Hey y'all, been a while since I've updated this one. I won't offer excuses, but things have been pretty crazy with my job and I've only recently been able to find the time I needed to dedicate to my writing.

Anyway, I need to give a big thanks to JBlaser for the story idea! (And for their patience...)

As always, thank you all so much for giving my story a read, your comments give me LIFE!
Stay healthy, stay happy!

-Amaratsu

"Ruby."

"I'm serious, Weiss, what if they say my toes look weird?!"

"Ruby."

"I hate it when Yang tickles my feet, I'm not sure I'm ready for this!"

"Rub—"

"What if I giggle in the middle of it, or they think my feet smell but they're too nice to say it and—"

"RUBY!" Weiss shrieked, making several onlookers jump and quickly avert their eyes, "We're in public, pull yourself together!"

Ruby Rose, the youngest team leader to ever walk the hallowed halls of Beacon academy, ducked her head guiltily at Weiss' tone. "Sorry." The girl mumbled, "I'm just nervous, I thought it was just going to be a quick make-up thing or something."

Weiss cringed a little at her friends defeated tone. She'd made the reservation under the assumption that Ruby had wanted the full experience, and while she wouldn't say that she regretted her actions, even she was willing to admit that they might have been a little… presumptuous. "You'll be fine, Ruby." She said gently, but not without glancing around to ensure no one was listening to her uncharacteristically soft tone, "No one's going to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with and I can personally assure you that the staff will treat you with the utmost respect."

"It's not really them I'm worried about." Ruby mumbled.

Weiss blinked, but before she could further question the other girl, they rounded the corner and came into sight of their destination.

Silver eyes widened comically, and Ruby locked in place with a panicked whine, "Weiss, I can't do this!" She whisper-hissed desperately.

"Wha—Ruby I—"

"I'm a grease monkey Weiss!" Ruby moaned, her eyes darting around in clear panic, "I don't belong in a fancy-pants place like that! You should have just left me in my room, covered in oil, like the dirty geek girl I—"

Weiss wasted little time slapping her hand over her leader's mouth, flushing to the roots of her snowy hair. "Ruby. I know you love tinkering with your huntress weapon, because you're a very conscientious student of Beacon who takes exceptionally good care of her gun-scythe with the proper weapon oils and other such materials. You don't need to tell me, since I am your teammate."

Several people 'subtly' went back to what they'd been doing. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.

Ruby evidently hadn't caught on. "Eph shmmpth apth cuvmph." She said unintelligibly, her eyes wide and watery.

"Ruby, don't talk through my hand." Weiss corrected absently, subtly making sure they weren't collecting more attention than was necessary before she released her friend.

"I shouldn't have come." The girl mumbled pathetically, "I'll just make it weird and awkward and ruin your day."

Weiss was known for many things but being warm and nurturing wasn't one of them; Neither was being patient. "You're making things weird and awkward already, and I still want you to come." She snapped, "So stop being a dolt and get inside before I drag you inside."

"Eep!" Ruby squeaked, shooting through the doorway in a semblance-enhanced blur. Weiss let out a pleased snort before following at a more sedate pace, pointedly ignoring any stares directed towards her.

The inside of the spa was warm and inviting, the walls painted a pale beige that brought to mind rolling sandy beaches or warm wood bathed in the rays of the sun. Skylights dotted the ceiling, made of opaque glass that let in just the right amount of sunlight to paint the lobby in warm colors that made her relax minutely on reflex alone. An impressive feat given that Weiss knew the building had another floor above them; The interior designer they'd hired had evidently been worth the money to produce such a convincing illusion using lights, glass, and paint. The furniture was all gentle curves and vinyl the color of sun-kissed soil. The establishment lacked the overwhelming wealth put on display by the places she'd been to before, but she found herself somewhat awed by the clever use of resources and tricks to make a suitable impression.

The heiress didn't have to search for her friend upon entering the spa, Ruby was standing to the side of the doorway looking very much like a small animal ensnared by the eyes of a predator. "Is she with you, sweetie?" A matronly woman sitting behind the front desk asked kindly, giving Weiss a gentle smile as she gestured towards her frozen leader.

Weiss repressed a groan, instead slapping a pleasant smile on her face before responding. "Yes, we're here for a treatment, under the name Weiss?"

