"Well, that man was...entertaining…" Blake said as the black limousine pulled away from the theater.
They'd spent quite a long time waiting for their turn to leave - the massive outflow of celebrities trying to make it to their next engagements causing quite a line.
"Who? Oobleck?" she asked, referring to the green-haired man who'd just spent the last few hours drawing laughs from her. "He cracks me up! Just the way he talks...I don't think he even knows he's being funny. He probably thinks he's just...talking."
Blake chuckled while looking out the window of the vehicle - still looking absolutely stunning in her dark purple dress. She would have to remember to thank Pyrrha for helping pick such a great outfit - it had been really difficult to peel her eyes away from the writer the entire evening.
"It's a shame you didn't win anything though…"
"What are you talking about? We did win something - best special effects, remember?"
If the Dust Chronicle movies were known for anything, it was their crazy special effects - car chases, exploding buildings, the whole lot. It had been one of her favorite parts about the role - trying some of the crazy stunts herself. She'd jumped out of buildings, driven sports cars at crazy high speeds, swam with sharks...
"Yeah but...I wanted you to personally win an award…" Blake mumbled.
"Aww...thanks, Blake!" she said, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders and pulling her close for a quick kiss on the cheek. "But that's alright - there were a lot of good movies this year - lots of great competition!"
"You lose very graciously."
"Wh-what? I didn't lose, per se…" she sputtered indignantly. "I was just...first runner-up!"
Blake giggled at her, the sound like music to her ears. Tightening her arm around her girlfriend as the vehicle finally began pulling away from the theater, they left behind a long line of limousines waiting to collect their own passengers.
"Hey, sorry we have to go to this party...one of Pyrrha's sponsors is hosting and I promised I'd show up…"
"Yang, it's fine. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun."
When Blake smiled at her, her mind was instantly put at ease. Something about the writer could calm her down in a heartbeat. The girl could also wind her up in a heartbeat, but that was a different story entirely…
"Maybe Yatsuhashi will be there," she teased, earning a slap in the shoulder from the raven-haired girl.
"God, don't even joke about that - I can't form words around him," the girl said, face reddening with embarrassment.
"Should I be jealous? It feels like I should be jealous…"
Just as suspected, the comment earned her a long, loving kiss as Blake brushed soft hands through her hair.
"You have nothing to worry about. I've just been watching those movies since...well, since forever."
"I never knew you were into that type of stuff!" she commented, always excited to learn something new about the somewhat mysterious girl. "We'll have to watch some of the movies together sometime."
Humming appreciatively, Blake nestled into her side - the girl always seeming to crave stealing some of her body heat. Not that she minded in the least. It made for a much more comfortable ride towards their next destination.
The party was in full swing by the time their limo pulled up to the front entrance - again needing to wait in line while the earlier arrivals were unloaded before them. But after a few minutes, the vehicle pulled up to the front - stopping right before the front doors of the ritzy hotel playing host to this event.
Two burly men in tuxedos were standing by the roped off entrance, one carrying a clipboard with the guest list. The other man stepped forward and pulled open the passenger door for them, allowing them to step outside to more flashes of photographs being taken.
Thankfully, there were fewer photographers here, and there was little reason to dawdle outside. As soon as Blake had exited the vehicle, she took the girl's hand and led them past the doormen, nodding at the man with the clipboard as he checked off her name.
If there was one good thing about being internationally recognized, it was being able to let herself into places without stating her name.
"I made Pyrrha promise not to invite Cinder," she whispered to the girl by her side as they walked through the front doors of the hotel. "So we don't have to worry about her evil glares for a little while."
Surprisingly, Blake only scoffed at her comment.
"Oh, don't worry, I know exactly how to deal with evil glares."
"You do?" she asked, looking at the writer for more explanation.
"Yes, like this -"
The writer stopped walking, turned and wrapped both hands around her neck before pulling her into a deeply passionate kiss - the kind that scrambled her brains in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, the girl also pulled away after only a second, cheeks flushing adorably while flashing a bashful smile.
