Warning: This chapter contains sexual content.

Chapter 4

After dinner Ruby took up the colored pencils provided by Pyrrha and began drawing. This time she did not draw some harrowing scene out of one of Yang's trips to the mortal realm, she drew portraits of the people she had me. Pyrrha, Glynda, Blake (both human and cat form), Velvet and Womp, Yang, Weiss and even Port made the list. The portraits were incredibly detailed and accurate, almost photo-realistic. Whatever Ruby was, she had a talent for art. Since Weiss had enjoyed Ruby's earlier artwork, Ruby decided to give Weiss her portrait. It was part gift, part apology for the crystal fiasco.

Ruby was eager to go immediately, but it was late. Pyrrha insisted they retire for the night and bring Weiss her present the following day. As they had since Ruby's summoning, Pyrrha took her spot at the edge of her bed with Ruby positioned on the opposite side. The bed was fairly large, and it was a comfortable enough arrangement. Pyrrha did notice the Ruby inched closer every night. Given Ruby's preoccupation with warmth, Pyrrha assumed that to be the reason. Whatever the reason, the added warmth was welcome as the winter approached and the nights grew colder.

Weiss stood before a mirror, adjusting her makeup. It was the third time she had applied it, but she could just not quite get it right. There was a knock at the door and she flinched, only just avoiding a slip that would have forced her to start over once again. She put the brush down, took a deep breath, and walked over the answer the door, not knowing who it would be. She opened it to find Pyrrha, trailed by Ruby and Yang. Ruby was carrying something under her arm.

"Hello Weiss." Pyrrha smiled.

"Hello Pyrrha, what brings you here?" Weiss asked.

"Ruby has something to give you, and Yang wanted to make sure everything was going alright with the crystal." Pyrrha replied.

"Come in." Weiss offered, taking a step back and waving. "Please excuse the mess." Various garments were scattered about, with one white dress on a stand. "I just got finished picking out a dress for my date, and I was adjusting my makeup."

"Oh, is your date soon?" Pyrrha asked. "We could come back later."

"No, no, it's not for a few hours." Weiss shook her head. "I guess I'm just getting a little obsessive. I don't want to mess this up, you know? I've never met anyone like Cindy, she's just so...so...I really want this to work out. Tonight could be the night."

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Pyrrha encouraged.

"A sexy thing like you has nothing to worry about." Yang added with a wink.

"Yes, well, I still want to be sure." Weiss declared. "So, Ruby, what do you have for me?"

Ruby held out a paper towards Weiss, keeping it face down. "You liked the scene I drew, and I drew everyone, so I thought I'd give you the portrait I made of you." Ruby explained. "I hope you like it."

Weiss flipped the paper over and examined the artwork. "This is incredible." She gasped. "I...I have to get this framed. Thank you!"

"Awesome!" Ruby cheered. "So, do you forgive me for the crystal thing? I'm still really sorry about that."

Weiss paused, grinning. "I suppose I do." She confirmed. "And I'm sorry for how I reacted."

"Touching." Yang rolled her eyes. "So, about that crystal…"

"It looks to be just what I needed." Weiss noted. "The output is strong and steady, though I'll have to work on containing it. The heat builds up rapidly when it's in an enclosed space, and if I wore it under my cloak as intended, it would overheat and probably start a fire."

"Maybe Glynda can figure something out." Pyrrha suggested.

A frantic knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Weiss sighed and headed over to open it. A scared-looking man stood there. "Madam Huntress, there's a Beowolf near town!" The man exclaimed. "It's dangerously-"

"Slow down." Weiss commanded. "What were you doing and where did you see it?"

"I was coming back from a trip to the mainland, following the main road, and there was a Beowolf in a field." The man explained. "It couldn't have been more than a quarter mile from the town!"

"One Beowolf isn't much of a threat, but where there's one there are usually more." Weiss thought aloud. "I should check it out."

"Yang and I can handle it." Pyrrha offered.

