Azure let out a long sigh as he shifted his tie around whilst looking at his reflection.
...I'm actually doing this...? He asked himself, grimacing a fraction while looking at his outfit in the mirror. The boy had just put on a clean black suit with sky blue accents, with a crisp grey under vest and cobalt blue tie. He looked like someone who worked at one of those ritzy restaurants, and it bugged him.
Tonight was the night of the big dance. The entire school had been buzzing about it for the better of over two weeks, and Azure couldn't have been more restless. The young man wasn't big on public events, and it stressed him out more than he liked (though he did his best to hide it). And to add on to his anxiety, he also had a date. Something he had zero experience in.
"Oh relax, Azure."
The half faunus turned to see Rember giving him her signature grin. The girl was finished dressing up for the event, and Azure's eyes subtly widened with astonishment.
Rember wore an ivory dress with black, flowery details across the middle, elbow sleeves, and bust. A black ribbon was tied around the waist, and the skirt itself was cut off at her mid calf. The fox faunus' ochre hair was glossy and stylized, and wore an appropriate amount of cosmetics that accentuated her already beautiful face.
"Woah." Azure managed to reply after a moment, "Rem, you look great."
"Hehe, thanks!" She chimed happily, giving her dress a small twirl. "Not looking too bad, yourself. Val is gonna love you." She said playfully, to which Azure's grimace hardened.
"Dear me. What a fine specimen of man." Jad teased, "It may be difficult for humble men, such as myself, to outshine you." The tall young redhead looked quite dapper, with his black vest overtop a white dress shirt with a green and gold tie. A pair of black and white, wing tipped dancing shoes were tied properly on his feet, and a golden chained pocket watch threaded through his vest and sat snugly in one of the vest pockets. His signature black fedora sat atop his head, and wore his green leather gloves.
Azure smiled awkwardly, "I seriously doubt it."
"Aww, come on! Then what was the point of the rest of us-but mostly me *eherm*-teaching you how to dance like a stud? To impress the ladies, right? Or I guess in this case, the lady."
"No. I just..." Azure trailed off. Why did he agree to learn? It certainly wasn't to impress Valerie, and he never had any desire to learn before. What else could it be?
"I just...didn't...I don't want to have my first...date...to be a complete bomb, I guess." Azure mumbled conclusively. It was the only logical answer he could think of.
Jad patted his friend on the back reassuringly, smiling wryly. "Well look at you! Being all gentlemanly in regards to your date!" He commented cheekily, Azure looking away in mild embarrassment.
"Bossman is a lot of things, but I think we can agree he isn't a complete jerk." Gayle commented with her own smile, brushing off her knee high green dress. The faunus' auburn hair had been cut short earlier that day, the wavy locks now stopping just past her shoulders. Rember was the one who took the role of the barber, and enjoyed doing the deed a lot. Jad had passionately protested the shearing, but Gayle assured him that it'd grow back rather quickly. Something about it being a side effect of her semblance. And to top off her outfit, the lizard girl adorned her legs and feet with black flats and stockings.
"Gee, thanks Gayle." Azure mumbled with a hint of a sarcastic smile.
The team collectively chuckled to themselves. After it quieted down, Rember noticed the time, nudging her partner to get moving.
"Better go! Don't want to keep your date waiting~" she teased lightly.
Azure forced a nod. "Right. I'll see you there." The boy stated, making his way out.
As he softly closed the door, the half faunus took a moment to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning against a wall. There wasn't anything to be nervous about. This was supposed to be a fun time. All he needed to do...was relax.
"Alright...here we go." Azure whispered, letting all the tension ebb away as he left the dorm building.
It didn't take long to reach the ballroom. Ignoring the obvious sounds of music and crowds, Azure remembered when they used it as a temporary place to sleep before initiation. Now that he thought about it, that day seemed like a distant memory. Even if it was only around half a year ago.
Azure checked the time. The dance started a little while ago, and he agreed with Valerie that they would meet up around now. He knew he was a few minutes early, but didn't mind waiting.
Looking around, the half faunus took in the sights for a moment. It was quite a beautiful night. The pale face of the moon was high above his head, with almost no clouds floating in the dark blue sky. The young man felt himself smile when the cool air touched his face, the sensation calming his nerves. He had always liked nighttime; ever since he was little. He, Jet, and Eyriss would play games in the evening, and his mom would usually get home from missions at night. However, he had different reasons for liking the evening now...
"Hey there. Hope you haven't been waiting long for me…"
Azure perked up when he heard a familiar voice behind him, turning around.
"He-...Valerie?" He asked in disbelief at seeing the young woman in front of him.
"Hehe, don't act too surprised. It's like you didn't think I'd show." The girl teased, an all too familiar coquettish air around her, and Azure went wide eyed.
Valerie looked completely different compared to her usual. Her long sliver blue hair was pinned up in the back, with the two hair curls that had sat on either side of her face straightened out. Her bangs had been styled to the left, which made her deep red eyes stand out even more. And lastly, a shimmery dress of pale lavender and dark grey was her choice of wardrobe. The skirt stopped between her ankle and knee, and a corset was tied around the waist. The only way that Azure could describe her was...well…
She looked gorgeous.
Before the boy could articulate, Valerie spoke up. "Uh, you okay? Kinda spacing out there." she asked.
"Huh? Oh! Y-yeah…" Azure fumbled, snapping back to attention. "I just couldn't help noticing you look...uhm...different..."
Valerie raised an eyebrow before laughing to herself. "That's all? Boy, you sure know how to charm a girl."
Azure's face tinted pink. Trying to brush it off as best he could, the young man put on a cool smile.
"So… shall we get going?" He asked, extending out his elbow just like Jad showed him during one of their lessons.
Valerie flashed a pleased grin, accepting the gesture by interweaving her own arm.
"Lead the way." she replied happily, and the two entered.
"Woahhh, this is great!"
"...Can't you tone it down just a bit? We're in public. And do you really need all that food?"
"But it's all so good~!" Sonara stated blissfully as she continued to gather small bits of food from the buffet. Kyra did her best to be tolerant, watching her teammate dart about in her sage green dress. Rosalie was off dancing with some young man she didn't know, and Valerie was with Azure. So that left her alone with Sonara... Fantastic.
"Hey you two."
Both girls perked up, looking over to who called them.
"Oh, Rember." Kyra addressed when she saw the fox faunus walking over to greet them, along with Gayle and Jad.
"Heya!" Sonara greeted jubilantly.
