The dorm room was shrouded in darkness, the only light being the moonlight that filtered through the curtains. The right side of the dorm was still, Yang's loud snoring echoing off the walls as she slept. She had drifted half off the bed, her leg pressed against the wall while her blonde hair fell off the side and covered Blake.
The faunus was curled into a tight ball, hands grasping her blanket tightly as she slept. Her cat ears flickered in her sleep, moving ever so slightly to stretch out her limbs as she slept. Her human ears had earplugs in them to block out the dragon sleeping above her.
Ruby sat on her own bunk, knees tucked tightly to her chest as she finalized the details of the date that would be starting soon. Had she slept? No, but it wasn't her fault! Excitement raced through her veins like a drug, keeping her awake as she planned everything down to the smallest detail.
She checked the clock on her scroll, the sudden bright light blinding her for a second. She hissed quietly, blinking away before finding what she was looking for. Her silver eyes widened as she read the time.
4:52 A.M.
Ruby snapped her journal shut, flinching as it clapped loudly. She shrank into herself in fear, holding her breath as she looked over to Yang and Blake with guilty eyes. Yang snored on like nothing had even happened, and Blake didn't move save for a quick ear flick.
Thanking the gods that she hadn't woken the duo, she carefully crawled off the side of her bed, landing as quietly as she could. She sighed quietly, her eyes landing on Weiss' sleeping form beneath the sheets of her bed.
Ruby halted for a second, watching the delicate rise and fall of Weiss' shoulders as she rested, her shimmering white hair falling over the edge of the bed like a cascade of white silk. She was sound asleep, twisted underneath her sheets into a little ball. Her covers had slid down her shoulders, exposing her uncovered collarbone to the twilight.
Ruby took a breath, washing down the growing pit in her stomach. She didn't understand why she felt so nervous; she had woken Weiss up hundreds of times in the past, both accidentally and purposely, but now she found herself hesitating as she watched the heiress sleep. Something about the rise and fall of her chest comforted the smaller girl immensely. Something about Weiss sleeping so soundly made her feel relaxed like everything would be okay. It made her want to crawl in beside her and stay there, squeezed tightly against the Schnee's cool skin...
Weiss shifted in her sleep, mumbling softly. The action snapped Ruby out of her trance, the silver eyed girl blinking several times as she came back from whatever planet she had landed on in her head. She didn't have any time to waste watching Weiss sleep, as calming and… admittedly creepy as it was.
She set her hand carefully on Weiss' shoulder, before shaking her lightly, "Weiss… wake up..."
The girl beneath her groaned, shivering away from Ruby's touch with a slurred, "Ruby- go back to bed..." Weiss pulled her sheets closer to her face, nestling into the warmth of her bed. Ruby frowned slightly, shaking her slightly harder this time.
"Weiss~ Come on, we have to leave early or we'll miss it," Ruby whined, only to be ignored by the sleeping teen with a mumbled grunt. A sulk grew on Ruby's face as she tried to figure out a way to get the Schnee out of her bed. The thought of ripping the sheets off came to the front of her mind, but she quickly dusted it away. Weiss would never forgive her if she did that.
The girl's eyes drifted around the room as she tried to come up with something, before her eyes landed on the fridge. She carefully snuck over to it, opening the freezer and quietly pulling out the ice tray. Luckily for her, there were still a few ice cubes frozen in the silicone, which were already getting glossy with the room's warmth.
She quickly tip-toed back to Weiss' bed side, the ice in her hands already beginning to melt. She crouched down, her eyes landing on her nightdress' collar. Her silver eyes gleamed with mischief as she carefully pulled Weiss' hair out of the way.
"Final warning," Ruby whispered, which caused an annoyed groan to escape from Weiss again. Ruby took that as her cue, pulling the heiress' collar back and quickly pressing her hand full of ice to the warm skin that waited there.
Weiss immediately shot up with a surprised gasp, her blue eyes suddenly wide in shock. She reached over her shoulder with a hiss, clawing at her back to try and grasp the ice that had fallen through. Ruby snorted quietly, a hand covering her mouth to help contain the choked noises that threatened to escape. Furious blue eyes found the snickering girl in the dark, burning angry holes into Ruby's silver.
"Ruby!" She hissed through grit teeth, "I am going to-"
"Shhh! Hurry and get dressed so we can gooo," Ruby ushered, hopping to her feet quickly. Weiss' anger was quickly mutened, her words catching in her throat as her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the room.
