Chapter 10: Weakness Exposed
"Alistor..." Weiss stood in front of the door, impeding Alistor's march back into his room.
"What is it?" Alistor sounded tired and annoyed. "I'm tired, let me in."
"Not with that tone." She kept blocking the doorway, annoying him even more.
"Move it."
"Where have you been?"
"Why do you care?"
"Where have you been?" She didn't show signs of letting up.
"...Places."
"What kinds of places?"
"Again, why do you care?"
Weiss was taken aback by his harsh tone. "B-because-"
"Guys..." Ruby called in a groggy tone. "It's three in the morning. People are trying to sleep."
"Didn't seem to stop you last time."
"Anyway, Ali, where've you been?"
"Doing things."
"What kinds of things?"
"Saiyan things." He shoved Weiss aside, then fell on his sleeping bag and started snoring.
"The nerve of you!" She kicked him, although he felt nothing.
"He's gotta point, Weiss. Why do you care?"
"U-uh, I-"
"You afraid he'll blow something up?
"N-no, that's not-"
"Or is it that he owes you something and you wanna make sure he gives it back?"
"Ruby, what could he possibly owe me?"
Ruby seemed way too thoughtful for three in the morning, being her that complained about the time. "Were… were you worried about him?"
"What? No! Well, I mean, maybe a little..."
Ruby gasped, cupping her mouth. "You like him, don't you?"
"WHAT?! How could such a thought even run across your thick head, especially at this hour?" But her own face betrayed her, almost glowing pink.
"You like him!"
"I DO NOT!"
"Hey, guys..." Yang spoke up. "Y'know what I'd like? I'd like it if you just SHUT UP AND WENT TO BED!"
"Hey, uh, sorry about last night." Alistor, now fully rested, apologized to the heiress, but followed up with sarcasm. "I didn't realize the King was visiting."
"Oh, just shut up."
One thing that neither have noticed, however, was whatever Blake was focusing on. Alistor's long tail, swathing back and forth, seemingly like a pendulum. Blake inched closer, her cat instincts taking over as the long appendage appeared to taunt her, saying 'come here and grab me.' Her mind had told her no, but her body decided otherwise.
"Anyway, if you're done scolding me, mother, then I'd like to- urk!"
Blake held on tight to Alistor's tail as he fell to his knees. "Hey, let go of me!" A soft mew coming from Blake was enough to ensure the rest of them that she had completely lost it.
"Let go!" It wasn't really a command, more like a plead. As if it were physically painful to him.
"Please! Let go! It hurts, stop it!" He would do anything to get her off his tail. "Why won't you all help me? Please!"
"What's wrong? Can't you do it yourself?" Weiss mocked. "The Big Bad Alien, brought down to his knees by a cat."
"S-shut up!" He struggled to turn to Blake. "Listen here, I don't know just what is going through your mind right now, but I swear, if you don't unhand me, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Weiss kept mocking him. "You'll say please again?"
"I told you to shut up!"
"Hey guys… I got an idea." Yang finished her breakfast. "I'll help her off you..."
"Yes! Please! Anything!"
"...On one condition."
"Whatever you want! I surrender!"
"You have to take one of us out on a date."
Silence fell over the room.
"...Come again?"
"Yeah, a date."
"What are you talking about?" Blake's grip tightened. "Okay, okay, you win!"
"Good. Blake, let go of him." Blake promptly let go.
"Oh, NOW you let go! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't-"
"Alistor." Yang cut in. "She let go. Now, you hold up your end of the deal."
"Also, a date? What even is that?" He looked genuinely confused. "Is that, like, a food or something?"
"N-no, it's… Okay, listen. When a boy and a girl like each other, they-"
"Oh my God, I was kidding. Who doesn't know what a date is?" He looked around the room. "Also, like each other? Making a lot of assumptions here." He glared at Blake.
"One day. Just one day." Yang reassured. "Or would you rather have your tail grabbed again?" He clenched his teeth, but seemingly gave up on protest.
"Fine."