"Ow!" Ruby squirmed in her seat as a hairpin caught on her scalp.
"Sorry," Hazel said through the pins in between her lips while massaging the offending area. "Anyway I thought huntresses were meant to be tough. You know, stopping bullets and things." She didn't quite manage to keep some of the wonder out of her voice.
"Yeah bullets, but not… pokey things." Ruby hadn't thought that she'd need her Aura up while getting ready for yet another ball. Though it wasn't just another ball, this time she wouldn't be going alone.
Hazel laughed. It was such an easy-going and infectious one Ruby couldn't help but join in. Despite how Hazel was literally being paid to be here, and the age difference, she liked to think they were friends. There wasn't much else to do than talk in the time it took to get ready.
"Well I'll try to avoid any more incidents with pokey things in the future. Ahh, Miss Schnee we'll be a few more minutes."
Ruby glanced up from her lap and caught Weiss' reflection in the mirror. It took her breath away. Weiss was stunning. Truly stunning. It was often an overused word to describe someone, but it fit. The sight of Weiss in that gown caused her entire world to come grinding to a halt.
"That's quite alright. It doesn't pay to arrive early, and please call me Weiss." Weiss slinked her way towards them. That was the only way Ruby could think to label how Weiss just moved. She swore that Weiss was exaggerating the way her hips swayed from side to side just to make the thoughts that shouldn't be said in polite company come to the front of her mind.
Ruby was left wishing that Hazel wasn't there and that they didn't have plans for the rest of the evening. She could think of much better ones. Ones that didn't involve quite so many layers of clothing.
"I do believe that is what fashion dictates Ms… Weiss." Hazel still said the name hesitantly, as if she expected the act of address the Schnee heiress so casually to come back and bite her.
Weiss smiled and sat down. Ok now she was definitely doing that deliberately. Weiss could have chosen any chair in the room, instead she'd chosen to sit with the last rays of the sun caressing her ivory skin. In the edge of the mirror Ruby could see her perfectly silhouetted against the backdrop of Atlas.
She could see every smooth line of the face she so loved. The cute nose, the pert and ever so inviting lips, her delicate jaw, and her long neck left bare by her hair drawn over her other shoulder. Her sitting like that caused Ruby to shift uncomfortably in her own chair earning a few more jabs with pins. There was no way Weiss' alluring posture was an accident, she was teasing her and it was completely unfair.
Hazel was true to her word and a few minutes later she tapped Ruby on the shoulder. "As usual you look great Ruby. Will either of you require anything else?"
Ruby shook her head. She was done, and of course Weiss didn't need assistance. Using whatever magical and sexy powers she possessed she'd not only managed to somehow put on a ball gown by herself, but made herself look like that in the process. Some people just got everything in life and Weiss was one of them.
"No we won't. You've done a brilliant job." Weiss spoke whilst studying Ruby and from the look in her eyes she appreciated what she saw.
Hazel might have been wearing jeans, but she performed a slight imitation of a curtsey anyway. "Thank you. It's all in the service though."
"I doubt you usually fly all over Atlas as part of your normal service."
Hazel blushed. She might have been older than Weiss, but Weiss had far more gravitas. "Well no. But I've enjoyed it. And it's not like I've had any other chances to be flown around in a private jet, or stay in five-star hotels."
"Perhaps but I still think you deserve something extra for your dedication. I know how much Ruby has appreciated you helping her." Weiss passed her something for her purse. "A little show of our gratitude," she added with a smile.
Ruby's mouth fell open with Hazel's. The tip was anything but little. There must have been several months of pay there if not more. To Weiss it might not have been a lot of money, to almost anyone else it was.
It certainly was to Hazel. Her hands were trembling as she disbelievingly fanned the notes out before her. Ruby knew she deserved it though. Hazel had performed miracles to get her looking even half as good as she did, and she'd done it all with a smile.
Hazel didn't appear to know quite how to cope with the gesture. She went from shock to bouncing excitedly from foot to foot, to finally throwing herself at Weiss in a complete breach of normal protocol.
If not for Weiss being a huntress she might have been knocked from her feet. However her sense of balance which served her so well on the battlefield served her well here. Not that she knew how to deal with Hazel's hug of course.
Since their time at Beacon, though Weiss might have opened up significantly to their friends, normal public interactions were still a mystery to her. If they weren't she would have done more than stiffly stand there as Hazel cried onto her shoulder.
They were still working on it, but it pleased Ruby to see Weiss finally catch on to what she was meant to do and hug Hazel back. Ruby decided to join in even if it risked her appearance.
The group hug lasted until Hazel seemed to come to her senses and realise just who she was hugging. If it had been a Beowolf she couldn't have extracted herself faster.
"Ms Schnee… Please forgive me. I… I don't know what came over me." She wiped her eyes hurriedly, fear in her voice.
"Hazel it's fine. There's no harm done. Though once again please call me Weiss."
"Sorry."
"And stop apologising, you haven't done anything wrong."
"Yes Weiss and thank you," Hazel's gushing gratitude to what Weiss deemed appropriate payment for services rendered was beginning to cause a smudge of crimson to show through Weiss' foundation.
Ruby decided to save her from any further embarrassment of her largess. She hugged Hazel. Despite the times she'd been certain Hazel had been trying to cause her death by asphyxiation, her own appreciation for everything Hazel had done was probably greater than Weiss'.
"So what are you going to spend it on?" Ruby asked when they broke apart, ignoring Hazel as she set about restoring the few dislodged strands of hair that had been her last hours labour.
"To be honest I'm not sure. It's just so much." Weiss turned away slightly. "My boyfriend and I have been thinking about looking for a new apartment. We might actually be able to afford the deposit to buy rather than rent now." Hazel stared off into the distance as the newly realized dream swirled through her mind.
"Well whatever you decide, you can tell me all about it next time." Ruby had an uncomfortable thought. "That is of course, if you still want to help next week?"
