So. Weiss wasn't very good with all of this.

She couldn't narrow down what 'all of this' actually was.

Talking, being vulnerable, admitting fault, apologizing. Take your pick. All of the above. She was bad at it. Blame it on being raised in an emotionally dysfunctional family. Blame it on growing up in Atlas. Blame it on her own fears and insecurities.

She hovered over Blake's name in her contacts for the millionth time that week. Weiss Schnee, the famous coward that she was, couldn't bring herself to press that button.

It was Thursday.

Weiss lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She called Ruby instead.

"Yello," Ruby answered with a far too casual air.

"Ruby," Weiss said. There was silence on the line.

"Yeah, who dis?"

Weiss groaned. "Stop it."

"No, no I ordered two medium pies with extra large sausage," came Ruby's reply. Weiss laughed in spite of herself.

"Shut up. Listen-"

"Oh, hey Weiss, what's up?" Ruby finally said, and it was like she could hear the smile in her voice, and Weiss decided that she liked that very, very much.

"You're an idiot," Weiss said. "Listen, I... need," she cleared her throat. Christ, even doing this was difficult. Weiss was a whole ass train-wreck. It was like her entire throat decided to close up, her body decided to choke her out from the inside. She pinched the bridge of her nose tight.

"I. Need. Help," Weiss managed to ground out, through constricted throat and grit teeth. She expected Ruby to start bursting out laughing, or to hear the barely muffled giggles through the phone, but all she heard was silence.

"Okay," Ruby said, and Weiss was so quick to forget that that was just how it was. It was, it really was that easy.

"I..." she wondered if that would ever not strike something deep in her heart. She wondered if the emptiness of her childhood would really follow her all her life. At this rate, she was bound to fall in love with anyone with half a sense of decency and a smile that came too easy.

Not that she was in love with Ruby! Weiss blushed deep, even if nobody was around and she knew that Ruby couldn't hear her thoughts. She brushed some hair out of her eyes as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

"Weiss, you're gonna have to use some words there," Ruby's amused voice came over the line. Weiss cleared her throat, squeezing her eyes shut tight, willing herself to carry the momentum of her initial moment of half-bravery into something bigger.

"I... missed. You," she said and that was even harder to say, and God, Weiss was such a mess, such a big big mess. Here she was, saying these kinds of dumb things to people she'd known less than the average lifespan of a goldfish and she wasn't- she did this to herself, she wanted to do this and Weiss felt all kinds of stupid.

"I know it's only been like, less than a week, but... I missed you too, Weiss," Ruby's voice was gentle, and genuine, and she held such warmth inside her Weiss thought she was about to burst. She was going to melt under this magnified sunshine that she'd willingly put herself under and she had nobody else to blame but herself, herself and those stupid silver-gray eyes that invited her to her house and made her feel welcome and made her feel surprisingly good about herself.

Jesus. Weiss breathed deep, in and out. It had been a long week, but Weiss felt like she was losing it a little bit too much at this point. She chalked it up to the week, to the crazy week she'd been having. Nothing else.

"Okay," Weiss said, because what the hell else could she say about all of that.

"So, what do you need?"

As if she didn't have a million answers to that question. As if her life hadn't been structured around that question some way or another.

"I don't know how to talk to Blake," she admitted in a half-whisper. She got up out of her bed and started pacing around her room, phone held against her shoulder as she locked the door and closed the blinds, like the world was at all attempting to intrude on her and her moment.

She could hear Ruby shuffling away on the phone too, silent except for the faint thumps of her footsteps, then a clear click as she locked her own door.

"You wanna talk to Blake?" Ruby asked. Weiss ran a hand through her hair. She wished she could just scowl and look at Ruby instead of answering verbally. Hell, why couldn't she?

"Can you... come over? This would be easier, for me," Weiss asked. She clenched her teeth as soon as she did.

"Be there in a bit," Ruby said, and immediately hung up. Weiss sighed. Her heart needed to stop pounding. This was just the new normal.

It didn't take much time. Ruby was ringing the door bell in what felt like a couple minutes.

Weiss bounded down the steps. Klein quirked a brow at her, and though his mustache hid it pretty well, he was giving her another one of those 'I-can-see-you're-up-to-something-good-for-you' smiles. Weiss waved him off with a smile of her own, and he retreated without further teasing into the living room. She opened the door, and Ruby Rose was there in the flesh, all wide smiles that crinkled the edges of her eyes and the chill wind had stuck her hair up a little bit, and she was brushing a little bit of snow off her hoodie before Weiss pulled the door open.