"You just get here too?" Gayle asked, looking over at the sea of dancers.
"No. Got here before Val did."
"Yeah! So she and Az can have some fun alone time-Owww! Hey!" Sonara suddenly yelped in pain as Kyra elbowed her in the shoulder.
"Don't be stupid." Kyra said flatly, a disapproving frown on her face, "God, you need to get a filter…"
Jad could barely hold back a venomous grin, wanting to mess with Azure and his date due to the new info. Pushing down the urge, the tall boy cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, where are our two love birds?" He pried, looking around the hall. He then quickly spotted the two on the dancefloor, and the redhead smiled. Good ol' Pasty seemed to be doing pretty good, and Valerie looked like she was having fun. The pale haired boy soon noticed the five of them watching from across the hall, and nodded his head. Jad gave him an open smile, wink, and an 'OK' hand gesture, watching his friend lead his dance partner smoothly around the ballroom.
"Heh heh...my work is done." Jad grinned, folding his arms in satisfaction.
"Uh, don't you mean our work?" Rember added.
"Hey, hey, I did most of the teaching, Foxy."
With her teammates now going back and forth… again, Gayle slid over to the other two girls. "So...you guys planning on doing a lot of dancing?" she asked.
"Oh, you bet!" Sonara exclaimed, "I love dancing!"
"...Not really my thing." Kyra mumbled, looking off at something else. "I only came because everyone else wanted to."
"Wait, are you saying you don't know how?" Jad piped up, gliding over and taking the girl gently by the hand, getting down on a knee. "Cause I will gladly show you…" the boy said smoothly, putting on a comically charmful look.
Kyra felt an irritant frown creep onto her lips. "No thanks." She stated flatly, retracting her pale hand and walking off by herself.
Jad shrugged his shoulders as he got to his feet, Rember snickering to herself.
"So...what now?" Gayle asked her two teammates.
"Just have fun! It's our night off!" Rember replied happily, going towards the dancefloor.
"Hmhm…"
Hearing a quiet giggle, Azure looked down to see a contentful Valerie, the young woman smiling to herself as the two of them danced. "What?" He asked, curious.
"Mmm? Oh, nothing." Valerie assured, "Just enjoying the moment..."
Nodding to himself, the boy went back to observing around the hall, only to have his attention back on his date when she spoke up again.
"You know, I didn't think you were a dancer. Hehe, not that I'm complaining." The bluenette teased lightheartedly, red eyes filled with happiness.
Azure felt himself awkwardly chuckle. "Well, I did have a great teacher…" He answered, gesturing over at Jad. Both him and Valerie shared a laugh at the sight of Jad dancing with Gayle, the two of them appearing to have a fantastic time experimenting with different dance moves.
"Ahhh, ok. So that's why." Valerie said to herself. Azure then spun her out into a twirl, curling back into her original position quickly after. "Still," She continued, "you have a knack for it. Just like all the other stuff I've seen you do."
"What do you mean?" Azure asked, slightly intrigued.
"Well, what else could I mean? You're amazingly talented! You're one of the best fighters I've seen, you make the best baked goods I've ever tasted, and now I find out you're a pretty good dancer!"
"Ah. Well, that last one is a new one for me too."
"So I've gathered… Mind telling me more?"
"Huh?"
"I'm try'na get to know you, oh elusive one." Valerie teased in her signature voice of playfulness, "Make conversation."
"It's...a bit of a long story."
"Oh, come on!" the girl urged, "Tell me! Please? I get you're not exactly a 'talkative' person, but indulge a curious girl for a while…" she pleaded, putting on a rather impressive set of puppy dog eyes.
It surprisingly worked. Like the girl wanted, a pang of guilt struck Azure's core. He didn't want to spill everything about his past to her. But now that he thought about it, he hadn't said anything about himself except to his team; Rember knowing the most. It had been a few months since the beginning of the school year, and while he didn't feel close to Valerie...she wasn't a bad person. It wouldn't hurt to at least get properly acquainted. Plus, the young man promised Rember that he'd try to make an effort to let people in. But...how to word it…
"Alright." Azure agreed, to which Valerie smiled, pleased she persuaded her dance partner.
The young man took a breath before continuing.
"Guess I should start at the beginning. I first started learning swordplay and archery from an old teacher, who also taught my mom. It's also where I met Jad."
"Oh~ So that's how you know each other! But...I remember Jad telling me that he hadn't seen you in a long time..."
Azure nodded. "He's not wrong." he continued, "The time I spent with him was short. I'm glad he still remembers." the young man suddenly frowned, face disheartened, "...I know I didn't..."
Concern flashed momentarily in Valerie's crimson irises. "What do you mean?"
"My home...it got destroyed by Grimm when I was young." Azure explained, "I lost everything..."
"Oh. Oh wow. That's…I'm so sorry.".
"It's fine."
"Is it alright? If I ask about them I mean?"
"Oh. Uh, okay…" Azure answered. He didn't expect Valerie to keep pursuing this particular conversation. "...I had a brother and a sister. They were younger than me. Both our parents were Hunters, and we lived in a modest settlement near the Sanus-Anima sea, called Yukihana. I...still think about them. Sometimes."
A moment of silence passed between the two dancers, and Valerie picked the conversation back up.
"What happened after that?" she asked.
Azure contemplated for a moment, sweeping away lingering somber thoughts. What was harmless enough to share next...
"...I was taken in by a mercenary and his acquaintance. They're the ones who gave me the rest of my weapon training."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but the mercenary died a long time ago."
"Oh...What about the other one?"
"I...actually, I dunno." Azure admitted, "I never saw her again after Nyan-the merc passed away."
Valerie was enthralled. Part of her wondered if this was the first time he was talking about this sort of stuff. While she always had a gut feeling there was something in this boy's past that wasn't happy, she was finally starting to understand just how much Azure had gone through, even if it was only a small fragment.
Azure slowly spun Valerie around a few more times, continuing his tale once they returned to their former position.
"After that...I met and grew up with five other orphans. I was actually the best cook, so I ended up making most of the meals for all of us."
Valerie bobbed her head with realization. So that's where he got his cooking from…
"And...what happened with them?" She inquired soberly. If her pattern recognition was any good, then chances were these other people from Azure's past probably weren't doing too well...
Azure paused. "...Three of them are gone. The other two...I lost touch with years ago." the young man concluded.
Valerie felt her heart sink. "Oh. I'm...so sorry. I had no clue about any of it." she apologized sincerely. "You've been through so much… I know it must've been horrible."
