REBEL.

after the scramble of acquiring and creating gifts, Lumine had been eager to properly spectate and appreciate the lights sparkling from store and residence alike, their time drawing to a close — and soon would they be their regular selves, leaving a sombre air naked of charming attraction. there was always an emptied ambience when walking around Liyue Harbour after the dismantlement of each eyar's Lantern Rite decorations.

With each inch outer worlds claimed, the city grew messier with chaos, and harder it became to navigate. Lily had made it her mission to help in any form — and right now, it was checking on someone who had been contending with wolfen monsters in the vicinity of one portal.

well, except for a few hiccups here and there. her bicep tingles with the familiarity of a fresh wound, but it wasn't enough to stop Blake.

⠀⠀⠀All she knows is that this free food is delicious, she could eat it all night long, and maybe there actually is a limit to the word 'free' — because she can feel a pretty potent stink-eye being aimed at the back of her head. Ruby slowly turns on her heel to confirm the feeling, and spreads her arms in defense — which may or may not have caused a couple of iced brownies she'd been saving for later to tumble dejectedly across the ballroom floor. Hopefully no one steps on one.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Heyheyheyyy, c'maahn, I'm a little huntress—!⠀It's also my birthday, I'm a little birthday huntreeess— ❜⠀Her eyes land on Blake mid-sentence, and suddenly this encounter takes a complete back seat. With a single finger held up in an 'excuse me one second' sort of gesture to the less-than-convinced stranger, she promptly zips off in a brief flourish of petals.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Oh, I was looking for you ! I narrowed it down to nnnot the dessert table. ❜⠀

when it came to looking for any of her teammates, Blake only had to follow a certain sign. for Yang, it was her loud and excited voice. for Weiss, it was the whispers of those in awe and for Ruby.....it was the food. the faunus knew parties weren't exactly her leader's strongsuit but she always gave an effort.

and where there was free food, Ruby Rose was always bound to be in close proximity.

Blake makes no move to intervene, oh no. she's content to just stand and watch, to see just how she'll work her way out of her little situation. it reminds her of how she tried to convince Glynda that their foodfight with team JNPR was a 'necessary team building exercise' and 'vital to their growth as hunters and huntressess'. (she didn't buy it, of course.) and as the girl flies over in a shower of petals, Blake rolls her eyes, lifting a hand to gesture with her thumb.

"Much of the world remained a mystery to the people responsible for coming up with those beliefs — the fear of the unknown remains a concern for humanity even in the modern era. And in a time where magic was more openly regarded as present, people cannot wholly be criticised for second guessing something they possessed little understanding about.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀BlaaaaaaaAKE—⠀ ❜⠀THE⠀extra emphasis at the end was, of course, due to her colliding with her— a vice-like hug with an emergence of petals. The hug had so much force behind it that it left her feet dangling ( more like swinging emphatically ) in the air for a few moments, but what else was she supposed to do ? It's hard being here without any of her teammates, all for different reasons. Weiss was her partner and bestie, Yang was her sister, and Blake... Well, Blake was her person. It felt like they'd arrived on this island together, so it made the whole place feel off when one was here without the other.

the second she heard the first initial of her name in that familiar, happy and eager tone that often reminded her of a puppy, Blake knew to dig her heels firmly into the ground and shift her weight. if she didn't, then the second the flurry of petals collided, both of them would have went tumbling to the concrete and that wouldn't make for a fun reunion, now would it? the hug is returned and rather than weather the force, the faunus moves with it, resulting in her swinging the both of them around in a circle a few times to disperse it in a natural manner. a laugh follows suit, something that came so easily when around the people she cared most for.

"For those who believe in the superstitions relating to Friday the 13th, be extra vigilant today with it occurring in what some refer to as 'spoopy month'.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Well well, fancy meeting you here !⠀ ❜⠀SHE⠀punctuates her greeting with a pair of finger guns that feel... wildly out-of-place in the otherwise enchanting garden, lit only by dim lanterns and many a firefly. But after a beat of silence, she can't even commit to her own joke. ⠀❛ ⠀Well— you know, after we got here. Together. … I kinda lost you once I found the food—⠀ ❜⠀

⠀⠀⠀Ruby somehow manages to force herself to stop rambling, rubbing at the back of her neck with a sheepish half-chuckle. It's hard to focus on saying anything coherent when Blake's standing there looking like she just popped out of a painting, cheeks slightly flushed — probably from dancing, if she had to guess. She picks up her heels that she'd abandoned near one of the garden's numerous flowerbeds, another laugh leaving her almost on impulse. ⠀❛ ⠀Eheh— needed a little break. I thought I'd be a bit better in these by now...⠀ ❜⠀

not out of a desire to protect. not out of fear at words spoken. not out of desperation to do something, anything, to prevent loss. not the eyes of a silver-eyed warrior is what Blake saw.

reflecting the glow of the fireflies in tandem with the moon, they were the eyes of someone alive with hope. and it had been....so long since she's seen that look. she missed it.

" I figured. Food has to be your second love at this rate and lady stilts aren't exactly your forte, huh?" Blake laughs to stop the potential teary eyes at her current thoughts, though not at her friend's lack of balance in heels. she decides to slip off her own heels, setting them along a ceramic decoration as feet move from cobblestone to grass still warm from the day's sun. there is a lightness to her steps, as if nothing else was weighing her down and for the moment, that is true. this— this was a time for them to have fun. to not be huntresses, to not be the ones sacrificing so much to stop Salem, but just two ordinary girls.

rather than stop by next to Ruby, the faunus continues until she reaches a stone bench, taking a seat to stare up at the clear sky. " It's beautiful out here." a pause as memories of old emerge." Do you remember the dance at Beacon? The one I absolutely refused to go to at first? God, it seems so long ago now, doesn't it?"

her attention focuses on Ruby, golden eyes meeting silver as her smile softens. the moment she had lost sight of her friend within the crowd and the dancing had finally finished, she had come to a decision. all that was left to do was ask. " We never got a chance to hang out that night. And I refuse to let that happen a second time. We're always putting everything else first, always running from one place to the next. Whether that be raiding the buffet table or fighting more Grimm. Like you said, it's always something." they're never really given time to do....anything. taking a deep breath, the faunus stands up but draws no closer, choosing to instead hold out her hand in offering.

" So how about we make the rest of the night about us? Just for a few hours. For a few hours, you won't Ruby Rose, leader and silver-eyed warrior and I won't Blake Belladonna, former White Fang member and team member. We will just—" another pause as her voice softens.

⠀⠀⠀But she knows firsthand that Neopolitan doesn't have to draw blood to leave a mark, one that no one else could see. Blake seems to be handling it fine, but what about the next time ? She remembers every expression Neo made as they fell, and her mind can easily fill in the blanks Blake leaves wide open. Is she just supposed to believe there won't be a second time, or a third ? What if more of their team, or their friends, show up ? What about them ? What if ? What if ? What—

what is said next earns a surprised pause, but it hardly lasts for long. " Well, then maybe you don't know me as well as you think, Miss Ruby Rose."

soft laughter follows words that jest as Blake pulls back enough to lightly bump her forehead against Ruby's before letting it rest there. her hands come to cradle her face, lips settling into a smile that's felt easier and easier to show despite the chaos. and when around Ruby, given all they've been through here and back home, it was a natural state of being. one the faunus could find herself falling into no matter the circumstances. it is always their leader that is trying to cheer the team up-- doesn't she too deserve the same? she may not be the greatest at it, but for those she cares for, and Ruby especially, Blake would put her everything in it.