The warm summer air kissed Jaune's skin as he and Bleiss disembarked from the Bullhead. Now in downtown Vale, it was time to properly begin their date.
Jaune still felt woefully underdressed for the occasion compared to Bleiss. She had gone all-out in ensuring that she looked her best. The tiny black dress hugged curves which he did not know Weiss even possessed. Her hair looked incredible up as opposed to her usual sideways ponytail. She had even donned makeup for the first time Jaune could ever recall seeing. Both Weiss and Bleiss looked stunning without the aid of cosmetics. It was taking all he had not to stare at the dark beauty who walked by his side.
Or rather, the one who clung to his side. Seeing how it was a date, Bleiss had decided that she needed to show that to the world. She needed to show everyone that they were together. He was hers. In doing so, she had linked one of her arms around his own, pressing her body up against his side. She was soft. Warm. Incredibly and impossibly so. And somehow, extremely comfortable in this public display of affection which he never could have imagined Weiss being.
She truly was a dark reflection of Weiss.
If this had been Weiss, Jaune would have wanted to impress her on this date. He would have wanted to show her the best time possible to make her want to go out with him again. However, he had no plan. This had all been thrust upon him so suddenly. He didn't know where they were going. He didn't have a restaurant picked out. The only thing he knew for certain was that they were seeing the most recent Spruce Willis movie.
As much as he felt like a hostage at the hands of Bleiss, he still wanted her to have a good time. Maybe it was just the kind of guy he was. Or maybe it was the influence of seven sisters. Whatever the case, he couldn't just sleepwalk through this date and expect to feel good about it. He knew Bleiss wouldn't feel good about it either.
Well, it was time to confess all of that and hope she understood. He looked over at the girl whose head was currently leaning against his shoulder. "Hey, Bleiss?"
"Hmm?" She didn't even look at him when she responded. A most un-Weiss-like behavior.
"I, uh, I gotta admit. I don't really know what I'm doing here. I've never been on a date before." The admission was a harsh one for the seventeen year old boy to make. But at least it was the truth. "And I didn't exactly make any plans for a restaurant or anything. In fact, I don't even know what order to do things in. Does the dinner come first or the movie? I'm sorry, I'm just-"
Jaune was quieted when a finger gently pressed against his lips. "Shh," Bleiss said, finally moving her head so she could regard him. The warm smile on her face told him she held no ill-will toward his lack of preparations. "Don't you worry your pretty little blonde head about it. I've made reservations already. Just follow my lead."
Now that he thought about it, Jaune had been doing just that. Although she was one the one clinging to him, he was just walking as she did. For all intents and purposes, Bleiss was the one who had been leading him around town. And apparently she had a plan and a destination all along. That information was comforting at least.
"Do you like Mistrali food?" she asked.
He did. It was in reality a broad topic. Mistral was such a huge continent with so many scattered settlements that the idea of a singular Mistrali culture or cuisine would be an incorrect one. There were in fact two separate and distinct cultures which were dominant. The city itself and the surrounding area had a diet which heavily relied on rice and noodle dishes. More often than not vegetables and meats were added in order to spice up the staple crops. It was from this kind of culture he knew that Ren hailed from.
But then the other scattered settlements, primarily along the coastline, was entirely different. The region that Pyrrha was from had foods which featured olives and olive products as their base, along with various cheeses and fish. Both cultures foods were delicious, and he wouldn't mind either one for tonight.
"Yeah," he confirmed. "Is that where we're going?"
"Yes. There's a wonderful little Mistrali place I read about called the Vermilion Garden. We have a seven o'clock reservation. After that we'll head over to a nearby theater that's playing our movie. I figure that unless we decide to do anything else, we should be ready to head back by around ten. Perfectly in line with Beacon's curfew policy."
Jaune had to admit that he was impressed. Bleiss had put a lot of thought into their date given only a few hours notice. Then again, it wouldn't have surprised the boy if she had thought about this long before actually getting him to agree to a date.
"But like I said, we could stay out later if you wanted to," she continued. "I know this nice club that'll give us both free drinks."
