Despite the constant threat of rain in the distance, the skies over Beacon Academy stayed mercifully clear. The hours of time spent prepping her hair and makeup weren’t going to waste this night, it would appear. But the lightning popping just outside the campus made her move with alacrity from cover to cover towards the main hall.
Slipping into the front door, she breathed a sigh of relief. All the rest of her teammates had already arrived to the dance, but she had insisted upon finishing up her last few pieces of class work.
That’s what leaders are supposed to do, right? she reasoned, it wasn’t like I had a date. Not like the rest of them.
The main hall had been transformed. It was awash with the glitter of a thousand crystals. In the intended darkness and gloom of the dance floor, the flashing of the not so distant lightning caught the facets of the crystals spread about the room. For a moment no one noticed her arrival, and she allowed herself to be overwhelmed. Team CRLN had done a beautiful job.
In her solace, she watched her teammates flutter about the room.
Tai and Raven were the couple to be, in sweeping colors, light and dark, yin and yang across the floor. Ever the debonair, Tai twirled his striking woman, instilling envy in all the other men and women present. Eyes sparkling, Raven was a glorious sight to see.
Qrow… was Qrow. A beautiful lady in arm, one she recognized by face, not name, was different than the one she had met last week. Blushing away as he whispered something most likely scandalous in her ear, it was obvious that she was under the slight haze of alcohol, no doubt supplied by her partner.
Elsewhere about the room, the crowd undulated and swarmed, colors and sparkles of every kind hypntoizing to the beat. The sensation was beginning to overwhelm the petite young woman, pressing, pushing. A clear voice broke through the static, pushing back on the masses.
“Slightly overwhelming, is it not, Miss Rose?”
Shaking her head to clear it, she took a moment to respond to the speaker.
“Yes, Professor Ozpin, it can be.”
“It’s quite obvious to see the Atlesean influence in CRLN’s design, wouldn’t you agree?”
Nodding, she reveled in the peace and quiet that proximity to the headmaster seemed to invoke.
An eyebrow raised, the Professor was the first to break the silence.
“I’m glad you took this time to come. I was concerned when your teammates arrived without you.”
“Well, they had reasons to be here.”
“Oh?”
The young woman raised an arm to the dance floor, gesturing to her teammates and their dates, preoccupied.
“Ah. I see.” Clearing his throat, the professor shuffled slightly, as if nervous. “Well, Miss Rose, I would warn you to not diminish your worth as to a companion. Or the worth of a gathering of this sort without said companion.”
A slight smile tugged at her lips. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Indeed, you are. I am still surprised that you had none ask you…”
“I never said that I wasn’t asked, Professor.”
Finally turning to actually face the young woman, the older man’s brow shot up, an unspoken question across his eyes.
She sighed, considering how best to explain her thoughts. Settling in to an answer that both answered and was polite enough, she continued.
“There was none that I wanted to be here with.”
It was the headmaster’s turn to offer up a slight smile.
“I see.”
“Professor… I’ve seen when two people aren’t picky on who they choose. I am intimately familiar. I have no desire to live like that.”
“And why waste time when you don’t see any potential to begin with?”
A slight blush creeped up to the woman’s cheeks.
“That makes it sound so very callous…”
A thoughtful look crossed his face.
“Not callous. Merely… far-seeing. Not a bad trait.”
“I just…” The redheaded woman, at loss for words, glanced out into the dance floor, where an inebriated young woman giggled uncontrollably as she stepped on her partner’s toes. Qrow was beginning to show signs of frustration. It dawned on Summer what she was trying to define.
“I don’t want to be like Qrow.”
For the first time in her life, she heard the headmaster laugh.
“Miss Rose, I don’t think you would ever be viewed like Qrow.”
She puffed out a breath, frustrated. “I don’t want to just take what’s offered by any and everyone. Qrow jumps from one girl to the next. I don’t even know the name of this most current girl, and I doubt she’s going to last the night… That’s what I mean by not being like Qrow.”
“Quite honestly, I don’t think Qrow wants to be like Qrow.”
“What do you me–”
“As for you, Miss Rose, it’s a good way to be. And I am certain you will find someone that you will wish to spend this time with you, and vice versa. Someone you will not ‘settle’ with, but rather choose.”
Turning distinctly away, he signified the end of their conversation.
“In the meantime, I hope you do get at least a single dance. Grace in battle is often a sign of grace in dance, wouldnt you agree?”
“I’ll try my best, Professor.”
—
Qrow heaved out a deep sigh as he stepped out of the door and on to the balcony. Glancing down at the scuffed toes of his shoes, he looked angrily back to the ballroom where his inebriated date was loudly searching for him. He shut the door behind him.
Pulling his flask from it’s hidden pouch in his jacket, he swirled it, contented to find it mostly full still.
What a freakin’ lightweight. She had one, maybe two shots, and she’s sloshed.
Taking a swig, he glanced down the length of the balcony. He noticed a student - a young woman - at the far end. Her face turned away, her slight form was draped with a deep red, flowing gown, gathered at her neck, elbow and wrist, but hugged at all the right spots. Hair tucked up into intricate pulls and tacks, the bandit found himself wondering why he had missed this beauty inside.
