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Requested By : Polemoduke

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"I dunno…" Ruby murmured, anxiety creeping up her spine as she looked at the simple, flat black thing Pyrrha had pointed out to her. It'd only go to just above her knees, from the measurement chart in front of it, and it was backless and sleeveless, too. The only real design on it was across the bust, where little flower petals had been stitched in. Quietly, she said, "Doesn't it look… Kiddy?"

"It's a simple dress." Pyrrha admitted with an amused sounding hum that made Ruby pout at her. The Mistralian only ignored her, though, gesturing at it with a hand and crossing her arms. "It's meant to be, though. Simple, easy to move in, comfortable… I felt you wouldn't particularly enjoy a bunch of frills and the like."

"I mean, yeah…" That would have been a nightmare… Her combat gear had some, sure, but they were just under her skirt for obvious skirt related reasons, given how often she was jumping and spinning around. "I just… I dunno why, but it doesn't… Doesn't feel right?"

"Oh?"

"I-I'm sorry." Ruby muttered, tucking her cloak just a bit more tightly around herself. Why was she so anxious? She didn't understand…

"Don't apologize." Pyrrha chuckled, laying a hand on Ruby's shoulder to gently turn her to face the rest of the store, full to bursting with rows of dresses, suits, skirts and uniforms set out with plenty of their individual pieces folded above and below them, tucked into tiny shelves. Quietly, she said, "We're here to find something you like. If you dislike it, then there's no reason to get it. Is there?"

"I-I guess not…"

"Come on." She smiled, "Let's keep looking."

"What about you, though…?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your dress." She shrugged, waving a hand at the store around them. "What about yours?"

"I already picked mine out." Pyrrha chuckled quietly, paying Ruby one of Pyrrha's curt little nods and smiling as she did. "We're here for you."

That…

Somehow, that made her more and less anxious at the same time. And honestly, Ruby wasn't even really sure what to do with that. Instead, looking for an out she could find, she just stammered out, "W-Which one did you pick?"

"Hmmm…. I suppose it can't hurt to show you." Pyrrha shrugged, turning and leading her through the aisles towards the back corner of the store, where a simple desk had been set up beside a line of measuring tools and a stand. The woman waiting there was an aging woman with wispy hair and a thin, wiry smile for Pyrrha as she approached.

"Miss Nikos!" She said as she stood, "How may I help you?"

"I received a message that my dress was done." Pyrrha smiled, "I was hoping to see it?"

"Of course." She nodded, turning and vanishing through the door without another word. She came back less than a minute later and laid out the dress over a triangular little rack… Thingy attached to it. Spreading it with a careful tug, the woman said, "Pleated, cut and shaped to your demands."

"Thank you." Pyrrha smiled, flicking Ruby a look and asking. "Thoughts?"

It was relatively short, like the one Pyrrha had shown Ruby just a bit ago, but with a thick sash tied around the waist and a dark brown color like the leather Pyrrha wore into combat. The skirt was pleated, too, layered in red, black and bronze strips. Unlike the one she'd looked at, it had a sleeve. But only the one, which ballooned out into a loose stretch all along the forearm to a little leather cuff at the wrist that was studded in bronze.

"It's pretty…"

"It's excellent work." Pyrrha chuckled, turning to Ruby and smiling. "It's Mistrali style. The one I recommended to you was a Valean one. But if you prefer mine…"

"I-I don't…" She muttered, rubbing her hands together anxiously. "I don't think this kind of thing would look as good on me as it will on you."

"That seemed to be how you felt about the other dress, too." Pyrrha hummed quietly, turning to meet Ruby's nervous nod with a sigh and a smile. But not a happy one, Ruby could tell. Quietly, the older woman said, "Ruby… I should hope that you don't have to compare yourself with everyone around you."

Ruby just gave her a look, sighed and said, "I-I know, but…"

"It can't be helped." Ruby turned to look at the old woman as she eased back onto her seat and smiled wanly. She gave Ruby a long, long once-over and then asked simply, "You're rather a bit young, aren't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am." She nodded, chuckling quietly, "I was… Moved ahead a couple of years, so-"

"So you feel like you lack something everyone else has." The woman chuckled, waving Ruby off when she tried to argue. What she would have even tried to say, she didn't know, but the old woman didn't give her a chance either way. "I won't try and argue that you're wrong. You won't listen. Can't, really."

"Then… What?"

