys here are hardly my pick of the litter. And Cardin came to me."
"Really Snow Angel, all you had to do was ask Jaune Arc, resident lady killer, and your shining knight would have saved you."
Weiss took a long look at Jaune giving off his best, suave smile while flexing his almost none existent muscles before stealing at glance at Pyrrha shifting uncomfortably in her seat to his right. "One, refrain from using that name from this point on, or you will find yourself six feet under", she barked. "Two, I will not be seen with the king of dorks. Please try women on your own level Jaune. Or at least those who care to give you attention."
Jaune hung his head low and sighed as Weiss stole another glance at Pyrrha who was patting her defeat leader on the back. With a silent 'Thank you' as recognition for the real meaning behind her words from Pyrrha, the heiress returned a grin. How Jaune could be so clueless and Pyrrha so shy was beyond her.
"Yeah, but he kinda brings up a point Weiss. Why didn't you ask Jaune or Ren to accompany you?" It was Yang who spoke this time, in between meal bites.
"There are obvious reasons why I didn't ask Jaune. As for Ren…" Weiss stole on look at the boy in green before her eyes rested heavily on Nora. Weiss wasn't sure how to gage Nora at the moment, the scatter brained bubbly girl smiling back at her with eyes as wide as a child. She had been talking nonstop until she mentioned Cardin saying something about getting the chance to take the heiress out on a date. That was how this whole conversation started. But aside from the last outburst of a 'super special date', Nora had been quiet, dangerously quiet and actively listening; especially at the mention of Ren.
"I understand what you are saying Weiss. No offense taken", Ren spoke, taking a sip of tea from the cup he held in his palm.
"AWWWW REN! Don't you wanna wear a pretty pink tux?" It would appear Nora didn't care. Weiss took a breath of relief.
"Princess, I'm gonna level with you. As much as your options are limited", Yang took a long glance around the cafeteria, "I really think this is a bad idea. You really should have asked Jaune or Ren. Or we could have helped you find a guy."
"I agree. Of all people I would have hopped it wouldn't have been anyone form team CRDL", Pyrrha added. "I'm sure Jaune would make a lovely date." At that Jaune perked up to find Pyrrha smiling at him and Weiss burying her face in her hands.
I give you a bone and you throw it back.
"You also could have gone with one of us girls. I think Yang would clean up nice enough for a tux." All eyes turn on Blake reading her book, Yang nearly breaking her neck at the force of her head swipe. Blake simply shrugged. "Joking; just go stag like you do every event. Anything is better than Cardin."
"Look, I appreciate…whatever this is", Weiss stood up from the table, "But none of you wouldn't have known if certain people kept what they learned to themselves", Weiss threw a cold star at Nora who returned a sheepish grin. "Besides that, if anything, I'm just using that pompous oaf for one dance and few words to whomever, and then I'll be leaving. I only need to make my presence there known, I don't need anyone here to worry about me, and I won't let anyone dare belittle my choice. I have my reasons." And with that Weiss left the table leaving and air of silence.
"Hmm, I still don't think she should go with Cardin", Pyrrha spoke to break the silence. The others at the table spoke in agreement with Pyrrha, all with various not to kind words to describe Cardin, all except Ruby.
"You know guys; did you all ever stop to think Cardin has changed after the events of Forever Fall?"
This time, all eyes turned to Ruby who had been sitting at far end of the table, Yang once again nearly breaking her neck.
"Well that's certainly an unpopular opinion sis", Yang stated rubbing the back of her neck.
Ruby shook her head. "I know. And I agree with you all; however, I also respect Weiss. And I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing. This gala sound pretty important and Cardin must have been as close to acceptable as anyone could be. Our princess is a big girl. She doesn't need us to tell her how stupid her situation sounds."
Silence filled the table again. No one was really expecting Ruby to say what she had. In fact Yang found it odd her sister was silent the entire exchange, even ignoring Weiss' general direction. They were sure Ruby would have had a problem with it, but she seemed, indifferent to it. "But he's still a massive jerk", Yang mumbled under her breath.
