Ruby is childishly oblivious to her feelings...
Blake's first day at work continues.
2 more minutes… Ruby thinks while watching the big clock on the wall.
She knows that she shouldn't have left them alone. She shouldn't have run away from the room the moment Weiss started to question her about her motives for not wanting Blake near them. She was a huntress! One of the best that had come out of Atlas Academy. She should be capable enough of standing her ground against Weiss and Blake.
But the moment Weiss had looked at her with such disappointment, Ruby had been incapable of continuing her line of thought. Because just the thought of hurting Weiss, of making her friend see her with those eyes; Ruby couldn't take it.
And because of that she ran.
She was a coward and she hated herself for that. When it came to Weiss and sharing her feeling with the younger woman, the red-hooded huntress had found out rather quickly that she was a chicken. She usually hid her emotions and feelings behind an interpersonal and absent persona. She hid herself behind her professionalism and at first that had helped keep Weiss away. But the moment the white-haired woman started to try harder, started to share her own experiences and pain; it had instinctually made Ruby open herself up.
Yet in important situations she was still afraid of letting Weiss get too close. And Ruby was reacting the same way she tended to react when she felt uncomfortable and afraid.
She said things the wrong way.
And a few moments ago, she had been close to doing this again. So instead of making her current situation with Weiss become worse, she chose to retreat to re-organize her thoughts. Why was she so upset about Weiss wanting to spend her time with Blake? She should be happy that her friend had found another person that liked her because of who she truly was. Ruby had seen how depressed Weiss got when she talked about her time at the manor and the many parties her father forced her to attend. How all the people that approached her only did so because they were interested in her money or her last name.
Even their friendship had started as first as a favor for Winter and not because she wanted to get to know Weiss.
But Blake was different, and Ruby felt bitter about admitting this. About understanding why Weiss would want to spend time with the only person that truly seemed interested in her as a person and not as a price.
But why am I feeling so angry about this? she looks again at the clock and realizes that the fifteen minutes are over.
Turning around to open the door, she enters the room and yet again has to do her best to control herself when she sees Weiss and Blake holding hands. Focusing on the two younger women, Ruby can notice that the two of them are blushing brightly, both slightly out of breath. But what truly made her realize that something had happened during her absence was the fact that Weiss had turned away from her, trying to covertly cover a red mark on her neck.
Though Ruby had never had any kind of experience when it came to romance (she had been hunting Grimm in the middle of nowhere since she graduated Atlas Academy), she still did know what a hickey looked like when it was recently made.
Taking a deep breath to control herself, mostly to not attack the cat faunus that was cautiously looking at her, it took her a couple of seconds to feel her grip lessening and her breathing returning to normal.
"Your fifteen minutes are done." she says bitterly and is a little relieved Weiss hadn't been looking at her during her mini anger crisis.
"Of course." Weiss says with a bright smile and Ruby, instead of feeling happy about that smile being directed at her, feels anger at the fact that Blake had been the one that got her friend to smile that way. "Thanks for giving us some time alone."
"Sure." she simply replies while returning her weapon to Blake, who merely takes it from her hands and returns it to her wrists. "We need to go now if we want to make it back to the manor before your father returns."
"Do we have to go?" the younger Schnee pouts and that's when Ruby notices that she was wearing a scarf on her neck, covering the hickey. "I wanted to stay during Blake's first day of work."
"It's not like I'm a child on her way to her first day of school." Blake murmurs embarrassed.
"Perhaps, but I also wanted to stay because of you." the heiress further explains. "So we could spend more time together."
"Oh…" the cat faunus whispers. "Then I… I wouldn't mind it if you stayed." she adds the last part shyly and again manages to stop herself from purring when Weiss hugs her in return.
Ruby notices that Weiss' hug makes Blake blush.
She is getting even more annoyed.
"Regardless, we have to go back. You know that you weren't even supposed to come today."
"But…" Weiss murmurs while staring at Blake.
"Remember, we don't want to do anything that will make your father suspect us. And, just being here already will make him ask you questions later." Ruby reminds her and notices her friend focusing on her words and accepting them.