Ruby wasn't wearing her signature combat clothes, instead she'd put on clothes Weiss didn't even know she owned. She wore a cuffed, long sleeved, cotton shirt with a half dress/corset style piece that came up to just below her bust. Beneath that she had a red skirt underlayer, complemented by black tights and black boots. Her old red cape was pulled around her shoulders, something, it seemed, Ruby couldn't go without.
"I-" Weiss stammered before clearing her throat, looking at her scroll that sat charging by the bed in an attempt to draw her dumbstruck gaze away from her partner, "Ruby, it's still dark outside. Why did you even wake me up?"
"Because we need to start our date, duh!" Ruby whispered, moving behind Weiss to push her towards her dresser of clothes, "And we need to get to the docks, so hurry up!"
Weiss squeaked in surprise as Ruby pushed her towards the dresser, looking over her shoulder as a blush crept up her neck, "Our date?- Couldn't you have waited until morning like a sane person?"
"Nope!"
Weiss sighed, finally pushing Ruby off her and standing for herself. She should've expected something like this. Now she only wished she had gone to bed earlier… "Alright fine. Give me a moment to get changed."
"Finally."
Weiss was slowly starting to regret accepting Ruby's offer to go on a date.
She was expecting something a lot… meeker from the younger girl, especially considering how shy she had been asking the Schnee the night before. She was fully expecting a stereotypical date: go for dinner, maybe see a movie- but waking up before sunrise and walking to the docks? That had never crossed her mind.
Maybe she should've expected the unexpected? Probably. Either way it was too late now, because now Ruby was leading Weiss closer and closer to the Beacon docks, and not the airship ones. They went to the boat docks for whatever reason.
A chill blew through the air, the cool wind wrapping around Weiss before falling away. She had worn something a bit less extravagant as she usually would , wearing a small black dress that was mostly covered by her thick, expensive white coat. After a bit of debating, she had also decided to wear black tights along with her thigh high boots for extra warmth. Not that she needed them per say. The outfit had been complete without them, but it never hurt to be generous.
Plus, Ruby had practically drooled when she saw it.
"We're almost there," Ruby said, a cloud of white forming in front of her mouth as she spoke. It was particularly cold this morning, cold enough for a thin layer of ice to form on the cobblestone in the courtyard. Weiss had been cautious with her steps as to not slip on the frozen surface.
"Are you going to tell me why we're taking a boat and not an airship?" Weiss asked, before cocking her brow, "Or is that a secret too?"
"You'll see" mused Ruby. Weiss rolled her eyes, a small smile growing on her face. So far, she hadn't managed to get any information out of Ruby as to what they were going to be doing, or why she had dragged the Schnee out of bed before sunrise.
"Right."
Weiss had to admit though, the sky was pretty during this particular time of the day. Pale purples and reds washed through the clouds, a sign of the sun's close arrival. It truly was a sight to behold, especially as it reflected off the water. This was reason enough to be up so early.
"Ah, we didn't miss it!" Ruby called suddenly, drawing Weiss' attention forward.
At the end of the pier sat an old looking boat. It was mainly white, with small red accents and a big crimson turnwheel at the back. Small lights hung from each of the arches that spread across the sides, while a chimney pumped grey smoke from the top. Weiss' eyes widened, her pace slowing to a halt as she took in the rare sight.
"Weiss Schnee, meet the SS Osiria," Ruby explained, turning to judge Weiss' reaction. Ruby couldn't tell if it was good or bad. "We'll be riding her to Vale!"
Weiss couldn't take her eyes off the boat as they drew closer, "…how?" She had never imagined that she'd call a boat 'nice', but there was something about the one in front of her. The archways, the small hanging lights wrapped carefully around the pillars along the sides. It was definitely a rare sight, usually these docks were filled with ugly transporters and cargo ships hauling Dust or food to the school.
"The Captain brings students to Vale every morning, free of charge." Ruby explained as she finally reached the edge of the pier, close enough to jump, "I found it one morning on a jog."
Weiss furrowed her brows in confusion, "Since when do you jog this early in the mornings?"
"I don't. I used to- as a new year's resolution." Ruby itched the back of her head with a sheepish grin, "I couldn't handle the early mornings very well…"
"Ah."
The boat whistled, a warning that it was almost time to go. Weiss turned to find the bridge that connected it to the dock, and then back to Ruby, who was backing up from where she stood, "Shouldn't we get on?"