"Anyway, we should be heading off to class. Professor Peach is supposed to be showing us something good in class today!" Ruby stood from the table and hopped her way to the exit, five of the remaining six friends slowly filing out. Waiting until everyone else had left, Blake took a thin strip of paper that read 'Ruby' in fancy script out of her blazer pocket. Examining it for a minute the Faunus placed it in her book to mark where she last left off, ears hidden in her bow twitching and a small smirk appearing over her features.
"This will be fun."
Ruby had said she was fine with Weiss' choice of an escort, and for weeks leading up to Weiss' gala, Ruby showed she was in full support, even suggesting the two go out shopping for a dress to knock Cardin "off his feet and into Forever Fall". Ruby was only was only slightly disappointed when the heiress informed her she had long had her dress made.
But in truth, of all of team RWBY and JNPR, Ruby was the most worried and suspicious. She absolutely hated that Weiss was willing to accept Cardin as her escort, and when she heard it at lunch, she wanted to jump across the table and slap her partner until she bled. In her mind, it was ludicrous that Weiss thought Cardin would make a good fit, regardless of his family name. Still, Weiss seemed so annoyed at everyone that Ruby thought better than to add on to her troubles, keeping her mouth closed and actions in check.
Nonetheless, Ruby had her doubts, and as such, for an entire week, stalked Cardin to confirm her suspicions…everywhere. After class Ruby would pretend she had questions to ask professors, just so she could wait around and hear Cardin get reprimanded about class performance. At lunch, Ruby always found the group of friends a table closer to Cardin so she could eavesdrop on conversations better. Ruby took on more field assignments, under the guise to improve her skills as a huntress and do live training, much to Weiss' delight. No one; however, thought to question why many of her assignments were requested whenever Cardin received one. Eventually, Ruby outright followed Cardin wherever he went.
"You know, you're pretty good at this stealth thing. But you aren't a Faunus, so you'll need to get closer to hear."
Little Red nearly jumped out of her skin as the black haired girl placed a soft hand over her shoulder catching Ruby in the act of trailed Cardin and Russel through the school grounds one afternoon. She may have not been a world class assassin type like Blake, but she was no slouch in stealth. After all, a team leader had to be a jack of all trades. Too bad she couldn't tell she was being preyed upon, so to speak.
"Blake! Hi! Uh, look, it's not what you think it is—"
"If you mean me stalking you stalking Cardin, who may or may not have a prank against Weiss, isn't what it appears to be..."
"I'm not stalking him! Just, uh, happen to be following him?"
"Easier to read than a book", Blake joked, stifling a giggle that threatened to escape. "Look Ruby, I know. And I suspect the same as you. I'm helping." And with that Blake leaped into trees along the path Cardin traveled. "Follow."
Heeding Blake's command Ruby trailed close behind Blake in foliage that surround the boy's path, halting whenever Blake got ahead of her and held out her hand in a silent symbol to stop, and moving when Blake jumped gaps to another branch. The trailing was long and mostly boring talks of girl, plans that weekend, and television shows they enjoyed filling the silence. But the two stayed hot on the trail to seek out any information about Cardin's date with the princess.
It must have been pure luck when the boys passed by the heiress herself. It was enough to initiate conversation about her, and what they needed to know.
"You lucky dog you. You got a date with the Ice Queen. She must think you some major stud", Russel hummed as they rounded a corner to the dorm building.
"That's because I am a stud, Russel my boy. But it's hardly going to be a date. I wouldn't dare go out with that pretentious bitch", Cardin replied through gritted teeth.
Russel grimaced at the words and frowned. "Why not? She's a high class babe. I know your family is special and all but Weiss is one in a million."
"She thinks she's perfect. She's high on my list of people who need to be taken down a notch. She gave me the invitation but I have no intentions of going. What better way to embarrass her than to stand her up at what is considered the Schnee's own gala?"
"Sending your good buddy Russel instead!"
The two trackers held their hiding positions as the boys continued into the dorm, Blake listening to Russel voice his disappointment until they were no longer in range of her hearing. The Faunus and scythe-wielder shared a glance at each other as Blake descended the trees, seemingly sharing information between each other. They learned two things today: Russel had a major crush on the heiress and Cardin was going stand Weiss up at the ball.
"We have to tell Weiss! We can't let her get stood up on her big night!" Ruby proclaimed as she stepped out of the bushes and into stone path.
Blake stared at her leader then out to the dorm ahead of them, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in thought. "Even if we tell her, it will do little good. Weiss was adamant about attending."
