Thank you for reading.
Before we begin and I let you all go, there are a few orders of introduction that need to be taken care of. Firstly, hi. If you haven't read my works before, be warned that this novel will be a long one—all nineteen chapters after this should consistently be above the 20,000-word mark. Some may say this is excessive, and, from an editor's viewpoint, I would agree. However, it works for the story being told. By this novel's end, it will have numbered twenty chapters and somewhere over 400,000 words.
If you have read my works before and are coming from Valence or Edelweiss, then welcome back! I promised both sides this would be both a Bumblebee and White Rose story, and I did not lie. Before you make any judgments as to how this split of pairings will work, please read the entire chapter first. I promise you'll figure it out. It's going to be a good one, I believe, and the events I have planned for Ruby and Weiss, Blake and Yang, and Team RWBY as a whole are making me impatient. Thank you so much for sticking with me.
Now, I should also give a bit of a disclaimer. I don't mean to say I'm anything great or especially good, but my writing style has been proven to be polarizing. Some people hate it, some people love it—this has nothing to do with the plot, itself, but instead the writing that surrounds it. If the writing just doesn't connect with you, that's all right; On Kaiser Island isn't targeted at everyone. But if you do enjoy the writing, then thank you.
The largest complaint I've received from Valence, a novel in the same universe as this, was that the chapter, sentence, and paragraph lengths did not fit with Fanfiction's formatting. For this reason, I provide PDFs for all my chapters (in backgrounds both black and white) in a link found on my profile.
With all of that out of the way, I'll leave you to it. Thank you again for reading. I hope you enjoy On Kaiser Island.
Chapter 1: Routine Disruption
Snow fell quietly on the darkened campus of Beacon Academy, little wisps of ice tapping softly against the library's oversized window. This southern anomaly was almost certainly the work of Professor Goodwitch and her most recent hazardous-condition scenarios, but Blake knew this was not her entire motive. This was still a school, after all, and what school would deprive its students the chance for a snow day? Of course, no regular school could prepare a snow day so much as they could announce one, but Beacon had Dust, and if Dust could create storms and squalls, a little festive weather was not too far from feasible. Nevertheless, Blake shook herself from these musings and got back to work.
This second year of study had already proven more rigorous than the young Faunus' first, but she could not say this semester had been expressly harder. Her missions were indeed tougher and far more frequent and the new coursework did demand extra time spent reading and writing, but, besides these, her sophomore year did not seem too bad at all.
This was especially true since she had chosen classes whose subjects were both enthusing and a joy to read while her missions were made far less stressful by a truly incredible partner. She could not help but smile at this latter thought.
Her current task left her seated at a wide study table, all on her own and with a dozen books opened to specific pages. Texts historical and psychological, atlases and almanacs, and even a large black-leather journal with a long dead language scrawled across its cover were arranged in a messy semicircle around her scroll and progressing essay. This was to be the final exam paper for her History and Moral Philosophy class, and although Yang often teased her about it being due many months from now, Blake knew it was better to work when still enthused than risk procrastination. And thus, for her assignment on unit cohesion and its effects both on and off of the battlefield, "Opposites Attract: From Trope to Truth" was born.
Weiss was supposedly doing hers on the differences between conscription and volunteer soldiers over the course of the Great War, but Blake was told little else on the matter. To her knowledge, the heiress had completed it a couple months ago with the aid of her family's records. Ruby, on the other hand, had given a confused look when asked about her topic. In her defense, however, Blake and Weiss were the only ones in the school being this proactive.
There were, of course, unnecessary stresses which came from this level of enterprise, but Blake figured that if she got her most difficult final out of the way soon, the inexorable pains of her next semester would be somewhat lessened. It also allowed her to spend time alone and in a novel setting, relaxing as she worked. The library's lights were dimmed low, leaving a gradient of warm browns and ambers to paint her quiet hideaway and a series of dreamy shadows to wash away all the distracting sights. And with the white flecks fluttering beyond the ceiling-tall window and out into the black of night, a sense of natural serenity could be appreciated.
Blake sighed and simply listened to her breath, marveling at this rare taste of solitude.
However, she suddenly flinched at the distinct crunch of paper from somewhere beyond her bowed ears. She blinked and looked down. Her pencil had yet to even touch the sheets before her, but her wrist had been resting atop them for a while. She must have moved it on accident.
With another sigh, Blake fixed her posture and bore down upon the table, writing her name, date, title, and "Draft 1" in her regular cursive across the heading. She smiled. Everything seemed to be in order, and she felt confident about what she meant to write. Using the experiences she remembered from both her less-than-agreeable days in the White Fang and as well the eventful summer she had spent with the rest of her team, everything she needed to know about teamwork and partnership was firmly within her realm of understanding. Now all she needed to do was integrate her sources. It was all too exciting.
The Faunus allowed herself a slight grin as she finally put words to paper, letting her pride swell as the opening sentence pulled her in with the same energy her novels always carried. There was honest meaning to her argument, heartache and love which spurred her enthusiasm and coaxed words out at a steady speed.
But, once again, she was interrupted by the hiss of paper torn.
She pulled her pencil up in alarm and looked to the line she had been writing on. Nothing. Her grin was overtaken by a frown as she lifted her paper up and held it to the light. No tears, no creases. Was there something wrong with the other sheets? The books? Blake looked to the semicircle before her and still found nothing. Her frown held, but she nonetheless put her paper back and continued writing.
As her mind set to work on stringing memories together, she could not help but look back on that summer of her inspiration. Following the final days of her freshman year, Blake had taken up her teammates' invitation to spend her break in Vale. This had been her first lasting period of rest since she was a girl of eight, and unlike those times when she was then learning piano with her mother or going out to get ice cream with her father or even familiarizing herself with White Fang propaganda, this last summer had been something to remember. Mostly, she held happy memories of it and willed herself to keep them positive, but there were unfortunate complications throughout which had unarguably changed her life forever.
Where this intersected her topic of unit cohesion, however, was in the season's fallout. Despite the three-month long rollercoaster of emotions, her team had collectively returned to Beacon stronger than ever. Admittedly, they were neither the most skilled nor experienced individual fighters in the school, but if this second year's mission records and sparring outcomes were of any proof, Team RWBY had become the school's most synchronized team across all classes.