"Of course," The woman said smoothly, "Give me just a moment to pull up the reservation and we can get you right back into a relaxing sauna, alright dear?"

"Take your time." Weiss said automatically, reaching out to grab her paralyzed leader's hand without a second thought and dragging the other girl towards the desk.

"Weiss, I'm serious," Ruby whined under her breath, eyes watering as she finally snapping out of her funk long enough to get out her complaints. Typical. "Promise you won't hate me if I'm bad at this!"

"Who could possibly be bad at being pampered?!" Weiss asked exasperatedly.

"Me!" Ruby hissed, her eyes wide and panicked as they finally arrived at the front desk.

"First time, I take it?" The receptionist asked kindly, her warm brown eyes taking in Ruby's obvious agitation. Weiss subtly elbowed her leader when she didn't immediately respond and Ruby let out a startled squeak, giving Weiss a dirty look before nodding her head violently. The receptionist's eyes somehow managed to soften even further, and she let out a melodious giggle. "There's nothing to be worried about sweetie." She said warmly, "Your friend is right, you came her for some good'ol fashioned rest and relaxation. Everyone here wants to make sure they do everything they can to make you feel happy and welcome. If you're not comfortable with something, make sure to let us know, we'll follow your lead."

Ruby perked up slightly at that last word, her silver eyes rising shyly to meet the receptionist's warm brown. "Lead." She murmured under her breath, "That's right, I'm here to lead." Ruby took a deep breath, let it out, and gave the woman at the desk a crooked smile, "Yeah, I can do that." She said hesitantly, "Thank you very much Miss Brayne."

Weiss blinked, working hard to keep the shock off her face, did Ruby know this woman?

Oh.

There was a placard on the desk giving the woman's name, and if that wasn't enough, she was also wearing a nametag… Weiss suppressed a flush, she was used to legions of workers going about their business at her family's manor, hundreds of men and women who she would often only interact with once or twice before they'd be lost to her in the cavernous halls of her silent home. It had never seemed worth the effort to try and remember the faces or names of people she'd never see again. When had she started to view all workers as nameless and faceless; Simple beings going about their business like colony ants?

The receptioni—Fawn Brayne looked equally shocked for a moment, before her earthen brown eyes melted like rich chocolate. "Sweetheart, do you have a favorite kind of cookie?" She asked warmly, "We usually stock the waiting areas with different snacks, but I've always thought that you need something a little sweeter to really relax. Also, please, call me Fawn."

"Oh, um, o-okay, and anything that's convenient!" Ruby said quickly, blushing slightly.

Fawn blew out a comically exasperated breath and fixed Ruby with an amused, but deadpan, stare; A stare she quickly transferred over to Weiss. "Her favorite is chocolate chip." Weiss provided without a hint of remorse.

"Weiss!" Ruby scolded, the image immediately ruined by the red in her cheeks and the way she stomped a foot like an indignant child.

"Friends keep you honest, Sweet-Pea." Fawn giggled, "Don't worry about a thing, it's no trouble."

"I don't want anyone to think I'm a child." Ruby grumbled under her breath.

"Honey," Fawn said seriously, "Ain't nothing childlike about a girl needing some chocolate; Anyone who tells you otherwise is either wrong or a boy. Don't get me wrong, I love my man to death, but they just don't get what us ladies go through."

"Ha!" Ruby crowed, "Eat it Jaune! I'll just tell him that next time he complains about chocolate-chip stains on our team-attack plans!"

Fawn grinned, leaning forward conspiratorially, "Oh? Jaune? That your man sweetie?"

Weiss' muscles locked up in absolute horror at the thought of the Dolt being invited into their room for—for bonding. She almost felt ill at the implications.

Oh Brothers, what would their children be like?! Weiss would be the first to admit that she'd misjudged her excitable leader, but even she sometimes needed space from the girls overwhelming positivity. What kind of Lovecraftian nightmare would a combination of Ruby's high-energy positivity and the Dolt's idiotic obliviousness be?!

"What? Oh no, no." Ruby said with a laugh, "He's just one of my friends. He's a really good guy, but I think another friend has eyes on him."

"Oh, thank the gods." Weiss said, "That clown isn't good enough for you."