"You're right." Weiss agrees with her and moves towards her desk, putting her stuff away and secure-locking it. "I really wanted to stay during your first day of work." she tells Blake who gives her a soft smile. "I'm sorry I have to leave."
"Don't apologize." Blake says to her immediately. "The fact that you came here means a lot to me, Weiss. And, we also got the chance to talk a little bit." she murmurs while blushing brightly.
This makes Weiss chuckle, which in turn makes Ruby stare menacingly at the cat faunus.
"Will you be staying at the base?" Weiss asks her softly and gets close enough to grab Blake's hands.
"I will if you want me to." the black-haired woman promises her.
"Do you want to?"
"All I want is to see you." Blake admits and Weiss gives her a dashing smile before hugging her tight.
The sight made something inside Ruby break.
"Then I'll see you soon." Weiss promises her vehemently.
"Weiss…" Ruby warns her. "We just talked about…"
"I didn't mean today." she soothes her guardian. "But it will be soon." she reiterates while opening the door of the office.
"I'll be looking forward to it." Blake promises her and the three women start heading to the front desk, all of them returning to their fake personas.
"Weiss dear!" they hear Barbara heading their way. "Are you leaving already?"
"I'm afraid my father has asked for my presence back at the manor." Weiss smiles softly at the older woman. "Hence, I hope you'll be able to inform Diana the remaining details about the work, lunch breaks, payment methods and such."
"Does that mean then that you accepted the job?" Barbara asks Blake who nods in confirmation. "That's wonderful! I'm sure you'll make a great fit here and the kids already seem to love you."
"I'm excited and thankful for the opportunity." she replies softly. "Again Miss Schnee, I will not let you down."
"I have high expectations, Miss Parker." Weiss smiles at her. "But I don't think you came all the way here to just ask me that, right Barbara?"
"I didn't!" the older woman answers cheekily. "In fact, I was hoping you could sign some paperwork that just arrived."
"Ruby, do we have time?" the heiress asks her simply.
"If you can finish in five minutes then yes." Ruby answers.
"It will take even less than that." Barbara promises before grabbing Weiss' hand and pulling her towards a locked office.
The moment the two women enter it, the door locks itself and now both Ruby and Blake are standing outside of it.
Ruby takes advantage of this, and after looking around them and confirming that they were alone, the huntress gets closer to her, which makes Blake tense immediately.
"Why didn't you go in?" she asks curiously, trying her best to start a conversation with this woman that clearly hated her.
"Only Weiss and Barbara can enter that room. It has the records of all employees, distribution and children. It's heavily protected and no one apart from those two have access to it."
"Winter and Yang?" she asks knowingly.
"They helped designing it." Ruby tells her simply and Blake doesn't know what else to say, making the situation become uncomfortable.
"I…" she starts to say but is interrupted by Ruby.
"I don't understand why you're doing this or why you're even here." Ruby says to her bitterly. "But if you're doing all of this to just hurt Weiss I will never forgive you."
"Hurt Weiss?" Blake asks confused. "I would never hurt her."
"You just being around her is dangerous enough for her."
"You think I don't know that." the cat faunus tells her bitterly. "Of course I know that she would be safer if I wasn't here."
"Then why are you still here?!" she asks angrily.
"Because I promised Weiss I would stay." Blake tells her honestly. "And I will never break a promise I made to Weiss."
Ruby simply stares at her.
"I don't trust you, Blake Belladonna." the huntress whispers intensely.
"You don't have to." the black-haired woman says. "But just know that I will do everything in my power to keep Weiss save. And that I will stay for as long as she wants me to."
"We'll see." Ruby simply says and before clarifying herself they hear the office door unlocking, which in turn makes them separate from each other and return to acting like total strangers. "That took you four minutes and fifteen minutes."
"Really Ruby?" Weiss says exasperated while staring knowingly at Blake. "Though Ruby may seem a little distant and boring, she has a good heart." she finishes jokingly.
"Very funny." the huntress mutters but blushes when she feels Weiss grabbing her arm to link them together. "Weiss!"
"Hush, hush you grumpy almighty huntress." Weiss continues joking and winks at Barbara and Blake who chuckle. "Now Barbara, I leave Diana in your capable hands."