"Heya," she greeted brightly, and Weiss pulled her in and shut the door.

"It's cold outside," she said by way of explanation. Ruby smiled.

"Sure," she said, and Weiss would've gotten vaguely irritated at her if she wasn't actually, like, happy to see her. Weiss clicked her tongue nonetheless, and motioned for Ruby to follow her upstairs. Ruby gave a quick wave to Klein as she followed Weiss up the stairs.

"So," Ruby had a messenger bag on her, that she deposited on Weiss' couch as she plopped herself down. "How can I help?"

"I need to apologize to Blake. I was... wrong. And I know she said some hurtful things to me, but- well, a few things have happened since then that have given me cause to re-evaluate my stance," Weiss stood opposite Ruby, the safety of the coffee table between them so Ruby wouldn't do something insane like come up and hug her because she would probably cry again because talking about this whole thing was already honestly sending her to the brink of crying already and she-

"She was wrong, too," Ruby said plainly. Weiss blinked.

"I… yes, but I understand why she said all of it. I know I have to change," Weiss managed out. Ruby leaned back and let her continue, but Weiss could catch the barest edges of worry in her expression. She couldn't let it deter her though. Weiss was determined.

So. Weiss cleared her throat, stemming the low hum of the crying, hysterical panic that welled up in her chest and threatened to settle itself there if she gave it just enough quarter. Ruby, to her eternal and unending credit, just waited patiently for Weiss to speak.

Weiss remembered a time when she had to be grateful for the few, small things.

"I've been small, I've been alone, I've let everyone around me decide things for me. Not anymore. My father is a bad person, and things have to change," Weiss met Ruby's eyes, and there was a purpose Ruby hadn't seen before. Clear as day, Weiss knew her purpose. "I've got to change things. And, so I will."

"Hey," Ruby said, and there was too much warmth in her voice. "I'm happy you've found this drive. You're doing good."

"Doing well," Weiss corrected.

"Nah. Doing good."

Weiss smiled.

"So how do I go about doing this?"

The plan was simple.

Weiss reminded herself of that as she stuffed two cans on tuna and a laser pointer in her bag in the morning.

She furrowed her brow. Was the plan simple?

Yes. No.

Both Yang and Ruby had given her input and approval, so the plan seemed solid. Foolproof, even.

"You know, Miss Schnee, if you wanted something to eat for lunch I could make some sandwiches, or a salad perhaps?" Klein grabbed his keys off the hook, craning his neck to look at a very resolute, bemused Weiss Schnee.

"It's not for lunch," Weiss faltered, feeling all the more ridiculous. She shook her head. "It's fine, Klein. Don't worry about it."

He gave one of those not quite shrugs, but that translated easy enough for her, and they went off to school.

She didn't make eye contact with Ruby or Yang, knowing that Blake would catch on, and the whole plan would be ruined. After third period, Weiss knew Blake had a break, one that she usually spent in the library. Ruby and Yang had both texted her good luck, and she took a deep breath as she walked out of chemistry with a laser pointer in hand.

The library was empty enough, just a couple students milling around quietly, some studying, some reading, some comfortably seated in an arm chair and named Blake Belladonna and kept her Faunus ears hidden underneath the cute black bow she kept atop her head. Weiss spotted her through the shelves of books, pushing some aside to stick her face through and catch a peek at Blake. Target acquired. She blew a small breath out. Ruby and Yang had better no have played a prank on her or so help her God-

"What are you doing?" a voice came from beside her. Weiss nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped her head around to find a wild mop of blonde hair and a pair of bright blue eyes looking at her inquisitively, a yellow tail swaying steadily behind him. He didn't look offended, or particularly shocked, just genuinely curious. Weiss put a finger to her lips, motioning for him to get down as she got low, leaning against the shelf. He smiled, crouching down low easily and playing along.

"Why are we spying on Blake?" he asked, his voice now a whisper. Weiss groaned silently into her hands. Why?

"Who are you?" Weiss asked him, aggressive, though no less hushed.

"I'm Sun," then his eyes widened. "Oh, or are we like using code names or something? Dude, you can totally trust me, I'm a junior detective! Oh man, I gotta get Neptune in on this-"

Weiss placed her hand over Sun's mouth, her eyes flaring with irritation.