"Free drinks?" he asked, not even bothering to tell her that they were both underage. He figured that this loose cannon didn't care the slightest bit about that. Especially when she had come home drunk once already. "How'd you manage that?"
"I know the owner. Sort of. I know the owner's two adopted daughters. Fuck, I wish they went to Beacon. Outside of you, everyone else sucks."
Those words rubbed Jaune the wrong way, but he didn't want to start an argument. Not on a date. Not in public. The whole point of this date was to appease Bleiss so that her actions wouldn't affect Weiss in a negative way. So he kept his mouth shut. Words couldn't hurt his friends who hadn't heard them. Instead he merely hummed noncommittally.
"So. Tell me about yourself."
The words brought him out of his thinking. "What?"
"I want to know everything there is to know about Jaune Arc."
He was about to tell her that she already knew everything, but realized that she didn't. It was true that Bleiss knew everything that Weiss did up until the moment that their minds became separate entities. The problem was that Weiss didn't know anything about him period. She didn't care. She didn't have the same kind of relationship with him that his teammates, Ruby, or even Yang did. Weiss Schnee knew nothing about Jaune. And as a result, neither did Bleiss.
He shrugged softly. "I'm a pretty boring guy, honestly," he admitted.
"Ah ah!" she said with a stern wag of her finger. "No putting yourself down on my watch. I only date the best. And you are the best, Jaune."
Jaune couldn't help but feel a little bit warm inside. Embarrassed. He knew that he was a screw-up. Weak in comparison to the other students at Beacon. His parents didn't have a lot of faith in him. If things didn't work out, they were perfectly happy with him coming back home. Like they expected it. To hear Bleiss say that he was the best... to hear her tell him to not put himself down...
It felt nice.
"You okay?" she asked. Concern had replaced the playful smile which had previously played on her lips.
He shook his head. Thinking about himself and his parents must have caused him to frown. "Yeah. I'm fine," he lied.
"So? Tell me about you!"
He shrugged again. "There's not much to say. I've got seven sisters-"
"Seven?" she gasped. "What the fuck!"
He had never gotten that kind of reaction before. Then again, he had never met anyone quite like Bleiss. A filter between her brain and her mouth didn't exist.
His hand went up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah. It's... it's been a pretty wild ride. Being one of the youngest in a house full of girls can be rough."
"Your mother must be a real trooper. And your dad must be fucking hot to get that kind of action." Bleiss began to look him up and down, and Jaune couldn't help but feel like he was being studied under her scrutinizing gaze. "At least I know you'll look good when you're older."
Hearing about how attractive his father was wasn't exactly what the boy wanted to hear. He didn't even mind Bleiss' wandering eyes by comparison.
"And they taught you how to treat a lady," she said, motioning down to where his arm was linked with hers. "You've got some good family, Jaune."
It wasn't exactly his choice. It had been Bleiss who grabbed hold of his arm. He merely let it happen. But if that's what she wanted to believe, he would give it to her.
"Yeah," he agreed. "I guess I do." Lack of faith in him or not, at least he could say that his family loved him. They truly cared about his happiness and well-being.
"Any funny stories?"
Too many. And not funny in a ha-ha way. Funny in a traumatizing way.
"They used to braid my hair," he said softly. Embarrassedly.
"Really?" There was barely-contained humor in her question.
"Yeah... back when we went camping. Back before I started getting my own tent, I used to have to share with a few of my sisters. They were... well, kinda forward with wanting me to be their living doll."
Bleiss laughed. It was soft and sweet, musical in a sense. Completely unlike the crude and vulgar girl she actually was.
Jaune wondered briefly if that was Weiss' laugh. If that was how she would sound when she was genuinely happy.
"And you let them?" she wondered.
"Well I was younger back then. More innocent, I guess you could say. I guess I tried to rationalize it by telling myself it wasn't a ponytail. It was a warrior's wolf tail."
Bleiss ran a hand through his long golden locks. "Aw, that's adorable," she cooed. "You're such a lovable little dork, aren't you?"
"Hey, I was like 10!"