They still had a lot to improve upon, but their reaction times had heightened when together, their maneuvers flowed much more naturally, and, most importantly to the Faunus' essay, the amount of trust they placed in each other was near total. Even if Yang and Weiss were at each other's throats most days, both jokingly and angrily, they always showed respect when in combat together. The team was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but upon sparing with Teams JNPR and even CFVY, Blake noticed that just about every other team besides her own found synchronicity in their two partnerships rather than as a whole team—they were divisible in their own ways and thus subject to failure. What seemingly set RWBY apart, or so the essay was to go, was the synchronicity between partners as well as the team altogether. They could easily work in groups of two but did even better when brought together.
All in all, it had been a successful summer. Blake once again allowed herself a wistful smile as she turned her page over and continued on. She knew this draft would be unusable because of her wanderings, but she did not much care. Home was on the mind.
Suddenly, her ears perked beneath their bow. The library's quiet was again interrupted, this time by the sound of rushing air. The young Faunus snapped her head to look at the noise's source, realizing it had come from behind her, and found a momentarily baffling sight.
A small paper airplane drifted towards her, flying over the shorter shelves and wobbling as it went. Blake raised a confused brow as it swooped, soared, and eventually landed in the center of her workspace. This was certainly new. Some part of her wanted to brush the plane aside so she could get back to writing, but that part of her mind was made ever the more irrelevant by the bemused look she gave the loose-leaf construct. Her curiosity had already been piqued and was only furthered by the faint markings hidden beneath the flyer's folds.
Blake sighed, acquiescing to this distraction and taking the obvious message in her hands. To the little thing's credit, it was expertly made—no excess creases or errors of any kind could be seen in its craftsmanship—but she nevertheless smirked at the large letters stretched lengthwise across the sheet.
"Missed you today," the note read. "And you missed us. So much for a surprise party." At the end, a small, welcoming face stuck its tongue out at the Faunus.
Yang.
Somehow, the thought of procrastinating was made a lot more appealing. Blake pulled her chair back and turned to look at those shorter shelves. There was indeed a desire for solitude as was her introverted wont, but, at the same time, she had changed over her summer. Large gatherings were almost entirely abhorrent and even hours spent with Ruby and Weiss could become grating after a point, but Yang was another story. Whereas this silent privacy and promise of essay progress seemed like a nice way to relax on a Friday night, the mere thought of spending her weekend with her partner proved unequivocally more exciting.
In this way, she could only watch as another plane shot up from across the library, flying straight towards the vaulted ceiling before leveling out and descending upon her position. The Faunus smirked, tracking the construction as it lazily drifted towards her and eventually stopped with a feeble crunch, hitting her square in the forehead.
An exultant "Yes!" was whispered from beyond the shelves.
Blake shook her head, quietly chuckling at the new message in her lap. She gingerly unfolded it and confirmed her sender suspicions from the telling words "Here kitty kitty."
By this point in time and station, Blake Belladonna was well past blushing at her given moniker, instead forming something of an impish glint in her eye. Rather than continuing the essay she had spent nearly three hours preparing for, she dropped every plan in favor of Yang. She took the two messages, collecting them carefully to reread at a later date, and slid them into her journal as makeshift bookmarks before closing the cover and locking its latch. The rest of her material would be safe for now, Blake figured.
She stood and immediately forwent any sort of etiquette in either considering her surroundings or pushing in her chair. After all, she had not seen the interruptive blonde all day and wanted nothing more than to fix that mistake. With an eager grin uncharacteristic to the days before last summer, the young Faunus hurried across the library, notions of progress and diligence by now forgotten. Being that the wide room was devoid of both faculty and students, there was no one left to tell her how to act. She was free in this moment, and not a thing in the world could deprive her of this when at last she found her girlfriend.
Boots crossed flagrantly atop a computer desk, arms resting deep within her golden mane, and with a practiced attempt at a cocky, playful smirk, Yang Xiao Long waited patiently for her partner. There had been a time in their relation wherein a blushing Faunus would not have dared to think of her in any physically descriptive way, but those times were gone and forgotten. Her smirk had faltered by its joking façade, giving way to the natural smile and warmth Blake had long ago fallen for.
The Faunus leaned against the nearest bookshelf. "Hey," she smirked.
"Hey, yourself." Even Yang's voice exuded warmth. Every syllable and inflection, every smile and glance made Blake feel welcomed, wanted. Her care was genuine, and she was loved for it.
"You know, you left out a couple commas in your last message. What did I tell you about proofreading?"
"Gee. Thanks, Weiss." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Aren't you gonna say something about how great a headshot that was?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong. The shot was great. Your syntax, on the other hand…"
Yang took her legs off the table, leaning forward to rest then on her elbows and give a disbelieving look. "Hey, if it really bothers you that much, just audit me." Her lips budged for half a second before her frown recomposed. This had been a joke—of what, however, Blake was uncertain.
They let this pause linger for a moment as a quizzical brow was raised. Eventually, Yang sighed. "Get it? Syntax? Tax? Audi—You know what? Forget it. Bad joke."
Blake chuckled softly and shook her head. "I never expected anything less."
She strode across the space between them, watching contentedly as her partner's eyes trained on her own. Interactions between the two had indeed grown more fervent since they returned from Vale together, but no matter how far they had come, no matter how much they had done, Blake found that they still looked at each other like they were freshly in love. And as she moved beside the blonde and sat atop the computer desk to look down at her, the flutter in her heart said much the same.
"I missed you today," said Yang. "You kinda just bugged out on us before I was even awake. Probably had your reasons, but you still missed your surprise party."
The Faunus' smile fell somewhat. "Sorry. I was busy."
"Yeah, I can tell. You haven't even changed out of your uniform yet, and it's, what, nine already?" She shrugged. "But you don't have to apologize to me. I get it; you wanted to do this, and that's fine. But Nora's mad. And so is Weiss. But I don't think she's as mad as Nora."
Perhaps it had been an error to not take a break. Of course, Blake had been happy to get her work out of the way and spend some needed time alone, but her friends had all chipped in for…something. Unwittingly or not, she had brushed them off. She sighed. "Yang, you know how I feel about parties."
"I know, but it's your birthday, Blake!" The Faunus blinked at her, unmoved. "Okay, maybe not the best thing to say, but c'mon. We got Weiss to join in on a snowball fight, and you know how she feels about the cold."
"A snowball fight?"
"Yup! We were gonna ambush you after you got out of Port's class, but you never showed up. After some sleuthing around, we figured you were busy and just called the whole thing off." An apologetic smile was given, quietly assuring it was all right, either way. "If you want, we can probably do it again tomorrow or Sunday, but Nora's just mad that the whole gang's not gonna be there. The Odd Couple's out 'cause Jaune thinks he caught the flu, and you know how Pyrrha gets. And Weiss is also out because, and I quote, 'If she can't adhere to her schedule, then I shouldn't, either.' So, basically, we're down three."