"Of course Miss Schnee." the secretary tells her happily. "it was good seeing you."
"It was good being here." she then turns around to look at Blake. "I hope you find what you're looking for here, Diana."
"I hope so too." Blake smiles softly at her and watches Weiss pull Ruby out of the orphanage and into a waiting limousine.
"That Miss Schnee…" Barbara says wishfully. "You wouldn't think she could be so childlike and funny when you see her on TV, right?"
"Indeed." the cat faunus says with a smile on her face. "Quite the enigma."
"Is that interest I see on your face, Miss Parker?"
"Curiosity." she corrects the secretary. "Miss Schnee is not like I was expecting her to be."
"Welcome to the club dear." Barbara chuckles. "All of us here weren't expecting Weiss to be this way when we first met her."
"How long ago was that for you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I've been working at the orphanage since it started." Barbara says with a soft smile. "My late husband worked for the SDC and lost his life in a mining incident."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Blake tells her honestly.
"Miss Schnee was just starting to participate in SDC events and the way she was doing her best to not cry while giving her speech was quite moving. Made me approach her and tell her my story. That I had no children and without a husband would be basically alone. Until this day I'm not quite sure what made me want to talk to her, but the moment I finished my tale she told me about the orphanage. How it was her dream to create a place for people with similar situations to the one I had. A safe haven and family for people that had lost theirs."
Weiss… Blake manages to stop herself from purring proudly. Her mate was so kind and wonderful that all she could think of was how lucky she was of having found her. And of Weiss wanting her back.
"I didn't know very much about the orphanage." the cat faunus admits. "But when I moved to Atlas and realized that a place like this existed I immediately wanted to help."
"That's not a popular position here in Atlas." Barbara tells her while taking her back to the courtyard. "In fact, you'll soon find out that many people in this city are not tolerant of faunus or the people that help them."
"Is it really that bad? I heard things in Mistral but for people to go out of their way just to hurt others…"
"It can be quite brutal." both women hear Sun say softly. "Like you, I also come from another kingdom. And, I at first didn't believe the stories I heard about the people of Atlas. Until it happened to me."
"I'm sorry Sun." Blake apologizes because she knew that he must have been talking about either citizens or the White Fang.
"Don't sweat it. Besides, since the last incident six months ago, Miss Schnee has placed better security at the orphanage. Because of that not many dare to complain or verbally attack us."
"That's a relief." the cat faunus murmurs.
"You know, we wouldn't blame you for feeling a little hesitant about this job after hearing all of this. In fact, I'm sure Miss Schnee must have told you about it herself. She's quite honest and open about it."
"She did mention it. Asked me if after knowing all of this I still wanted to work here. And perhaps the thought of being mistreated scares me; but I won't let that stop me from doing what I believe is right."
This makes Barbara and Sun stare at her.
"I think you and I will be good friends Diana." Barbara tells her with a warm smile. "And that the children will love you."
"They do seem really attached to Miss Schnee."
"They adore her." the older woman gushes. "In fact, they may be a little disappointed when they find out she left."
"So they're really attached to her?"
"Some of them more than others." Sun tells her simply.
"You're talking about that cat faunus boy who only let Weiss touch him?"
"Ian." Barbara says sadly. "Such a sweet boy. Came here after his parents died in one of the mines. Weiss immediately welcomed him and the two of them just clicked."
"We think that it may have to do with the fact that Ian is older than the other kids here. Why he's more perceptive of people and the biases that society has regarding faunus." Sun continues explaining. "And it would make sense for him to let Weiss touch him."
"Why?" Blake asks to test him. She already knew the answer.
"Because most of the kids here see Weiss as their savior and consider her the Alpha of this group."
"So the children here know about Alphas, Betas and Omegas?"
"Indeed. Most of the children here are Betas, then we have Alphas and finally very few Omegas." the blonde man clarifies. "Since most of the children here are orphans, they have created special bonds meant to try to find mates."
"But I thought mates were the equivalent of husbands or wives for faunus." Blake questions him to see how much he knows.
"The term mate can encompass many bonds. Mates for a faunus can be friends, family, or a romantic companion. It depends on the smell, the instincts and the relationships the faunus has with the mate." Sun explains to her. "For example, Ian; he recently lost his parents. Hence, he's looking for a mate that is the closest to a mom or a father figure."
"And he's finding that in Weiss." Barbara realizes what Sun means.
"Not that this is wrong." the half-faunus adds. "Probably most of the faunus kids see us as mates that are the equivalent to a paternal role. And there's nothing wrong with us sharing that relationship with them. But, it would certainly be difficult, in the case of Ian, to eliminate that instinct he may be developing towards Weiss."
"Developing instinct?"
"He means that Ian is most probably doing and feeling this unconsciously. All he knows is that he wants Weiss to touch his ears, to groom him in a way. And he does it because it feels good." Blake simplifies Sun's explanation.
"But I thought we were letting the kids touch each other's appendages as a sign of trust." Barbara says confused.
"Because between each other it is. They know their relationship is like siblings. But to them, Weiss is on another level. They have to listen to her because they see her, us, as their alphas." Sun explains.
"I know you explained this to us already." the older woman says. "But why do faunus have these divisions?"
"Faunus societies function mostly on smell. Everything has a different smell and a person's smell can mean many things. Because of this, faunus tend to live in packs. In packs you have leaders who are usually the strongest and the ones that can better provide for the family. We faunus call these type of person Alpha, the providers. Since Weiss saved them, gave them a home, food, family and friends, the kids see Weiss as their Alpha, their protector. They know that if they're in trouble Weiss will do all she can to help them."
"I can see what you mean there. But what does that have to do with Ian and Weiss?"
"In Ian's case, what Sun is arguing is that this behavior may confuse him in the future, when he becomes aware of scent. When he realizes what his scent can do." Blake says confidently.
Sun nods in agreement.
"Right now he doesn't understand because he doesn't have a sense of smell. None of the kids do. But the moment it is developed, and they start smelling the people around them, they'll learn what certain smells mean. And for Ian, if my theory is not incorrect, Weiss will smell like his mother."
"And that will clash with the memory he has of his own mother, making him get angry at himself and his faunus instincts." Blake finishes his idea.
"So even though he may not smell it, Ian may be placing his scent on Weiss." Barbara starts to understand what Sun and Diana are trying to tell her.
"Yes, and because he never knew his mother's scent, the scent Weiss has will confuse him." Sun says softly. "It will probably happen to all the kids. But then again, I'm mostly worried about Ian because he's older and more guarded to create other types of bonds with his fellow faunus."
"I didn't know that smells could mean so many things to faunus." Barbara says softly. "And I don't think Miss Schnee is aware of this." she then looks at Blake. "You are well informed about faunus customs and behavior."
"I was always curious about my friends' culture. How they seemed to react to certain smells, to encounters with other faunus and people. And thankfully they were very open and honest with me." she likes because she was speaking from experience and watching the same thing happen to the children of White Fang members.
"The more people that know the merrier." Sun says happily. "In fact, I was actually planning on talking to Weiss about it. Since Ian got here, he's the closest one to developing his sense of smell. That kinda gives us a time-frame to educate and prepare the kids." he gives Blake a knowing smile. "Though since you're here already and in need to get points with the boss; maybe you could be the one telling her."
"Me?!" Blake is honestly surprised at this guy's carelessness. "I'm new here, and you're their physical education teacher! The news should come from you."
"But you know a lot about faunus!" he says with a pout.
"Now, now children, stop your fighting." Barbara jokes. "We will inform Miss Schnee about this. TOGETHER." she emphasizes. "But not today because she already left."
"She did?" Sun whines. "The kids will be upset when they find out." he then looks at Blake. "Which also means that you most probably already talked to her and got approved and will start working here for sure." he rambles because he's excited.
Blake smiles at the sight and nods in confirmation.
"Cool, I can see you're a good person Diana." he offers honestly and this makes the cat faunus smile at him. "I'm looking forward to working with you."
"So am I." Blake answers honestly, and is surprised that she truly excited about the opportunity of working with this group of strange, yet very kind, humans.