"Wanna let me braid your hair?"
He cleared his throat softly. "Um, no. That's fine. Really."
"How about I call up your sisters and ask them for advice? Or I can just get them to come to Beacon and hold you down while we braid it. For old time's sake."
"You'd better not!"
"Or what? You'll go all warrior on me, mister warrior's wolf tail?"
Jaune laughed. She had a point. What could he do if Bleiss decided she wanted a crack at his hair? Even without the aid of his sisters, she could have him at her mercy with those glyphs. The image was a surprisingly amusing one, which caused his laughter to continue.
Until he remembered where he was, and stopped. It wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be having fun. This was Bleiss. This was the girl who was hijacking Weiss' body. Jaune was only here because he was being forced to. Sure, he was supposed to show her a good time. But that didn't mean he should be having a good time too, right?
"Fine, fine," she laughed. "Any other girly things? Cooking? Sewing?" Her eyes lit up with sudden realization. "Shit, I just remembered you could dance! That was them, wasn't it?"
She had nailed it. "Yeah. A few of them took dance classes. So when they got home and needed a partner for practice, guess who they went to?"
"Ever the gentleman," she smiled, her hand moving to grasp his own as they walked. She gave it a soft squeeze, and Jaune couldn't help but feel the positivity which came with the gesture. "You need to give me a dance someday."
He wanted to point out that there wouldn't be another dance until next year, but bringing that up might just prompt the girl to suggest they simply go to another venue. Like that nightclub she had been talking about earlier.
Moving quickly to avoid such a suggestion, Jaune changed the subject. "So enough about me. What about you and your family?"
All Jaune really knew about Weiss' family was what was in the public eye. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. That was it. But even that information had only been introduced to him after meeting her. At the time of their introduction on their first day attending Beacon, he had simply thought that Weiss was just another girl. A particularly beautiful girl, but just an average person like Ruby or Yang or anyone else.
"What about my family?" Bleiss asked. There was a certain bitterness in her voice with the question.
Even Jaune was smart enough to see that he had just stepped on a landmine. "I'm sorry. If it's a bad subject we don't need to talk about it."
"What's there to talk about?" she snapped. "My dad's a piece of shit. My mom's a drunk. My younger brother's a little shit who takes after my dad. That's why I call him Shitley." Jaune had no idea what her brother's name was to begin with, so he couldn't say if that was some sort of play on words. "The only one who actually gives a damn about me is my older sister Winter."
Jaune felt awful for bringing this up. He had no idea that Weiss, and by extension Bleiss' family was so... dysfunctional. "I'm sorry," he repeated.
"Oh that's right, Winter loves Weiss," she continued. "She doesn't even know I exist. And you know what? If she finds out about this, she'll probably do whatever it took to erase me from existence. The one person in my life... in Weiss' life, who truly cares about her would try to make me disappear. They all would. I don't have a fucking family."
This date had taken a suddenly real turn. And Jaune didn't know what to think or do about it. Because in reality, who was Bleiss? What was Bleiss? She was some sort of side effect of a dust potion, right? That was the working theory. In reality, Jaune had no idea. He wondered if Bleiss felt this way too.
"But I have you," she said more softly. Her tone had turned somber. She gripped hold of his arm tightly, as if she would float away if she dared let go. "No matter what happens, I have you. I don't know why, but for some reason when I'm around you I feel better. I just... I know that you care about me. Even if you run away. Even if you push me back. I just know that Jaune Arc loves me."
He didn't know what to say. What could he say to such a vulnerable expression of emotion? How could he react to the girl saying that no one in her life cared for her except for him? The stress and pressure she had just put on him now was something he could never have prepared for.
He was thankful that she wasn't looking at him right now. The worry and conflict that must have been on his face would undoubtedly not look good. But still, he couldn't just be silent, could he?
"I... I don't know what to say to all of that," he admitted. "I'm sorry I'm not good at this sort of thing."
He felt her head shake as it rested on his shoulder. "You don't need to say anything. Just being here with you is all I need. Fuck," she breathed softly. "I'm sorry. I'm fucking ruining our date with all this sad shit. Great job, Bleiss."