"No, it's my job." Weiss countered.

"But your date-" Pyrrha started.

"I must go." Weiss cut her off. "If there's a pack of Beowolves that near the town, you'll need my blade." She turned to the man, still standing at the door. "Thank you for reporting this, I'll head right out."

"Thank you ma'am." The man bowed before rushing off to spread the warning.

"This will be good." Weiss declared. "Something to take my mind off things, keep me from driving myself crazy."

"Should I go with you?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha paused. "No, it's too dangerous." She decided. "Stay here."

"Yes, it's safer here." Weiss agreed. She picked up the belt from which her sword hung, fastening it around her waist. "Don't leave the room." She tossed her cloak over her shoulders and fastened it in place.

With that Weiss rushed out, hastily followed by Pyrrha and Yang. Ruby stood there by the door for a few seconds after it closed. She was disappointed she had not been included, but understood Pyrrha's desire to keep her safe. As far as ever Ruby knew, she could not fight, and so would probably just be in the way if she had gone. Oh well. She would just have to entertain herself while the others were gone. She walked to the table Weiss had singled out for her during her previous visit, but the crayons and papers were gone, replaced by a mirror and some cosmetics. Entertaining herself might be harder than anticipated…

To Ruby, time seemed to pass more slowly when none of her friends were around. It was made much worse by the fact that she had nothing to do. She did track down a pencil and a blank paper, using them to sketch Pyrrha. On the reverse side she sketched Yang. Then she was out of paper. There was probably more elsewhere in the house, but she had been specifically instructed not to leave the room. Having just gotten on Weiss' good side, she was not about to defy the order and risk her newfound friendship. So Ruby sat there, bored out of her mind. Then something caught her attention, a glint out of the corner of her eye. Scissors. Perfect!

Weiss, Pyrrha and Yang returned home. They had located the Beowolf, but it had been alone. The injured monster had apparently become separated from its pack, then had the misfortune to wander too close to civilization. Yang despatched it with ease, a single blast of fire, and Weiss had not even been forced to draw her magic projecting silver sword. It had been a total waste of time, but one for which Weiss was grateful. As predicted it had succeeded in getting her mind of her upcoming date. It actually put things in perspective for her. If she could handle being the village Huntress, surely she could handle a date.

Weiss pushed through the door, only to be met by a shocking sight. Ruby was sitting in a chair, blood streaming out of her arm and into the air, curling to form her name in a flowing cursive. Beside her sat a bloody pair of scissors. "What on Remnant are you doing?!" Weiss demanded.

"Waaahhh!" Ruby was so startled she fell out of her chair. She completely lost control of her blood, sending it spraying all over the room, soaking all of Weiss' assorted dresses. "Oops."

"My...my...my dress!" Weiss raged. "My clothes! My date! It's all ruined! You demon I'll-"

Weiss reached for her sword but Pyrrha restrained her. "Weiss, I'll pay for everything." Pyrrha promised. "I'll replace everything."

"I'm sorry." Ruby cried, curling up in a ball on the floor. "I didn't mean to."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash blood out of white clothes?!" Weiss shouted. "It's impossible! I may as well throw all this out! And now what am I going to wear for my date? You...you...you little monster!"

"Weiss, I'll lend you something, it'll be okay." Pyrrha encouraged.

"Yeah, like any of your clothes will fit me." Weiss groaned. "There's no time for tailoring either. I can't even go shopping in time!"

"Surely you've got something in another room." Pyrrha noted. "You didn't drag your entire wardrobe out here."

"Just...just get out of here, all of you." Weiss growled. "And you!" She stomped over to Ruby. "I never want to see you again!" Ruby sobbed into her own arms, convulsing. "Out!"

Yang walked over and picked Ruby up, carrying her toward the exit. "Weiss, she's really sorry." Pyrrha pleaded. "I'm really sorry."

Weiss gave Pyrrha an angry stare the likes of which the latter had never seen. "Leave!" Weiss screamed. "Now!"