"We are!" Ruby called, crouching into a running stance. Weiss looked between Ruby and the sizable gap from the pier to the boat, before realising what her date was about to do.
"You won't make that," Weiss commented, placing a hand on her hip. Ruby flashed her a grin, stretching out her calf.
"Sure I will! I just have to get a good running start."
Weiss sighed, "I am not rescuing you from the water, Ruby."
"You won't need to. I can even do it without my semblance!"
"Really?" Weiss laughed, taking a few steps back from the edge to give Ruby more room, "If you're so confident, without your semblance, please be my guest."
Weiss smirked, and Ruby smirked back. Ruby had made dozens of jumps like this before, and she was fast, even without the assisted speed of her semblance. She dug her heel into the cobble, and ran. She quickly gained on the edge, counting her steps until she had to jump. 5..4..3..2..
Jump!
Ruby flew through the air, landing just barely on the edge of the ship. Her arms flailed wildly in the air as she tried to keep her balance, teetering backwards slightly in a moment of panic before finally catching herself and falling forward onto the slippery deck. She let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her forehead before turning and facing Weiss.
"Okay!" She said, placing her hands on her hips as she backed away from the edge of the boat, "Your turn!"
Weiss stared at her flatly for a moment, before turning away, "Uh, no. I'm getting on the normal way."
Ruby pouted as Weiss walked along the dock to where the bridge was. Weiss sighed, shaking her head as she crossed the boards onto the boat. Trust Ruby to go the hard way. She was always a daredevil of sorts. Always trying to impress Weiss. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she was surprised Ruby had made the jump, and equally as impressed considering she didn't use her semblance.
One of many surprises today, it seemed.
Once she got on, she found Ruby sitting cross legged at the very front of the boat, patting her side as a sign to sit down. The heiress rolled her eyes slightly, moving and sitting with her knees tucked beneath her.
"Maybe next time you should just take the normal option instead of needlessly risking your life," Weiss mused as she sat down, the boat beginning to drift away from the pier. Ruby laughed, leaning back on her hands at her partner's words.
"Is that your way of saying you don't want me to get hurt?" Ruby asked, earning a playful huff from her partner.
"No, I just don't want a soggy first date, that's all," Weiss replied, eyes gazing out across the river.
"So you do want me to get hurt?" Ruby fake whined, earning a playful shove from the girl beside her.
"I didn't say that either," she chuckled warmly, glancing back to Ruby as they got further from the school, "You still haven't told me why we took a boat to Vale. An airship would have been much faster."
Ruby checked her scroll, then back to the sky, "You'll see any moment now."
Weiss frowned, following Ruby's silver gaze across the river and towards the skyline. Almost as if on cue, a bundle of warm orange began to rise from behind the horizon. It blinded Weiss for a moment, causing her to squint as her eyes adjusted at the sudden brightness. She blinked a few times, before opening her eyes again to stare across the river surface. She gasped.
A ball of orange light began to crawl from beneath the horizon, painting the clouds in stark reds and oranges and chasing away the lilacs and pinks from twilight. Clouds that floated in front were being dyed a palette of warm and cool tones, while the perfectly undisturbed river surface mirrored the sky's extravagant hues.
Ruby shifted her gentle gaze back to her partner, who was watching the sky with a mesmerised glow in her azure eyes. Her silver hair flowed behind her in the wind, revealing her face in the rising sun. Her eyes were wide in awe, the sunrise reflecting back in them, while her smile stretched wide across her ivory skin. Ruby watched, a pleased feeling blooming at her core.
It was in small moments like these, when Weiss let her walls down, that Ruby could truly see her partner for who she was. Beneath her façade of royalty and selfishness sat a girl who was only beginning to experience life for the first time. Like a baby bird learning to fly away from its crumbling nest. Ruby loved that version of Weiss, and she worked hard to earn such a treat.
Weiss' once steel walls were slowly beginning to chip away, and with each chunk that fell, Ruby discovered something new. Like Weiss' laugh, something that the entire team had only heard for the first time merely weeks ago. Ruby had been stunned silent, and immediately started thinking that they had 'broken' the heiress.
Feeling content and fulfilled, Ruby smiled, her hand shifting closer to brush against Weiss' smaller one. She could feel Weiss flinch slightly at her touch, however she didn't pull her hand back..
"Do you like it?" Ruby asked hopefully. Weiss nodded her head, a sigh turning into quirked lips as she turned to face Ruby, whose face was glowing in the sunrise.
