A/N:
Hi friends!
Welcome back to RWBY: The Selection. Thank you for sticking with me through the hiatus, I had a family medical emergency so I haven't been able to post in the past week. But IIIIIIIIIII'M BACK!
And I'm back with some Coco and Velvet! I want to clarify real quick: I'm a big fan of Chocolate Bunny, but I'm also a big fan of some other Velvet ships, and these other Velvet ships kind of took over in this fic. Don't worry: Coco has her fair share of lesbian lovers to come ( AfterTheFall).
Also, a big shoutout to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Since it's been so long it's hard for me to see exactly who I replied to last time, but shoutout to Guest for their THREE reviews. Guest, are you secretly Sienna Khan? Because the royal family really is *not* thinking through the safety implications of how public this is ;). And yes, I would classify this as dystopian to be sure ;). I'd comment on some of your other ideas, but I think that t'would be better to wait and see ;)
LordFelidae be calling Salem *out* over here XD. Without digging too far into it (for the purposes of showing rather than telling), there is some validity to these "disappearances" you speak of. Salem doesn't mess around.
Shoutout also to Ravell Aqim for their *gold* "age can be a dangerous question" comment XD. And for checking in on me, that was really sweet :)
Once again, please review with any thoughts/comments/reactions/ships/anything else that strikes your fancy!
I know this one's a little short for so long of a break, but another chapter (or three) should be up tomorrow as well so look out for that! I'm also planning on putting a separate fic out on Halloween. I was hoping to do a Spooky-Week kind of shindig, but disaster struck, so it'll be more of "Spooky-Day" kind of shindig. I only tell y'all so that I can actually keep myself accountable for it XD, but I'll link it on the day of.
Without further ado, enjoy!
Chapter 49: Coco and Velvet
"If we have to waltz again tomorrow, I am going to pitch a fit," Coco exclaimed. She and Velvet sat out on the balcony of their room, staring out at the dark forest below.
Velvet tilted her head. "You weren't that bad,"
"Oh, I know," Coco said quickly, "it's the Huntsmen I had to dance with that sucked. That Neptune has two left feet, and I'm pretty sure Mercury only has one,"
Velvet chuckled. Above all else, Coco Adel was confident. "I mean, you seemed to have a fun time with Fox,"
"He's funny. That doesn't mean I want to dance with him,"
Velvet shrugged.
"Are there any of them you find bearable?" Coco pressed. Coco had known since the third grade that she was a flaming lesbian, but Velvet had always been a harder nut to crack. There were times when Coco's gaydar went off like crazy around the shy Faunus, and there were times when she just… wasn't sure.
Velvet thought for a minute. Off the top of her head, she could list four Huntsmen that she did not find bearable. Team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester, had gone out of their way to make dancing lessons, and life in the palace, difficult for Velvet. They would corner her when she was alone in the hallways, pull on her ears, and call her a freak. Velvet shook her head. She wouldn't think about them now. Cardin and his friends weren't worth any more thought than she'd already given them.
"Yatsuhashi's nice," Velvet admitted, "I thought he'd be scary, being so tall, but he's actually really sweet,"
Coco snorted. "Yatsuhashi is the embodiment of a gentle giant. But he's too soft of a lead to be a good waltz partner,"
"Fair," Velvet conceded. She thought for a minute, her heart fluttering in spite of itself. "I wonder what Prince Jaune would be like as a dance partner,"
"Stiff, probably," Coco answered without a second thought, "stuffy,"
Velvet bit her lip. "We held hands, in the botanical garden." She hadn't confided this information to anyone yet. She was unsure how she felt about it herself, and she didn't want to get her hopes up as to what that moment in the garden could mean.
Coco stopped. "Does she… like him?" she thought in disbelief. She and Velvet had come here to become Huntresses, nothing more, nothing less. She'd never imagined that one of them would fall in love along the way. "Do you like him?" Coco asked. She was never one to beat around the bush.
Velvet bit her lip and took a second before answering softly, "I think I do. I don't know him that well, so it's hard to tell, but… I think I could be happy with him."
Coco expected to feel jealous and shocked at those words, and, while those feelings definitely were present, they were overshadowed by an unexpected wave of happiness. Velvet Scarlatina, more than anyone Coco knew (except perhaps herself) deserved to be happy. Life had always been hard for Velvet, being a Faunus, and being a Seven. Becoming a Huntress was a step towards happiness, but it didn't guarantee it. Becoming a One and finding true love, however: this was the level of happiness that Velvet deserved.
"Do you think I'm some kind of crazy romantic?" Velvet asked, wincing.
"Yes," Coco admitted, "but I also think you're going to win this competition."
"And by that," she thought, "I mean I will ensure that you win this competition."
