They were on edge. The fact that they were was putting her on edge as well.
Weiss had no idea why she had been summoned to her room by Ruby. Jaune was here as well. For some odd reason, her partner had insisted that both Blake and Yang leave. It was only the three of them, so it could not possibly be some sort of Team RWBY-only business. The fact that it involved Jaune had her worried. She hoped that she had not hurt his feelings with what she had told him yesterday.
She knew that the boy held a torch for her. Or at least once had. However, with his actions at the dance, she wondered if he was over her now. Jaune had told Neptune to talk to her. It was an act of selflessness that had warmed the heiress' icy heart. Not enough to actually reciprocate the boy's feelings of course, but enough so that they could at the very least hold a civil and meaningful conversation. Weiss hoped that all of that progress had not been ruined by telling him not to look too deeply into her actions when she had not felt like herself. She hoped that she had not gotten his hopes up only to dash them once again. That would be a cruelty that no one deserved.
Ruby and Jaune sat on Blake's bed across the room from her. Weiss was on her own bed. No one had said anything since the three of them had gathered in private. Why was the feeling in the air so tense? Why did it feel like those two were walking on eggshells? Why didn't someone just say something?
Weiss decided to take the initiative herself. She was used to being in a position of leadership and influence, despite her lack of such a rank here at Beacon. "You wished to speak with me in private, Ruby?" she started, hoping to get the ball rolling. "And I suppose by private you meant the three of us?" she continued, her hand gesturing to Jaune.
Ruby and Jaune shared a look and nodded. But it was the girl who responded. "Yeah, Weiss. There's something we need to talk about. I didn't want to do it in front of anyone else. Even Yang and Blake."
A chill ran down the girl's body. There was a somber and serious tone to Ruby's voice. This wasn't some sort of ridiculous plot to go after Roman Torchwick some more. This wasn't some inane scheme to bake cookies with a child's plastic toy oven in their dorm room. Something was wrong. Weiss dreaded what it might be, because she had a good idea what it might involve.
"Ruby, I may only be seventeen, but I'm mature beyond my age," Weiss stated. It wasn't meant to come off as a boast. She wasn't trying to flaunt her maturity before the younger girl. As heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, she was mentally and emotionally older than she appeared. She had to be growing up in that family. "Whatever you have to say, please just come out and say it. I can handle it."
The two shared another look. The fact that they were both in on whatever was going on and she was not was frustrating. Weiss hated being kept in the dark. She hated secrets. Secrets, plotting, scheming, those things merely reminded her of her childhood. Of her false friends back in Atlas. Of her family members not named Winter. The last thing she wanted was for her true friends to keep secrets from her.
Nodding to herself this time as if to steel her resolve, Ruby spoke. "Weiss, you don't remember last night. Do you."
It was phrased as a statement rather than a question. Weiss felt her blood run cold. It was just like what had happened with Jaune and Professor Port a few days ago. Something else had happened that she could not remember. She felt her heart rate spike as anxiety quickly gripped her.
"No. I don't."
"You... changed again yesterday," Ruby explained. "Last night."
Weiss closed her eyes. Her fears had been confirmed. She only hoped that she had not made too big a fool of herself this time. Almost kissing Jaune and mouthing off to Professor Port had been bad enough. What if this time she had done something in public that might get back to her father? Seeing his daughter acting like a fool in front of the eyes of the world would cause him to yank her back to Atlas in a heartbeat.
"What did I do?"
Ruby bit down on her lip. She glanced at Jaune once again before speaking. "That's the thing... I don't know if I would exactly call it... you..."
Weiss' eyes narrowed in confusion. "Explain."
"Uh... does the name Bleiss mean anything to you?"
Other than being a ridiculous, and quite honestly stupid variation of her name, it did not. "No. Why do you ask?"
"Well... that's kinda what you called yourself last night. Right before you..."
Ruby had trailed off, her cheeks becoming slightly red in what looked to be embarrassment.