"Yang, you know you don't have to do this. Really, my birthday isn't that big of a deal."
"I understand, kitten. But I don't think this was meant for you in the first place. I mean, it was since it is your party and all, but I think Nora and Ruby needed it more."
"And what about you?" Blake broke a slight smirk. "You're never the passive type when it comes to these sorts of celebrations."
A similar look was sent back in kind. "To tell you the truth, I was kinda daydreaming about how I was gonna turn on them and fight beside you instead—just like a bodyguard jumping in front of the prime minister or something."
"And you thought we'd take on an army by ourselves."
"Well, the world, technically, but same difference."
"And you never thought how I'd react to being ambushed—especially by seven ultra-competent fighters?"
"Hey, not my plan! Besides, I was planning on helping you anyways." She paused to consider something. "Well, maybe after throwing a couple snowballs at you first, but we're all on the same team, right?"
"Triple agent."
"Quadruple," Yang corrected.
They laughed for a moment, simply relaxing to this lightheartedness they had kept from all day. There was never a dull moment whenever Yang was in a good mood, and although her darker moments could lead to darker times, this light she imbued was simply rejuvenating. They each let out a sigh they had unwittingly been holding in for who knows how long and returned to each other on the other side of their mirth.
"But that's not why you came here, is it?" Blake eventually surmised. "You don't seem too upset about me being busy and I know for certain you didn't come to lecture me. You have something else up your sleeve, don't you?"
"Bingo. Got a proposition. For your eyes only. It's kinda about your birthday, kinda not. You interested?"
Blake glanced at the shelves that hid her work and frowned. "I'm sorry, Yang, but not tonight. I don't think I'll be able to focus with this essay on my mind. But I promise we can do it this weekend if you're still up for it."
In an instant, the blonde's eyes widened in eager surprise. "Okay. That totally wasn't what I was talking about, but I am so holding you to that promise."
A blush burned across the Faunus' cheeks.
Yang shook her head and leaned back in her chair, adopting a somewhat businesslike expression. She was, of course, still smiling and exhibited nothing but honest warmth in this relative calm, but the certainty in her eyes told that she truly did have a proposition to discuss. The Faunus' blush subsided when she found no judgment, leading her to nod and, consequently, widen her partner's smile.
"So, first off, I get it. You don't like birthday parties. They make you the center of attention and cause a big scene—I get that part. But I still want to take you out to dinner sometime—not tonight, you know, but when we get the chance—and Ruby and Weiss want to take you out to lunch. Nothing big, nothing flashy; it's all just a thank-you."
She paused for effect, giving her partner time to consider the offer. However, Blake was not certain what the offer actually entailed or if it had even been given in its entirety. It was typical of the sisters to extend this sort of appreciative gesture, especially since the team had become something of a surrogate family. But why would Yang come here at this hour—and without Ruby or Weiss for that matter? Something did not add up.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Blake said, trying to keep her speculation level so not to come off as ungrateful. "But I have a feeling you don't intend to dine out at the cafeteria, and I know for certain Weiss wouldn't be caught dead thanking anyone without an elaborate plan."
"Well, yes and no," explained Yang. "I mean, I did get the keys to the cafeteria so we could have a tide-you-over date later—you know, just to make sure you're not totally busy all the time. But, yeah. That dinner I was talking about is not gonna happen at the cafeteria. I'm frugal, Blake, but I'm not tasteless."
"Uh-huh. 'Frugal.' Sure."
"Yeah, okay. Fine. Just because I like spoiling you sometimes doesn't mean I like spending money. At least give me that much."
"Sure; that is, if you'll let me chip in from time to time." Yang rolled her eyes, gave a jokingly dismissive laugh, and then settled her gaze upon her girlfriend's own. There was something more to this, and she understood Blake knew it, too. The Faunus smiled wryly. "So, what? Do you intend to have a candlelit dinner in our dorm room? Or would you like to break curfew and have a picnic in the snow? Yang, you know that we're stuck here until—"
A playful glint glimmered in those lilac eyes. She most definitely knew their romantic resources at the academy were limited, but it was surprising how little this seemed to faze her.
She had another plan.
"Wait," Blake stopped herself. "Vale?"
Yang nodded, smirk creeping upwards to an excited grin.
"You want to spend eight hours—sixteen cumulative—on an airship just so we can have dinner somewhere nice? Yang, that's unreasonable. I should really be spending this weekend working on—"
"And you'll be able to, don't worry. I wasn't planning for this weekend, anyways." An uncertain brow from the young Faunus only caused Yang's grin to widen. "Blake, I'm inviting you to spend Christmas with us!"
There was a moment where the Faunus did not know how to react. In any other circumstance, she would have been outright elated, agreeing instantly because of the joy she had found in her last summer break. But the circumstances had changed. It is not to say she thought negatively of the offer, being that she quite honestly wanted to accept, but she felt guilty somehow for not knowing of it sooner. She had assumed Yang and Ruby would spend the break with their father and uncle because of how vocally excited they had been, but now it seemed Blake had assumed poorly.
"C'mon, kitten! Ruby's working on Weiss right now, and you know they'll be upset if you don't come with us. Plus, I promise this'll be way better than summer! We can stay up late to work on your project, cuddle up with a movie when it gets cold out, and then Christmas, Blake!"
She was so excited, so convinced her plan would be seen to fruition that it hurt to say no. Blake sighed, looking down at the pattern in her uniform's skirt. Instantly, her partner's grin fell. "Yang…" she whispered. "I'm sorry. I already promised I'd spend the break in Sierra. My parents haven't seen me in a while, so—"
A sudden change in expression cut the Faunus short. What had been a frown on Yang's part turned to a reassured smirk, and it was this smirk that gave a sense of hope. "Oh, that?" she asked, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand. "Please. I already talked to them about it."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Wait. You called my parents?" She could not decide if this was incredibly fortunate or incredibly rude.
"Well…they kinda called me first. Wanted to see if you were still all right and didn't run back to the White Fang. I told them you didn't, told your dad I was still keeping you safe, and told your mom you were still at the top of the class. She also gave me some book recommendations to give you; have 'em back in the dorm if you're interested."
Between this covert conversation and the potentiality for a winter in Vale, all Blake could do was stare intently at the blonde, goading her into continuance.
Yang smiled. "Then we got to talking about the break. They said you'd already talked to them about it and planned some stuff out, but I asked how they felt about you spending it in Vale. Gotta say, they weren't super excited about the idea, but your mom said you could be the one to choose. She didn't sound like she wanted to pressure you into anything, but I'm pretty sure that's just mom code for 'Don't do something you'll regret.'" A gloved hand found its way into Blake's nearest own and squeezed. "So, what do you wanna do?"
