A/N: ...Is there...anyone out there...?

Hahah. Hey guys, how's it going? It's been awhile hasn't it? Well, at least for this story. Many of you have been waiting an eternity for me to update this, well guess what here it is!

Lemme get some formalities outta the way before I talk about story stuff.

Thank you all who have stuck around since the beginnings and for those of you recently following this even when the update datelast said August something or other. I didn't expect ya'll to even find this hibernating fic so ya make me purdy darn happy with the amount of followers this has gotten. *sniffles* I'm grateful for your patience and interest in this.

Now that I've got that out, there's some things I should mention about this story.

As you already know I'll be updating uber slow (no surprise there), so don't expect me to suddenly speed demon the next chapter out xD.

I did some editing in previous chapters and did change a few things, so it might be good to re-read them before going on. There aren't very many changes but there's a few details I altered that might affect what you remember of the story. So ye. You should prolly go do that.

Lastly I have no idea where I'm going with this story anymore xD. I've got plans and plots and whatnot, but as I was typing this chapter I realized things were going to be cray. Basically this story is gonna end up a lot longer than I planned. Funny how that works. Because of this I've been having trouble being satisfied with what I write for this fic; it took me so many revisions with this chapter before I felt okay with what you'll see once I'm done babbling. Thus if there's some sort of detail that doesn't seem quite right please let me know, even the lil things matter so don't be shy now. *nudges*

Okay, okay I'm done now. Please enjoy this chapter, and once again thank you for reading. *smooches* ( ˘ ³˘)

Edit [02/16/16]: Grammar fixes and considerable tweaks to make chapter more consistent.


It was another pleasant day in Vytal; sun shining and the breezes cool and gentle, with only a few clouds straying in the sky.

The students of Beacon were all a bustle, scurrying quickly to their classes with unusual eagerness.

It was two nights away from the shooting stars event, and today would be the first night the festival opened all booths to the public. Many of Vale's citizens were ecstatic for the festivities they could revel in.

The Headmaster roamed the halls calmly, sipping from his mug as he observed students shooting out of their final classes and speeding through the hallways to prepare for the festival.

Though some professors had sent complaints to him about the students' brazen demeanors, Ozpin had found their energy refreshing.

It was not every day you have students eager to go to class, if only in anticipation to spend the rest of the day having fun.

It was still early in the day for students to go out and prepare themselves for the festival activities, as the academy's curfew didn't allow students to remain outside for very long.

Ozpin stopped short in his stroll, musing over that last thought.

With a smile he resumed walking, pulling out his Scroll to send Glynda a message for her to make an announcement.

It didn't take long to hear the ping of the speakers drawing the attention of those on Beacon's grounds.

"Students, this is an announcement regarding the curfew placed upon you."

Glynda's voice could be heard echoing through the halls.

"As of today, students are allowed extended curfew in light of the recent circumstances pertaining to the festival. This will only last until the festivities end. We hope that you do not abuse this privilege after this period. That will be all. Enjoy your day."

It took a moment of dead silence before raucous cheers erupted all over Beacon Academy, students whooping and hollering in delight.

Ozpin took a sip of his mug, a gleam of mirth in his eyes.

Why not let them stay as children a while longer.


After the announcement, team RWBY were quartered in their dorm after having made plans with JNPR.

They had decided to go to the festival later in the evening, as the night time activities were rumored to be far more enchanting than the day light hours.

Weiss sat at a desk, an open textbook in front of her as she diligently wrote down notes from it. Her focus was solely on her work as her eyes darted back and forth from text to paper.

Blake occupied herself with a book as usual, situating herself on her bed and lying on her stomach. Her Faunus ears flicked occasionally and perked up whenever she got to an interesting portion of her reading.

Ruby herself was sitting on the floor against Weiss' bed, snacking on various sweets that mostly consisted of chocolate chip cookies.

She had a sketch pad in front of her, along with a textbook lying open on the floor that contained knowledge of all the presently discovered Grimm. She would sketch a drawing of the Grimm she was reading about, this method helping her to better memorize the Grimm's anatomy and keep in mind of their weaknesses.

Meanwhile Yang was impatiently pacing about the room, restlessness obvious in her behavior.

Ruby looked up from her work, noting how the rug beneath her sister's feet was beginning to bunch together.

"Hey, sis, if you keep that up you'll burn a hole in the floor."

Yang stopped in her tracks, looking to Ruby before looking down at her feet and noticing the state of the rug. After crouching down to adjust it she released a huff of frustration.

"You guys are so boring! Why don't we go do something?" Yang said with a slight whine.

Ruby set her pencil down, eating another cookie as she looked at her teammates curiously.

Blake was peering over her novel at the boisterous blonde, while Weiss chose to ignore her and continued writing down notes.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Ruby asked around a mouth full of cookies.

This seemed to get Weiss' attention as she set down her pen and looked sternly at Ruby. "Don't talk with your mouth full, you'll get crumbs all over the carpet." She berated.

"Sorry Weiss." Ruby smiled sheepishly at her.

Now that everyone's attention was no longer on their activities Yang continued with her tirade.

"We have tons of time before we go to the festival."

She flourished her hands about as she spoke.

"And instead of going outside to do something, we're cooped up waiting inside our room. We've even been granted extended curfew, but here we are sitting in our dorm and being boring."

Yang crossed her arms with a huff.

"Okay, so what do you want to do?" Blake asked.

Yang looked at her for a while before hesitantly answering, "I…don't know."

Weiss sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Ruby giggled at her sister's behavior while Blake shook her head with a smirk.

Yang brought her hair around a shoulder, toying with the curly locks self-consciously.

"Well, I just want to do something that doesn't have us staying inside of this place all day. We do that enough as is."

Before anyone could suggest an idea a knock was heard at the door.

"I got it." Yang said with a tired sigh.

She barely unlocked the door when it burst open with incredible force, making Yang fall onto her backside.

"HEY GUYS DO YOU WANT TO HANG OUT?! EVERYONE ELSE IS BEING BORING!"

Nora shouted enthusiastically as she barged into the room.

Ren slowly trailed in behind her.

"I did try to knock."

He stopped to help Yang off the ground.

"Sorry about this, but she wouldn't stop bouncing around our room. Like, literally. She was about to destroy the beds."

"It's no biggie, though you could've given me some kind of warning."

Yang said with a chuckle as she stood, dusting herself off.

The others watched as Nora pranced into the room cheerily, unaware that she had interrupted them on some decision making.

Ruby laughed at the sight and ate another cookie.

The crinkling sound of a plastic had Nora's attention, the girl focusing on the bag of cookies in Ruby's hands.

Without hesitation Nora leapt at her with a hungry glint in her eyes.

Ruby let out a yelp of surprise before the air was knocked out of her. She ended up on her back, lying dizzy on the ground.

Nora sat on top of her, eyeing the cookies all the while.

"Ooooh! Ruby, can I have some too? Ren and Pyrrha have been keeping all the sweets for themselves."

She looked down at the young leader with big pleading eyes.

"Probably for good reason." Weiss huffed under her breath.

Yang snickered at her sister's state on the floor, while Ren observed them with a smile.

"Nora, I don't think Ruby can share them with you when you're sitting on her like that." Ren said.

Nora looked at him curiously before realization dawned on her features.

"Oops! Sorry about that Ruby. Guess I got a little carried away."

She scooted over into a crouch next to Ruby, poking her side when the girl remained unmoving.

"Ren, I think she's broken."

As Nora continued poking at her side, Ruby soon began to sputter into laughter.

"S- stop th-that tickles!"

She flailed her arms in a weak attempt to bat the other girl away.

"Oh, lookie Ren. I brought her back!"

Nora continued assailing Ruby with her prodding, purposefully teasing the younger girl into fits of giggling.

"As amusing as this is, we were supposed to be making plans for doing something 'fun' today."

Weiss said in a very unamused tone, reminding her teammates of their earlier conversation.

This got Nora's attention, leaving Ruby with some time to regain her breath.

"We're going somewhere?"

Nora's eyes sparkled with anticipation at the concept.

"Well we were about to make some plans before you came in, so we haven't quite decided on anything yet." Yang said.

"Oh! Oh! I know! Pick me!"

Nora raised her hand into the air, waving it about enthusiastically.

"Alright Nora, do you have the answer to this question?"

Yang said mocking the tone of an instructor speaking to a student.

"Yes! We should get all fancy and dress up for the festival tonight."

Nora's eyes sparkled at the idea.

"Dress up, huh? What exactly are we talking about here? How fancy do we gotta be?" Yang asked.

"Oh, not too fancy. We either have to wear really pretty dresses or just some stylish outfits."

"Well, the first item of clothing Nora is referring to are not actually dresses, per say, they're commonly known as yukatas, and are a type of attire that is usually appropriate for these kinds of events. We've dressed in this attire before for similar occasions." Ren informed them.

All members of RWBY considered this information for a moment, each girl deliberating their options and desire to actually go out and do something productive.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be too terrible to partake in." Weiss said reluctantly.

"It sounds interesting, count me in." Blake said, putting aside her novel.

"I'd rather shop for some clothes than stay cooped up here." Yang said. "What about you Ruby?"

Everyone focused on the young leader, making her a little nervous with the sudden attention.

"Um, sure. Why not?"

Nora let out a whoop before rushing out of the room and into the JNPR dorm.

"We're going shopping guys!"

Nora could be heard yelling from the other side of the hall, along with a surprised yelp from Jaune.

Ren shook his head at her behavior before taking his leave.

Team RWBY was left laughing at Nora's conduct, albeit a tired sigh from Weiss.

Yang faced the girls, quirking a brow and speaking in a sing-song voice.

"Guess who's Lien we're using."

She was answered with a textbook flung at her head.


The two teams traversed the shopping district of downtown Vytal, the entire broadway was bustling with people and activity.

They had peered through various stores, searching for clothing they wanted to wear for the night.

Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake, and Yang had chosen to go with more casual attire, picking outfits that would at least make them comfortable for the night chill.

Pyrrha wore a maroon turtle neck sweater, along with a beige skirt and black stockings, and brown leather boots.

Jaune stuck with something very similar to his usual attire. He kept his favorite pair of worn out jeans and a plain white t-shirt, but wore the new black hoodie he bought that had a big peeled banana print in the center of it.

Yang picked out a pale yellow short sleeved shirt with a black dragon design that wrapped around the front and back. She also wore a blue denim jacket, black cargo pants, and white and light blue sneakers.

Blake's clothing consisted of all dark colors; a black long sleeved buttoned down shirt, dark skinny jeans, and black shoes.

The other four in the group decided on wearing yukatas.

Ruby had declared that she wanted to try something new, and Weiss deemed that it was a ceremonial custom to abide by.

Ren and Nora did so out of habit, since they made it a tradition to wear matching outfits.

Yang helped Ruby pick out a yukata, making sure it wouldn't be the one with only weapons designed on it.

They debated between a red yukata with a golden dragon crawling up on one side- Yang saying it would match her outfit- or a pink one with a white rose pattern on one side.

In the end Ruby went for the pink yukata, as the white roses reminded her of her mother's pale cloak.

Blake helped Weiss find hers, and the two picked out a white one that had a light blue fade starting from the bottom hem. On it was a design of two large Koi Fish, one orange and the other black, swimming up together on one side.

Ren had let Nora convince him to buy matching forest green yukata, their designs being two strange looking faces of deities' from long ago.

Satisfied with their choices, Weiss paid for most of the expenses. Ren and Nora declined the offer, as well as Pyrrha, paying for their own items.

Yang was left to pay for her own, simply being ignored by the heiress due to her comment earlier in the dorm.

While they traveled down the road toward the festival everyone chattered excitedly.

Meanwhile Ruby pulled Yang aside to talk in private.

"What's up sis?"

Yang looked at her quizzically once they were a distance away from prying ears.

"Yang, I don't know if I can keep the mask from appearing tonight."

Yang cursed under her breath, having forgotten Ruby's dilemma during all the excitement.

"Oh man. Don't worry sis, I'm sure I can cover ya. Just need a good excuse is all…"

Yang put a hand under her chin, humming in thought.

"Well you better think of one quick, because it's getting dark and my face already feels kind of itchy."

Yang could see the faint whites of a bone mask materializing against Ruby's skin as she began scratching a finger at the spot.

They arrived at the festival's main entrance when Yang spotted a particular stand, giving her a brilliant idea.

"We'll be right back guys."

Yang said to the others before hastily dragging Ruby off into the bustling crowd.

The others watched them disappear with puzzled gazes.

"Yaaang! Where are we going? I hope running away isn't your plan."

Ruby said in a whine as she clumsily stumbled along behind her sister.

"Ye of little faith sis." She teased. "I've got a great plan, you just have to wait a bit to let your mask form completely before we go back to the others. Also how much lien do you have on ya?"

Weiss stomped a foot in indignation as the others waited for the two sisters' return.

"What nerve! Leaving us like this without any explanation of where they're going. What if they get lost?"

Weiss crossed her arms with a huff and a grumpy pout.

"I'm sure they had good reason for their sudden departure." Ren said.

"Yeah. Maybe they needed to go potty really bad." Nora piped in.

"They did seem to be in a rush." Jaune said.

"We just need to be patient. I'm sure they'll make it back fine." Pyrrha assured making Weiss feel less uneasy.

"There they are." Blake intoned quietly.

Everyone looked in the direction Blake was staring at.

They didn't recognize the girls at first because they were wearing masks, but it was surely Ruby and Yang who approached.

No one could miss that mass of golden locks.

"Heya guys! Sorry for the wait. I needed to make sure Ruby used the restroom before all this walking we're about to do. And look, I got us these cool masks!"

Yang presented an armful of various masks that mimicked the ones on the Creatures of Grimm, some looking quire realistic.

Yang herself was currently wearing a Goliath mask.

Ruby wore a strange rendition of what was, as they were told by Yang, a Beowolf mask.

The red markings were an exact replica, and the glow they emanated seemed extremely realistic.

It covered most of Ruby's face with just the small space at the bottom, where a row of sharp fangs protruded, only showing her mouth.

The others picked out their masks from the pile in Yang's arms.

Pyrrha ended up with a Deathstalker and Jaune got a Boarbatusk.

Ren and Nora chose the twin black and white King Taijitu masks; to keep up the pretense of matching outfits.

Blake had gotten an Ursa and Weiss chose the remaining Nevermore mask.

Everyone was excited with their picks.

Though Jaune wished he had gotten an Ursa instead, as a way to mark his first kill.

When asked, Blake wasn't willing to trade.

They each wore their masks differently, either wearing their mask completely or tying it to the side of their heads.

Except for Weiss' case, which was not at all, as she tied it on a sash at her waist.

Together as one big group they traveled through the crowds and visited various booths.

Ren made sure to keep a careful eye on Nora when it came to the food stalls. He didn't want her to get sick again.

They played a few games, each one of them picking something they were sure to win at.

Yang tried her hand at an arm wrestling match, easily defeating the beefy fellow pitted against her, and won herself a large dragon plush.

Pyrrha tried her hand at darts, her aim impeccably accurate as she popped balloons taped to a target board. She won a coupon that allowed her to get a free dart board set at a local shop.

Nora unsurprisingly played a game of strength, using a mallet to hit a spring that would then measure the player's strength.

The folks gathered around to watch were awed when Nora nearly broke the attraction; its manager hastily shooing her away after shoving a stuffed gorilla plush at her before she could try again.

Blake attempted a game of concentration. It required her to move a small metallic ball through a wooden maze, containing a few unseen traps and holes as she tilted it every which way to guide it to the end.

She didn't quite make it, as the ball fell into a hidden trap hole, but she did well enough to get the medium prize.

From an assortment of hats she picked out one she deemed appealing enough, a top hat with fake black rabbit ears.

Yang then thought it was amusing to steal her bow and forced her to wear the hat the rest of the night.

Ren played a ring toss game, scoring all but the final ring. He picked out a small tiger plush, immediately handing it off to Nora who squealed joyously at the prize.

Weiss looked at him skeptically.

"Did you lose the last one on purpose just to get her that prize?"

Ren only smiled at her before turning to follow Nora as the group moved on.

Eventually they made it to the shooting booth Ruby had been wanting to try out.

Both she and Jaune played it, Jaune wanting to see how his aim would be despite never using a firearm before.

Jaune was terrible.

The boy missed most of the moving targets and barely even hitting close to the bull's eye on the stationary ones.

Ruby on the other hand was a pro, which was not unexpected to the others as they knew how well of a shot she was with Crescent Rose.

Ruby hit all targets in their center though not every single one a perfect bull's eye, but they were close enough that the stall's manager couldn't care less.

Ruby grinned and puffed out her chest proudly as her friends gave her praise.

Behind her mask her eyes flickered over to observe Weiss.

The heiress was trying hard not to focus on the prize she fancied.

However Ruby could tell by the way her eyes would dart quickly back and forth from it to Ruby how badly she really wanted it.

When the manager asked her which prize she wanted Ruby didn't hesitate to point immediately to the giant prizes that hung above her on the stall's awning.

"That one!"

The manager had to go through a bit of effort to get it down, but eventually a giant lamb plush was in Ruby's arms.

Ruby turned to face Weiss, well at least where she thought the girl was, for the giant plush she held nearly obscured her vision.

Walking awkwardly over in Weiss' general direction Ruby happily shouted.

"Weiss look what I got for you!"

Upon realizing what she said Ruby began to blush, glad that her mask was hiding it from the others.

She didn't mean to let everyone know she only played the game to get Weiss the prize.

Guess she got a little too excited.

She still couldn't quite see Weiss, but she felt someone's hands shift past hers and grab hold of the plush.

There was a quiet "thanks" as it was taken out of her hold, making a dopey grin grow on her face.

She couldn't see Weiss' face with the now sheep hiding her, but if she had she would've seen the bright smile the girl had as she cuddled against the soft fluff of the lamb's wool.

It was almost comical to see the petite heiress lug the giant sheep around as they moved along.

When Yang offered to carry it for a while Weiss vehemently denied.

The sight made Ruby happy, but she didn't want the heiress to trip at some point, and soon convinced her to hand the plush over.

Eventually Jaune grew tired after being out for so long, opting to return to the dorms to rest.

Pyrrha had chosen to go with him to ensure he would make it back safely.

The others entrusted them with their larger prizes to take back, Weiss reluctantly watching her sheep being taken away by Pyrrha.

The remaining group decided to split up into pairs then.

Each went with their respective partners, going around to enjoy the rest of the attractions before the night was over.

Ruby and Weiss walked among the crowds; two teeny girls in a sea of people.

Fearful of being separated Weiss reached for Ruby's hand.

The young leader looked inquisitively at the heiress as she did this.

"It's just so you don't get lost. Knowing a dunce like you, you would probably run off somewhere like an excited puppy."

Weiss looked to the side with a huff, her cheeks becoming a light shade of pink.

Ruby smiled behind her mask and gave a small giggle.

"Okay, Weiss. Whatever you say."

They visited various food stalls. Ruby wanting to try all the snacks before going back to Beacon.

They paused to watch folks play games in the other stalls as well.

Though Weiss couldn't help but play a game that resulted in her winning a goldfish.

It was a small creature, one that she carried around happily in transparent bag filled with water.

As they sat on a bench to take a break Ruby was asked a question she was fearful of hearing throughout the entire night.

"Why don't you take that mask off Ruby? I'm sure it must be getting uncomfortable. You've been wearing it ever since we got here."

Weiss watched her curiously, a tone of concern in her voice.

Ruby gave her what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"Don't worry Weiss, I'm fine. It actually doesn't feel too uncomfortable, and besides it's nice to be able to dress in something other than our school uniforms or combat attire."

