pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

"Professor Strife! Professor Strife is that you?! Do you have a moment to answer a couple questions?"

Weiss and I were heading to a shuttle to leave the satellite after our conversation with Ruby. It had been fantastic to see her face again. I missed her so much that my heart ached. The pain hadn't been real until I saw her again. And having to tell her about when I self harmed had been a wake up slap. I needed to get better and not just for my sake. I wasn't just hurting myself when I self harmed. It was a trap, a trick. And something I could easily fall into. Luckily I had Weiss to pull me up and out.

I glanced over at the person calling my name. She had dark purple hair and brown eyes. She was tall for a girl. Maybe five-nine. She held her scroll out to me and it was already recording.

"Oh, and aren't you Weiss Schnee? Schnee heiress?" The woman asked.

"Former Schnee heiress," Weiss corrected bitingly. "Come on, Cloud."

"Wait! People want to hear what you have to say. You're the youngest Professor to teach at any of the major schools ever."

I gave Weiss a sideways glance that she met. She shrugged a little.

"Make it quick," I decided.

"Is it true that you fought in the fall of Beacon as a student?"

"It is… I had a different name back then."

"What's your relationship to Miss Schnee?"

"That's personal," I said.

"And did you fight in the recent bombings as well?"

"I did."

"How did you get there so fast? Beacon is quite a ways from the shipyards."

"Part of my grab-bag is flight. I flew there."

"Would you comment on your semblance? You mentioned that it's a grab-bag."

"Strength and speed and flight mostly. It makes me better. It makes me better at nearly everything. It gives me an intense neutral game and makes my advantage state oppressive. It's a comeback factor that can get me out of disadvantage at a price."

"Would you clarify what you mean by 'neutral game' and 'advantage state?'"

"Neutral is when two people have no positional advantage over the other. It's your understanding of the space you're threatening and the space your opponent is threatening and your relationship between the former and the latter. Advantage state is when you do have a positional advantage over your opponent. They are already in a space you are threatening and they are in danger. Disadvantage is the reverse. It's when you are unable to threaten your opponent and are trapped in a space they are occupying."

"It sounds complex," she pointed out.

"That's… why we have classes."

"Would you ever compete in a tournament?"

"Unlikely."

"And are you and Miss Schnee an item?"

"We are."

"That's interesting…" She commented.

"Is it?"

"Where did you two meet?"

"We both attended Beacon together."

"Cloud," Weiss muttered to get my attention.

"That's all for now. No more questions."

"Would you be willing to do a longer interview at a later point."

"I don't see why not. Just so long as the questions stay mostly to my position at Beacon."

"Thank you so much for your time." She pulled the scroll back away from me. Weiss tugged on my arm and I followed her.

"Was it something I said? Did I fuck up?" I asked Weiss in a low tone.

"No. You did fine. She could easily have been more predatory and sensationalist. She wasn't really. Or didn't seem to be. You just have to be careful. I've done the occasional interview after my father would show me off at a gala or recital. I always had support and I was a kid so they used gloves. All the people who interviewed me were also carefully vetted by my father. I was just worried about what you might let slip. You're usually pretty tight lipped so it wasn't a major concern but it was still something I thought I should warn you about. You can never be too sure with journalists. She was starting to stray into your personal life."

"And that's bad. You want me to keep you and Ruby wrapped up? I can do that."

"Maybe. I didn't really plan for this. It's something I hoped to leave behind with the dust company. But you're a public figure. You're good looking and charming and powerful. You need to be on alert. You never know what they were really after until the article is published."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Would you actually never compete in tournaments? You could do very well."

"I don't really want to give people the opportunity to study my abilities. Part of the real advantage of my semblance is the element of surprise. I get Limit and I take it and I use it to kill you. If you're watching out for that you might stop me from charging it or interrupt me mid-use. If I have that surprising edge I can knock just about anybody to zero in a few heartbeats. But not if they're ready for that sort of thing."

"Is it something somebody can really stop? You keep it mostly charged all the time and then use it immediately to kill somebody. There isn't much time for anybody to really act. Even if they see your semblance coming there's nothing they can do about it."

"This is my peak. It's all downhill from here in terms of power. You haven't seen any of the seizures but they happen. I can't afford to lose any advantage."

"It's your decision. I was just curious. Do you really think it's going to get that bad?"

"Yeah. I really do."

"I want to start."

"What?"

"I'm getting off the pill and I want to start trying."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Cloud. I'm sure."

"... Are you really sure? With me?"

"Yes. With you. Is that surprising?"

"A little… You're really really sure?"

"Oh for the love of… yes! I want your kids. I want to have them with Ruby."

"How many?"

"Two."

"Whatever you want."

"Don't be limp."

"That's not what I meant. I'd do anything for you. I'd fly to the moon and put it back together if you asked me to."

"That's a bit much."

"I always wanted a life with you one day and now I have it. I get a little overexcited and can't do a damn thing about it."

"It's sweet. You tend to overthink things, though. Think about being a good father. You're going to have a lot of kids."

"Daughters?"

"Probably a few to dote on."

"Sons?"

"You'll have to show them how to be a man."

"Fuck me."

"That's the plan."

And then she walked away and made me watch her go. I shook it off. I caught up easily enough.

If she had asked me to put the moon back together it would probably be easier than being a truly good parent. This was going to be the hardest thing I had ever done hands down and I wasn't sure I was up for it. Kids were fucking hard, man. They were the absolute hardest. Doing well was not going to be like flying a kite. It was going to be like hitting the ground hard.

It was going to be different from training Rose. It was all encompassing and it was on me. I had to get better. I had to do better than my best. Because this wasn't about me. At the very least I wasn't alone. I had my two closest people beside me and in on it with me. They were going down the same rabbit hole I was. It was scary. It was true. I had Ruby and I had Weiss to help me out. They were both going to be fantastic mothers and if I could be one tenth as good as they were those kids would turn out better than alright.

Weiss was singing softly again. Her voice was so good. She sounded like what sex felt like.

"Diana, oh closest moon in the sky, your shattered face does become me; your millions of pieces do fly by; encircling and longing to be free."

"Lonely body ringed by little light; I see my face like thou art a mirror; a pool to me of plain warm silver; drifting to rest now, no need to fight."

"Accompanied in a timeless dance; companions are whole and unbroken; two compatriots leave in a shining trance; Artemis's curved touch leaves much unspoken."

"Once a friend and now become a lover; red faced and crimson like rose petals; you kiss, embrace and leave each other; waiting while your white body settles."

"She leaves you colored vividly; yet you remain completely composed; is it weakness or is it dignity; there's no embarrassment in being exposed."

"Naked thou art beside your sister-wife; can thou be content with circles you ran? A long death following a short life; you both touch and end where you began"

"Your bright husband you both reflect; powerful Ra shedding energy like no other; with scorching rays he doth eject; much light hath he your husband-brother."

"Three you are united but never can you entreat; near misses and close eclipses; pale eternities roll by it's just a treat; gravity will bring you together and deliver you those kisses."

"But as your lips doth finally meet; you die a yellow death as a trio; a farewell and a great last retreat; a final trace, this you completely know."

"Still you three spheres springing sway; together a new life above Remnant's face; Oh, Diana, your pieces in a great grey bay; your husband leaves-sets first, he sets the pace."

"He'll bring you with him when he goes; the fragments of your body he swallows; an end at long last to every Grimm; your sister vanishes too, her rose body follows."

"You intertwine no more at long long last; no more circles do you obliquely pace; your first touch it came and passed; your heart provides one last final race."

Her voice rose and fell and I listened. I ached a little with her words and her tone. The feeling she put behind each note was unreal and it made me feel. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to live. I wanted to die. I wanted whatever she wanted and I wanted to make her smile. It hurt so bad to be loved and to love. It sliced like a razor even when it felt good. It was a pleasurable agony on the edge of something burning deep in my chest.