Despite his only crime having been asking about her family, Jaune felt awful. His question had caused this. But even if it hadn't, he had too much empathy to not feel bad about how Bleiss was feeling right now. What kind of man would he be if he simply turned a blind eye to her pain?
Originally he had not wanted to be the one escalate any sort of physical affection when it came to Bleiss. His policy had been to appease her, but not let her go too far. But this... this was different. This was a girl in obvious pain. He knew there was a simple yet effective way to alleviate it. At least based on everything she had just said.
Jaune pulled and tugged his arm to free it from Bleiss grasp. At first she looked up at him, her crimson eyes filled with betrayal at his actions. Those same eyes then widened in shock as he moved his now free arm around her torso and pulled her close to him. Her body pressed up tightly against him as his hand rested on her hip. It took her a moment to recover from her shock, but Bleiss nestled her head against him as her own arm wrapped around his body as well. She sighed in contentment as they neared the restaurant.
To any outsider, it did indeed look as if a pair of lovers were out enjoying a date on a Saturday evening.
Dinner had been delicious. Bleiss had made an excellent call with that restaurant. And surprisingly, the conversation had been excellent as well.
Making a concerted to move away from the negative conversation they had earlier, Jaune attempted to find out more about the girl Bleiss, rather than her family. Rather than even Weiss herself. He recognized the fact that Bleiss saw herself as her own separate and unique personality. With how she behaved, it wasn't much of a stretch.
The pair of teens made their way to the theater now, and Jaune was determined to play his rightful part on the date. Both his father and sisters had taught him that proper courtship of a lady meant that he would pay for things, however Bleiss had insisted on paying for dinner. Armed with her, or rather Weiss' credit card, she had taken care of the bill. The least Jaune could do now was use his own meager savings to buy the movie tickets.
He did that before Bleiss had a chance to protest. Securing two tickets for the movie, he handed one to his date before opening the door for her to step inside.
"You didn't have to do that," she told him.
He didn't. But etiquette dictated that he must. "It's no problem," he answered. "I'm taking you out on a date, remember?"
The girl smiled. "You dumbass," she said playfully. "I'm fucking rich, remember? I could buy out this whole theater to give us the privacy we deserve." Her hand brushed up against his arm, sending shivers down his spine. "If that's what you desire, that is..."
He did. He absolutely did. And that's exactly why he had to stop himself and focus on the reality of the situation. No! his mind chastised. This is Weiss. This is Weiss. Do. Not. Accept.
While he didn't stop her suggestive motions, he didn't let them go any further either. "No, that's okay," he managed to squeak out. "Let's, uh, just get to our seats."
The benefit of dinner before the movie meant that neither were hungry enough to buy any snacks for the show. With only a few minutes to spare, the two entered the screening room and found a pair of good seats.
In the darkness, Jaune was finally alone with his thoughts. Staring at the screen as the movie began to play, he could finally think. This was insanity. It was the only way to describe it. He was out on a date with a beautiful girl who only a few weeks ago he had been desperately trying to woo into attending a school dance with him. And now he was all but treating her like a pariah. Like a virus to be avoided. A bully who had to be appeased lest she take out her wrath on an innocent victim.
That victim being the girl he truly loved. Or at least had. Before the dance. Before Neptune. Before he had finally gotten it through his thick skull that she did not feel the same way about him.
So he had moved on. Jaune had cast aside any thought of ever dating Weiss. Why bother anymore? Wishing and wanting would only bring him heartache. His ridiculous attempts to court her would only annoy her. Besides, she had found a boy she truly did like. It was best to just do his part to allow them to be happy together, and that was exactly what he had done.
And now this. By some cruel twist of fate, the girl who he had been head over heels for had changed and developed feelings for him. Only it wasn't her. It was someone new. Someone who was no less beautiful, no less fun, no less amazing, and yet, someone so completely different. And she loved him with all her heart.
The catch? She wasn't real. She inhabited the original girl's body. And that meant that even if he did like her in return, a relationship with Bleiss was absolutely off-limits.