Weiss looked at her expectantly. "Right before I what?" Seconds of silence passed by, and it was clear that she was not going to be able to easily pry an answer from Ruby's mouth. Her gaze turned to Jaune. He must have been here for a reason too. "Jaune, what did I do?"
Jaune reacted much in the same way as Ruby after being put on the spot. To his credit, however, he actually managed to look her in the eye when he answered. "Well... you kissed me."
Weiss closed her eyes as another chill coursed through her body. A flurry of emotions exploded inside of her. Fear. Anger. Disappointment. Worry. Too many more to even be named.
She ran a hand down her face and took a deep breath. "Please tell me it was a peck on the cheek."
After a few moments of silence she opened her eyes again to see Jaune looking away. There was guilt etched onto his face. "No," he answered. "This was... this was the real deal. Lips. Tongue. You were all in."
Hands clenched into fists. She had actually done it this time. She had kissed him. Her first kiss, and she couldn't even remember it. Her rational mind had not even been able to choose which boy would get such an honor. Instead it had been chosen for her.
Choice. Control. Two of the things she valued most in the world had been stripped from her. The emotions inside her were starting to become clearer. Anger. Pure, unbridled anger. Her first kiss had been stolen from her. Stolen by him.
"Why didn't you stop me!" she lashed out.
Jaune's eyes widened. He was obviously taken aback by the sudden outburst. He opened his mouth to say something, but it was Ruby who spoke first. "Weiss, it's not like that," she insisted. "It came out of nowhere. Even I wasn't expecting it."
"You were there too?" she questioned. "You said you were going to look after me."
"I tried!" her partner insisted. "You left and froze the door so I couldn't get out. And it took a few minutes to find you after that."
Weiss shook her head. In the rational part of her mind she knew that she should not be getting angry at those two. It wasn't their fault she was doing these things. That she wasn't in control of her mind or her body. Still, it was easier to lash out at others in a time of turmoil. It was easier to blame others when she had no control over her fate.
"You could have stopped me," she said bitterly. Looking up at Jaune, she saw the sadness and guilt on his face. "You're bigger and stronger than me. You could have stopped me."
Loathe as she was to admit it, what she had just said was the truth. Jaune could have held her away and in place. He had long arms. He was tall. It would have taken a truly heroic effort to push past his superior size in order to kiss him had he attempted to keep her at bay. So why hadn't he?
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I... I wasn't expecting it. I wasn't prepared."
Weiss shook her head. A likely excuse. A part of him was probably thrilled to be kissed by her.
"It wasn't his fault, Weiss," Ruby said in his defense. "Jaune's not like that. He wouldn't do that." She turned to look at her fellow leader. "Right, Jaune?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I know you don't have those kinds of feelings for me, Weiss. The last thing I'd want to do is something like that."
She knew he was telling the truth. They both were. Still... it was easier to be angry than it was to be rational. Vengeance was easier than forgiveness. Right now she was simply not in a forgiving mood. Not after this bombshell had been dropped on her.
"There's more to it than that, Weiss," Ruby continued. "It's about the Bleiss thing."
Bleiss. What an utterly ridiculous name. Why in the world would anyone choose that as a name?
"What does that even mean?" she asked.
"When you weren't... yourself last night. When you had the black hair and red eyes. You said to call you Bleiss."
Why? That didn't even make sense. Why would she ever want to call herself such a name?
"I showed you a picture of yourself," Jaune chimed in. "You didn't take it well. It was like you didn't even recognize yourself. Like you were shocked to see how you normally looked."
As she would have expected, Weiss had no memory of such a conversation taking place. However, the implications of what they were saying were not lost on her.
"We did a little more talking with you last night..." Ruby continued. "The girl we were talking to said that she wasn't Weiss Schnee. She said her name was Bleiss."
Weiss nodded slowly. So, this was what happened when the path to isolation finally reared its ugly head. This was what happened when the muted mirror finally answered her pleas. The loneliness of her childhood had finally caught up with her. Growing up in need of a friend, this was her mind's response. This was a manifestation of her insanity.