"Of course I do! I'll be here right on time," Hazel checked her watch, "But speaking of time, it appears you two are going to be fashionably late, and unless you need anything else I should get going too."
Weiss shook her head and all three of them made their goodbyes. Ruby waited until the door softly clicked shut before turning to Weiss. "That was an incredibly kind thing you just did. You've made her entire month."
Weiss blushed deeper. "It was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing. You might not realise it, and it's not your fault, but to someone like her it opened so many opportunities. She didn't ask for it, and she did everything without expecting it. You know what some of the people I've met at the balls are like… Do you think they would have done it? You're different from them. You've always been different. You might act frosty on the outside, but inside you're so kind Weiss." It was the best compliment she could come up with. In all honesty she wouldn't have Weiss any other way.
"Stop…" Weiss' voice caught in her throat.
Ruby didn't give her a reprieve. "Hazel's incredibly grateful for you and I am too. I wanted to give you something to show it." She pulled a wrapped rectangular package from beneath some of her folded clothes in a drawer. "I know how much you've hated me attending these by myself. I have too. I've always wanted to have you by my side. We might not be able to go public yet, but we know how special it would have been. You didn't get to see me attend my first ball, so I wanted to give you a memory of it. Open it."
Weiss turned the present over in her hands. Before Beacon, Ruby doubted that Weiss had ever received that many gifts. It was hard to imagine her, Winter, and Lord Schnee celebrating holidays like normal people. Very carefully, Weiss pulled off the tape.
Ruby's gift was a picture in a simple light blue frame. It was a photo of her. Normally the saying that the camera adds ten pounds proved only too true in her opinion, but not for this one. It was a photo that Hazel had taken on the night of her very first ball.
In front of sparkling cityscape of Atlas, the Eiszapfen rising tall into the air, her beautiful gown, her hair alive and glowing, she could have been a movie star. When she'd actually had the opportunity to look through the numerous photos Hazel had taken, she'd be blown away by how good she looked. Weiss had missed it at the time, but thanks to Hazel's thoughtfulness it had been captured forever.
"Ruby…" Weiss stammered. "I… I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything." Weiss was on the verge of tears. Though no one was meant to take pleasure from the emotional distress of their friends, Ruby did. If there was ever a confirmation of just how much she meant to Weiss, it was her being reduced to this state from such a simple gesture.
Ruby leant down and kissed her softly. The tender brush proved the trigger. The makeup at the edge of Weiss' eyes began to run. Much to her displeasure.
"This… this is your fault." She said still overcome with emotion as she attempted to dab at her tears.
Ruby smiled as plucked a handkerchief from down the front of her dress. "I'll accept that." Resting a hand on Weiss' cheek she took over attempting to protect Weiss' delicately applied makeup.
"You can't just spring something like this one me." The return of her more authoritative nature indicated the beginning of her recovery.
"Why ever not?" There were many rules in the world, but she was pretty sure surprising your girlfriend wasn't on the prohibited list.
"Because… because…" Weiss gave up and gestured at herself before fanning her eyes with her hands to try and keep them dry.
No one else in the entire world would ever even imagine the heiress to the Schnee fortune being this flustered, and Weiss wouldn't have allowed anyone else to see her in this state. Ruby got to see so many different sides of Weiss, ones that were never presented in the public eye. She was well aware of just how incredibly lucky her circumstances were.
"Because it lets me to show you just how much you mean to me?" Ruby finished Weiss' sentence.
"It's not fair."
"Nope, but what are you going to do? You're not the queen of the world." Though as a Schnee some might have considered her to be as good as. "You can't stop me." Ruby smiled playfully.
"But I never do things like this for you." The guilt in her tone was palpable.
Ruby put her foot down. "That's not true. That's not true in the slightest. You do so much for me. More than you could possibly know. You make me feel like the most special person in the world. You honestly couldn't do more."
Ruby had no ideas just why Weiss seemed to be so emotional today. Her latest heartfelt words prompted Weiss to start fanning her eyes rapidly again. Most said Weiss was like her father, cold and distant, but they didn't know the real Weiss.
"I think it's a lost cause," Ruby said peering in close at Weiss' face. "Sorry."
"You should be. Now we're going to be really late."
"Don't worry, I've heard it's fashionable."
Thanks to the makeup incident they arrived past the point that was considered fashionably late, and had moved into downright tardiness. It was totally worth it though. Ruby had thought that Weiss might have thanked her before setting the photo to one side; she never would have expected all that. No matter what happened this evening, nothing would top the warmth in her chest that came as a result of making Weiss happy.
Having been to a couple of balls before, it was all getting rather familiar. The ordeal of getting dressed, the wait in the queue of expensive cars, the nerves, and the excitement. She was expecting the usual scenario when she left the car. Everyone in sight turning on her with the intensity of a spotlight, analysing every little facet of her appearance, comparing it against the ever-changing database of what was considered fashionable.
Ruby wasn't all that worried about that. To her the dictates of style might be ethereal, but Hazel and the rest of the staff at the shop surely had their fingers on the pulse. She'd done this before, but there had never been a Schnee by her side.
The difference Weiss' presence made was significant. It started with the servants who helped them from the vehicle. They were respectful to all their guests, but a Schnee warranted more. Weiss got a full bow from every servant as she passed.
Weiss didn't deign to notice them. Instead she glanced back once to ensure that Ruby was behind her before striding ahead, her spine perfectly straight. The ripple of respect was not limited to the servants either. None of the nobles bowed at the waist but they nodded their heads or curtseyed slightly, even if some didn't want to.
Courtesy cost them nothing. Earning a Schnee's animosity almost certainly would.
There was none of the gossip. No appraising her dress or hair. Instead most of the chatter died. Most, but not all.
"Ruby," someone positively squealed as a ball of lace grasped her arm. "It's so good to see you. What have you been you doing with yourself? And you look fabulous. You must tell me where you bought your dress? And your hair; it's gorgeous. Who's your stylist? I'll have to pay them a visit."