"Shut up. I'm Weiss and I need to get Blake's attention and draw her out, alright?" Weiss explained with far, far more patience than she actually felt. His yellow tail came up and snatched the laser pointer from Weiss' hands, and she let out a muted 'hey!'.

"And you're going to do it with a laser pointer?"

"I- Well... Ruby and Yang told me do it!" Weiss started blushing, quite suddenly realising the absurdity of her situation. Sun suppressed his laughter. Weiss indignantly snatched the laser pointer back, clutching it in a tight fist as she scowled.

"Why don't you like, go up and talk to her and ask her to follow you or something? Are you going to prank her?" he questioned. "I totally want to be in on it if I can prank Blake, she's so hard to sneak up on what with her-" he clamped a hand over his mouth. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"I already know, dummy," she told him. Sun sighed in relief. Weiss chewed her bottom lip as she craned her neck backwards to make sure Blake was still seated comfortably in her armchair. "It's... complicated."

Sun sat beside her, easily dropping from his crouch. He looked at her, all traces of mischief almost gone from his face.

"Because... I'm Weiss Schnee," she said, looking at him expectantly. Sun just shrugged. God bless his heart and his tall, limber form and immaculate jawline, Weiss thought. She sighed. "Weiss Schnee?" she emphasized.

"I know who you are, Weiss. You introduced yourself, remember?" Sun looked at her like she was the dumb one, and Weiss was caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to sock him straight in the jaw.

"You really don't know who the Schnees are?"

Sun contemplated, and Weiss, with a newfound patience that came from some magical mystery well within her. Maybe Ruby and Yang and Blake did change her for the better. Scratch that. She knew they did.

"Oh! Like Schnee Dust Company?" then he pursed his lips, brows furrowed in thought. "Oh. I see what's happening here."

Weiss nodded in response, resting her head against the shelf behind her. Vale was stupid. She missed the familiarity of being ignorant. Now she was supposed to be a better person, and she wanted to be a better person and it was all sorts of harrowing.

"What's that have to do with Blake? Oh no, did she…?" Sun asked her. Weiss shook her head.

"We said some... hurtful things to each other," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes. Sun visibly sagged in relief, and Weiss finally connected the dots, finishing his sentence. "You know?"

Sun hardened his gaze, and Weiss got to see him in an all new light. Not the goofy kid sidling up to her with a fond demeanour and a willingness to prank, but someone determined to defend their friend.

"She didn't hurt me, if that's what you're asking," Weiss told him coolly. "And even if she did, I… everyone has their reasons for doing what they do. Sometimes it's justified," she peered behind to Blake, who was still seated comfortably in the armchair. "Sometimes it's not."

She ran a hand over her scar, fingers ghosting a trail over it. Sun furrowed his brow, a look of confusion etched on his face. Then he shook his head.

"Blake wouldn't hurt anyone. And she sure as hell wouldn't condone killing anyone, for whatever reason," Sun spoke with confidence. Weiss pursed her lips.

"Not even a Schnee?" she asked in a half-whisper. Sun narrowed his eyes.

"Not Weiss Schnee," he said. Weiss avoided his gaze. The line between stubbornness and righteous conviction was a very thin one. She felt like there wasn't much more to tell Sun on that front before she could apologise to Blake.

"Well. I need to speak to her."

"That's what the laser pointer is about?" Sun almost shot out of his position on the floor, all traces of his serious persona now melted off, replaced by his easy, boyish charm.

"It was Ruby and Yang's idea!" Weiss motioned for him to settle down.

"Oh, man, Weiss. You're a dork. You're a total dork."

"Shut up."

"You're going through all of this just to talk to Blake? Just go up there and talk to her!"

"I-It's not-"

"Oh my god, you know I thought you were all mysterious and aloof when you first came here, and you're like a mega dork, you know that?"

"I'm not mysterious or aloof."

"No, yeah you're the supreme chancellor of dorks."

"You are kind of a dork, Weiss."

Weiss turned to her left, and there she was. Blake Belladonna, in the flesh. She was close, and she smelled like the sweet night air, and her golden eyes didn't leave Weiss' gaze for a good couple second, and there was this small upturn of her lips, just the slightest smile that she held, that she kept like her own personal secret. Dammit, Weiss missed her.

Sun bumped his head on the shelf in surprise. Blake laughed at him, and it was this throaty kind of laugh. He smiled at her in response.

"See," he nudged Weiss with his shoulder. "I told you it was impossible to sneak up on her."

"It's not," Blake shrugged. "You guys were just being too loud," she said, and she held her hand out to Weiss. Weiss took it, and Blake pulled her up off the floor. She held out her other hand.

"Gimme the laser pointer," she told Weiss, a knowing smirk on her face. Weiss blushed again, handing it over to her. "C'mon, let's go find somewhere quiet to talk. I'll see you later, Sun."

Sun took all of it in stride, and Weiss had a feeling that there wasn't much that could really ever throw him off his stride. She endeavoured to be more like that. Because as it was, it was all too easy to throw Weiss off. Just a kind gesture and a smile.

"Don't tell anybody," Blake murmured as they walked beside each other. "But the laser pointer probably would've worked."

Weiss didn't know what to say, so she just said the first thing she wanted to say, the only thing she'd been wanting to say for a week.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice didn't catch, she didn't hesitate. It was the only thing to say.

Blake paused, then looked at her, the expression on her face severe and confused. It flashed for a second, then she shook her head, returning to a more neutral expression. She motioned for Weiss to follow her into a room.

Into a janitor's closet, apparently. Weiss quirked her brow, but Blake didn't relent, only motioning for her to take a seat on one of the boxes stacked in the room, while she took the boxes on the other end ('other end' was generous, their knees were inches apart).

"I'm sorry, Weiss," Blake said finally. Weiss held it together, to her supreme credit. The smile on Blake's face was gone, replaced instead with a grim determination. An expression that Weiss mirrored.

"No, I- I'm sorry," Weiss shook her head.

"I think you're misunderstanding the situation here," Blake huffed out a humourless laugh. "I'm apologising to you."

"It's not binary. We can both be wrong," Weiss said, and Blake shook her head.

"You got blown up. I think I'm more wrong than you," Blake countered. Weiss blinked.

"Yes, well my family's been persecuting your kind for years and years!" Weiss crossed her arms, huffing.

"Alright, let's put aside the misery olympics pissing contest we've got going for a minute," Blake leaned against the shelf behind her, running a hand through her hair. "You aren't going to apologise to me for being a Schnee, Weiss. I refuse to accept that."

Weiss opened and closed her mouth several times. Blake didn't give her a chance to respond.

"I was… From the minute I met you, Weiss, I was already ready to doubt you. I told myself, Ruby and Yang that I was gonna give you a fair shot, but I was always ready to see myself proven right. And you mentioned the words White Fang and it was like, I already convinced myself you were bad. It was like I was back there, like I couldn't shake it off- the years and years of manipulation and conditioning they instilled in me. That's not an excuse, but I'm trying to say that I'm sorry," Blake breathed in deep. Weiss waited, and listened, with the infinite patience that she'd been miraculously blessed with as of late. "I was so ready to see you as a Schnee, I forgot that you were Weiss. And I like Weiss. I really like Weiss. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I said those things to you. You have every right to be mad at them, Weiss. At me."

Blake leaned forward, elbows on her lap as she hung her head. She looked to Weiss like a prisoner on Death Row, rightfully convicted and without a chance of redemption. She looked like she was a million years old and a million miles away. She looked tired and sad. Weiss had this incredible urge to comfort her. But there were words. There were words that needed saying, and Weiss had to be the one to say them.

"I'm not sorry I'm a Schnee, Blake. I'm sorry that I've never given a thought to who my family has hurt. A had an… incident, with Ilia Amitola," Weiss burned at the thought of her, though it was less a raging fire now, but an ember of what it was. Now Weiss only thought of it with sorrow.

"Oh no," Blake buried her face in her hands. "You're in the fencing club. Of course Ilia had something to say."

"Yes, well, she is…"

"She's angry," Blake sighed. "She's always been angry. She's a good person, but she's just… misguided."

"She said I was a bad person, for having benefitted for so long from living the life I lived, and I know," Weiss held a hand out to stop Blake from speaking. "I know, I'm not to blame for being Jacques Schnee's daughter, but…" Weiss sighed, leaning her head against the wall beside her, gross thought it may have been, she didn't much care.

"I have benefitted from being born a Schnee. It's a life that's been paid for in blood. There's nothing I could have done about it before, and there's nothing I can do to change that. But I need to move forward and make it better. I need to make it right. I was complacent, I had been all my life. I'd always known my father was not a good man. He's hateful, and cold, and superficial, and he doesn't care about other people. That includes me. And that includes the Faunus. For a long time all I tried to do was seek his approval, and I just went along with the life he wanted me to have, to be the perfect little person he wanted me to be, and I ignored the rest of it. Now, things are... different. Everything is different. I'm not his prisoner. I am my own person, and I have people that," she caught Blake's eyes and the words got stuck in her throat. She shook her head. It was now, it had to be. "I care about you, and Ruby and Yang. And I care that people have been hurt by my father. So I've made the decision to do something about it. I'm going to fight my father. I'm going to succeed him. And I'm going to put a stop to his evil actions. I promise."

"Hey," Blake said, and her voice was soft and Weiss heard the barest edges of sorrow in it. "I'm happy you've decided on this whole course of action, but Weiss- you're not Jacques Schnee, alright? I'm sorry to pull out a cliché but, Weiss, it's not your fault. Don't be so ready to fall on that sword. Not for me. Not for Ilia. Not for guilt," Blake exhaled a shaky laugh.

"Blake, I'm-"

"You're Weiss Schnee. You lived through a tragedy. You came out the other side stronger. You're a good person, and a good friend. More importantly, whatever you choose to be, it's enough. It's enough to just hurt, for a while, Weiss. To pick yourself up and put yourself together. I know none of this must have been easy for you at all. You don't have to be a hero to be a good person, Weiss I know you already are one," Blake reached out and touched Weiss' hand. She swallowed thick, and took Blake's hand in her own. A smile grew on her face. "I'm sorry I said it was your fault. I was an asshole. It was wrong of me- I was just. I was so angry at you, Weiss. But it wasn't you. I shouldn't have said it. And I'm sorry the White Fang tried to hurt you like that. You're a good person, Weiss. They're caught up in their hatred, in too deep to see anything else. That's why I left. I didn't want anything to do with those kinds of things. I wouldn't have hurt you. I couldn't hurt anyone. And I'm so, so sorry that I made you think at all that you ever had any blame in that."

Weiss used the heel of her palm to wipe against the tears that threatened to fall. It was a whole big murky quagmire. One moment, Weiss was convinced she was right, the next, Blake showed her a third option, a better way. That was just the way it was in Vale: Blake, Yang and Ruby showing her door number three.

"I…" Weiss couldn't find her words again. All her preparedness, worth exactly one laser pointer and two cans of tuna. She wanted the world to stop spinning, to not have such a case of whiplash when shown the barest hints of kindness, let alone this torrential downpour of validation, of compassion and kindness.

It was the catharsis Weiss didn't know she was looking for. Weiss reached up to wipe the few tears that managed to sneak their way through. God, she hadn't expected this to be so overwhelming, but here she was. It felt like it was taking years off her life. It felt like she was leaping off a building without a parachute, tumbling head over heels over head over heels and not seeing, not hearing, but trusting herself, trusting Blake that she would survive the fall. Mostly it felt good to be there.

The word was love. And Weiss was seeing more and more of it, every day. It was quick, a lightning flash she hadn't seen coming. A boom of thunder she'd been deaf to. A couple of friends that accepted her, made her better for all she was worth. An impossibility, an improbability, her reality.

Blake moved, and hugged her, and Weiss squeezed the raven haired girl tight. There it was, she was three for three with the hugs. Screw it, she saw it coming anyway.

"So, was the laser pointer and tuna really going to work?" Weiss asked as they pulled away. Blake laughed.

"You have tuna? I really don't want to admit it, but yes," she reached up and tugged at the bow atop her head. It unraveled to reveal a pair of black cat ears atop her head. Blake seemed brighter for it, and Weiss was happy to see her like this. "The cat traits run deep, I'm afraid. Yang and Ruby told you to do it?" Blake asked. Weiss nodded.

Blake shook her head. "I'm sure it's Yang and Ruby's way of getting back at me."

"Getting back at you?" Weiss asked. Blake smiled ruefully, her ears now clearly flattening downwards. It gave Weiss a little thrill to see. Not the emotion itself, but just the clear indication of emotion.