Yang had to carry Ruby all the way home, and still she did not stop crying. It took hours for Blake, Yang and Pyrrha to finally calm her down. When Glynda made it home early that evening, Ruby was still bursting into occasional crying fits. Blake decided the best way to placate the girl was to distract her. "Hey Ruby, does it hurt when you cut yourself?" Blake asked.

"A little." Ruby replied. "Just for a second."

"It would probably hurt less if you used a sharper blade." Blake suggested. "And using just any old blade isn't a great idea either. I have no idea if you can even get an infection, but there's no reason to take the risk."

"I don't want to do it again anyway." Ruby sniffled.

"Oh, don't let today's little mistake put you off." Blake encouraged. "Accidents happen. Controlling your blood might be your greatest power. You shouldn't give up on that just because you stained Weiss' clothes."

"So what should I do about a blade?" Ruby asked.

"Use this." Blake declared. She swirled her hands around, a ball of darkness forming between them. With more gestures it flattened out, elongated, and finally took the shape of an ornate black dagger. Blake held one hand below it and it dropped down into her grasp. "It's made of shadow, so it'll always be sharp and clean. Try not to stab anyone else with it." She held it out to Ruby who took it from her. "Go ahead, give it a shot."

"Maybe I shouldn't." Ruby sighed.

"Blake-" Pyrrha started.

"Just give it a try." Blake insisted. "Hmm, maybe you could infuse some blood into it, decorate it a bit."

"Alright." Ruby relented. She jabbed the shadow dagger into her arm, producing an immediate spurt of blood. The blood hung in the air, swirling in place until Ruby held the dagger up to the red cloud. She moved the fingers on her other hand about and the blood fused with the dagger, forming bright swirling patterns all along its length.

"See, looks cool right?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Ruby allowed.

"That's so metal." Yang praised from her position burning in the hearth.

"I still feel terrible." Ruby groaned. "Weiss must hate me now."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you." Pyrrha declared. "She's very...temperamental, but she has a good heart."

"Temperamental is an understatement." Glynda chuckled, walking into the lounge. "Weiss is like a raging tempest. Still, she'll probably forgive you. Tomorrow I'll work on washing your blood out of her clothes. Magic does wonders for stains." There was a knock at the door. "Ah, our guests are here, right on time."

"Guests?" Pyrrha asked.

"Hunters from Vale." Glynda explained. She opened the door. "Come in, come in." She returned to the lounge, followed by a thin man and a short woman with ginger hair. "Everyone, meet Ren and Nora." A series of waves and 'hello's followed.

"We're werewolves!" Nora faux growled.

"Yes, and what brings two werewolves to our little village?" Glynda asked.

"Ozpin sent us here on a hunt." Ren explained. "We're tracking a vampire."

"Vampires are delicious!" Nora cheered. "I can't wait 'til we get our hands on her."

"Hold on, vampirism isn't illegal." Glynda cautioned. "What grounds do you have for hunting this vampire?"

"She's a murderer." Ren replied. "She's been going from village to village, killing virgin maidens. She killed at least seven in and around Vale. According to our investigation, she arrived on the island about two weeks ago, and has been in or near this village for almost as long."

"Do you know anything about her?" Glynda asked. "Name, description, M.O.?"

"She seduces virgins, then when they're about to get freaky, she bites!" Nora exclaimed. "She feeds on them 'til they're dry."

"We don't have a name, just a series of aliases that are all out of date." Ren noted. "We have a fairly good physical description though. She's tall, dark-haired, with golden eyes. She's been described as sultry."

"Gods!" Pyrrha gasped. "Cindy! Weiss' date! That's almost exactly the description Weiss gave me! New in town, tall with black hair and golden eyes. She's out with her right now!"

"Where were they meeting?" Glynda asked.

"The tavern on the outskirts of town." Pyrrha replied.

"Let's go!" Nora yelled, about to race out the door.

"Wait, teleporting is quicker." Glynda advised. "Stand close to me."

