(Ice Flower)

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-Ruby-

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"Do I have to?"

She knew she was pouting, but she didn't care. She and Weiss were in a shopping district within Vale. That didn't bother her, of course. She's always happy going out with her friends, especially her BFF (despite Weiss' constant denials), but the line was drawn when it came to this.

"Of course you do" the resident ice queen replied sharply. "There no way our team leader is going to a ball dressed like she just came out of the field."

Another pout. She liked her uniform/combat skirt, especially her signature cape and hood. Fancy dresses were just not her thing. But the dance required formal dress and her typical gear didn't make the cut, at least as far as Weiss is concerned. It wasn't fair either. Weiss has a combat skirt just like her, admittedly more fashionable (Weiss' words) and could also double as formal dress.

Alas, she was outnumbered, at least as far as Weiss and Yang concerned. The ice queen insisted that team RWBY were to be there at their best and Yang had her dress already ready. Blake, well, that's still up in the air as was still unwilling to go to the dance (which Ruby could partially understand at this point and was a fact that still worried her). But Yang had assured them that she would come and Ruby accepted it. She was the only one of them who didn't have clothes like that and it appeared to be Weiss sole mission right now to make sure that correction was rectified.

And she knows her partner had of higher standard of, well…everything.

Internally, she sighed. This whole situation with the dance seemed fun. The minus was the dressing-up part, which she clearly wasn't a fan of. But Weiss had a reasonable point; the team had to be presented in the best way for the dance. And as she was the leader, she had to be the one to set the example for the rest of her team.

She would have to accept this...chore...from her partner.

"Fine..."

-0-

-Weiss-

'Where did she go?'

Sighing, she scanned about in search for her teammate. Ruby couldn't have gotten far. Actually, she could have, given her semblance. But it was unlikely that she would it use it in freely in the out… oh, wait, she would do that too. She shook her head, sighing again. In hindsight, she put herself in this situation, but it was moments like this (and there were a lot of them) that made her wonder how someone with such a childish personality ever became their leader. But then again, the rest of team RWBY had their own oddities, and for all her faults and quirks, Ruby really has developed into a good leader for them; she could honestly attest to that.

If only she could deal with her...eccentricities

"There you are."

She found Ruby off the edge on the opposite side of the store, near the coat section. Why she was there at all is beyond her. At least she didn't sneak out of the store entirely. Still, she is mildly annoyed. She had to find the right shoes for Ruby's dress and she can't do that if said person would stay put.

"Don't tell me you got lost."

"Oh, I was just..." Ruby replied sheepishly. "I just saw this and couldn't help it"

Still annoyed, she looked at the object of Ruby's attention and found it was a cloak and hood on a hanger, much the same as Ruby's except that it was slightly bigger and colored snow-white. She was about a second away from chewing out her partner when Ruby then added.

"It just... reminded me of my mom's."

Well that...was completely unexpected, both the words and the slight odd tone in her voice. As far as she knew, Ruby has never talked about her mother; her father, sure, but never her mother. It was odd to realize considering Ruby's personality. But then again, she never spoke about her own family, save Winter (for good reasons), so she wasn't one to talk.

She could have inquired further (she wanted to), but something told her not to, at least not now. If Ruby was so closed-lip about it, then now may not be the time, at least not out in public. Perhaps anything opportunity will present itself to her later. At least she understood now her preference/affinity with cloaks and hoods, although the color was different. Taking a step toward the garment, she smoothed her hand on the fabric.

"Well, if it feels the same way, then your mom had good taste."

She didn't have to look to know the beaming look on Ruby's face in response…