Ruby barely managed to keep up with the deluge of questions. What she'd never gotten used to was the way the ladies here talked. She supposed it stemmed from her lack of participation in cliques at school; she had never been at the centre of one.
Ruby tried to connect the face with the name. "Hi… Amethystine," she said praying she'd got it right. Thankfully there was no embarrassing correction. "I've been good."
"That's just marvellous. You simply must meet up with us girls tomorrow. Oh…" They almost bumped into Weiss as she halted her purposeful stride. "I'd almost forgotten you know Weiss. It's great to see you again. Don't you think Ruby is just the best?"
"Good evening Amethystine." Weiss said coolly with a raised eyebrow.
"We've been simply inseparable. Isn't that right Ruby?"
"Uhh… sure."
"See we're pretty much best friends. Ruby's told me all about you."
That admission caused Ruby to start. She certainly hadn't! In their brief conversations they'd barely touched on Weiss. Most of what Amethystine said so far had been a gross exaggeration, and she didn't seem like slowing down.
"I think it's so incredible that you're both huntresses. It would be great if we could all go shopping some time."
Weiss' reply failed to quite live up to the enthusiasm of the request. "As pleasant as that sounds, I don't believe that my schedule would allow for it."
"Oh I'm sure you're completely snowed under." Amethystine laughed at her own joke and Ruby gave her a quick smile. "I am too. It's getting into the busiest season. That might actually be where we are able to help each other. I know how satisfied the SDC is with the services we provide, and I think this would be an opportune time to increase their scope."
Just like that, Ruby was excluded from the conversation. At the very start Winter and Weiss had both told her that people would view her as a gateway to the Schnees. She'd known it was true from the number of questions that she had to field about Weiss, but it had been her belief that maybe some had sought her out again just for her. Now she wasn't so sure. She'd made some friends here, though how many more were just using her?
Weiss nodded politely as Amethystine explained her proposal. For someone who knew her so well, Ruby could see that she wasn't really paying attention. It put Weiss' position in the noble hierarchy into perspective. They'd only been present a minute before Weiss had been ambushed.
Eventually Weiss used one of the rare breaks in the torrent of words pouring from Amethystine. "I think your proposal has merit. Sadly it falls under the remit of Winter's authority, not mine. You will have to discuss it with her, I believe that she is in attendance. Now, if you will excuse us, I am famished. It's been pleasant talking with you."
Weiss left Amethystine standing there as she headed for the side of the hall where the tables had been arranged. Not that Weiss made it. She was intercepted two more times before she actually managed to take the weight off her feet. Ruby sat down next to her. She was beginning to get a better understanding of why Weiss disliked balls so much. To Ruby they may have been filled with dancing and casual conversation, but to Weiss they were just more work.
"Is it always like this?" she asked after a servant had taken their orders.
Weiss sipped on her glass of sparkling wine as she crafted a reply. "I suppose so. It wasn't so much when I was younger. Back then I was just a consolation prize if they couldn't get hold of my father or Winter. Now that I'm working at the Eiszapfen though, everyone believes that I can push their deals through. It's going to be worse tonight since Winter and I have been absent from the last couple. I'll have to leave you on your own later to meet some people."
"Do deals really get done here? I know people talk about it a lot, but don't you need lawyers and things?"
Weiss smiled. "I don't exactly have contracts stuffed down the front of my dress if that's what you're asking." Weiss smiled. "Though I wouldn't put it past some people. You're right, we don't sign on the dotted line, but here someone can approach me without having to go through layers of bureaucracy. They can make a proposal that would never have made it to my desk. Sometimes it's beneficial. Most of the time it isn't."
Their late arrival meant that the majority of the tables around them had already been cleared of chinaware and were instead playing host to those who had either decided not to dance or were recovering from their exertion. As Ruby tuned into each of the conservations she found gossip and business in equal measure. From the glances the pair of them were receiving she was sure that, had their table not been set for two, some would have invited themselves over.
It was certainly giving Ruby a new appreciation of what happened at the balls. Before she'd very much been on the periphery of the dealings, now she was in the middle of them. Still they weren't topics that Weiss liked to dwell on.
"I've always thought Pression's blend of strings was genius in this cadence." Ruby said as the musicians started to play a new evolution of the melody. She very much enjoyed the way that Weiss' head snapped up from her study of her nails.
"Excuse me?" Weiss couldn't keep the disbelief of what she'd just thought she'd heard from her tone.
"Not many would be able to balance the pizzicato accompaniment with the adagio of the violins."
Weiss' eyes widened as though something truly unexpected had just occurred. "What?"
"I said the music's good," she spoke as if explaining something to a simpleton. Surprisingly the music was. The classical scene had never really been hers. She would even have gone so far as to say that it was boring. Now, partly because it was something that Weiss so enjoyed, and partly because of attending these balls, she'd discovered a new appreciation for the genre.
If it was up to her there still would have been more modern music playing, but on occasion she'd even found herself listening to a classical playlist without realising it. It came as a great surprise to her, but some might believe it was the first sign of becoming cultured. Whatever it ended up being, it was well worth the extra bit of research she'd put in to see the look on Weiss' face. Teasing Weiss was always so much fun, and she was one of the few who could get away with it without their health being threatened.
"I know what you said." Weiss' tone carried a hint of indignation that was no doubt muted due to those around them. "I just didn't expect to hear that from you."
"Why ever not?" Ruby imitated her tone, puffing herself up. "I'll let you know I am the model of Atlesian sophistication, and that includes the ability to distinguish the merits of the great works."
"Hmm," Weiss was sceptical. "What's your opinion on the eighth symphony?"
Ruby tried to keep any of her tells to the minimum. Weiss' question was stretching the limits of her brief education. "I think it's good, probably not quite as well written as this, but I still like it."
"Really? That is an interesting opinion." Ruby was buoyed that she'd got away with it. "I wasn't aware that you were that fond of silence. Seeing as Pression's seventh symphony was his last." Weiss gave her a victorious smile.
