Hello hello again. Here's the White Rose half of the wedding. Enjoy. Me and my artist are cooking something up for the holiday season, so between updates the Bumblebee pic will be out for alleviate any holiday stress that may be occurring. And last second words, just at the end of my lunch break the site works. The streak of posting at noon kinda still continues.
Weiss: Cold Feet
Weiss admired the Atlas military operation as the location came on the horizon. She took note of the layout of the airship perimeter, wondering if Winter could have aided in this at some point, the heiress pocketing these ideas for future defense strategies. Her appreciation of the military formation was subdued by the place it protected, Weiss letting out an audible 'wow' as the lodging came into view.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Winter said. "Ironwood showed me the concepts years ago. It's a bold endeavor, but taking chances is what we as a society should be doing."
"It's quite elegant. It definitely has the Atlas stamp of approval all over it," the ice princess further commented. Being around wealth her whole life, there was very little in terms of architecture that could cause her to stop in stare. I may have been because it was a major effort to reclaim the land from Grimm, or because of the intimate event that would transpire, but the tiny town erected in such a short time had every bit of effort put behind it from Atlas's best.
Weiss watched as she passed a civilian airship, feeling uneasy as she rode in her sister's private cruiser, knowing that if Ruby were to look outside her window, she'd see her gaudy entrance. She slumped back into her seat, her sister too quick to let her sink back into her insecure thinking. "I thought we talked about this?"
"We did many, many times," the heiress shot back with a haughty tone, more mad at herself than anyone. "I hurt that woman in ways that make me feel sick. What I said, those words, that was Father seeping out of me."
"Difference between you and Father is that he doesn't have any remorse in the things he says."
"Then that means the difference between me and a respectable person is they would've done something about it," Weiss countered. "Every time I tried to apologize, I kept seeing that same look on her face, that one where I could see her heart breaking. I had my chance at graduation, but I selfishly went off with my ex so I could have my day unspoiled. With all that tension in the team, it should have been an altruistic notion, but I did it so I could escape being the villain for the moment."
"You are not allowed to carry all the blame," her sister responded in a tougher tone. "Did you say some horrible things? Probably. Were you selfish on some occasions? Probably. But this isn't a case of huntresses versus Grimm. You didn't cheat, you didn't abuse her, and you didn't manipulate her. There are no bad guys in this. Honestly, in my opinion, it was just a bad time for the two of you and the added variable of not being able to give each other space exacerbated the issue."
Weiss didn't know if she was being pessimistic or her peer impression of her as the 'Ice Queen' she believed herself, but she couldn't ponder her sister's more reasonable explanation. "When I look back on it... it was me. It was all me."
"For arguments sake, let's say you're right. Doesn't all this regret you're feeling then fall solely on your shoulders?" Winter expertly fended her sister's bitter nature. "If Ruby doesn't make the move, you need to. You dated for almost two years. By that silly rule of thumb of doubling the time you dated to be over her, you're far over that limit. You need closure, Weiss. I don't care what form in comes in, but I'm tired of having this talk with you."
"Just as I'm tired of hearing about a Mr. Qrow Branwen," Weiss fired back, the heiress hearing her sister's evening gloves squeak as she cathartically gripped her steering column.
"Do not bring that barfly up. These situations are on different levels" Winter chipped through her teeth. "But you do bring up fair point."
The heavy silence suffocated the cockpit, Weiss remedying the situation before Winter landed. "I didn't mean to be petty and throw him at you. It wasn't right."
"Thank you for that apology. I probably should, too, but I stand by what I said," Winter reasoned as she turned off her ship. After unbuckling her seat belt had her face-to-face with her sister. Weiss gazed back at the one eye in view, it as caring as the hands holding her shoulders. "I know I speak very tough with you. We are Father's children after all, but I mean all of this with love. You're a beautiful, ambitious woman who's too young to have these kind of regrets. From what you told me about Ruby, she could also be in need of a pep talk from her sister."
Winter may not have been a comedian, but Weiss had to keep herself from busting up in laughter as she remembered all the cheerleading talks she got from Yang. "You're... you're right. But if this goes south, I don't want to be the one tragic story remembered from the wedding."
"Weiss, you do security and damage control for a living. I'm sure you could use some of those skills if a worse-case scenario pops up," Winter brought her in for a hug, the heiress happily reciprocating. "You deserve to be happy," her sister said in hushed tone. "Don't rob yourself of that because you blame yourself."
The ice princess kept her sister's words to heart, knowing she'd have to repeat them up until meeting Ruby. She took a look at the time, the Schnee who is never late was running it dangerously close with all the effort she had to put into getting ready. She grabbed her bridesmaids dress from the hanger, making a mad dash to the lodge to avoid that sin of having people wait on her. "Thanks Winter. See you at the reception!" she called out before out of earshot.
"All the taxpayers money and there are no signs for where the bridesmaids dressing rooms are," Weiss hotly thought, running down the halls to get a clue. Luckily, bumping into the mother of the bride cut her frantic search short, Pyrrha's mother giving great directions. She could hear the noise from the room, the ice princess remembering how many woman were a part of this wedding party with Jaune's lack of male friends. She was about to peek in until she heard a voice, that familiar high-pitch that had her on edge as she spontaneously recovered all the bad memories. Winter's words she said her herself were slowly replaced by all the fights, the hatred in full focus. She retracted her hand, secluding herself to a quieter part of the hotel to see if she could get ready by herself.
The clamor of girls rushing to get ready was a distant murmur as Weiss found a vacant part of the hotel. She found a private bathroom, preparing an excuse for when she shows up completely ready, even if people saw Winter's ship an hour earlier. Her plan was thwarted as she saw the zipper, her short arms never able to fully twist the proper way to zip it to the top. With her plan snuffed out before she even took her heels off, she stepped out and sat on a pew nearby, rubbing the red fabric between her fingers as it reminded her of the only person who could have her doing such embarrassing tactics.
"I got Mother's backbone, didn't I? I know I saw her at a young age shake whenever Father's voice would boom around the house. I'm even more pathetic. I heard Ruby's playful voice, Yang probably helping her with something based on the annoying twang at the end of it, and it had me running in the other direction. I rehearsed what I would say to her a thousand times and my mind always deviated towards her, ironically, giving me the cold shoulder. Winter's not wrong... but I don't know what to do if I'm not allowed to right this wrong."