Life was cruel. It was the only way to describe it. He had been given everything he had ever wanted. The only problem was that if he took it, he would be an irredeemable monster. Jaune knew right from wrong. He could never take what this girl was offering him. He could never take advantage of Weiss.
A soft noise from his side stirred him from his thoughts, and looking over he saw that Bleiss was stretching. And when her arms came back down, one had fallen around his shoulders. She had just used the oldest trick in the book on him. Pretending to yawn and stretch in order to get closer to him. It was unbelievably adorable and innocent. Jaune had no idea people still did that. Least of all women.
Seeing or hearing no protests, Bleiss must have assumed that he was fine with her action and moved even closer to him. Just like when they had been walking, she rested her head against his shoulder as the two sat watching the movie. And it was everything he had ever hoped it would be. Sitting there on a date with an amazing and beautiful girl, cuddling with her as they watched a movie together.
Was this perhaps what Weiss would be like if she showed him affection? Is this what a date with her would have been like?
In an instant Jaune shook his head, casting such thoughts from his mind. No. He would not think about Weiss right now. That would be a disservice to the girl who actually was out with him right now. Weiss wasn't interested in him. She didn't want to go out on a date with him. But Bleiss did. For whatever reason, Bleiss wanted to be here. And that counted for something.
His head shook again. No. Stop enjoying this. His mind refused to stop battling with his heart. This wasn't right. None of it was. It was still Weiss' body. He could not let himself be fooled. The warm and loving girl next to him was nothing but a side-effect. She wasn't real. Her feelings for him weren't real. All of this was just a painful illusion which he could never act on.
The minutes passed by torturously slow, and Jaune couldn't help not focusing on the movie. How could he when all that he could think about was the problem of Bleiss and Weiss? How was he supposed to go on doing this? It was like teasing a dog with a treat that you would never give them. Bleiss was an all too tempting treat for the teenage boy that was too painful to even contemplate. She was everything he wanted, just out of reach.
A sudden jolt next to him once more stirred him from his thoughts. But it was the whisper that made him look. "Jaune."
Turning to see what his date wanted, Jaune's eyes went wide when they saw the last thing he had expected. Even in the darkness of the theater he could see that Bleiss' hair had gone white. And that could only mean one thing.
Weiss grabbed hold of his wriest, tugging on it and urging him to stand up as she did. Jaune moved quickly to follow her, and the two teens exited the aisle of seats before making their way up the ramp and out of the theater.
In the brightness of the lobby lights Jaune could see that Weiss was panicked. He couldn't imagine what was going through her head right now. He had no idea what she had been doing last, but to suddenly wake up in a dark room cuddling a stranger had to be terrifying. He was thankful she had not screamed or made any kind of scene. The girl's courage and willpower were far beyond anything he could ever hope to achieve.
It still did not stop her from being scared, however. She merely hid it better than most. Away in a secluded corner of the lobby, Weiss finally spoke again. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where are we? What were we doing?"
Right. Weiss would have been completely unaware of their date. Everything which had and was taking place had occurred today.
The best thing to do was to start from the beginning. "You had detention today," he explained. "But you weren't going to go. The only way Bleiss agreed to go was if... if we went on a date."
"And you agreed?"
"I didn't want you to get in any more trouble." It sounded like a fairly weak excuse now that he said it aloud. To the girl who was his date. "I wasn't going to let anything happen. It was just a way to make her happy so she wouldn't do anything else harmful to you."
Weiss moved a hand like she wanted to run it through her hair, only to stop when she realized there wasn't much hair to do the act with. Feeling around the top of her head, she realized that her hair was being worn up for the occasion. Her focus soon turned back to him. "So your idea of appeasing Bleiss was to take her out on a date," she reiterated. "Cuddling with her at a movie theater. You didn't kiss me again, did you?"
The accusation stung, especially because it had been Bleiss who had kissed him. Still, he was not about to hold it against Weiss. She was rightfully and justifiably freaked out right now. "No. Never. I would never do anything to take advantage of you."