It was more than just aggression. It was more than just memory loss. It was an entirely different personality. One independent of her regular self. One which was active and conscious. One that Weiss had no power or control over.
She laughed. It was soft and bitter, and obviously the last reaction the other two teens would have ever expected of her. "So I'm insane then," Weiss said matter-of-factly. "Wonderful."
Ruby jumped to her feet as soon as the words had been uttered. "No! We don't know that. We don't know what's going on. All we know is that it started when you took the dust. It's probably only temporary."
It was a nice theory. One that was in fact too nice and convenient. But when had anything in her life ever been nice or convenient?
"And you don't know that," Weiss frowned. Her voice became softer. Smaller. "You don't know what it was like for me growing up..."
As a child Weiss only had one person in her life who she felt cared for her. Winter. Her beloved older sister had been her rock back in Atlas. The only person she could confide in. The only person she could play with. Everyone else used her for their own ends. Even her own parents were a non-factor. At her tenth birthday party her father had admitted that he had only married her mother for the wealth and influence that came with the Schnee name. After that, the woman had become a drunken recluse. Her father remained a distant, strict, and controlling tyrant.
But Winter could not be there for her all the time. Especially not once she left to attend Atlas Academy. It made sense that her lonely mind would create a friend. A rebellious friend who would live in ways she only wished that she could. Who would act on thoughts and desires that Weiss herself was forced to keep buried deep down inside her.
Ruby marched over and grabbed Weiss' hands in her own. "I don't know, you're right," she agreed somberly. "But we're here for you now. All of us. Even Jaune. And we're going to get through this. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you. You have our word."
Weiss was about to respond when she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug from her partner. It took her by surprise, but soon enough she caught herself returning it. She clung to Ruby for dear life. She was afraid. Terrified by this recent turn of events. But in the arms of her partner and best friend, she felt safe.
"And an Arc never goes back on their word."
Weiss looked up to see Jaune standing now too. He wore the same sad, guilty expression on his face. Weiss herself felt a twinge of guilt inside herself too. She should not have lashed out at him the way she had. This wasn't his fault. She had taken the dust elixir. She had no one to blame but herself.
"Thank you..." she trailed off as she broke from her embrace with Ruby. She wasn't about to do the same with Jaune, but he deserved something. "I'm sorry about before, Jaune. It wasn't fair to treat you like I did. I'm just... a little stressed."
That was an understatement. But regardless, she was relieved when a small smile slipped on his face. "It's okay," he reassured her. "I get it. But you have my word that I'll do whatever I can do to keep you safe when you're not yourself."
Weiss nodded. Despite the bombshells that had been dropped on her today, she somehow felt better. Now at least she knew what was going on. Her friends knew what was going on. And together, they would be able to take control over the situation. Control that Weiss herself was apparently lacking.
Whew. What an exhausting workout that was.
As much as Jaune loved to train with Pyrrha, there was something about his solo routines that he loved just as much. Pumping iron and seeing the results as the weeks went by was nothing short of inspiring. He had started out as a skinny little noodle-armed boy, but in just a few short months had matured into a far more developed young man. A once undeveloped body was beginning to look like that of a true warrior. After all, what good was technique if you had neither the strength nor the stamina to use it?
After having enjoyed a nice long shower in the locker room, he was finishing up getting dressed. Slipping his hoodie over his head, he looked down at himself. He felt ready to take on the rest of the day. Whether it was even more physical training or academic studying, he would go at it with everything he had. He felt on top of the world. He was brimming with confidence.
At least, he was until his vision was suddenly blocked out by the pair of hands which had enveloped his face.
"Guess who~?" the voice of the mystery person sang.
Confidence shattered immediately. Dread filled every inch of his being.
Jaune swallowed hard, hoping against hope that his answer would be the correct one. "Weiss?"