"I uh...y-yeah that would work," she stammered, trying to find her 'intelligent' manner of speaking again. "D-dang, I kind of wish Cinder were here now."
Blake laughed at her flustered behavior as they stepped through the wide entrance to an enormous banquet hall - the scene of the party. The entire space rivaled that of an entire football field - filled with large round tables where guests were sitting and talking. The entire left side of the room had been left empty of tables - providing space for two bars (one at either end of the room), multiple tables filled with food, and a photography station where guests could pose for professional photos with their friends. A band sat in the very far corner of the room - playing music that thankfully wasn't too loud or obnoxious.
There were no outside photographers allowed inside, so an immediate change in atmosphere could be felt right inside the doors - one that was much more relaxed and carefree than being under the media microscope. This was where they could have fun with fellow celebrities - network and gossip about the latest news.
At previous parties, she'd always come solo - flitting from group to group talking to as many people as possible. It was exhausting...especially when she truly didn't enjoy spending time with some of them. There were some who were as shallow and dim witted as might be imagined.
But with Blake here, she had her own built-in party guest!
A flash of brilliant white in the corner of her eye caught her attention at that moment. Spinning towards the sight, she beamed when she confirmed who it was.
"Hiya Weiss!" she called loudly, her words pausing the petite girl in her steps. Still grasping Blake's hand, she quickly led them over before the girl could slip away.
"Congrats on all the awards! I was hoping you'd win!"
A week prior, the singer had racked up nearly every award imaginable, walking home with enough hardware to build a house. Best artist, best female artist, best album, best single...
"Oh, thank you," the singer responded to her politely with a nod of acknowledgment. "It was a shame you didn't win for your category tonight."
"Naw, don't worry about it," she brushed off the pleasantry with a wave of her hand. "I get to take the best award home with me tonight anyway."
Raising Blake's hand in the air with a huge grin, Weiss looked at their joined hands with a nearly expressionless face.
"Oh, this is Blake, by the way," she blurted out before they could lapse into an uncomfortable silence, remembering that the two didn't officially know each other. "Blake, this is Weiss Schnee - singer extraordinaire!"
Unclasping their hands, Blake reached forward to shake Weiss' politely.
"It's nice to meet you," the writer said warmly.
"Likewise," Weiss responded before turning back towards Yang. "It was nice to see you again, Yang - I should be going now though."
"Sure - no problem. We'll see you around!"
With that, the singer turned and walked away from them - not leaving the party, but merely leaving their company.
"So that's Weiss Schnee? She seems rather…"
"Cold?" she suggested - eyes still trailing the flash of white hair through the crowds, trying to see if the girl would stop and speak with anyone else.
"Unhappy…" Blake finished, the girl's own tone sounding downtrodden by the recent interaction.
"Don't worry - I'm working on that. I'm going to become her best friend!" she exclaimed, turning to give her girlfriend a big grin at her master plan.
Blake snorted in amusement at her words.
"Yeah, you guys looked like great friends right there."
"Heyyyy, it's a work in progress!" she replied with a pout. "You'll see - one day she'll say 'Yang, you're my best friend!'"
"Yeah...when we're traveling by flying car and keep giraffes as pets."
"Ohhh - I'm sensing a complete lack of faith in my friend making abilities! You wanna make it interesting?"
Blake shrugged her shoulders with a smile, never one to back away from a friendly wager.
"Sure."
"If I can get Weiss to say that I'm her best friend, at some point in the future, you will…" she leaned forward and whispered the rest into Blake's ear, succeeding in making the girl to blush fire engine red.
"Deal?" she asked, unable to keep the huge grin from her lips.
Blake's cheeks continued to find new shades of red as she replied, "It will never happen."
"You shouldn't be hesitating in taking the deal then!"
"Fine, deal," Blake agreed, reaching out and shaking her hand to formalize their agreement.