Blake sighed. On one hand, she had cheated her parents out of ten years of her childhood, only returning for a few days last summer due to Yang's insistence. But, on the other hand, she more or less owed Yang every second of her life and was entirely happy to be in this debt. Yang tended to get lonely quite easily, and this had only worsened ever since Ruby and Weiss began dating. Moreover, the Faunus had made respective promises to the sisters which tasked her with upholding the blonde's emotional wellbeing.
It was a difficult decision, that between girlfriend and parents, and both had their repercussions. Unfortunately, both had their benefits, too, and Blake understood that choosing one would lead to the other's impossibility.
She looked into her partner's eyes, finding support for either direction and an indomitable well of strength to pull from and be brave for. Yang smiled and her irises seemed to lighten, sending out a wave of comforting heat. "Okay."
Instantly, Yang was ecstatic. "Really?" she beamed. "You mean it?"
"Tentatively. I'd still like to speak to my parents again so we're all on the same page, but I'd like you to be there, too. We still have a bridge to unburn, and I'd rather show some sort of respect when I tell them about my decision. I want you there as backup."
"Roger."
"And if my mom starts to disagree—"
"Then I'll let you do the talking," Yang accepted. "And if your dad has a problem with it, I'll step in. I still don't get that, by the way. Your mom has it out for me but your dad acts like I'm his second daughter."
"Yang, my mom does trust you. It's just difficult for her to admit. She's like Weiss in that way, albeit more cryptic." A teasing shudder shook the blonde's form, causing Blake to distract herself with a laugh. "All right, I get it," she said. "Enough about my parents. This is supposed to be about our vacation together and, I assume, my impending birthday dinner."
"Yup!" Yang confirmed. "Glad you're on board." As impulsive and reckless as the girl could be, there were certain constants to her character, one of which being the inexplicable joy she found in making others' days. But whereas Ruby did the same simply because it was kind and righteous, Yang cared for Blake to see her smile—an action born as much from selflessness as it was from selfishness. "That sushi place we went to is probably closed and there's always that pasta place we never went to and—Oh! We could probably have Weiss get us reservations for somewhere fancy!"
"If we're going to do that, then at least let me ask. I have a feeling she'll reserve us somewhere exorbitant if you try persuading her."
"Good point. You do that and I'll work on the present situation." Blake simply stared at her for a moment. "What?" Yang asked. "Don't tell me you were with the White Fang so long you forgot how Christmas works. I know that isn't true."
"Sorry." Blake shook her head and smiled. "I've just never seen you this enthused about anything."
"Hey, I gotta pull out all the stops. This year's a big one."
"I'm sure it is." The Faunus paused for a moment, admiring her girlfriend's scheming eyes as visions of what was to come flashed through her mind. She could see themselves curled up in Yang's prized home theatre, a film on the screen and a book in Blake's lap as they huddled close together and kept warm from the outside cold. Perhaps a winter with her parents would be the safer option, but Blake did not care. She leaned down to capture her partner's lips in her own for a brief, sweet second, feeling Yang grin into the embrace, before pulling away to whisper, "So, what was that about a tide-me-over date?"
A wholly prideful, self-satisfied smirk spread across the taller girl's features. "Happy birthday, kitten."
Maintaining the grip she had on the gloved hand, Blake stood from the desk and pulled Yang to her feet. With synchronized wordlessness, the two simply smiled at each other before returning to Blake's prior table and gathering her belongings. The essay could wait and all those books closed without markers could be studied again, but Yang was here now. Every trial and frustration set before the huntress team was rendered insignificant by the strength they found together. In a way, this was indeed distraction and ruinous procrastination, but the Faunus had learned to prefer her heart's necessities over the wants of her motive. And as they carried her multitudes of heavy volumes out into the autumn snow, nothing else seemed to matter. They were returning home.
Simply by standing beside the warming Yang, Blake was sheltered from the tickling ice; and in much the same way, Yang was kept company by the steady amber eyes which stood out against glistening whiteness. Through each other, they became unbreakable. With each other, they could move and act as one. And although difficult times would come and pass in the subsequent two weeks until their departure, Blake and Yang would hold steady because they held each other.
The air was unnaturally still, brittle beyond its actual temperature. One could feel it their lungs, this silent draft from the window and the way it sapped air from each and every corner of Team RWBY's dormitory room. Even the edelweiss, hermetically sealed as it was between glass and silver frame, seemed to shrivel in its otherwise natural climate. But none of this was ever true. There was no cold, no draft, only the feared sensation of frigidity from the frosted window and the campus snow beyond.
Surrounding this monument of last summer's impossible flower were two other sterling keepsakes, picture frames too which immortalized their owners' smiles. In one, a caricature of naïveté and condescension reminisced upon a warmer, less complicated time, marking what should never be again. And in the other, a photograph shined beneath its daily polish, showing the same two in a state of idealistic happiness. Little freckles of sunlight danced across the pale girls' cheeks as they posed together before a wide oak—that had been such a warm day, such an inspiration for the two to always strive for.
However, a scowl now burned across Weiss' features, a forceful distraction from the chill she only imagined. Those summer days were long since gone and locked away in the past, making room for the next set of fickle circumstances and the challenges resulting from this unknown. Had she the solitude, she would have simply cowered beneath her blankets, wrapped in her pea and pajamas, to simply escape the solstitial draft. But she was not alone, and for this reason she sat on the edge of her bed, hugging herself for warmth and watching her leader pace.
It was an unnatural sight to see Ruby Rose this upset. With arms crossed in an unintended mimicry of her partner's frustration and brow knit tightly as she glared at nothing in particular, the young girl veritably pulled her hair out. She marched across the room, moving this way and that as she reluctantly came to terms with her partner's bad news.
Between those three silver frames was the heiress' personal scroll, glowing dimly with its troubling message. It hurt on two fronts, this disappointment. Ruby had seemed so enthused, so energetic as she always was when she first burst through the team's door, chattering nigh incoherently about her newest plans. She had taken Weiss' hands away from where her phone now lay, giving momentary reprieve from the then manageable cold, and went on about the team's second holiday in the city of Vale.
The way she had said "Christmas" was as though it were magic, perhaps the culminating prize for a year of hard work or a lifelong tradition she simply could not wait for. And she had wanted Weiss to join her. But seeing Ruby's expression fall so quickly strained every vow and sensibility the girl in white set around her.
