Blake leads Weiss by the hand to a group of people Weiss, on closer look, actually had met before. She introduces Weiss to team JNPR, and Ruby and Yang wave at her. Weiss is only half-paying attention, but she remembers how to smile and shake hands and do socialization. It's like politics.

Luckily, Blake is preoccupied with some of the people and Weiss takes a seat next to Yang. At least she's had a conversation with Yang before.

"Hello, Yang," Weiss says, with perfect poise and timbre. She can show Blake that she's capable of making other friends, and then, afterwards, she can just hang out with Blake because she wants to, not because she has to.

"Sup, Weiss-bucket?" says Yang, "How- how're you, uh, you doing?"

"Quite well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Great. So, uh," Yang leans forward, conspiratorially, "Are you and Blake, like, you know." Yang pontificates. "A thing?"

"Oh! Oh, no," Weiss says, keeping her voice steady, "We're just friends." It hurts to say.

"I mean, were you always 'just friends'?"

"Yes," Weiss says. She doesn't know if it's a lie, but it feels like one.

"Okay," Yang says. Perhaps she takes the hint. She clears her throat and takes a bite of her sandwich. "So Ruby's missing a matching twin-pack of d20's. Do you think you could keep an eye out for them?"

"I don't know what those are. But yes, if you inform me of their appearance."

"They're, like, dice," Yang pontificates some more. She leans her head to the side. "Are you into tabletop RPG's? Blake says she invited you but you were busy."

Weiss remembers that. She had declined, because she didn't like Ruby. Still doesn't.

"Ruby's a good MC, though she mostly only runs the one plot." Yang smiles wildly, "Well, offer's still on the table. The table-top, aha."

Weiss chuckles, out of politeness-she's heard better puns.

Annoyingly, Blake had seen Weiss chuckle at Yang's pun, and she was now giving encouraging motions between Weiss and Yang.

Weiss turns to her food. She hopes Yang didn't see Blake's motions.

Weiss hadn't considered Yang to ever be personally datable- datable in the abstract, sure; she could imagine Yang dating people. Just, Weiss really hadn't had any particular desire to think of Yang as anything other than a teammate.

But now Weiss was half-considering it. The other half of her was finding reasons not to, as she glanced over her teammate as the later ate her food.

Yang didn't immediately strike Weiss as someone she considered attractive. Sure, the blonde had great hair and striking eyes and was always friendly, but that wasn't all she looked for in a romantic partner, right? And, continuing with the superficial; Yang was buff, where Blake was more athletic, and Yang was, additionally, quite... voluptuous. Like... quite so. And her current attire seemed to be designed to accentuate that fact-

"You can touch them, if you want," Yang says, not looking up from her food.

Weiss immediately blushes and flails. "Wha- I wasn't- I didn't-"

Yang laughs. "Sure you didn't." Her smile is insufferable. "It's okay; I know I'm hot." Yang swishes her hair back.

Weiss bites her lip.

Yang laughs some more. "Sorry for teasing you. It's just- you usually keep to yourself. And if we're going to be team-members, it'd be nice if we were friends right?"

"I-," Weiss says, "I suppose that would be efficient, yes."

Blake sits down with them, now. "Hey guys. How's it going, Yang? and Weiss, it's nice to see you opening up a bit." Blake smiles.

Yang nods to Blake and finishes her thought to Weiss. "Also, Blake told us it's really fun to tease you. She was right."

"Wait, what?" Weiss says.

Bake tries to look nonchalant.

- PRESENT DAY -

Weiss carried Blake into the guest room, depositing Blake onto the bed. She closed the blinds and turned down the light and cuddled up with Blake.

There was a knock.

Weiss waited a moment to open the door. A pile of pillows and snacks was left in the hallway. Weiss gathered them up and brought them in, before locking the door.

She grabbed a granola bar and jumped on the bed, next to Blake.

"Oh Blakey," Weiss said. She hugged Blake. "Lets hide here, together, for the next two weeks. Just the two of us. Doesn't that sound fun, Blakey?"

Blake blinked.

"Or," Weiss said. She tapped her chin. "Maybe we can stay here forever! I can have snacks delivered, and there's blankies, and there's you! So there's everything I need, Blakey." Weiss nuzzled Blake's neck. Blake blinked.

Weiss leaned up and looked Blake in the eyes. "But do you need anything, Blake? I can see if I can get a maid to deliver it," she said.

Blake blinked.

Weiss nuzzled Blake's neck again. "Oh Blakey, I love you! Mwah!"

There was another knock on the door.

Weiss froze.

"Weiss, sweetie," said mum Schnee, from the other side of the door, "Are you in there?"

Weiss turned to Blake and shook her head.

"Blake, is Weiss in there with you?"

Weiss shook her head, desperately. "Don't tell her we're in here."

Blake blinked.

"Weiss says not to tell you we're in here."

"Blakey whyyyyy?" Weiss whined.

Blake tried to look nonchalant.

Mum Schnee entered the room, slowly, sometimes haltingly. She folded her hands in front of her and tried to smile.

"I'm sure you must think me either ignorant or callous, Weiss, sweetie," said Weiss's mother, "But I am aware of your vehemence towards you sister, and her," she pontificated, "less than considerate nature, especially when you are involved."

Weiss hugged Blake harder. "Well, if you already know, then why are you telling me?"

Mum Schnee took a seat on the bed, next to her daughter and her... whatever Blake was to her. "Because I think you could be a positive influence on Winter. And because I know that you're tougher than you try to appear to be."

"Winter has returned here because," mum Schnee pontificated, "She needs to recenter herself. Rediscover who she really is. And I think that you could really be a positive influence on her."

Weiss pouted at the wall. Blake blinked.

"And, not to imply that you aren't wonderful the way you are, Weiss sweetie," mum Schnee smiled, warmly, "But I'm sure there are one or two things about Winter that would be good for you to emulate? So do you think you could come and eat dinner with us?"

Mum Schnee got up and kneeled before her daughter. She held her arms out and smiled.

Weiss wouldn't let go of Blake, though. She pouted slightly harder and gripped Blake slightly harder.

And Weiss's mother blinked a few times in consternation.

"You know I love you, Weiss, sweetie." She hugged her daughter, and, by extension, Blake. She was very cold.

Weiss didn't return the hug. Admittedly, that might be hard to do from her position of clutching Blake's head to her chest, but Weiss did nothing to acknowledge her mother. Blake didn't return the hug either, but she knew it wasn't meant for her.

Mum Schnee released the hug. "So what do you say, Weiss sweetie? Won't you come to dinner?"

Weiss didn't do anything.

Weiss's mother shot Blake a look. Blake understood her role, and she turned to Weiss and pouted. She patted her stomach. "hungry."

Weiss smushed her lips together. She looked at Blake and her eye wobbled. Then she pulled Blake back into the hug and pivoted from side to side, rocking Blake."Oh Blakey. We can go to dinner if you're hungry. Of course we can."

Mum Schnee nodded to Blake. Blake nodded back.

- A POSSIBLE FUTURE -

Its been another day and a half. It's breakfast time and Weiss can't help but remember a past life, with skirmishes over bacon and unequal divisions of omelettes and, sometimes, feeding each other-

And, as if on cue, Blake sits down next to Weiss, snapping the shorter girl out of her reverie.

"He~ey," Blake says, "You know-"

"Blake, can we talk?"

Blake blinks."I... guess so? What- what did you want to talk about?"

Weiss smiles, as warmly as she can. "I just wanted to catch up. How are you?"

Blake shrugs at the wall. "You know I'm fine."

Blake doesn't continue.

Weiss refreshes her smile. "Have- have you 'found yourself', yet?"

Bleak frowns. "It doesn't happen overnight-"

"I know!" Weiss interjects, desperately, "I just wanted to know how - how the search was going. So...?"

Blake breaths. She looks calmer. "Ruby's been introducing me to all these books. I think I like the Gothic Horror genre. There's this one about a man with two souls-"

"Oh." Weiss's smile fades, slightly. "You and Ruby are still...?

Blake shrugs. "We're on the same team, so even if we're not-" Blake pontificates, "you know. We still talk. And other stuff. We're on the same team, after all."

"I noticed there was a bookstore down in town that just opened - would you like to check it out sometime-"

"Weiss," Blake says, sternly, "You've never respected me enough to let me do things on my own. It's taking me a while to catch up. So no; I'd rather not go on a bookstore date with you."

Was that true? "I- okay," Weiss says, dejectedly

There are solemn looks towards walls.

Blake shakes her head and refreshes her smile. "But anyway- I came here to tell you," Blake points at some figure across the cafeteria. "Do you know who that is? I didn't think she'd still be in school!"