"Hey Weiss," a voice said, Weiss nearly jumping out of her skirt she was so deep in her thoughts. To her benefit, it was Blake, her one true friend to count on in this matter.
"H-hey Blake. What are you doing out here?" the heiress stammered out, still shaken by the sudden welcoming gesture.
The Faunus untied her bow, Weiss curious to the unusual unmasking of her identity until she saw a pair of red lips staining the gold fabric. "You know how Yang and I are, but she's in a more festive mood with the shared air of wedding bliss. I might have to invoke a no touching policy until after we're done with pictures."
A smile she didn't think she could produce spread on her face, Yang and Blake's romance easily rivaling Jaune and Pyrrha's in terms of fluent, obvious displays of good times. The redhead was the nicest person the ice princess has ever met, attempting to ease Blake's worry with that notion. "Well, another way to look at it is Pyrrha probably wouldn't mind. From what I've heard, she hasn't become a bridezilla."
"That's cause you haven't been here the whole time. Pyrrha seems inhuman, but she's like the rest of us, the societal pressure of having the day go right is getting to her, too," her friend added, the heiress shocked, but not surprised that the importance of this day was getting to the best of them. A guilty smile spread as she imagined the perfect woman fretting in her gown.
"I'm not a bad person for wanting to see a crack in that warrior's armor, right?"
"We've all been there," the Faunus concurred, sharing the same emotion. "But I wouldn't be surprised if others thought the same about you." Blake zeroed in on the heiress, the Faunus not having to say another word as to what she inclined to. "You're going to be fine, Weiss. Ruby isn't going to shut you out if you talk to her."
The heiress didn't know whether to hate or love the Faunus for asking, but sitting and mumbling to herself in a lone corridor made it obvious. Her eyes were caring, knowing she'd say yes if Blake asked her to to be there when she sees her. Still, her spirit faltered because she doubted Ruby would have the same heartfelt expression. "But what if she does?"
"Then you come and find me. Yang's going to be on her best behavior so don't be afraid of her either. It's a wedding. We're here to celebrate the union of two people and I don't see why it can't be a catalyst for others as well." Voices and footsteps echoed down the hall, the Faunus' speech being cut short as they shared the same fear with her ears exposed. "You were looking for the opportunity instead of simply calling her. This is that opportunity. Take it."
Weiss was quickly embraced by Blake, the heiress wishing the Faunus had more time to help her over the hurdle. With any cover about to be spoiled with more witnesses, she picked up her dress and made her way to the room. As her and the voices closed in on each other, one in particular was the ultimate trigger to her anger, the soft, carefree, seemingly charming voice of her ex in tandem with Sun's. The men rounded the corner, Neptune stopping in his tracks with the ice princess in front of him.
"He-hello Weiss. Long time, no see," the tan man smoothly said, the frown on the ice princess' face taking his game down a notch. The hate she had for him shot to the top, her blue eyes burning through him as she remembered the ordeal. She whipped her head back, keeping her stiff upper lip and raising her nose to a pompous angle as she stormed past them.
"Hello Sun," she deliberately addressed, leaving Neptune with a cold shoulder as she roughly brushed past him. Weiss bit her tongue, her lack of muscle colliding with his strong arm probably hurt more than it hurt him. She kept her act up, keeping the heat in her face as she entered the dressing room. She didn't think it would be fuming enmity would help her cross the threshold, but as she tossed her dress on the cabinet, she did feel some victory as she was finally in.
With all the other women in the room, her dark-haired ex was getting lost between the shuffle of bodies, Weiss peeking at her in the mirror, happy for the bodies that created a privacy barrier so she couldn't see her in her underwear. It's not like it should matter, but the heiress aired on the side of less traveled. She carefully undressed herself, her hair lightly teased to give it gentle waves from earlier. Her white bangs blocked her view from the yellow bully that zipped next to her, Weiss yelping and covering her top as best she could with her shirt as she met Yang.
"You are really jumpy these days," she snidely commented, the heiress wanting to take a haughty tone couldn't, not with what Blake promised.
"Sort of naked here, can you divert your attention elsewhere while I get my dress on?" Weiss asked as politely as she could.
The blonde turned around, pressing the obvious issue, "We lived together for four years. We all know what's the real reason you're being shy."
The ice princess ignored the blonde, sliding into her red dress with ease, her smaller measurements fitting finely in the fabric. The task she knew she couldn't finish was getting the wretched zipper up. She thought if she believed enough, she could pull it off, but the last inch was too much for her arms. With reluctance, she turned around for Yang to assist, the blonde zipping past her with a flat iron in hand. "Could you help me with..."
"Sorry. Blake needs this. Just be done soon," her friend said as she pat her hard on the shoulder, Yang somehow pinpointing the area where she unsuccessfully brushed past Neptune. A mass exodus of the wedding party left, Jaune' oldest sister getting a text that he needs to have a talk with them. With the human privacy barrier gone, her ex was in full view, Weiss not able to suppress her curiosity and peeked using her vanity window. The heiress was sure Ruby's eyes were doing the same, the ice princess turning around reflexively to scold.
Ruby sat cordially at her table, the heiress sure she wasn't seeing things with the her lewd gaze. She dismissed her paranoia, the woman angelic in nature as she brushed her hair, the warm light from the window highlighting her red tips from her hair. With the zipper situation unsolved, Weiss figured this be an organic way of reintroducing herself to Ruby. Her small, hesitant steps couldn't get over to her ex quick enough, Weiss frantically having to find something else to do to look inconspicuous as Penny asked her ex with the last of her hair rolls.
Weiss tried convincing herself that her in her half-zipped dress meandering around the makeup counter despite already in light eye shadow and blush was a good cover. She was able to save some embarrassment, no one else wandering over and asking what she's doing as Ruby took her time with Penny. Finally, the android-girl left, the heiress taking her queue and approached her ex. Feet away, it was as if she forgot how to start a conversation, her voice caught in her throat as she tried to say 'hello'. Some audible form of that came out that got her former leader's attention, Weiss' blush negated as a flush of redness showed on both their faces.
"He-hello, Ruby," the heiress got out, her eyes matching the big grays across.
"Hey W-Weiss," the woman's tone identical to the ice princess'. The moment of silence after may have been the most awkward as the cogs were clogged to get out what either of them wanted to say.
Weiss snapped herself out of her trance, the blush burning brighter at her failure of doing something she does on the regular for her job. "I need a little help with my dress." She turned around, brushing her length of hair from the back for Ruby to access. "My arms are still a problem with this sort of task."
"Oh... no-no problem," she stammered out, the heiress feeling the nervousness from her ex as a trembling hand placed firmly on her back, calloused fingers holding her and the garment steady as Ruby zipped her up. "All done. Did you need any help with the body ribbon?"
"No thanks. It's just a bigger version of my usual getup," she said as she turned around, Weiss stunned as she was face-to-face with her former leader. The air was tense, but the fear slowly drained from the stormy eyes, a small smile forming around Ruby's face as the heiress unknowingly formed hers. The heiress took note of the woman in front of her, her ex cleaning up better than she did when it was her hounding her for formal affairs. Her smoky shadow complimented her eyes, her lipstick coordinated with her sister's, the shade matching the dress and her tinged bangs.
As Weiss was about to lay down the most earnest of compliments, Ruby's scroll vibrated, the former leader's worry rising again from the message. "I can't believe how late it is. We should've been down there five minutes ago." The ice princess felt the pressures of time slipping past her again, brashly returning to her vanity to finish up.
"Do you... do you need any help with anything else," her ex asked, Weiss appreciating the gesture, but was never one to make others dawdle for her mistakes.
"I'm fine. Go, I'll be quick here," she rushed out, hastily picking a vermillion shade of lipstick to make her presentable. After a quick prim and proper pressing with her hands, Weiss strutted down the hallways, the golden ribbon masterfully tied even in the rush she was in. The mass of people that was the wedding party were crowded in the room, Nora taking her pedestal on a chair next to the wedding planner.
"Listen everyone!" the perky woman shouted, the heiress sure the guests outside could hear the instructions amongst the quiet of the forest. "Like we practiced! And remember that this is in order of height! Find your partners!"
Weiss took initiative and found the planner, the woman who usually is the wedding ringleader silently stewing in her stolen center stage, the heiress taking the rudeness in her tone as she did aid her immediately in finding whom she would walk down the aisle with. For once, she was thankful for her short stature, not having to worry about walking with Neptune with the man having a foot on her. With work not giving her time off, the ice princes suspecting her father had imposed his power to circumvent enjoying a friend's wedding to the fullest extent, she had to quickly introduce herself to the Arc brood of sisters. Weiss was so used to her reserved, independent sister, her comfort zone breached and smothered by the unbridled passion that came from the Arc sisters, the day's bliss coursing through them as they blanketed his former flame with love. Weiss wasn't fond of the praise she earned for turning him down enough for Pyrrha to garner his attention, but the truth wasn't always pleasant to hear.
Prying herself from the group, she took a seat in the recital kitchen a room over, mulling over what happened with her and Ruby. Before she could make heads or tails of it, a hard cough broke her thinking patten, her deductive frown growing coarse as her tan ex stood with a drink and a goofy smile. "What do you want?"
"You screened me fairly hard back there. It's a wedding. You need to loosen up," he spoke, his voice's natural softness not shaking as he addressed her. Neptune may have been the pinnacle of distrust, but he was never one to have ulterior motives when he wanted to talk, or shamelessly flirt. The ice princess inspected the clear, plastic glass, a small whiff of her whiskey wafting in her nostrils. Weiss was impressed, but dubiously took her beverage, knowing Neptune wasn't wrong.
She took a small sip, the liquid an immediate calmer as it slid down her throat. "Thanks. I'm actually surprised you remembered my favorite drink."
"When you play the field the way I do, you have to have the memory of a Goliath. People get suspicious when..." Neptune stopped himself, the heiress' crystal eyes on fire with the underlying hate for him. "And putting my foot in my mouth is becoming a little too common." The former couple stood in stressful silence, the heiress hoping her cold shoulder would give him a clue. "Can I say something?"
"You can leave," she harshly ordered, her reflex hate subsiding as the tan man was effectively shutdown. As he was passing the threshold, Weiss was aghast at her hypocrisy She didn't believe in karma, but she wasn't about to deserve comeuppance when the situations were reversed. "Wait, come back. I didn't mean... I might have been a little harsh."
Neptune slowly paced back, hands tucked in his pockets, his slouch a tad more prominent in his heartrending stance. "I think a little hate is justified," he said. "If I'm still feeling sorry, then I don't expect you to stop hating. What I did was unforgivable, but it's not the worst thing that could've happened."
"Speak for yourself," the heiress piped up. "It's always delightful having a person you love be unfaithful and have a civil war break out amongst friends," she sarcastically put upfront.
"I know there was a lot of bad, but in the past year, I wasn't able to get over it and that does say something to what you meant to me," he continued. "There is a silver lining to this. That being, I may be too immature or have a problem in staying monogamous. The darker silver lining is that we weren't compatible and cheating on you was my out because I would rather hurt you than have a real conversation. My greatest regret is that you were the one I had to hurt to learn this."
Weiss wanted to condemn him, the heiress never having her trust betrayed in such a blatant manner, but she too was culpable for not letting the past go, and she wasn't going to kick a man when he's down. She took another sip of her drink, petering out some of the fire inside to relieve the man of his burden. "Don't beat yourself up about it anymore or... or you'll turn out like me," she responded, the ice princess seeing the reflection of herself in Neptune.
"That seems like that came from experience," he lightly replied, Weiss polishing her drink off to nullify her nerves with Ruby. She nodded her head, the tan man slumping up next to her to wallow with her. "Sorry for bringing up even more bad memories. To be honest, I didn't think I'd get this far."
She was just as surprised as him. Her fiery stance at her job is what keeps the 'Ice Queen' nickname alive, but that wave of good tidings from reconciling with an ex wasn't lost on her. "It wasn't all bad memories. There was plenty of fun had while it lasted," she stated, catching his gaze as he reacted to her amiable declaration. "Do try and not create more, today. You're very overt and that's why I was one of many women that fell for your charm."
"I promised Blake I'd tone it down and Winter is still your sister, right?" the man joked, Winter instilling fear in him in similar manner to Yang in the beginning of them dating and, perhaps, going overboard with pure Schnee terror when she found out what Neptune did. "I kinda wish you were, though. We wouldn't be licking our wounds back here if it were a casual one-night stand."
It annoyed Weiss a lot that the relationship she constantly refers to model future relationships with has becomes her best friend's, but her better half was the one that touted around this nugget of wisdom that Blake recites from time to time. "I don't. Yang, actually, has a better outlook on this types of baggage. People come in and out of our life. All events, regardless if we had any control in the outcome, lead us down a path to where we end up. She likes to think they're all beautiful mistakes because they lead her to Blake. By that logic, maybe the silver lining we can take from this is that we were our last mistakes."
"You know what's disappointing? I've probably used similar lines to pick up women and it only meant anything now. I knew Blake was the romantic, but Yang has a talent with words," her ex commented, Weiss glad to hear the uneasiness leave his tone and the air thin out. Weiss felt the booming voice of Nora through the walls, the heiress corralling Neptune and leading them back to the fold.
"Remember, she likes to speak off the cuff. If it wasn't for Blake, you probably would've had a friendly rivalry in that game you claim to have," Weiss jested.
"You're part of my barely double-digit success rate. Remember that," he pointed out, the heiress getting that familiar, but elated, feeling in her stomach that made her wonder why she was with this person. If there was a similarity to Ruby and Neptune, it's that Weiss got this feeling on a regular basis.
She looked for her other ex, Ruby her place marker in the line as she was an inch smaller, usually. The heiress wore obnoxiously high-heels to counter her height problem, the men of the SDC flaring up her complex and a crick in her neck from looking up constantly. Because she wasn't here for rehearsal, the wedding party arranged by height was slightly off, but the heiress didn't mind going after Ruby, keeping the status quo and confident enough that the back of Ruby's head wouldn't have rapier wasps buzzing in her stomach.
The music could be heard from the ceremonial area, Weiss getting into the wedding spirit of tense enjoyment, the excitement that had been buzzing in the air finally catching her. "Look straight, but keep an eye out for cracks. Easy enough, just as Neptune made it out to be. If I can forgive Neptune and give him time to talk, Ruby will probably do the same, my actions not corrupting her pure and goodhearted heart. He didn't say much and, maybe, neither do I."
As the heiress was about to whisper to Ruby to get a meeting with her, the procession began its walk to the aisle, Weiss saving it and relishing the ceremony with the rest of the crowd.
*-Ruby-*
Her eyes glanced back to the alter, the white hair of her ex still there, the heiress still talking with the bride and groom. Ruby felt the welt in her throat almost settle as she saw the newlyweds, the woman not immune to how transcendentally happy they seemed when they stood across from each other. Even though Weiss was behind her for the nuptials, her presence a constant in her mind, Jaune and Pyrrha were able to break that unnerving hold the ice princess had on her and get swept up in the moment.
After pictures, she was glad Yang and her raced to get out of heels. Ruby was never one to dance, but those shoes were still torture devices to her. But that would be the only thing she'd be thanking her sister for. After she was blatantly caught avoiding Weiss, the woman still couldn't shake what was in her heart, that feeling that connection to her was never severed beyond repair. "Yang may have a point, that I have been dragging my feet around the issue when it comes to Weiss, but the breakup wasn't as mutual as I lead onto everybody. I went with logic, not my heart, which most people would applaud, but we lasted as stellar partners for two years until we graduated. There was still something there was wasn't completely destroyed by our fighting. I know I'm not being naive when I think this, but then the smarter part of me thinks I'm being naive."
Sat alone at standing table, she took another healthy sip from her drink, hoping to stop her thoughts and indulge in the revelry on the dance floor once more. "Hello, Miss," someone addressed her, Ruby turning to see a man she didn't recognize. With over two-hundred people attending, there was plenty of unfamiliar faces, but Ruby was lucky enough to find her graduating class. "So, this has been a storybook wedding for the ages."
"This has been something else. I don't go to many weddings, but this is easily the most impressive. How do you know the bride and groom?"
"I'm actually a plus one from a co-worker of Pyrrha's. He didn't want to come alone. So how have you been enjoying the evening?" he responded, Ruby getting an eerie feeling from him as he responded. Ruby did a quick analysis of the man. He was tall, handsome, a drink in hand, open posture, and a look in his eye that she dreaded seeing in anyone that came up to her. He was hitting on her and she was a prefect target as she stood alone. As the dots finished connecting, Ruby's awkward nature only fueled the fire as most found it cute.
"I, umm, well, to answer your question, I'm having the loveliest of times with... with..." Ruby stalling, her mind blanking on a name to give him as a lie. Like the dangerous days of her youth, someone swept in to save the day, her big sister taking Qrow's reins as she wrapped an arm round the man.
"So, who is this strapping, young man, Ruby?" Yang loudly said, her head facing the side of his, voice annoying his ears. "Oh, would you look at that? Other single women who aren't my sister," she pointed out, her arms aggressively flexing, the man getting the message and leaving in fear as Yang zapped any chance of him talking-up Ruby. "At some point, you need to learn how to fend off unwanted advances," the blonde spouted, her sister a few drinks in had her speech slightly slurred.
"I don't meet too many people beyond the boarders in Anima and I was talking with friends up until now," the leader responded.
"You mean you ran out of familiar people to talk to and were left hanging for a vulture to snag you," the blonde fired back, Ruby impressed by the drunken deduction. "We just had this conversation. Go out and have fun. Stop looking out for Weiss and let the night happen naturally."
Ruby was caught, but fought her sister in the petty fashion of their arguments. "I was not. I was taking a rest before I go out to dance again."
"Weiss and Winter stick out like sore thumbs with their white hair. I'm pretty sure the high, asymmetrical ponytail I can see in my peripheral is one of them," Yang challenged, the younger sister effectively crushed, the will to continue flattened. The blonde slung her arm around her sister, leading her to the bar and ordering a couple of shots for the both of them. "Come on. You knew this was coming."
Ruby unenthusiasticly clanged their glasses together, slugging down the burning liquid. Whatever the bartender poured was stronger than she was used to, the woman beating her chest to get the drops down. Before she fully recovered, her sister was at the ready with another round. "Are you serious?"
"One-hundred percent. Take this and we'll sweat it out on the dance floor. I may or may not have requested a favorite of ours," Yang alluding to their best-loved Achieve Men song. Ruby took a look around, everyone else clearly having more fun than she. She still held out hope, her optimism renewed and flourished as the alcohol flowed freely through her.
The woman was an adult in every aspect of the word, but she knew she would always be Yang's little sister, resenting being dragged by the wrist as she was when they were young, The party was in full swing, the Achieve Men song getting a massive cheer from nostalgia from the crowd, Ruby trying to keep up with her sister. It always bothered her how her footwork as a huntress was masterful, but keeping up to the beat of one of hr favorite songs had her looking like a spaz. Yang kept her smile poorly hidden, mouthing out to have her sister watch her feet, Ruby faring better as the blonde slowed it down for her.
Ruby could feel the alcohol's effects after awhile, that voice in her head that concentrated on getting Yang's moves down got muter, and she did get worse. An open bar assured that everyone was on par with her, the woman going from person to person and dancing. She looked for Yang as another of their childhood favorites was selected, but the sister mysteriously disappeared with a job well done. Ruby glanced around more, the dance floor sparser than when she started.
"I need all the eligible ladies to come on down. We're going to find out who weds next as Pyrrha throws her bouquet," the deep voice of the DJ boomed in her ear, her dancing unfavorably close to the speaker. Ruby may have qualified, but would bow out of this wedding ritual before anyone noticed. With the couple wedding at such a young age, Ruby had to go through the throngs of bachelorettes to find a safe space to watch it from. Her stomach did turn slightly, a beautiful woman caressing her Uncle's hand as she bid him farewell to join the other girls. She tried to turn away and pretend she didn't see, but her uncle caught her before she could slip away.
"Ruby," he called out, the niece willingly reeling herself in. She couldn't look in him the eye. Ruby, like most children, are repulsed by the idea of their parental figures being romantic, getting him to ask, "what's up? Why the long face?"
The woman was fine with opening up to her uncle. Qrow, in the past, was much better at taking uncomfortable information than her dad. "I'm pretty sure that the girl you were flirting with was a student from Shade Academy that I faced off with at the Vytal Festival a few times. Her name was..."
"Octavia Ember," Uncle Qrow solemnly finished off, pressing the heart of his palm deep in his forehead, sighing through clenched teeth. "Yang said she was not one of her friends. Do I have permission from you to..."
"I don't have that problem with you Uncle Qrow," the woman interrupted. "It's just gross to see your parents, or pseudo-father, hit on others," Ruby explained, her uncle getting a cheeky chuckle out of his niece's discomfort. "I thought you were going to try and not hit on girls your nieces' ages?"
"Well, technically, she's older than Yang," he quipped, the former leader's disgust ebbing as her uncle's charm was unmatched. "I will figure that out one day, but she came up to me and I have never been one to deny a lady a drinking buddy to casually flirt with." She found his reasoning fair enough, her uncle a player, but never one to be mean-spirited about his loose lifestyle. "So, why aren't you out there like the rest of them? Or are you married and didn't tell Taiyang. Your uncle is good at keeping secrets. You can tell me."
"I know you are, which is why if I were to elope, you'd be the witness," Ruby jaunted, her uncle smiling, but eyes showed more concern in his question. She wanted to talk to her uncle about his job, hers mirroring his and hoping experience could answer her question. "I don't know. It feels like a game you play when you already have someone serious to marry."
"Good point, considering I see Blake out there," the man mentioned. "But that doesn't mean you can't join in on the fun. Catching flowers isn't a legally binding contract. If that were so, I would've been divorced three times for catching the garter."
"I'm not superstitious or anything like that, but... in those two years, when I was out on missions, it got really desolate. I know you, Yang, and Dad love me, but I don't have anyone to come home to, and some of my friends felt like strangers with so much time spent out there. I always wanted to be a huntress like you, Uncle Qrow. You were always the one saving the day when Yang and I were in trouble, but... how do you do it? You seem to balance yourself pretty well."
The man spit-taked into his glass, Qrow sobering up as he realized how honest Ruby was in her praise. He cleared his throat, the whiskey burn hitting the wrong pipes on the way down. "Oh, you're serious," the man still dumbfounded in this niece's response. "The only reason I'm able to do what I do is because I don't have that drive that you seem to have," her uncle began. "Raven and I didn't have the strongest parental figures growing up so we were always jaded to the concept of a stable family life. It's why being a huntsmen always appealed to us. We could be as free as we sought fit. On one end, we have your dad, a huntsman headmaster with a family. On the other, we have me, a damaged man with poor coping skills who is better off working by himself than with others."
"Whoa, Uncle Qrow, don't be too harsh on yourself," Ruby shocked by his bluntness.
"I'm not. That's the reality of me. I love how you think so highly of me, Kid, but I never dove back into the relationship game for a reason. It's because I don't need close companionship with people. Oz and I go way back, your dad is my best friend, but they aren't even the first five people I see when I come back from missions." The woman soaked in his words, remembering how ecstatic she was on her dad's last mission for him. Part of it was pride in her work, part of it was the elation of a mission accomplishment, but she could guess the bigger part was she was finally able to come home and see Zwei, Ruby always feeling bad as she locked the door on him knowing it would be Yang taking care of him till she came back.
"So, these are the secrets you wanted to share with me?" she meekly asked.
"Don't worry that your feelings on your career have changed. You're not a lesser huntress because of it. Oz told me what he originally had in store for you. It would be a lot of what I do. I can tell you are Taiyang's kid, and definitely Summer's. Those two built something worth having again when they got together. It was so nice, it's why I came around a lot so I can vicariously be a father through your dad." Qrow placed a firm hand on her shoulder, both looking towards the riot of woman as Pyrrha readied her stance to toss the bouquet. "You're meant to be a huntress, Ruby. Don't think twice about that. Glad to see I was a good influence on someone, but if you want what you had as a kid, what I know Taiyang and Summer had, you can't do what I do."
She caught herself fixating on the white-haired angel that was in the mob, Ruby thinking back to the days where she'd talk about a life like Qrow describes with her. She thought Weiss believed in it too as she was at the ready, Ruby not surprised that she assisted Blake with a tactic she used on missions to boost her up to make the height disparity between her and massive Grimm negligible. Blake bravely fought for the bouquet, the leader wondering where her sister was as Blake toted her prize around.
"Also, if you need me to dive-bomb on the grenade that is Winter so you can talk to her, just tell me," her uncle picked up, Ruby turning towards him as he presumed correctly what had been at the core of her questioning. "This was about Weiss, wasn't it?"
"Yeah... I feel a little lost at the moment... It's been my dream to do what you do and it's not as fulfilling as I thought it'd be. And I feel if I can get some closure with her, I can start fresh here and adjust into being a professor better."
"Then what's giving you cold feet?"
Ruby could see Octavia coming back, her time to decide shrinking. With a brave heart, she confided. "Having closure isn't worth finding out there's nothing left to salvage."
Qrow's body deflated, exhaling deeply as he heard his niece's reason. "The job really did get to you. I'll make this quick. Ruby, you wouldn't be where you are without your brand of optimism and attitude. I'm glad you've followed my footsteps this far, but Summer was always the hero on our team. You're the spitting image of her on so many levels, and I don't see why you can't take up where she left off."
As Octavia returned to the conversation, Ruby took her cue to leave, not wanting to be around her uncle as he seduces another young woman into his bed. She hadn't thought about her mother in awhile, it dawning on Ruby that she was around the age when her and Taiyang became serious and a year later she was born. "Maybe she got tired of going out on missions, too. I'm sure Dad had some influence, but maybe that was his appeal. He was already grounded."
The music started up again, the woman noticing the bachelors on the dance floor, Ruby remembering where she was. "I'm going to get another scolding from Yang, and her with more liquor in her will only lead to us fighting like we did as kids. I know Uncle Qrow said to stop following in his footsteps, but I need a drink."
Ruby partook in the open bar as much as she needed to properly loosen up, the woman never able to hold her own like her uncle or Yang. After falling on her butt on the floor and getting trucked up by Penny, she felt it and was a little too drunk to dance. The android pushed her past the bar and into the kitchen, the former leader taking a bottled water and re-hydrating.
"I'm good now, Penny. Go back out there and I'll finish this off," Ruby said, happy to keep her words slur-free to not worry her friend.
"I'll go now, but don't have too much more. I don't know what a hangover is, but you humans make it look like torture," she replied, the android scampering off after her observation. Ruby was in the clear from that over-indulgent punishment, but she didn't want to stumble into a bush and call that her bed later, the day's events catching up to her as the inebriation was making her sleepy. She finished off her bottle and headed out for a walk, the exercise speeding up her sobriety.
The wedding had died down, the reception left with only the good friends and family. Ruby wanted to go up to Pyrrha and Jaune, but it seemed he was back to having a stressful night as he talked with Pyrrha's father. No words of fighting got back to her, the wedding ending civilly and everyone leaving having had a good time. The DJ still played for the handful that were still raring to dance, Ruby giving her eardrums a rest and meandered away from the ruckus.
She was far enough away from the party to hear the babbling brook, the place perfect to sit, relax, and sober up. She followed the deck, hoping there was a place to sit off the railing and kick off her feet over the water. The moonlight from the cracked satellite highlighted a luminescent outline to everything, a calming white making the already peaceful patch tranquil, at least, until a shining figure stood out in the foreground.
Ruby stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the heiress, her figure silhouetting against the darkened forest only accentuated more by her white hair. The woman leaned against a wooden railing of a bridge, staring off in the distance, drink in hand and enjoying the scene in her lonesome. Ruby tried to speak out, get her attention, but her voice stayed silent. She looked down at her bottle in hand, the woman figuring a little liquid courage was needed, Ruby stealthy scampering back to bar and pouring herself something to settle her nerves.
She returned back to the scene, having a couple sips as she saw Weiss again, the ice princess unfazed by her presence, the former leader feeling bad as she knew the heiress enjoyed solitude from time to time. Ruby knew this was her moment, vowing to hate herself forever if she couldn't walk up to her. She took tepid steps on the platform, her voice cracking as she docilely called out, "Weiss."
She felt her body freeze as the heiress' head whipped around, her icy irises staring back at her, glimmering like the water running beneath them. Ruby felt suspended in the moment, her heart kick-starting in her throat as she waited for a response from the ice princess. By the petrified quake in her fixated stare, she felt at least some connection to Weiss, both scared to be alone together. "Ruby, what are you doing out here?"
Expecting to be turned away, she would take the justified question. "I-I needed some fresh air. I've been dancing all night and being able to hear again is already refreshing. What about you?"
"Sort of the same. I'm giving my voice a rest. It's been awhile since I've seen some of our graduating class. I saw you out there. You were good," the ice princess complimented, Ruby now uncomfortable introducing herself as she did want to talk.
"Thanks. All of that was a five minute tutorial by Yang and a few shots thinking I could be as good as her," the leader joked, shying away from the comment as her dancing could be considered coordinated flailing "Well, if you're tired of talking, I'll, umm, I'll leave you be,"
"No, Ruby," the heiress pleaded, stopping Ruby before she embarrassingly shuffled away. "If you want, please, join me." Her warm smile contradicted her eyes, the heiress apprehensive upon her request. With Weiss inviting her, the former leader's fears faded. Looking into Weiss' captivating blues gave her the courage to pace forward, leaning as she did when he first came upon her, both women sheepishly smiling as they adjusted to the dissolving tension.
The brook's light trickling was the only sound in the silence, Ruby finding the words to say, kicking herself that the words that came to mind were the ones used earlier on her for a far more nefarious purpose. "So, how did you like the ceremony?"
"Atlas sure knows how to put on a show," the heiress responded. "And I do mean a show. I had just started at the SDC when the Atlas military was turning on itself. All of us were affected in some way and pointed fingers at them. Jaune and Pyrrha saved the day in the clumsiest way possible, but the people love them and because they are so loved, so does the government." It was cynically put, but the Atlas presence of the warship security detail wasn't lost on her, one hovering in the distance patrolling the forest. "But the inordinate lavishness didn't spoil the reason we were all here. I've never seen them so happy. You had a front row seat, how was it?"
"It's good, but not great," she replied. "Sort of wish I was in the audience. If Pyrrha's face mirrored Jaune's, then I think we missed something by only getting to stare at the back of her head."
"You make a good point," the woman concurred. As they stood next to each other, the leader felt herself breaking eye contact with her ex, the eyes flickering in the reflection from the light bouncing off the water. It was as mesmerizing as painful, Ruby sticking to the scenery, the heiress not minding. "I just can't believe that a couple of our friends got married. They aren't doing the rest of us any favors. I'm sure relatives of yours hound you about starting a family."
"I do get them, but Yang gets the brunt of it being a few years older."
"Speaking of a few years older, Winter has it worst than all of us," the ice princess yielding with her sister's agony. "Winter is one of the most independent people I know. Boyfriends are not on the top of her priority list unless she wants one. It's getting to her, though. I got an earful in the ship ride over because I'm sure Mother made some snide comment about looking for 'the wealthy elite' for a proper lineage."
Whenever she would hear about Weiss' familial problems, she always felt fortunate that her dad was a worrywart that told her to not 'drink and fly' and her uncle was the one getting her drunk. "Being the younger sister has its merits at odd times."
"I don't believe that's the reason I was exempted from the conversation. After my last breakup, the family has been a little touchy on the subject," the heiress casually lamented.
Ruby's ears perked up, breaking down the information in a way that suited her resulting in," So, you're... you're single?"
The former leader nearly threw herself over the railing, completely embarrassed that she asked such a personal question after the foreboding tone in Weiss' statement. To her interest, the ice princess didn't throw her drink in her face and leave, the heiress sliding into the question. "Ye-yeah. I am."
The tremble in her answer had guilt overflowing in her, the leader quick to button with an apology. "Oh my goodness. I didn't mean to run head first into that."
"Don't be," the heiress turning back to her as she answered. "That's a fair question and that's not your fault." The awkwardness she somehow manged to dodge she was now in the thick of it, the spaz frantically running through the options to console her ex. "It was Neptune," the ice princess broke the silence, "in case you were wondering. I know he passes his attention to every attractive woman, but where I was in life, it did speak to me and I thought he was genuine... and he was for a time. But I suppose that's all water under the bridge now."
Ruby held herself together, making sure she wouldn't fall apart like when she was young, but the heartbreaking sentiment touched her, only wishing she could reach out like she used to and hold the heiress. "Sorry to hear that. I-I hope 'water under the bridge' doesn't mean you dismissed him completely. He isn't a bad guy."
"You're right," Weiss agreed, a smile forming where Ruby was sure venom were to spit. "He's a good guy who did a terrible thing, but only once. I didn't forget, but forgave him based on that integrity." The ice princess was able to relieve all the tension that built up in Ruby as her eyes flashed that feeling of fondness. "So, how about you, are you single?"
Ruby felt the nerves creep up her spine, not expecting that question next. "That's deserved, I suppose," she said with a nervous laugh. "No, I'm not with someone. Past three years I've been working with my dad at Signal and it's a lot of going on missions for an extended period of time. The missions vary in objectives, but there is always one constant, it gets lonely out there even amongst the villages. There was one time where I startled myself because I saw my reflection in the mirror."
Weiss appreciated the humor, smirking and failing to hide a massive grin politely. "Sorry, that hit the right spot. How do you handle it then?"
"I don't really have too now," the woman responded. "As of the past month, I'm a temporary professor for Beacon. Ozpin snagged me when my contract with my dad was up."
"Oh my goodness, Ruby, that's fantastic. How are you liking it so far?" Weiss enthusiastically asked, the ice princess invested as much as she was in the conversation.
"It's weird. I don't like attention, but it's natural to talk about Grimm and how to kill them. I took over Professor Port's class so my experience in the field helps immensely. I was growing weary of the field and Ozpin says that's what he will task me with what he recruited me for as soon as Professor Port gets well again. But, I don't know, it's been interesting teaching. It could really grow on me."
"Well, I know I am a tad biased on this, but you were hands down the best leader at Beacon," the heiress said, the compliment catching Ruby off-guard and a slight flush reached her cheeks as she saw how genuine Weiss was. "I know we didn't get any awards to reflect that, but us four did incredible feats because of you. I don't see how that sort of talent can't translate to students learning about the subject you're most passionate about."
Ruby was slightly stunned, flattered even, with Weiss being so sweet after three years of no communication. Growing older, she did lessen her naivety, the world crushing that brand of ignorant optimism, but talking with Weiss restored the part of her that she knew wasn't just wishful thinking, that they could be friends after everything. Like the water passing under them, it was under the bridge. "I-I don't know how much I can take to heart considering the bias of you being my partner, but thank you," the former leader jested, both women smiling at the lighthearted jab. "So far, there has been one extreme advantage to all this, I can actually go home to my apartment, which I paid too much to essentially be a three room play area for Zwei."
As soon as her dog was mentioned, she knew the follow-up question. "Oh, how is Zwei? Is he still a little, fat pup?"
"He's still fat. I ask Yang to walk him as much as possible and feed him appropriately, but every time I come home he looks bigger. If Blake wasn't so adverse to him, I would've given him up. But being a professor allows me to see him and be a proper owner. That in and of itself is worth taking a break from taking on missions," Ruby noted, hoping Zwei wasn't at home thinking she left again for a month.
The heiress' questions to catch-up on Zwei eventually did run their course, Ruby not surprised that Weiss probably missed him more than her for a time. The night continued, the former leader losing her perception of time as she thought she and her ex had been talking for hours. Both of them finished their drinks, Ruby sipping on the melted ice in her cup, not wanting to give a cue for them to leave as she wanted to fill in as many gaps as possible from their hiatus. It seemed Weiss didn't want to either, the heiress not checking her scroll for the time, the woman as spellbound as the leader.
With the air more comfortable, Ruby didn't mind poking at the subject that she knew was off limits. It didn't click until her ex's voice hummed pleasantly in tune. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, I saw your performance, not in person, but on the internet."
"If this is leading to a some form of flattery, I won't buy it," the ice princess contested. "I did that charity event because Father said I should. I competently phoned in my performance."
"I disagree," the leader added. "Even if it was poorly recorded on a scroll from someone in the audience, that was incredible."
"That's because there's a lot of talent in the background to make sure that it couldn't be bad. So much glitz and glamor to add more Lien to write off. People's sympathy is the ultimate advertisement," the ice princess joked. "Thanks, by the way. I guess all the singing I did for you back at Beacon made sure I wasn't too rusty. I remember a time..."
The heiress trailed off, Ruby anxious as Weiss got quiet, eyes zeroing past her eyes eyes. The former leader tried to look behind her only for the heiress to hold her in place. She grasped a lock of Ruby's hair, running down the length to the tip that hit her collarbone. "What's with this?" she asked.
"I couldn't put my finger on it until now. I knew something was different about you and I'm kicking myself as it's obvious. You grew your hair out," the ice princess explained, the woman ashamed she let her hair get so shaggy.
"I know. I've been too lazy to get it cut. I got used to it after the last mission, but now it's becoming a chore to manage," the former leader said, running her fingers like Weiss down the strands, worried momentarily that she looked so different.
"I wouldn't cut it. It suits you," the heiress defended. "It makes you look... mature." Most people who knew Ruby always made the comment that she was letting her hair go, but this being the first courtesy given about it, Ruby wanting some validation to keep it because she didn't want to be the only one who thinks she looks better with her hair a few inches longer.
"Th-thanks. You really think it looks good?" she tenderly asked.
"You know I don't pander. You wear it well, but I would trim the bangs. I'm sure you would cut down on the chore aspect of it when you aren't running your fingers through your hair to keep it out of your eyes," the heiress mentioned, Ruby never thinking she would miss hearing one of her back-handed compliments.
"Well, you might have saved me a trip to my stylist. I think Yang is competent enough to shape it," the former leader asserted. A lull in the conversation had Ruby fixating on the woman in front of her, Ruby captivated and comforted by how cordial and inviting the heiress was. Expected to still be vehemently hated, she couldn't have predicted to not only salvage, but build back her bridge with Weiss.
About to start another round of how her ex had spearheaded the security of the last Vytal Festival, a vibration came from the ice princess' cleavage. Weiss modestly turned away to dig her scroll out, the message to both their disliking. "It seems Winter wants to go home. Oh my, is it really this late? She stayed longer than expected."
Ruby covertly brought out her scroll, too, pleasantly shocked at how long they were talking. "Even I didn't expect to stay this late. I wouldn't be surprised if the staff is cleaning up." Ruby froze again as she didn't know how to say goodbye. Although it went perfectly, she didn't know if hugging was appropriate. So she stuck out her hand, rigid and stiff as she defaulted on the option. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"Yes, but no," the heiress responded. "Based on the content, this actually pertains you too. Come with me." The former leader did as she was told, the confusion clearing up as they walked to the opposite end of the reception. In a section that was peculiarly secluded behind the alter, the hushed bickering of Winter and her uncle could be heard, Ruby not surprised to find Qrow shackled in ice to the side of a building.
"I'm not that," the man paused as he suppressed his indigestion, "drunk. I had one too many."
"Try three," the elder Schnee snarkily corrected. "Your tolerance is admirable, but that doesn't mean you aren't a drunken slob when you tip past that threshold. The base you comes out loud and clear, you old pervert."
"I resent the old part."
"Winter," the heiress broke the two from firing back-and-forth. "What's going on here?"
"Idiot here groped me and I'm punishing him. I may not have my weapon, but him getting frostbite and having to amputate the hand that violated me seems fair," Winter coldly broke down, Ruby remembering the reasons she couldn't look her in the eye when she dated Weiss.
"Lies and slander. Ruby, mind helping me out of this?" Her uncle nudged his head towards his icy imprisonment.
She loved him, but she wanted him to speak his innocence before bashing a rock into his wrist. "This is one of your misunderstandings, right?"
"Ruby, that hurts. I tripped and grabbed at the thing in front of me to save me from spilling my drink all over her," he explained, the former leader uneasy breaking him out when Winter was so vehemently mad. With a half-empty glass in his free hand, the story added up. "I'm many objectionable things, but I get my consent."
Airing on the side of caution, Ruby gave him the rock, Qrow breaking himself out with some well-placed strikes. "Just as you got that consent from that girl, and I do mean girl. What was she, half your age?" Winter jabbed back.
"Don't get all sour because you're afraid of putting yourself out there," he quipped back, warming his wrist with friction. "Trust me, we've all hit on someone who is younger than they look."
"Sorry, but I have standards. I don't draw from the same pool of men my sister's age." The elder Schnee, at her limit, took her leave. "I think we've stayed long enough. Nice seeing you, Ruby. Qrow, expect that restraining order."
"I'll catch up to you," the ice princess said, her sister storming off that Weiss clearly took after. "I'll make this quick. She has been known to leave me behind when she's angry. I, umm, mind if I get your number, Ruby?"
The former leader's eyes popped, both from the excitement of Weiss taking the initiative, but also trying to hide the fact she never deleted her number from her contacts. She gave the information needed, the goodbye rushed as the heiress ran back to her sister, but that solved her dilemma of what to say. The weight of a full-grown man slumped on her, Ruby slinging his arm around her as she knew the routine.
"You're a smoother operator than you think. Glad you stepped up tonight."
"Glad I did, too, but how did all this happen? I had to stop talking to Weiss because of you. Shouldn't you be... you know, sealing the deal with Octavia," Ruby begrudgingly murmured.
"I was about to, but I saw Winter drinking alone. Seeing her as the only one not having fun, I sent Octavia home, getting her number as efficiently as you did, and walked over to her. She rebuffed me at first, but she mentioned how old she feels being single at a wedding. Weiss gave me a tip on how to crack Winter, so I was honest for the moment, reminding her that she wasn't alone," he explained, Ruby feeling repugnant that she doubts the noble nature that lies deep in her Uncle's core. "She opened up after that, getting a good story of how she chat-up two men who both were younger than you. She swears they looked older, but that embarrassment led to why I'm here. You know what it's like up to end up in ice handcuffs. Drinks lead to fun, fun leads to more drinks, drinks lead you to stumble over yourself and into her chest."
Ruby, for the most part, understood where her uncle was coming from, many times her spaziness lead to a pattern of happy accidents. A text vibrated from her scroll, Weiss sending her first text in the chat log after an eternity of it sitting at the bottom. The message only read 'It's Weiss' with a snowflake emoticon. Dragging her uncle back to her hotel room, she stared at the screen, mind in a gridlock of how to respond.
"Just text back a smiley face and a 'got it'," the drunken man said, Ruby unsure to take his advice. "It works. I sent one to Octavia earlier." With time ticking closer to awkward, she did as Qrow suggested, receiving a 'talk to you later' from the heiress moments later.
Ruby stumbled into her room, tossing Qrow on the bed and took the couch. She didn't undress, too tired, and the gown and couch a better combo than what she was used too. With mind still active, she took out her scroll, admiring the name at the top of her message list. "I can't believe what happened with me and her. It was so natural, almost as if we left off... before the fighting. I wanted to say sorry, but I'm glad there wasn't that exchange. No digging up of the past and proceeded forward. Some events need to be looked back on, but I obsessed over it, over-analysis being an understatement. My only regret is I wish I picked up my scroll and called her sooner. I've been wanting a fresh start and I finally got it thanks to you, Weiss."