"That makes sense I suppose." Weiss said with a nod. "I have to admit that your mask looks really interesting. A Beowolf huh?"

Weiss reached a hand out towards Ruby's face, poking the mask gently with her forefinger.

Ruby flinched at the contact, worried that Weiss would realize just how real the mask actually was.

Fortunately for her the heiress didn't catch it at all.

"I must say I do like the design with these row of fangs at the bottom here."

Weiss touched a tooth lightly, making Ruby internally fret over whether her partner would accidentally prick a finger on it.

"Um, hey how about we go get another snack."

Ruby stood quickly as she took Weiss' hand and led her off into the crowd.

Weiss began berating her about being pushy and having a terrible sweet tooth, though she didn't resist.

No matter where they went or how many times they separated to buy food or try a game, their hands would always find the other.

Fingers intertwining the longer they stayed together.

It became a natural action, and neither one realized that they had done it.

Despite the fact of the mask covering her face, Ruby wished that nights like this would never end.


Ruby was happy.

She walked along the street with a skip in her step.

The sun was shining and the breeze was cool.

Ruby felt as if nothing in the world could ruin her cheerful mood.

It had been a while since she could enjoy a peaceful walk around the neighborhood.

Her brother having caused some trouble before, resulting in her going into hiding for a long time.

She didn't try to dwell on her memories of being alone in those shaded woods, for today she was finally going out on a date.

Ruby squealed to herself in delight.

She couldn't believe it.

A date.

Yang helped her dress for the occasion earlier that morning. Ruby sporting black overall jean shorts with a red, flower print t-shirt and a cute maroon newsboy cap.

Her sister had often worried that she would never be able to integrate back into regular life after living in the forest for so long.

But with the help of her father and their uncle Qrow, she was able to attend Signal and had made some good friends.

One of those friends, Cordovan Roux, was whom she was meeting today.

Well, calling him a friend wouldn't be accurate, since they have been dating for a while now.

Today they would be going out on their first actual date though.

Now that they managed to find spare time from classes, and Ruby from uncle Qrow's extra lessons on scythe wielding, they decided it would be their best chance at having it.

Yang, like the older sister she was, had been a mixture of worry and excitement.

She was glad to see that Ruby was growing more confident around people and had manage to be in a relationship, but that didn't stop her from having a talk about beating him up if he did anything wrong.

Her brother was the same way.

The Beowolf was grumbling in her mind about the whole ordeal.

Ruby had him promise to behave, and so he remained dormant after that.

Ruby smiled at the memory of her sister's attitude, finding solace in Yang's continual support over her well-being.

She was 13 now, and could take care of herself, but it was still nice to know Yang always had her back.

She finally reached the destination of the date; the gates of a large park in Vytal.

She skipped eagerly towards the picnic tables, spotting her friend- boyfriend- sitting there with his back facing her.

His faux hawk, russet colored hair moved slightly in a passing breeze.

She could see that he wore his favorite leather vest over a dark t-shirt, and a pair of navy denim jeans.

Ruby smirked mischievously as she snuck up behind him and placed her hands over his eyes.

"Hey- Huh?"

Cordovan sputtered in confusion as Ruby giggled.

"Guess who?"

He smiled warmly upon hearing her voice, placing a hand over hers.

"Ruby, you surprised me."

He took one of her hands in his, pulling it down to place a light kiss on her palm.

Ruby squeaked at the sudden interaction, withdrawing her hands quickly behind her.

She sported a furious blush that made him laugh lightly.

"Van!"

Ruby said in a telltale whine that she only had when overly embarrassed.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just you're so cute when you blush."

Cordovan then stood up and stooped down to Ruby's eye level, his chocolate colored eyes gazing softly into her silver.

"Forgive me Ruby. I'm just excited that we finally get to be alone together without any interferences. It's been difficult not to be able to do things like that in the academy."

Ruby managed to get over her flustered state and smiled at him, bumping their foreheads together briefly before he straightened himself.

"I know Van. I feel the same way too."

Ruby then took his hand and began leading him towards the park path.

"So, let's get started with our date then!"

Cordovan fell into step besides Ruby, a smile ever present on his features.

Ruby couldn't help but giggle happily as they swung their linked hands between them, their shoulders bumping together on occasion.

"Okay, so I set up our picnic not too far from here. I have Ecru guarding our stuff from critters and people, so let's not keep her waiting."

Cordovan explained to her as they hurried down the path.

A tanned skinned girl stood defiantly before a picnic blanket and basket, her gaze vigilant upon anyone or thing that passed.

When she spotted Ruby her face lit up with a smile and she embraced Ruby in a strong hug as a greeting.

Fortunately for Ruby she was used to hugs like this from Yang all the time.

"Hey there girl, glad to see you were able to ditch that crabby geezer for once."

Ecru Phthalo laughed at the title she'd given Qrow.

"Heh, yeah. He was pretty understanding about it actually, though he did seem a bit disappointed we wouldn't be training."

The two girls fell into small talk as they spoke of their studies and Ecru's plans for the day.