"It's breathtaking," Weiss concluded, her azure eyes moving back to the sky. Ruby did the same, her eyes shining as she took in the sight. She had seen sunrises like this many times as a child with Yang atop their roof in Patch, but this morning was special. Having Weiss beside her made it special, a memory that she would cherish for the rest of her life.
"Kinda like you..." Ruby muttered under her breath, heat wrapping up her neck and spreading across her cheeks.
"What was that?" Weiss hummed, soft eyes finding Ruby's furiously blushing face.
"Um.. nothing."
Weiss' gaze drifted to the water again, blushing at the earnest compliment. She hummed shyly, catching a piece of loose hair and tucking it behind her ear. Ruby took another nervous breath, using her free hand to scratch behind her head.
"Are you.. Uh.. enjoying yourself, so far?"
Weiss shifted her stance, pulling her knees from beneath her and tucking them to her chest to help keep warm. As beautiful as the view was, the winds still carried a cold bite to them. Ruby's question floated around in her head for a moment, words changing on her tongue as she tried to find the right ones. Ruby definitely had her attention now, but Weiss was always told to play hard to get. She wasn't going to just drop her walls right away because she was dating someone she already considered a close friend.
In the end, dates were a way to impress your loved one, to win them over, or at least that was how Weiss always saw it. As a Schnee, she had some form of reputation to uphold, especially considering she was with Ruby in public, and that Ruby was a girl. She had forewarned Ruby the night before to be cautious with her romantic actions, because if Weiss' father caught wind of her endeavors, there would be almighty fury waiting for her on the other end of her scroll.
After a few seconds of debating, Weiss finally nodded, turning to meet Ruby's anxious eyes, "I suppose I am." She saw the apprehension immediately melt in those pools of silver as she spoke, Ruby's nervousness suddenly fading. Weiss raised an eyebrow teasingly, "But you're going to have to do a lot more than just showing me a pretty sunrise to win me over."
Ruby laughed, shuffling closer to Weiss as the Vale City docks began to come into sight, "I know. This is a date you won't forget, I promise."
Weiss hummed again, shifting closer to Ruby's comforting warmth, "I'll hold you to that."
The pair remained mostly silent for the remainder of the ride, pressed closely together as the sun rose above the horizon to settle in the sky. The small boat arrived in the docks quickly, where similar sized ships brought fruits and other small goods for sale in markets that morning. By the time they had gotten close enough to lay the boardwalk down, a small fish market was already bustling with people and faunus alike, hoping to get the fresh catch from that morning.
Weiss scrunched up her nose as she followed Ruby through the wooden piers, looking around at the woven baskets of fish that were quickly emptying, "Gods, the smell-"
Ruby turned to look at her partner in surprise, "Never been to a fish market before?"
Weiss shook her head in response, "Not once. Usually all our food and supplies were delivered to the estate and kept in the basement."
"Wait, have you never been to a market?" Ruby asked again, slightly dumbfounded. Again, Weiss shook her head.
"No."
"Well then," the glint in Ruby's eyes was hard to miss, and Weiss didn't know if she had to be worried or not, "You are going to love where we are heading."
Weiss frowned in slight fear, "Don't tell me your date plan was to bring me to a fish market." Weiss didn't know how much longer she could put up with this smell. She never enjoyed fish, only ever eating it because she wouldn't get anything else if she didn't. The forced diet had only made her dislike seafood even more. The mere thought of spending the entire morning here made her stomach churn. "If that's the case, then I'll just go home now."
"Well, not exactly," Ruby explained nervously, "It's not a fish market…"
"Then what kind of market is it?" Weiss asked, skipping her step to catch up to Ruby so she could walk beside her. Ruby looked nervous, her eyes avoiding Weiss'. That was never a good sign...
A black market.
Ruby had brought Weiss to a black market, on a date.
"Please tell me you're not serious," Weiss was beginning to regret this. She had heard about several black market setups around the slums of Vale, and this one had been one of the more well known. They had gotten a taxi to an old airship yard, skeletons of old, retired ships having been dumped here. There were cars here as well, beneath it all, rusted and dented beyond recognition from before whatever company had bought the site.
Several cars had been pushed together to form a valley of sorts, a tarp sewn together to make it longer draped across the destroyed vehicles. Several stripped lights were strung high on poles, lighting the dim area with the help of an old functioning engine. The entrance beneath the tarp was drawn back slightly.