It was a good thing her cheeks were already coated in a layer of rouge. "Oh… So I might have been trying to impress you, but I do genuinely like this piece. And it's not like you could tell me anyone who's in the top ten at the moment?"
As they always did when the rare gaps in her extensive knowledge were found Weiss' lips pressed into a thin line as she thought frantically. "The Achievemen," Weiss said finally.
"Lucky guess," Ruby muttered under her breath causing Weiss to revel in her triumph once more. The Achievemen had released their latest album to enough fanfare that even someone as oblivious to popular culture as Weiss must have been aware of it.
"Do you really like the music? You're not just saying it?"
Ruby met her eyes. They'd never been able to lie to each other successfully. They could just always tell. "I do. I'll admit I wasn't that keen on classical when we first met, but it's grown on me. And not just because it's your favourite genre either."
It was clear that Weiss wanted to reach across the table and take her hand, but was prohibited from doing so by the charade they'd agreed to maintain. "Would you like to go to a concert some time? This is good, but the acoustics just don't match when compared to a proper hall."
"Weiss, I would like to do literally anything as long as you're with me." It was the truth. Weiss made even the worst situations bearable. "But I think it's only fair if you get to take me to a concert, I get to pick the next one."
That prospect was clearly concerning for Weiss. Yang had told her too many ̶ ̶ of what she would consider horror ̶ ̶ tales of what normally went on at gigs.
"We won't be camping will we?"
"You didn't seem to mind it when we were on missions."
"Ruby," Weiss tone was stern again, "There is a very significant difference between camping out of necessity in the middle of a forest, and forsaking hygiene when there is likely to be a perfectly good hotel a few miles away."
"I thought you liked getting dirt under your nails?"
Almost subconsciously Weiss checked her perfectly manicured hands out of the corner of her eye. "I most certainly do not."
"We won't be camping." In truth Ruby didn't particularly fancy the idea of spending a night in a tent in Atlas. It was a far cry from Patch.
"And no drugs."
"Weiss!" Sure Yang had mentioned the numerous amount of recreational narcotics available, but the idea of trying any had barely crossed Ruby's mind.
"And no moshing." Her distaste was apparent from the way she enunciated the word.
That was Ruby's cue to put her foot down. That was possibly the best part. "We most certainly are. It's not a gig without moshing. I'll pick something you'll like as well. I bet you'll even enjoy it. It's something you haven't experienced before."
"Fine. I suppose it's only fair. The exact terms and conditions are still up for debate though. From what I've heard moshing cannot even be loosely described as fun."
They were interrupted by their food arriving. As usual it was an exemplary example of fine dining. In fact, Ruby was sure that most here would not consider the artistic visions on the plates fine. To them it was probably just normal. It was so easy to forget just how much all this must cost. A cost that could be much better put to use elsewhere. While the rich dined on steak, the poor starved.
Ruby attempted not to let the thought get her down. A confrontational attitude wouldn't help her achieve her goal, and it wasn't most of these people's fault they were rich. They'd inherited their wealth just like Weiss would one day. Only she knew Weiss would use it to make the world a better place.
Thankfully, one of the many pieces of social protocol dictated that a meal should not be interrupted unless there was an open chair. It was so that jealous suitors were not able to derail any romantic encounters, but it suited their purposes just as well.
It was fun having Weiss here. Not that the other balls hadn't been. It was just so much better to be able to share the experience with someone she cared for immensely, and she was sure Weiss was enjoying it as well. Gone was the subtle tension that usually entered her when the topics of balls were raised. Instead she was happy and laughing. And beautiful. Ruby could never forget that. In her dress, in the candlelight she was simply radiant. It was with a clear conscience she could declare Weiss the most attractive person in the room by a mile.
They might have had a reprieve while they were eating, but their meal couldn't last forever, and the balls weren't only meant to be sources of entertainment. They both had work to do.
The instant their dessert plates were cleared away and the invisible barrier of etiquette evaporated someone approached their table. Ruby almost started to rise before he spoke; she'd gotten so used to this scenario.
"Weiss, I've missed your attendance greatly over the last few weeks. You never did stay and give me that dance. Some would think you've been avoiding me." It once again came as a shock to Ruby that she wasn't the centre of attention. In fact she didn't think she'd ever seen him before; she certainly hadn't danced with him. He was old, so old he was at least twice Weiss' age, and unlike most around he wasn't particularly handsome. His wealth had gone straight to his stomach and cheeks.
"I assure you that isn't the case Vert. I'm afraid my commitments have been conspiring to keep us apart." Just like when speaking to Amethystine Weiss spoke with refined eloquence. Not that she wasn't usually refined, it was just now she appeared to have turned it up to another level. In all honesty Ruby found it kind of hot.
"But not tonight it appears. Tell me, who is your friend?"
"Vert meet Ruby. Ruby this is Vert, heir to House Marceux."
"Ahh Ruby, I have heard all about you." Vert's Dionese accent was incredibly thick, so much so that he dropped the 'h' from the start of words.
"Good things I hope," Ruby said nervously.
"Of course." With that he seemed to dismiss her from his mind. That might have been the reason he'd never propositioned her to dance. Coming from one of the larger Houses he perhaps thought her below him. She was sure she'd spoken to one of his cousins though. "So now you are here, will you renege on your promise?"
"Naturally not. Just allow me a few moments to gather myself." Weiss took a sip of wine before rising and taking his offered hand. Vert led her away and immediately turned the topic of conversation towards some of their families' joint ventures. Weiss managed to throw an exasperated look back at Ruby and she returned it with an understanding smile.
Though it had come as a bit of a surprise not to be the one who was asked to dance, Ruby didn't mind overly much. With Weiss as her dinner companion she'd perhaps eaten more than she normally would, and was left a little bloated. A feeling made worse by her attire.
Consequently, she was content to sit with her glass of juice and watch as Weiss took her position in the centre of the dance floor. It might have been a coincidence that Weiss and her partner found themselves the centrepiece, but it wasn't. Someone like Weiss deserved the attention and few would dare to attempt to upstage a Schnee.