Her hand and fingers moved to rub her eyes. When they moved once more Weiss stared down at the black smudges now on the tips of her fingers. "I know, Jaune. I know." Her tone had softened now. Perhaps the initial shock had worn off. "I'm just..."
Tired? Afraid? Confused? There were all kinds of words which Weiss might have wanted to say which would perfectly describe their current situation. He would not press her for which one it was, however. All he could do was offer up what little support he could.
"I know," he said comfortingly. "I'm sorry. Nothing happened though. And I wouldn't let anything happen. But if this kind of thing is off-limits, just let me know and it won't happen again."
Weiss took a deep breath and sighed. "It's fine. I just need to collect myself right now. Excuse me for a moment."
Jaune nodded as he watched Weiss walk to the lady's room.
Moving back against one of the walls, Jaune leaned against it and gave a sigh of his own. What a disaster. This whole experience with Bleiss was nothing short of a disaster. For him. But especially for Weiss. He hoped that she would be okay.
Staring into the mirror behind the sinks, Weiss could hardly recognize herself. Normally the girl never wore makeup. Her own natural beauty could outshine even the most expensive and elaborate decoration that other girls used to doctor up their own looks. But now she was looking back at a girl who had masterfully applied makeup to her already perfect face. She had to admit that it looked good.
Ruby-red lipstick brought out her full lips. Black eyeliner and eyeshadow made her sapphire eyes pop out with the sharp contrast of colors. Interestingly enough, Bleiss had made no attempt to conceal the scar that went down the left side of her face. Perhaps Bleiss recognized it for what it was just as she herself did. A badge of honor. The price of freedom. A reminder that she would never be a slave again.
Only she was a slave. A slave to herself. To that other girl who took control from time to time. The harsh reality of the situation was enough to almost make her long for her old prison. At least back in Atlas, back at home with father, she was awake and conscious at all times. Here though, her lack of control was terrifying. She had just woken up to a date with Jaune, and she had no idea how or when it had even happened.
Weiss' hand reached up to once more touch the elaborate bun which her hair was in. With her own snow-white hair, it nearly resembled the style which Winter wore her own. If nothing else, Bleiss had good taste when it came to style.
A look down at the dress she wore confirmed that. It was something which Weiss herself would have never been brave enough to wear on her own. However, that did not change the fact that it was a beautiful little black number that accentuated her form perfectly. She was a small and petite young woman, admittedly lacking upstairs when it came to those... assets. However, the dress played to her strengths. It clung to her body, showing just how slim and slender her stomach and waist were. Turning to the side, Weiss also saw how it did wonders to show off her legs and backside, two things she did have over other girls like Yang and Blake. Unwelcome nuisance or not, Bleiss had chosen her attire well. This dress was a keeper... for some point in the future.
It had taken a few minutes of breathing exercises, but Weiss finally felt as though she had composed herself enough to be seen in public once more. To be seen by Jaune once more. What would he think? How would he react? Did it even matter?
Weiss shook her head. She needed to apologize to him. This wasn't his fault, after all. Weiss herself wasn't the only one being held hostage here by her dark reflection. For some reason Bleiss was infatuated with Jaune. This could not be an easy spot for him to be in. He had to go along with whatever crazy schemes she wanted, or else he knew that she would do something foolish. Something that would harm her body's true owner. Jaune would never stand by and let her be harmed.
Exiting the washroom, Weiss made her way back over to the boy who stood uncomfortably against the wall. She did her best to flash him a small smile, which was returned to her in just such a manner.
"Jaune," she started. "Please accept my apology for snapping at you. The position which Bleiss put you in could not have been an easy one, and you reacted to the best of your ability in accordance to our plan. It was not right of me to accuse you of any foul play. I'm sorry."
Jaune shook his head. "There's nothing to apologize for. You were scared. I couldn't imagine what it's like to just suddenly wake up in a strange place not knowing what's going on. If anything you handled it better than anyone else would have."