"Weiss!" Ruby admonished immediately, her silver eyes flashing like naked steel in that way they only did when she was embroiled in the midst of combat or defending a loved one. It was a little impressive how her leader could switch the look in her eyes from puppy-dog to razor blades in an instant.

"Right," Weiss mumbled, then quieter, "Sorry."

"I wish you wouldn't be so hard on him." Ruby said, her voice somehow managing to come out as commanding and disappointed and everything that a fourteen-year old's shouldn't.

"Don't be too hard on her, dear." Fawn interjected, her voice sounding amused, "It's pretty clear that you've got a friend that's quite loyal. Besides, something tells me that if this Jaune pulls anything you don't like, she'll be more than willing to step in to give him a piece of her mind."

"As if." Ruby snorted, "He's basically a bunny-boy; He couldn't hurt a fly."

"I'm sure." Fawn said warmly, before shifting her eyes over to Weiss, "Some girls need a guy who's gentle and sweet, though."

What was she…?

Oh—Oh gods no!

Weiss recoiled at the thought, did Fawn think Ruby had meant her?! She was already fairly certain Ruby was misreading something when she'd claimed that someone else had been interested in the Dolt, and that was only because she wasn't sure about Nora. The orange haired explosion disguised as a girl would be crazy enough to be interested in that idiot…

Before she could defend her besmirched honor, Ruby had snorted out a laugh, "That sounds like Jaune alright, it's too bad he's so oblivious. My friend has her work cut out for her."

"Ah~ one of those," Fawn said with a wink that was just a little too directed in Weiss' direction for her comfort, "Tell your friend to keep at it, they make for incredible dad-material."

To her utter horror, Weiss felt color creep into her cheeks out of sheer mortification. She spluttered out a few unintelligible sounds but a quick glance at Ruby's raised eyebrows telling her she wasn't yet off the hook and should avoid further insulting her team leader's—ugh—friend. Nicer. A shame, since she was certain that she couldn't deny such spurious accusations without doing just that.

"As long as it's not for a while." Ruby stated with a firm pout, turning her attention back to Fawn, "I'm not ready to be a godmother yet."

"Planning that far ahead, are we?" Fawn asked with a giggle.

"Well, yeah!" Ruby enthused, "I mean, who else would they pick as godmother? I was Jaune's first ever friend, he said so! Plus I don't think the girl who's interested has many people she'd really consider…" Ruby leaned forward to fix Fawn with a sad look, "She's pretty famous, and I don't think she has a lot of people she's close to because of it."

"I see." Fawn said, her voice growing slightly more subdued, her eyes drifting over to land on Weiss' snow-white hair. The gesture wasn't subtle. Weiss' eye twitched violently.

"Yeah," Ruby said, her voice slowly regaining its enthusiasm, "So I figure I'm basically a surefire winner in this case!" She frowned abruptly, "Although he is pretty oblivious. Heh, maybe Crescent Rose and I should pay him a visit to 'remind' him of how important we are to him, eh Weiss?"

"Boys usually need to be told things that are obvious." Fawn said, but her warm eyes were directed at Weiss, "I don't think it's a bad idea at all to do just that."

"Grf." Weiss burbled, biting her tongue so hard she could taste copper. She was beginning to regret not bringing Myrtenaster along, if only because it would have made it that much easier to use a gravity glyph to smash herself into the ground and out of sight. Still, since she didn't think Ruby would approve of that or screaming and setting the whole place on fire, it was probably a good thing that she hadn't.

"I'll pass that along." Ruby said with a playful giggle, one Fawn returned. Weiss wanted to die.

"Don't worry, honey, I'm sure she'll come around soon enough." Fawn laughed, with an amused look in Weiss' direction, "Sometimes all we need is a little relaxation to get our thoughts in order."

Could… could she sue this place for defamation? No… it wasn't Fawn's fault Ruby was so vague and confusing. Should she sue Ruby? No, wait, then Yang would inevitably find out exactly what had happened, and the minor satisfaction of ensuring it would never happen again wasn't worth the level of teasing she'd receive.

Ugh.

At this point Weiss knew that any protest on her part would be viewed as token at best, and so she bore the indignity of her situation with all the grace and poise her upbringing afforded her. Not that it did her much good, mind, given the fact that she was flushed red with indignation and this close to spitting literal flames.