"If you think you can't compete… Don't." She smiled, "You two are shopping for a dance, yes?"

"The Vytal dance." Ruby nodded, flicking Pyrrha a look when the woman crossed her arms and pursed her lips warily. Turning back to the old woman, she said, "It's… At Beacon. And everyone is talking about their dresses and dates and suits and- I guess I'm just anxious?"

"Then, if you like… I could do a fitting for you?"

"A fitting…?"

"Miss Marigold is the designer for this shop." Pyrrha explained, "She can make you a dress that-"

"No, I won't make her a dress."

"I'm sorry…?" Pyrrha blinked, confused.

"I have… A different idea I think would suit her far better. That's all." She smiled, wide and eager, and stood to ask. "So, does that sound like something you would be more comfortable trying?"

"I…" Ruby blinked, then flicked Pyrrha a look. And, when Pyrrha gave her a comforting, confident nod, Ruby turned back and smiled nervously. "Not a dress…?"

Marigold just smiled and waved at the little stand for Ruby to climb on.

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While Ruby and Marigold worked on her design, Pyrrha elected to slip out. Not without a word to the younger woman, of course, so she wouldn't think that she was being abandoned. But they had already had an appointment elsewhere, and Pyrrha had to attend to it. Or they'd risk losing the night that Ruby already felt bad about Pyrrha spending her Lien on. In spite of how little Pyrrha needed it, and how much Lien she had…

Which she wasn't sure whether to call adorable or not.

The parlor was in a quieter part of Vale, at least relatively speaking given the early afternoon hour. The street was mostly dedicated to the 'night life' of the city, from bars, restaurants and overnight dance clubs to hotels, motels and hostels in the old, worn down floors above them. 'Eve's Dance' was near the top of one of those buildings, with an old balcony that curved around the corner of the building that it shared with a few hotel rooms to either side. In spite of all of that, though, it was a fine place, with excellent reviews, clean floors, a solid metal divider to keep the hotel-goers away and a friendly woman waiting to let them into the open, hard-floored dance studio.

"You know." The woman said as she flicked on the lights and gave the mirrors that lined the wall a quick, furtive look over. "Normally we rent out to entire dance groups."

"I know." She smiled, setting the box with her dress in it aside and turning to smile at the woman. "But I was in the area and… Honestly, the price was little object to me, compared to the privacy it offers."

"Well, I certainly won't complain." The woman chuckled, handing over the keys and turning to leave. "Well, we have a private room from the building's apartment days for changing, as you were told in the renting agreement. And as instructed, please leave these here when you are done for the night, and enjoy your evening."

The parlor came with a wall-ensconced little radio-cassette player that, left alone, Pyrrha cycled through the channels, looking for something suitable, until she heard a heavy knock on the door. Confused - because Ruby knew to come right in and the owner had her own set of keys - Pyrrha turned and went for the door, raising her Aura warily. Just in case.

But, when it opened, she just found a blonde leaning against the wall opposite the door and smirking. "Sup."

"Yang?" She blinked, confused, "What are you-"

"Asked my lil' sis where y'all were heading for date night." Pyrrha blinked at the phrasing and Yang pushed off the wall and slipped past her, into the room. Sighing, she paced along the windowed side and said. "Figured we… Needed to have a bit of a chat."

"About… Our 'date'?" Pyrrha chuckled, shaking her head. "Yang, this isn't a-"

"You might not think it is, but Ruby does." Yang cut her off, turning to give her a more… Flat look than she'd expected, rather than a hostile one. "She hasn't said it but…"

"A sister knows?"

"I basically raised her, so…" Yang shrugged and crossed her arms, "Yeah, a sister knows. And even if we both know that you would bury me if I actually had to go through with it…"

"Wait," Pyrrha blinked, pointing at the brawler and shaking her head. "Are you… Here to give me the shovel talk?"

"Yep." She sighed, leaning against one of the thick windows and frowning. "Yeah, like I said, I know you'd probably be the one using the shovel if it came down to it. But I can gauran-damn-tee I'll at least get a few good licks in if you do anything to hurt my baby sis. You got that?"

Pyrrha stood there for a quiet moment, watching the blonde until her foot started to tap anxiously. Like she expected Pyrrha to start something then and there. Or, more likely, she was anxious about Ruby getting there. Pyrrha honestly preferred the latter option. If only because she didn't want to think one of her friends would believe she would just attack her out of the blue.

Finally, she sighed and turned to work the radio, and said, "Well, I suppose that if I were to do something to hurt her I'd at least do you the kindness of tying an arm behind my back."

"You'd what?"

"Oh?" Pyrrha smiled, "You think that's unfair still? I suppose I could tie both, then."

"Ha." Yang snorted, shaking her head and, when Pyrrha flicked a look over her shoulder to see, smiling thinly. "A fair fight, then. Eh?"

"Indeed." She smiled and paused, thinking for a long moment before she turned back to the woman and frowned thinly. "I've no intention of hurting anyone, however. Least of all Ruby."

"I figured, but…" Yang sighed, "She's not much younger than us, sure, but she's never been great at 'people'. You know?"

"I know." Pyrrha chuckled, "She's a wondrous person, of course. She just…"

"She knows bullets better than she does how to order a burger." Yang nodded knowingly, pursing her lips and leaning her head back against the glass of the window. Quietly, she asked, "Did you… Do you know about her crush?"

"I do."

"And…?"

"If you expect me to say I reciprocate, then I am sorry to disappoint." Yang scowled, just a bit, and Pyrrha added quickly. "I'm also happy to not anger you if you think I am going to say I do not reciprocate at all."

"Come again?"

"I know some of how Ruby feels." She explained simply, shrugging and crossing her arms, looking across the spacious room at the other warrior. "I am ignorant to the depth, obviously, but… Not the intent. I know she's not some sycophant after my name and prestige, and I know she's too honest to be trying to trick me regardless. But I don't know that I should react much at all for one so young beyond…"

"Beyond what?"

"Beyond letting the chips fall where they may." Pyrrha answered quietly, "And letting destiny lead us to its ends."

"If I wanted to hear weird philosophy crap, I'd ask Oobleck for tutoring…"

"I'm going to wait and see what happens." She chuckled quietly, looking past her out at the darkening city whose neon lights were just starting to come to life around the parlor building, casting the room in splashes of bright colors. "We have our whole lives ahead of us. There is no need to rush headlong into anything when we have our years ahead of us."

"And she won't be just coming toward sixteen in a few years too…"

"That," Pyrrha nodded, "is another consideration, yes."

"I guess that makes sense…" Yang sighed, pursing her lips and asking. "What about the Dance? If you go alone and don't ask, you'll hurt her. And if she asks-"

"I will go with her." Pyrrha nodded, smiling when Yang's brows rose. "We can go as friends and spend the night without any more. Can't we?"

"I guess…" Yang sighed, "Just… Don't lead her on?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Pyrrha promised, tapping a finger on the wall as she thought aloud. "I will make it clear to her, if it comes to that. Although, were I honest, and in the mood for rhetoricism, I'd acknowledge that there's something of a contradiction in not saying no while also not leading her on. At least unintentionally."

"That fills me with so much comfort." Yang drawled, "You can't believe how comforted I am right now. Positively sleepy cat right here."

"Oh, I know the perplexing feeling to it all." Pyrrha chuckled, "You… Could say I've waltzed right into a pickle of a sort."

"That is about as close to a pun as I think I can take right now, Pyr." Yang sighed, pushing off the wall and fishing her Scroll out of a pocket. Reading it, she turned and headed for the door, calling over, "Ruby will be here in a few. I told her she has to wear her dress to practice in. Follow up on that for me?"

"From the shovel talk to asking for a favor?" Pyrrha smirked, "Bold, Yang. Quite bold."

"Bite me, Nikos." She shouted back as she vanished through the door and slammed it behind her. A heartbeat passed and she opened it again and ducked back in, smiling nervously, "Sorry, didn't mean to slam. Slipped when I stepped out, ya know?"

"Have a good night, Yang." She chuckled, waving her away.

Alone once more, Pyrrha sighed and went to her box to get her dress. It wasn't fair to force Ruby to dance in hers and not reciprocate, after all.

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Her suit was mostly black, with a dark, deep red blouse under the coat and a red strip up the outer seams to match. Rather than heels she was wearing boots, too. Albeit nicer ones with a tiny heel at the back and red laces to match her blouse. It was comfortable enough, for how embarrassingly well fitted it was, and nice for how quick it had been made, but… It'd work, she supposed. Even if Maribel had given her a glare to rival Goodwitch's when she'd pinned her Rose to the front of the jacket chest.

And it was better than a dress.

So points for that, she supposed.

It didn't stop her from standing in the hallway outside the dance place for ten minutes, though… But, finally, she mustered up all her courage. All the energy and motivation she had. And, with a shaky hand…

Knocked on the door.

It opened a second later and Pyrrha stood there, dressed up in her own dress and smiling when Ruby squeaked quietly and her head scrunched down into her shoulders. Reflexively, she reached for her hood but she'd left it in her bag. So all she could do was stare, wide-eyed, at the Mistralian as she chuckled and sighed.

"Perhaps I might say yes a bit more earnestly…"

"W-What?" Ruby blinked, confused, but Pyrrha just turned and waved her in.

"Nothing." She chuckled, "Now come on. You wanted to learn to dance, right?"

"I-I mean, yeah, but…" She grimaced as she came in, shutting the door and setting her bag to the side as she muttered. "Why do I have to wear this now…?"

"To get used to it." Pyrrha answered before she pushed a button and quiet, gentle music filled the big, open room. Smiling,she waved Ruby over and explained, "Moving in your combat gear and moving in your suit are different. And you told me you don't know how to dance at all, really. So, we can get you used to both at the same time."

"I guess…"

"Unless…" Pyrrha paused as Ruby started to head toward her and Ruby paused, too, looking at her confusedly. Quietly, she said, "Was… Was I wrong? Would you prefer someone else, perhaps? Maybe Jaune?"

"Pffft." Ruby snorted, "And risk Weiss freezing me? No way."

"She very well might." Pyrrha chuckled quietly, "But that just leaves me, unless you have… Another preference."

"N-No you're uh, fine." Ruby stammered nervously, taking another step into Pyrrha's reach and doing her best to straighten and relax. "Just, uh, tell me what to do!"

"First, relax." She chuckled, taking one of Ruby's hands and setting it on her waist. "This is where your hand goes. You hold my other."

"R-Right…" She muttered, holding the woman's hand awkwardly. She smiled and rolled her eyes and turned her hand, lacing their fingers together, and Ruby felt heat lance up her neck. But she didn't pull her hand away or anything. She just nodded and asked, quietly, "Now…?"

"Move." She answered simply, leaning closer and turning, tugging Ruby along in a slow circling pattern in a wider circle. "Like this. See?"

"Y-Yeah…" She stumbled over Pyrrha's foot and grimaced, "S-Sorry."

"I have Aura." She laughed, bright and energetic in a way Ruby realised she hadn't heard as often as she'd have liked. "I'm going to dip you, since I'm the taller."

"D-Dip? Eep!" She squawked and went rigid as Pyrrha turned and bent Ruby over backwards, forcing her to lift a leg to stay on balance. It only lasted a second, though, before Pyrrha straightened and smiled knowingly. Quietly, Ruby nodded, "Yeah, you, uh, have to do that when we dance. I'm way too short. And, uh, not strong enough…"

"You swing Crescent Rose around all the time," Pyrrha hummed thoughtfully, "You think you can't hold me?"

"I brace her, and she's balanced just for me." Ruby explained quietly, "Usually, she's resting on the floor. Or, you know, across my shoulders, with the blade-tip down on the ground to help the weight. The rest is, you know… Balance and momentum. I'm used to her."

"I see." Pyrrha nodded, "Still, would you like to try?"

"B-But I might-"

"I won't shatter, Ruby." Pyrrha shook her head, "If you drop me, I think I will survive."

"O-Okay…" She nodded, "If, um, you wanna?"

She nodded and, after a breath, Ruby turned and tried to do as Pyrrha had. She managed to get her most of the way down, too, until her hand slipped off the Mistralian's waist. Ruby tried to grab on again, but the taller woman was too heavy so she scowled and, petals flashing around them, rocketed under her to catch her by the shoulders and under a knee, kneeling like when she'd been practicing with Crescent Rose a long, long time ago. Standing, she let Pyrrha stand and turn and rubbed her hands together.

"S-See?" She muttered, "I can't do it."

"You almost did." Pyrrha pressed, "You just need practice."

"I guess, but…" She shrugged, "It's not gonna matter, really, is it?"

"Why wouldn't it…?"

