Trepidation
Weiss: I really do need to have that talk with Blake… I need to find the courage to actually approach her. What do I even say? Well, other than "I'm sorry", of course. Maybe I can call Winter and ask? It isn't like she's ever had to do something like this, though. Oh, why does apologizing have to be so hard…?
Some booming sound was assaulting Weiss's ears. That was odd. It wasn't her alarm clock. What was that? The louder it got, the harder it got to ignore. It was almost like someone dropping a textbook onto the group over, and over, and over again. Weiss's eyes snapped open and the sound stopped. Ruby hovered over her, a stupid little surprised look on her face. She was holding a pair of textbooks. It looked like she was banging them together. What was she doing? They all just had a very long day yesterday, with Blake running off. Ruby herself was caught up in a fight at the docks. How did she have the energy to be up this early?
"Ruby," Weiss drawled, "what are you doing?"
"Up and at 'em, Weiss!" she said, throwing the books on her desk. "It's time for some exercise! We're going for a run!" She started jogging in place, as if Weiss couldn't comprehend what she had said.
Well, Weiss couldn't comprehend it. What was this about a run? They had never done morning runs as a team before.
"Let's go! We need to get those steps in before class! Forward march!"
"Aye, aye, captain!"
Ruby and Yang rushed out the door, the latter slamming it behind her. So much for a team run. They didn't even try to wait. Weiss sat up, letting out a long yawn.
"Well, I guess I have to get dressed and follow them…"
"I don't think you have to," Blake said. She still looked half asleep, just like Weiss.
"What do you mea… oh." Weiss did say that she and Blake needed to have a talk. Weiss straightened herself and lightly slapped her cheeks. "I…uh- Good morning, Blake."
"Good morning, Weiss," Blake replied.
"I… I'm sorry. For the things I said yesterday. I shouldn't have let out my frustration on you. That wasn't fair. I don't like the White Fang. There is no point in trying to deny that. You aren't the things about the White Fang that I despise. Even then… the White Fang that I hate isn't the entire organization, and the White Fang aren't the spokesmen for all faunus. I don't believe so, anyway."
"Things have changed a lot. They really have. I want to believe that the White Fang hasn't completely lost its way. But what you said yesterday… about their victims… I hadn't thought about it before. And I'm sorry for the things I said. I was angry, but calling you a 'bitch' was going too far."
"I'm sorry for not doing a good job at trying to see you as you," Weiss said, "Even after you outright told me you wanted to see Weiss before a Schnee, I saw you as my preconceived notion of a faunus before I saw you as Blake. I…" Weiss forced herself to look Blake right in the eye, though it wasn't easy. "I was - I still am - scared. I'm scared that if I actually let myself be vulnerable with you, it'll just come back to bite you'll be like the only other faunus I've had any experience with, and hurt me. I… just don't want to be hurt. Really mature, I know."
"I guess I'm not that different," Blake walked to Weiss's bed and took a knee, taking her teammate's hands in her own. "I understand why you're scared. I'm scared, too. I don't want to hurt you, Weiss. I really mean that."
"I don't want to hurt you either, Blake. Not anymore…"
"Actually, if I'm going to say I don't want to hurt you, then you deserve to know the truth. About what we heard on the airship back from the city that day."
"About your dad being the leader of the White Fang?"
"He was, a few years ago. I was a member once, too. I'm not with them anymore, though! I'm not one of them. I don't want anything to do with them. You don't have to worry about me getting mixed up with them."
"Unless it's to make sure they don't hurt people?"
"Unless it's to make sure they don't hurt people."
"Then you don't have to do it alone. We're a team, remember? Me, Ruby, and Yang are all here for you."
Blake hugged her, and Weiss returned the embrace. The two held each other for quite a long time. It was nice, Weiss thought. After so much time of her avoiding one of the people she shared a room with, she felt closer to Blake than ever. In a way, she felt closer to Blake than either Ruby or Yang, at that moment. She hadn't hugged either of them like that. Weiss wasn't done, though. Even if she had made amends with Blake, or at least started to, Weiss had a long way to go as far as growing past her irrational fear of the faunus born of the White Fang. She'd have to work on it on her own, but Blake could be an incredibly important part of that journey.
Once the semester was over, most students started leaving campus in droves to head home. Ruby and Yang were already gone. Weiss and Blake were both going to be leaving soon, but they had something to do before then. Weiss didn't know much of anything about the faunus. She had to rectify that somehow, and what was a better way to start than spending a hot summer day around the faunus living in Vale?
"Just about ready to go?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, I think so. What's the plan, Blake?"
"We're going to Cyanwood." She opened the door for Weiss and then followed her out. "It has the highest faunus population in the capital. Unless you think that might be a bit much to start with?"
"No, no! I'll be just fine!"
Once the Beacon shuttle touched down, Weiss and Blake started walking. They had mainly stayed in the commercial district on their other trips into the city. Blake led Weiss farther than she had ever gone in Vale. The two crossed a bridge over the river that flowed through Vale towards the residential district. The buildings that lined the streets were gradually replaced by trees and bushes. Greenery popped up everywhere among the houses and the handful of businesses present. There was a certain eastern flair to the architecture in that part of the city. It reminded Weiss of the few times she had been to Mistral.
The people walking by them looked just like her. Some of them, though, had different ears, or tails, or claws, or scales, or wings. They were quite… surprising to see, but other than those one or two animal features they had, these people all looked just like her. If they looked just like her, how different could they really be?
"There's so many plants here!" Weiss exclaimed. "It's almost like one big park! If this is what the streets are like, what about an actual park?"
"We can go looking for one. I think I saw something online about there being one nearby," Blake said.
Weiss just followed Blake on their way to this park. Some of the passersby greeted the girls as they walked. Others gave them dirty looks. It was obvious to Weiss that she was the reason for it. She really hoped that none of them thought any lesser of Blake for bringing a human to their area of the city. Upon their arrival, the beauty of the park alone helped to lift Weiss's spirits somewhat.
The flora of the park was in beautiful, varied shades of green, speckled with vibrant pops of colors like pinks, yellows, blues and reds from flowers blooming and fruit growing. Small streams flowed through the park, and arched bridges crossed over them. The most striking sight in the park were all of the trees with their pale pink flowers, some of the petals gently scattering in the wind. A number of people were resting underneath these trees on blankets. Some were just laying down, and others were having picnics.
"This is amazing…" Weiss breathed. "I don't think I've seen this many cherry blossoms in years…"
"Mistral has a lot of faunus," Blake told her, "and a lot of faunus all over Remnant have some relatives from there. The cherry blossoms help people feel at home."
"Even you, Blake? Since you're from Menagerie and all."
"Menagerie's right south of Mistral. It's basically a miniature version of the kingdom because of it. Think you'd be up for lunch soon?"
"Ooh, yes! I think it would be wonderful to see the sort of food Cyanwood has!"
Blake already had thought of a restaurant in the neighborhood for the two of them to go to. It was a rather traditional restaurant that lacked the same eastern flair as other parts of Cyanwood. Blake ordered seafood. For a moment, Weiss thought it appropriate that a cat faunus like Blake was as fond of fish as she was. Then she immediately regretted it. Just because Blake had cat ears and a tail didn't mean she was basically a cat. Blake offered a prayer for her food. Weiss noticed that she did it rather often, but only ever if she ever happened to be eating meat.
"Are you religious, Blake?"
"Not exactly. Do you know what they say about why we faunus were born in the first place?"
"I've heard the story. The faunus were man and beast as one, with their mission in life to be mediators between humanity and wildlife."
"I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it's stories like that that make us who we are. Animals rely on nature to survive, so we try to respect it. It's almost like animals are our cousins, and there are some faunus whose animals are eaten regularly, so if we eat their flesh, we pray for their souls, wherever they may be. It's all about respect."
