Chapter: Studying Up

"Adorable isn't it?"

It's a question that grates roughly against the peaceful air. Weiss doesn't like interruptions during her study time, but the tenderness in Yang's voice implies the blonde isn't bored. She's obviously not trying to be annoying, either.

"They're sickeningly sweet together, I'll give you that." