We'd decided on an impromptu sleepover, this time with Team SSSN involved. We had to sneak Team SSSN into our dorm- none the professors were too keen on letting people from the visiting academies do these kinds of things. Getting Sun into our dorm was easy- he's surprisingly pretty stealthy when he wants to be. Getting Neptune in was a mission. It took twenty minutes, a baseball cap, and Pyrrha striking up an awkward conversation about boys to distract Professor Goodwitch before we managed to get him in the room.
"Let's get this party started," I shouted after we'd shut the door.
"Quietly," Weiss hissed. She was right- the last thing we needed was to get busted.
It was great. We'd been practicing for the tournament for so long we hadn't gotten a chance to see each other in weeks. Weiss and I were practically heroes, everyone telling us how great we'd done during our fight against Team FNKI. Everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves, especially considering we'd bought extra pints of ice cream. After the first few hours of laughing and smiling harder than I had in days, I sat back and watched as everyone else enjoyed themselves. Pyrrha and Jaune were being awkward, touching but not really touching. Nora and Ruby were sharing ice cream, trying to make some new flavor. Team SSSN were playing rock-paper-scissors trying to decide who was going to fight their double's match tomorrow. Weiss was cuddling Zwei close to her chest. I almost didn't notice Ren sit down next to me.
"Hello, Yang." He was such a quiet guy I barely recognized his voice. I smiled at him and gave him a little extra room to sit at the edge of my bed. It was the first time I'd seen him without his hair being tied up. He should keep it like that.
"What's up, Ren?"
"Just… curious. You're normally so talkative, it seems odd not seeing you amidst everyone else," he talked slowly at first, like he was nervous. We haven't talked often so I wasn't too surprised.
"Heh, a little too tired to be life of the party right now," I admitted. Using my Semblance like that took a lot out of me.
"Ah. I see. I admire your passion. That was art on the battlefield." He talked like a character in one of Blake's books. The thought made me smile before realizing Blake wasn't in the room.
"She probably went to the bathroom," I thought to myself.
"Thanks, Ren. You did really well yourself. Surprised Jaune didn't elect you for the doubles round." Hearing Jaune's plan to send both Pyrrha and Nora sounded almost like overkill. Pyrrha's such an amazing fighter- I've watched her tournament fights since I was in Signal- and hearing her being put in a team with the girl who'd KO'd a whole team with one hit sounded like cheating.
"You're too kind. I um… actually have a request to make. It's this, uh… I've left Nora's pillow in the dorm. She can't sleep without it and, well… if any of us were to be caught leaving your dorm-"
"Say no more. Your friendly neighborhood Yang is here." I was happy to help, even if I was a little sore.
"Thanks, Yang. I appreciate this," he said, handing me his keycard.
"No problem, buddy. I'll go get it now, be back in a second," I hopped off my bunk and headed for the door.
"Please, take your time," he tried really hard to hide a smirk, but I'm really good at telling when people are just about to laugh. It's practically my second Semblance. I just couldn't tell why.
"Ren's probably just weird," I thought to myself, humming softly as I swiped myself into JNPR's dorm. Hitting the light, I immediately realized the trap Ren had led me to.
"Evening, beautiful."