Not that they could. Not when someone was as graceful as Weiss was. The instant of the first sonata was simply magical. She'd danced with Weiss before of course, and Weiss had unfailingly made her feel like she was wearing scuba fins in comparison, but she'd never had the opportunity to just watch.
Weiss could have been a professional. She was that good. If the boardroom or helping people hadn't called to her, she would have been able to earn her way on the stage. It was another one of the many skills that Weiss had mastered throughout her life.
It was just the way she moved. Everyone who did dance could to a reasonable standard, some were better than others, but Weiss was better than all of them. She didn't even seem to be real. She was smooth and fluid she could have been made out of the wind. There didn't seem to be a single stiff joint in her entre body. The way she twirled, the way she spun, the way she made Vert seem incredibly clumsy in comparison. He was entirely unable to match her, and not just because he was unfit. It wasn't his fault; Ruby didn't see how anyone would have been able to.
Weiss dominated. There was no doubt that every eye was drawn to her, was watching her, probably even desiring her. But Ruby knew that she alone, in the room full of the wealthy and powerful, was able to realise that desire. For the umpteenth time she was forced to thank whatever god had conspired to create the circumstances that had ended up with her going out with the vision before her.
"Sup Ruby," somebody dropped into the now empty chair opposite her.
"Wraith," Ruby exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't seen him at all since their first meeting. The thought that he'd been avoiding her had even crossed her mind. "Where have you been?"
"Mistral. I got a message from some of the villages I helped out that the Grimm were starting to trouble them again. They couldn't afford the fees the local hunters were charging, whereas I was happy to do it for free. Naturally it meant I had to miss the balls. I hope you don't mind?"
Ruby suddenly felt the deep sting of chagrin. While she'd been annoyed because she wasn't able to find the one person who she felt a real connection with, he'd been helping the people who really needed it. What were her own wants when compared to that?
"Of course not. You're living up to your oaths as a hunter. How was it?"
"Good. I managed to get there before the Grimm did any major damage. It took me a while to whittle their numbers down, but they shouldn't be threatening the villages any time soon."
He was just so nonchalant in the way he spoke of saving entire villages Ruby couldn't help but wonder why she'd never seen him in the previous Vytal Tournament?
"So have you been up to anything?" Wraith asked.
"Not really. Nothing like you've been."
"Well you should really come with me next time. I think it would do you some good to get out of here. Not that you don't suit here. Once again you look great."
"Thanks," Ruby's cheeks heated. "But I've got stuff I need to do here." She'd been thinking about going on a hunt more and more recently. She'd even begun practicing with Crescent Rose again. After such a long time where she'd barely been able to look at it, all the motions that had once come so naturally to her were clunky. It was so embarrassing she hadn't even told Weiss about her intention. Instead she trained in secret when Weiss went to work. It was her goal to spar again with Weiss eventually, but it would only be when her skills returned to her.
"Really, like what?"
"Oh you know… stuff."
"Sure stuffs always fun." Wraith clearly didn't know, but decided not to pry and changed the subject. "You'd never guess what happened to me last week though."
It was a challenge and one that Ruby failed miserably. The anecdote that Wraith told involved him, a forbidden pool, a lack of clothes, and a very angry mother Boarbatusk. The one mishap after another had her unable to control her laughter to such an extent that she almost missed the end of Weiss' dance, only just throwing up a hand in a wave after she saw Weiss looking towards her out of the corner of her eye. Weiss wasn't able to come back and meet Wraith though, instead she was in deep discussion with Vert as they headed towards another table.
It was a shame. They would have liked each other.
"And that's how I got this wound. Do you want to see?" Wraith got up and started to slide his pants down to bare his bandaged buttock.
"No!" Ruby squealed covering her eyes. She couldn't think of a single other person she'd met at these balls that would commit such a breach of etiquette, but Wraith probably fit in less than her. Even she appeared civilised compared to him, and that was really saying something.
"Your loss," he said buttoning back up. "It's safe to look." Ruby lowered her hands and her eyes were met by his almost luminescent grin. Between him and Weiss she was really enjoying herself.
"Do you want to dance?" Ruby blurted out the question. As far as she was aware it went entirely against protocol, but after watching Weiss she was feeling the urge to put herself through the paces as well.
Wraith paused with Weiss' abandoned glass halfway to his lips. "Well this simply won't do Ruby. Never have I been more emasculated." There was such hurt and outrage in his tone Ruby thought she'd blown their friendship out of the water, but then he smiled. "I might not be a gentleman but there are some things so engrained in my bloodline that even I am unable to go against them. I could never be so coarse as to force the lady to proposition me. So Ruby Rose, might I have your hand for a twirl?"
Ruby laughed and rose. She didn't see why such a convention existed. If she wanted to ask someone to dance she should have been able to, but the end result was what mattered. "I'd love to."
"In that case I'll be the most envied man here." He took her hand and led her down.
As surprising as it was, he wasn't such a great dancer. She'd thought that as a hunter he would have been. It was why she'd assumed that she'd been able to pick up the art of dancing so quickly. He was still good, better than most; maybe it was his wound that was holding him back. His profession definitely showed in the strength of his arms and the firmness of his sculpted muscles, but there was just something missing. It was only then that Ruby realised that she'd been comparing him to Weiss. No one would have had that contest fall in their favour.
When they finally came to a rest Wraith spoke. "You know I don't often ask anyone to dance. I like to save myself for someone special and you most certainly are. I can only imagine how good you are with Crescent Rose"
"You're not too bad yourself." Receiving such a compliment from someone like him would have been unimaginable to her before. In reality he wasn't bad when compared against normal people.
As they made way for the next group of people Wraith paused as if only just remembering something. "Oh… do you know Lunaria Estrella by any chance?"
"What?" That name suddenly brought Ruby back to the main reason she was here. It wasn't dancing with her friends and enjoying herself.
"I heard from Blossom that she'd been interested in you."
"Right." That was promising. Or was it? Should she have sought her out straight away? "I… I better go and find her then. Thanks for telling me." Ruby made to leave, but then stopped. Given Wraith's enigmatic nature she wanted to know just when she'd see him again. "Are you going to hang around here? Or will I see you at the next ball?"
Wraith chuckled at that. "I don't think I have much of a choice," he obviously expected her to laugh with him. "You know, as my parents are hosting it." She hadn't. It made her realise that she still didn't know his last name. Wraith spoke like a circus announcer. "Prepare for next time when you will be amazed by the wonders that Lord and Lady Osier have spent what feels like the last few years obsessing over!"
Osier. At least that was one little puzzle that had been solved easily enough. By her recollection they were a mid-sized house that tried to keep itself neutral. "I'm sure it'll be great. If I don't see you again tonight, I'll see you there. I really shouldn't keep Lunaria waiting though. Bye."
"No you probably shouldn't. That one is not a patient person. See you around. It's been fun."
Ruby strode away. Searching. She was always surrounded by a group of sycophants, Lunaria shouldn't have been difficult to find. And she wasn't, it only took Ruby a few minutes to locate her. It was clear that Lunaria was not impressed by her tardiness.
"Look who's crawled up. Finally." That earned Ruby a round of mean-spirited laughter. "What is it you want child?"
That confused Ruby until she realised that Lunaria probably wouldn't want to admit to just how deep their ties went. "Umm… I was wondering if I might have a few minutes of your time Lunaria?" That earned her a disapproving scowl. Right, Lunaria's stupid rule. "I mean, Lady Lunaria." Ruby curtseyed by way of apology.
"I suppose I should humour you. Leave us." Once again all it took from her were two words and the table was quickly left deserted.
"I take it that it will not be necessary for an anonymous tip to find its way into Lord Schnee's in-tray?"
"Umm… no Lady Lunaria." Ruby tried to sound meek at the reminder of the hold that Lunaria believed she had over her. Weiss had been furious when Ruby had told her and Winter what she'd been threatened with. So much so that she'd stalked from the room and hadn't returned for several long and uncomfortable minutes.
"That is fortunate for you. Though you better not make me regret my generosity. What do you have for me?" She was really coming to despise Lunaria. Ruby wasn't someone who could hate easily. It was even beyond her to truly loathe the White Fang. She wanted to see them brought to justice, but she didn't have a desire to make them pay in kind for what the crimes they'd committed.
Lunaria, though, was one of the most vile people she'd ever had the misfortune to meet. She was a bully, pure and simple. There were plenty of bullies in the world, though there weren't many with a multinational corporation at their back. Lunaria believed that she was a vulnerable girl and was constantly threatening her with a fate that may have been worse than death. Just to make her dance to tune. Ruby couldn't wait for the moment that they'd stopped her, and they never had to talk again.
"Uhh… yes. I had a look around Weiss' office." She hadn't. Instead Winter had armed her with an arsenal of facts, that Lunaria would be able to be corroborate, and little snippets to send her in the wrong direction. Exactly what Winter was trying to achieve, she couldn't tell. Most of what she'd said was entirely indecipherable.
"Then pray tell." Lunaria was at the limit of her patience.
"Right, there was a lot of stuff there and I didn't understand all of ̶ ̶ "
"Stop," Lunaria interrupted her something else catching her attention, but when Ruby turned around she couldn't see what it had been. "I have a better idea. You enjoy dancing, yes?"
Ruby was thrown off balance by the drastic change of subject. The monologue she'd been preparing crumbled to pieces in her head. "Uhh… yeah," she answered finally.
"Then why don't you tell me on the dance floor. You'll be much more comfortable." Lunaria's tone was far removed from the hostile one Ruby had experienced up to this point. Instead there was some amount of at least feigned kindness there.
Ruby had only just managed to cling on to all of Winter's facts and at the request they slipped from her metaphorical fingers once more. Ruby blurted out her foremost thought. "But… but we're girls."
Lunaria tittered. "I'm glad that hasn't escaped your attention. It hardly matters," she paused and whispered conspiratorially, "I mean it's not like you're gay, are you?"
Ruby almost swallowed her tongue at the unexpected question. "N… No," she choked out.
Lunaria smiled radiantly and took her hand. "Well then, we'll just be two friends enjoying each other's company. There's nothing wrong with that. Come on."
Unless she wanted to make a scene and rip her hand from Lunaria's grasp she didn't have a choice but to comply. Lunaria might not have believed it wouldn't be a big deal for two girls to dance together, but to Ruby's eye they did draw a lot more stares than normal as they stood at the side of the marble expanse. Though that might just have been because of the social implications of someone with Lunaria's lofty position dancing with the peasant from Vale. Lunaria basked in the attention. Her back was straight, her shoulders back, her breasts thrust out, all as if she was daring anyone to call her actions into question.
Ruby wasn't sure they would anyway. Though amongst the older generations homosexuality was still publicly frowned upon, those who would inherit and had inherited recently were much more accepting, but old prejudices still ruled.
The general composition of couples on the dance floor in no way matched what they should have been judging from global statistics. In her time at the balls, Ruby hadn't seen a single gay couple dance. It might have been simply that the routines were heavily choreographed around the genders.
Ruby had no doubts that she would not be the one who was leading. As they took the customary positions opposite each other, Ruby lamented how she'd managed to get into this situation. She wanted Lunaria to be Weiss. She longed for it with all her heart.
For their well-being she'd already sacrificed her first formal dance at a ball, one which should have been with the person who held the keys to her heart, but it had been with a guy. She'd been able to tell herself it wasn't allowed for her to dance with another girl. That was the only reason and yet here she was curtseying to someone else in a dress. Someone that should have been Weiss.
Most would have found Lunaria stunningly attractive. She had beauty, power, and money. They would have been overjoyed that she'd accepted their invitation. But Ruby wasn't most people. She knew how horrible Lunaria really was on the inside; her glowing skin and deep cleavage was just covering it all up.
Weiss wasn't like that. She was beautiful inside and out. As they came close, Lunaria's heavy perfume was cloying, overpowering, whereas Weiss' was subtle, and beneath it was the scent that was unmistakably her.
Lunaria's grip was harsh on her hand, she pulled her back and forth as if not wanting to risk one of her partner's missteps embarrassing them both. When they'd danced, Weiss had always trusted her implicitly. In every single way Lunaria couldn't hold a candle to her. But then that was love.
With that thought deep in her heart Lunaria's next question suddenly became very easy to answer. "So, what did you find?"
"Thank you Vert. Have your legal reach out to mine tomorrow with the alterations. This has been a most productive evening." Weiss said as she rose from the table in the room just off the main hall. Its privacy was meant for either sensitive business arrangements or meetings of a more dubious nature.
"Indeed and I shall." Without her permission he took her hand and kissed its back. Weiss fought the urge to gag. "Perhaps you'd like to celebrate with another glass of wine?"
"Sadly I have other matters to attend to tonight," she delicately extracted her hand from his. If her father was here, if history was anything to go by, he might well have struck her for that. She knew exactly what Vert was implying. It repulsed her.
He was old enough to be her father, and even if her preferences didn't lie with women, she very much doubted she would have been attracted to him. She couldn't understand how anyone could allow their body to deteriorate to such a state to satisfy their gluttony; even in the short time they'd danced his breathing had become heavily laboured.
Despite that, in her father's eyes, he would have been a close to perfect match. He would have gained a son with an impressive acumen for business, and any child they had would allow the absorption of the extensive holdings of House Marceux into the Schnee Empire.
Of course, for that to happen she would have to be intimate with him. That thought sent a shiver down her spine. It was a fate that she'd managed to escape so narrowly. Since she'd confessed who she was to her father she'd known that at that time he'd only considered her good enough for breeding stock. If he'd had his way her only responsibility would have been to open her legs for whatever repulsive man he'd chosen.
It had been close, so close. In another world she might well have been that person. A person who might very well have considered ending her own life as she lay crying after being assaulted every night. But she'd escaped that dark path, and she'd proved to her father that he'd been wrong about her. He'd even admitted it. And now she would never allow him to choose who she spent her life with. That choice was hers alone. It wasn't a hard one to make and thoughts of someone else filled her mind. It most certainly wasn't Vert.
"I will see you in four days if all goes well with the contract. Goodbye." Weiss didn't curtsey in farewell, but then she very rarely had to. There were few people in the world who were more powerful than her anymore.
Ruby had asked if much business was actually carried out at these balls, and for most people there wasn't, but a Schnee wasn't most people. While others would have spent the time laughing with their friends, dancing, drinking, she'd been liaising with a group of lawyers specifically kept on duty back at the Eiszapfen attempting to iron out the initial details of a tentative contract. Not the way most would choose to spend what was meant to be their recreational time.
The moment she opened the door the babble of conversation and music hit her. It almost made her panic. She'd always loathed these balls. It had been worse when she was younger and everyone had known just how out of favour she was with her father. People had only ever approached her if Winter was otherwise engaged. It had made her feel so inadequate. Now it was slightly better. The backstabbing and gossip still disgusted her, but everyone knew that she now had an office on the same floor as Winter's. And as had just been proven, she could settle multimillion lien contracts as well.
Weiss headed back towards the table where they'd eaten. It was perhaps a forlorn hope that Ruby would still be there, but she'd wanted to recharge her batteries. As hard as it was for her to believe, she'd thoroughly enjoyed this ball; even Vert had failed to entirely put a damper on her mood. It had been fun to see Ruby get dressed up, to attend with her, to talk to her over a good meal. It was what everyone else undoubtedly experienced whenever they came to one, and something that she hadn't until today. With Ruby here, the balls weren't that bad.
The table was unsurprisingly deserted and Weiss started to search for her. It was difficult. Most of the time she could only get a few steps before someone stopped her for a word. It was hard to tell what was worse. The so obviously fake attempts to win her favour, or the people who ignored the pretence entirely and tried to jam a proposition down her throat.
Weiss extracted herself for the eighth time in as many minutes and turned her eyes towards the dance floor. Her body froze.
To most who didn't know her well it would have simply looked as though she'd paused to indulge herself in the spectacle as so many were doing. They wouldn't have seen the minutest twitching in her fingers that was representative of the rage that was burning inside of her.
She'd psyched herself up for this. She'd known that Ruby would have to dance with other people. Do the thing that was denied to both of them. One of things she longed to do. To show Ruby off to the world and proclaim that she was her girlfriend. It would have been a beautiful moment.
Weiss had believed that she'd managed to at least accept that they were currently unable, and had gotten used to Ruby returning from the balls smelling of numerous people's aftershave. This was different though, and Weiss couldn't take her eyes from travesty in front of her.
Ruby was dancing with another girl. And not just any girl, but Lunaria. Someone who had bullied her relentlessly at these balls. Someone who had turned most of the other people her age against her. With the backing of her own family Lunaria, hadn't had to worry significantly about insulting a Schnee. She was the main reason why Weiss had often broken down into tears the moment she'd got into her bedroom.
And now she was dancing with Ruby. Ruby even seemed to be enjoying it. She wasn't trying to pull away but was instead pressed close against Lunaria, her head almost buried in the ample cleavage that Lunaria was displaying. Lunaria was definitely enjoying herself as well, she was looking around at all the people watching and she…
That… That whore!
The uncouth thought screamed into Weiss mind like a lightning bolt. Lunaria had just groped Ruby's posterior through her dress, in full view of everyone. Ruby had flinched but hadn't pushed her away. She was probably too scared to.
The rage that had been inside of Weiss boiled over. If not for years of careful and rigorous training she would have lost control entirely. It was her every intention to cast a glyph, leap down there, drag Ruby away, and punch Lunaria right in the face. Wipe the smirk off her stupid lips.
