Author's Notes
Here's another one! Hope you enjoy.
Monkey D. Conan: Thank you! Your reviews are always a major highlight of posting things, and I'm glad you liked the chapter so much. Its certainly one of my favorites in recent memory!
And I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
Orchid had planned for parties before, she loved a good party! However…
She'd never planned a formal school function before. She liked wearing dresses and looking fancy sometimes, but actually structuring this whole thing was intimidating.
Ozpin had asked both teams to plan the dance, however, and that meant that she would have help!
…From Weiss.
"No no! The color pallet should be white and blue, because white demonstrates purity while blue signifies elegance and refinement! The white is the innocence of youth and the blue is the refinement that all Huntsmen possess!"
Gods help her.
Orchid shook her head, tapping the other swatch they had on the folding table they were sitting at in the ballroom, while around them the rest of the two teams worked to move things around. "Please, we're not regal! We're not pure! We're Huntsmen! We should have silver as the primary color with black as the secondary, to demonstrate how we're always banishing darkness and bringing the light!"
Weiss groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you're so set on it, then why don't we ask the others!" She looked around, spotting Neve and Ruby setting down a table that had been brought in to hold the punch bowls and cups. She called out, "Ruby! We need your opinion!"
Orchid, not wanting to be outnumbered in the event of Ruby agreeing with Weiss, called out as well, "You too, Neve!"
Both Neve and Ruby shared a look of confusion before shrugging. The two leaders walked over to them, with Ruby asking curiously, "What's up?"
Neve had an idea of what this was about, but he could see the flames of competition in Orchid's eyes, and so he wasn't going to snark about it. "Need something?" He normally didn't like to get involved in Orchid's conflicts with Weiss if he could help it, because if there was one thing Orchid was capable of being petty about, it was Weiss. It was almost, as Violet would put it, 'out of character', but he knew that this was just a side of her that was rarely directed at anyone, just Weiss.
Orchid nodded and explained, "Weiss thinks that white and blue is the color combo we should use for the decorations and cloths, while I think that it should be silver and black. Which one sounds better to you guys?"
The two looked at each other for a few moments, before Ruby suggested, "Both?"
And Neve responded with, "Both."
They looked at Weiss and Orchid while saying, "Both is good." In perfect unison.
Orchid groaned and huffed, crossing her arms. "That's such a cop-out! Still… I guess we could mix all four colors, that'd make for an interesting design." It was certainly more eye-catching than either of their ideas individually, Orchid knew that.
It seemed her opponent on this matter agreed. Weiss clearly wasn't happy with the idea, but she also didn't seem to want to argue about it anymore. "Fine." She crossed her arms as well. "Then we'll plan for four colors instead of two."
"Fine." Orchid huffed. It was a compromise, and a good one at that, because both parties walked away feeling a bit disappointed and like they'd still won the argument. At least, Orchid did.
Neve and Ruby shared a look, before eventually shrugging and slowly starting to back out so they wouldn't get dragged into another argument.
Elsewhere, Violet and Ebony were finishing setting up the DJ's station on the stage. Some of the components were heavy, but that's what Yuvi was for.
However, there was a distinct lack of conversation between them as they tried to avoid looking at each other for too long.
Why?
Well, they both knew why.
Violet had managed to avoid thinking about it for a couple days, distracting herself with her usual things (the gift Blake gave her certainly helped), but she couldn't deny the facts that were staring her in the face. 'I kissed her! I kissed her! What was I thinking…? What does this mean?'
She read tons of romance! She'd written tons of romance! How could she not know what it meant? Why did she continue to kick the can down the road, even though it was clear Ebony wanted to talk about it, too?
Besides, apparently she was fucking magic, so that was a thing. 'Ozpin really just dropped the bomb on us that magic not only exists, but it's in my special eyes, and then stuck us with Dance Duty. Ugh…' The man either had no idea what he was doing or he knew exactly what he was doing, and considering the kind of person he was, she felt it was the latter.
'It doesn't help that she's not the only one I want to kiss…' Indeed, Violet had been having thoughts about Orchid and Neve for some time as well. She'd even written fanfiction with thinly veiled characters just to satisfy this dark urge! 'Gods, what's wrong with me?' She should really be focused on trying to figure out what was going on with Ebony before she thought about anything else. Nevermind the fact that she was almost certain that neither Orchid nor Neve were interested in what she had deemed 'Beach Episode', their poly ship name that she had come up with weeks ago.
Violet chuckled once to herself as she shook her head and thought, 'I'm such a fucking degenerate…'
Blake's voice broke through her mental fog, causing her to start and for an exclamation point to appear above her head as the other girl asked, "Violet? Are you alright? You're kind of spacing out."
Violet laughed nervously and turned towards Blake, pushing some hair out of her face. "B-Blake! Uhm, yeah! I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" She chuckled. "I'm one of the most fine people you'll ever meet!" She leaned against the DJ table they'd set up, making a hand-gesture with her palm facing down and her hand going smoothly across nothing. "Just, all cool~"
Blake looked confused, her ears twitched from within her bow. "Uhm… okay… I was just asking because I was trying to get your attention and ask you how you liked that first story I gave you. You know…" Blake looked around before leaning closer and whispering. "Crystal Coercion?"
Violet smiled a thin and somewhat uneven smile that could be best described as the look of a woman who was desperately trying to keep from looking like a degenerate in-front of all of her 'normal' friends. "Ooh yeah." She giggled. "That one was really good. I loved… well, you know. The scene you highlighted."
Blake smirked. "Good. I'm proud of it myself. But… I had a more serious question too." She glanced at Ebony, who had meandered over to where Neve and Ruby were and started to help them. "There's… something going on between you two, isn't there? Usually, everytime I see you guys you're practically joined at the hip, but… lately, you've barely been looking at each other."
"O-Oh." Violet cleared her throat, her demeanor shifting to match the topic as she looked away, her tail trying to hide between her legs while the aura that enveloped her seemed to grow wavier than usual. "L-Look, it's nothing bad. It's just…"
She trailed off, and Blake raised an eyebrow. "It's just…?" Violet knew that Blake was normally not this insistent on things, but the two girls had actually developed something of a bond over their shared love for degenerate things, and for literature in general, be it fanfiction or printed works.
"It's just!" Violet exclaimed, throwing her hands up, an auric ellipses appearing above her head. After a few moments of silence, the ellipses went away and she looked around before leaning forward and whispering to her so that the rest of Blake's team wouldn't hear. "I kind of… kissed her. A-And she kissed me back."
Blake looked shocked for a moment, but afterward she smiled brightly. "That's great! …What's the problem, exactly?"
Violet huffed. "It was sudden! I just kissed her, and I don't know what that means! I don't think she does either!" This kind of thing was only supposed to happen in books and shows! Not in her actual life!
"...Do you like her?" Blake asked, tilting her head slightly.
Violet rubbed the back of her neck, blushing as she nodded, her tail tossing about nervously behind her. "I… I like her a lot." She was leaving out the feelings she felt for the rest of her team. Those were nice and tucked away so she didn't have to think about them. Although the three hearts that appeared in the auric silhouette that constantly surrounded her were hardly subtle as they moved around her form.
Blake nodded. "Okay, so ask her out. The dance is tomorrow." She said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Violet hated that because she knew it was incredibly fucking obvious, but things weren't that simple!
"I-" Violet stammered before shaking her head, a raincloud appearing above her head. "I-I don't- I'm not-" The idea of just… putting herself out there like that was foreign to her. Blake might as well have been asking her to get on stage and start singing!
"Okay, okay." Blake made an effort to calm her down. "If you aren't sure about asking her out, then you should at least talk to her. If not today, then at the dance! But you have to talk to her." She smiled as assuredly as she could. "Think about it like when you had Sylvie finally work up the courage to ask out her crush. It worked out for her, and I have no reason to think it won't work out for you."
Violet took a deep breath to relax herself, closing her eyes briefly as the auric stormcloud vanished before exhaling and opening her eyes again. She nodded, a small smile crossing her visage. She muttered, "You're right…" before speaking a bit louder, not loud enough for the others to hear, but loud enough that Blake could tell her confidence had returned somewhat, "You're right. I'll… I'll talk to her at the dance."
Blake's smile grew. "Good. I believe in you, Violet. You're the only other cultured person I know, you won't fail." Her ear twitched as she heard Yang calling for her to come over, and so she said, "I'm gonna go see what she needs, good luck Violet." Then, she turned and left.
And so Violet was left alone with nothing but her thoughts and a DJ station. So much on her mind, and, well, in it, if you considered Yuvi and the… other one as being 'in' her mind. Still, that didn't matter much, what mattered was what she was going to do.
'The dance,' she resolved with a nod to herself, 'I'll ask her at the dance.'
Elsewhere, Neve sighed as he finished helping Ruby set up some more tables. The girl suggested taking a break, and he was all too willing to agree. Ruby went off to talk to her team, meanwhile Neve was left sitting down, and finding his attention pulled by…
Ebony.
Not because she was doing anything bad per se, but she was certainly acting strange, even by her own standards. She stood off in a corner, leaning on a wall and staring off into space, looking like her mind was in Mistral while her body remained in Vale. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
'Though it might as well be true.' Neve mused, knowing exactly what was on her mind. There had been a lot on his as well, but he had a feeling that she was less bothered by the things they had seen and learned, and more about a certain raccoon in their team.
He stood up from his seat, resolving that it was time for him to try and talk to her. 'She deserves to be happy as much as everyone else on the team.'
He started over towards her, and she didn't seem to notice him at first. It wasn't until he said, "No es propio de ti estar algo callada y distante. ¿Es por...?" ("It's not like you to be quiet and distant. Is it because of...?") He glanced at Violet as subtly as he could. The perk of them speaking a language none of the others did was the ability to talk openly and have nobody understand what they were saying, unless they were foolish enough to drop a name, which they weren't.
Ebony looked a bit surprised, clearly somewhat startled at being pulled out of her thoughts. After a moment, however, she sighed and looked down while saying, "Claro que sí. El Coro es una vieja noticia para mí. Esto es... diferente." ("Of course it is. The Choir is old news to me. This is... different.")
Neve nodded in understanding before leaning on the wall next to her, opting to stick to Old Vacuan so nobody could overhear them. "No espero que sepas qué hacer, está bien, pero... tienes que hablar con ella de ello." ("I don't expect you to know what to do, that's okay, but... you need to talk to her about it.")
Maybe one could consider it hypocritical to say such a thing when he wasn't going to talk to Orchid, but there was a difference here. Orchid was, as far as he knew, a lesbian, while he knew Ebony was demisexual and Violet was bisexual. Compatibility wasn't going to be an issue for them.
Her expression was more nervous than he'd ever seen before as she ran her hand down her face before sighing heavily. "Pero... ella se merece algo mucho mejor. Soy... un monstruo." ("But... she deserves so much better. I'm... a monster.") She was surprised when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She inhaled a small, somewhat sharp intake of breath before finally gaining the courage to look at him.
He was smiling at her again, that same reassuring and comforting smile he'd given her a hundred times before. She hated that smile, because it always worked. It always made her feel more secure. She averted her gaze, a small blush on her face. Neve kept his voice soft as he said, "No eres un monstruo. El Coro es un grupo de monstruos. Los Grimm son literalmente monstruos. Tú... eres Ebony. El gato callejero de COVE." ("You're not a monster. The Choir is a bunch of monsters. Grimm are literally monsters. You... you're Ebony. The stray cat of COVE.")
His smile grew at his last words, and Ebony couldn't fight off the smile that grew on her lips as she snickered and covered her mouth. That prompted him to say, "¡Ahí está esa sonrisa! Empezaba a echarla de menos. Prométeme que hablarás con ella en el baile." ("There's that smile! I was starting to miss it. Promise you'll talk to her at the dance.")
She rubbed her eyes, trying to get ahold of herself, but still she sniffled and looked at him, still smiling. "I will." She looked away, softly and shyly saying, "Thank you, Neve… you're the best."
He chuckled and then tapped her nose, causing her to blink in surprise and blush darker as he said, "No tú." He then switched back to Valean. "Now, it seems like our break is ending. Come on, Orchid's going to take us shopping for clothes to wear to the dance. She said you can just relax at the dorm, if you'd rather not come. She said she already knows what you're going to wear."
So did Ebony, the idea of wearing it was… nerve wracking. She'd never done anything fancy before in her life. Yet, now it seemed to be a requirement. "I'll come along… as long as it's not me getting dressed up, I'm fine with it."
Neve nodded and began to step away, but he felt a tap on his shoulder. So, he turned to look at her. He was then met with a sudden hug as she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.
He smiled softly as he patted her head. "Everything will work out, Ebony.
"I know it will."
/-/
Orchid had been looking forward to this trip for months!
Neve had told her about twins who ran a tailoring shop, with their semblances making the process a lot less painful than it would be just about anywhere else. She had contemplated getting her Huntress outfit remade here with Dust imbued into it, but she knew that that kind of trip would have to wait.
Now was something far more important—dress clothes!
The shop was humble, a brick and mortar store that had a sign above it that read 'Gemini Drip'. Its logo was simply a picture of the Astrological sign 'gemini'.
'I wonder if anyone's ever had any semblance relating to Astrology.' Orchid pondered as she and the others entered the shop. 'That would be pretty cool to see…'
The four entered the shop, and Orchid hummed in approval of its design. Comfortable brown and gold striped carpets, wooden paneling that harbored several pictures of various Huntsmen who had gotten their outfits from them, several changing rooms for people to use, and the counter straight ahead.
Behind the counter was a bald young man with medium-brown skin and brown eyes. He wore a burnt orange dress shirt, a royal purple suit jacket, and matching pants. He smiled at the four as they stepped over to the counter. "My my, a whole team! I'm guessin' you're looking for something more… formal?"
Orchid wasn't surprised that he knew what they were there for. They probably saw an uptake of customers anytime some formal function was held by Beacon. "For me and these two." She gestured to Neve and Violet, meanwhile Ebony was leaning against a wall near the front door.
"Alright, cool." The man said. "Just give me a general idea of what each of you are looking for and my sister will take your measurements with her semblance. Then I'll weave somethin' in no time."
So they did, although Violet noted that she really had no idea what she wanted to wear, so the man said that he'd come up with something for her. Apparently, he already had an idea of what would look good on her, just as he did with everyone.
His sister came out afterward, merely looking them over before writing down the measurements with just a glance. Neve had to admit, he was impressed by the setup they had. Their semblances certainly made this a lot less of a chore than it would have been otherwise.
Afterward, it took very little time for the brother of the two to spin the first outfit, which ended up being Violets.
So, the team went to sit by the changing stalls and wait for her, while the brother was making the rest of their outfits.
Violet disappeared inside the changing stall, looking at herself in the mirror with a small frown. She wore her usual Huntress outfit today, and if anything she felt that wearing any kind of formal wear was dressing too fancy for someone like her.
Yet, a voice in her mind urged her otherwise, Yuvi. "We'll look good, don't worry." It was rare that Yuvi would ever communicate directly like that, she was a woman of few words, but she meant what she said, Violet could tell. How couldn't she? They were the same person.
Violet chuckled and shook her head lightly while thinking, 'If only I believed that.' Her personal image had never been the best. Too plain or too heavy or too… much. 'I know I don't look bad, but… I can't help it.' She sighed and shook her head.
Regardless of her personal body image issues, she started to change. On went a maroon button-up shirt over a white T-shirt, and a black skirt that stopped above her knees. Then, she put on some dress shoes, because no matter what Orchid insisted on, she would never wear heels. Finally, on went a black tie. Overall, a simple ensemble, but it was probably the only formal outfit that Violet had seen or heard pitched to her that didn't feel like it'd be wrong for her to wear. 'I'm not built for formality…'
She had to wonder what her grandpa would have said about her wearing this. He had always tried to get her to meet people and make friends, and had offered to take her to more than one formal, but none of the formals he went to were anything she was interested in ('old people junk' she had called it back then). She wished every day that she had gone with him more often, but ultimately she knew she'd have simply not enjoyed it.
'Hope you think I look good. All grown up.' She thought while glancing upward. Then she ran her hand down the dress shirt, straightening it out some and sighing before turning to face the door.
Finally, she stepped out so the others could see. "Here I am." She said, holding her arms out. "All… fancy." She looked incredibly awkward just standing there, and Orchid felt that maybe Violet had simply never worn formal wear before. That would make sense, as she certainly had the look of discomfort that came with this experience for many people.
Orchid grinned, hoping some encouraging words would help her get used to it more. "Looking good, Violet! I bet if we take a brush to that hair tomorrow, you'll knock everyone's socks off." Orchid had been wanting to brush Violet's hair for the longest time, but the girl had always refused. She wouldn't get away this time, though!
Neve, who was leaning against the wall while sitting with his arms crossed, nodded in agreement with a smile. "You look great, Violet. You should dress up more often." He knew it wasn't what the girl normally went for in terms of looks, but he meant what he said. If she ever developed more interest in looking… well, presentable, he felt that she had the potential to be very popular. Not that she'd ever want that, he knew she didn't.
Finally, Ebony, who was already blushing up a storm, simply nodded in agreement and gave her a thumbs up, not trusting her words. How could she? Violet looked amazing! She had never cared much about people dressing in suits and dresses, but this was different. This was with people she actually cared about to a depth she herself was uncertain of!
Violet blushed at the praise and waved her hand dismissively. "Ahh… I don't think so, but I'll trust you guys' judgment." Then she vanished into the changing room before reemerging back in her Huntress outfit, the dress wear folded and ready to be purchased. "I'll go pay for this while whichever of you is going next changes. And I am paying for all of this."
Orchid went to protest, but Violet squinted at her with unusual determination. "I've got way more money than I could ever need sitting in my bank account due to my Grandpa's pensions never stopping, I'm going to at least use some of it to pay for our outfits, even if I wish I could just wear something casual."
Objection curved, Violet walked off, and Orchid huffed. "I guess she's right… all my money is from my parents sending me money, and some stuff from odd jobs I took around Atlas before I came here."
Just in time, the sister came bearing the next two outfits, handing them silently to their owners before smiling and walking off.
Orchid and Neve looked between each other, then Neve nodded at the door. Orchid was all too eager to agree, wanting to see what she looked like as much as they did. She had always loved trying out new outfits and getting new looks, granted she kept things fairly simple most of the time, but that didn't mean she couldn't and wouldn't go all out when the opportunity presented itself. She would!
Once she was inside the changing room, she looked over herself with a smile. Her Huntress outfit was designed to show some skin without showing too much, and to fit her own personal tastes. She loved it, but it wouldn't do for a formal affair.
So, off went her Huntress outfit and on went her dress. It was a slit-leg dress with the slit being on the left, showing plenty of leg when she posed with it, smirking as she did. It was black and gold, colored in the alternating striped pattern as her hair. The chest area was cut slightly slow, allowing some clear cleavage to be seen of her above average sized chest. Nowhere near as big as Violet, but certainly a bit more than average. 'Not that I'd want anything bigger.' Finally, she wore a pair of dark purple two-inch heels.
She stepped out of the changing room and smiled as she struck a pose. "Well, how do I look? Amazing, or amazing?"
Violet returned just in time to give her comment, sitting down on the bench as she said, "A real knockout." with a small blush. "You really fit that kind of dress perfectly." Her gaze was clearly trying to avoid looking at her too much, but she was stealing glances all the same.
Ebony, once again, seemed to lack the ability to speak. Instead, she just gave another thumbs up and a smile.
And Neve? His face was as red as they came, yet he still cleared his throat and grinned. "Gotta agree with Violet, you'll own the whole dance dressed like that."
Orchid smiled proudly. "Damn right!" She then turned and headed back inside, changing back into her regular outfit before stepping out, carrying the outfit just as Violet had. Then, she went to sit down.
"Guess it's my turn." Neve cleared his throat and stood up, heading into the changing room and closing the door behind him.
'Gods, when was the last time I wore a suit?' He wondered as he looked himself over, also in his Huntsman outfit. 'I think it was… that night at the cafe.' They had some group of business-people rent the whole place out for a night, and so his mom had felt it right for them all to dress properly for it. He assumed that combat feeder schools probably had formal functions as well, but if they did, he wouldn't know. 'Guess that's the one downside about having been apprenticed.'
Off went his outfit and on went the suit. A solid black button-up shirt, followed by a tie that was dark blue and had snowflake symbols decorating it, then the navy blue suit pants, black dress shoes,then finally the suit jacket, colored the same as the pants. 'No corsage or anything, but I don't really need it.'
It wasn't like he was going on a date, anyway. They had all agreed to simply go as a team. Orchid had a few date offers, but predictably they'd all been shot down. He had one too, from a Haven student with ash-black hair and burnt orange eyes that smoldered like fire. Yet, he turned her down, because as much as Orchid wanted him to try dating, he didn't really have eyes for anyone. Much less a stranger he'd only met a couple times.
'At least, the only person I have eyes on isn't playing in the same ballpark as me.'
Oh well. In his mind, it was a lot more bearable than being shot down. Being turned down was a blow to one's pride and confidence (or so he heard, he'd never actually asked anyone out before), while this was just a matter of simple incompatibility. 'Oh well, so it goes.'
He stepped out of the changing room, running his hands down the suit jacket to make sure it wasn't wrinkled anywhere (which it wasn't, but he was nervous). "Well?" He gestured to himself with a small smile. "How do I look?"
Violet covered her lower face with a hand and looked away nervously, trying hard to not look at him but stealing glances nonetheless, not dissimilar to how she had with Orchid. "I-It looks good!" She finally lowered her hand and smiled. "You're as much of a knockout as Orchid is."
Ebony finally managed to speak, although it was soft and barely audible as she looked down shyly and smiled. "Te ves caliente." ("You look hot.") Then she stammered as she corrected herself, "I-I mean… ¡Tienes buen aspecto!" ("You look good!")
Neve was surprised by her candid comment, a blush he couldn't stop crossing his features as he smiled. "Thanks." He opted to not address Ebony's comment, as it was clearly a slip-up.
Finally, Orchid. Orchid was clearly admiring how good he looked, a smile and a light blush on her face. Yet she quickly blinked herself out of it and said, "You clean up real nice, Neve. You're going to turn heads, that's for sure." She smirked. "Just don't go and forget about us, alright?"
Neve couldn't help but feel like there was something she wasn't telling him, but he didn't want to look into it too much. Instead, his blush only darkened before he nodded. "Don't worry, it'd be pretty hard to forget about you guys." He was certain that they'd never let the opportunity come up, not that he'd take such an opportunity. With all the opinions given, he smiled. "Guess I'll get changed and then we're ready to go."
They were all in agreement, with Violet having already pre-paid for everyone else, they were set.
Now, all that remained was the dance itself…
/-/
The rest of the day was spent with a mixture of emotions. Nervousness from Violet and Ebony, anticipation for Neve and Orchid, and some underlying anxiety that something would go wrong by Neve.
Yet, thankfully, he was able to let that anxiety go by obsessively checking everything to make sure it was all exactly as they wanted it to be before the dance began.
When the night finally came, the whole of COV and RWBY were there early, setting out the punch and snacks along with making sure the DJs were ready to go (of course, they were).
Orchid liked the outfits Ruby, Blake, and Yang had opted to wear. A humble red dress with (seemingly begrudgingly worn) heels, a black dress with some white accents on it, and finally a golden one for Yang. Simple, yet fashionable.
As the time drew near, Violet took a seat off to the side to avoid having to have anything to do with the crowd of people that was coming, while Yang and Orchid manned the podium, checking names to make sure everyone who got in was supposed to be there. Meanwhile, Ebony still hadn't shown up yet. Orchid said she would, and Neve believed her, but clearly she was having to work up the courage to enter the building.
That left Neve without anything to do, really. He spotted Jaune and Ruby drinking punch off to the side, and so Neve decided to go join them. Meanwhile, the first song came on, it was a fast song, no doubt to get everyone energized for the long night ahead.
Once he arrived at the others, they smiled at him, with Ruby saying, "Here to join the socially awkward club?"
Neve shrugged. "I wouldn't say I'm socially awkward, but I've got nothing else to do." He grabbed a red cup and filled it with punch. "So maybe I am and just don't know it." He chuckled and watched as people began to pile in. "Guess this is finally happening… I hope everyone enjoys it."
Jaune smiled and nodded at him. "Well, if it matters, it seems really fun to me. I'm just, ah…" He shrugged. "Not exactly good with things like this." He sighed and looked forward again. "I wanted to go with Weiss, but she went with Neptune."
Ruby shook her head, gesturing off in one direction. "She didn't go with anyone." The two fellow leaders followed her gaze to see Weiss sitting on her own, looking very despondent. "Neptune turned her down."
"Wh-What?" Jaune stammered, seemingly having had his whole world shaken by this revelation. He looked around and spotted Neptune disappearing off to the balcony, and he scowled slightly. "I'll be back." He then walked off, leaving Neve and Ruby behind.
"Just us again." Ruby sighed softly. "I've never liked formals like this… especially because Yang makes me wear heels. I have no idea how anyone could wear these things!" She gestured down to them. "I'm gonna break a foot, I know it."
"You'll manage." Neve smirked. "Besides, that sort of thing just takes experience and time. Maybe in a few years you'll be fighting in heels like Weiss does."
Ruby gagged and shook her head. "No way! I'm sticking with my boots, thank you very much. I never understood how Weiss can fight in those things. It doesn't make sense!" She shook her head. "Ah, whatever. Did you go with anyone?"
Neve shook his head. "Not really. We decided to go as a team and avoid any sort of drama with asking people out. Not that any of us had anyone we really wanted to ask, at least. Well…" His gaze briefly flitted over to Violet. "More like Orchid and I."
Ruby nodded in understanding—she hadn't gone with anyone either, and didn't really want to be there in the first place. She found formals to be as distasteful as some of the other attendants. "Makes sense."
While they continued their small talk, Violet was sitting anxiously in a corner. Ebony had been missing for several minutes, and while she knew she'd show up, the long wait just meant that she was just going to grow more anxious by the minute. 'Come on, Violet… you can kill Grimm like nobody's business, but asking a girl out? Too much!'
Then, finally, through the crowds of people entering, she saw her.
She was wearing a white, loose-sleeved blouse under a black dress that had two pockets on the chest, three buttons starting from above the waist and moving to the top, a black belt with metal rings wrapping around and making holes in it. She had two chains that were attached to the back of her waist and wrapped around to the front, hanging loosely as it did. The dress fell to just above her knees, and had white frills to finish it off. Finally, she wore black socks and black flat-bottom shoes.
She even had on makeup. Granted, not much, but black lipstick and dark eyeshadow was enough to drive home the gothic look that Ebony was going for, and she pulled it off incredibly well.
Ebony looked nervous as she stepped into the building, while Orchid seemed to be grinning and Yang did a double-take. She wasn't the only one, it seemed that Ebony's new appearance had floored a lot of people.
Violet, of course, was one of those people, blinking her eyes and then rubbing them with the sides of her hands before standing up.
She was going to need more time to try and drum up the courage to actually say what needed to be said, but luckily she had time. The music was still fast paced, and though Ebony silently walked over and sat next to her, neither said anything, trying to avoid looking at one another.
Meanwhile, Neve watched this with a small smile. It was a start, but he knew that it would take a bit of time before they actually talked. Ruby had opted to go to one of the balconies, and though she offered for Neve to come, he waved it off.
He knew that more than one person would be upset if he tried to duck out on this.
Speaking of…
Orchid, now freed from her duties, came over to him, a smile plain on her face. He knew what she was going to suggest, and as much as he wanted to avoid it, he knew he couldn't. She held out a hand and grinned. "Come on! Let's get some fast dancing in before they slow the pace."
He frowned slightly, thinking, 'Gods, if she was anyone else I'd turn her down.' He hesitantly reached his hand out. "Fine, but don't expect anything crazy. I haven't danced in years."
Her grin never faltered as she said, "Oh, just think of it kind of like combat! It's part practice and part instinct! You'll figure it out, I know you will." She took his hand and dragged him towards the dance floor, where (mercifully, in Neve's mind) there were already tons of other people getting their groove on.
'Do people still say that? 'Get their groove on'.' Neve mused with a small smirk as they made it to an empty spot on the dance floor. 'Makes me feel like I'm some really old guy when I think that.' Somewhere in the region of a few thousand years.
He didn't have time to think about outdated slang, though. Orchid soon stopped moving and smirked as she turned to him. Before he could ask what she was going to do, she raised her hand into the air, taking his with her, before promptly spinning him around, causing him to exclaim, "Woah!"
Orchid giggled. "Don't worry! I've got you." She dipped him with a hand on his back, before pulling him back up and stepping back while still holding his hand, pulling him forward with her never-fading grin. They met chest to chest, with Neve's eyes widened as they met hers. It was easy to get lost in her eyes, but she didn't give him much time to. Instead, she stepped back and pushed him away, keeping her hand with his before she eventually yanked him back.
This time he took some initiative, sliding to the right and raising her arm over his so he could duck under it then pop up again on the other side. Orchid laughed. "Now you're getting it!"
They continued to dance, though it lasted, in Orchid's opinion, not long enough. As the song ended and the first slow song came on, Orchid huffed. "Aw… oh well." She shrugged. "Hey, how about we slow dance with one of the girls each? They've got… you know, that thing. We should give them some more pep talks."
Neve nodded, knowing that they were going to need that extra kick to actually start talking. "Good idea." He was looking forward to something slower anyway, dancing too long at that speed would have worn him out all too quickly for various reasons.
So, the two made their way over to where Violet and Ebony were sitting, still doing their best to not look at one another, moreso now that a slow song had come on. They were both relieved when they heard Orchid clear her throat and say, "Say, Ebony, how about a dance?"
Meanwhile, Neve held a hand out to Violet. He spoke in an exaggerated tone as he said, "Miss Merino, may I have this dance?"
Violet couldn't help but smile at the display. She hesitated for a moment before accepting his hand. She giggled softly as she did, saying, "You don't need to be such a dork about it."
"This coming from you?" He retorted lightheartedly with a smirk as he started to lead her to the dance floor. "You're always pretty unabashedly dorky. What was that one fanfic you wrote again? You know the one."
Violet groaned and rolled her eyes, because she knew what he was referring to. "Gods, do you have to put my feet on the coals before we've even started dancing?" She pouted and looked away. "What'd I do to deserve that?"
Neve chuckled as they came to a stop on the dance floor, he smoothly pulled her closer to him while wrapping his arm around her waist. She gasped in surprise, and he said softly, "Relax, I'm just joking. Besides, I like your fanfiction, what I've read is really well constructed, smut or not."
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her face heated up as well. "I- R-Really?" She blinked a few times. "You… you like it? Wh-When did you even…" To not only hear him say that he had read her fanfiction would be one thing. To hear that he liked it was a much, much bigger thing.
Neve smiled. "I found your account on that one website, you know the one. I caught sight of it one day and got curious. So I've been keeping up on my phone. At least, with some stories."
Violet opened her mouth to respond, but found that no words escaped. She then closed her mouth, face burning red, before she buried her face in his tux, causing his eyes to widen, then his smile to grow. He ran a hand through her hair (which had been straightened, a rarity) and said, "It's not that big of a deal, is it?"
"Yes it is!" Violet retorted, face remaining against his chest. "Do you know how often people treat my fanfiction like it's just some kind of joke? I mean, granted, sometimes it is, but that doesn't mean I'm not passionate for it! Even Ebony doesn't really get it, because to her it might as well be the same as the real thing. So it is a big deal!" She lifted her head up, smiling softly at him. "So… thank you."
Neve was honestly surprised to hear that. He was never certain how serious she took this hobby of hers, but seeing how much she cared about it, and hearing how passionate she was about it… Well, it made his smile grow. "Don't mention it, Vi. Now…" He glanced off to the left, where Orchid and Ebony were dancing (a somewhat funny sight, as Ebony only really went up to the bottom of Orchid's chest), and asked, "I hope you're not getting cold feet."
"Ah…" Violet stammered. "N-No, I just… I haven't built up the courage yet. I'm working on it." She looked away. "I'm… I'm not sure what to say, honestly. Like…. Do I say 'sorry I kissed you without saying anything, wanna go on a date?', cause that sounds… not right."
"Look…" Neve softly said. "Just follow your heart. Talk to her. Be honest with yourself and with her. You both deserve nothing less."
Violet pursed her lips for a moment, but nodded. "I… I guess I can try."
Neve's smile grew. "Good."
Meanwhile, across the dance floor, Orchid and Ebony had been dancing in relative silence for almost a full minute. It was only after that when Ebony lifted her head to actually meet Orchid's gaze, instead of sort of staring at her navel. "So… I'm… kinda scared."
She didn't need to specify what she was scared of for Orchid to taller girl smiled warmly. "Ebony… you're awesome, and I know Violet is head over heels for you. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Ebony sighed softly as she looked down. "I know that, but it doesn't stop the… the weird feelings and worries. The stuff that doesn't make any sense, but… I still feel it anyway. I don't… know what it means."
"Well…" Orchid pondered how best to explain, before finally coming up with an answer. Softly, she said, "That's natural, Ebony. We all get scared over things like this, even if it doesn't make any sense, we're still worried, and we're always worried about taking the next step, but… you'll never go anywhere if you don't start walking. Get it?"
Ebony muttered, "I think so…" yet, from the look in her eyes, Orchid could tell she still wasn't sure.
So, she said, "And hey, look at me." Ebony hesitated before looking her in the eyes, and she held her gaze. "You're Ebony, you're great, you and her both deserve happiness, and you'll get it with each other. I know, I'm good with these things." She smiled. "I'm not saying go over there and talk to her right this second, but… keep it in mind."
The slow song ended just as she finished speaking, and so Orchid said, "Take a breather, maybe get some air. Then, when the next slow song comes on, I want you to go and talk to her. Okay?"
Ebony was glad they were pulling apart, it meant that she could turn around to hide the growing blush from Orchid's compliments. "I… I will. Thank you." She really did need some air after all of that. Strangely, she noted that Ruby had seemingly vanished, notable because she had been standing near the punch this whole time. 'Maybe she skipped out, I can't blame her.'
While Ebony went to go get some fresh air and the music picked back up with a faster song, it seemed Violet was going to sit down while Neve was heading to the punch bowl. Seeing the perfect opportunity for a rendezvous, Orchid headed over to him. He poured a cup of punch and leaned on the wall. He smiled as he saw her, and she smiled back while getting her own cup of punch.
She walked over and leaned on the wall next to him, both holding their cups and watching the dance. Without looking at her, Neve said in a fairly relaxed tone, "How'd yours go? Mine seems to be getting her head in the game."
Orchid smirked, looking down at her cup and swishing around the drink inside of it while saying, "She's… better. Ebony's always been an odd one, you know that. Even we don't know everything about her, and who knows what she's thinking at any given time?"
"Mmh." Neve hummed in agreement. "'Ebony Marzenie' is an antonym for 'predictable' in the dictionary." He took a sip of his drink and then blinked a few times, looking down at it. "Hey, Orchid. Does the punch taste a bit… different to you? It's not bad, but…"
Orchid raised an eyebrow and took a sip of it. "Mmh…" She shrugged. "Kinda? Might just be a different kind of punch. Tastes pretty good, too." She took another drink of it, and Neve shrugged before doing the same with his and taking another drink.
"So…" Neve began after lowering his cup. There was a certain air of uncertain tension between them. Of course, there was the obvious question that neither had asked nor answered. They'd already danced with Violet and Ebony, so why not each other?
He wondered that, she wondered that, but neither had the courage to actually ask. Orchid's usual self-assured confidence seemed to evaporate when it came to her relationship with Neve, while he himself had never been known to be shy, but… this was a different matter entirely. When it came to one another, even hugs seemed to kindle something different, and though Neve was doing his best to hide it, it was hard. Orchid, meanwhile, did her best to act natural as well, because she wasn't entirely sure what the feeling was yet. Admiration? Romantic interest? Something else? There was no telling, and so both avoided the spark.
Though they both craved the heat, they were scared of the fire.
"So…" Orchid echoed, taking another drink of her punch as the song 'Get Down On It' was playing, a fast and old-school song that certainly got people off the wall. Yet, there Orchid and Neve remained. "You uh… think the party's going well?"
"I do." Neve responded with a nod, taking another drink of his beverage. "How about you? I know the music selection was almost entirely your doing." He wasn't sure who would be better qualified to choose than her, she lived music, after all.
"Oooh yeah." She didn't even notice how her speech slurred slightly when she spoke. "It was always going to be me. Weiss wanted some classical music, as if anyone here was gonna wanna listen to that." She scoffed and took another drink. "Amateur."
"You know," Neve began with a chuckle, "I think you're the only person I know who would ever call Weiss Schnee an amateur with music. She is an established singer, after all."
"Yeah, for operas and stuff like that." She waved her hand dismissively. "Sure, it's still music, but she doesn't know shit about what's actually popular among people who don't have their heads up their own asses." She looked back out at the dance floor and saw that some dancers were a lot… sloppier than they had been before. She didn't think much of it, instead stepping forward and refilling her cup at the punch bowl.
That was when the next slow song came on, and as Orchid leaned on the wall again, once more the question was brought to both their minds. It was ironic, Neve thought, that he could give such sensible advice to Violet and then proceed to not follow it. But he knew why that was.
Luckily, neither had to dwell on it for long. Orchid spotted something and pointed. "Hey, look! Ebony and Violet!"
Further away from the punch bowls, Violet finally found the courage to approach Ebony, who was herself returning from the balcony, and looking very nervous all the while.
They both came to a stop in front of one another, neither meeting their gaze for the first few moments. Then, slowly but surely, Violet's eyes lifted, as did Ebony's. Finally, they met each other's gaze, and Violet asked, "...Want to dance?" while holding out her hand.