His words were warm and comforting. However, she was not about to cast her own blame aside because she had been scared. Schnees took responsibility for their actions. "Regardless, I am sorry. And I appreciate you thinking of my well-being when it came to attending Professor Port's detention. The last thing I need is to continue to get on his bad side due to Bleiss' behavior."
The boy shrugged. "Yeah. It's no problem. I mean, what else am I gonna do on a Saturday night? At least I finally got to go on a date!"
The self-deprecating humor had probably been meant to defuse the situation. But in reality, it hurt. There was a somber truth to his words. This had been Jaune's first date. Forced upon him by the girl who had hijacked her body. Jaune's first date had been stolen from him much like Weiss' own first kiss had been stolen from her days earlier.
And at the same time, this was Weiss' own first date in a weird sort of way. Despite not being conscious at the time, this was her body's first date. Sure, she had been to all kinds of events and balls back home in Atlas. She had danced with boys before. However, none of that had ever been a proper date with the intent to court another. None of those boys had ever stirred any kind of romantic interest from her whatsoever. Those were not dates. Those were business meetings. Social gatherings. Not... not dinner and a show with a boy.
"Come on," she urged with a slight nod of her head. "Let's go back to Beacon. We'll talk on the way."
Weiss was in fact curious about just how her first date had gone. She wondered if they had eaten before the movie. If so, what? What had she ordered? Did they had a good time? Would there be any sort of memory of the date in the form of pictures taken on a scroll? Or would her only memory be of her waking up cuddled next to Jaune in a dark movie theater?
Stepping out into the night, Weiss was silent for the first few minutes. There was so much to consider. She had to think about her phrasing. She didn't want to seem overly eager to learn about the experience, but at the same time she could not downplay tonight to herself. This was huge. This was important. This was a date with a boy. Not even Neptune had asked her out on a date yet. Not that they were in fact a couple. All they had done was attend the dance together. And even then, it had only happened because of Jaune's intervention. Jaune had been looking out for her even before Bleiss had ever come into existence.
The realization made her body warm, yet sent paradoxically cold chills down her spine.
She finally forced herself to speak in order to cast such confusing thoughts from her mind. "Did we have fun tonight?"
Jaune looked back down at her with a slight frown. "Is that the weird kind of 'we' where you're referring to just me in a condescending way?"
It took her a moment to realize what he meant. Yes, it could indeed be interpreted like that. Especially from her. "No. I meant the actual 'we'. Or rather, you and Bleiss. Did the two of you have a good time tonight?"
The way Jaune's face soured momentarily spoke volumes. It also contradicted what came next. "Yeah. We did."
Weiss' eyes narrowed as she looked at Jaune's face. How he refused to make eye contact with her. Was he embarrassed? Ashamed? Had something happened that he didn't want to talk about? If their date had been going well prior to her taking back control of her body, why was he uncomfortable?
Perhaps pressing for more information could yield results. "What did you two do tonight?"
"Well, after serving your detention, there was a couple hours to spare. I assume that's when she got ready and made the dinner reservations. Ever hear of a place called the Vermilion Garden?"
She had not. But it sounded classy enough. "No. Was it good?"
"Yeah. Mistrali food. You... she... got some kind of rice dish. She nearly went insane when she saw that it was served with this sauce called 'garum' or something."
Weiss knew it well. The fermented fish sauce was a condiment used on all kinds of meals back in Atlas. Fish had long been the primary source of meat for the continent, stretching back to a time where the early inhabitants had to rely on the sea to survive due to the lack of farmable land. Even today where there were bio-domes which could support crops and livestock, seafood was firmly ingrained into the minds and taste buds of the people of Solitas.
"I see." It seemed that Bleiss' similar taste was not limited to just style. They had similar preferences when it came to food as well. It briefly made Weiss wonder just how different the girl actually was from her. "Can I ask you something?"
He smiled. "You just did."
Weiss blinked, before shooting a soft breath from her nose. "Oh shut up. You know what I meant."
"Yeah. Ask away."
She didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting to get, or why she was even bothering to ask. But it was simply something she wanted to know. "In the end, was tonight everything you had ever hoped it would be? If I had said yes to your advances back then?"