The hands covering his eyes retreated, and soon enough he saw the small form of Weiss skipping around to stand in front of him. Only it wasn't Weiss. At least that wasn't what the girl called herself these days.
Bleiss' head tilted sideways, a wide grin on her face. "Close," she said happily. Her hands were clasped behind her back innocently as she looked up at the boy. "But no. I'm so, so much better than her."
How had she even found him? When had she... changed? The last he saw of Weiss was earlier in the day in class. Thankfully this other personality of hers had not shown up in class. The girl's attitude and behavior could land Weiss in some serious trouble. Even more than she had already apparently gotten into with Professor Port.
She had also changed clothes. In lieu of her usual white and blue dress, the girl had opted for a short black mini skirt and a red tank top. The usual white Schnee Dust Company logo was emblazoned on the front of it just below her... surprisingly ample cleavage. Jaune wasn't one who liked to stare, but he had never seen Weiss so brazen with her assets before.
He had to stop and correct himself. This wasn't Weiss. She would never be so bold. This was Bleiss.
Apparently he had stared too long, as the girl called him out on it. "Like what you see, Jaune?"
He shook his head softly and averted his gaze to her crimson eyes. "Where did you even get all that? Especially the jacket?"
A high-collared leather jacket completed the girl's new ensemble. Bleiss looked down at it and shrugged. "Company credit card, of course," she smiled. "Dad may not be good for much, but he's a great little pay pig. Oink oink, fucking cuck."
Jaune had absolutely no idea what that meant, but it was clear that Bleiss had no love for her father. Was that true of Weiss as well? Was that the opposite opinion of the white-haired girl? Or was she merely better at hiding her disdain for the man?
Taking an unconscious step back, Jaune rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So... what can I do for you?"
As if she was a predator with her prey in sight, Bleiss took a step forward. "Well first thing you can do is rephrase your question a little bit."
Jaune was confused, but that was nothing new when dealing with Bleiss. "What?"
She took another step forward. "Simple, silly. I'll show you." She placed a hand on his chest, and in turn forced him to take yet another step back until his back hit the locker. "So... can I do you?"
There was no doubt in his mind that Bleiss meant that to be more than just a joke. Red eyes burned with a hunger and passion the likes of which he had never seen in Weiss' own blue eyes. And for some reason it was directed at him.
His heart was pounding inside his chest. The implications of what she wanted to do to him... with him... were incredible. All a teenage boy could ever ask for. The girl he had a crush on since his first day at Beacon Academy was finally reciprocating. He was in the clear to have a relationship with her. To do more than that. So much more. There was only one problem. One horrible, game-changing problem.
It wasn't Weiss. Not the real one, at least.
He could never do such a thing with her. Not when this was Weiss' body. It may have been a different "person". A different mind. A set of memories that would never crossover to the real girl. But that didn't matter. It was still Weiss in there. Deep down, somewhere, there was an innocent girl who had no control over the words and actions of the person before him.
And he would never betray that girl's trust.
Jaune took hold of Bleiss' hand and moved it from his chest. "You have to stop this."
Thankfully she made no further physically aggressive moves, but at the same time she did not appear the be the slightest bit deterred. "I suppose you're right. Our first time shouldn't be in a smelly locker room on a wooden bench. How does a five-star hotel sound? Courtesy of daddy's lien, of course."
Jaune's jaw clenched. "W-" he started, before correcting himself. "Bleiss. Stop."
His words were firm, and that finally registered with the girl. For the first time a trace of anger showed on her face. "What's your problem?"
"Do you have any idea what you're doing? Do you know what kinds of problems you're causing?"
"Do you think I give a fuck?"
When he thought about it, she probably didn't care at all. It wasn't her body, after all. Bleiss seemed to realize what was going on just as much as he, Ruby and Weiss herself did. She came and went, seemingly at random. Whatever chaos and confusion she caused, Weiss had to deal with the fallout. Weiss on the other hand was a model student and person, and as a result Bleiss never had to worry about what her other side did. It was the most parasitic relationship imaginable.