Tucking his flask away again, his lopsided smirk fell into it’s usual place, and he began his walk towards the young woman.
“Hey the–” she turned at his voice, and he knew instantly why he hadn’t seen her. “–re, Sum.”
He quickly shifted gears. “What are you doing out here?”
She raised a brow. “I could ask you the same.”
“She was a lightweight. You?”
Shrugging, she turned back to gaze out into the horizon where the storm was still raging. He joined her in leaning against the balcony edge.
“Your date?”
She scoffed. “What date?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Somebody had to have asked?”
“Oh they asked. I just…” She seemed nervous to confess whatever was in her mind. “I didn’t want to come with any of them.”
Not sure how to respond, Qrow joined her in watching the storm for a moment. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his flask.
“Nip?”
He was surprised to have their team leader wrench his flask away so quickly.
“Hell yes.”
—
The empty flask laid on it’s side between them on the stone barrier.
“What is that stuff, Qrow??” Summer chuckled contentedly, her face awash in an alcohol induced blush.
“Just a little something from back home.” Flushed himself, he was smiling genuinely at the young woman. “I can’t believe we just finished that flask and you’re still standing. It’s like 150 proof…”
She waved a careless hand. “Eh, reminded me of home.”
His eyes glinted mischeviously. “If that’s how your home is, I think I’d like it there.”
“You would.”
From the inside ballroom, a loud clear voice called out last song. Furrowing his brow, the lanky young man turned to his teammate.
“Did you dance at all?”
The young woman shook her head.
“Did you want to?”
She shrugged, trying too hard to seem uninterested in the conversation. Setting his jaw, he grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the edge of the balcony and into his arms.
“Qrow, what are –?”
“It’s a dance, isn’t it?”
“… Yes…”
“And you’d like to dance, right?”
“I guess, yeah…”
“Then let’s dance.”
“But-”
“Will you stop talking about this and just dance with me, Rose?”
Her face pulled into a look of false offense, before morphing into a smile.
“Yessir.”
Pulling her gently closer, the soft music wafted out on to their private balcony, twisting and wrapping about them on the increasing wind. Slowly, the stiffness in her shoulders eased and she began to melt into his touch.
There was something intoxicating about his touch on her, she found, as he moved them across their private dance floor. Maybe, she thought, just maybe she was finding who she wanted to be around. To be held by. To…
No.
She willed that thought away, firmly forcing her mind into enjoying a moment. A comfortable, inebriated moment. Summer dropped her head to his chest, watching with detached contentedness as the distant storm neared.
Still, when he continued to hold her even after the song’s last few notes had died off, swaying to the completed melody, she didn’t want him to stop. And when he did stop, she didn’t want him to let her go.
Raising her head finally, she found him gazing down at her, her own expression mirrored. Silver met garnet and she was lost.
His hands on her bare arms, gently gently on her shoulders. They were calloused. She didn’t realize how calloused they were before. But the touch- so gentle, so kind. Cupping her jaw, thumbs brushing her cheeks. The haze…
So softly his lips on hers. Patient, inviting, tender. Her body no longer wanted her weight, so she leaned into him. A turn, and the kiss started to deepen and–
Krak-thoom!
The nearby lightning strike jolted her out of her stupor. Both shared a glance, and before either could speak, the clouds opened up on them.
A blush burst forth on Summer Rose’s cheeks as they both laughed, soaked already in the sudden downpour.
“Cold shower, got it!” Qrow yelled out at the heavens.
Summer smiled back at him, but stepped away.
“We should go inside…”
“Yeah,” Raven called as she opened the balcony door to them. “that might be smart if you prefer to be alive.”
Summer was the first in, Qrow on her heels, pausing first to snatch up his empty flask.
Raven gripped a soggy lapel of his, turning him to her as she closed the door behind him.
“Strings…”
Qrow rolled his eyes.
“Says the girl who’s screwing over who again…?”
“Strings don’t tangle me up like they always have you… Don’t forget your mission.”
Both of his hands shot up.
“Listen, sis, it was just a kiss. Nothing more.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
“Trust me, once the liqour is out of her system, she’d rather have kissed Port.”
His sister’s nose crinkled.
—
The clock on the wall beat out every second like a drum. Summer Rose laid awake in her bed, fully aware of every moment passing. It was twelve past three in the morning. She had counted every second. The liquor had long dissipated, but she was certain of the migraine in the morning.
Her silver eyes pierced the darkness, accustomed to the gloom. He slept soundly across from her, his head turned towards her.
She knew it was passing.
She knew it was the liquor.
She knew he wasn’t really interested.
She knew it was all a game for him.
But in that one evening, she knew she had found who she wanted to be with. Who she was having a hard time imaging not being around.
This isn’t even the most like birds a plant can look! This green birdbush grows in Australia and appears to make hummingbirds except, wait, there’s no hummingbirds in Australia. So what is this plant doing.
Another view of a broad-billed hummingbird(Cynanthus latirostris), at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Patagonia, Arizona. Hummers often adopt that erect posture—especially at feeders—to keep an eye on possible competitors for their preferred food sources.
Hey everyone! I’ve been (very slowly) learning about writing music and I officially completed my first song! If you’d like feel free to give a listen below!
