Chapter Nine: Assent

Regardless of anything that would happen after this point, Ruby considered the night to be a success, notwithstanding the accursed lady stilts. Blake looked like she finally had gotten some kind of sleep; better yet, Blake looked like she was having fun with Sun. Heck, she's even laughing! Ruby couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as she watched the two faunus slow dance in the crowd.

Time to get some punc- oh dust! Ruby was barely able to grab a chair to prevent her from face planting into the ground. "Stupid lady stilts!" Gingerly letting go of the chair, Ruby's balance wobbled as she tried not to introduce her face with the ground. Having steadied herself, Ruby glared at her feet. Maybe if I didn't wear these things, I could actually have fun!

Looking around and not seeing anyone who wasn't already busy dancing, Ruby did something she learned at Signal: when at a school dance and not with your friends, head towards the punch bowl. Usually, at least one of her friends would be there..

However, given that the process required, y'know, walking with, well, her stilted feet, Ruby thought her chances of success were about fifty-fifty. Just focus on walking and I'll make it in one piece. Hmm... I wonder who would be there?

Jaune? Ruby considered it as she slowly, SLOWLY made her way towards the refreshments table. Ruby didn't want to assume things, but Jaune sounded like someone who would hang out at the punch bowl. Exceeeeept he has a girlfriend now, so maybe not? The thought made Ruby feel like a bad person; it feels like we barely hang out at all. Sometime, we need to hang out again and, like, do and all-night gaming marathon! We haven't done that in a while, like… since Dark Aura II came out last semester.

Resolute on the fact that there just might be indeed only punch at the punch bowl, Ruby was pleasantly surprised to find Pyrrha quietly sipping some punch.

"I see you are hiding at the punch bowl too."

Pyrrha didn't even look at the speaker before responding, "Perhaps." After a moment, "Are you?"

"Yup." Ruby popped the end of the word before sipping from her glass. Pyrrha gave a chortle before taking a sip from her own. "I take it you don't have a date either?"

Pyrrha gave a noncommittal shrug. "No one of interest to me and no one asked me." The only person that did interest me is taken. I believe the term is 'bad form' when asking someone out who already has a girlfriend, Pyrrha thought sullenly. Giving a glance at Ruby, "Same for you?"

Ruby didn't say anything for handful of seconds. "Something like that, yup."

Pyrrha looked out into the crowd. She could pick out a few faces; the rest of team RWBY was scattered throughout the dance as well as her own teammates. It seemed to be mostly upperclassmen at the event. Ren and Nora look like they are having fun, Pyrrha mused as she watched the two danced together. I wonder if they'll ever get 'together-together'. Jaune, on the other hand, was seated off to the side with his scroll out. Probably messaging Velvet. Pyrrha's partner had more than a little disappointed when team CFVY's mission went longer than expected. I'm worried about him; he looked so crestfallen when he found out that Velvet couldn't make it.

If Pyrrha was being completely straight with herself, she would have left the dance already or not shown up in the first place. The only reason she had decided to attend the dance rather than skipping it for late-night training was because of another of her teammates, Nora.. Specifically, Nora wanted to do a... spontaneous dance… or something? Pyrrha had practiced the choreography; after all, dancing was not all that far from fighting, was it not? Even without his date, Jaune had showed up for the surprise routine, and Pyrrha didn't intend to be the one to ruin Nora's planning.

The problem with staying, though, was that there are so many couples there. Pyrrha knew she was envious of Jaune and Velvet - that much she had admitted to herself. But to see all of the others from her social group, sans Ruby and Yang, have a date of some form made her feel left out. It made Pyrrha feel more than a little lonely.

"Not enjoying yourself?" Ruby queried after a few minutes.

Pyrrha thought for a moment. It's not so much as having a less-than-fun time as I'm just standing here with nothing to do. Although by that logic, I am still not having a fun time. "I really just don't see why I'm here."

Ruby cocked her head as she looked up at Pyrrha. "What do ya mean?"

"How to put this…" Pyrrha set her glass down as she thought. "Dances are for couples to get together and have a reason to spend a night together, right?" Ruby gave Pyrrha a funny look.

"No…?" After a few moments of confused staring, Ruby's face lightened up with understanding., "You haven't been to many dances before, have you?" Pyrrha gave a quick shake of her head causing Ruby to frown. "Well…um… I go to them because I like being with my friends and seeing them be happy."

Being happy… Pyrrha knew a little bit about what had happened with team RWBY recently; something involving the White Fang and Blake withdrawing into herself. Pyrrha could see the girl was happily dancing with what she could only assume was Blake's date. Sun if I remember correctly. I suppose Ruby is correct.

"That's… a unique way to look at it." Pyrrha took a sip from her glass.

Ruby shrugged, "It's just why I go to them."

"Mmm."

Ruby shifted on her feet as the two continued to stand there, although from nervousness or something else, Pyrrha couldn't tell. "How come you didn't go to any school dances before? I mean, they have them at Mistral right?"

"They do, just I never had a date." Pyrrha answered simply as she took another sip of punch.

"Oh." Ruby was quiet for a few seconds as she stared into her glass of punch before looking back up at Pyrrha, "So where's Jaune? I haven't seen him or Velvet yet…"

Pyrrha dipped her head towards the seats lining a wall, where her partner sat, scroll in hand. Ruby looked around as her brows furrowed, "Where's Velvet? I don't see her though…"

Pyrrha cocked an eyebrow. "Team CFVY is still on their away mission, remember?"