Yang leapt from the hearth and flew beside Glynda. "Vampires don't like fire." She noted. "I'm coming along."

Pyrrha started to get up. "No, you Blake and Ruby stay here." Glynda ordered. "Get the medical equipment out...just in case." She gestured for the others to stand closer, almost touching. She spoke a spell, raised her hand, and a glyph appeared on the floor beneath the group. In a flash of light, they disappeared.

Weiss had arrived at the date feeling pretty low. With nearly her entire wardrobe soaked in blood, she had little choice of what to wear. She had gone with a rather simple black dress, the only presentable attire remaining. It made her feel like she was going to a funeral, and she feared her date would be just as sad. Then, to her surprise, Cindy praised her choice of clothing. Weiss was too shocked to really hear her, something about looking sexy in a "little black dress." Her date was flirtier than she had been during their previous encounters. Everything she did seemed to be charged with sexual energy, be it eating her dinner, drinking her wine, or even wiping her face with a napkin. With the meal complete, Cindy invited Weiss to her room, conveniently located upstairs in the tavern. It was what Weiss had been hoping for - dreaming of - but she felt nervous and unready.

Upon entering the room, Weiss found herself pushed onto the bed, Cindy looming over her, a small smile and a hungry look burning in her golden eyes. Weiss trembled as Cindy cupped her face, barely containing her excitement, her anticipation. The first touch of their lips was like a lightning bolt, arcing through her very being, heat pooling in her abdomen, burning, intensifying. She felt Cindy's hand grasp the zipper of her dress, breaking the kiss only when it could be pulled no further. Grinning, Cindy reached for Weiss' shoulders, awaiting a shaky nod before pushing down the fabric straps, slowly revealing Weiss' meager bust.

Weiss blushed heavily, pulling her arms free, almost covering herself. Cindy caught her hands and pulled Weiss to her feet, the rest of the dress slipping to the floor. Weiss had neglected to wear anything beneath, and now stood bare before the other woman, who's eyes seemed to gleam brighter. "So beautiful." Cindy purred.

Weiss shuddered at her tone, husky, barely more than a whisper, dripping with arousal...almost as much as she was. "Y-you're far more-" She started.

"Nonsense!" Cindy cut in. She cupped Weiss' face and kissed her once more, nearly causing her knees to give out. "Do you want to know what I see?" Weiss nodded rapidly, entranced by Cindy's gaze. "Stand in front of the mirror."

"O-okay." Weiss managed. She took a few steps to stand before the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. It was embarrassing, looking at her naked form, all her flaws and inadequacies laid bare.

"Your skin, perfect, so pale, so pure, without so much as a single blemish." Cindy started. "Your legs, long, defined, beautiful." Weiss felt and saw herself blush as her arousal built. "Your core, toned, strong. Your collar bones, mmm..." Tears formed in Weiss' eyes. Never had anyone spoken such kind words about her physical form. "Your face, fair, so pretty. Your eyes, sparkling, deep, alluring." Cindy was close, almost whispering in her ear. "Your neck, long, slender." Weiss could feel Cindy's breath on her neck. "I love the taste of virgins."

Now Weiss could feel Cindy's breath, but not see her in the mirror. Something was wrong. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She turned her head, just enough to see Cindy inches away, then turned back to the mirror...nothing. Weiss inhaled sharply but was unable to do anything before Cindy's teeth clamped down on her neck. Weiss was paralyzed, the feeling of ice suddenly injected into her veins, left to watch in the mirror as twin crimson punctures appeared on her pale skin.

Weiss could do nothing but stare at her own terrified reflection, frozen in that horrible moment of realization, her only movements the occasional involuntary jerk. Cold hands slid over her skin, cupping her breasts, disturbingly gentle in their ministrations, as if she were made of glass. One began to drift lower, creeping past her stomach. Through the heat, the cold, Weiss could feel her life force ebbing away, see her eyes begin to gloss over. The world grew fuzzy, before slowly fading to black.