'It looks like a horror movie setting' Weiss thought to herself, gulping nervously.
"Weiss, welcome to your first Market!" Ruby flinched at the glare Weiss was giving her, "A-a-and you don't like it…" Weiss looked up as a young faunus appeared from under the tarp, looking up to spot the Schnee who was watching, before scowling and walking away. Weiss frowned.
"No."
"O-oh..." Ruby turned to try and regain Weiss' rapidly draining eagerness, snatching both of Weiss' hands in her own out of nowhere. Weiss looked down, her mouth drawn open in surprise as a pink colour filled her cheeks. The Schnee looked up to meet Ruby's begging eyes, "It's not as bad as you think. Plus, it's only to get breakfast. There's a really good baker who comes here-"
"Ruby, you just brought a Schnee to a black market," Weiss countered, "I told you not to do anything drastic..."
"It's not a black market. It's just… quirky..."
"It's a market, outside of Vale, in a junkyard," Weiss growled, "Of course it's a black market."
Ruby's eyes grew downcast, her earlier eagerness dissipated. Weiss' heart suddenly twisted in guilt, her eyes widening upon seeing how upset Ruby had gotten, "If you're not comfortable, we can go?" Her eyes brightened ever so slightly again, but the heiress could still see the flicker of shame in her silver eyes, "I've got a lot more planned anyway! Come on, let's go."
Weiss' stern determination not to go inside faltered, second thoughts beginning to make their way into her resolve. She frowned, looking up to catch a faunus looking at her, before skittering off upon being noticed. Her frown deepened, unsure.
"Wait," Weiss mumbled, catching Ruby's arm as she brushed past her, "Maybe."
Ruby twisted back to face her date, "Maybe?"
"I don't want you to be upset for the rest of the morning. Maybe I'll go in."
Ruby frowned, catching one of Weiss' cold hands in her warm one, "But you're not comfortable right? We don't have to-"
"I said no such thing," Weiss snorted, "All I said was you brought a Schnee to a Black Market, which was a foolish idea. You're asking for something bad to happen."
Ruby tilted her head, confused, "S-so you want to go in…?"
A sigh, "As a Schnee, no, but potentially as someone else."
Ruby fell silent, horribly confused. Weiss was staring at her like she did when Ruby did something stupid. She didn't want to go as a Schnee? But, she couldn't just not have a surname. That was a part of her identit- Ohhhhh.
"Oh, I get it! Like a disguise!" Ruby concluded, rousing a quiet chuckle from Weiss.
"Took you long enough, you dunce! The only thing is I don't have the faintest idea of what I could use." Weiss hummed, looking around to the abandoned cars with a grimace, "and I'd very much prefer not to wear anything that's been sitting here for centuries."
Suddenly, Ruby let go of Weiss' hands, much to the elder girl's disappointment, reaching up and unclipping her cape from her shoulders. Weiss watched in surprise as Ruby lifted the cape off of herself and hung it around her date, folding it over her neck before reaching back and pulling the hood up.
"There! Now nobody will recognise you!" she proclaimed. Weiss was stunned.
"But- This is your cloak!" She stammered. Ruby shrugged.
"Yeah? I'll be fine without it for an hour or two," she hummed. Weiss would have sunk into the warmth of the cape there and then, the pure smell of roses rolling off the cape in waves, soothing any remaining fears, and making her drowsy. It held Ruby's warmth, chasing away the chill that constantly haunted Weiss' bones.
It was odd seeing Ruby without her cloak, Weiss noticed. Her shoulders were much... broader than Weiss had thought they were, years of practice with Crescent Rose having bulked her out. Ruby wearing such a skin-tight shirt didn't help either, the fabric sticking to the rigid curves along her arms. Typically Ruby's loose dress hid the majority of her… highlights… Weiss felt a heat prickle up her neck as a blush made itself known.
"I- okay, I'll wear it.," Weiss sighed, pulling the red cloak together, hiding her completely from prying eyes. She sucked in a breath for the one she had let out, straightening her stance, a regal air gathering around her, "But we leave this place the instant I say so."
Ruby lifted her hand in a salute, those muscles Weiss had been admiring earlier flexing beneath the knitted fabric, "Yes ma'am! Let's get going before all the good stuff is gone."
