While it had started relatively normally, their second year at Beacon was going to be complicated by the addition of the Vytal Festival. The school was prepared for the biennial event, but it pushed up their second year away mission and generally disrupted the normal flow of classes.
Additionally, the influx of students had them all on edge, doubly so when Yatsuhashi swore he saw someone who looked like Farris in the group of Haven students.
Coco tried not to let it get to her, but she found herself scanning groups of students from Haven for the familiar face, but there were too many - and she didn't see them that often. She wasn't so concerned about Farris as she was about Velvet's old team showing up to harass her - as if they didn't have enough problems with team CRDL.
Professor Goodwitch grabbed her attention after class shortly after other students started arriving. "Miss Adel, if I could have a moment?"
"Of course, professor." Coco turned to her teammates and told them to go on ahead. She wondered why Goodwitch wanted to speak with her - they were all performing well in their classes - and dating teammates wasn't against the rules (even though it was generally frowned upon due to potential issues down the line). Had she noticed what was happening with team CRDL? What to do about the team had been weighing on her mind. She couldn't go against Velvet's wishes and confront them directly, or go to the professors, but surely if one of them brought it up first…
"Would you - and the rest of team CFVY - be willing to help organize the dance that's supposed to open the Vytal Festival next month? We're in need of some…" she tapped her riding crop against her thigh as she thought of the word she was looking for, "…responsible individuals who would be able to pull together a successful event."
Coco's brow furrowed - that wasn't what she'd been expecting. "May I ask why us?" The brief confusion as to why their team gave way to disappointment - if Goodwitch had brought up CRDL and how they'd been treating Velvet, she could express her concerns without breaking her promise to her teammate.
"Team CFVY is an ideal candidate for this task as you represent multiple cultures on Remnant getting along harmoniously - exactly what the Vytal Festival is about."
"Of course." Coco pursed her lips. "Though we have that away mission coming up."
"You should be back in plenty of time."
"I'll confirm with the rest of my team, but I'm sure it won't be an issue."
"Perfect, thank you Miss Adel." Goodwitch pulled out her scroll and tapped at it for a moment, and Coco's buzzed a moment later. "On that subject - I just sent you the registration information and rules for the tournament. Team CFVY qualified with ease - we'd just need you to fill out some paperwork to confirm your participation."
"Of course, thank you professor." Another thing to talk to the rest of her team about. She also wanted to talk to Fox and Yatsu about team CRDL, see if they had any ideas. Of course, she wasn't even sure they would have known there was a problem if Blake hadn't approached Coco the week before.
"Miss Adel?"
Coco startled out of her thoughts. "Was there something else, Professor Goodwitch?"
"I was wondering if there was something else you wanted to talk to me about."
She hesitated. Technically Goodwitch was asking - there was no way she didn't know about team CRDL - but it wasn't enough for Coco. She couldn't bring herself to say anything first - not when Velvet had been so insistent about letting her handle it.
"No ma'am."
"If you're sure."
Coco nodded and went to catch up with the rest of her team.
When the study sessions a few days later moved from Advanced Grimm Studies to braille, Yatsuhashi went back to the dorm room.
Coco hadn't joined the three of them for their impromptu study party, opting instead to spend some time in the room alone reviewing what was expected of them for the year.
He let himself in quietly, not wanting to disturb her if she was busy.
She was hunched over her desk, intently looking at something on her scroll. Her beret and sunglasses were set to one side.
Yatsuhashi set his things down on his own desk before walking up behind her. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"Goodwitch sent out the tournament rules for the Vytal Festival." She sat back, dropping the scroll onto her desk. "And I'm trying to make sense of them."
He picked up her scroll, starting to look over the rules, one hand on the back of her chair. "What isn't making sense?"
"Us participating." She leaned back to rest her head against his arm and he abandoned the scroll on the desk. "Velvs doesn't like fighting people and I wouldn't want her wasting her weapon - or exposing it - for something as superficial as this. Fox still struggles sometimes against unknown combatants - especially when there are multiple. He'd do well in the singles round, but the doubles or even team round? Not so much. And you and I - we're good, but we're heavy hitters. We would do so poorly in the doubles round - to the point that I don't think getting to singles would be a viable option. But when Goodwitch sent the information, she said we'd already qualified and all she needed was for us to fill out and sign the form - and the one she sent was already filled out." She shook her head. "I think she expects us to participate."