Thankfully, Fawn seemed to pick up on her…discomfort, and smoothly shifted the conversation towards filling out the required paperwork for first time spa visitors. As irritated as she was with the woman, Weiss couldn't help but be grateful for her presence as they worked through it. Fawn was excellent at anticipating and disarming Ruby's more panicked reactions and kept the younger girl in shockingly good cheer throughout the whole ordeal.

Finally, they were ushered into a locker room in the back. "The cookies will be in the next room over." Fawn assured them, giving both girls an affectionate smile before turning her attention back to Ruby, "You can wear your undergarments under the robes if you wish, dear, but I can personally assure you that you'll be far more comfortable without them. No one here will treat you with anything less than the greatest modicum of respect, you have nothing to worry about."

"Okay." Ruby said quietly, but she gave the woman a hesitant smile, "Thanks for everything, Fawn, you've been a huge help."

"Anytime, sweetheart." Fawn said warmly before bustling back to her station.

"She was super nice…" Ruby said thoughtfully, "I hope the rest of the staff is like her."

Weiss grumbled something under her breath that sounded like 'They better not be', but even she had to admit that Fawn had been a welcome addition to their day. The woman had Ruby wrangling skills that could put the girl's sister to shame, perhaps she owed Fawn a nice tip for getting Ruby relaxed and ready for their day out.

An inelegant squeak left the heiress' lungs as a whirlwind of red suddenly yanked her off balance, "Weiss!" Ruby whisper-shrieked, "Was I supposed to tip her!? Did I just insult her!? You know fancy-pants stuff better than me, do you think she thought I thought she wasn't that helpful because I didn't give her money!?"

Or not.

"Ruby." Weiss gasped, firmly taking the redheads hands in her own and pulling them off her collar, "You tip at the end of the experience, just like any other service, it'll be taken care of."

"Oh." Ruby said, deflating with a relieved sigh, "Well, then help me remember to put in a tip for her. She was super helpful so I think we owe her that much!"

"Oh, I owe her something alright." Weiss grumbled under her breath, although her heart wasn't really in it. She had thought she'd been quiet enough, but Ruby had uncannily good hearing at the worst of times and gave her a curious look. "Just hurry up, dolt." She snapped, flushing slightly as she pushed her way further into the locker room.

"Hey!" Ruby cried out, scrambling to keep up, "Come on Weiss, what did I do this time?! Weiss? Wait up, don't leave me!"

The heiress kept her nose firmly in the air as she walked, desperately trying to hide the pink tint that darkened her cheeks as she marched through the generously sized changing room like a returning queen. It might have worked better if Ruby hadn't practically tackled her halfway, using her semblance to catch up with her rapidly retreating partner and glomping onto her arm like an overly anxious howler monkey.

"Ruby!" Weiss hissed as she staggered under the sudden weight, one high heel making a rather concerning sound for just a moment before she managed to shift her balance and relieve it of its unexpected burden.

"Don't leave me behind like that!" Ruby hissed right back, anxious silver eyes darting towards where a few other women were storing their possessions in lockers in preparation for their treatments. A sigh left Weiss' lips, and she resigned herself to just a nod in affirmation. There would be little point in ruining all the hard work Fawn had put into relaxing Ruby.

Silver eyes seemed to peer into her soul; She must have found something there, because after a moment some of that anxious tension seemed to bleed out of her leader's expression. Weiss shifted awkwardly to her other foot, feeling a little out of her depth. Just what was she supposed to do in a situation like this? She certainly didn't feel capable of calming her leader's nerves, not like Fawn had. Sometimes she wondered just how compatible the two of them were as partners; This certainly hadn't been the first time she'd thought her personality utterly unsuited for supporting her leader.

It wouldn't have even been the first time this week…

Would Ruby have been better off having a partner more like Fawn?

With a jolt, Weiss realized Ruby was still waiting for a response. "I didn't go through the trouble of dragging you here just to abandon you the moment we'd arrived." She managed to stammer out, wrenching her eyes out of those silver pools with a palpable force of will; She didn't need Ruby seeing the hesitation and insecurity that briefly swam through her own.

Ruby stared at her for an intensely uncomfortable moment then, to Weiss' immense relief, snorted inelegantly. "Pff. You already tried to do that once, and you're still here." Ruby said, nudging Weiss affectionately, a wide grin splitting her features.