Azure caught the tone of sadness in Valerie's voice on her last statement. There was something there. A spark of empathy in her words. Nevertheless, he shook his head softly and put on a smile in an attempt to dissuade his date's melancholy. "Don't worry about it." the young man assured, "It was a long time ago."
Abruptly, the music ended, changing gears to something more upbeat.
"...Still want to talk?" Azure posed.
"If you're still up for it?"
"Sure." Azure looked around for a moment. "...Maybe somewhere a bit...quieter though?" he asked. If he really was going to have a lengthy chat with this girl, he'd rather do it in a place he'd be more comfortable in.
A warm feeling replaced the dread inside Valerie's chest, and she grinned happily.
"Okay." She replied.
"Whew...Time for a quick breather…"
Jad got himself seated at a table in the corner of the ballroom, sipping a cup of punch all on his own. He needed a moment away from all the exertion. Ever since he started teaching the team how strut their stuff on the dancefloor, Gayle took to dancing spectacularly well. Since the two were partners, their synergy made any dance they did fun, and it was fantastic to have a dance partner just as passionate as he was. Of course, all the moves they were experimenting with called for a lot of physical strength on his end, so the young man needed one song to cool off and re-energize. Not to mention, he had something planned especially for this occasion. Something that involved a special someone.
Eyes peering through the masses, the young man searched for her. And then, there she was. The school's stern, yet breathtaking combat professor, Glynda Goodwitch. The woman in glasses was off on her own, watching the party as a spectator. She was so close...yet, so far away. And just like always, she looked spectacular. In all honesty, he had no issue if the rest of the team thought it was weird. The more mature the woman, the more appealing. Within reason.
Ever since that one detention after the bet with Azure, he had fallen for this sharp woman; both personality and appearance. The young man didn't care if she acted indifferent. Tonight she would see him, one way or another…
Quickly slamming back what was left in his glass whilst mustering all of his gumption, Jad got to his feet and casually placed himself behind Goodwitch, putting on his best charismatic smile.
"So… What's a knockout like you doing in a place like this?"
Glynda jumped at hearing a sudden voice behind her. "Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief, spying a tall redheaded boy with a ridiculous grin. Wait...She knew this young man...
"Quite the night, huh?" The young man responded, acting coy.
It was Jad Eclipse. One of the members of Team KRME, and a destructive troublemaker. She recalled having to send him to detention more than a few times for unprecedented acts, including punching a fellow student through solid stone walls in defense of his partner. And now he was here...
"...Mr. Eclipse, you must know that this is an event for the students. What on earth are you doing talking to me?" Glynda probed, wanting an explanation as she folded her arms.
Jad took a minute, appearing to think hard about how to answer. "Well, I've been holding out all night to dance with the prettiest girl here…" The boy explained.
Glynda raised an eyebrow. Why was he telling her this?
"So...go find her." The teacher said.
Jad's eyes stayed captivated by his instructor's face. His head leaning slightly to one side and a gentle smile casually betraying him.
"I did." he stated amiably.
Away from all happenings, Valerie and Azure continued their little chat. The both of them were on the second level of the ballroom, where it was a little bit quieter (and devoid of people at the moment). So far, Azure had told the young woman quite a fair bit; more than he'd ever told her since they'd met. She'd learned more about how he trained and became friends with Jad, a little bit about some of the old friends he had.
"So Jad has secret hideouts all over, does he?" Valerie said, glancing over at her date. "Ever wonder about finding out the rest?"
"No. That's one mystery I don't need to answer."
"Hmhm~ I bet Rember would be all over that treasure hunt though."
"Possibly..."
Laying his gaze down below, Azure cracked a smirk at a humorous sight. The team leader spied Jad waltzing with Glynda, the redhead, grinning like a fool and not even trying to hide it when large groups of the other dancers glanced over at the two. The teacher seemed to be composed, if not for the hint of pink in her abashed cheeks and annoyed look in her eyes. Azure could sense her feelings of vexation, and he and Valerie shared a quick laugh.
"Ya know, Jad's always either really daring, or really dumb." Valerie commented, grinning.
"It's both. Although, now and then, he surprises you with wisdom you wouldn't guess he had." Azure replied, thinking back to their talk in the cafeteria courtyard. A brief moment passed and the two broke into laughter again. After quieting down, Azure returned his attention to the girl beside him. "Hey," the young man posed after a second, "Since I've been the only one sharing, why don't you tell me a little bit about you?"
The girl's red eyes widened a fraction. She didn't think Azure would really care to reciprocate her inquiries. Nevertheless, this made her pleasantly surprised.
"Like what?" She asked, putting on a friendly smile.
Azure shrugged. "Guess we'll start with the basics. I actually don't know that much about you either."
"Oh? And who's fault is that for being too busy with training and school and being chased around campus by all the girls that you miss out on getting to know a pretty face?"
"Ha. Funny."
Valerie let out an amused giggle at the unimpressed response before getting recomposed. "Ok, ok. Seriously, ask anything you like." she started again, subtly sliding a little bit closer to her date.
Azure pondered for a moment. Better to start small…
"Favorite color?"
"Uhm...lilac purple. You?"
"Emerald green."
"Ooh, that's a nice color. Next?"
"...How many in your family?"
"Well, there's my parents, me, and my two elder sisters."
"You have siblings too?"
"Yup! Vivian and Vesta. Vi is a Huntress that travels a lot, so I only hear from her occasionally, and Vesta is part of the Altesian military. Think she got promoted to First Lieutenant not too long ago…"
"...So do names that start with 'V' a family thing, or…?"
"Hehe, I dunno." Valerie shrugged, "It's...just how Mom named us."
Azure watched the girl beside him closely. Her voice carried the slightest hint of saudade when she mentioned her mother. It was parallel to when they were dancing earlier. Still, it didn't feel right to ask her about it; as he could tell it was an obviously sensitive topic. The young man slowly nodded his head, devoid of further questions, and found his eyes wandering towards the dancefloor momentarily before returning to his date.
"So..." he said, "I'm drawing a blank. Anything else you got? Or..." The young man put on a friendly smile, leaning over the railing. "Should we head back down for a few more songs?"