His hands went to her shoulders, thumbs digging into the tight muscles along the back of her neck. After having watched the Vytal Festival for years, he couldn't disagree with her assessment of how Fox and Velvet would do, but there was something about her assessment of the two of them that bothered him. "You really think we'd do so poorly?"
She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. "I think we'd do our best, but I'm not sure it's worth trying." She sighed, closing her eyes. "But everyone seems to expect us to enter. Though, if somehow we make it to the finals round, you'd be a better contender than I would. I'd send Fox, but he'd have to compete in the doubles round first - and I'm not going to ask him to do that."
"It's not a choice you have to make on your own, you know. You can ask Fox and Velvet what they think first."
The reminder had her relaxing a bit, helped along by his gentle massaging. She had been planning to ask them, she just wanted to figure out her own thoughts on the subject before seeking theirs out.
"Do you want to know what I think?" he continued.
She closed her eyes as the tension eased out of her neck and shoulders. "Always, Yatsu."
The tenderness in her voice with that had him smiling. "I think you're underestimating Velvet's desire to prove to people she can defend herself - and Fox's ability to handle himself in new situations. But you're right. This isn't what we do - not really." He tapped the back of the chair thoughtfully. "Though - if team CRDL is participating, it might give us a chance to vent some frustrations."
That was an enticing proposition - no matter how remote the chances of them getting paired up actually were.
"Not that they're the only team I'd mind having an excuse to shoot," Coco mused.
He had to agree - especially with Farris floating around Beacon, there was a good chance that Velvet's old team was here for the tournament. Gods knew they were looking forward to a chance to exact revenge.
Fox and Velvet walked in at that moment, dropping their books on their desks and coming over to where Coco and Yatsu stood. "If we're going to have a cuddle pile, I vote we do it on a bed again," Velvet said, wrapping an arm around Yatsuhashi's waist. "What's got you two looking so serious?"
"The tournament," Coco said, reaching for Fox's hand. "What do you think? Should we enter? We qualified."
Velvet agreed to it almost immediately. "I think it'll be fun. I'll be able to take photos too."
"It'll at least be more interesting than listening to it." Fox smiled. "Coco used to have it on all the time when we were kids - we went a couple times when it was hosted in Atlas."
"So it's settled." Yatsuhashi gave Coco's shoulder a squeeze. "Nothing wrong with giving it a shot and seeing what happens."
"I'll turn in the application, then." She picked her scroll back up off the desk and sent off the confirmation with just a few taps. "I'm sure we'll find out more once we get back from the away mission." She pulled up the next message. "Though, speaking of the tournament, Goodwitch asked if we'd be willing to help plan out the dance."
"Us? Why?" Velvet asked.
"She thought we'd be a good choice - something about being a great team to represent the Vytal Festival's symbol of unity and harmony between the kingdoms. I reminded her we had our second year mission coming up and she said we should be back in plenty of time, so what do you think? It doesn't look like there's a whole lot to do beyond setting up and decorating."
"I wouldn't be opposed," Yatsuhashi said.
Velvet looked up at him and then shrugged. "Sounds like fun."
Fox was grinning, which could only mean he was about to say something snarky. "As long as I get to pick out the color scheme."
Even with planning the dance, the four of them still had to squeeze in their regular training schedule.
Like most mornings, it was quiet in the gym when Yatsuhashi and Fox got there.
"Coco wants to do something about team CRDL," Yatsuhashi said, breaking the silence near the end of their routine. It had been something that had been bothering him since Coco had brought it up a few days prior. He trusted Fox to have a level head on the matter.
"I know." He punched the heavy punching bag Yatsuhashi was bracing for him, causing the whole thing to shake, despite his teammate's grip. "We shouldn't though."
"Why not?" Yatsuhashi agreed with Fox, but he was curious as to his teammate's thoughts on the issue.
Fox slammed his fist into the bag hard enough to make his aura flare. "Do you know why I train early in the morning?"
"I assumed it was because you preferred the solitude or simply were more of a morning person than Coco."
He laughed at that and gestured sharply to the room at large. "How many people are here right now?"
Yatsuhashi looked around, not sure where this was going. "Three, plus us, so five?"