"No, but I do," Jaune said firmly. He reached into his pants pocket and dug out his scroll.
Bleiss eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Ruby," he told her. "Pyrrha. Yang. Whoever will come. Because I know I'm not strong enough to deal with you alone."
"Pyrrha," the girl spat disdainfully.
He ignored the comment. He had no idea what Bleiss had against his partner, but right now that wasn't his main concern. Getting backup in order to subdue her was.
Putting the scroll to his ear, he was relieved when he heard Ruby answer. "Ruby, I need you to come down to the locker room. Bleiss is here and..."
He was interrupted before he could finish his request when Bleiss grabbed his hand. "Are you fucking narking on me?"
Jaune let out a gasp as she squeezed down on his wrist. Tiny or not, that girl had a vice's grip in those small, delicate fingers of hers. Off to the side where he still held onto his scroll he could hear Ruby's voice asking what was going on.
He didn't give her a response, but it was obvious to her that she was correct. "Fuck this," she breathed. "I'm outta here."
She released him and started to walk off. But she was stopped in her tracks when this time it was Jaune who reached out to grab her by the wrist. "Wait. Please. Wait for Ruby."
A soft smile played on her lips as Bleiss shook her head. "Sorry, Jaune. But right now I just gotta go blow off some steam."
"But-"
Jaune was silenced when she put a finger to his lips. "Shhh. It's okay, darling. We had our first fight." Her smile widened and became more loving as she spoke. "Couples have fights all the time. They're a healthy part of a relationship. And now that it's out in the open we can move past it. But right now I really just need to go and get all this fucking anger out of my system. Okay?"
"Bleiss, please-"
"Unless you're going to say, 'Bleiss please have hot, passionate makeup sex with me', you need to let go. Because the only way I'm going to get this shit out of my system is by fucking you or getting wasted. And I don't think you're in the mood to fuck me right now, are you?"
Jaune couldn't count the number of times this girl had spoken words he would have never expected to come out of Weiss' mouth. Here was yet another example. "No," he said firmly. "I'm not."
Bleiss giggled softly and shook her head. "I guess that kiss I gave you yesterday must have driven you insane. Can't say I blame you though." She brought a finger up and traced her lips. "You've probably been thinking about kissing these lips for months now. You still need time to process that you finally got the girl of your dreams. Maybe next time I see you you'll be thinking a little clearer. And you'll be able to admit what... and who, you really want."
In an instant Jaune felt himself lifted off the ground and forced back into the lockers. Panic-stricken eyes looked around to see a quartet of spinning black glyphs holding him in place. One for each arm and leg.
Pinned against the lockers, all he could do was look down at the raven-haired girl who strolled up to regard him. "Fuck," she breathed huskily. "You look so good up there. We are absolutely using those glyphs in the bedroom. Because as much I as I want to be dominated by you... I wouldn't mind you being the one at my mercy too..."
Those words filled Jaune with emotions he was hard-pressed to describe. They were so wrong, yet so tantalizing. Bleiss wanted him so badly. He could only hope that he had the strength and resolve to resist her at every turn. It would only take one failure to ruin everything.
"See you next time, Jaune," she winked as she sauntered out of the locker room.
A few seconds later the glyphs released him, sending Jaune plummeting unceremoniously to the floor. Picking himself up, he dashed outside to look for his quarry.
Sadly she was nowhere in sight.
The thumping bass of music slammed against her chest as she sat at the bar. Even in her slightly tipsy state she could rationalize and lament the fact that music wasn't what she wanted hammering her on this night. No, the target of her desires had eluded her once again. Not because he had literally escaped her, of course. He simply wasn't willing. That one simple fact ruined everything.
Bleiss toyed with the half empty glass in front of her as she replayed the events from earlier in the evening over and over again. She had Jaune alone. They had privacy. Even if the locker room wasn't the ideal place for them to both lose their virginity, she had given him options. The honeymoon suite of a hotel in downtown Vale had been on the table. She would have been on the table too. Or bent over it, if that was what he wanted. She would have done anything he liked if she could only get a piece of that sweet Arc ass.
So why had he rejected her? Again? Anger and bitterness filled Bleiss' heart as the question repeated itself over and over in her mind. What more could she do to make her intentions clear? What more could she say to make her feelings known?
A pair of names continuously floated in her brain. Weiss and Pyrrha. Two obstacles which stood in her way. Which stood in the way of she and her man getting together. Pyrrha because she was his partner. And Weiss because of the body that they shared.
Coming to the realization that she shared a body with another girl had been hard to accept. But in the end all she could do was do just that. She was merely another side to the girl known as Weiss Schnee. Bleiss, as she had decided to start calling herself, was nothing more than a byproduct. But to what extent, she could not say.
Perhaps that one non-pornographic book which Blake loved so much could yield clues.
As she downed the last of her latest drink, she heard a voice from beside her. "What's up? Never seen you around before."
Looking over to her right, Bleiss saw a girl in a short white and teal dress take a seat beside her. Bright jade eyes sparkled in the strobe lights. Pale skin was framed perfectly by long black hair similar to her own, only straight and smooth rather than bound in a ponytail.
"First time here," Bleiss answered nonchalantly. "But I like it. I'll be back for sure."
"Good to hear," the girl said with a smile. "Love the outfit too. Don't you, Miltia? Looks way better than the normal skanks up in this place."
The girl was looking past her now. Bleiss turned around to see that someone had taken a seat to the left of her as well. For a moment she feared she was drunker than she realized, because she saw the exact same face which sat to her right. Upon further inspection she realized that the girl on her left wore red and had shorter hair. For all other intents and purposes however, they looked the same.
"It's nice," the girl apparently named Miltia agreed.
"Yeah it is," the first girl said. "I'm Melanie, by the way. That's my sister Miltia."
Bleiss smiled and nodded. "Bleiss."
"So whatcha doing out here all alone, Bleiss? I mean, who comes to a club by themselves?"
It wasn't as she was here by choice. Being rejected again by Jaune had pissed her off. The fact that there were girls in his life who were more important than her really pissed her off. Pyrrha. Ruby. Weiss herself. Fuck them. Fuck them all.
"'Cause my friends are assholes," she spat. "Fucking bitches."
Melanie hummed. "So it's one of those nights, huh? I totally get that. Sometimes you just gotta get fucking plastered and forget all about that bullshit."
Bleiss' eyes lit up with excitement. "Finally! Someone who fucking gets me!"
The other girl smiled, before looking over to the man behind the bar. "Hey, Junior! A round for us and our new friend!"
The tall... very tall man behind the counter grunted. What an absurd name. How could someone that massive be named Junior? His height put Jaune to shame.
In no time a trio of shot glasses were presented to the girls. Bleiss eyed the amber liquid curiously, but soon noted how Melanie had downed it in one go. She did the same, and her eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, this is good shit."
"Mistrali Gold," Melanie explained. "Junior only serves us like, the best stuff around."
Bleiss had never had that kind of drink before. In fact, as far as she could remember, Weiss had never drank much period. She only ever touched the stuff during events and gatherings in Atlas, and even then it was only to be polite. Fine wines were her preferred drink. She had never touched anything hard like she had tonight. It was a wonder her tiny body was able to handle it at all.
She ran her tongue across her lips to savor the taste of what remained there. "Is there more?"
Melanie smiled again. "You want another? Our friend totally owns the place, so we can get you all the free drinks you want."
Bleiss had no idea who Melanie and Miltia were in relation to the club's owner, but she knew one thing. She had just found her new best friends.
"Keep 'em coming," she smiled. A look over to Miltia showed that she had not yet finished her drink. But that was fine. More for her then.