She grinned like mad at the girl - knowing that she could make this happen. It might take years and years, but it would happen. Maybe she could bribe Weiss to say it at some point...
"So, shall we grab a drink, milady?" she asked, gesturing towards the open bar and tables filled with delicious h'orderves.
"Absolutely."
They occupied themselves for the next few minutes trying the best-looking bits of food and drinking things that were super sweet and fizzy. It was only when they'd tried everything they might enjoy that they stood by the wall, eyes scanning the crowd searching for familiar faces.
She spotted someone first - the familiar bright red hair easy to pick out even in a room this size.
"Oh, look - there's Pyrrha!"
Abandoning their napkins and empty glasses on a nearby table, Blake followed her as they made their way over to the redhead - who seemed to have drawn quite the crowd already.
"Pyrrha!" she shouted - not caring if she was interrupting. If it was an important conversation, Pyrrha would send her a look that would say as much, but the model's emerald eyes quickly found hers as a big smile appeared on her face. With few words and a friendly wave to the people who had been seeking the model's attention, Pyrrha walked over and gave each of them a hug in turn.
"Thank god you're here," the girl said in relief. "I thought I was never going to get away from them."
"Who are they?" Blake asked curiously, amber eyes taking a second peek at the people who had disbursed as soon as the model had left their vicinity.
"Magazine editors! The worst kind of people…" Pyrrha cringed before dropping her solemn mood completely in favor of a beaming smile.
"Pyrrha…" she said slowly, making a point to look blatantly around them, searching for someone she already knew wasn't there. "Where's Jaune?"
The smile immediately fell from the model's face, replaced by an embarrassed flush of the cheeks.
"Please tell me you invited him."
"Well, you see..."
She smacked one hand to her forehead in mock disgrace, turning away from her friend in fake horror.
"I can't talk to you right now!" she lamented, turning her eyes towards Blake instead. "Blake, would you please tell Pyrrha that she's an idiot?"
"I'm sure he would have come if you'd invited him," the writer said instead, causing her to let out another groan.
"I didn't want to impose…" Pyrrha explained to Blake, ignoring her grumbles entirely. "He'd already been invited to some party with Nora."
"He spends everyday with Nora though," Blake suggested, eyes darting sideways at her when she extended a hand towards the small clutch in Pyrrha's hands.
"Hey, is that a new bag? It's so cute!" she said happily, accepting the item when the model obligingly handed it over to her. She flipped it over in her hands, pretending to look at it closely before opening it up.
"I just...didn't want him to feel like he had to choose," the girl explained with downcast eyes.
She understood exactly what the poor girl must be going through, and it was hard for her to hear Pyrrha be so unsure of herself. It was a difficult position to be in - being unsure of how the boy really felt about her. If he'd accepted the invitation and abandoned Nora, it would have felt amazing. But if he hadn't…
"Yang, what are you doing?"
Pyrrha's concerned question brought Blake's attention towards her as well - the two girls finally noticing that she now had Pyrrha's phone in her hands, unlocking the device quickly while keeping an eye on the model.
"I'm helping!" she responded, moving the object quickly out of the way when Pyrrha tried to snatch it from her hands.
"How do you even know my password?"
"It's your mom's birthday - you're such a goody two shoes," she teased, sticking her tongue out before turning her attention back to the device in her hands and tapping the messaging icon. "Aw - look! You two already have a text conversation going!"
"Yang!"
"Oh don't worry, I'm not going to read it…" she said, even though her eyes had already seen the last few messages in the conversation. "...but you two are seriously too cute!"
Letting out a big sigh, Pyrrha turned to Blake.
"Is there any way to turn her off?"
"Afraid not," Blake answered, shaking her head with a grin.
She smiled at her girlfriend's answer. They both knew that there was a certain tone of voice the writer could use that would stop her in her tracks...but the girl rarely used it. Blake always seemed to trust that she knew what she was doing, even if she herself didn't know.