"Exactly." He slammed his fist into the bag again. "I come here at this hour because whenever there's too many people, there's a high chance they'll decide that the blind man is a prime target for harassment."
Yatsuhashi frowned. "Does Coco know?"
"Of course. I've convinced her to leave it to me - that it doesn't help to interfere."
Yatsuhashi nodded, remembering Velvet's words from the year before - she had expressed the same sentiment. "So what do we do? Leave Velvet to fend for herself?"
"Of course not." Fox stepped away, taking a long drink from his water bottle. "But you do it in a way that doesn't involve detention from Goodwitch for a month. You go with her to lunch, be a deterrent without confronting them." He reached out, patting Yatsuhashi on the arm. "Velvet can protect herself. But just because she's stubborn about asking for help doesn't mean you can't."
"And what about you?" Yatsu asked, letting go of the bag.
"What about me?"
"Are you just as stubborn about asking for help?"
Fox laughed and gestured to the mostly-empty room. "I didn't even have to ask. You're just a morning person." He clasped Yatsu's shoulder. "Come on, Coco set up a tux fitting for the two of us. Something about needing to have a proper suit for the dance."
While the boys were out getting their clothes for the dance, Coco took Velvet shopping. The small boutique Coco had dragged her to had a wide assortment of dresses and accessories perfect for the dance - and none of the employees had batted an eye at Velvet's rabbit ears.
When they'd first arrived, it'd been a flurry of measurements and cloth, taking almost two hours before settling on the perfect dress for each of them.
Velvet kept running her hands over the soft cloth - the teal dress Coco had suggested wasn't her normal color, but it was absolutely gorgeous.
"You don't think it's too low-cut?" she asked again, shifting to see the dress from a different angle. Not that she thought Yatsuhashi would mind the view.
"I don't, but if you do I'm sure they could adjust it." Coco walked up behind her, carrying a pair of silver heels for Velvet to try on.
Coco was already in a form-fitting, chocolate-colored dress. It had an equally deep neckline, but also left most of her back open.
Velvet bit her bottom lip, eyes darting between the shoes and Coco's face. "I don't do heels, Coco. I'm tall enough as it is." She also tended to forget how to walk when put in anything taller than an inch.
"Yatsu is still six inches taller than you, Velvs. Two inch heels aren't going to make that much of a difference. Try them on, at least?" Coco cajoled, extending them towards her.
She rolled her eyes but took the offered shoes. They fit like they were made for her - and if Velvet hadn't known Coco had just grabbed them off the shelf, she would have suspected she had gone out and got the shoes custom made. "I'm going to have to learn to walk in these," she griped, taking a tentative step. "Much less dance."
Coco took her hand and wrapped the other around Velvet's waist. "It's easy."
Velvet let out a little yelp of surprise but put her free hand on Coco's shoulder. "Says you," she mumbled, carefully following Coco as they spun around the area slowly.
"You'll do fine, and if you have to lean on your boyfriend to steady yourself, all the better." She waggled her eyebrows, which made Velvet laugh. "What do you think of my dress, by the way? Think Fox will like it?"
"It suits you," she said, reaching out to feel the fabric. "And it's soft. I think Fox will enjoy figuring out the shape of it."
Coco smiled. "Well, if you're willing to trade partners for at least one song, maybe Fox will get a chance to enjoy your dress too."
Velvet blushed furiously, imagining dancing with Fox, and nodded. "I would like that."
If Velvet's fantasy was followed by one of her dancing with Coco, well, her leader never had to know.
The night before they were scheduled to meet with Professor Port to discuss their options for their away mission, Coco climbed into Fox's bed. As a rule, they'd slept apart now that they were sharing a room with their two teammates, and so the unexpected movement when she pulled the covers back woke him up.
"Fox?" she whispered, curling up around him.
He twisted in her arms so they were laying face to face. "Hrm?"
"How would you feel if we invited Yatsu and Velvet to the dance with us?"
He yawned, not fully understanding the question. "I thought they were already going?"
"I meant with us. Like - as a date."
"Oh!" He contemplated the question for a moment, nuzzling against her neck. "Maybe wait until after the mission? I think we'll all focus better if we wait."
Coco had to agree. There was nothing wrong with waiting until after they'd gotten back. "Sounds like a plan."
AN: The AO3 version has links to the dresses I was thinking of. (And I'm back! Hi, sorry about the delay.)