Cordovan cleared his throat, a sound that was not very loud, but it was enough to bring Ecru out of their conversation.

He gave a pointed look towards Ecru and motioned his head in a way that suggested she leave.

"Well, I got to go now Ruby. Don't want to keep you from enjoying your date with Roo Roo here."

She looked at the boy with a playful wink, saying his name in a mocking manner.

"Oh, right. Well it was nice seeing you Ecru!"

Ruby gave her another hug before letting her go off.

"Yes. It was nice seeing you Ecru." Cordovan said politely.

As Ecru waved farewell and left, the couple settled themselves on the blanket.

It was quite a cozy spot, as Cordovan picked an area under a tree so that the shade would protect them from the sun's constant beams.

The date wasn't exactly eventful, but for the two it was something they greatly appreciated.

They talked mostly of their activities at home as well as little things that happened to them in classes they didn't share.

Ruby was thoroughly enjoying herself, feeling so relaxed without having anyone judge them or be strict about PDA.

After finishing up the picnic and packing everything away into a large basket, they decided on walking through the park's forested path.

It wasn't too surprising when dusk had blanketed the skies in shades of indigo, their walk lasting much longer than Ruby anticipated.

They were nearing the end of the path that would let them out of the park, when Cordovan stopped abruptly.

Ruby looked back to him inquisitively, wondering what caused him to halt.

"Van?"

Cordovan seemed to have been deep in thought, for when Ruby called his name he jolted.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

There was a brief pause as they remained unmoving.

"Ruby…can I- can I kiss you?"

He asked quietly, his eyes searching hers almost pleadingly.

Ruby blushed, shifting from one foot to the other shyly.

The thought of kissing Cordovan hadn't really crossed Ruby's mind.

Hugging, hand holding, and other small, innocent gestures were enough for her.

Ruby had known for a while that Van had wanted to take their relationship a bit further.

Yet she still felt that, even after two months of being together, it was still too soon for her to be comfortable with such an intimate act.

As grown up as she liked to say she was to Yang, Ruby felt like a child when it came to matters like this.

Cordovan watched her patiently, a small frown on his lips as he regarded her stalling to answer.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." He said ashamedly.

"Ah! No, um, it's just- I want to, but I feel embarrassed…"

Ruby poked her forefingers together shyly, a blush on her cheeks as she looked to the ground.

Cordovan approached her quietly, gently placing a hand under her chin and lifting her gaze up to his.

There was a soft smile on his lips and a warmth in his eyes that relaxed Ruby, made her feel safe in his presence.

"I don't want to force you, so you can push away whenever you want to."

He murmured as his face came closer to hers.

"I know."

Their faces had gotten closer and Ruby started feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

But when she pressed the slightest force to push away from him, Van instead pulled her those last few inches and their lips met.

His lips were rough but soft at the same time.

She didn't experience the sweet taste she had always heard about from others, or the sparks that would fly like she read in books.

Instead the kiss didn't hold any form of magic like that.

It was brief, and to Ruby it felt kind of awkward, but she supposed it wasn't entirely terrible.

When the two parted they couldn't help but laugh at their earlier anxiousness.

The two returned home shortly after, Cordovan walking home with Ruby to ensure she got there safely.

She first checked in with Yang, who was watching a movie in the den, to show that she returned home unscathed.

She decided not to tell Yang about the kiss just yet, not wanting her to make a big fuss over it.

Instead she immediately headed for their rooem after such a long day.

Ruby fell against her bed with a sigh, thinking over the date and the recent kiss.

She enjoyed the date very much, that she was sure of, but the kiss…

Ruby placed her fingers against her lips, a small frown forming.


"So, Ruby, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Ecru looked at the brunette curiously.

Ruby fidgeted somewhat, wringing the hem of her skirt and toeing the floor as she looked around the quiet alcove hidden deep within the library.

"I was wondering if you could tell me what a kiss should feel like."

Ruby said in a whispered rush, a blush rising on her face.

"Eeeeh?!"

Ecru couldn't help but take a step backwards at Ruby's words, a mixture of confusion and surprise on her face.

"Why would you think I would know how to describe something like that?"

Ruby covered her face with both hands, her face glowing with embarrassment.

Ecru smiled at her behavior and walked to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders good naturedly.

"Aww! C'mon now, Rose, don't be like that. You just caught me off guard a little."

Ecru grinned toothily when Ruby peeked at her from behind her hands.

"Now, tell me what has you asking me a thing like that in the first place?"

Ruby nodded slowly, taking a few deep breaths to settle her nerves before speaking.

"Cordovan and I kissed on our date."

Ruby began the sentence strong, but quickly shifted her tone barely above a whisper.

Ecru's body stiffened at first, but soon she relaxed and forced a smile.

"Well, congratulations should be in order I guess. I thought you two would never get smooching."

She chuckled halfheartedly at her own words.

When she noticed Ruby not reacting all flustered, but rather silent and forlorn, she began to worry.

"Ruby? What's wrong?"