"It was the better of two bad options." Weiss rebutted stiffly, fighting to keep the relief out of her voice.

The little leader of team RWBY rolled her eyes, "One day we'll get you to admit you're a bad judge of character."

"Unlikely." Weiss said through a thin smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Ruby said, waving her comment off without a thought as she glanced around the room, "Where do we…?"

Weiss grumbled at the easy dismissal but recollected herself with a sigh in time to quickly scan the room for what she was certain her leader was looking for. "Clean robes are this way." She said with only puff of irritation, pointing towards a basket of neatly folded cloth.

"Great…" Ruby said unenthusiastically, fingering the hem of her combat skirt unconsciously.

Weiss sighed. "You can keep undergarments on beneath the robe, Ruby," She said woodenly, already certain that she was in for another patented Ruby attack, "But you can trust me when I say that you'll enjoy the experience far more without them. You have nothing to fear from the men and women who work here, they are professionals to the core."

"…Okay." Ruby said quietly.

Weiss turned to blink at her, "I'm sorry?"

"I said okay." Ruby replied, tearing worried eyes away from the basket to give Weiss a shaky smile, "I trust you, Weiss. I mean, I'm nervous, but I trust you."

Weiss felt her jaw start to drop, a horrifically unladylike expression that she immediately fought to correct before anyone could comment on it.

Unfortunately, going by the melodic giggle that emanated from her partner, she'd failed. "Oh, come on Weiss," She said with another giggle, "Is it really so surprising? I know you'd never let someone perv on me or something, you can be just as uptight as Yang sometimes when you think something isn't appropriate. Just think about that time I picked up 'Ninja's in Love'."

"That book is utterly inappropriate!" Weiss fumed immediately, her jaw coming unstuck in her righteous fury, "I have no idea how it snuck its way into our dorm room, but I once I get your sister to confess we will have words."

To the white-haired girl's intense ire, her partner broke out into another series of snickers that drew the eyes of a few of the other women in the changing room.

Ruby didn't even notice.

That, more than anything, was what abated Weiss' irritation. Ruby continued to giggle fitfully as she snatched up a fluffy robe and departed to change with a bright backwards grin, leaving Weiss all alone.

How strange life could be.

Perhaps they weren't so incompatible after all.

/*/

True to her word, Ruby giggled fitfully through their entire massage.

"You're carrying a lot of stress…" The masseuse said, surprise coloring her tone as she worked on Weiss' shoulders, "Could have sworn I just got this spot."

Weiss just groaned as another fit of giggles erupted from beside her, Ruby apologizing breathlessly in between laughs.

Their facial treatment didn't go much better. Once Ruby had grown more comfortable with the staff, expedited by the fact that they all seemed to take a liking to her unnaturally quickly, she began to detail everything she was feeling with excruciating detail and even more excruciating sound effects.

"Woah! That's cold, it's all like 'shhaww!', Weiss are you feeling this?!" Weiss just groaned again, and the man working on her chuckled under his breath.

"It can have that effect." The woman spreading the lotion on Ruby giggled softly, "I'm a little surprised you're not more familiar with it. You have very healthy skin, so I assumed you'd been here before."

"N-no," Ruby said, that nervous tone slipping back into her voice. While she'd mostly gotten over the strangers in the room, her stammer still cropped up every now and then, "I don't usually do this kind of thing, I've always been more into engineering than lotions and stuff. That's kinda my sister's thing, anyway."

"Nonsense." The woman tutted gently, "Proper skin care is hardly anyone's 'thing'. It's perfectly healthy and natural for anyone, regardless of gender or interests. All it takes is a healthy diet and a few treatments I could recommend."

"She eats cookies non-stop." Weiss grumbled petulantly, "I have no idea how her skin isn't a grease-pit."

"Pocket cookies keep me going!" Ruby snapped back defensively, coloring slightly.

Ruby's esthetician blinked, fingers slowing as she stared down at the girl beneath her. Slowly, she turned disbelieving eyes to Weiss and mouthed 'Semblance?' Weiss shook her head, lips pursed in irritation, and the esthetician let out a low whistle before getting back to her work.

"Don't worry Weiss, I'm sure your skin is pretty smooth too." Ruby said, her voice dripping with glee.

