Black Paladin
Chapter 12: The dance before the storm.
AN: I wrote this chapter, and I have no idea where some of it came from. Enjoy.
AN:2 I finally got a Beta. It should improve my grammar dramatically.
After hours of building Yang and Ruby their perfect dresses, I finally finished, and to by entirely honest, they were fairly spectacular.
The white, full wrap, flowing in rivulets, and the lace armbands worked well for Yang. Ruby's red and black top, with a lace front, and the diagonal belt bisecting the lower frill, matched with the appearance of flowing petals was a nice touch. And after I dissuaded Yang from forcing Ruby into heels, I told them to have a good time.
I looked at the clock, and saw I had about 3 hours, so I cheated. I grew my suit out, in a rough match to Pyrrha's style, with an inverted color pallet. I went, just to ensure Weiss was ready, and Blake was actually going to the dance. I caught up with Weiss and noticed, she wasn't as upbeat as she was yesterday.
"So, Weiss. What happened?" I ask.
"It's just...nothing. I… may have asked Neptune to the dance." She said.
"I can see how taking him might be upsetting but…" I begin.
"He said no." She finished.
I pause, looking at her, she look back, more upset, "What?"
"I think I need to have a short talk with this boy." I say, standing.
"I am not a damsel in distress, I do not need…" Weiss begins, standing.
"Weiss. Stop. I do not think you are weak. I think that you are strong, and intelligent, and skilled. But I know that his rejection hurt you more than you are willing to admit." I turn to face her completely. "I also know that I could just tell Ruby, who would tell Yang, and then you will have caused an international incident."
She giggles, "Fine, nothing permanent."
"How about visible?" I ask, an innocent look covers my face, one that doesn't belong anywhere near my face.
I walk away, leaving Weiss much happier than I found her.
After giving Pyrrha notice, I go find Neptune, standing near the dance floor, and grab him by the shoulder.
"Watch the shoul...!" He begins. His commentary is quickly interrupted by the pressure clamping down on his shoulder, as I drag him outside.
I lean him against the wall of one of the balconies, "Do you understand why I am angry, or am I going to need to explain it to you."
My hand, slowly crushing his shoulder relents suddenly, and he leans hard on the wall to stand.
"I'm sorry!" He says.
"Do you understand why I am angry?" I ask again, nearly growling.
"I don't know!" He all but yells.
"Weiss." I say slowly, allowing his fear addled brain to catch up.
"I didn't go to her, she came to me!" He defends.
"I'm with Pyrrha, not Weiss, you dolt." I explain, "I however am protective of my teammates, am I very clear."
"I'm sorry, I can't dance." He says, almost cowering.
"You...can't...dance?" I ask slowly, my eyes fading to pure red. "You hurt my teammate because you can't dance?" My voice getting quieter with every syllable.
"Yes." He whimpers.
I lean my hand against the wall near his shoulder, and an audible crack resonates, as a claw print is left visible where my claws dug into the wall. I whisper, "If you ever hurt my teammate again I will introduce you to a very interesting game. Swim from the angry sea dragon. Hint; you are going to lose. Am I understood?"
He face rapidly goes the color of chalk. "Yes." He somehow vocalises.
"Go back to your dorm." I say, and in an instant, he is gone.
I walk back into the ballroom, after my eyes fade back to their established color. I find Pyrrha, and we waltz onto the dance floor.
As I look around I see Blake and Sun having a rather good time.
I look to Pyrrha, and see her gazing off into the distance. As we spin, I see Jaune leaving, and ask, "Want me to talk to him?"
She looks at me, "It would seem you know me far too well."
I twirl us off the dance floor, and follow Jaune up the stairs. He walks around the second floor, and then sighs, and stops to watch the dance.
"So, Jaune, not enjoying the party?" I ask, leaning next to him in the banister.
"No, I just… Neptune and Weiss, and just… augg." He says.
I look down to see Weiss trying, and failing, to stand a white rose on one of the tables. "She came here alone, and you didn't even try." I say, questioning.
"She just, how do you do it. You wooed Pyrrha, and I can barely get her to look at me." He says, handing his head in defeat.
"I want you to think about the difference in approach for just a moment." I say.
"I try these big expressions, and you just..talk..to..her." He says slowly, the simple idea permeating his brain.
"Weiss has had to be strong her entire life, big expectations, everyone treating her like either the next head of the Schnee Dust Company, or this future huntress, or a musical prodigy, that no one ever got to know the person underneath. Pyrrha and Weiss share more characteristics that you may initially believe. One thing that is almost exactly the same is a dislike for people who only know them as some kind of perfect superbeing. Exactly what you have been doing." I say, as his head slowly rises. "Now I am not for a moment saying that you will definitely have a shot, not by any means, but I think if you treat her like a regular human being, she may open up."
He look at me, he smiles, and stands, "I''' compliment her…" He begins.
"Do you listen at all?" I ask. "Don't do some romantic gesture, she may well hit you with the table. Go ask her to dance, no more no less. Try being a regular human being. Treat her like you treat Ruby."
As he goes to walk away, I grab his shoulder, just hard enough to stop him, "However if you hurt her, I will introduce you to a new whole definition of pain. Ok?"
A little color fades from his face, but my smile seems to keep him from passing out. "Let go buddy."
I walk with him, as we head over to the corner Weiss has all but hidden herself in. I give him a small push forward, and can just overhear their short conversation. "So...um...Weiss...I..well…" He begins poorly.
She look up at me, and I shrug, mouthing, "You could do worse."
She stands, and sticks out her hand, "One dance. If you are tolerable, I will consider a second."
They walk onto the dance floor, and for a moment, the world seems to stand still, it would seem Jaune can dance.
I walk back over to Pyrrha, and just as we begin, Yang walks up, "Can I steal your partner for a moment?"
"Of course." Pyrrha says, and I shrug.
As we dance out onto the dance floor, Weiss and Pyrrha's training paying off very well, she begins, "So, how did you swing that miracle?"
"Jaune apparently can dance all on his own. I am shocked too." I say, recieving a 'love tap' from Yang.
"You know what I meant." she demands.
"Jaune is trainable, I started, but Weiss is going to bear the brunt of that marathon." I say, looking over, and seeing both of them smiling.
"I think we would need a crowbar to remove the smile from his face after tonight." Yang comments. "I heard about your talk with Neptune."
"Well, something had to be done. And he is still fully intact. Well physically. Well mostly." I say.
"This is your solution?" She asks.
"A, Jaune wouldn't be an international incident, and B, do you think he would ever intentionally hurt Weiss?" I ask, looking over to them.
"True." She says, "But if that matchmaker eye looks over toward Ruby, I well remove it."
"Somehow I knew that was the purpose of this talk." I say. To her increasingly red glare.
"You, as well as I know that Ruby wouldn't get dating advice from me. And I hope you now that the angry sibling speech is much more threatening when you give it in groups." I say, matching her red.
She smiles, "Good. Now I have taken enough time from you and Pyrrha." She abruptly walk away, as I stand, for just a moment stunned.
I walk over to Pyrrha, mumbling to Yang's retreating form, "Well goodbye to you to."
As I reach Pyrrha, and we finally get to actually dance, I say, "Well, tonight had been more stressful than I imagined."
"I am just glad we finally get to have a dance together." She says, and we begin our dance.
As Weiss and Jaune, Ren and Nora, Mercury and Emerald all begin to circle out onto the dance floor, I wink, and wave my hand. Six of the eight were confused for a moment, Pyrrha and I simply began, as the 4 couples slowly began floating, up and down all in a waving pattern, as more and more couples formed, and joined us in the sky.
Without a dance partner, I slowly drifted out of the ballroom, not really comfortable with the frilly, kissy feel the dance had taken on.
I slumped on the bench just outside the doorway and looked out over the city. I saw a figure running across the rooftops and started, following the shadowy figure (Ha, Weiss I can use complicated metaphors [Wait that's an...adjective {Focus Ruby!}]) I saw them going to the tower (Still cool) and as I got there I found the guard asleep in the bushes, and dialed the number for my locker. I got my Crescent Rose (My baby) out, walked inside, found more guards asleep, and waited for the elevator. I took it to the top, and arrived to an empty room. Cautiously. I slowly walked out into the room, calling "Hello? Is anyone their? Hellooo?" when a figure, all in black came out from behind the desk. I spoke, "Excuse me, but it's not a masquerade party so why don't you…" She, (Definitely a she) brought a dust capsule(I've seen Weiss using them enough to recognise them) and created a bunch of crystals, and fired them at me!
A twirl of crescent rose blocked them, and I held her and fired, but the figure just stopped them with her hand and drew two swords from nothing. I leapt forward to attack, but she leapt back and she turned them into a bow and arrow, fired them, creating an explosion. In the pause, we both look at the elevator, seeing it open to a man in all white. He turns to look at me, and when I look back, she is just gone!
Having put everybody back on the floor, the dance continued, I paused when someone absolutely pissed walks into the room. I look over, and see someone new dancing with Mercury, and for the life of me, I can't remember her from the hallway. Pyrrha sees my concern, and asks, "Should I know something?"
"I met her once in the hallway, and something has never sat well with me. She seems false, and highly destructive, and yet broken."
AN:3 I know this one was short, and I apologize. I also apologize for the wait, as I had to scrap this several times as I was both trying to avoid Jaune & Weiss, (Which kept popping up even when I wasn't trying to) while getting the protective older brother scene in, and I couldn't. I just went where it went. The story is in charge here, nothing I can do about that.
Hope to see you for the Field trip.
AN:4 I was think of adding an element to Obsidian's repertoire. Comment if you have a preference.