"I had never thought about that before." It would be weird for her to pray now. What would she even pray to? "Do you think I might be able to visit Menagerie someday? Well, we, really. Ruby, Yang, and I." Weiss wasn't exactly interested in doing any soul searching, but heading to the place with one of the highest concentrations of faunus on all of Remnant was sure to be illuminating to an Atlesian elite such as herself.
"That would be easier said than done, I think. Menagerie doesn't have any humans on it for a reason. I'm not sure how the locals would react, even if you are just tourists."
"Oh… I can't really blame them, can I?"
"No, you can't. I'm sure my parents would be happy to meet you all, but the dirty looks you'd be sure to get would definitely sour the mood."
The two continued their walk around Cyanwood once they were finished with their lunch. The two didn't come across many faunus children during the beginning of their trip, but more of them were running around later in the afternoon. Beacon's semester might have been over, but other schools in the city probably had a few more weeks left.
"So, what's next on the agenda?" Weiss asked.
"If we can find it, I think it should be some music. I've seen street musicians in Menagerie, so there might be some here, too. We just have to find them…"
"Oh, is that Blake Belladonna I see?"
Weiss sort of recognized the voice, and once she had a face to match it to, the random call out started to make an awful lot of sense. The faunus boy they had seen being accused of stowing away, and the same one who was with Blake that evening. Weiss didn't know what his relationship with Blake was, but since they had fought the White Fang together that night, the encounter must've been quite the bonding experience.
"Sun? It's good to see you again!"
"I've been around Cyanwood a few times. Never seen you here before, though."
"I'm showing my friend around. You saw her that night, but didn't get a chance to talk to each other." Blake gestured towards Weiss and hesitated for a moment. "This is Weiss Schnee."
"Schnee? That Schnee? I didn't know you knew one of them! Never thought I'd see a Schnee walking around a faunus neighborhood like this. Well, unless they wanted to offer a dangerous job to some poor guy down on his luck."
"Way to leave a great first impression, Sun."
"It's okay," Weiss said. Even if that didn't sound like something her father would do. He'd hire someone to do it for him instead. Then she faced Sun and said, "I'm here because I want to learn."
"Well, that makes you better than what I've heard about your old man. Mind if I tag along?"
"Would you leave if I said 'no'?" Blake asked.
"Maybe I would. Or maybe we're all just walking in the same direction and I'd stick around for a while."
"'A while' meaning until we're on our way back to Beacon?" Weiss asked.
"Won't know until I disappear."
"There's no harm in letting you come. Are you okay with that, Weiss?"
"He seems harmless enough. I'm okay with it."
People walking along the streets seemed a bit more likely to receive the group positively, now that Sun was around. The three of them stopped by a few shops. Just like how the people of Cyanwood weren't really so different from humans like Weiss, the shops they had close to home really weren't that different from the shops Weiss had been to in the rest of Vale, or even in Atlas, as privileged as it was. Coming out of a small souvenir shop, Weiss noticed a crowd of people gathering on the other side of the road. She pointed it out to Blake and Sun, and the three crossed to see what the commotion was.
"We may have a queen, but we are still a democracy!" Cried the person on their literal soapbox. "The council can't simply ignore the demands of the people! Our voices have been silenced, but there's still hope! There are talks to expand the Supreme Court, and it looks like it's going to pass. Those new seats are going to need to be filled. The highest court in Vale very well can't represent her people if not even a single faunus is sitting on the bench! Join your voices with ours! We're passing around a petition. Please sign it, and let the councilors know that we want some sort of representation in the government of our home!"
Weiss noticed a few clipboards being passed around. She found the cause noble. Of course, it had never occurred to her what a complete and utter lack of representation in a representative government would do to a group. Not only was she human, Atlas lacked a council altogether, ruled by the whims of the popular Ironwood dynasty.
The clipboard came around to her, and Weiss just stared at it. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to sign, but would it mean anything? She wasn't Valean. It wasn't like her voice would matter here. Why should the council of Vale care about the opinion of some random Atlesian?
"Figures…" The person offering her the clipboard offered it to Blake. To Weiss's astonishment, she declined. "What? You aren't going to sign either?"
