Weiss' Day Out
Fighting monsters is much easier than understanding matters of the heart, Weiss finds.
[Author's note: This story takes place in Volume 2, shortly before the Academy dance.]
Weiss Schnee sighed. She knew that she was supposed to be helping Yang and Ruby set up the hall for the dance but, well, her heart had just been broken. That meant she was allowed to take a break, didn't it? Anyway, Yang could move speakers about and stuff, and Ruby could do ... whatever it was Ruby did.
Maybe not broken, in the tears and screaming sense. Just a little bruised. She had asked Neptune if he would accompany her and he had – wait for it – refused! Refused her! Now why would he possibly do that? After all, she was ... her. Rejection was not a concept she was familiar with.
She told herself that perhaps it was just part of the dating ... thing. Tell the truth, she didn't know much about it. Well, nothing. At home her parents had kept her on a very short leash. Which meant, no boys. At all. She had the feeling that her father planned for her to marry someone extremely wealthy and socially significant. She shuddered.
So now she was moping around the boutique district of Vale. She had always thought that she was attractive – if not, then an army of very expensive stylists, elocution consultants, and dental technicians had much to explain – but now she was beginning to wonder. She looked in the window of the store, and saw a pair of dark sunglasses on a stand. Hmm, they looked familiar.
Ah, it was the style that Coco Adel wore. Now, Coco was cool. Bet she never got knocked back, date-wise. The heels, the designer bag that turned into a mini-gun, the bandolier, and ... those glasses.
She wondered if she would look cool in them. Would that make Neptune take some notice? It wasn't too late for him to change his mind, was it? Or was it? Damn, this stuff was tricky.
"Not really you, I think," said a voice behind her. Weiss turned, to find Coco and Velvet Scarlatina standing there.
"Oh, hello," said Weiss. "What do you mean?"
Coco laughed. "I buy all my stuff here," she said. "It's my favourite store. You've got your own style, Weiss, and those won't go with it. I speak as someone who owns a lot of sunglasses."
"Really? How many pairs?"
"Twenty-seven. All the same." She laughed again. "Hey, we're going for coffee. Come with?"
Weiss considered. "Yes, I would like that," she said. She glanced at Velvet. She was staring at Weiss. She moved her lips but nothing came out. Coco nudged her.
"Hi!" blurted Velvet. "I mean, hello! Weiss! Hi!"
"Uh, hi," said Weiss.
Coco sighed. "This way to coffee," she said.
So they went to a little cafe.
Coco asked Weiss about the dance preparations.
"They're going fine," said Weiss. "Or so I understand. Tell me, Coco, are you, you know, going with anyone?"
"Fox," she said. "We hang out a bit. And do ... stuff. Hey, we saw your friend Yang out and about a while ago. With a guy. Big guy. Beard. Not a Beacon guy. I got the feeling they were ... more than just casual friends. I'd seen the guy before, I think he runs a nightclub or something."
Weiss had a sudden flashback to a night a few weeks back, when Yang had come in late, looking somewhat bedraggled and strangely happy. Huh.
"How about you?" said Coco.
"Er, no, no guy for me," said Weiss.
"No guy!?" said Velvet.
"Uh, you see, I've, well, I've never dated a guy."
"You've never dated a guy!?" said Velvet. "That's ... that's ... well, that's wonderful!"
"Huh?" said Weiss.
"Neither have I!" said Velvet. "Hey, can I take your photograph?"
"I ... I guess so," said Weiss. "But why?"
"Velvet's power is that she can temporarily replicate other people's weapons, if she can take a photo of the person and the weapon," said Coco. "She has quite a collection."
So Weiss showed Velvet her sword, and she took a photo of it with her odd-looking camera, and then one of Weiss. And then another. And another. And then another one.
"How many photos of me do you need?" said Weiss.
"For the replication, just one," said Velvet. "The others ... are just for me. And, uh, also, um, er, I was wondering, you know, the dance thing, uh, er ... " She stumbled into tongue-tied silence. She stared at her cup of coffee.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" said Coco. "Weiss, my extremely shy and rather foolish friend is trying to ask you to go to the dance with her. That is, with her. That is, on a date. A date date."
"Uh, why?" said Weiss.
"Because ... because ... because you're so beautiful!" Velvet blurted. "And so cool! And so sexy! There, I've said it."
"Really?" said Weiss. "You really think so?"
"Well, you are kind of pretty," said Coco. "And I say that as someone who does not swing that way, generally speaking."
Weiss was feeling a bit stunned. This dating business just got harder and harder. She looked at Velvet, whose lapin ears were standing up.
"Uh, I'm flattered," said Weiss. "Very flattered. Really, you would not know how much, given recent events. But ... I, well, to borrow Coco's phrase, I just don't swing that way. Sorry, Velvet. I would hate to have you think that something might happen when it won't."
Velvet's ears wilted. "But ... but you said that you had never dated a guy," she said softly.
"Yes, but that's not the reason," said Weiss. "No guys have ever asked me. Comes with being a Schnee. And when I asked a guy, it ... didn't turn out as I had hoped."
"Uh, you know that half of the guys at Beacon are thoroughly infatuated with you, right?" put in Coco.
"Not just guys," murmured Velvet.
Coco laughed. "Somehow, Weiss, you managed to find the one person in the entire Academy who would say no," she said.
Weiss considered. Suddenly, things looked much better than they had an hour ago. She looked at Velvet. "But," said Weiss, "I would really like to be your friend, Velvet. Especially since my RWBY friends are ... weird."
Velvet's ears perked up a little. "I would like that too," she said.
"And I hope that it can include a couple of dances at the party," said Weiss. "In a ... friend ... capacity."
"I ... I never learned how," said Velvet. "There are two people at Beacon who can't dance. I'm one of them."
"Then maybe I can show you some moves," said Weiss.
The scrolls of Coco and Velvet beeped. They took them out and read them. "We have to go," said Coco. "Team business." They rose to leave.
"Perhaps I will stay here and finish my coffee," said Weiss. "And ... think about things."
Coco and Velvet were a little way down the street when Coco turned and came back. "That was ... good of you," she said. "Velvet is ... well, you handled it with kindness. I won't forget it."
Weiss nodded. "Hey, don't tell anyone," she said. "About the ... kindness ... thing."
"If you like, but why not?"
"I have a reputation as an ice queen to uphold, you know," said Weiss.
END