Ecru watched her with concern before the worst case scenario sprung into her mind and she scowled at the thought.

"Did he force himself on you?"

Ecru said nearly growling, making Ruby wave her arms wildly in an attempt to ward off her anger.

"No, no! Van would never do something like that. Besides, it wasn't entirely a one-sided thing."

Ecru nodded in understanding, pushing down the ill thoughts she had.

Ruby sighed in relief, a tired sound that prompted Ecru to direct her to sit on the two seat sofa nearby.

"So, tell me exactly why you asked that question?"

Ecru kept her arm around Ruby's shoulders all the while, rubbing a thumb over one of them in an effort to comfort her.

Ruby was silent for a moment, considering her words and gathering her thoughts.

"It's just- When we kissed, and its sounds terrible to say this, but I felt nothing. There was no heady rush or sweetness like it's described in those silly romance films and novels, and I didn't feel any different after it. I don't know if that's normal for a first kiss because I've only had this one, and there's nothing for me to compare it to."

Ruby's voice became shriller as she went on telling her best friend about her worries.

It wasn't until Ecru laid a hand over one of her own that she refocused on her friend smiling assuredly at her.

"Ruby, you're worrying yourself a bit too much over this."

Ecru sighed as she pulled her hand away to rub the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Now, I know it may not be my place to say something like this, but have you ever considered that maybe you don't like Cordovan as more than a friend?"

Ruby considered her words carefully, mulling over them as she went through a string of memories in her mind.

All of them seemed to back up the notion.

She had never really considered it before. How her relationship with Van wasn't much different than how she treated her other guy friends, aside from the more intimate gestures of course.

She began to realize that it was truly a one-sided relationship, where Cordovan was the one always initiating the intimate gestures she otherwise would not have.

"Does this make me a bad girlfriend?"

Ruby looked to Ecru earnestly, her silver eyes wide and shining with oncoming tears.

Ecru waved her arms wildly.

"No, no. Of course you're not. Don't ever think that."

Ruby lowered her head and sighed.

"Hey now, don't be like that. Uh, maybe because it's only your first time you're not used to it. So you can't be so disheartened about it just yet."

Ruby nodded slowly but remained unconvinced.

Ecru hated seeing her friend so distressed and decided to go with another approach.

"I'm probably going to regret this." She said under her breath.

"Hey Ruby I have an idea, and you don't have to agree to it or anything, but it might help you get out of this dilemma."

Ruby looked up at her best friend with hopeful eyes.

"Anything is probably better than nothing."

"Um, okay I know this is going to sound weird but I thought maybe you could try kissing someone else to see if you get any feeling from that."

Ruby's face turned red at the thought of kissing another guy just to test if it "felt right".

"I-I can't do that! That's just too embarrassing, plus who am I going to find that would be okay with me suddenly kissing them anyways?"

Ecru fidgeted under Ruby's gaze, shyly looking straight into her eyes.

"Me."

Ruby tilted her head to the side confused.

"But you're a girl? We're both girls. Wouldn't that be kind of different?"

Ecru had to stifle her laughter at Ruby's naivety.

"That's kinda the point silly. Besides I wouldn't mind it too much if it were with you, and I wouldn't want you going around kissing a bunch of random boys either."

Ruby couldn't help but giggle at Ecru's words.

"Yeah, it would be weird. Plus Van would get mad. I guess if it's with another girl though he wouldn't mind as much. Plus we're best friends, so it's not like there's anything to worry about."

Ruby said enthusiastically while Ecru chuckled nervously.

"Yeah…Well, um, are you ready then?"

"I suppose…I'm not sure how to go about this kind of thing with another girl. I never would have expected to do something like this before."

"Well then I'll lead."

Ecru smiled warmly at her, taking both of Ruby's hands in her own.

"And if you feel uncomfortable at any moment we'll just stop and laugh about this in the future."

Ruby grinned back at her and nodded.

Slowly the two began getting closer to each other, leaning forward from where they sat.

As they inched closer Ecru was constantly asking Ruby if she was sure, her eyes nervous despite how confident she appeared.

When they were only mere inches apart Ecru asked one final time.

"Are you completely positive Ruby?"

Her breath tickled Ruby's skin, sending a buzzing feeling through her mind.

"I could always-"

"You talk too much."

Ruby whispered before closing the gap between them.

Ecru's lips were soft.

So soft, and warm, and inviting.

Ruby felt far more comfortable like this, with her, than she did with Van.

It was an odd sensation and Ruby found herself wanting more of it.

Unfortunately the kiss was cut short, as they were separated roughly by another person.

Ecru was thrown towards the ground away from Ruby, who was being held in place on the sofa by a firm grip.

After recovering from her shock she looked up to see an irate Cordovan glaring over at Ecru.

For the first time since being with him Ruby felt afraid.

Before she could say anything to him, the boy walked over to Ecru, grabbing her roughly by her arm and speaking to her in a dangerous tone.

"I knew it. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you'd tried to corrupt Ruby's mind."

Ruby blinked in surprise.

Corrupt her?

