Hello again! So, um, HOLY SHIT. You guys really, REALLY must like this story! The explosion of favorites and follows was just awesome! So here's Chapter 2, hot off the keyboard! There's another note at the end of this chapter, but for now, enjoy!
Coco inspected her nails as she waited for Ruby to emerge from the dressing room. Coco had taken Ruby to one of her favorite stores in Vale. This clothing shop technically didn't even exist. Only those "in the know" were able to find its location. But the secrecy was worth it. This shop only carried the finest garments in Remnant, carrying designer threads from Mistral to Atlas. "Come on, Red. It can't take this long to change into a dress. Especially for someone who wears one as part of their combat uniform."
A small meek voice flowed from within the dressing room. "Okay, first of all, I don't wear a dress, it's a combat skirt. And second of all…
The door opened and Ruby slowly stepped out, face nearly as red as her namesake. "I…I…I'm not sure this is a good look for me…"
Coco immediately started to giggle loudly. Ruby frowned and pouted. "Hey! This isn't funny! I mean look at this!"
Ruby wore a red skintight dress that was virtually painted on her. The hem of the dress barely reached past her knees. "How is this even practical in combat?" the red-head asked.
Coco managed to control herself. "I never said it was. I wanted to see how you'd look in formal wear."
Ruby growled. "And you call THIS formal wear? I'm afraid I'm gonna tear this if I bend over!"
"Oh, hush, it looks good on you! Especially if you're looking to catch some guy's eye. Nobody would be ignoring you in that, I guarantee it."
Ruby blushed deeper. "WHAT? No! I'm not trying to attract anyone's attention. She looked away, attempting to loosen the dress. "Well, not a guy, anyways…" she muttered quietly under her breath.
But not quietly enough for Coco not to hear.
"OH, so there is someone! Come on, Red, Spill it!" Coco crowed.
Ruby frantically shook her head. "No way! It's nothing!
Coco sighed. "You know, if you tell me, I can help you pick something out that'll impress said person…"
Ruby hesitated, then whispered so low that Coco actually had to strain to hear. "Her…name is Weiss."
Coco's eyes widened in slight surprise. "Weiss? As in Weiss Schnee? Your partner?"
Ruby nodded shyly.
Coco smirked as she processed this information. "Well, at least you have good taste. Let's see if we if we can't find something for you to get Snow Angel's attention." Coco went back to rummaging through the racks of designer clothes. Ruby went back into the dressing room to remove the dress. Seriously, who would want to wear this thing? She thought as she stripped the skintight garment off.
Ruby heard a knock on the door. "I think I got it, Red. You wear this for the Ice Queen, I guarantee you'll melt her heart…"
Yang strolled towards From Dust Till Dawn, hoping to catch her sister at one of her well known hangouts. She had barely made the outbound shuttle with seconds to spare. Granted, it wasn't without sacrifice, as she had haphazardly dressed herself in her normal combat attire, completely skipping her normal morning hair ritual. As such, the messy tangle of blonde locks trailed down her back as she opened the door to the Dust shop.
However, Ruby was not inside.
The shopkeeper looked up from behind the counter, noticing the blonde brawler looking around the empty shop. "Can I help you find something, miss?"
Yang walked up to the counter. "Yeah, actually. My name's Yang. You remember my little sister, Ruby, right? Little girl in a red hood? Wields a huge scythe? I was wondering if she stopped in here today"
The shopkeeper nodded. "Uh-huh, I remember her. She was here earlier, maybe an hour ago. But she left with someone and she hasn't been back."
Yang sighed and turned to leave. "Okay, thanks for the- wait!" She turned back quickly, her eyes flaring with sudden emotion. "You said she left here with someone? With who?"
The shopkeeper threw his hands up in surprise. "I…I…I don't know! I don't know her name. But she's a student at Beacon, that I know. She dresses well too. In designer clothes."
"Designer clothes?" Yang asked. Suddenly, the facts clicked in her mind. Yang turned and walked out of the store, pulling her scroll out and dialing Ruby's number. Yang couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. The two were sisters, and Yang always hoped that Ruby looked up to her. But if she was hanging out with who the shopkeeper had described, Yang feared that her little sister would chose her as a role model over Yang.
There was no answer on Ruby's scroll. It didn't matter. Yang knew exactly who Ruby was with.
"Coco."
Yang fired off a quick message to Ruby's scroll.
"You know, I actually really like this look!" Ruby said from within the dressing room.
"Well, don't keep me in suspense! Come on out and show me!" Coco said eagerly.
The door opened and Ruby stepped out. Coco removed her sunglasses to get a better look. "Damn I'm good. Hot stuff there, Red."
Ruby was wearing a silver-colored blouse accented with black and red vines. A single red rose was embroidered over her left breast. A silver and black skirt and black slippers completed the outfit.
"Coco…" Ruby said as she admired herself in the mirror, twirling the skirt a little bit, "This looks amazing!
Coco nodded approvingly. "It keeps your favorite colors while making you look fabulous. Trust me girl, I know these things. Your hood should complement that outfit nicely as well."
Ruby glowed with joy. Joy that suddenly shattered when she glanced at the price tag. "8,500 Lien! Holy Monty, I can't afford that!"
Coco waved her hand. "Nonsense, Red! Don't worry about the price. I'm well known here. I'll handle it."
Coco walked over to the counter and rang the bell. An elderly woman emerged from the rear storeroom. "Ah, Mademoiselle Coco, nice to see you again," the woman greeted Coco with a thick French accent.
"Bonjour, Madame Laurent." Coco replied, bowing politely. "I'd like to add an outfit to my tab, if you would be so kind."
"Oh, oui, Mademoiselle, but of course." The shop owner glanced at Ruby and nodded approvingly. "Excellent choice as well. Very pretty."
"Merci, Madame." Coco smiled and bowed again. She returned to Ruby, whose mouth hung open with shock from the sudden generosity.
"Uh…uh…uh…oh, thank you SO much, Coco!" Ruby squealed in delight as she leapt towards Coco in a huge embracing hug.
Coco managed to pry herself free from the over-excited girl's grasp. "No worries, Ruby. Consider it my treat, a token of our friendship. Now come on, change out of that and let's go. I think it's time for some target practice."
"Target practice?" Ruby asked, as she started to enter the dressing room to change back into her combat skirt.
"Yep. I know a special place. You'll see" Coco said with a sly smile.
Ruby changed back into her normal clothes, thinking how awesome this day was turning out to be. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine hanging out with Coco would be this fun! Ruby would never had done these types of things with her teammates, especially Yang. Her idea of clothes shopping would involve boy shorts and club tops, Ruby thought as she gathered the rest of her belongings and turned to leave. She then noticed a flashing light on her scroll, indicating a new message. Ruby opened it at stiffened when she saw the name of the sender.
One new message from: Yang Xiao Long.
"Uh-oh." Ruby said aloud.
A/N: I decided to make the shop owner French because of the fashion aspect here, even though there is probably no such thing in Remnant. It's a fanfitcion, so I'm not too worried about being perfect with the canon. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and ask you to stay tuned for more! I could use some help with how Yang might react to Ruby finding a new role model, so I appreciate any suggestions and comments. Either leave a review here or PM me on Reddit (username is "greeny74", same as here.) Until next time!
(P.S. Anyone find the slightly obscure Rooster Teeth reference I made? Points to those who find it! Hint: You've got to "know" to know...)