Ruby face-palmed. "Riiight. Forgot about that." Ruby kept looking at Jaune. "He looks kinda sad."

Pyrrha shrugged. "Velvet didn't show up, and he was looking forward to going to the dance with her, so he probably is." Ruby gave Pyrrha another curious look.

"You should go cheer him up then!"

Already the question of Why me? was on the tip of Pyrrha's tongue, except she already knew the answer to it: because Jaune is my partner and teammate, so I should help him.

It's the right thing to do.

"Hello, Jaune."

The boy looked up, disappointment lingering on his face. "Oh, hi, Pyrrha."

"Mind if I take a seat?" Pyrrha motioned to the row of open seats next to Jaune. Jaune wordlessly gestured with his hand, his eyes going back to the scroll.

Sitting down, Pyrrha sat quietly as she planned her next action. How do I cheer him up? It's not like I can replace his date. Running out of ideas, Pyrrha went with the most honest approach.

"Are you okay? I haven't seen much of you tonight."

Jaune closed his scroll, before his head sank down. "I wish Velvet was here," he let out with a sigh. "That's all." Turning to look at Pyrrha, he gave her a small smile, "Well, you look really nice."

Pyrrha felt a twinge of jealousy towards Velvet as she gave a forced grin in return. "Thank you, you look handsome as well."

Jaune snorted, "Thanks, Velvet said so too." Looking away, Jaune started scanning through the crowd. "Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?"

"I think you're safe for tonight." Mostly because I didn't get a date.

"So, where is the guy?"

There was you, but you've been off the table for the last month and a half. Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow. "There is no guy."

Jaune recoiled as he went from scanning the crowd to looking at her. "What?" Confusion was written all over his face.

Pyrrha shook her head a little sadly. "Nobody asked me out."

"But that's…" A small part of Pyrrha found Jaune's reaction funny as she watched him gesture wildly with his hands. "You're Pyrrha Nikos! H-how could nobody ask you?!" The confusion had changed into shock.

Pyrrha sighed and, with an almost monotone voice, explained the situation to the dumbfounded boy. "I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities." Pyrrha paused as she looked up into the dance, feeling Jaune's eyes track her. "I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, it becomes hard for any sort of meaningful relationship with people." In the crowd, Pyrrha could see Blake, Sun and Neptune, laughing together. "It makes it hard to have friends, to know anyone on a personal level. It's why no one asked me or ever does; the fact I am Pyrrha Nikos is a barrier"

Jaune could only stare, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to come to grips with what Pyrrha had said. Pyrrha sat quietly as she waited for Jaune to finally process what she had said. "But t-t-that's… wow." Jaune looked down at his hands before looking back at her. "Y-y'know I don't think of you that way, right?"

Pyrrha gave a quiet chuckle at Jaune's expression. "That's why I'm happy to know people like you. You and Ren and Nora and Ruby's team treat me just like they would for anyone else." Pyrrha gave a glance at Ruby as she was being helped off the ground by Yang. "It's why I'm sitting here, wanting to make sure my friend is okay after his girlfriend couldn't show up."

Jaune gave a weak but earnest smile. "Thanks Pyrrha, you are the best." Pyrrha barely managed to suppress a sigh at the smile as Jaune glanced at his watch. "Um. I should get going; I do have a deal to up hold." Pyrrha's gaze narrowed as she stared confusedly at him. "Remember? If you didn't get a date, I'll wear a dress. Heh heh heh." Jaune nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wha… oh." Pyrrha couldn't help but to start laughing as Jaune embarrassedly looked away.

"I…I am going to take it as my cue to leave…" Jaune started to hurriedly walk out of Pyrrha's sight, as he called out, "I'll be back before eleven, see ya then!"

Pyrrha felt a sense of satisfaction as she watched Jaune leave; it felt good to talk to him. All things being as they are, at least we can be friends.

That was something, at least.

Editor: ASouthernRussian

AU: If any are wondering its not because Velvet is taking away all of his time, its just… she is a less effective study partner then Jaune. Maybe because I think she failed Oobleck's class and had to repeat it or the fact that Jaune can easily get off track and Velvet is a little bit less forceful compared to Pyrrha when it comes to Jaune studying. Like the second episode of vol 2 when Pyrrha takes away his comic? I don't think Velvet would do it from what little of her personality we've seen.

Pyrrha is slightly less dejected in this version of the dance if only because, well its been something like a month and a half since Jaune and Velvet started dating. While yes, she is dejected, Pyrrha is still good friends with Jaune. Maybe not best friends given how strained their dynamic is (although Jaune views Pyrrha as his best friend after Ren still).

As my editor, who I realized I've never actually named at this point, his name is ASouthernRussian, should get named somewhere in here... now he is. Hi ASouthernRussian!

Okay so real talk time now;

Thank you guys and gals who reviewed so much! It really does mean a lot to me and it helps me see that people actually read this story. I'm going to try and actually PM everyone who reviews (sorry to guest users, I would if I could), which I really should of given you people taking the time to write a review. If my current rate of writing keeps up, I'm going to try and post at least once a week. I'd like to post a new chapter early next week, but we will see what happens. In all honesty I was going to have this posted on Tuesday, but there was scheduling conflicts so it kept it from being posted for a few days.

TL;DR: Thank you for all the reviews I got for chapter eight. Like thanks a lot. I'm going to try and write faster now due to those reviews.

OH! BEFORE I FORGET (which I totally did for a while); but what did you guys and gals think of Pyrrha's speech at the end? Specifically the pedestal speech, bit.

MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'VE EVER READ EVER: It was Velvet's dress.