Chapter 77: Ciel
Ciel Soleil was in over her head. As she dressed in the floor length, sky-blue dress that she had picked up the previous day in downtown Tenebris, her mind raced. She was being summoned to a group date that started in the Grand Ballroom at 9pm. The card that had called for her attendance had been ominous enough, but even scarier were the expectations behind it.
Secrets, Secrets, are no fun
Unless you share with everyone
(Tyrian made me write that)
Penny, Ciel, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ilia, Coco, and Velvet,
Please join me for a night of masquerade and unmasking (and please save me)
As unwilling as it appeared Prince Jaune had been in planning for this date, Ciel was even less willing to attend. Unmasking her secrets? It was a terrifying concept, especially given that her secrets were not hers alone, but belonged also to Penny, General Ironwood, and the entire Atlasian resistance.
Ciel grabbed the glass of water from the table beside her with shaking hands and chugged. She felt sick to her stomach.
"Salutations, Ciel!"
Ciel turned, startled, to find Penny Polendina at the entrance to her room. Penny wore a floral green dress, with a matching green mask strapped to her face.
"Hello, Penny," Ciel said quietly, her heart rate slowly returning to normal.
Penny's shoulders slumped slightly. She pulled off her mask. "You knew it was me?"
Ciel nodded. "You're the only one I know who says salutations. It's kind of hard to hide." She glanced in the mirror, frowning.
It's kind of hard to hide.
"Penny, I'm glad you came," Ciel said, stepping beside Penny and closing the door behind her. "We need to talk about this date."
"We do?" Penny's face lit up. "I love girl talk! What do you think about Prince Jaune? Do you think he is so dreamy?"
"The dreamiest," Ciel lied. "But I want to make sure he knows how dreamy you are too."
"How dreamy I am?" Penny asked, eyes wide.
Ciel nodded. "Yes. This date might involve asking you some personal questions, and there are some things you will definitely want to keep secret from Jaune. Do you understand?"
"Even if it means lying to him?"
Ciel nodded again, and Penny's face fell.
"But Ruby said that one of the best ways to make friends is to be honest."
"That may be so," Ciel conceded, her mind racing. How had she gotten stuck with this job? "But there is such a thing as being too honest."
"Like when Yang asked if her dress made her butt look big and I said yes?"
"Exactly like that," Ciel smiled. "If Prince Jaune or any of his associates asks you where you're from, or why you came, what will you say?"
"I'm from Atlas, and I came to make friends and find love."
"And if anyone asks about your power?"
Penny smiled. "I have an artificial aura, and I can control all four elements!"
"No," Ciel said quickly. "No. Something else."
"Something else?" Penny cocked her head.
Ciel nodded. "Don't tell Jaune, or anyone, about you being able to control the elements."
"Why not?"
"Trust me." Ciel swallowed. "It's… unbecoming."
"Unbecoming?"
She nodded, completely talking out of her ass but remembering Ironwood's orders that Penny be kept as innocent as possible. The less she knew, the less she could reveal in an interrogation. And it appeared that an interrogation would shortly be upon them. "It's too powerful, and it could make Jaune feel inadequate. Guys don't like girls who make them feel inadequate."
Penny nodded slowly. "Then, what should I say my semblance is?"
Ciel hesitated. "Do you have any other skills?"
"I can talk to fireflies."
"Perfect."
Penny beamed. Then, slowly, her grin faded. "What about you? Are you going to lie to Prince Jaune about your semblance?"
"Perhaps." Ciel chewed on her lip. Her semblance, Solar Data, wasn't the problem. Her status as Ironwood's spy, on the other hand… "I'll probably–" her thoughts were cut off, however, by a rapid string of knocks to her door.
Penny split into a wide grin. "That must be my friends!" she exclaimed, and, when she opened the door, she was proven right. Ruby and Yang both stood in the doorframe, both wearing floor-length ballgowns– Ruby's black, Yang's an uncharacteristic light pink– and both wearing feathered masks. "Salutations!"
"Penny!" Ruby cheered, zooming into the room. "Ciel! You both look so pretty!" She grabbed Penny by the forearms, and both girls started bouncing up and down and squealing, while Yang and Ciel exchanged embarrassed looks.
"You also look very beautiful!" Penny exclaimed.
"Thanks." Ruby winced, looking down at her feet. "I just wish I knew how to walk in heels…"
The four girls made their way to the ballroom, Penny and Ruby dashing ahead, Yang and Ciel hanging back.
"So…" Yang said, stretching out her arms. "Is this your first… masquerade ball?"
Ciel nodded. She still wasn't comfortable talking with strangers, especially strangers as out-there as Yang.
"Yeah, me too." Yang sucked in on her teeth. "I've been clubbing before though. Wonder if it's similar."
The ball was not, in fact, similar to clubbing. At least, it was not similar to any of the nightclubs Ciel had visited with Marrow and the other Ace-Ops back on Atlas. The ballroom was decked out for Halloween. Spiderwebs covered the windows and the floors were carpeted in a rich, blood red. The room was lit with candles and torches, and all of the tables had been cleared to make room for one large dancefloor. In the center of it stood Jaune, and beside him (Ciel's throat constricted), hunched over and snickering, was Tyrian Callows.
Ciel had first encountered Tyrian when she had been stationed in Mantle during her senior year at Atlas Academy. Her mission had been to fight Grimm and defend the people, and Tyrian had been there, not hiding from the Grimm but egging them on. He had scared her then, and he scared her now, and Ciel felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the amber-eyed Faunus.
"Welcome," Tyrian said, giggling. "Ladies and Gentlemen, and I hope you are ready for a masquerade."
Ilia came into the ballroom shortly behind their group, dressed in funeral black, and Coco and Velvet after her, both sporting gold dresses— Coco's short, Velvet's long.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven." Tyrian turned to Jaune. "We are missing two."
Something tightened in Jaune's jaw. "One."
Tyrian's eyes flashed purple. "You didn't invite everyone on the list?" Jaune didn't speak. He looked tense. "Tsk tsk." Tyrian shook his head. "Well, I suppose we will have to play with who we have."
"Wait," Jaune said, looking at them all in concern. "Where's Blake?"
Ciel turned. Jaune was right. Blake's name had been on the date card, but she was nowhere to be seen. She remembered what Professor Goodwitch had said their first night in Beacon, about the consequences of skipping a date. Her throat tightened.
"I'll find her," Yang said quickly, but Ilia sneered.
"No. I'll do it."
"But I—"
"I'm her caste partner," Ilia said sternly. "I'm her closest friend her. I'll find her."
Yang silenced, looking put out.
"Hurry back," Tyrian called as the auburn-haired girl stalked away. He turned back to the party, his eyes glinting. "We've got a game to play."