"I haven't exactly been the most… receptive about broaching this subject for a couple days. Yang and Ruby have been… helping me through it all. Despite everything, they never stopped believing in me," Blake said, a far off look in her eyes and a wistfulness bleeding into the edges of her voice, almost bordering on the side of disbelief. Weiss reached out to squeezed her hand. She knew the feeling all too well.

"They've been helping me through it too," Weiss said. "They're good like that. Never giving up. They just do that."

Blake blinked. Then she smiled. "Thank God for the Rose-Xiao Longs, huh?"

"Thank God for them," Weiss echoed, her heart feeling all the warmer at the thought of them. For the first time in a while, she was filled with infinite hope. Despite everything she knew was waiting for her back in Atlas, despite the harsh words and violence and apathy and evil, Weiss felt like she could do it. She felt like she could do anything, long as Blake, Yang and Ruby were by her side.

"I lied. They were relentless. I think Ruby, at one point, was ready to tackle me to the ground to get me to talk," Blake laughed, half embarrassed. Weiss could almost picture the scene in her head. She smiled, and Blake's ears perked up in response.

Weiss' attention was once again drawn to them. They twitched and rotated slightly, hearing something Weiss clearly couldn't. She hadn't realised how empty Blake looked without them. Now she couldn't have possibly imagined her without them. Not that she would want to, in any case.

"Why do you hide it?" Weiss asked.

Blake considered for a moment. "I guess if I ever encountered someone like you," she smirked. Weiss scowled at her.

"Don't joke. We're not at the joking portion of it yet."

"Oh, aren't we?" she held up the laser pointer, wiggling it at Weiss. Then she looked at the trail of ribbon in her hand, and back up to Weiss. "It's easier, to hide. So people don't harass me or ask me dumb questions. You might accept me, but there are still lots of people who don't."

"Right. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising," Blake gave Weiss' shoulder a little poke. "Though I guess, if an actual Schnee won't bring me down, maybe I don't need it so much anymore," she twirled the ribbon around her wrist, tying it off, then looked to Weiss with a little nod of affirmation.

"You look better without it, anyway," Weiss said. Blake smiled. She opened the door and stepped out, inviting Weiss to follow her.

"You know, this suits you too."

"What does?" Weiss rubbed at her cheeks to clear the last of the tear tracks away. Blake shut the door behind Weiss, glancing at her with pride in her eyes. A strange look, always a strange look to Weiss.

"Being in Vale, I suppose. You belong here."

SO. Bit of a chapter. Bit of a week. Lots of stuff to talk about. Skip this bit if you don't care, please and thank you.

Like I said, I'm no moral paragon. I've got my own sense of right and wrong, and perhaps in my framing of this story, in the chapters before, I may have been too heavy-handed in leaning towards one side vs the other. This might also be a symptom of my writing this fic from only Ruby and Weiss' pov, essentially limiting myself from writing the other perspective fully as I navigated through the story. In any case- I'm here to allay your fears. I'm no jerk, I obviously don't agree with the idea that Weiss has to pay for the sins of her father, and that she should be okay with that, even accepting of that. The main impetus of this particular arc was Weiss' need to realise the shelter of the life she'd been given, to be spurred to extend her hand and take notice of those suffering around her. I wanted to write about someone realising and understanding their privilege, the perspective of others less fortunate than them.

I try my best not to inject my own personal views into what I write, but sometimes it can't be helped. That being said, your (very, very passionate) reviews and comments did give me pause to evaluate my writing, my intent, and how I would come across in the pursuit of all that. I write my fics like well in advance, always a couple of chapters ahead of what I'm posting, and this chapter is almost essentially what I wrote, but I've rewritten portions of it to make the messaging more obvious. Weiss isn't a bad person because she's a Schnee. Weiss isn't a bad person at all. Blake was wrong to condemn her so harshly. Ilia was straight up just spiteful and angry. Weiss is a broken person with a crooked moral compass, and in this story I wanted her to come up against things that she'd never had to contend with before hard and fast, and overwhelm her. This is part of that. The moral is that while Weiss was a part of a system of oppression and evil, she isn't at fault for being born into it. Instead, her fault is in following it for so long, mindlessly. The fic is about Ruby and Weiss, and part of that is having Weiss grow up a little as a person before they can be together.

And that's that. We're moving onto the next chapter. And the good news is, it's going to be way, way lighter from now on. If you disagree with the way I've written this, I apologise, and I don't hold it against anyone if they don't want to carry on reading it.