Once more Jaune broke eye contact. It was indeed a personal and uncomfortable question, so Weiss could understand his reaction. The boy was staring down at the sidewalk when he responded. "No."
Weiss was surprised by the answer, despite not knowing what kind she had wanted to begin with. "Why not?"
"Because..." he shook his head slightly. "It wasn't you. She's not you, and you're not her. I know it sounds crazy, because this whole situation is. But I can't help but feel that you're two entirely different people now. Bleiss isn't just you with black hair and red eyes. So I wasn't going out on a date with Weiss Schnee. I was going with her."
She didn't know why his answer stung so much. But in a way he was right. She had not been present tonight up until her return in the movie theater. Whatever fun Jaune had tonight had been with her other half. Not her.
"I see," she said neutrally. Thankfully they were nearly back to the air ship station. Afterward it would be a short Bullhead ride to Beacon, and they could separate for the night. She would have time alone with her thoughts. She would be able to ponder what Jaune's words meant.
It hadn't been her intention, but her question had killed the mood. There was no further discussion about the date. There had been no further discussion period. The only other words Jaune had spoken was his excuse for sitting away from Weiss. He didn't want to risk his motion sickness acting up and getting any of its... effects on her beautiful dress. She sincerely hoped this was the case, and he wasn't just using it as an excuse to sit away from her. Since when did Jaune have motion sickness anyway?
Finally having made it back to Beacon grounds, the two approached the dormitory together. She knew that her team would be up waiting for her with a slew of questions. Or rather, they would be waiting for Bleiss. It would likely come as quite a shock when their white-haired teammate returned. That would just prompt a whole new series of questions. She didn't want to face them, but she knew she had to. She had faced far worse in her life.
Weiss turned to face her date. "Thank you for escorting me tonight," she said genuinely. And she truly was thankful. The last time Bleiss had gone out unchecked she had woken up with a hangover. "I... appreciate the fact that you care for my wellbeing. And that you respect me so much to inconvenience yourself in such a manner."
Jaune nodded, his teeth softly digging in to his lower lip before he spoke. "Yeah. I'd do anything for a friend."
A friend. Is that really what they were now? After all their past drama. After all the horrible things she had said to him. Did he really still want to be her friend?
A simple thought to the school dance was all she needed to confirm the thought. Yes. They were friends. Even Neptune had seen that and pointed it out to her. You've got some good friends looking out for you.
Yes. They were indeed friends. Jaune's behavior during this whole Bleiss debacle was only further proof of that. "I'm glad you had a good time. I hope that Bleiss did as well, and that it sates her... desires for the near future."
Normally this would be the part of the date where the pair would kiss before going their separate ways. However, there would be no such gesture tonight. They both knew that. Weiss wondered if Bleiss would have been expecting one had she still been in control.
"I hope so too." He nodded uncomfortably. "So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Weiss nodded in return. "Yes. Tomorrow."
They were about to part when Weiss was suddenly stopped in her tracks. A large and brilliant white glyph had appeared on the ground. Spinning wildly, Weiss recognized it for what it was, and her eyes widened.
"No..." she gasped.
"Weiss? What's wrong?"
Everything. It took all of her energy and focus to her Semblance in order to snuff the glyph out. She did so successfully, but the fact that it had appeared there on her own was a problem which could not be erased so easily.
"Weiss!" Jaune repeated, finally shaking the girl back to reality. "What was that? What happened?"
"Nothing," she lied. "Just a glyph I accidentally summoned."
To Jaune it was just indeed a glyph. They all probably looked alike to him. What he didn't know was that each one had its specific purpose. Each could perform a unique task. This one, however, was one that he, nor anybody in Beacon had ever seen. It was one she had not called upon here at the school.
It was a summoning glyph.
Author's Note: Special thanks go out to Random O' Panda for suggesting "Vermilion Garden" for the name of the restaurant. For more Vermilion Garden goodness, you should check out his fic One New Message. What a smooth plug. I'm too good.
As always, I want to thank you all for your continued support. I hope you're all enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.