"Ruby," she sighed. "There's no need to worry. All my father intends to do is talk and—"
"What do you mean there's no need to worry?" The young girl stopped and turned an uncharacteristically hurt look on her partner. "It's your dad, Weiss—your dad!"
"I understand. Believe me, I'm no more enthused about this than you are. But he made contact and expects me to respond in the positive, and there's no chance for me to shirk this. You must consider what would happen if I avoid him. Beacon, Vale, this," she gestured between the two of them, "would all come to a halt for me, that much is unmistakable."
"But you said you wouldn't be able to come back if he called you home!"
Resuming her pacing motion, Ruby clutched at her arms, trying her hardest to stay composed. It was a crime for her to even frown, let alone sulk as she did here, and Weiss would admit a pang of guilt for her pain. All she wanted to do was reach out and console the girl, divest her typical distance and simply explain her logic, but the moment required reverence to this pain. Between the cold and frustration, a compromise would only come across as impatient.
"You're right. I did," Weiss admitted. "But those circumstances assume he knows about our relation, which I don't believe he does. This, I believe, is one of the rare cases where his motive is immediately evident."
"What happens if he doesn't want to talk, though? What if he's tricking you?" A quaver broke the girl's attempt at skepticism. Fear had been evident for a while now, perhaps since Weiss had first denied her offer, but it was only now that the heiress could feel it in the cold of her spine. "Weiss…I don't wanna lose you. Maybe he knows you'll only come back if it sounds like he wants to talk. You said it yourself: if he tells you to stay, you'd have to."
She was right. Although arrogant and goal-oriented, Weiss was still a Schnee, which meant she was bound to her word—promises to her family, kingdom, and eventual leadership position. However, she had also made a vow to the young girl once upon a time, if only in her mind, to protect and support her no matter the cost. Admitting to this risk would only open a door to even greater fear, and fear was antithetical to what her vow upheld.
"I'm an adult now, Ruby. He could certainly try to keep me in Atlas—revoke my visa, pull my tuition—but if he does, I could certainly resist."
Thankfully, some form of progress seemed to have been made in her partner's expression. While the look of worry did not fall completely, the girl's gait had stumbled and her eyes had widened in brief surprise.
"I have enough money and clout to immigrate here if need be, and I'll reenroll in the school if he takes me out. But even then, I doubt he'd try something that direct."
"Yeah," Ruby whispered, "that's what I'm worried about."
Otto Schnee, head of the Schnee Dust Company and standing Lord Protector to the vacant Atlesian throne, was a difficult character. On one hand, he was like Weiss in the sense that he was meticulous and driven, but he did not suffer from the same temper and spite his daughter did. In this way, Weiss could not fathom his intentions. But Ruby was in pain, and this required a veneer of confidence.
"Well, don't worry. I'll find a way to be here for Christmas, one way or another."
Hopeful silver eyes shined upon the freezing heiress. "Really? You wanna come?"
Weiss smirked, if not for herself then for Ruby. "I never said I didn't."
"But you said—"
"Regrettably, my time in Atlas will cut into our time here, but if I work hard enough and move expeditiously—"
"Then you'll spend Christmas with me?" In a seeming instant, all the worry had drained from the young girl's features. "I mean, us?" she corrected, a sheepish, if not elated smile gracing her features. As much as Weiss abhorred the quality, naïveté had its uses.
With a nod, the draft in the room seemed to fade. An invisible energy poured from the girl in red, nothing like her sister's ever-present warmth but instead something of a stimulating, tickling variety—it was pure excitement, giving Weiss a difficult time in suppressing her wanted smile. As aloof as she was, as much as she hated general overenthusiasm, she had developed something of a sweet tooth when it came to her partner. No one would ever know this, of course, but it was true enough and Weiss was unabashed of her own satisfaction.
"Weiss, this is gonna be so awesome! We're gonna pick out the biggest tree, put up the biggest star, and get everyone the biggest presents! Oh! And I've never roasted chestnuts before, but I kinda wanna try since they sing about it all the time in songs and stuff, and I was hoping I could try it with you because—"
Weiss had to pat herself on the back. Although the situation was far from defused, at least Ruby was happy. It was a somewhat small step, admittedly, and mattered little to the sway of her responsibilities, but if she had learned anything this past summer, it was that these small steps had merit in their own rights. She did prize notable progress over the intricate processes behind it, but there was a novel charm to appreciating the little things. In this way, she was still yet worried and cold because of the message on her scroll, but she was also vicariously hopeful by way of her partner's cheer.
How she had come to date this girl was a difficult story. By no means was she enthralled by Ruby or her lacking social charms, but she did enjoy being around her from time to time. Despite her faults and aggravating quirks, she was, quite honestly, more tolerable than the entire student body at Beacon. Blake was a friend, sure, and a good confidante at that, but she spent far too much time with Yang and had become corrupted by her positivity. Ruby, although an endless well of energy, was consistent and careful. The reason why they had dated in the first place was, solely, to keep this positivity high against her unadmitted jealousy of what Blake and Yang held. But, even then, things got out of hand.
The "girlfriend" label was a misleading one for how they often interacted. In fact, Ruby and Weiss had become far better friends than anything else despite the handful of times they had gone on expressly romantic dates. The number of times they had kissed over the course of these five months could be counted on one hand, although they did make a conscious effort for pecks on the cheek at least once a week. But this was fine. They did not obsess over each other like Blake and Yang did, but they were nevertheless content with their station, leading to their generally standoffish affections and entirely fulfilling camaraderie where else there had been none. At the very least, they were happy with each other.
As such, Weiss could not defend herself from the smile now pulling at her lips. Ailing chills and preparatory consternation had melted away to her girlfriend's happiness and the resulting memories. She was, of course, a character product of structure and stress, but these little moments of joy Ruby shared were, themselves, joyful.
"Hello? Remnant to Weiss!"
The heiress blinked. An impatient Ruby had suddenly appeared before her, grinning widely and leaning over to press her silver eyes mere inches from her own. Weiss could feel hot breath against her lips and a resulting tingle race up her spine.
She pulled away and coughed, recomposing and leveling her expression to Ruby's audible amusement. "My apologies," she said. "I was distracted."
"You mean you were staring."
Weiss paused. Was Ruby teasing her? Moreover, did she even have the capacity to tease? Whatever the case, Weiss sent back a defensive scowl. "Incidentally," she contested. "And even if I had meant to—"
"Nah. You were so staring." The increased annoyance in the heiress' look, although tooled to stop this very reaction, only caused the young girl to giggle. "It was kinda funny."