Weiss had even taken a step forward before the logical part of her frantically grasped the reins. She couldn't do it. To most, hers and Ruby's relationship was still a secret. It would seem like an entirely unprovoked attack.
One that might have well caused very real damage. Lunaria hadn't trained as a huntress, she would have been hospitalised at the least. It was unlikely that Weiss would have been arrested, but it would have been a PR nightmare and her father would have been furious with her.
So all Weiss could do was stand and watch as Ruby was smothered by much larger breasts than her own. Weiss suddenly felt very, very sick. She needed some air.
The scowl on her face was enough to keep anyone from attempting to intercept her as she made her way to one of the doors leading from the ballroom. No one wanted to get in the way of a Schnee who was quite clearly livid.
Weiss threw open a pair of doors with enough force that if they had been locked the result wouldn't have been different. The corridor beyond was almost deserted. One kissing couple leapt apart at her appearance but Weiss ignored them. She couldn't care less at the moment.
He heels clicked thunderously on the floor as she strode down the hall and turning the corner she collided with someone. If possible, her mood got worse.
"Sorry," the man said hurriedly.
It was him. The one who'd taken her place the moment she'd left to dance with Vert. The one who had made Ruby hold her sides with laughter. The person who Ruby quite clearly had met before but had left out of her reports to them.
The charlatan who had evidentially tricked Ruby into believing that he was her friend. While all he was doing was preparing to hurt her. No one was ever allowed to hurt Ruby again. That was her decree.
Of course that was the reasoning Weiss used to justify it to herself. There was another part of her within the roiling flames of her anger, which had seen Ruby laugh at his jokes and had felt the cruel sting of jealousy. The insecure wraith that was left from her childhood.
"In here." Her voice was arctic cold as she gestured him inside a deserted study.
"Ms Schnee, I'm… I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." He was panicked, but House Osier was not one who could afford the animosity of a Schnee.
"In!" Weiss left no room for discussion. She locked the doors behind the pair of them.
"Ms Schnee. Let me make it up to ̶ ̶ " His voice change into a strangled cry as he was yanked into the air. A black attractor glyph had sprung into existence in the air behind him, and he splayed out against it, his feet a few inches off the ground.
The instincts honed into him at Bastion caused him to flare his Aura and Weiss could see the tightening around his eyes as he prepared his Semblance.
"Go on. Make my day." Weiss spat out the challenge with such venom it caused the blood to drain from his face. Her hands were held in front of her, one maintaining the glyph, the other ready to counter whatever he tried. She wasn't armed ̶ ̶ the balls were now places of social and economic assassinations rather than actual ones like they'd been in the past ̶ ̶ but she didn't need to be. Not for him.
"You scraped your way out of Bastion Poireau." She used his given name, not the stupid nickname he thought made him appear cool. "I've seen your transcripts. You're not a great hunter, no matter what lies you tell. If you think I'm wrong, try me."
She couldn't count the number of times that they'd been in a group together and she'd heard him boast of his skills. In reality he'd taken down a few Grimm at the Wall. It wasn't impressive. He hadn't fought off hordes which just kept coming, and it showed.
Anyone at Beacon would have risen to her challenge, it would have been easier. She could have said he tried to assault her and he never would have had the courage to show his face in Atlas again. Instead of taking the courageous course he lowered his hands back to the surface of the glyph. Weiss almost sighed. Now it had to be the hard way.
"Weiss…" His voice cut off as she increased the attractive force of the glyph. "Ms Schnee. I'm sorry. I didn't mean ̶ ̶ "
Weiss rode over his meek apology. "Poireau. Listen and listen well. I'm only going to say this once."
He might have tricked Ruby, but he hadn't tricked her. Ruby was naïve when it came to the truths of the world. It was what made her so special. And so vulnerable. Poireau undoubtedly had nefarious plans for her. He'd won her friendship through lies, and would only use it to cause her pain.
After what they'd been through after escaping Vale, Weiss never wanted to see Ruby hurt like that again. She was only just on the path to recovery and no one was going to derail her. At the end of the day, Weiss would do anything to protect her. Including the things Ruby would never be willing to do herself.
When Weiss spoke her words were delivered entirely devoid of emotion. "If you ever so much as breathe near Ruby again, I will have you killed. Do I make myself clear?"
In the paleness of his blood-drained face, his eyes were wide and afraid. "Wh…What?" he stuttered.
"Do I make myself clear?" Weiss growled, doubling the amount of Aura she was using to power her Semblance until even standing three feet away she could feel herself being drawn towards the glyph. For Poireau it would have felt like every part of his body was being crushed.
He managed to raise his head enough to nod.
"Say it!"
"Y… Yes." He was likely having trouble breathing and his words were weak.
But they were enough. He'd agreed to the terms of the ultimatum. His fate was now in his own hands.
Rather than simply let it simply fade out of reality Weiss reversed the polarity of her glyph. The sudden change from attraction to repulsion catapulted Poireau across the room. His shoulder slammed into a bookcase snapping the wooden shelf, and he fell to its base as books cascaded down around him.
Weiss left him on the floor groaning. With hands that were no longer shaking with rage she calmly unlocked the door. She might not have been able to combat Lunaria just yet, but she'd saved Ruby from Poireau. That knowledge improved her mood.
When Weiss Schnee reappeared in the ballroom it was with a pleasant and welcoming smile on her lips.
A/N: Well it appears that Weiss doesn't handle jealousy all that well and she's not one for half-measures either. Would she follow through with her threat? Only she knows. But you know the saying, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Weiss orders strikes against the White Fang every day. What's one more a little closer to home to protect the person she loves? Her father would be proud of how his heir is turning out.
Ignoring the end I had a lot of fun with the fluff at the start of this chapter. Hazel's reaction to the money was inspired by the viral video of the waitress receiving a $200 tip that was going around when I wrote the chapter. Even if fake, her reaction made me smile. I now also have the very real desire to see Weiss attending a concert in the middle of a muddy field. I do not believe she would be amused.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you thought.