"If there was, Blake wouldn't know it. All she knows how to do is turn me on," she quipped, sending the raven-haired girl a wink before turning back to composing her message.
She wanted Pyrrha to be happy - and she was going to help no matter what. Even if it mean slightly overstepping her bounds...
"There - done!"
They both looked at her as she held the phone out for Pyrrha's inspection. The model snatched the device away from her and looked down at the screen - reading out loud.
"'This party is lame - wish you were here. Want to grab lunch tomorrow?' ...Yang!"
A small buzz stalled the model's scolding, drawing the girl's attention back down to the screen.
If Pyrrha tried to prevent the smile from creeping onto her lips, the girl was wholly unsuccessful. With a small giggle, the model quickly typed another message on her own. When she looked up and found both of them staring at her intently, she cleared her throat lightly, grabbed her bag from Yang's hands, and stuffed her phone away.
"Come on - we have to take a picture together!" the girl said, ignoring her sputters of incredulity as she waved them over to a large red curtain hung near one wall.
"But...what did he say?" she asked, voice nearly a whine.
"That's between me and Jaune," the model replied, turning back to give her a warm smile. "But thank you, Yang."
Pyrrha leaned back and gave her a kiss on the cheek, one of the more friendly gestures the two of them shared. It meant that the redhead was actually really pleased with what had just happened.
But what did it say?
Blake grabbed her hand and gave her a loving smile as they followed Pyrrha towards the edge of the room.
Various celebrities were standing in front of a large, red curtain and posing for pictures before a professional photographer. There was a short line ahead of them as several other groups of people were waiting to do the same as them, but it was moving along quite quickly.
When they were just about to make their way up to the screen, she noticed Weiss walking nearby - the girl having just stopped to get what looked like a glass of water from one of the bars.
"Hey Weiss! Come take a picture with us!" she yelled out, again catching the girl off guard.
The girl looked at them with wide eyes, surprised by the offer.
"Oh, that's ok...I don't want to impose -"
"No, no, I insist! Come on, it's fine!" she waved the girl towards them again.
"We'd really like you to," Pyrrha added, with Blake nodding her head in agreement. She turned to beam at the two girls, who somehow knew what she was trying to accomplish without her having to elbow them in the side.
"Ok…"
When Weiss walked over to them, she grabbed the drink out of her hands and handed it to the first person standing nearby - some waiter who obediently set it on his tray to be returned at a later time.
As they arranged themselves in front of the screen, Weiss stood uncomfortably on her left side - with Blake on her right and Pyrrha on the far side. The photographer took a few seconds to move them into the best position, asking them to scoot closer and closer until he gave them a thumbs up.
When he returned to the camera situated on top of a tripod and began counting down with the fingers on his left hand, she wrapped one hand snugly around Blake's waist, while slinging her other arm around Weiss' small shoulders and pulling the girl even closer to her - earning a startled squeak of surprise.
But there was little more time for Weiss to react before they all smiled for the photograph - several rapid ones being taken at one time in order to get the best shot. The man looked at his screen for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "They look perfect!"
A short distance from the screen, there was a small monitor placed on a table where they could look at the results. They could also enter their email addresses if they wanted to have a copy of the picture sent to them.
"Oh, these are great!" Pyrrha remarked, scrolling through the pictures displayed there.
"They really are," Blake agreed, leaning closer to look at the screen.
She took one glance to determine that they were, in fact, great pictures before turning to Weiss with a smile.
"Weiss, you're in really good shape! I mean, you look kind of fragile like Pyrrha, but you could probably break my nose!"
"I could break your nose," Pyrrha commented in a huff.
She rolled her eyes and laughed at the girl.
"Ok, Pyrrha...if you say so…" she said disbelievingly, giving Weiss a look that said 'can you believe she actually thinks that?'
The singer cracked a miniscule smile in response.
"Would you like me to prove it to you?" Pyrrha asked, never one to allow her to easily get away with her jokes.
"Bring it on, amazon!" she shot back instinctively, giggling at her rhyme before Blake physically stepped in between the two of them.
"Oook. Yang, I love your nose the way it is - please don't let Pyrrha break it."
Pyrrha smirked at her from behind Blake's back at the brunette's endorsement.
"W-what? You think she can break my nose?" she asked incredulously, pointing towards the smug model. "I had to help her open a jar of pickles the other day!"
"Hey! That jar was welded shut!" the model protested loudly.
"Uh huh…I seemed to have no problem getting it open."
"That's because I'd already done the hard work for you!"
Blake placed a finger on her lips, silencing her before she could retort.
"Yang, I'll reward you handsomely if you let this one slide," the writer said softly, eyes twinkling in mischief - clearly enjoying the argument and immensely enjoying the knowledge that she could put an immediate end to it.
"You're lucky this girl is irresistible," she shot at Pyrrha, who rolled her eyes before someone nearby captured her attention, drawing the redhead away from them.
She turned back and noticed at the last second that Weiss was trying to slip away from them yet again.
"Wait wait wait," she said, reaching out one hand to halt the girl's progress. "You can't leave yet!"
"I can't?" Weiss responded, raising an eyebrow like she would really love to see Yang try to keep her there against her will.
"No! Not until you tell me your secret!"
"My...secret?"
The singer looked curiously behind her as if Blake could translate the question.
"Yeah! How you stay in such great shape!"
"Oh...I don't really do anything special…"
"You have to have a secret. What is it - yoga? Pilates? Spinning?" she pressed, not really caring about the answer - just wanting the girl to speak to her.
"No, I don't do any of those."
She snapped her fingers and grinned when another idea came to mind.
"I got it - you've been doing those 'late night' activities, right?" she said, winking suggestively at the girl. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone! You know, since I've been dating Blake, I've had to go to the gym half as much. It's amazing."
Weiss turned away from her, cheeks now fully red.
"I'm not...seeing anyone, but that's...great for you…" the girl muttered softly. "If you'll excuse me...I should be going now."
Without another glance, the singer turned and made a beeline away from them - Yang's eyes once again following her as this time she did leave the party for real.
"Blake, did you see that?" she asked excitedly, turning towards her girlfriend with a big smile.
"You making that poor girl horribly uncomfortable? Yes, I did."
"No! She was blushing!"
"Yang, I was blushing."
"But you always blush when I talk about sex in public!" she said loudly, giggling when Blake clamped a hand quickly over her mouth and made a 'shush'ing noise. The writer only released her when she was able to get her giggles back under control.
"I mean she actually displayed an emotion besides indifference!" she explained happily, positively giddy at the recent breakthrough. "And before that she smiled. It was tiny, but it was still a smile!"
"That's because she was enjoying your little tiff with Pyrrha," Blake responded with a warm smile of her own. "But yes, I see what you're trying to say."
"I'm already well on my way to winning that bet!" she crowed, bringing yet another blush to Blake's cheeks. "AND I even won a prize for forfeiting my argument with Pyrrha. So...what will my 'handsome reward' be?"
She batted her eyes at Blake - hoping that it would be something incredibly risque or adorable...or both.
"Hmm...how about...him," Blake replied, nodding her head towards a tall gentleman with short brown hair wearing a tuxedo. "He's pretty handsome."
She sputtered while looking back and forth between some actor only she vaguely recognized and her gorgeous-beyond-belief girlfriend.
"Wh-what? That's my reward? I don't want some random dude!" she whined, the girl having completely taken the wind from beneath her wings.
"Then what do you want?" Blake asked playfully.
"I want you!"
They both giggled at her honest reply, before the writer retook her hand and began pulling her back over to the bar.
"Come on, let's get through this party - you can collect your reward when we get back to my place."
The girl winked back at her, the sight melting her heart into a giant puddle.
One thing she now knew for sure...she never wanted to attend these events alone again.