"I-" Weiss blushes just a little. Yes, she does know who Pyrrha Nikos is, obviously-

"Let's go talk to her!"

"What?" Weiss leans back, "No~"

But Blake grabs Weiss's hand and pulls her out of her chair towards the tall woman with red-hair. Weiss allows it.

Blake gets Pyrrha's attention. "Hey," Blake says. She waves. "How's it going, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha leans towards Blake, her arm against the wall. "Quite well. And yourself? You look like you need some cheering up of the, aha, physiological variety."

Blake glances towards Weiss, a little nervously.

Then Blake grabs Weiss by the shoulders and bodily moves her friend in front of Pyrrha. "Have you met Weiss?"

Pyrrha is taller than Weiss remembers. The spartan smirks and runs a hand through her hair and shakes her head, like shes brushing water out of it after she's showered.

"I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure." She extends her hand with a flourish. Weiss blinks and opens and shuts her mouth, and she takes Pyrrha's hand. The taller girl immediately leans down to smooch the back of Weiss's hand. Weiss squeaks but mostly retains her composure.

Blake is smiling, stupidly. "Weiss has had a poster of you in her room for years, you know."

Weiss blushes, "I - I mean, you're world famous..."

"Weiss Schnee, right?" Pyrrha says, "I remember signing something for you, four years ago."

Really? Weiss doesn't say. But maybe she does remember a random little girl among thousands in the arena audiences all those years ago. Weiss blushes. Pyrrha is unfazed.

"Well," Pyrrha smiles and waves the air, "I'm not one to brag, but, yes, I am an international athlete." She looks to the walls and the ceiling before looking back at Weiss. "And now I'm becoming a huntress, for my country."

Blake smiles and leans in. "And, you know, Weiss's favorite Pajama Vigilante was the one with magnet powers."

"Bla~ake~"

"Oh?" Pyrrha leans forward, resting her arm on the table besides Weiss. She's rather close to Weiss, and Weiss wonders how much she can lean away without being rude. "My favorite Corporate Mouse Brand Heteronormative Heriditary Monarch was the one with ice powers."

"W-wasn't that the least heteronormative Heriditary Monarch?"

Pyrrha shrugs. "Subtext doesn't count. We should have more respect for ourselves, not just settling for winks and allusions."

To Weiss's relief, Blake and Pyrrha have a moderately long inane conversation about that topic. Weiss zones out, just a bit.

She snaps out of her reverie when Pyrrha turns back to her- she's very close. Weiss can smell olive oil and musk. Also, Blake seems to have left.

"Don't be nervous, my princess," Pyrrha says, her voice low and soft.

Weiss remembers about the time in her life when she thought she was literally a princess, and the much longer period of time when Blake was the princess- when she was Weiss's princess-

Weiss clears her throat and stifles her tears. "It's 'heiress', actually," she states.

Pyrrha laughs, warmly, "Don't be so hard on yourself. I think all girls are princesses, in some way."

"I- funny enough, I used to play-act as a prince, when I was younger. The concepts of 'prince' and 'princess' have become degendered over the years, you know."

Pyrrha looks surprised, but in a controlled way. "That is my line," she laughs,"But back to the point- perhaps-" Pyrrha stands up straight and clasps her hands before her and- her expression changes, her eyes widen and her smile softens and it's all kind of jarring actually - "You would prefer a Princess, my hero?"

Weiss's heart jumps into her throat, for some reason.

Pyrrha reverts back to her original demeanor, leaning slightly towards Weiss, smirking widely, eyes narrowed slightly, "Or are you the sort of Prince who loves other Princes?"

Blake was sort of prince-like, superficially. But, then again, Weiss was acutely aware of how much she didn't know about her oldest friend.

Wess's reverie must have shown on her face.

"Well," Pyrrha says. She waves her hand and brings it to her brow. "Would you like to stop beating around the bush, and get to the point?"

Weiss blushes so hard she can feel the blood run into her face. She flails her arms.

Pyrrha laughs. "Not what I meant. I was talking about," Pyrrha gestures to the distant figure of Blake, at a lunch table on the far side of the cafeteria, talking to Ruby and Yang, "your obvious attraction to your tall, dark, handsome friend over there."

Pyrrha looks into Weiss's eyes, for a moment. "And you've told her how you feel, and she doesn't return your feelings?"

Weiss breaks eye contact. "Is it that obvious?"

Pyrrha smiles. "I wouldn't worry about most people figuring it out." She refreshes her recalcitrant smirk and pontificates theatrically. "I know how heavy a broken heart can weigh upon your mind."

Pyrrha grabs Weiss's hand and brings her head down to meet it halfway. She looks Weiss in the eyes as she smooches her hand. "But if a resplendent princess such as yourself would like to forget the trappings of the mortal coil, I certainly have some," Pyrrha raises her eyebrows, "skill in that matter."

Weiss blushes more and more at the ground, as her composure falls apart.

It- well, logically, if her first time was to be with someone who knew what they were doing- that's the impression she gets, yeah? And Pyrrha was certainly attractive- a more athletic build than Blake, slightly taller as well-

And she'd been enamored of Pyrrha for a lot of her childhood, yes? Ever since she and Blake and her parents went to see the tournament championship, and she'd informally joined the fanclub that was seated next to them-

But-

"I don't know," Weiss says.

Pyrrha's smile doesn't waver. "Of course. If you ever change your mind," the spartan stands up straight and gestures theatrically, ending with her right hand to her chest, "you know where to find me." She pats Weiss's shoulder. "C'mon, we can talk once we've gotten our lunch."

Weiss opens her mouth. "Umm."

Weiss follows Pyrrha back to the their teammates. Weiss was wondering how many excuses she could use to get out of having to interact with other people- maybe she could just be aggressively boring? So she can go back to solitude, to wait for when Blake's done doing the social thing?

And then Pyrrha stops. Weiss bumps into her.

Weiss looks around to where Pyrrha's looking- the spartan's jaw's dropped and her cheeks are blushing, slightly.

There's a blond girl- the left side of her neck length hair decorated with silver hair clips, smiling sheepishly and tittering nervously.

Weiss is relieved- that Pyrrha found someone else to hit on, and also because that no part of her feels jealous about that. Her heart still belonged to just one person.

"Oh, wow, Jaune!" Yang says, "You look so cute!"

Wait-

tnk. -shing! "[V:154]- Dust almightie, thine this universal Frame, thus wondrous fair; thy self how wondrous then!"

"I like your skirt," Ren says.

"JAUNE!" yelled Nora. She smiled wildly, arching her back back and forth, "How cute, how astute, how dutiful you look!" She puts a shoulder around Juane's shoulders. "SPENDID!"

Pyrrha blinks, as if she's stunned. Then she walks towards Jaune.

"~wai~" Jaune clutches his face, "Thanks, guys!"

"So are you," Ren asks, "A girl on the inside?"

"Oh? No- there's nothing wrong with that, and I'd be comfortable saying if I did feel that way- but, I'm a guy; I just like being cute, you know?"

Ren nods. Nora's smile unhinges her face.

And Pyrrha steps into Jaune's personal space. "And we like you being cute too." Pyrrha pontificates theatrically, ending up grabbing Jaune's hand.

Jaune blushes. "~uwa~" he squeaks, in delight, or perhaps terror.

Weiss vows to give Jaune congratulations when he's not being accosted, and she takes a seat next to Yang, across from Ruby, and a seat down from where Blake left her food- fishsticks and peas, Weiss notices. Blake's talking with Ren and Nora, and Weiss doesn't get the chance to make eye contact with her.

And as Pyrrha strikes up a conversation with Jaune, Weiss feels more and more relieved, now that it's less likely she'll have to interact with the amazon again today.

Blake isn't within conversion distance- but Weiss reconsiders trying to talk to her. And besides, Weiss had a life outside Blake, maybe?

Weiss feels adventurous, or rebellious, since now she doesn't have to talk to someone, she just wants to. Twice in one day and it's already breakfast, wow.

"So," Weiss says to Yang, and the following conversation is easier than Weiss feared it would be, "Did Ruby ever find her dice?"

- PRESENT DAY -

Weiss carried Blake to the dinner table. There's nothing for them to do but wait, and Weiss struck up an inane, one-sided conversation with Blake about the ecological underpinnings of conventional morality, in to avoid eye contact with Winter.

At some point, Blake and Winter blinked at each other, twice.

And when dinner was served- with all four Schnees here, Blake noted- Weiss and Blake did their dinner rigamarole again. Weiss's portions were bigger than usual, this time, but Blake still offered Weiss some of her food. Weiss took it, and she tried to push some of her steamed broccoli onto Blake's plate.

And Blake stole a strip of peanut beef off Weiss's plate, while Weiss was preoccupied.