"I would if I could. I'm a Menagerite. It isn't like the government of Vale has to care about my opinion, right?" She nodded towards Weiss and Sun. "She didn't sign because she's Atlesian. Not because she doesn't believe in the cause. He's Vacuan. I hope you understand."
They moved on from the small rally. Weiss felt guilty about not being able to do more, but Blake was right.
"Well that sucks," Sun said. "Guess that's politics for you though, right? If you can't get someone elected, they don't care what you have to say. It gets old fast, believe me."
"Blake said you were from Vacuo," Weiss began, "What is it like, living in a republic?"
"Politics is just a giant dic- popularity contest. Tell people what they want to hear so they can vote for you, then do whatever you can to make them like you just enough not to notice that you aren't doing anything you said you'd do on the campaign trail."
"That sounds terrible!" Weiss said. "Politicians are meant to serve their people, not just look out for their own interests."
"Easy to say when your royal family is rich and living large. You know that Vacuo is just a big desert! People just want to live in the capital and get a nice paycheck. That's why most of them even bother putting on a fancy suit and getting behind a podium to say 'Vote for me! I'll fight for you!' Hell, the president's the same. Which is weird, since everything I've seen makes it seem like they actually care. The council's probably just so corrupt they can't actually do anything to make the country better."
"Wait." Blake stopped in her tracks. Weiss saw her ears twitch and her tail flicker. "I hear music!"
"That tonal whiplash…" Weiss said.
"Come on, follow me!" She ran off.
"We should continue this talk later," Weiss told Sun, following after Blake.
Blake ran for a few blocks, Sun right behind her. They almost lost Weiss a few times, but she kept up. The further they ran, the louder the music Blake mentioned got. It wasn't like anything Weiss had ever heard before. She was used to slow, contemplative, grand orchestral pieces. What she heard now was frantic, bombastic, and energetic. There were only a few people lined up on the street, but they were so passionate in their playing that they put some musicians Weiss had seen in Atlas to shame. Most people commended them for their work, or dropped lien notes into an overturned hat. Some remained on the sidewalk, dancing around the musicians.
Sun joined them, and Weiss even saw Blake beginning to sway back and forth, though she definitely seemed reserved about the idea of dancing in public. Weiss wasn't exactly one for dancing. She was content just bobbing her head along to the beat. With Sun's encouragement, Blake started dancing more and more. The crowd began to clap as the girl who was so hesitant to just have fun with them fully gave into the temptation to move her feet.
"Come on, Weiss!" Blake called.
"Dance with us!" Sun added.
"No, no, no! I couldn't!" She objected. "That would be embarrassing! And I only know how to ballroom dance!"
"Don't be like that! It'll be fun!" Sun said.
Blake pounced at Weiss and grabbed her hands. She started swinging Weiss around as the people around them started clapping again. It was terribly embarrassing at first, but Blake's wide smile and boisterous laughter made Weiss more comfortable with the idea of dancing. At first, she was just letting herself be thrown around like a doll, but she started playing off of Blake, dancing with her instead.
Weiss had had a fantastic day. She and Blake had started getting closer ever since their talk, but today was a bonding experience that was much needed. She already missed Ruby and Yang, and after today, she was going to miss Blake all the more when they had to part ways for the summer. Their break wouldn't last forever, though. Weiss couldn't wait to see them again, and see what the future had in store for them as a team.
Dancing Fever (Sun, Blake, Weiss)
Sun: Wasn't expecting you to have moves like that, Weiss!
Weiss: Wh-what're you talking about? Blake was just flailing me about!
Blake: I don't know, Weiss. I think you looked pretty good out there.
Weiss: W-well, I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, because I'm not one to dance much!
Blake: To this sort of music, you mean.
Sun: Classical music or whatever isn't really my style, but if I have to bribe the DJ to put on something you'd swing your hips to during the dance, it'll be worth the cash.
Weiss: "Swing your hips"? What do you think I normally dance to?