"Look at me." Ruby rolled her eyes, "No one is going to ask me to the dance. I'm too young. Not pretty enough. At least, not for anyone to risk making Yang come knocking if they asked me to go…"

"You're not wrong." Pyrrha sighed, and Ruby winced at the words. But Pyrrha just ignored it, turning and looking out the window with a weary, thin smile. The fake one Ruby had seen her use, once or twice. The one she hated… Quietly, she said, "We're not dissimilar there, honestly, although the reasons why are different."

"Y-Yeah…?" Ruby murmured, pacing over to stand by her at the window, looking down on all the people meandering by, heading in and out of the bars and clubs and everything else.

"You're young, and have a fearsome sister." Pyrrha explained simply, "And I am… Famous, and that carries with it its own weight. Most who are willing to brave what it means to even be with me in passing do so for their own gain. And there are honestly few enough even of those, now. Everyone else…? I'm either 'too pretty' and thus beyond them, in their minds, or 'too important'. Like a statue on a dais, untouchable. Unapproachable…"

"That sounds awful…" Ruby murmured, flicking her a look. "And lonely."

"Indeed." She nodded, "It's why I try so hard with our team. And, in part, why I was so happy to simply… Spend a night out, with you. Enjoying ourselves."

"Yeah…" She nodded, "I can get that. You probably don't get to do it much, right?"

"I do not." She nodded, voice turning… A bit apologetic. Quietly, almost timidly, even, in spite of how badly the word fit her. "And it is why I pressed you so hard to dance with me. I… Don't imagine I will be asked, and wanted to enjoy it at least a bit, so I may have… Well, over-stepped a bit."

"It's fine, really." Ruby shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I-I don't mind any of it."

"Even so, I am sorry." Pyrrha nodded, "But, if you don't want to anymore, I understand. And you have the basics down besides. So we can-"

"I'll take you." Ruby grunted suddenly, before her brain caught up with her mouth and she squeaked in embarrassment. Pyrrha turned to her, an eyebrow raised in question, and Ruby waved it off, laughing, "I-I mean, if you don't think anyone will, a-and you don't mind dealing with Yang, we can… I-If you want. B-But we don't have-"

"It sounds like a delightful idea." Pyrrha cut her off, turning and cocking her head with that easy smile Ruby had gotten to know more and more as time went on. "Shall we continue our practice, then?"

"S-Sure." Ruby nodded, "But I'm still too short to, uh, dip you! So…"

"It's fine." Pyrrha shrugged, "I'll dip you instead."

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Unkown Man :

Blake's point was more broadly that no one bothers at all to do ANYTHING for Menagerie. The corruption you mention COULD have happened, sure, but that would require anyone to care enough to bother. Which is what Blake was arguing.

They could also, with just a wee bit of aid, get all that set up as you describe. I would personally go with food, particularly the sorts suited to a tropical climate, as you describe, and natural sea salt. But Menagerie is struggling because no one ever viewed it as anything more than a Faunus dump site. And everyone is just… Trying to do what they can with what little thay have, now.

Lea :

Cuddle piles…?

MereC55 :

Indeed! However, in the kindest phrasing possible, it's ALSO not on Blake to have to explain herself or reason Weiss out of being a racist. It's not her job, so to speak. It speaks well to both that they are TRYING to overcome their inherent biases, and that is the point. Good people do that, and both of them are. Weiss may be the only one to ask for it directly, but both just need time.

Yang and Nora, meanwhile, are just reacting accordingly. They don't hate Weiss, but she's upsetting someone they DO care about rather deeply, to varying degrees. So of course they side with her. Is it perfectly fair? No. But that isn't their job either.

It's all, to get back to what I said before, a time thing. Everyone just needs to adapt, cope and move forward.

Malkor :

I don't quite get what you mean? Nora is incredibly assertive and boisterous and direct even in canon. The only exception is Ren, and even THAT isn't for all of canon. Eventually, she gets direct and confrontational with how he feels, how she feels, and forces him to act on it. This starts with the Knuckelavee when she intercedes and FORCES him to think and act more rationally, and is cemented in Atlas when SHE starts the relationship argument, SHE kisses him and, later, SHE says she needs time to be ready for a real relationship.

I'm also, respectfully, not going to entertain your 'women are inherently more greedy' line of thinking. And Yang in this story isn't super into the poly thing RIGHT NOW. Like Weiss, she is learning, and respects Nora's culture and ideas to try and adapt.

However, yes, I can agree that Weiss rushing to her Emotional Support Jaune is adorable indeed.