"Bla~ake!" Weiss whined, quietly. They skirmished for a bit.

At the end, about fifty percent of the food on each of their plates changed hands at least once.

Winter stared at them, her face unamused.

"So nobody thinks this is weird?" She gestured to the younger girls.

"It's not weird, Winter," said mum Schnee, without looking up.

"You'd be surprised at how much people get used to," said pa Schnee.

"And this doesn't bother you?" Winter said, "Letting her eat at the table when she's clearly not table trained?"

"We concern ourselves with that less in private," said pa Schnee. "But Blake is capable of proper etiquette when it matters."

"Unless you were talking about Weiss," said Mum Schnee, "In which case, her place at the table is already imprinted on her memory, so what can we do?"

Blake chuckled. Winter chuckled. Weiss pouted.

Blake and Mum Schnee made eye contact briefly. They shared stoic nods of approval.

Weiss finished pouting. "Well, I've been teaching Blake everything I know," Weiss said, proudly.

"So almost nothing," Winter said.

Blake chuckled. Mum Schnee chuckled.

"No~" Weiss whined, "I taught her how to walk and talk and read and tie her shoes and, sometimes, use silverware when she eats!"

Blake stabbed a piece of food with her fork and stuck it in her mouth, to demonstrate. Pa Schnee applauded, and Blake nodded twice to him with a smile while making gestures like a winning gladiator in an arena. They both stopped, abruptly, when they got looks from the other people at the table.

Winter's face flattened. "I thought you didn't know how to read."

"Uh-huh!" Weiss pouted. Blake chuckled. "I already taught her most of the alphabet."

Blake smirked wryly. She nodded.

"So it was, indeed, everything you know," Winter said.

"Win~ter~!" Weiss whined.

The adult Schnees laughed, briefly. "Now now, Winter," mum Schnee said, "I assure you Weiss has been very diligent in her personal education of her Faunus."

Blake blinked. She knew she was supposed to nod, but she didn't.

"Is 'bathroom training' on that too?" Winter asked.

Weiss opened her mouth.

Weiss then closed her mouth.

Then she turned to Blake. "Blakey, I don't think I've ever seen you use the bathroom."

Blake blinked.

Then she smirked. "just as planned."

Mum Schnee laughed out loud, but only for two seconds.

"So," Weiss tilted her head to the side, "Do you actually use the bathroom, Blake?"

"i sneak into the bathroom when you aren't looking."

"So what if," Weiss put her hands on Blake's shoulders. "I just stare at you. All the time. How will you sneak away then?"

Blake blushed a little bit. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything.

And the next time Blake had to use the bathroom, she found it much more difficult to evade Weiss.

But she did, at some point, and she ducked into a bathroom on a less traveled wing-

And Weiss was there.

Blake's composure shattered. She has to clutch her lower abdomen.

"Weiss, please-"

"I wasn't going to watch you go!" Weiss pouted. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't actually need to teach you how to use the potty. I totally forgot about that!"

Blake's mouth wobbled. "-wait outside?" she finished.

Weiss giggles and hugs Blake as she exits. "Of course! Don't make a mess!"

Blake's face flattened.

- A POSSIBLE FUTURE -

It's another day and Weiss is pretending to study. Blake's in the room too, but Weiss doesn't need to talk to her. Nope. Not at all. She hopes Blake notices that. But maybe Blake had forgotten that Weiss is in the room.

And Blake doesn't see, but Ruby slowly sneaks up on Blake, from behind. Then the stupid fatalistic cookie-monster jumps and hugs Blake.

"[III:5]-dwelt then in thee, bright effluence of bright essence increate-"

"Don't touch me!" Blake yells. She flinches, jumping slightly.

Ruby releases the hug. She steps back and puts her hands up and smiles, non-threateningly. Or, at least, as non threateningly as she can manage, with her vacant eyes and candy-coated tombstone smile. "[IV:23]-Now conscience wakes despair that slumberd, wakes the bitter memorie of what she was, what is, and what must be-"

"I'm sorry. I just-" Blake inhales and exhales. "I'd prefer to hold off on hugs, you know? I- I don't know if I like them. Still- figuring that out."

Ruby nods and smiles. "[III:238]-I for her sake will leave thy bosom, and this glorie next to thee-"

Blake smiles back."Thanks for understanding. Its- it's a little weird, I guess. I- I can work on it? If you like."

Ruby waves a hand in the air. " [III:8]-Before the Sun, before the Heavens thou wert, and at the voice of Dust, as with a Mantle didst invest the rising world of waters dark and deep-"

"Still," Blake says, "I think I'd like to get to a place where I'm comfortable with hugging you."

The two of them leave the room.

Weiss wipes away unbidden tears, from where she sits at her desk. There is a lump in her throat. Surely, her hugs weren't that bad, to ruin all hugs for Blake?

She had been sure that Blake loved hugs. That's why she was so snuggly, right? But, then again, Weiss had also been sure that Blake loved being her- her best friend, even if they had seemed to drift apart ever since her- their mother died. Weiss had clung to those old, happy memories, and to think that they were all lies-

Weiss rubs her nose on her sleeve. Well, maybe it was just that Ruby was just so naturally creepy and weird, and it was only normal for Blake to be uncomfortable hugging that rose-flurried red reaper. It was possible that it had nothing to do with her past. Yeah.

Weiss doesn't get anything else done, for a while, but she calms down when Blake re-enters the room.

Blake approaches. Weiss keeps her cool. "So how about we hit up Ren and Nora?"

"I- I don't know," Weiss says. However, she absolutely knows that she doesn't want to, but Blake looks so enthusiastic."I still admire Pyrrha, but I don't know if I like actually interacting with the person behind the image. So remember; last time you tried to introduce me to someone, it didn't go so well..."

Blake smiles. "We can mulligan. C'mon! I think you'll really love them! Nora's fun," Blake says, "or maybe Ren? He and I seem cut from similar cloth. You might like him."

Weiss is reluctant, but Blake does not relent. She pulls Weiss by the hand out into the halls, to another dorm.

Team JNPR's dorm is across the hall from theirs. It could be considered rather expedient, for people who were actually interested in making friends. The knowledge that she would have less of an excuse not to hang out ties Weiss's stomach in a knot; maybe she can start studying in the library, so anyone who knocks on her door won't find her?

Blake knocks on the door. Her smile doesn't waver.

"So, um." Weiss says. "Sorry- sorry about the hugs. From when we were younger."

Blake blinks. "Oh? You mean- I- okay. Yeah."

Blake coughs. "I- I mean, I don't think they were bad, it's just-"

There is a conversation, they overhear.

"It appears to be Blake, with RWBY's fourth member," says Ren.

"The heiress! HOW FORTUITOUS," says Nora. They didn't have to eavesdrop to hear that.

"Are we feeling...exhibitionist today?"

"Sure, if you would like. I ALWAYS LOVE THE SPOTLIGHT."

"Okay, I'll let them in now-"

"SPLENDID!"

The last praise is loud enough to send Weiss and Blake recoiling from the door. Which works out quite well, because it flies open-

"COME IN, COME IN!" yells Nora. She gestures grandly like a marionette caught on a threshing machine.

Their side of the room- or at least, the bunk that looked like Ren and Nora's side of the room- was rather neat, with a lot of sentimental looking items strewn around. There is a portrait of some sort of viridescent serpent on the wall, wreathed in some sort of shrine. They also seemed enamored of stuffed animal sloths.

"Hey Nora, Ren," Blake says, "Have you met Weiss?"

"Yes, actually," Nora says. Weiss tilts her head to the side, but before she can get a word in, Nora brings her face too close to her's, her breath on Weiss's teeth.

Weiss blinks, and Nora steps back.

"Well met," Nora swirls her hand in a flourish as she bows, ending up with her back in a ridiculous arch and her hand outstretched towards Weiss. She looks up and smiles madly. "Believer in love."

"Hello, uh, again, I guess? " Weiss says. She shakes the hand. "Are you okay?"

"My," Nora points to her head, exaggeratedly, "Encephalo-fasciculations."

"She's always like this, don't worry about it," Ren states. He isn't wearing a shirt. He is, however, wearing a sloth ear headband, and a collar.

"Why is Ren a sloth?" Blake asks.

"Because sloths are the cutest."

Weiss frowns, but she doesn't attempt to argue that, actually, it is empirically a fact that kitties are the cutest, instead.

"So he's just pretending to be a Faunus?"

"A sloth," Nora turns around to gestured to Ren. Ren blinks. "Whether a Folivora-aspect Faunus or a giant stuffed animal, it doesn't matter, as long as he's cute."

Nora tilts her head back like she's animated by Shaft and looks at Blake, upside-down. "You could say he is the metaphysical ideal, the platonic representation, the internal ideation- OF A SLOTH!" Nora waves her hands like a muppet.

Blake frowns. "I don't think that's a good thing for him to pretend to be," Blake says.

"Consider it flattery, if you wish," Nora flashes a smile.

Luckily, that conversation holds the three of them for a while, so Weiss can gather her composure and also eye the exits for ways out. She doesn't find one in time.

Blake is placated, and she shakes Nora's hand. Nora opts to pat it with both hands, then up and down Blake's elbow, and on Nora's knees, and there's some sort of spin involved. Blake keeps up pretty well.

"Well, I'll be outside if you need anything," Blake says. She winks at Weiss, giving her friend a thumbs up.

Weiss takes too long to decide if she want to ask Blake to stay. So the door closes, and she's along with Ren and Nora.

Nora snaps her fingers. Ren jumps onto her right side, clinging around her shoulders.

Nora strokes Ren's hair. She smiles at him, and then turns to Weiss, "You are here," Nora says, "because you have been very diligent in your pursuit of love. For your," Nora's eyebrows dance. "aha, little kitty friend."

She moonwalks over to besides Weiss's left side, so that she can put an arm around her. Weiss wonders how Ren stays balanced on her arm.

"Oh! Um, yes. She, uh," Weiss rubs the back of her head. "Is it really that obvious? I mean, it would be nice if I could meet someone and they don't immediately know how much of a lovestruck loser I am."

Nora laughs, wildly. She slaps Weiss's back. "We're just weird that way, don't worry."

"I- guess there's no use in pretense then? I guess that makes this a little easier." Weiss refreshes her smile. "Honestly, I don't know what she expects me to do when she puts me in these situations, aha."

Nora and Ren share a look. "Hey, don't worry about it. We can pick up the slack," Nora begins.

Weiss blinks. "What?"

Ren pontificates, with his head. "Blake told us that you're a little introverted but that you want to make friends. So we've been planning this conversation for a while."

Weiss frowns. "What? - Am I that pathetic?"

Nora scrunches her mouth. "Noooo~. There's nothing wrong with being introverted," She hugs Ren with one arm. Ren smiles. "And we're so proud that you're trying to break out of your shell!"

"You're so brave," Ren says.

That doesn't make Weiss feel better. "Does she think she's doing me a favor, putting me into these situation?"

Nora smiles. "You could always have more friends, Weiss!"

"But-" Weiss's nose twitches, "I don't want more friends! I want my best friend back! Why- why can't she see that-"

Weiss stifles a sob.

Nora's voice is actually soothing, this time, "Hey, hey, hey there- do you want a hug?"

Nora holds her arms out. Ren jumps off of her, also holding his arms out. Weiss hesitates a moment, before she leans into the hug. "C-can Ren put a shirt on, first?

They laugh. Ren does.

The hug helps.

"You have truly been diligent! But I think," Nora says, after Weiss has calmed down, "That there is a path of greatest utility in front of you."

Nora waves her hands like a muppet. "You needn't stop caring for Blake. But she is not obligated to care about you back. THUS!- the impetus upon thyself is twofold; to ensure that you do not let your feelings infringe upon Blake's desires, and to never let yourself depend on her liking you back."

Ren has since resumed clinging to Nora like a sloth. He still has his shirt on, though. "You can be the best person you can, and if she ever gets to a point where she can see that, maybe you can be together then."

"But it would be healthier not to count upon that eventuality, and right now you need to respect her decisions. You can have a good relationship with her, even if she's," Nora smirked, "flirting with death."

"Haha," Ren chuckles, "specifically, 'Death by Chocolate.' It's cause Ruby's, like, you know."

"Wait," Weiss says. She frowns. "Are they- Blake said they weren't-"

Ren and Nora share panicked glances. "I- I mean, perhaps she meant they are not exclusive? Or that they're not actually going on dates. OR MAYBE. I'm just misinterpreting Blake's feelings." Nora lilts the last part. Considering how she saw through Weiss, the heiress isn't inclined to believe her.

"So what you're saying, is," Weiss parses to herself, "Once Blake realizes that Ruby is dumb and gross, she'll realize I was here the whole time, and that I still care for her?"

Ren and Nora try to explain that, while technically a valid interpretation of their advice, that is not actually what they had hoped Weiss took away from that conversation, but Weiss isn't listening.