Ebony nodded, wordlessly taking her hand. The two walked together, hand-in-hand, before coming to a stop on the fringe of the dance floor, near the stage. Violet put her arm around Ebony's waist, while Ebony slowly, carefully, put her free hand on Violet's shoulder.
The two began to sway, and after a moment of silence, Violet finally found the strength to start talking. "Oh… uhm… I can't… stop thinking about… that day." Neither needed any further explanation, they both knew what day they were referring to.
Ebony cleared her throat and stammered as she tried to speak, "So, uhm… Y-You… you always said… I was… different. Right?"
She had, numerous times in fact."Yeah… you've…always been different. I don't… I don't think I've ever known anyone quite like you… Neve and Orchid are special in their own ways, so are you… and you… well… you're strong, and clever, and you're… pretty cool? Ah…" She blinked and looked away. "So… you hadn't before?"
"No, of course not." Ebony shook her head slightly. "When would I have ever? Between running for my life and being… who I was. Who I am."
Violet felt kind of a sickening feeling as she kept her gaze averted. "I'm so sorry… I really… really shouldn't have, not without your permission…" Maybe it was okay in romantic literature, manga, and fanfiction, but in the real world? Well, that sort of thing had the potential to blow up in one's face very, very quickly if handled wrong.
Ebony shook her head again, albeit with more vigor this time."No, don't be. I… I liked it. It was… it was nice." Her face was burning hot, but so was Violet's. "Have you… ever… before?" She felt like she already knew the answer to that question, but she still had to ask, to know for sure.
"No, never." Violet's tail swished slightly behind her. "I'm… me. I never even really left my house before I joined Beacon, other than to train. I… I had even promised myself to never initiate contact with anyone. Always let them act first, but… I just couldn't stop myself, and… you, Neve, and Orchid have a funny way of making me try and do new things. In more ways than one…"
"Yeah…" Ebony thinned her lips. "They're… good at that. You are too… I've never… ever been able to… just sit down and be… comfortable with someone before you and them. And… waking up on your lap that one time…" She hesitated before reaching a hand up and placing it on Violet's cheek, causing the other girl to look at her. "I… I realized something, then. I didn't know what it was at first, and… I still don't know a lot about a lot of emotions, and things, but… I know this. I know… I love you."
Violet's heart could have exploded just then, but she wasn't one to move to a school for disabled girls. "I…" She reached out and placed a hand on Ebony's cheek in turn. "I love you too, Ebony Marzenie… if I could spend the rest of my life with you, Neve, and Orchid… I'd never want for anything ever again."
"I… I feel the same way." Ebony still had no clue what to make of her feelings for the other two, and clearly neither did Violet, but that wasn't the focus. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on Violet's lips, and the girl returned them, closing her eyes in the process.
They held the kiss for several moments, before finally separating. They both smiled irresistible smiles, and Violet asked softly, "So… you want to… maybe read some manga tonight? After we go back to the dorm…"
Ebony nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but…" She smiled a bit brighter. "I'm going to sleep in your bed with you from now on, no arguments." It wasn't like they could get up to anything inappropriate there anyway, that would have been mortifying.
Violet giggled lightly. "I'd never argue about that…" Ebony was small, anyway, and Violet knew that she'd fit just fine into the bed, even if it had only been designed for one person. They were larger than regular single-person beds anyway. "So…" She trailed off, and so did Ebony, because they weren't quite sure what to do next.
Luckily, they didn't need to think for long, as the slow music came to a close, something unexpected happened.
The music stopped entirely as someone grabbed a mic from the DJ's. Violet and Ebony's eyes widened as they recognized Neve and Orchid, both holding a mic, and it seemed that Orchid had (somehow) gotten her guitar. Neve called out. "Hey hey! Enough of this slow stuff! We're celebrating!"
"Yeah!" Orchid declared. "Let's play some real music!"
Violet squinted at them. "Are they… drunk?"
Ebony nodded. "Yep."
Neve yelled, "UNO, DOS, QUATRO, HIT IT!" Seemingly being so drunk as to forget the number 'tres'.
The DJs looked between each other and shrugged, before stepping slightly away from one another and beginning to play two separate songs. Livin La Vida Loca and Absolute Territory, with Neve seemingly taking the former and Orchid taking the latter. At the same time. Violet muttered, "Oh boy."
"She's into superstitions! Black cats and voodoo dolls! I feel a premonition!"
The crowd seemed to be getting into this already, and Neve's natural talent for commanding attention certainly helped. He waved a hand in the air and a gesture like he was trying to cast some kind of spell with his free hand, subsequently, ice appeared, luckily not causing any actual damage and just creating snow to fall above him (how he managed that, Violet didn't know).
"She's got a fetish for fine art! A pair of knee-socks and an oversized sweatshirt! She goes right to my heart~!"
Orchid cut off Neve's lyrics and played her guitar with a grin as she started her song, commanding the stage with a presence garnered from experience. It seemed like the two were competing with one another, some sort of 'battle of the songs'.
The crowd began to cheer as they realized what was going on. Now this was a party.
"She's into new sensations! New kicks in the candlelight~! She's got a new addiction! For every day and night!"
Neve kicked his foot out slightly at 'new kicks in the candlelight' before making a gesture like he was stabbing a needle into his wrist with the second half. Finally, he looked at the ceiling, as if he was watching day and night change.
"I get the feeling I'm in deep~ Troubled waters, but they're only thigh-high! This kind of girl don't get no sleep! Don't wake your father, skip the starters, strap those garters up!"
Orchid began by feigning a look of being a bit overwhelmed, at the second line she moved one hand and patted the thigh of the one leg exposed by her slit dress. Finally, she leaned in towards the crowd for the last few verses, as if she was telling a secret.
"Oh my my!"
She pulled back at that, starting to pace around her side of the stage.
"She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain~! She'll make you live her crazy life, but she'll take away your pain! Like a bullet to your brain~"
At the first verse, Neve threw a Water Dust crystal into the air before activating it with his aura, causing droplets of water to fall as if it was raining. Of course, it fell to the ground eventually, but the effect was there. At the second verse, he made a gesture like he was tossing his pain towards Orchid, before making a gun with his free hand's fingers and mimicking putting it to his head.
"Checkered pattern on your skirt! I see you flaunting, see you taunting, it's so sickening~ I can't resist the way you flirt~! I should be dead but my heartbeat's quickening!"
Orchid nodded her head along to the song as she continued pacing. She said the third line directly to Neve with a grin, leaning towards him a bit before pulling away and knocked on her chest, over her heart, as if trying to get it to beat slower.