The glare persisted for but a second more until its owner hesitated. Indeed, Ruby had been teasing her, but this tease had done nothing more than state the truth—the girl meant no harm. It had taken some adjusting for the heiress to realize Ruby and Yang were incredibly different people—one meant harm, the other meant peace—and thus deserved different responses. In this way, she apologetically dropped her hostile look.
However, Ruby only returned this with more positivity. "Hey, c'mon Weiss! Don't sweat it! We're supposed to do that kinda stuff sometimes, right? I mean, it's not like we're doing anything weird. Looking's just looking, and I'm kinda glad it's me you're looking at and not—"
"Ruby," her partner regretfully interrupted. The girl in reference simply smiled, too enthused by her newly set plans to be brought down. "I'm sorry, but I really wasn't looking at you. I was just thinking."
The young girl laughed, awkward but not at all afraid. "Well, that's okay, too! Sorry 'bout the misunderstanding, though. It's just that Yang said…" Her words trailed off as she saw Weiss' expression. To the heiress, she had kept in her usual, equanimous state with no outward tells to her pessimism, but what Ruby saw now was something unusually emotional. "Hey, Weiss? I'm sorry. Didn't mean to say that."
"It's fine." The girl in white tried what she knew was an even expression, but this only came across as a cry for help. "There's no need to worry."
There was a moment of consideration on Ruby's part, moonlit eyes darting between Weiss' unease and the carpet between them, before she looked back up and frowned. "You keep saying that, you know? Like I have something to worry about. I mean, I did for a second there, but..." Again, she stopped herself. "Weiss," she asked, "is something wrong? I mean, are you okay?"
A snowy brow arched. "Of course," Weiss stated matter-of-factly. "Why?"
"I-I don't know. You just seem…off, you know? Like you're angry about something."
"Isn't that always the case?"
The joke had fallen flat as Ruby shook her head. "You can get angry about stuff, yeah, but you always have a reason for it. It doesn't just come out of nowhere."
"Well, I can assure you I'm fine. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, though. I'll do better to compose myself next time."
A confusing look crossed the young girl's features. Ruby had the definite capacity for maturity and adamancy, but their existences were generally few and far between. Now, however, she seemed at odds with herself, specifically over Weiss' wellbeing. While the sentiment would have otherwise been met with gratitude, Weiss could not help but assume something was amiss.
"Ruby?"
"Weiss, seriously. Is there something wrong?" The girl looked at her, tentative yet assured, and seemed to press her point of support despite its recipient not knowing why. "You look like you just saw a ghost. I get why you're saying you're okay, and I don't think there's anything to be ashamed about if you aren't, but…Is there anything you wanna talk about?"
With a doubting sigh, Weiss looked away and reached out to the bookshelf. Her fingers were cold without their pea coat protection, but she was curious. What was Ruby talking about—she had seen a ghost? She took hold of the third picture frame and looked through its shine. Superimposed above her summertime grin was a positively horrified expression which vanished upon its discovery. "That's odd."
"Wait," said Ruby. "You seriously didn't know?"
"Know? Ruby, all I know is that my father expects me in Atlas for some indeterminate amount of time, after which I'll be returning to Vale for the holidays. That's hardly grounds for…whatever that was."
The girl in red released a breath she had been holding. "Well, that's a relief. I mean, maybe. Is you not knowing a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I'd hazard bad. Though, I'd rather not delve too deeply into it."
"How come? What if it's something really bad? What if it comes back and haunts you later? Remember what happened to Blake and Yang?"
"I'd rather not delve into it because I know I'll find something. It's likely I have some sort of psychological damage somewhere, considering my rearing, but I'd prefer not to learn any of it. I'm already aware of my narcissism, and that proved enough to change the way I present myself—anything more, and I'd have a soapbox. I don't want that."
Ruby nodded slowly. "Okay, but what if I wanna figure it out?"
"You could certainly try," Weiss admitted. "But what makes you think the information will be of any use? As I said, if you try to fix whatever that was, I might—"
"Yeah, I know." She took a deep breath and smiled. "But you're my girlfriend. If you're not feeling good, I help you out. That's just what we do for each other, right?"
"I suppose."
"Great! Then can I see that message your dad sent?"
Weiss looked at her skeptically.
"Promise I won't reply or anything. I just wanna look at it. You started acting weird after you read it, so I thought maybe there's something in it that caused you to feel sad all of a sudden." Her smile was steady and calm but proved unable to shake Weiss from her opposition. It was her scroll, after all, and held both personal and financial information which could be dangerous in the wrong hands. She did trust Ruby, but… "Hey, if you don't want me to, just say so. We can talk about something else instead if you want to. Or maybe we can see if Jaune's using his space heater or not."
At the boy's name, Weiss huffed. "No. Fine, you can read the message—but nothing more!"
For the briefest of moments, a look of eagerness flashed across Ruby's features before hiding behind a soft smile. Even to this day, it was hard to believe her enthusiasm was genuine and not the deceitful ploy Weiss had been raised to expect. But Ruby did mean to help and had always found satisfaction in assisting others. At the very least, Weiss trusted her—if not her, then who? With a sigh, she entered her passcode and handed the scroll over.
With an instinctual "Thank you," Ruby took the phone. In the process, her fingers had brushed against the heiress' and gave a thankful warmth to break her cold, but this was of no matter. The two kept their respective postures as both pairs of eyes focused on the screen.
Even from its upside-down projection, Weiss could not help but scan the message, too. Perhaps it was the fear her partner suggested or, more likely, her own proclivity for awareness, but even if Weiss had read the notice enough times to memorize each and every lording word, she still felt the need to keep her eyes on it. Her father's writing tended to have a threatening aftertaste and made her feel as though his words, themselves, could drag her back to Atlas. She worried for Ruby.
More than anyone else the heiress knew, her partner deserved to smile. She was just too kind—not innocent, not sheltered—to fall to the same battles Weiss had and too young to grow old. What she held in her hands was not maturity or causative cruelty but instead sharp directness—an unemotional, singularly construed letter written in terse terms. Weiss could handle it, and she quite honestly thought Ruby could, too, but there was always an edge to Otto's words, a cage to voluntarily enter and be surprised in whenever his trap was finally sprung. If she could have her way, he and Ruby would have never learned of each other. They would remain entirely ignorant for only the latter's sake. Ruby frowned.
"Sheesh. This is, uh, a pretty tough read."
"I know," Weiss agreed. "You can never argue against him because he always—"
"No, I mean, there's a lot of words I don't know." She seemed sheepish and unnecessarily so, scratching the back of her neck and avoiding Weiss' gaze. Despite the reaction, at least one thing was certain: the letter's intent had not fazed her.
Weiss gave a reassuring—and, admittedly, reassured—smile. "Well," she said, "why not start with the first?"
A light seemed to flicker in her partner's silver orbs. Initially, the idea came as a comfort to the apprehensive heiress, but as soon as this inspiration was acted upon, Weiss found herself retreating to her usual distance.
Ruby turned and plopped down onto the bed, invading Weiss' personal space and sitting unabashedly beside her. The addition of physical contact to their arguably successful relationship had always been a difficulty for the girl in white. Hugs and kisses needed time to be prepared for, lowering her guard and settling her still uncomfortable mood, but this sudden seating had been thrust upon her, leaving their shoulders contacted and knees mere inches away.
This was alarming. As such, Weiss moved gracefully to the side, leaving no chance for offense as she scooted over. But, to her horror, Ruby followed after with eyes trained on the screen. "Okay, so what does this first one mean?" She pressed her finger against the first larger word, accidentally highlighting it. "Plenipuh—Plenipoe…Pleni-po-tent-iary?"
"Plenipotentiary," corrected Weiss. "It means I'm on my own."
"Huh. Pretty big word for 'lone wolf.' Did he really have to use it?"
"It doesn't matter. Contextually, it's appropriate and the official title I hold within the company." Weiss shut her eyes in a silent wince. She had snapped at her. That was both childish and mean—she had agreed to a softer expression at the beginning of their relation, but had failed in this regard. Ruby deserved the same kindness she dealt. Weiss sighed. "I agree. It is excessive. But he can do much worse."
"Yeah, I bet!"
A smile was turned on the heiress, warm, amused, half a foot away, and not the least bit hurt. Ruby was by no means the most elegant person Weiss had ever met. She could be clumsy, awkward, as stubborn as her sister, but there was always something new to admire about her—little things to be sure, but anything admirable was welcomed when everything else was criticized. There was always something to her smile, something in the way her lips curled to eager points and how she did not know whether to bear her teeth or hide them. It told of youthful insight. It told of honesty. Her partner's frigid hand and continuous shivers halted without her knowledge as the subtle body heat of her company warmed the imagined draft.
Ruby gave a short cough of a giggle before looking back to the scroll. She knew Weiss had been staring and had even stared back for her own enjoyment, but only Weiss had blushed.
"And what about this one? Ess-chew?"
"Eschew," the heiress muttered, trying her hardest to recompose, seeing nothing but visions of her partner's silver moons.
"Eschew. Eschew. Eschew. Huh. I kinda like it! So, what? Is it like shirking? The way he says it, it's like you're avoiding something."
Weiss closed her eyes and swallowed. Ruby was her girlfriend and it was entirely appropriate to appreciate her. With a sigh, she looked to her, cheeks unfortunately burning but an otherwise calm line to her lips. "Almost. Shirk usually means to procrastinate while eschew means to deliberately relinquish responsibilities."
"Oh. So, you quit?"
"No. Far from it. I'm unable to attend to my businesses in any face-to-face way because of studies; therefore, he assumes I've given up entirely. However, he knows this isn't true but nevertheless tries to undermine me."
"Well, that's dumb. What kind of dad does that?"
"Mine."
There was not even a hint of regret in Weiss' tone. She did despise her father in very certain, thorough ways, but he was still family. Regardless of this apathy, however, Ruby seemed sorry. "Well, that's still dumb," she said. "My dad would never say something like that. Just…that sounds mean."
She paused, looking over to her partner and finding only a blank, blushless expression. "Wanna talk about it?"
Without hesitation, Weiss replied, "No."
"Eh, it was worth a shot."
She looked back to the letter, enthused to some degree but lacking the same zeal she had shown before. Once again, an unintended somberness overcame the heiress, leaving her quiet and visibly upset. It is not to say she had memories of a broken home or abusive father—in her mind, those simply did not exist. Rather, this message in particular haunted her.
It had not been the wording which had stayed with her nor had it been the intention of the text, as she had put up with derision for as long as she could remember and had thusly calloused to it. What concerned her now was instead the timing of it, the suddenness that interrupted this newfound life at Beacon. Why now? Why not at the end of the last school year? Doubtlessly, there was a method to this disruption, a reason for its onset and a goal to its completion. And she knew this unambiguously because he, himself, had taught her how to think this way. But she could not help but feel as though something were off—she could not help but feel as though she were missing something.
That she was being taken advantage of, that she was being countered and defeated at every turn was, itself, surprisingly tolerable—a value learned from her time with Ruby. If she learned how to fall in this certain way and master it quickly, victory was all but assured by a figurative riposte keyed to her father's tactics. However, it was troubling that she did not know how she was being defeated. She did not know why or with what knowledge, but her father did have dubious cause. At the end of this semester, she would return to Atlas without argument and voluntarily pit herself against whatever traps he had set, but, unfortunately, Ruby had raised a good point. Otto Schnee could be lying outright and tricking his daughter, a trap to which she had no true escape.
Suddenly, the heiress' thoughts were pulled to a jarring stop. Planning ahead was well and good and would likely save her from whatever tricks she was yet to face, but something light and cold had feathered across her knuckles. She inhaled sharply at the normally unwanted action but soon relaxed at the silver orbs behind it.
"Weiss?" The younger girl's fingers snaked through her partner's, a chilling warmth causing her fist to close. Ruby squeezed back. "Are you really okay? You look…I don't know, tired? You look paler than usual."
Even though the cold was gone, even though the window was sealed tight and her coat was buttoned past its fashionable limit, Weiss could not shake whatever this was. The fingers helped, most certainly, as she focused on the small calluses and scratches from years of weapon work, but she yet shivered. The window felt open, her skin felt bare, and all those little taps against the window seemed to leave her frozen.
Ruby smiled as she scooted closer, keeping her hand in the heiress' lap. Her other, closer arm budged for a moment, considering wrapping around the smaller girl. But she hesitated. "Hey, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it right now. We can just, uh, give it time. Yeah. But I still wanna help if you'll let me."
Weiss was silent, both by force of home and the willingness to wait for her conversational turn. Ruby looked down and blushed.
"If you don't want to talk, do you think we could…umm…I mean, do you think I could…eh. Geez, what am I saying?" She took a couple needed breaths and turned to her partner, face burning bright in spite of her half-assured look. "Weiss, would you mind if I just, you know, held you? For, like a bit—not much. Just until you feel better."
"No."
"O-Okay. That's cool, too."