Weiss stared at her leader, her eyes narrowing ominously. "Ruby, how is your paper for Dr. Oobleck going?" She said after a moment, her voice sickly sweet.

"…Shutting up."

Weiss smiled, her perfect teeth flashing dangerously, "That's what I thought."

It couldn't have been any less like the day she'd spent with her sister all those years ago, so why did she feel like she wouldn't trade the experience for the world?

An hour or so later both girls were comfortably ensconced in their respective robes, lounging comfortably as they basked in the afterglow of their treatments. "That… that wasn't so bad…" Ruby said thoughtfully, one hand taking up permanent residence on the plate of cookies beside her as she snuggled deeper into her fuzzy robe. They'd technically finished with their planned treatments for the day, but they'd both decided to linger just a little longer and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. Well, at least Weiss was enjoying the atmosphere; Ruby was enjoying other benefits that had less to do with relaxation and more to do with stuffing her face full of sugar.

"Ruby, surely you've had enough cookies by now…?" Weiss tried for the third time.

Ruby barely slowed down to fix her white-haired partner with an impressive stink-eye, especially considering the way she currently looked more like a chipmunk than a proper huntress. "Weiss," She mumbled imperiously through a mouthful of crumbs, "As your team leader, I order you to stop complaining and try a cookie."

"That's abusing your power, Ruby."

Ruby seemed to consider the point for a moment, thoughtfully tapping a half-eaten cookie against her chin before pointing it decisively at Weiss and saying: "Yes. Yes, it is."

The heiress let out a despairing groan but found herself indulging her leader's command; Then she found herself doing it again just because she wanted to follow the direction thoroughly and definitely not because it had been years since she'd allowed herself to indulge.

"This was actually… nice." Ruby said hesitantly after a few moments had passed in blissful silence, "I'm glad we did this, maybe we should do it again sometime."

Unbidden, Weiss' mind flashed back to the torture she went through getting the girl in sight of the front door and the humiliation she went through after. "Yeah..." She said icily, "Not for a while."

"Whaaat?!" Ruby complained, jutting her bottom lip out in a vicious pout, "Weiss, come on, you had fun! You had fun, right?" Weiss turned her face pointedly away, nose held proudly in the air to hide the smirk creeping over her features. "Weiss! Come on, don't be like that, you enjoyed spending time with me! Right? Right, Weiss?!"

"I think we should get changed and head out." Weiss said glibly, struggling to keep the amusement out of her voice as she rose to her feet and stepped daintily towards the changing rooms.

"Weiss!" Ruby pleaded despondently, trailing in the white-haired girl's wake like a scorned puppy, "Weiss, come on! Just say you had fun with me!"

Weiss did no such thing. After spending a good part of her day hearing everyone extol the healthiness and softness of her partner's skin, she felt that she'd earned the right to be a little petty. Ruby didn't even moisturize. She honestly wasn't sure how her team leader could exist in the same house as Yang Xiao Long of all people and still fail to understand the necessity of skin care. Their resident team-mom had failed rather spectacularly in that regard, although after seeing how much it took to get the girl inside the spa she wasn't entirely certain she could blame her.

Wouldn't stop Weiss from forcing the skin-care products Ruby's esthetician had recommended onto the girl, but what did they really expect? She was Weiss Schnee, if she'd be forced to be resigned to be second best it only seemed fair to demand Ruby be at her best so as not to make her look bad.

Ignoring the other girl's wheedling, she opened the door to the changing rooms and almost ran nose-first into Fawn. "Oh! My apologies, dear." Fawn said, stepping back immediately and giving Weiss a concerned once-over for damage, "I was just on my way to find you, I'm pleased to see you haven't left!"

"No, no, I should have been watching where I was going, you have my sincerest—"

"There's no problem, dear," Fawn interrupted gently, her eyes sparkling with laughter, "I simply wanted to inform you of a little contest we were running."

"Of course." Weiss replied immediately, even as Ruby caught up to her.

"What kind of contest?" The little team leader asked, her silver eyes flashing curiously.

Fawn opened her mouth to reply, but a hand came down on her shoulder and interrupted her, "Please, allow me." A rather stern looking woman said with a thin smile as she stepped out from behind the receptionist. Weiss hardly needed more than a glance to peg the newcomer as a resident of Atlas, her military demeanor and crisp manner of speaking were a common feature of the icy homeland the heiress had left behind; Her outfit also included nearly as many whites as Weiss' own—Even if she frankly felt that that was a rather unfair stereotype. The woman wore a cropped white jacket with blue accents that was pressed to perfection over white shorts and light grey leggings. Her polished knee-high boots gleamed as she stepped out from behind Fawn, her body language both perfectly professional yet notably reserved. As she entered her eyes flicked around the room, only coming to rest on the two girls present once she assured herself that they were alone.

"I am Bianca Beryl." The woman said with military precision, giving them a precise nod even as her gray eyes remained unblinkingly locked upon their faces, "I am here with an associate as part of an outreach program from Atlas. It's common knowledge that Atlas is the greatest amongst the four kingdoms in terms of technological advancement, but the local climate sadly curtails many pleasure-seeking activities. As such, the Atlesian government has commissioned the development of facilities capable of providing relaxation without the requisite travel and expense normally associated with such—"

"We're making a spa in a box!" A boisterous, masculine voice interrupted from behind Bianca. The woman flinched, an odd mix of dread and horror spread across her face before she buried it behind a mask of cold professionalism as she turned to address the notably less conservatively dressed man behind her.

"Reno." The Atlesian woman said with deceptive calm as she reached up to sweep a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear, a motion Weiss immediately pegged as a nervous gesture meant to center her nerves, "Please tell me you didn't just walk through the woman's changing room."

The man Bianca had identified as Reno blinked pitch-black eyes that were notably devoid of any white as he cast a confused look at the doorway behind him, "That was the woman's changing room?"

Bianca's lips thinned but, in an impressive display of control, the stern woman managed to wrestle her expression into a passable imitation of indifference. "Ladies, this is Reno Yucca. He's… helping with the project."

"Like the lady says, name's Reno," The Faunus—It was the only explanation for his eyes—enthused, brushing past Bianca and Fawn to shove a hand towards Weiss and Ruby, "Those Atlas stiffs hired me to help out. I'm the beautician they're trying to replace." He puffed his chest out with no small amount of pride and cast a teasing look at the stiff woman behind him, "Proud to say that their little pet project has a long way to go. It's basically just a glorified assistant right now."

"I have every reason to believe you'll be out of the job soon enough." The woman said, her voice saccharine as she forced the words out through a locked jaw.

"B's been saying that for almost a year and a half now." The Faunus stage-whispered, leaning forward almost double to speak to them, his eyebrows wiggling jauntily over his off-putting eyes. 'B' developed a rather alarming muscle spasm around her eye at the man's words, the clipboard she'd been holding in one hand creaking ominously as her eyes darted towards her partner's exposed neck.

Weiss wondered idly who's idea it had been to pair these two up. They appeared utterly unsuited for the partnership they'd been pushed into, as different as winter from summer. In contrast to his partner's crisp, military style that focused on utility and modesty the Faunus wore lose fitting pants that were made of a light fabric that billowed and danced with his steps. The pants were the color of sun-warmed sand, their ends tucked into heavy wrappings around his ankles that evidently pulled double duty keeping the ends of his light sandals in place. Other than that he wore little more than a light vest over a dull red tank top, its color neatly camouflaging the bandanna he wore around his throat.

None of that was what drew the eye, however, that honor belonged to his eyes and hair. The man wore a friendly expression, but it seemed constantly at odds with the dark pits that loomed above that bright smile. Thinking it rude to stare, Weiss had originally sought to find something else to look at but had found his hair to be equally strange. It was soft, feathery in a way human hair simply couldn't replicate, and a bizarre shade of smoky gray that was occasionally interspersed with dark spots. Two black streaks ran up either side of his skull.

Weiss was no racist, but she held no illusions as to the views most Faunus held towards her family. She'd grown up hearing about people in her orbit being abducted or worse.

She'd attended a few of the funerals.

Weiss Schnee was no racist… but when she stared down at a closed casket, knowing perfectly well what did—or didn't—lay beneath, it was difficult to ignore the rage and the pain and the fear that rose like creeping ivy to steal the breath from her lungs.