Another drink slid up to her, and Bleiss took a more savory sip this time. She winced through clenched teeth, this time feeling it more on her tongue. "That's strong."
"Damn straight it is," Melanie agreed as she poured back another shot. She tapped the empty glass on the counter to summon Junior once again. The man gave her a refill without comment. "So come on. Tell us what happened with your friends."
Friends, she thought disdainfully. Friends who had tried to all but capture her and prevent her from going out. Friends who treated her like a freak. Friends who wouldn't stop clam jamming her.
Could one really call those kinds of people friends?
They didn't get her. It was that simple. They didn't know how to let loose. They didn't know how to have fun. They didn't understand the desires of her body and heart. To be honest she didn't know what Weiss saw in any of them. If she didn't have to be stuck with them all day because of being on the same time, Bleiss herself wouldn't have given any of them the time of day. She had only known Melanie and Miltia for a few minutes now, but it was clear that they understood her on a level which her so called friends didn't.
The only one she would ever willingly spend time with was the one that seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. That stung.
That stinging prompted more drinks.
More drinks came.
Bleiss didn't know how much time had passed. She didn't know how many drinks she had consumed as she talked to the twins. All she knew was that it was cathartic. It was fun. Just shooting the shit with a couple girls who knew how to let their hair down and have fun was amazing. The free drinks were amazing as well. She had planned on putting her tab on the company credit card again simply to spite her father, but sadly she did have a set allowance. She would just have to go out again and find another place to blow all the man's money.
She told the twins about Ruby. About Yang. Pyrrha. And especially Jaune. All the people in her life who made it either unbearable, or seemingly the only thing worth living for. For all of them except for the boy, the insults flowed freely. Laughter accompanied them all. Ruby or Yang would have never been able to do this. They would have never been able to keep up with her. They were too concerned about being good little girls. About appearances. About not offending anyone. About getting good grades. All that stupid, petty shit.
At the end of it all, Bleiss realized one thing. She loved this place. And she loved the people. "You know what?" she slurred. "If I were gay, I'd fuck the shit out of both of you," she said to Melanie. "At the same time."
Melanie laughed at the statement. "If Miltia were bi I might just take you up on that offer," she replied with a wink. The girl leaned over the bar to get a better look at her sister. "Mil, I like this bitch. Can we keep her?"
Bleiss heard a sigh from her left. "For the last time, Melanie. You can't own people."
The girl in white scoffed dismissively. "Tell that to the last guy ball gagged and tied to my bedpost."
"Rather not, Mel. TMI."
"Sorry, but I belong to someone already anyway," Bleiss interjected. Her face soured as she recalled his actions from earlier in the day. "If the guy ever pulls his head from out of his ass, that is."
The girl to her right cooed. "What's wrong? Guy problems?"
"Yes."
"See, the thing about guys is that you gotta be direct," Melanie explained. "Guys are fucking stupid and they think with their cocks. What's his name again? Jaune?"
Bleiss nodded. "Mmhmm."
"Yeah. This Jaune guy will too if you keep it up." Melanie winked exaggeratedly, and Bleiss wasn't sure if it was by design or if she too were a little too wasted. "And I do mean, keep it up."
If only it were that simple. Bleiss had tried that before to no effect. "I've tried being forward. He didn't respond."
"Maybe try toning it down a little," the far less inebriated voice of Miltia suggested. "Maybe, like, a little more traditional romance or something?"
"Nah, fuck that shit," her sister disagreed. "Fucking... just... I dunno. Make him an offer he can't refuse or whatever."
Bleiss had no idea what that meant, but it sounded good. Therefore it must have been a good idea. Still, she needed suggestions from the girl who clearly knew what she was talking about. "I don't know how though," she admitted. "And I'm having a hard time getting him alone 'cause my friends don't want me to be alone with him. Especially this one fucking bitch Pyrrha who monopolizes all his time. How am I supposed to compete with that when she's his partner?"
"I dunno. Sucks to be you. See, that's why I don't waste my time with relationships and stuff. Pump 'em and dump 'em. That's my motto."
"That's the problem. I wanna fuck him and he wants no part of it."
Melanie burst out in laughter. "Are you sure he's into girls then? You're fucking hot. What guy wouldn't want you?"
Even in her drunken state, Bleiss felt suddenly self-conscious about herself. Melanie was right. Why didn't Jaune jump at the chance to have her? Was his loyalty to those other bitches really that strong? Did the head on his shoulders really overpower the head in his pants?
She knew for a fact that Jaune was into girls. He was into one very specific girl, in fact. He was into Weiss. So why then wouldn't he go after her when he had the chance? Did she need to dye her hair white and put on blue contacts so he'd be interested in her? It wasn't fair.
"Wow, Mel," Bleiss said sadly. "Way to kick a girl in the cunt while she's down."
She laughed once more. "Shit, sorry. But ya know what? Maybe you should bring boy toy along next time. You and me could totally tag team his ass. No guy would say no to that."
"Sorry, but that ass is mine and mine alone."
Melanie shrugged. "Whatever. Either way. Bring him with next time you come out. A few drinks can be really persuasive."
What the girl said was definitely true. Alcohol loosened more than just the tongue. The problem was, she didn't want it to happen like that. She didn't want him like that. Bleiss could have taken what she wanted from Jaune earlier in the locker room, but she hadn't. Because he hadn't wanted it. It had to be mutual. He had to love her as much as she loved him.
Bleiss shook her head. "Nah. When I fuck him I want it to be real. 'Cause he wants it too. True love and all that shit. You know?"
"That's so sweet," Miltia said genuinely. She looked over the counter to regard her sister. "Maybe Melanie can learn something from you."
Melanie dismissed her sister with the wave of her hand. "Nah. I mean I feel you and all, but that shit just isn't for me. Too much drama."
Bleiss was about to respond when she felt her scroll buzz. Reaching down and fishing it from her pocket, she saw that she had about two dozen text messages from a variety of people. She had only felt the latest one. They'd been trying to get a hold of her for hours now.
"Shit, it's past one in the morning?"
"Problem?"
"Eh, not really," she admitted. "School tomorrow, but who the fuck cares?"
"That's what I like to hear," Melanie smiled. "You up for another round?"
As much as she would have liked to, she probably should get back. The last thing she wanted was to black out, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take before she totally lost control of her inhibitions. "Nah, I need to get going." She stood up slowly, using the bar counter to balance herself. "But I'll be back this weekend. I'll try to bring Jaune along too." She blinked, looking around in confusion. "Shit. Which way's out?"
The familiar melodic laughter of Melanie filled her ears. "Shit, this chick's totally gone. Miltia, call her a cab?"
"Sure," the softer spoken twin said. "Air ship terminal, right?"
Bleiss nodded. "Mmhmm."
The remainder of the night was a blur of flashing lights and turbulence until she stepped foot back on Beacon's grounds. Her bed had never felt as good as it had when her head finally hit the pillow. She was out despite the squeaky cries of protest which came from her partner's mouth.
Author's Note: I have to say, I've been blown away by how popular this fic has gotten. I never would have expected it. I mean... this is Bleiss! How is Bleiss this popular?
Originally I had planned to be a little more infrequent with updates for this story, only really writing it when I got in the mood. However, after all the reviews and private messages I've received telling me how much they love Black Mirror, and asking when I'm going to update, that gave me a little kick in the ass to update it more frequently. So I hope I can do that now.
You may have noticed that this story has some really awesome new cover art. Unbeknownst to me, my friend Booya93 actually commissioned ThyBlake to draw that absolutely gorgeous piece of Bleiss art. Definitely check them out if you can. They do amazing work. My deepest thanks go out to both Booya93 and ThyBlake for making that art come to life.
And of course my thanks go out to all of you for your continuous support. I truly appreciate you all.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.