Weiss cautiously followed Ruby's fearless advance beneath the tarp, anxiously pulling at the hood as they entered the main area. String lights lit each 'stall', if they could be called that. Hundreds of people were inside, carrying bags full of items they'd bought (illegally, considering where they were), while others crowded the merchants. Weiss kept close to Ruby, practically clinging to her back as they made their way deeper into the market.
She looked around, taking note of the types of people that were there. Most of them were like her, caped and trying to remain anonymous in such an area, while others wore nothing to hide their identities. A mother with children trudged their way through the crowds, horns sticking from their heads, while the baby held to her chest with rags cried loudly. Weiss watched as a young cat boy, maybe 13, picked an apple off a merchant's table, causing an unholy uproar from the faunus merchant.
Weiss frowned suspiciously, looking around a bit more. It seemed everyone she looked at held some type of faunus trait; ears, tails and wings attached to most people that she looked to. Guilt pooled in her stomach as she leaned closer to Ruby, keeping her voice low.
"Why are they all faunus?" She whispered.
"They're mostly poor Faunus from other continents," Ruby explained quickly, "A lot of them are ex-miners. They sell their old gear to try and make a profit. There's some humans here as well."
"I… I see," Weiss mumbled sadly, her ocean eyes growing cloudy as she began to regret her own maiden name. If they were miners, the chances that they worked for her Father's company were too high to count as a chance. Many of the sellers that had mining equipment on the table were older, and the rare few that were young were covered in scars and missing limbs. One of the merchants caught her staring, sending her an annoyed glare and a growl as he bit down on a twig. Weiss immediately snapped her gaze back to Ruby, gulping nervously.
"Ah, there they are," Ruby said suddenly, gaining Weiss' attention. Ruby turned to lead Weiss over to a sweet smelling stall, covered with baked goods and baskets filled with bread. A young fox faunus sat there, eyes brightening as she saw Ruby come closer. Her small ears perked up, disturbing a sleeping boy that had been resting on her shoulder. A sibling, Weiss guessed.
"Ruby!" the girl spoke, her voice dripping with an Atlesian accent. Weiss' eyes widened in shock. She didn't look Atlesian; her skin was sallow and freckled. Most people in Atlas had pale skin.
"Hi Amber," Ruby chirped, a smile growing on her face, "It's good to see you here!"
"I wouldn't say it's good to be here," she laughed, coaxing a giggle from Ruby too. A pang of jealousy hit Weiss like a lightning strike, fire shooting through her. She stepped forwards, her plan of hanging back gone out the window. The way those grassy eyes were staring at her Ruby made her skin bristle, her eyes flickering like an icy fire.
Amber's eyes flicked up to meet Weiss', a laid back grin forming on her lips as she leaned against her palm, "And who's this mighty fine lass? And wearing your cape, no less?"
Ruby looked to find Weiss standing beside her, a nervous blush growing across her cheekbones, "Oh, uh, Amber this is W-"
Weiss' heart plummeted to her stomach. These people couldn't know who she was. If they did, gods know what could happen to them. This place was filled to the brim with dangerous weapons and dust. They could be killed in seconds, aura or not. She decided on the first thing that came to mind-
"Her girlfriend," Weiss blurted suddenly, a deep shade of red having settled in her cheeks as her own words escaped her lips. Ruby froze, her eyes wide in shock as the blush from before grew rampant along her skin. Weiss could feel her silver eyes glaring at her in disbelief, but she held her annoyed stare towards the fox, her face practically glowing with the heat coming from it. Amber cocked an eyebrow, a single canine peeking from beneath her grinning lips.
"Do I sense jealousy, Miss 'her girlfriend'?" she teased, a playful glow in her eyes. Weiss was sure her veins practically bulged out of her head, growing stiff as she devised a sentence that encompassed all her growing embarrassment and rage. Ruby could practically see her anger boiling off in her aura, broken sounds coming from her as she picked her jaw up from the floor.
"She.. I-.. Y-yes," Ruby finally choked out, "This is my g-girlfriend."
Amber snorted slightly, leaning back from the bench with a breath, "Whatever you say Ruby. I ain't one to shame someone, especially such a frequent customer."
"Frequent cust-..." Weiss echoed, turning and pinning Ruby with a bitter glare. How did she not notice Ruby's apparent frequent visits to such dangerous places?! If she had known, she would've stopped it long ago, whether her partner liked it or not. She doubted Yang knew about this- well, then again it was likely Yang had introduced her to black markets in the first place, knowing her. How had Ruby even gotten here in the past without Weiss noticing? Weiss always kept tabs on her teammates... "How long have you been coming here?!"