There had been a maid once, so long ago, a pleasant woman who'd kept her ears hidden beneath her bonnet and carried about her business with a friendly smile. She'd helped Weiss hide the evidence of a nightmare from her father, she'd changed Whitley's diapers.

She'd been caught smuggling in a bottle of poison.

The woman had lied of course, claiming that the bottle had been an herbal remedy for their cook's heart problems, but her father hadn't been fooled. Weiss wasn't certain what became of the woman, she'd only found out about the events years later, but she'd always wondered deep down if she'd find a familiar face hiding beneath one of those bone-white masks.

She'd been silent too long, hadn't she? Weiss jolted herself back into the present and slapped a polite smile across her features. "A pleasure to meet you." She laughed, loosely taking the Faunus' extended hand. She just needed to play this normal, buy a little time while she recollected herself, "I'm afraid we haven't yet been told what this has to do with our visit, however."

"I apologize," Fawn interrupted, "I forgot to inform you that we were running a raffle every day. Their machine may be in its testing phase, but Mr. Yucca here is a man of considerable talent."

"Y'all are our lucky winners." Reno said with a rakish grin, "Although, to be fair, you're doing us a favor if anything. Those Atlas stiffs need help learning a thing or two about relaxation without having to rely on regularly scheduled breaks." He paused to shoot a wink at Bianca, "I keep telling B she's gotta add more of those to her personal schedule before she collapses from overwork. I kid around a lot, but it's no exaggeration to say she's the heart and soul of this project; If they tried to replace her, I'd follow her in a heartbeat."

A series of complex emotions flitted across Bianca's face, only to be hidden when the woman turned to hide her features with a polite cough as she reached down to smooth nonexistent wrinkles out of her clothing. "Be that as it may," The woman said stiffly, "We are on a bit of a schedule. Would one of you be interested in giving our prototype a shot?"

It was a tempting offer, but not for the reasons provided… She had spent the whole day hearing about how her skin was only second best after all…

"Why yes, yes we would." Weiss said, a sharp little smile forming on her face, "My friend Ruby here has such pretty, healthy skin, but she just can't find a type of makeup that works for her. Perhaps you can give her a hand?"

"Meep?" Ruby posited eloquently.

"Fantastic!" Reno enthused, clapping a hand on Ruby's shoulder and steering the stammering girl away, "Makeup is a topic I happen to know a lot about! You look like you'd do well with something light, I'm thinking maybe—"

His voice drifted off as he marched Ruby away, the petite leader sending the occasional pleading look back Weiss' way that went deservedly unanswered.

"Quite the charmer, that one." Fawn observed, her tone warm and amused as she watched the pair depart.

"Ahem, he can be, yes." Bianca said, pushing another imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes pointedly anywhere else.

"Very genuine, seems like the type to say exactly the right thing without even noticing."

Bianca coughed delicately into her fist, "I have no idea what you mean."

"Of course, of course," Fawn murmured with a small smile, "Well then, I wish you luck with your… collaboration."

"Atlas thanks you." Bianca stammered, a light veil of pink dusting her features as she hastily excused herself.

"Think they'll get anywhere?" Fawn asked wistfully.

The question caught Weiss off guard, she had to double check that she was indeed the only one in the room before she thought to formulate a response. "I wouldn't think so," She eventually stated honestly, "They hardly seem the ideal match, like oil and water."

Fawn chuckled, turning warm eyes onto Weiss that seemed just a tad too discerning, "You might be surprised," She said knowingly, "People say opposites attract for a reason. Sometimes we need someone in our lives who can balance us out a little bit."

Weiss frowned. She'd… never really thought about things like that. Growing up, all she'd ever heard about was the perfection of the Schnee name and how she had to live up to those standards. She'd been raised to be the perfect Schnee.

She was only now beginning to realize that that wasn't the same as being a perfect person.

She thought back to making their appointment; To the name she'd given. When had she started to doubt that? When had she started trying to escape the overwhelming presence of her last name and just be Weiss?

"You should hurry along as well," Fawn said knowingly, "Your friend could probably use you in that room; She's not quite as confident as you are."

Oh.

In hindsight it was that obvious, wasn't it?

"Perhaps I will accompany her after all." Weiss said with a small, honest smile. It was nowhere near as radiant as the ones she'd been taught, her coaches might have called it vague or ugly, but to her it felt just right.