She could make my heart stop and then restart it with her voice if she wanted to. I felt compelled to reach out and grab her hand and squeeze it tightly and firmly. She looked up at me and I felt strong in that moment. The challenges that were coming my way weren't real obstacles if I didn't allow them to be. It was as hard as I wanted it to be. It was as easy as counting if I felt like it. And I could feel like it.

Things had been so hard this far. But that was my fault. I wanted it to be hard. The rest of my life could be easy if I wanted it to be. And why not? Maybe I deserved a break. Maybe I deserved for my life to be easy for once. Maybe I deserved a real family. A family that I had built. I just had to communicate with them and allow them to talk to me as well. We could all express our needs and have them met and be an absolutely wonderful union.

"Marry me," I half asked, half demanded of Weiss.

She gave a little start at my tone.

"I don't have a ring to give you but you shouldn't trust me to pick something like that out anyways. I have no idea what beauty is. I just know it when I see it or hear it and I'm feeling it with you. So you should marry me. Especially if we're going to have kids. We can pick out three rings and surprise Ruby. We can ask her together when we see her next. Or six rings, maybe. One for each of us to each other. Whatever you want. The details don't matter to me. But I do want to marry you. So tell me 'yes.'"

"I think the six ring idea is a good one…"

"Is that how you say 'yes' to me?"

"I can see how hard you're trying. You'll be a good father."

"For the time I have left."

"Don't bring this moment down."

"I can't lie to you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Either. That was an older me that tried to pull that off. It was the sort of me that died. It died a long time ago. Gods above it's been so long. But some things haven't changed. I have always wanted you. That's been a constant throughout my life. From my earliest days at Beacon to those late evenings in Mistral that's been the case. I want to make you happy and hear you sing. It's like a private show just for me. I love it. I love you. I'll conquer myself for you. And I can make you happy. That's why you should say yes and marry me. I don't have time. The one thing I don't have is time. I can't waste a second more of it without you as my bride. Such a waste. It's intolerable that we aren't already engaged or something. I'm short on time and I have to fill it with as much as I can before the end. That means you. So you should say 'yes' to me. At Beacon you always shut me down and justly so. I was dishonest with everything. I was so fake. But now I'm real. You've made me real. So you should marry me, don't you think? Isn't it about time? Gods am I too late already? How much more will I waste? I'm tired and I want to be whole. For once in my life I want to be made complete. So won't you agree and marry me?"

"Of course I'll say 'yes.'"

"Maybe my prayers are answered. Maybe the gods are listening. Maybe I'm a lucky man."

"Do you feel lucky?"

"Sometimes. With you and Ruby I do. My little lights guiding me to shore. I'd be blind and lost without you. What would I do? Where would I be?"

"You'd be wallowing in your own misery. You'd be buried under the weight of the full brunt of the human emotional spectrum. You may even have taken your own life. But it's alright. We'll all be together and things will be right. Just as they were always meant to. I believe in shaping our destinies. I believe in a million trillion paths that we could maybe follow. I'm glad you picked this one. It's probably the best one you could have chosen. You played your cards right. You got two beautiful women. How many guys can say that? So you're good at shaping your life. It isn't luck. We were meant to be together. We were meant to be inseparable. We were meant to be a trio and a team in life. We were always going to be a family, always meant to be a family. You made the right call. You're shaping up and changing your life around. You're committed. You're honest."

"I've been committed to multiple psychiatric hospitals."

She hit me with the back of her hand on my chest and smiled up at me. I fucking loved when she did that. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Alright, alright."

"You've changed in all the ways that matter since those days at Beacon. I only regret not seeing all this in you sooner. You're semblance is about pushing yourself. It's the essence of who you are. You were created to be a puppet. You were meant to be a slave. You defied all that and I admire that in you. You overcame your evil nature through perseverance and hard work. Ruby was born good. You worked to become good despite an evil birth. In a way it's more impressive than being created pure. You had to be reforged and melted down and purified. That takes work and effort and I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you that it hurts. So listen to me when I say I'll marry you and that I love you."

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG