Author's Notes: Hey kids, thanks for the reviews.
Holiday
Chapter 4
That afternoon passed in a happy, silly blur. Zwei and Bo zipped around the house, playing with one another as the family caught up. Mr. Xiao Long was apparently a part-time teacher at Signal; as was, surprisingly, Qrow. Weiss had yet to deduce how the two men were related, as they looked and acted nothing alike; however their banter was certainly amusing, and clearly born of familiarity.
Team RWBY recounted their escapades at Beacon for them, Ruby and Yang focusing on the more dramatic aspects and exaggerating details; Blake and Weiss fell into the habit of correcting their partners when they got too carried away with themselves.
Mr. Xiao Long asked about their studies, which Ruby was very quick to point out that Weiss had the best grades out of all of them; she also informed him that Tournament Dueling 101 with Professor Goodwitch was her favorite class, because she got to see everyone's weapons in action.
"And this one girl has a rocket launcher that's also a hammer named Magnhild- her names Nora, she's really fun – and she just whollops Grimm and people with it!" Ruby exclaimed, gesturing enthusiastically. "She said she'd let me calibrate it for her, too! I can't wait, I've been wondering how she can hit things without setting off her explosive rounds!"
"Don't they still teach Weapons Mechanics?" asked Qrow, lounging with them in the blanket fort. "That was, what was that, I thought it was a first year class? I coulda swore we took that…"
Taiyang shook his head as he took a seat on the sofa.
"No no, remember, it was an elective. And they've been looking for a decent instructor; but after Arc, they've had a hell of a time finding someone competent enough to keep on the payroll," sighed Mr. Xiao Long. "I know a few people at Signal who would be up for it, but they're all comfortable where they're at."
"Arc?" chirped Ruby. "Hey we know a guy named Arc!"
"Yea, Weiss definitely knows a guy named Arc," laughed Yang.
Yang and Blake were seated across from one another on the floor, playing a rather complex looking board game that Yang was currently winning. Blake was studying her pieces and cards with a thoughtful expression, her bow flicking with the movement of her cat ears.
Weiss scoffed, tossing her head.
"I know that he's a pain, is what," she huffed.
Qrow chuckled, waving his hand.
"Ahhh yes. Professor Arc."
Taiyang snorted, shaking his head.
"She was an instructor during our time at Beacon," Mr. Xiao Long said. "She taught Tournament Dueling, all the mechanics classes…and she absolutely hated us."
"No she didn't! She loved us!" Qrow chuckled. "She was just. Ya know. Feisty."
"You just had a crush on her is all-"
"How dare you," Qrow drawled. "I would have married that woman."
"Yea right, you wouldn't marry anyone," laughed Tai.
"She was the exception."
"Uh huh, sure," Mr. Xiao Long shook his head. "She was a great teacher though. If they could find someone half as competent as her to replace her, you guys would be in good hands."
The idea of competency and the name 'Arc' did not belong in the same sentence, at least in her opinion. Perhaps they weren't related?
"So, were you guys on the same team or something?" asked Blake as she made a move. Yang watched her placement carefully, nose scrunching as Blake attacked her pieces.
"Hm? Yea, we're partners," said Qrow casually. "But anyways, they should definitely bring back the mechanics classes. Useful stuff to know."
"I would love that," Ruby sighed dreamily.
Weiss's own partner was seated next to her uncle, kicking her feet as she leaned back on her hands. Weiss wondered briefly if Ruby and she would still be as close as apparently Tai and Qrow when they were that age; to her surprise, she really hoped that was the case.
"Well, we have…History? With Professor Oobleck," offered Yang as she proceeded to wreck Blake's strategy once again, a smug grin on her face. "He's interesting."
"He's something alright," smirked Blake, recovering from Yang's move and killing off several of her pieces. Yang gaped at her partner in mock outrage.
"Hahaha! Barty's teaching, I keep forgetting that!" laughed Qrow. "Oooh man. Can you kids even understand a thing he says?"
"Sure!" chirped Ruby.
"Nope," said Yang.
"Same," agreed Blake.
"I try," Weiss confessed. "He's quite…verbose."
Taiyang laughed, patting the sofa so Zwei would join him. The corgi leapt to join him, panting joyfully.
"Ah, Barty. He's a good guy."
"He's a coke-head is what-"
"No he isn't! Don't tell them things like that!" protested Tai.
"Whaaat? They know I'm kidding."
Yang sniggered, tapping a card and drawing several from her deck as Blake squinted suspiciously at her. Ruby kept making silly faces at Zwei. Taiyang grumbled on the sofa, scratching Zwei's head; the corgi's little foot kicked adorably. Weiss briefly wondered if she could somehow get away with stealing him.
"Ya'll had any detentions yet?" asked Qrow after a moment, grinning roguishly at them.
"Noooooo," said Ruby, eyes widening. Weiss scoffed immediately. As if she would ever get sent to detention.
"Somehow, no," smirked Blake.
Yang suddenly swept the field of Blake's pieces, holding her card up in triumph. Blake gaped before sighing in defeat. The faunus knocked over Yang's pieces before pouting humorously; Blake rarely pouted, but could be competitive during board games. Which naturally, Yang thought was great fun to tease her about.
"Yea, we've managed to keep out of detention so far," said Yang, shrugging as she grinned at her partner. "I dunno how, I was always in detention at Signal-"
"Yea, I know," scowled Taiyang, folding his arms. "Trust me. Do you know how many times your instructors had to pull me aside?"
"Oh don't start, Tai," laughed Qrow, rolling over to look at his partner. "I remember our first semester at Beacon!"
"Ooh! Story!" yelped Ruby, kicking her feet excitedly. "Story, story, story-"
Mr. Xiao Long sighed long-sufferingly as his partner laughed.
"Ok Rubes," Qrow smirked. "So, this one time, there was this real nasty dude named Frankie. And he thought it was cool to harass people and just be a dick in general-"
"Sounds like Cardin," quipped Blake, still sulking at her defeat.
"Who?" asked Mr. Xiao Long.
"A dumb bully," waved Yang. "He's a total worm. Anyways, go on Uncle Qrow."
"So yea, let's just say Frankie picked the wrong people to mess with," chuckled Qrow. "This one day at breakfast, he came up to our table and was trying to insult your mom, Rubes."
Ruby gasped.
"How dare!"
"Exactly. But he didn't know who he was messin with. Because Tai," Qrow squinted at his partner playfully. "And my sis were just like, no, screw you. And they jumped him right there in the cafeteria. So naturally, I had I to join in; and we beat his butt, before getting in looots of trouble."
Weiss felt her eyebrows raising at the tale; Yang hesitated, before laughing in approval. Mr. Xiao Long sputtered in protest, Zwei leaping down as he leaned forward.
"Listen! He was saying some really awful things, we couldn't just let him-"
"You don't have to tell me, I was there!" cackled Qrow.
"Sooo, next time Cardin's a punk, we should beat his butt?" asked Yang, winking at Blake. Blake blushed slightly, smiling as she glanced off.
"But, we, no girls! You can't just do as we did," protested Tai, waving his hands. "We shouldn't have done that-"
"You kiddin? That was one of the best things we ever did!" laughed Qrow, tearing up.
"Qrow, no! It, I was a hothead, man, I shouldn't have done that!"
"Dad, you were a hothead?" teased Yang. "I can't see it, sorry."
"Oh your dad was totally a hothead! And a total dork, lemme tell you-"
"Nope!" exclaimed Tai, "Nope, nope! We can't set a bad example, Qrow, honestly!"
Qrow was laughing, a full belly laugh that was sending Ruby into joyous giggles that Weiss couldn't help but smile at.
"We're a great example!"
"No! Nono, you don't pick fights in the cafeteria-"
"That's where I picked, like, half my fights!"
"Exactly! We were always in detention because you!"
"No we weren't! It was a collaborative effort!"
The two men continued to bicker as RWBY giggled at them, smiling at one another. Weiss found it strangely relieving, to hear the stories of people who had gone before them; Winter had attended Atlas Academy, which was an extremely different environment from Beacon. It was nice to know that other people, who had gone on to live their own lives and have their own careers, could empathize.
Weiss smiled at her partner, who was gigging riotously at her family member's stories. Briefly, she wished that she could have such moments herself with her own family, before brushing the thought aside; Yang was still teasing Blake, who was pretending to ignore her partner as she watched the rest of the Xiao Long household joke and laugh.
It wasn't the first time that Weiss noted that the two partners would make an excellent couple, as Yang flopped over and tried to get Blake's attention. Weiss shook the thought from her head; such things weren't her business.
"Anyways," drawled Qrow after a pause. "I'm glad you girls are enjoying yourselves. You're gonna love it."
"Especially once the Vytal Festival comes into town," agreed Taiyang. "Vytal fest is a real experience."
"Oooh yea, I'm so excited!" exclaimed Ruby, sitting up.
Weiss was genuinely excited about the opportunity herself. The amount of work that went into organizing such an endeavor was spectacular; representatives from every Kingdom, and even Menagerie, attended a Vytal Tournament. Every Hunter academy on Remnant participated, and even trained their students to compete. It was the pinnacle of achievement for humans and faunus alike, on a global scale. Weiss could speak for hours on the subject, though most audiences weren't as enthusiastic as she was.
"Man, what year was it that we went?" wondered Qrow, scratching his stubble.
"Too long ago," admitted Tai.
"It's almost a shame that it's here this year. Otherwise you girls would get to go to another Kingdom to compete," said Qrow. "That's an experience in itself."
"True, but we'll get to interact with other competitors," gushed Weiss before she could stop herself. "And their ambassadors, if we wanted to. Personally, I want to meet the ambassadors from Vacuo. I've heard so much about them. Considering how disorganized Shade and Vacuo is, the fact that they can wrangle together everything is remarkable."
That and RWBY might not have been selected to attend the festival elsewhere. RWBY was one of the topped ranked teams in Beacon, but not necessarily the best in tournament fighting. The last time she had checked, they were third among the freshmen classes; and tenth in Beacon overall.
"Ey, I've met at least one of them," chuckled Qrow. "She's pretty nice."
"And I keep forgetting you're a Schnee," said Tai, glancing at her. "You would know about all that."
Weiss blushed somewhat, suddenly awkward. No one on her team made too much of a deal about her background, and after her first few weeks, Weiss had grown accustomed to the lack of recognition; most people in Vale were blissfully unaware of where their Dust supplies came from. Unlike Atlas, where the Schnee name was practically royalty. The lack of recognition had almost become soothing; she didn't always have to worry about what she said, or did, or who saw her do what. She was free.
"Um, I don't know ALL about it," Weiss admitted. "Only-"
"Only literally everything," teased Blake, shooting her an amused look.
"No! Just, I like the mechanics behind it," Weiss mumbled. "Organizing that many different hunters, from every corner of Remnant? So much planning goes into it, I find it nearly…artistic."
Ruby smiled brightly at her; Weiss felt a warm fluttering in her chest at the sight, her cheeks still heated from the attention.
"I feel the same way about weapons!" her partner said, beaming. "It's art!"
Weiss hummed in appreciation.
"It IS art. Do you know how Vacuo gets the resources to send people to the other side of Remnant every time the festival is held in Mistral? It isn't Dust or any of their other exports, it is sheep wool and durian! They save all the income they make off those items as a country wide scale!"
"But neither of those things are native to Vacuo, are they?" asked Blake, her head cocking.
"No, they aren't! But they import them!" Weiss laughed. "To an extravagant degree! They love rugs, and they love durian, so much so that every few years they can send Shade hunters across the globe to compete! They even have laws implemented to enforce it."
Considering Vacuo had nearly no laws to begin with, it was remarkable.
"Pssh. That's not art. That's like, science," protested Yang, waving a hand.
"Same thing!" exclaimed Ruby.
"Nuh uh."
"It is!"
"NO, it isn't-"
The siblings continued to bicker, as Weiss and Blake shared exasperated eye-rolls. Sometimes, you just couldn't win.
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