"Father, I know you want to decide on a successor to the Schnee Dust Corporation and I want to take over." Weiss said, looking up at her father. "I know more about Dust itself than Winter does and not just because I fight with it." She had planned this speech for weeks, but as she spoke the butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Her father was always a stern parent. Not an unloving parent, just stern and stubborn in his ways. Trying to get him to listen to you was like trying to get a Grimm to be friendly. "I know everything there is to know about the company. I will even focus more on the company than my Huntress duties. I can lead the Schnee Dust Corporation in the years to come."
Mr. Schnee said nothing, though he did finally take a seat in his office chair. He pondered as he looked around the room, not really looking at any of the decorations. Finally he spoke after what seemed like forever to Weiss. "It's true that you could lead the Schnee Dust Corporation, Weiss. However, Winter is promising in her own right. I've been personally teaching herthe ways of the SDC."
"What?" Weiss frowned, envy running through her momentarily as the anger set in. He never took her on as an apprentice and she had asked more than once. "Why?!"
"You are training to be a Huntress, Weiss. I took it to mean you had no interest in running the SDC."
It was a lie, she knew, she could see in his eyes. "I keep telling you I want to take over! I only started going to Beacon because I knew people have more respect for a leader who can actually take action rather than hide!"
"Tell me Weiss, what do you plan to do with the company?"
Weiss blinked, thrown off by the seemingly random question. "I'll keep relationships with the other Kingdoms, increase profit-"
"The beasts."
"The Faunus? Well, maybe give the workers we have a raise. Keep them happy. Nothing more." She wasn't sure about letting him know her full plan, he would stop her for sure.
Whether he bought the lie or not, Weiss couldn't tell. He nodded and clasped his hands together. "I shall think about it, Weiss. In the meantime, you're on your summer break. Go relax for awhile. Read a book or something. Don't trouble yourself."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, but nodded and left the office.
Weiss remembered the conversation well. It was only a few months ago but she had not heard anything from her Father about the subject. It worried her to be honest. She wasn't sure how she would change things if she weren't in charge.
She broke her gaze out of the dorm window to look around the room. Her team was gone at the moment ,leaving her alone on her new bunk. Ozpin had replaced their beds with real bunk beds. Weiss was thankful, now she wouldn't worry about being crushed during the night.
If she were perfectly honest to herself Beacon felt more like a home to her than her own house. Weiss had been miserable in the Schnee mansion with nothing to do. Sure she still had contact with her team via Scroll, but she couldn't help but feel left out. Blake had joined Ruby and Yang on their trip back home, not having anywhere to go herself. Not to mention Ruby and Yang all but forced the poor Faunus along. She was well received by Taiyang and Uncle Qrow though. Which made Weiss jealous as well. She was Yang's girlfriend for crying out loud. She should be meeting the family and such things. They had been dating for a year after all.
Though now things were different. Ruby was breaking away from her. She couldn't get Ruby to talk to her much at all anymore. At first she had given her some space, thinking that the little leader just needed time to think some things through. But it's been almost two weeks since Ruby seemed to curl into herself. She was sure something was wrong.
Then again she still saw Ruby talk to people. Yang, Blake, Jaune. Everyone but herself and Pyrrha it seemed. It was strange, not to hear anything from Ruby. Weiss just hoped she was going through something and would come to her for help at some point. She didn't want Ruby avoiding her.
The dorm door opened and brought Weiss from her thoughts. Blake walked in with a bag filled with books, Weiss recognized the name on the bag as a bookstore in Vale. The Faunus dropped onto her bed with her bag, pulling out books and putting them on her shelf.
"Hey, Blake." Weiss said.
"Oh. Weiss?" Blake turned around surprised. "I didn't know you were in here."
"Aren't you aware of everything with your Faunus senses?" Weiss teased.
Blake shook her head, "Not when you sit there perfectly quiet and my mind is elsewhere."
"Can I ask you something?" Weiss asked suddenly.
"Sure."
"Do you know what's wrong with Ruby?"
Blake raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"
"Well, the last couple of weeks she's been kind of quiet. Like something's wrong. But she's not really talking about it to me or anyone. She hasn't really talked to me at all."
"Oh. That."
"So, you do know?"
Blake nodded, "Yes. She came to me the other day to ask my opinion on something. It's not you, Weiss. She does have something on her mind, but she will be okay. I won't tell you what it is though, so don't ask. Just give her some space, don't push her on it. She'll talk to you about it when she's ready."
It was Weiss' turn to nod now. "Right. I'm just worried, you know?"
"I do. I understand, I was worried to before she spoke to me." Blake confessed. "During the summer I got to know Ruby and Yang more. I understand them better now."
Weiss felt the jealousy come up again but she couldn't help but ask, "How was that? Going home with them for the summer?"
Blake looked over at her, taking a moment to stop with her books. "It was different. A weird different. I haven't had a real home to go to in years. It was just me in an empty abandoned shack until I got word I got into Beacon, even before that, before the White Fang, I was alone." Blake went into her thoughts a bit, Weiss could see. It was more like she was talking to herself now, but at the same time still talking to Weiss. "It was so strange. Taiyang welcomed me into his home like he'd known me for years. Like I was his own or something. He didn't care that I was a Faunus. Actually, seeing him I can see where Yang got most of her humor. Qrow was a little less playful but he was friendly as well. I think you'd like them." Blake now looked at her, a knowing look in her eyes. "They'd accept you too, Weiss. They'd approve. They invited me back out for Winter break. Perhaps you can come along as well?"
"Hopefully…" Weiss muttered.
Blake walked over and sat beside her, "Hey. You know they weren't trying to exclude you right? They thought you wouldn't want to come when you said you had to speak to your father."
"I know. It's just...I was miserable." Weiss confessed. "I've been so close to you all and not having you nearby...knowing you were all together.." She trailed off but Blake understood. She rubbed Weiss' back gently.
"Yang really missed you you know." Blake said after a moment.
"I kind of hoped so." Weiss said. With a chuckle she added, "I assumed she did when she tackled me on our first day back."
Blake chuckled, "Yeah. But while we were at their home Yang wouldn't shut up about you. She kept wondering what you were doing, asking us what we thought you were doing. Wanting to call you every minute. She was irritating to be honest. We all missed you, but-"
Weiss nodded, "Hearing the same thing over and over all day will grind your nerves. I understand. But it's nice to know she missed me that much."
"She did. I think you'll have a hard time getting rid of her. She's clingy it seems." Blake grinned playfully at the heiress. Weiss laughed as Blake stood up and went back to her own bed, putting the last two books on the shelf. "She's coming down the hall now."
Not a minute after she spoke Yang and Ruby came through the door. Yang casually dropped onto the bed next to Weiss as if it were her own. Ruby hopped onto her own bed, silent as a mouse.
"Are you sweating?" Weiss asked.
"Maybe a little." Yang admitted. "Pyrrha and Jaune were sparring and I joined in."
"Ruby didn't?" Blake asked.
"She refereed."
Weiss frowned, "So, you know your sweaty and gross and instead of going to shower, you drop onto my bed?"
"Well, I missed you." Yang said. Weiss blushed and Yang went on, "And I thought you might want to shower with me."
Weiss rolled her eyes, though the flush of her cheeks intensified. "Pervert. Get off my bed and go shower! I sleep here you know? I don't want to sleep in ruined sheets."
Yang grumbled as she got back up, "Fine, spoilsport."
Weiss grabbed the blonde's hand before she could move, "Hey." Lilac eyes met her own and Weiss smiled softly. "Even if you're a pervert I still love you."
Yang grinned and leaned down to steal a kiss from the girl, "Love you too. Even if you're a spoilsport."
"Do you want to go out for lunch tomorrow?" Weiss asked. "There's this new place down in Vale and I was thinking we-"
"Sorry Weiss. I already promised Pyrrha I'd come by and help her out with something at lunch. We're just going to drop by somewhere and get a quick bite."
Weiss frowned, her head drooping slightly. "Oh. Well, all right. Maybe later then."
"Definitely babe. I'll be back in a second." Yang walked into the bathroom adjoined to their dorm.
Weiss sighed and decided to try to talk to Ruby. She stood up and leaned over the top bunk to peek at the red clad girl, who was currently staring at the ceiling. "Ruby? Would you want to go?"
"No thanks, Weiss. I've got some stuff to do."
Weiss nodded, having expected that. She patted Ruby on the arm, "All right. Just let me know if you change your mind." Ruby nodded and Weiss sat back on her bed. She gave Blake an "I tried" look as she laid back on her bed. Hopefully everything would work out for Ruby. And Yang wouldn't keep away from her for too long.