Ecru had done nothing but given her advice.

Perhaps it was the kissing that he was referring to, but how would a kiss between friends corrupt her?

A yelp from Ecru pulled her from her thoughts as Cordovan yanked her up to eye level.

"You thought you could get away with your little secret, but I know what you are, and I know what you're trying to do. It won't work because Ruby is mine."

Ecru whimpered and Cordovan continued to growl at her.

Was that him growling?

Why was he looking at her funny?

Ruby felt her throat rumble with a sound that wasn't her own and her body began to fill with an unbridled fury she couldn't control.

No. Oh no. Not now. Don't come out now.

"Stop."

Ruby said aloud more to herself than to Cordovan.

Her voice coming out in a strangely rough timbre instead of her girlish tone.

Cordovan dropped Ecru, his eyes looked pained for a brief second before wrath returned to them, his rage blinding him to Ruby's odd behavior.

"Oh. So you're going to go against me too? You're just like her aren't you? I can't believe you. After how long we've been together I never thought you'd turn around and betray me."

As Cordovan kept ranting about Ruby's betrayal the Beowolf inside her grew angrier.

No. Stop. Don't come out. Everything's fine, I can handle this.

Ruby pleaded with her brother.

No. You cannot.

A rough voice answered.

Ruby didn't know that her eyes had already turned a glowing red.

Her canine teeth were becoming sharp fangs that hid behind her lips, and her voice was the a scratchy grumble when she spoke.

"Everything is fine. We can all just sit down and figure this out together."

Ruby tried to console Cordovan, but he would have none of it.

"I can't believe I thought I could trust you. You're nothing more than a dirty slut!"

Oh no.

Ruby's control over her body was no longer in her own possession.

The Beowolf took over and grabbed Cordovan by the throat with unrelenting force.

Fortunately Ruby's body was still in a human form, keeping her secret hidden, but at the moment that was the least of her worries.

She was surprised that her brother hadn't already snapped Cordovan's neck.

Perhaps that was due to the fact that they were still in her weaker body rather than Grimm form.

"You think you're tough shit."

A low guttural sound emanated from Ruby's mouth, her brother speaking through her lips with a snarl.

"I bet you wouldn't be saying anything after I crush your windpipe."

Cordovan gasped and struggled at Ruby's insane grip and strength.

After all the time he spent with her he never knew Ruby to display such ferocity.

Looking into those glowing red eyes that were burning through to his very soul, he had a strange sense it wasn't Ruby he was looking at anymore.

Internally Ruby was freaking out, unable to stop the Beowolf from slowly murdering her friend.

Luckily Ecru tackled into her, catching them both off guard, but giving Ruby enough time to regain control.

Cordovan was hacking and wheezing violently on the floor, holding his throat as he tried to gasp for air.

Ecru was trembling on the floor, afraid to meet anyone's eyes.

It took a long time, but eventually Cordovan recovered enough to breathe normally.

He stood up and looked between the two girls.

"I hope you're both happy."

He looked pointedly at Ruby, who only averted her gaze.

"Never come near me again."

He said it with such spite that Ruby had almost felt like crying.

He then turned around and left the two girls alone.

They didn't move for a long moment, neither one sure how to approach the other.

"I think Van- I mean- Cordovan has the right idea. We should just stay away from each other for a while."

Ecru looked up at Ruby, who was shocked and hurt by her words, but she still managed a sad smile towards friend.

"It's the best thing to do."

Ecru nodded slowly, tears forming in her eyes.

Ruby wasn't sure what to do, not quite ready to approach her friend after all that had happened, but she desperately wanted to comfort her.

Instead she turned away and left with a quiet goodbye.

The sounds of Ecru softly sobbing echoed after her.

Ruby informed her family about the events that day.

Her uncle Qrow somehow convinced the two students and Cordovan's family that Ruby must have some traits in her Semblance that were similar to Yang's.

The Roux family believed this, though it didn't stop them from putting some sort of restraining order on Ruby's family so that he could study safely at the academy.

Ecru and Ruby maintained their friendship, though it was shaky and neither girl could never see each other the same way again.

Ruby had noticed that Ecru was often conflicted with being alone together.

Sometimes when they were alone, the two girls would share very brief and often timid kisses. Then other times they would avoid any type of contact with each other, remaining in an awkward silence.

Eventually Ecru's family moved to another city, due to her parents pursuing a better job opportunity.

Eventually Ruby realized something about the kisses they had shared, though she had never noticed it before.

She understood now the reason why she couldn't be overly intimate with Cordovan.

It was because she simply could not see him, or any boy for that matter, as more than just a friend.

She told the only person she could trust with her secrets; Yang accepting her without a critical gaze and helping her fully come to terms with herself.

Ruby never bothered to form attachments with anyone since that fateful event. Withdrawing into herself again in hopes of keeping others from being hurt.

It had worked, until a certain girl came into her life.

A particular heiress who now understood her more than anyone else that wasn't Yang.

It was through her interactions with her partner that made her realize exactly how it felt to fall in love with someone unconditionally.