They simply sat there for a moment, saying nothing. It was a safe bet to assume the younger girl's nervousness had since flared to a panic, judging by her wide-eyed expression. But Weiss, meanwhile, continued to absently toy with her fingers, not so much admiring the shape or texture of them so much as their existence. However, she could not help but feel sorry. In truth, she had wanted to answer yes, but she could not admit weakness. She had to remain distant to seem strong. This was cruel, and she knew it. Ruby deserved better.
With a sigh, the heiress closed her eyes. "I've changed my mind. Okay."
Ruby's posture became rigid, surprise scoring her shock. "Wait. You mean it?"
"I won't ask you again," Weiss said. "If you want to hug me—"
Before she could finish, her partner's arm wrapped around her shoulder. There was nothing forceful to it, nothing difficult; merely, the fingers between her own contracted as she felt herself pulled into the energizing form. It soon became apparent this was no standard hug but instead that which was employed by Blake and Yang and regularly derided for its excessive emotionality by this same girl in white. Surprisingly, however, it did not feel bad.
Someone was surely to blame for the heiress' head listing to the side and falling against her partner's neck; whoever it was, whether it was herself or Ruby, was fortunately safe for the time being. Effortlessly, all the cold in the room and all the worries surrounding seemed to melt away. Between the hand on her arm and the hand in her own, something solid was found. This was stable, unmoving, a boon to rest her head against. Were it anyone else, pain would be the only result, but it was Ruby—that beautifully present girl. With this in mind, Weiss gave in and smiled against her girlfriend's chest, letting titles prove their benefits and hands run their course.
Ruby smirked into her snowy hair, chin pressed softly against it so not to offend. "I'm gonna miss you," she admitted quietly. "I know it's still two weeks away, but it's already starting to hurt. Blake and Yang are probably gonna kiss every chance they get, and I'll just be waiting there, thinking of you. I know you'll do great with your dad and everything, because you always do, but…A couple days is gonna feel like forever."
"I know." With half her mind focused on the hand travelling between her elbow and neck, the heiress cursed herself for being so distant. She lived on facts and frankness, but Ruby needed emotion. Weiss shook her head. "I'll do my best to return as soon as possible."
Ruby giggled. "Well, take your time first! I mean, if you really are gonna come back—and I know you will—make sure it lasts. We don't want your dad catching on to us, right?"
"That's the ideal."
"Then that's that! Show 'em boss who's boss and come back home for Christmas. Easy!"
No, it was not. But both knew this already. "Incredibly. Nothing but routine."
"And get him to change your job title to something actually pronounceable. I mean, do you really go around calling yourself a 'plenipotentiary?' Nobody does that! Besides, you're not on your own anymore. You've got Team RWBY to back you up now!"
Weiss gave a quiet, honest chuckle. Normally, she suppressed these needless outbursts, but a laugh seemed justified for this situation. "I disagree," she offered. "You're the only one who has my back. Your sister and Blake are always off somewhere else."
All Ruby could do was smile. Whether this was pride, joy, or bashfulness, Weiss could not tell. The only thing she knew was that her partner smiled against her hair, lips pressed only incidentally against her scalp. It felt nice.
"Ruby, I promise I will return. Whatever my father wants from me, it can't be good. I have the same feeling you do now, that something is indeed amiss, but there's nothing to do except wait and suffer. Eventually, however, I will escape, be it by peaceful terms or by war, but the fact is that I will escape. I will return for the holidays after my business is complete, and you have my word. And you should know better than anyone—"
"That a Schnee always keeps her word," the young girl completed. "I know. You've told me like a hundred times already. But it's still pretty awesome!" The fingers between Weiss' own tightened excitedly and the arm pulled her closer. "I can't wait for the break, Weiss. I can't wait for you to come home."
Nothing more was said now that everything had been said. Some intermittent pain was to be expected, but for now and later, this simple peace would suffice and ease their worried minds. Weiss closed her eyes and let herself be held. The cold could not reach her so long as these warm hands danced across her hair. The north could not faze her so long as this arm blanketed her shoulder and existed despite its impossibility. Most importantly, Otto Schnee had little power so long as Ruby Rose held his daughter close. This was perhaps her greatest solace.
The late November air would hasten and freeze, sending unwanted flurries to patter against the dormitory window. The campus would wither to its blinding white sheets and the city would twinkle amid its lively, festive joy, but those wrapped against each other and those with their tea would brave whatever strife the snow had to offer. They held in their pairs, they held as a team, and though the following weeks of midterms and finals proved stressful in widely varying ways, they found respite in time spent together. Weiss with her unguarded satisfaction, Ruby with her unpracticed fluency, Blake with her bow untied, and Yang with an arm around her partner found peace to break the painful mold of lives spent fighting.
The snow would fall, the temperature would drop, and the world would plunge into a bleak midnight greyness, but Team RWBY had found their long-desired strength. After a year and a half, a trying, successful summer, and a union of four into a surrogate family of sorts, nothing seemed able to shake them. Synchronicity had been achieved and comfort had been admitted, and now the only pressures left were those yet to come. But the snow would fall, the temperature would drop, and the world would swallow them whole as they stood valiantly beside one another.
The most prominent difference between this story, Valence, and Edelweiss is the choice in perspective. Whereas Valence focused on Blake and Edelweiss on Weiss, this story will focus on both, switching between them when the moment is dramatically right. This is how On Kaiser Island will be a simultaneous Bumblebee and White Rose story. I should admit, however, that the White Rose plot will have a bit more weight to it, but that's only natural when the title is On Kaiser Island. My personal preference is Bumblebee, but I will be working to give these pairs almost equal screen time. Just know that the first few chapters will rely more heavily on Blake and Yang.
Additionally, I strongly suggest reading Edelweiss and Valence if you haven't before and are curious as to how the couples came to be. Edelweiss will probably be more helpful in understanding this story because it introduces Kaiser Island, Weiss' father, his relationship with his daughter, and the world they will be occupying. There is also a short primer for this story, titled Black Ice, which introduces characters directly and gives a few names and words to look out for. You don't really need to read any of these before continuing with OKI, but they might shed light on this story's future and past.
Updates for this novel will occur every month or so. Because the chapters, from this point on, will be above 20,000 words, they will take time to write and edit. Meanwhile, you can find updates on the chapters' progress on my Tumblr (found in my profile). I apologize for whatever waits arise from this story, but I promise the time will be spent polishing everything I can. Hopefully, this won't be a problem.
Thank you for reading. I have a feeling this novel is going to be a special one, and I'm glad I'm able to share it with you all. This is going to be a long journey, and I hope you'll stick around.
Stay safe and stay tuned.