"Then we need to find her another date! I have to call Jaune." Ruby took out her scroll and began to dial a series of numbers, but was stopped by a pale hand grabbing her scroll.
"Or, we can make our own", Blake smirked with a wink at Ruby.
Ruby titled her head to the side, one brow raised in confusion. "Um, what? Why?"
Blake smirked, answering Ruby's question with one of her own. "How do you feel about chest binding and colored contacts leans?"
If there was one thing Weiss' father always told her, it was that one must speak softly and carry a big stick. Weiss didn't understand what he meant when she was told at six, but growing up a Schnee teaches you a lot of things.
"Weiss, I aspire for you to be great things, far more than what I am now. For that I must train up the way my father has trained me, and the way his father has trained him. For that, I will not spare you any sympathies. You may be of woman, be I will make sure you are as strong as a lion. All your lessons will teach you to run this company, and to do so you must learn to speak softly and carry a big stick."
Very quickly Weiss learned what her father meant. It was proverb from a place long forgotten, advising the tactic of caution and non-aggression, backed up by the violence when necessary. It was the prefect proverb for her family. A Schnee does not boast or utter verbal threats. Having to establish authority in such a fashion made many men weak. Especially since many more men could do so louder. But a Schnee makes sure others aware that you are prepared to use force if necessary. A Schnee always held decisive weapon in reserve.
That was Weiss' initial understanding of truism, but her father took it to mean more than the basic meaning. When Blake first talked about her father's company, their controversial labor forces and questionable business partners, she was reminded. All the meeting she attended with her father when she couldn't be left alone, the dinner parties she was forced to, the various competitions she competed in; they were all reminders. Everything her father did was his way to show he did indeed carry a big stick. And until she was the head woman in charge who employed these tools, she was a weapon too.
Even this ball; it was called The Extravagant Dust Miner's Gala, the biggest bash of the year for all the existing energy propellant producers in the world. Every company was supposed to put a certain percentage of money into organizing the event, which if anyone knew the real cost of, would have a heart attack for three lifetimes. But everyone in the business knew it as The Schnee's Showoff Gala.
For the largest energy producers like her father's company, a 15 percent contribution comes off as a very tame amount to contribute. The Schnee Dust Company contributed at least 50 percent. Every company was supposed to be assigned responsibility for different aspects of the event. The Schnee Dust Company made accommodations of all of it. The event was made to be an affair with a limited number of guests to keep it classy. Weiss' father made it so that everyone and their mother could attend, and still maintain the class, the prestige it had. That meant the food, entertainment, venue; everything was better than best.
But that was only because everyone knew what this event was really about. It showed just how much strength The Schnee Dust Company had, while maintaining some diplomacy. Weiss' father made sure the right guests were invited, and each guest in attendance was treated like royalty. Alliances and networks were built here. Industry secret were shared here. Companies, on the verge of bankruptcy, and land were bought here, and every year The Schnee Dust Company came out on top with stronger connections, more secrets, and more growth. Only a few of SDC's rivals cared, but for everyone else, they were just happy to be there.
Being here was a rite of passage; one of many Weiss could do without.
For years Weiss enjoyed never having to attend except twice before with her father when she was very young, with a Schnee never actually showing face plenty times before. But this year the gala was held in Vale, and for once in a long time, she was instructed to show up. She was told she didn't have to stay for the entire ball, but long enough to have been seen so they could talk about her. Talk about her dress, her manners, how she walked, how she danced, how pristine of a daughter Mr. K. Schnee produced. What the family made.
"You aren't a little girl anymore. It's time you see just who your enemies and allies are."
As such Weiss planned to attend with a strapping young man in a basic black tux on her arms, her in a long icy blue, simmering silver, strapless dress that flared out at the bottom with a tail to follow her. She'd dance a waltz or foxtrot as he held on to her hand hidden in silver gloves, say hi to a few people with a white smile, then promptly leave with him as if she had better things to do.
So why wasn't Cardin here? Why did she come to the ball alone when Cardin failed to get to the agreed meeting place in time? Why was she sitting at a table alone while the song she could have danced to played? And why was a strange red eyed man dressed in black and silver, with mischievous grin out stretching a single red rose to the heiress?