Valerie blinked a few times, unconsciously fiddling with a strand of hair. Azure rarely smiled. No, check that: The girl knew he smirked occasionally, but he almost never showed an expression that wasn't reserved or downplayed. All she really knew of this young man was the stoic, quiet loner persona. So when he put down the guise and started acting...well, nice, it made her heart melt. Yes, the young woman had experienced feelings like this with other guys she was interested in, but nothing like this. She wasn't sure if Azure intentionally knew what he was doing, but the young man was acting uncharacteristically charming tonight.
Was...this what he used to be like…?
"S-Sure! I'm up for it." the young woman eventually managed to answer, forcing her hands to stop playing with her hair.
Azure's smile widened, nodding his head while unintentionally making Valerie's heart flutter again.
"Alright then, let's go."
Amongst the crowd, Gayle hurriedly moved around the ballroom, searching for her partner. She just thought up a fantastic idea, but she needed Jad's help in order to pull it off. Mostly because she wasn't crazy enough for it to work on her own. Last she saw of her partner, he was the center of attention due to dancing with Professor Goodwitch. The young faunus still couldn't wrap her head around why she didn't immediately shoot him down, but whatever Jad did in order to secure a dance, she'd ask about it later. If only there weren't so many people around, finding her partner would be so much easier! She had located everyone else she knew at this school, except her tall, spontaneous knucklehead. However, the faunus' search soon ended, because she did find her partner. The dapper young man was off by himself at one of the tables, slouched on top of the stand while somberly eyeing a drink in one of his hands.
"There you are!" the lizard girl stated in relief, only to pause at seeing the alien look of depression on her friend. "...Hey, you okay…?"
Jad's deep blue eyes meandered over to look at his partner, then fell back to his beverage. "...I'm just … " he let out a sigh.
"Huh?"
"Glynda. At this rate, I doubt she'll ever take me seriously…"
Gayle's eyebrows pulled together as she let out a confused breath. That was why he was acting this way? "Weren't you just dancing together?" she pointed out.
A gloomy sigh escaped the young man's mouth. "Yeah but she still doesn't think much of me." he stated, "...*sigh* But you had a question. What was it?" the young man asked, downhearted.
Hoping that her idea would cheer up her partner, Gayle promptly continued. "Actually, I was just wondering if you have any ideas on how we could get some swing tunes to play."
"Swing tunes?"
"Yeah. Cause', well, we did practice a lot…" she continued meekly, absentmindedly fiddling with her braid, "and I think it'd be fun! But...I don't know if they'd let us play any."
"So...You want my help...hijacking the sound system?"
"Yeah," Gayle concluded, "that's pretty much it. So...can you?"
Jad took a moment to think, a look of depression still on his face. After such a hard blow to his confidence, did he have enough left in him to come back from this setback in his master plan? But wait… Perhaps this could be used to his advantage?
And then it happened. Jad got an idea. A wonderful idea. Jad got a wonderful...awful idea…
Gayle observed the abrupt change of her partner's face, suddenly worried. What was melancholy, was eerily replaced by a look of an evil mastermind. The lizard girl knew what that meant.
"Uhhh...Jad?..."
A cunning smile creeping onto his lips, the young man set his reinvigorated sights on Goodwitch. "That could work."
In that instant, Jad vanished, a hazy dust cloud in the shape of the young man resting where he had stood seconds before, leaving his teammate in a state of complete bewilderment.
"J...Jad…?" Gayle blinked a few times as she watched the dirt silhouette disappear. looking for any sign on just where her friend had gone.
Rember was on her own when he found her. She was standing in the shade of a pillar by one of the windows on the edge of the crowd, watching the dancers as they swung their partners around in time to the music, all of them smiling and laughing, free, for a night at least, from the stresses of schoolwork and professors and the tournament that loomed ever nearer. The music was loud, drowning out many of the smaller sounds Rember usually would have been able to pick up on -like footsteps behind her.
"Rember?"
She froze at the sound of that voice, a thousand memories rushing to flood her mind. Scenes of breaking into the kitchen at Sanctum, of pranking unlikable teachers, of sneaking out onto the roof, of a shriek and pain in her shoulder-
"Rember, stop!"
The tide ebbed and Rember found that she was no longer standing beside the pillar where she had been observing the partygoers; she was standing inches from Lupin Grey, who had apparently been retreating backwards, with her hands balled into fists, one of them half-raised.
"Rember, calm down, okay? Just calm down, think about-"
"Shut. Up." she ordered through gritted teeth.
Lupin stopped talking immediately, watching her with wide, guarded eyes. It took a few minutes, but Rember was able to get her breathing under control and loosened her muscles individually to help her relax. She took a deep breath before meeting Lupin's gaze, which was far warmer than her own.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice quiet and hard.
Lupin raised his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to talk." He replied. "And, if you felt up to it, I was hoping for a dance."
Mixed feelings churned inside her as Rember thought over his words. She chewed her lip absentmindedly as she scrutinized the young man in front of her.
"What did you want to talk about?" she ventured eventually, crossing her arms.
Relief flooded Lupin's eyes and he lowered his hands. "Anything." he admitted. "Anything you're willing to talk about with me."
The young woman continued to study him with narrowed eyes.
"Alright." she said after a minute. "You can have one dance. I'm not promising anything else."
Lupin couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph as he followed Rember out onto the dance floor. Despite her reluctance, she'd accepted. Maybe he was already getting somewhere. A song the wolf boy wasn't familiar with began to play. It was slow and soft, the kind of thing Rember probably liked. He remembered how she used to go to bed with headphones on so that her music would soothe her to sleep. He'd asked her about it once, and she admitted that after the attack on her sister, she always felt like she could hear the creatures of Grimm howling and growling outside her window, so she found music that made her feel calm, and used it to drown out the sounds that scared her. Feeling nostalgic, Lupin wondered if she still did that.
Rember turned to face him and he took her hand, placing his other hand on her waist. She hesitantly put her right hand on his shoulder, and they started swaying in time with the song.
"So," Lupin started after a minute of tense silence. "How's school going?"
With a half exasperated look, Rember shook her head before replying "Fine."
"Just fine? You're not acing all your exams?" Lupin pressed teasingly.
"The semester just started, Lupin, I haven't had an exam in weeks."
Was he imagining it, or was there a hint of amusement in her voice?
"Oh, right. Totally forgot." he laughed.
Rember was quiet for a minute before saying "What about you?"
"Hm?"
"What have you been up to?"
"Not much, really." Lupin admitted, letting go of Rember's waist and spinning her out. She spun back gracefully and they continued dancing. "Kind of just been hanging out. Working the odd shift on the docks."
"And leading a new team on your days off?"