Ruby looked at her sheepishly, like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar, "Uh- a few months..?"
"What?!"
"Not to butt in on your lovers quarrel or anything," Amber interrupted, cutting Weiss' prepped tangent before she even got to start, "but here's your usual, plus a bagel for 'the girlfriend'." She winked at the heiress, rousing a gentle pink across her cheeks. Weiss grit her teeth together, nails digging into her palms beneath the cape. She certainly had the attitude of an Atlesian.
Ruby reached for the plastic bag, looking inside of it before smiling in satisfaction. She reached into her pockets, pulling out a few coins and handing them to the cunning fox that Weiss was beginning to really hate, "Thanks Amber. Be seeing you?"
The fox huffed, folding her arms over her chest as a glint formed in her eyes, "If you survive being her girlfriend, maybe. Just gotta catch me first."
Ruby half-laughed, rubbing the back of her head, Weiss eagly backing away from the stall as they said their goodbyes, before she stopped. Something felt… off, just enough to where she couldn't set her finger on it. She scanned the crowd of thinning faunus, but she found nothing. An unsettling feeling sprouted from her chest, a worried crease forming on her features.
She scanned the crowds again. For an instant, she could've sworn she spotted someone in a white mask watching her from behind a weapons booth, a cloak draped around them. Weiss frowned, taking a step back to try and see who it was. When she did, the figure disappeared into the moving people, lost in the shapes of black. Weiss frowned, gently tugging Ruby's elbow as dread set in.
"Weiss?" Ruby's voice pitched in worriedly, having noticed her partner's confused glares. Weiss pulled back, eyes still locked in the same place, tucking the red cape around herself tighter. She looked freaked out, or like she had seen a ghost, "Did you see something?"
"Where did he..." She murmured quietly, completely ignoring Ruby's question, still watching the spot where her stalker had been. She could feel the worry and concern radiating off her partner in waves.
"What did you see?" Ruby asked again, a whisper of protectiveness in her voice. Weiss shook her head, waving her off as she recomposed herself with a steady breath.
"Nothing. It must have been my imagination," she shrugged. It must've been. The man- whatever it was, was wearing a mask. They probably weren't even looking at her specifically, just her nerves getting the best of her. She was just paranoid, "It's fine."
"Are you sure?" Ruby pressed. Weiss sighed heavily, placing a hand on her hip as she stood.
"Yes Ruby, I'm positive. Now, can we go?" She asked, "Your cloak is extremely warm." A lie, but she hoped it would steer Ruby off what had just happened.
"Oh, yeah, it can get really warm suuuper quickly," Ruby tied her bag into a knot and stuffed it into her pocket, "Let's get going then. We've got the whole day to burn."
"Great," Weiss huffed, a smile returning to her face as Ruby began to walk through the crowds, "Finally some progress. Remind me to plan the date next time."
"Hey! I'm trying- I was hungry!"
The bickering pair quickly made their way into the crowds, disappearing from sight.
A masked figure watched as the huntress duo disappeared, having gone unnoticed atop the stack of cars. He jumped down, landing beside Amber, who looked up to him unimpressed.
"Pay up," she snarled, holding out her hand, "Or who knows what I'll do with your information."
"Was the Schnee with her?" He demanded, dropping a black sack of coins into her outstretched hand. The fox opened the string around it, her eyes sparkling when she saw the amount of money on the inside. The young boy beside her nodded, picking up his mask from beneath the stall.
"White hair, scar over her left eye, attitude. It was her alright," He hummed, pulling his black cloak around his shoulders. The other hooded figure looked back to the fox, who was happily putting the Lien into her pockets.
"Did they mention anything else?" He asked. The fox shrugged, leaning back into a stack of hay behind her.
"The Schnee is a lesbian. That girl with her was 'her girlfriend' apparently," she explained, before frowning slightly, "Anything else is gonna cost ya."
The smaller boy looked to the stalker, before shrugging and phasing into the crowds. The taller figure followed, reaching up to press a hand to his earpiece.
"Target is leaving the market. Can confirm that Rose is with her," he growled lowly, "They seem to be romantically involved."
An excited snort came from the other end of the line,"Well now, I wasn't expecting to hear that!"
The male frowned, "What are your orders?"
"Follow them," the voice answered, "I want to personally pay a visit to Snow White and Little Red..."