Ruby wasn't sure quite how Weiss could summon the energy to run such a distance without uttering a single complaint: it was so unlike her. Both because she was curious as to what would motivate Weiss to behave so and so she could remain near her BFF lest she get into some interesting shenanigans, Ruby kept pace.

"Weiss, what is the big deal?" Ruby inquired, reaching after Weiss as she trotted unreasonably quickly in her heels. "Who is it-" She stopped herself for just a moment, her eyes going wide. "Who is she?"

Weiss smiled fondly. "Winter."

"Wait-" Ruby began, still staring straight ahead at the arrival disembarking from the dropship onto the landing platform. "Your sister?"

Weiss had mentioned her big sister only a few times, most notably whenever she was sending a letter home to Atlas while Ruby attempted to distract her with cookies and cookie-related activities. Weiss always spoke of her sister fondly, with a quiet admiration that reminded Ruby of her own feelings towards Yang, and the occasional curiosity as to how she'd do being away from her for several months, the way Weiss had patiently endured.

She'd been eager to meet Winter some day, and talk to her all about Weiss and learn embarrassing details from her best friend's childhood, and talk about her while she fumed nearby: it was going to be awesome! But now, well...

One thing that had definitely drawn Ruby to Weiss was how pretty she was; how graceful and elegant she was in every action (until they tried working together in combat, anyway). This woman definitely had those traits, even though all Ruby had seen her do was walk and turn slightly. She was instantly enamored, and staring at her.

It was weird... she liked Weiss, and had stared at her for uncomfortably long stretches too, but now Weiss was entirely out of her mind and she was focused on this tall silver-haired soldier, a shining column of color amidst the stark white of her robot subordinates.

"Winter! I'm so happy to see you!" Weiss excitedly exclaimed, before quickly composing herself and doing a proper curtsy. "I mean-your presence honors us."

"Beacon," Winter observed, strolling forward, and Ruby felt her heart skip slightly at her voice. "It's been a long time. The air feels... different."

Ruby felt she should say something; maybe impress this girl with her observational skills! "I mean, it is fall, soo... eh, it's probably colder."

That was dumb. Like, Jaune dumb.

Weiss punched the side of her head to reiterate that point and Ruby did her best to stay quiet thereafter.

Weiss and Winter engaged in conversation, and despite the brief flash of pain Weiss had inflicted, Ruby enjoyed watching them banter. Again she was reminded of herself and Yang, though Winter was much more authoritative. Very direct, but that voice... man, Ruby would do whatever Winter told her to do if she kept using that voice.

Then Winter abruptly interjected her opinion by bashing Weiss on the head: "Silence, you boob!"

Now Ruby couldn't help but think about her boobs. She was certainly ahead of Weiss there-

She was very grateful she'd managed to avoid speaking, until she reached over to examine Weiss's head wound and quietly murmured: "Heh, boob."

She really hoped they both just thought her childish and not pervy.

"I see," Winter dryly observed, "so this is the leader you wrote of."

Oh dear god Winter was talking about her now...

"How appropriately... underwhelming."

Ruby momentarily averted her gaze. Best to just play it off and not let the words hurt. "Uh... thank you!"

"Greetings, Ruby Rose," Winter said, putting on a more pleasant air, even forming half a smile. "I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

Oh, now she was using her name! Ruby wanted her to keep saying her name, to say it again and again! And she was happy she and Weiss were friends and that sentence couldn't possibly have any other meaning or connotation!

"Oh, uh, yes!" Ruby said after what seemed an eternity of awkward silence, her mind racing for a proper way to respond to Winter's formal statement. She'd already put her foot in her mouth and wanted to try and sweep that away with something more sophisticated. "Of course! The honor's-" She tried saluting first, but quickly abandoned that and tried to curtsy. "-in my... court!"

She nearly fell over trying to lift her skirt and flitted about on unsteady feet while Winter looked on. Ruby tried to laugh it off, though her laughs probably came across as very forced, so she closed her eyes and tried to pretend she hadn't made a massive fool of herself.

When Ruby dared to look again, Winter eyed her for a moment, and Ruby wasn't sure what to make of her expression. Winter turned her attention to Weiss and said: "I have business with the general and your headmaster."

What a shame that she was going to go about business... "But, seeing as I'm early," Winter continued. "Why don't you take me to your quarters?"

Ruby thought she was moving a bit fast... except that totally wasn't what she'd meant and probably just wanted to see how Weiss had been living, the big sister instincts kicking in. She tried to put the thought out of her mind but couldn't quite lose the picture of Winter standing beside her bunk beds.

And then she heard Winter say: "Bunk beds?" with incredulity.

She then noticed Weiss, Winter, and the robot buddies were heading off and waved after them: "I'll catch up! Er, I mean... I will... reconvene... with you both... at a later... juncture!" She was so proud of herself for the formal language, only to quickly realize they were too far away to hear her.

"At a juncture, yeah," Ruby confirmed, before making a discreet exit.

She really had to do something about these weird thoughts... maybe a spot of video games would help. Probably best she didn't return to the dorm so Winter didn't have to deal with Ruby being weird in close proximity.

Hopefully something drastic would happen that would totally allow her to forget that awkward meeting and put everyone's attention elsewhere. Maybe some crazy guy would show up out of nowhere and that'd be the story of the day instead.

Nah, what were the odds of that?

Ruby pulled out her Scroll and started practicing her TOTAL ANNIHILATION, all while wondering if maybe Winter might enjoy sharing a nice plate of cookies with her...

Winter had fully intended to meet Weiss and catch up with her before her scheduled meeting with the Beacon headmaster. She hid her anticipation well, but she was quite looking forward to spending time with her sister and gaining a little insight to Beacon. Winter had been a bit surprised when Weiss opted to attend there instead of stay in Atlas, and suspected it was simply to be a bit further away from their father. Winter had been furious with him when he saw the scar on Weiss's left eye, but Weiss hadn't allowed it to affect her, treating it as a point of pride and the inevitable result of her career path in becoming a huntress. Fury became pride when she saw Weiss stride ahead unbowed, but Winter would also like to see the pride Weiss had always shown in her again too.

But upon spotting Weiss on her way to the landing platform, Winter's eyes drifted to the dash of red running beside her sister. Perhaps she was drawn to it because it offset the constant white of the Atlesian military around her, or because of how it contrasted with Weiss, but whatever the reason it captivated her.

Winter knew immediately who it was, though Weiss's description of her in the letter she'd sent had been "a person" which left quite a few blanks to fill in. But the red hood, the little tinge of red in her dark hair, and the silver eyes... oh, there was no doubting who she was. And when she stopped beside Weiss in front of Winter at the foot of the ramp of her dropship, Winter felt her eyes constantly sliding back to this striking flash of color.

Weiss allowed her emotion to get the better of her before quickly putting on a more dignified air and greeting Winter formally. Winter tried to avoid looking at Weiss's partner, but in averting her gaze ended up looking into the empty air, unintentionally avoiding Weiss's gaze as well. "Beacon... it's been a long time. The air feels different."

"I mean, it's fall so, eh..." Ruby interjected, "...it's probably colder."

Winter wasn't looking, but she was drawn to the sound of her voice. Winter was used to hearing very blunt and direct statements, thanks to being a direct subordinate to General Ironwood, but it was always jarring to hear unvarnished truth. Ruby's response had radiated with a genuine desire to be helpful, an innocent attempt to assist someone and free them from confusion.

Weiss, of course, bashed her friend for the effort. She was still so impatient... much as Weiss had matured, some things hadn't changed yet. And Weiss was eagerly inquiring of her, and Winter was keeping her responses short and neutral.

She'd intended to spend time with her sister; why was she giving her the cold shoulder? Was she... upset her sister had struck the innocent girl in the little red hood?

Winter was able to recollect her thoughts when Weiss started ranting about her studies, including her progress in time dilation. Winter knew she had limited time here and she still wanted to acquire specific information from her sister, and gave her a love tap to forcefully interject into the conversation. "Silence, you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking. I asked how you've been. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

All important details for any sister to want to know. Weiss, quickly dismissing the lump left in her forehead, waved over to her partner. "Well... there's Ruby."

Finally able to look at the girl in red, Winter watched as Ruby leaned over to assist her sister with the wound, amused by their antics. "Heh, boob."

Such innocence. Such kindness. Such color.

"I see," Winter observed, keeping up the steely air. "So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately... underwhelming."

Why had she been so cruel? Ruby Rose had been selected as team leader ahead of Weiss, so there must've been something to recommend about her. She'd been hand-picked by Professor Ozpin for advanced placement to his prestigious academy, and though the technique she'd displayed in the qualifying round of the tournament could certainly use refinement, she seemed a capable warrior. Why then did Winter feel the need to tear her down? Why was it so difficult just to meet her silver eye?

"Uh... thank you!" Ruby offered, either missing her insult or choosing to ignore it. Maybe she was simply so innocent she thought Winter had tried to compliment her and bungled it.

Or so perceptive she saw through Winter's facade.

"Greetings, Ruby Rose," Winter offered, more formal. She found herself forming a small smile as she addressed her, without knowing why. Winter scaled her eyes up slightly, so Ruby's own weren't in her field of vision. "I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

That should help offset any suspicion of awkward thoughts. It'd put the focus back on Ruby's relationship with Weiss, and would allow Winter to gleam if there might be a deeper connection there Weiss hadn't managed to mention. Where before she'd stumbled over herself and inadvertedly put the poor girl down, now she'd found a better cover.

"oh, uh, yes, of course!" Ruby replied, nervously averting Winter's gaze and trying to figure out what to do with her hands. She tried saluting, then tried to curtsy. "The honor's... in my... court!" Her attempt to shift her weight led to Ruby unsteady on her feet and flapping her arms wildly to stay aloft, before nervously laughing at her own ineptitude.

It was... adorable. Winter spent so much time in settings that demanded discipline and proper form, and it happened so much, from spar to salute, that this girl's terrible attempt and formality and clumsy sputtering had injected her with a flash of life. She'd never expected to be so fond of such poor form.

Winter suppressed her muscles and maintained her composure, turning attention to Weiss and avoiding looking at Ruby once again. "I have business with the general and your headmaster. But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"

Weiss seemed excited. "Really?"

Winter cast one final look at Ruby before devoting attention to her sister and walking onto the campus. "Yes. I wish to inspect them and see that they are up to my personal standards."

"Of course," Weiss agreed. "Just so you're aware, the bunk beds only look unstable."

"Bunk... beds?" Winter repeated.

Weiss had wanted them as a child, but never allowed herself to indulge, always putting on the air of sophistication and maturity their father had demanded of his children. She'd never had a chance to fulfill that innocent desire. And Winter suspected she hadn't put it into practice at Beacon, but rather, someone else had done it for her, and made her sister happy.

Undoubtedly, the same innocent girl who gave her life a splash of color had done the same for her sister.

Winter resisted the urge to look back, or she might smile and not stop all day. Ruby Rose's presence was intoxicating, and Winter wanted to avoid anything that might compromise her assignment. She had to be competent, effective, and professional, and strange feelings about her sister's friends... strange feelings about fifteen year old girls were, at best, ill-timed.

No reason to rush. Better to quietly probe Weiss; then Winter could both catch up with her dear sister and learn about this curiosity she befriended.

And if they happened to talk again before she left, Winter would make a point to pay her a compliment, if only for being so cute.

Memorable.

She meant memorable.

And she'd have to meet the girl's eye when she said it. Acknowledge her and praise her as she merited it.

Maybe by then Winter would have more to work with, and wouldn't have such difficulty looking into those silver eyes...