He glanced down at her sharply. He'd forgotten how observant she could be at times. Rember didn't say anything, her green eyes on his face as she waited for an answer. With a slight grimace Lupin nodded.
"I guess."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't like your teammates much?" she asked intuitively.
Lupin flashed her a brief, terse smile. "What gave you that impression?"
"Uh, your tone?" she told him. "Not to mention Goldy-cat's been glaring at me for the last five minutes from the corner, and I can't imagine you'd enjoy spending time with a person so shallow she reflects herself."
Lupin bit back a laugh as he lowered Rember into a dip. God, he missed her humour so much. He missed...everything about her.
"Alright, you caught me. I'm not overly fond of Aeryn, but she's a talented fighter. Even if she's not all that...nice."
"Hm." Rember intoned, mockingly thinking out loud. "What do you find most annoying about her? The fact that she drapes over you better than a blanket, or the way she keeps looking around like she's expecting a mirror to pop out of the ground so that she can admire herself?"
This time Lupin couldn't contain his laughter, and he was rewarded with a brief smile. For a few moments the pair danced in silence, Rember with her ears pricked as she caught snippets of conversations around them, and Lupin with a smile he didn't realize he was wearing. Before they knew it the song was over, and the couples around them were breaking up to find new partners or retire from the dance floor. To Lupin's surprise Rember didn't pull away as a new song picked up, and when she noticed him looking at her with some puzzlement she grinned crookedly and said "I told you I'd give you one dance -I never said how long it would be."
Lupin didn't say anything in return, merely offering her a gleeful smile before orienting himself to the tempo of the new song and spinning Rember out again.
The song passed without either dancer speaking, and Lupin gradually began to feel more and more optimistic about his hopes for rekindling his friendship with the girl he was dancing with. Everything was going better than he could have dreamed -especially after the fiasco in Professor Goodwitch's class. He'd known that his reappearance in Rember's life would come as a shock, but he hadn't thought it would bring about the kind of reaction it had. He didn't want to scare her, but clearly that had been the effect.
Halfway through the third song, another slow, lyrical piece, Lupin caught Rember watching him with thinly veiled confusion.
"Something on your mind?" He asked quietly, knowing she would be able to pick up his words despite the music and chatter around them.
"A number of things, actually." She replied without smiling, her voice equally quiet and strangely sober.
Inwardly, Lupin grimaced at the note of seriousness in her voice. At the same time he noticed that her hand was like ice in his and fought to keep from reacting outwardly. If her semblance was acting up her thoughts were serious indeed.
"May I ask what you're thinking about?" He ventured, already knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.
She took a deep breath before speaking again. Studying her face Lupin could see that any traces of amusement or merriment had vanished, replaced instead by something unreadable.
"I'm trying to figure out why you're here." She murmured eventually.
Lupin's heart sank, and he berated himself for believing that it would be that easy to regain her trust.
Rember's incredibly green eyes studied his face as she waited for him to say something. For a minute he wracked his mind for an excuse before coming to the conclusion that she wouldn't buy it, and that he didn't want to lie to her anyways. With a heavy sigh Lupin mentally kissed his hope of winning his best friend's confidence back away and met Rember's gaze soberly.
"I was sent here under orders." He confessed in a bitter undertone. "The White Fang are trying to find somebody, and they think he might be at Beacon."
Rember's eyes flashed and her body tensed up. "I knew you were lying." She hissed, her voice laced with a venom that rarely found its way past her musical tone.
Hurt lanced through him as Lupin struggled to find the words to explain.
"I didn't lie to you, Rember." He managed to say much more calmly than he felt. "I really have been picking up shifts on the docks, and I really don't like my team all that much. I came here because of orders, but the fact that I just told you that means I'm not quite following them."
"But you're still here because of them!" She retorted, her hand like a vice around his. "I hoped that maybe you weren't, but as long as you are I won't trust you."
Won't, Lupin thought in dismay. She said won't, not can't. She doesn't want me here.
Rember let go of his hand and took a step back, fox ears flat against her head. Her eyes were dark and narrowed again as she glared at the taller faunus before her. "This was a mistake." She told him, ignoring the confused looks from the dancers around them. "You were wrong to approach me, Lupin. Don't do it again."
She made to turn away, but Lupin stepped forward impulsively and grabbed her hand.
"Rember, please!" He begged.
She glanced back at him, and he realized that she was giving him one more chance to say something. He searched her familiar face desperately, the face he hadn't seen in nearly four years, the face he'd thought about every time he'd received new orders he hated, the face he'd dared to dream would smile at him again, and realized that though the face was familiar...something underneath it wasn't. There was something cold and broken in Rember's eyes that Lupin had seen before, but not targeted at him.
"What happened to you?" He muttered sadly.
Rember's eyebrows shot up and she snorted humorlessly. "What doyou think happened to me, Lupin?" She shot back. "One month I had the best friend I could have ever asked for, and the next I was betrayed, friendless, branded, and responsible for the death of a classmate." Her stare was hard and cold as she drove her point home. "YOU happened to me, Lupin Grey. You and the White bloody Fang!"
Lupin felt her words like a physical blow and stumbled back, bumping into a dancing couple who sneered at him and swept away disdainfully. Rember made no move to help him regain his balance, instead crossing her arms and creating a tangible barrier between them.
Lupin's mind was reeling as he struggled to accept Rember's harsh words. He hadn't known the White Fang were going to brand her the way they had. He hadn't known about Rember causing the death of a classmate -the White Fang had pulled him from Sanctum as soon as his recruitment efforts with Rember proved futile. He'd failed her in a way no friend ever should, and now he feared she was beyond his reach.
Still, there was nothing to lose even if she had made up her mind. He had to try.
"Rember, I didn't know! If I had I never would have taken you there. I would have told you to stay away!" Lupin protested, praying that she would hear the truth in his words. "I didn't want to leave you, but you said you didn't want me there, so I left! I tried, Rember!" He said earnestly. There was a lump in his throat, and he forced himself to speak around it. "I tried to help you, and you didn't let me."
Rember's breath caught in her throat and the anger she'd displayed a minute ago dissipated. Clearly she did remember, and as he waited for her to say something, anything, he pictured her the last time she'd spoken to him at Sanctum.
She was a wreck. Her shoulder bleeding where the needles had punctured it. Her hair a tangled mess, tears streaming down her cheeks. Blood seeped from cuts on her bottom lip where her fangs had broken the skin when she tried not to scream in pain. She was hunched on the floor, and when he tried to approach her, his own eyes wide with horror from the act he had witnessed, she flinched away and curled into a ball, arms wrapped around her legs like she was trying to hold herself together. He felt each of her sobs like a knife in his chest, and regretfully wished he hadn't brought this upon her.
"You okay, Bera?" He whispered, kneeling down a foot away and extending his arm slowly.
She whimpered and gasped, slapping his hand away.
"Bera, please..." he pressed pleadingly.
"Get away from me." She said in a broken whisper, turning her face away from him. When he didn't move she lashed out and screamed "GET AWAY!"
The words she'd uttered so heart wrenchingly that day had echoed in Lupin's head for months, the dreaded cry haunting him every time he thought about the friendship he had effectively destroyed without meaning to. Those same green eyes now swam before him, flooded with accusations and hurt that he now knew wouldn't be healed with a dance and one conversation.
"Rember, I-"
"No! This is how you left me, Lupin!" Rember interrupted, tears in her eyes. "This is what you did to me!"
Lupin gazed at her, sorrow threatening to consume him. He swallowed, trying to push it down and only somewhat succeeding.
"Rember..." he said quietly.
The fox girl shook her head. "Save it." She told him, stepping away. "I can't just let you in again, Lupin. I won't!"
With that Rember turned and slipped into the crowd, weaving her way through until she reached the doors and disappeared into the night.
Back on the dance floor, Lupin stared after Rember gloomily, wishing she would come back and knowing she wouldn't. A tap on his shoulder alerted him to Aeryn's presence, and he turned to his teammate silently.
"Who was that?" She asked a little too casually.
Lupin already knew what was going through Aeryn's head and almost wished he didn't.
"Just an old friend." He muttered, suddenly tired. But he knew he couldn't leave just yet. With a sigh he offered his hand to Aeryn. "Care to dance?" Might as well keep up appearances.
The cat woman smiled, clearly pleased by the offer despite his reluctant tone. Predictable as always. Lupin silently wished that Aeryn wasn't so shallow. She was capable of being kind, but most of the time she didn't bother with it unless she wanted something. Not at all like Rember, who was kind simply for the sake of being kind. Nothing like Rember, who he wanted to run after but wouldn't unless she wanted him to.
"You look lost in thought." Aeryn commented as they danced slowly. "Mind sharing?"
Lupin frowned, irritated by the inquiry. "Yes." He said curtly. He wanted to leave.
"Well I could always distract you, if you like." She purred, her tone suggestive and inviting.
Lupin shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted. Right now he wanted to leave and find somewhere quiet he could think, but that wasn't an option. He wanted to replay the entire encounter with Rember and see if there was anything he could have done differently, anything he could avoid doing the next time.
And he needed to find some way to avoid following his orders without getting himself killed. He knew that the moment he turned his back on the White Fang, Starr would kill him simply for the sake of eliminating any doubt that she might follow her brother's example and betray the organization that had raised them. Starr wouldn't be able to live with a blemish like that on her public image.
Lupin felt himself deflate as he pondered these thoughts, mindlessly steering Aeryn through paces as they danced. His thoughts swirled and raged as he fought to push them back, and no matter what he tried to think about they kept returning to the icy grip of Rember Autumn's fingers clasped like a shackle around his own.
"Let's just get this over with." He muttered, more to himself than to Aeryn.
He couldn't wait to leave.
Starr Payle was dazzling in a sleeveless, floor length gown of jet black. She sipped at a beverage slowly, her dark eyes roving the floor below.
This entire ball was a waste of time, in her opinion. She didn't have the patience for frivolous occasions like this, but her orders dictated that she blend in with the students of Beacon Academy and their guests, so she would, though she noted the absence of Creed from the party. She also noticed Wisteria was taking extra care to not stand out, acting way too inconspicuous. Typical from the short girl; she always seemed the 'wallflower' type.
Starr's eyes narrowed as she picked out the familiar form of her brother on the dance floor. He seemed to be distraught about something, and it quickly became apparent that 'something' was a girl. Another faunus, in fact. If she was feeling generous, Starr might admit that the girl was pretty enough, but she wasn't feeling particularly generous right now. She rarely did. Closer inspection of the girl led Starr to believe that she actually knew who it was, though she couldn't be certain at this distance. Not to mention, she didn't really care. Still, there was nothing else to do so she watched as Lupin's partner became increasingly agitated. The girl's long hair hid her face so Starr couldn't read it, but she was able to pick up a fair amount from the girl's body language. She was incredibly tense, and kept pulling away slightly. Her large, triangular, black tipped ears twitched this way and that, as though hoping to escape or ignore the conversation she was having.
Evidently she managed to. After a few songs the girl pulled away and stalked through the crowd, leaving a dejected Lupin to stare after her. As the girl hurried off Starr was able to catch a glimpse of her face, and realized exactly who it was.
Rember Autumn. The girl who Lupin had failed to recruit at Sanctum Academy years ago. No wonder her brother looked so broken. He had never gotten over that little vixen, pining and ruining his own life out of guilt or some other stupid emotion. Starr didn't have time for things like guilt. Guilt and regret made people weak, and easier to walk over or manipulate.
Still...Lupin had long since been taken off recruiting assignments because of his reluctance, and even Starr had to admit it was somewhat of a shame. Lupin had a knack with people that wasn't often found in the White Fang. He possessed an inane ability to garner the trust of strangers, something Starr was oddly incapable of with her icy appearance and cold demeanor. She tended to be more intimidating than approachable, though that had its uses as well. It meant she didn't need to suffer the attention of idiots falling over themselves to win her nearly as often, something she noted her brother dealt with regularly. Even as she thought it, Lupin's teammate Aeryn Or prowled over to him, unknowingly proving Starr's point. Truthfully, Starr thought Lupin could do better. She'd never tell him that, of course, she kept conversations with him to a minimum, but Aeryn was jealous and simple minded. It was a wonder the she-cat had survived so long in the dangerous world of the White Fang.
Bored of watching the dancers below Starr set her empty glass on the railing and walked over to the stairs, her gown trailing behind her as she descended. A few students looked her way, and she coolly ignored them, her expression telling them that she did not care for their attention at all. It was nearly midnight, and she had been here since just after the doors opened. There was nothing of interest to be learned from these recklessly carefree dancers, and so Starr's boredom was overtaking her. There were other, more important things she could be doing right now. Besides, these people would be far more interesting when they started screaming.
"Jaaaad! Where'd you go?!" Gayle shouted over the loud music, moving through the sea of bodies with nimble steps. Just how many times had her partner run off, leaving her behind in the dark to whatever ideas he had? Well, after she thought about it, it wasn't actually that often. Typically the young man would get her roped in at the start. But regardless, she didn't like it when he did go zipping away on his own! Maybe he got it from Azure…
After the second or third sweep of the dance floor, the faunus went off to the side to re-strategize. She did keep scanning while she pondered to herself, for one could never be too careful. Only drawback: her attention was divided, and could potentially miss something. Like when someone's hand suddenly grasped her tail from behind.
"Eep!" Gayle squeaked as she was pulled along without warning, almost tripping on her tail as she backpedaled. By the time she was able to get her balance and see just who had rudely abducted her, they were outside. "Wh-Jad!" the girl half exclaimed, half scolded when she quickly identified her kidnapper, "Don't do that!"
"Oops." the young man replied, his hand in the air surrendering. "Now, now let's hear this plan of yours."
The faunus straightened her dress out. "*sigh* Okay…" she began, "I know a way this could work...but…"
Jad raised an eyebrow. Gayle wasn't sure about this...he could tell from her body language. Perhaps this idea of hers just needed a little...confidence boost. The lizard girl decided to whisper the rest of said plan in Jad's ear. When she concluded, the redheaded boy placed his hands on the faunus' shoulders, the young man cracking the most infectious smile he could conjure. "Gayle…" he stated, "Let's do the thing."
"R-really? Just like that?" Gayle asked, unable to keep herself from grinning.
Jad nodded enthusiastically. "The best way to do it, is to do it. But you'll have to say the magic words."
"But-!"
"Close enough. Let's do it!"
"...Your gung ho attitude never ceases to amaze me." Seeing her partner's trademark confidence made Gayle promptly decide it wasn't worth worrying herself anymore, her inner mischief bubbling to the surface. Anticipation was seeping into her system, and couldn't help but reveal her own excited smile. "Y-yeah!" she responded exuberantly.
"Right then, you go and get in position and be ready to rock the house on my signal."
"H-huh? Signal? What-Wait. How will I know your signal?"
Jad smiled at his partner, his face beaming. "Oh...you'll know."
"There you are, Val!"
As she stepped off the stairs, Valerie smiled as Sonara and Kyra strode up to her and Azure.
"Hey! What's up?" the woman with red eyes asked her teammates.
"Sonara wanted to say 'hi'." Kyra answered.
Mind if we steal her for a sec, Azure?" Sonara asked politely, smiling.
Valerie and Azure's eyes met for a second, and the latter friendly answered, "That's fine."
Sonara briskly pulled Valerie a little ways off, leaving the pair of albinos to themselves as she waved back gratefully. Azure watched the girls skip away, when Kyra suddenly broke the silence.
"So…" she began, "...You can dance."
Azure blinked in mild surprise as he looked at the blunt girl beside him. Talks between them were a rarity. The boy could count on his fingers how many conversations they've had since they'd met.
"Uh...yeah."
"Color me surprised."
"Same here."
There was a drawn out, awkward silence.
"...So are we friends?" Kyra asked, arms folded.
"Huh? Uh…Sure?" Azure answered. Looking at the girl's face, the young man never managed to read what was going on behind those electric green eyes. Only thing he could do was the polite thing.
Krya hummed something of an acknowledgement.
"Huh...Neat."
"So?! How's it going, Val? Gimme details!" Sonara whispered, the brunette borderline giddy.
"What do you mean?" Valerie asked, only to have her teammate overplay a sigh.
"Azure! How's it going with Azure!" the short girl continued, "Have you made a move yet?"
The girl with red eyes immediately felt blood rush into her cheeks. "W-well, ah...n-not really. B-Besides, that's none of your business." she stated defensively.
"What?! But tonight's your chance!"
"Yeah, I know, but…" Valerie trailed off, "...Look, Azure's...a pretty seclusive guy. He's been through a lot, and I'm finally starting to understand just how much. Right now, I'm just happy that he's finally starting to trust me."
Sonara blinked a few times with puzzled eyes. "Really? So...What are you gonna do now?" she asked. She may not have completely grasped why Valerie hesitated now when in the past she was very upfront about her romantic interests regarding the boy with spiky hair, but she understood any strong relationships were built on trust. That was the basis on how her and Rosalie's friendship was forged, after all.
Valerie mused for a moment. She then made a sign of happily shrugging her shoulders, smiling brightly.
"I think I'm going to ask for another dance from my handsome date." she surmised, and the two girls re-joined Kyra and Azure.
"We're baaack~!" Sonara announced jubilantly.
As Valere cozied up back to Azure's side, the young man asked "What was that about?"
'It was nothing." the bluenette assured, winking lightheartedly to assure him.
Azure studied Valerie momentarily, but quickly decided not to worry about it.
"So, Azure," Kyra perked up, "Just where is all of your team?"
The question grabbed the boy's attention. Now that it was pointed out, Azure hadn't seen any sign of his team for a while. "I dunno." he admitted, eyes doing a quick sweep of the ballroom.
"Ehh, I bet they're somewhere." Sonara nonchalantly interjected, "Rosy has been busy all night dancing, so haven't seen much of her, either. Used to be pretty popular with the boys back home in Mistral."
"Really?" Kyra asked with a hint of intrigue.
"Yup! She had quite a bit of boy problems while we were at Sanctum. Still a little surprised she stayed so polite during all of that… Actually, nah. I'm not surprised."
Azure nodded. "Still," he continued, "I think I should go find my team. Rem and Gayle I'm not too worried about, but Jad-"
The pale young man was suddenly cut off as all the lights in the building went out, shouts of surprise sounding around the auditorium.
"Oh...Lovely…" Kyra sarcastically stated while enveloped in the dark.
Azure silently agreed; it caught him completely off guard as well. The half faunus' senses were on alert as he tried to grasp the situation with his night vision. The pitch black didn't last however when a single overhead spotlight turned on, resting its luminescence on the DJ table. All attendee's looked towards the only source of light in the room, spying a single person. It was a boy. Tall, lean, messy red hair, wore a black fedora, and had the most recognizably cheeky grin on his face…
Jad.
"Oh no…" Azure mumbled in disbelief upon recognition, facepalming while Valerie's mouth was agape, the woman on the verge of laughing in amazement.
Jad traced the rim of his fedora with one hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen … " the boy spoke cheekily into the mic. "Let's do it..."
As if on cue, an upbeat tune played from the loudspeakers, Azure instantly recognised it as one of the songs they had used when they were practicing their dancing. Jad confidently sauntered out into the center of the dance floor, the other guests vacating whilst encircling around the young man. Azure and the girls from AMBR scrambled to get to the front. Once there, Jad snapped his fingers and outstretched a hand to the crowd. Gayle then suddenly sprung into the ring, the lizard and her partner taking a stance.
With the crescendoing of the music, the two partners snapped into action. All movements were fluid, natural, and limber. They swerved, flipped, and spun circles around the dancefloor. The rest of the attendees enamoured with their performance. The partners were like a storm. Some stood in awe of the sheer zeal and talent behind the dance but most of the crowd clapped along rhythmically urging them to go faster from the sidelines.
Sonara and Valerie were among those who cheered on their friends' entertaining routine, whilst Kyra cracked a grin when seeing the resignation written all across Azure's face. Actually, the girl with wavy white hair was more intrigued with how Gayle was managing from keeping her tail from smacking Jad in the face, or knocking his feet out from under him…
With practiced and precise motion, Jad suddenly spun Gayle out directly towards where their team leader and AMBR was watching and gave a sharp catcall of a whistle.
Sonara caught the lizard girl from falling over from excess spinning when she finally stopped, the latter giggling with glee.
"Hey!" Gayle began when seeing Sonara's cerulean eyes, "Didn't you say you-"
"Say no more!" Sonara interjected exuberantly, and the pair of girls hopped into the circle. Jad then slid on his knees directly in front of Azure and Valerie, his arms outstretched.
"C'MON, PASTY!" the young man hollered, eyebrows waggling comically, "LET'S DO IT!"
Azure felt something akin to a swing from a Ursa's paw slam into his stomach, making him freeze. He could feel the entire room's eyes on him. It wasn't until Valerie tugged on his sleeve that he regained his bearings, looking at the hopeful excitement in his date's scarlet red eyes. Due to that, and all the other looks that were being thrown his way, Azure let go of a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
"...Oh, what the hell." he mumbled, unbuttoning his blazer and letting it drop to the floor, diving right into the action.
Jad flashed his friend the biggest grin. The boys then began their own routine parallel to the girl's own impromptu. Each fought the other for the spotlight, interweaving in and out of the center on a whim. The entire venue now was alive with delight, Kyra noticing quite a few female voices standing out in the torrent whenever Azure and Jad did something impressive. The four of them just kept going, and going…
Jad abruptly spun Azure out in a similar fashion to how he did with Gayle, the young man resting before an awaiting Valerie. All around, there were shouts of 'Do it!' and 'C'mon, Pasty!', egging the boy on to pull her into the dance. Azure placed out one of his hands tentatively.
"Uh...so…" the young man asked, unsure of what else to do, 'can you jitterbug?"
Valerie's entire being lit up, happily accepting and answering with an excited "You betcha! Let's go!"
Gayle returned to her previous pair up with Jad, other students now getting into the mix. Before long, a great number of dancers had joined in on the fun. This would be a highlight for many of the attendee's for certain.
But, as all good and fantastical things go, the dance eventually ended, a final blast of brass instruments resonating from the loudspeakers.
There was a pause...and then...Pure, unabated cheers.
Jad, Gayle, Azure, and Valerie all gasped for breath, small beads of sweat formed across any parts of skin not clothed. Jad removed his hat by rolling it down his arm and catching it with his hand then giving an exaggerated bow. Once composed, the friends reconvened, Sonara and Kyra also bounding up.
"So, kid. Were we good enough?" Jad posed to his partner, grinning cheekily.
"Good? That was amazing!" Gayle exclaimed, hugging her partner with a big smile, and the tall redhead couldn't help but metaphorically pat himself on the back. "But, how'd you get the spotlights to do that?"
"Wait, so that whole thing was actually your guy's doing?" Kyra asked in surprise. Jad chuckled to himself.
"Hehehe…I know a guy…" was all he said, readjusting his fedora.
Valerie laughed at Jad's answer, as well as the underplayed exasperation on Azure's face at learning his teammate's were not only the culprits of the whole swing dance ensemble, but had confessed so quickly and openly about their scheme.
Before anyone else could say anything else, a very displeased Professor Goodwitch marched up to the six teens, emerald green eyes glaring down Jad with fury.
"You. Outside. NOW." she ordered, pulling Jad off by his ear in a similar fashion to when she gave Jad his first detention.
Sonara laughed as the tall young man was forcibly removed from the premises, while the remaining four resumed fraternizing amongst themselves.
"So the speakers...that was you?" Azure asked his lizard faunus teammate, putting his blazer back on.
"Ahhhhehehe...Yeah."
"...How?"
"Heee, that's a secret!" the faunus replied.
Azure shook his head. This stunt would definitely go down in the top three of his personal 'craziest things the team has done' list. He then felt his eyes start to wander the crowd. Rember hadn't shown herself that whole time...just where was she? The young man didn't have much time to ponder that thought however, as he suddenly saw a familiar face up on the second floor. An all too familiar face with magenta violet hair, pink eyes, and wearing a white scarf.
Wisteria.
"Hey, you okay? Whatcha lookin at..."
Azure snapped out of his stupor upon hearing Valerie's voice beside him. "Huh? O-oh, I, uh…" he stuttered, taking fleeting glances between his date and where his childhood friend was. Wisteria also seemed to be eyeing him, but soon withdrew out of sight.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Azure paused to think. Wisteria was here? Why? She hated public places. At least, she did when they were still together. Should he go find out why she was here? Would Valerie be okay if he was gone for a bit? Better he ask before he got too wrapped up…
"...Hey," Azure spoke up, "Would it be alright if I step out for a minute? I won't be long, I promise."
Valerie blinked in surprise. She then found her eyes curiously following where Azure was looking before, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. And in truth, she needed a bit of a break from all of the swing dancing. It had been some time since she had done any, and stamina wasn't her best stat. With a good natured nod, the girl gave her date a sweet smile.
"Yeah, that should be okay." she answered, "Just don't keep me waiting for too long!" the young woman teased, winking at him playfully.
Now with Valerie's permission, Azure reciprocated the bluenette's smile and calmly walked towards a staircase leading to the second floor. Using his empathic sense, the half faunus honed in on Wisteria's presence as he went up the steps.
Wonder how it's going to go this time… He wondered to himself.