At this point, the crowd had broken into their own dances, while Violet and Ebony just kept watching. Violet had taken her Scroll out and began to record towards the beginning, and she smirked as she knew how great this would be to show them later.
"Upside, inside out! She's livin' la vida loca! She'll push and pull you down~! Livin' la vida loca!"
Neve pointed up before bringing it to his chest. He then threw his hand out towards Orchid, as if lassoing her with a rope, and then mimed pulling it towards him.
"I get the feeling less is more! It's an excuse just to shake your little derrière~! That ratio; a perfect score~!"
Orchid went along with him, acting as if she'd been pulled forward as she sang the next few lyrics. At the word 'derriere' she winked at the crowd before continuing with the song, now staying closer to Neve.
"She will wear you out! Livin' la vida loca! Livin' la vida loca!"
Neve seemed to be forgetting a few lyrics as he kept singing, but everyone was having too much fun (and, by this point, far too drunk) to notice.
"Lie down baby! Arch your back now, maybe you can help me get what I want~! Curve your little spine and tell me that you're mine! It's all about the game and what you flaunt~!"
Orchid gestured towards the ground, as if inviting someone to lay down. At the second line, she arched her own back forward some before turning towards Neve and, after striding towards him, running a hand up his spine.
"Woke up in Atlas City! In a funky cheap hotel! She took my heart and she took my money! She must've slipped me a sleeping pill~!"
Neve didn't seem too affected by her gesture, but it did get him grinning wider as he kept singing the lyrics. He paced around the stage some himself, placing a hand over his heart and then making a gesture like he was checking an empty pocket.
"Yeah, I know that there's no pleasing you~! When you know that you're not teasing me~"
Violet couldn't help but nod along to the songs as Orchid and Neve continued to sing. She grinned a bit brighter as she saw Orchid leaning towards Neve like she was pleading with him to stop teasing.
"She never drinks the water, makes you order Vale champagne~! Once you've had a taste of her, you'll never be the same! Yeah, she'll make you go insane~!"
Neve gestured back at Orchid like he was talking about her with the first bit, before pulling his hand back and shaking his head at the second line. Finally, he moved his index finger in a spiral in the typical 'this person's insane' gesture.
"She's an absolute terror for Absolute Territory~!"
Orchid paced back and forth some more, running a hand up her own leg as she said the words 'absolute territory'.
"Upside, inside out! She's livin' la vida loca! She'll push and pull you down, livin' la vida loca!"
Once again, Neve gestured up and then back towards himself, and then pushed out towards Orchid before pulling back.
"That's it, baby, take control~! You're so enticing, mesmerizing, don't know how to react~"
Orchid kept her grin as she sang the lyrics as if she were talking to Neve, of course both were too drunk to really get what they were even really singing about in the first place, but neither seemed to care that much.
"She will wear you out! Livin' la vida loca! Livin' la vida loca~!"
They reached an instrumental break and began to both pace as the music continued to play. The crowd was full of cheering students, and in the distance, Ozpin watched with a small smirk. Glynda, who was standing next to him, whispered, "They're going too far…"
To which, Ozpin merely shook his head. "No, I don't think they are."
"She'll make you take your clothes off, and go dancin' in the rain~! She'll make you live her crazy life, but she'll take away your pain~!"
Neve picked up the Water Dust crystal from earlier and threw it into the air again, except this time he tossed it forward, the crowd just cheered more as water began to rain down on them.
"You're gonna steal my very soul~! More manslaughter than the third impact~!"
Orchid placed a hand over her heart at the first line, before nodding her head along to the music as she called out the next lyric.
"Like a bullet to your brain~!"
Neve stole back the spotlight to finish his line, once again placing a finger-gun to his forehead.
"I see you strutting in that pleat! Double-taking, yeah I'm shaking and you know it shows~!"
Orchid strutted towards Neve while singing the first lyric, before miming double-taking and shaking before stepping back and turning towards the crowd, continuing to play her guitar along with the music.
"Upside, inside out! She's livin' la vida loca~! She'll push and pull you down! Livin' la vida loca! She will wear you out! Livin' la vida loca~!"
Ebony whispered, "I think almost everyone here is drunk." as she looked around and saw all the students dancing without a care in the world, rather sloppily at that.
Violet nodded. "I wonder who spiked the drinks…"
"This kind of girl just can't be beat~! She whispers in my ear, 'Take off your clothes~'"
Orchid gestured to herself in the first line with a smirk, pacing around the stage before returning to Neve's side as she sang the next lyric while leaning towards him a bit. It was hard to tell if the blush was from the alcohol, Orchid, or both, but it didn't seem to matter at the moment.
"Upside, inside out! She's livin la vida loca! She'll push and pull you down~! Livin' la vida loca!"
In the distance, Violet spotted Coco Adel, grinning as she watched all of this, and it all seemed to click into place. 'You sly dog.' Violet thought with a smirk.
"Lie down baby! Arch your back now, maybe you can help me get what I want~! Oh, curve your little spine and tell me that you're mine! It's all about the game and what you flaunt~!"
As Orchid reached the chorus now, she once again gestured towards the ground, before spinning in place and then catching herself, continuing to pace around.
"She will wear you out! Livin' la vida loca~! She's livin' la vida loca~! She's livin' la vida loca!"
As Neve drew closer to the end of the song, he mimed being tired at the first lyric, before getting active again and starting to pace again, the two swapping sides on more on one occasion as they walked on the stage.
"Yeah, I know that there's no pleasing you! When you know that you're not teasing me~!"
Orchid sang the verse half to Neve and half to the crowd, her guitar beginning to glow before she lifted a couple feet into the air.
"La vida loca! La vida loca! La vi-"
As Neve finished his song, he walked over to where Orchid was and held out his arms.
"She's an absolute terror for Absolute Territory~!"
She stopped the Dust effect and fell right into Neve's arms. As both songs finally ended, the crowd cheered loud enough to rock the entire building, and Orchid waved at them while shouting, "Thank you Beacon Academy~!"
Violet and Ebony shared a look as Violet stowed her scroll. She then smiled and took Ebony's hand. "Hey, come on. Let's go sit down while these crazies have their fun." She then led Ebony off to a corner, where they could sit and enjoy each other's company. This was a night that none of them would soon forget.
Not that Violet intended to let Neve or Orchid ever forget this.
Author's Notes
I am never going to mix two songs like that ever again... Getting all of this to line up was painful.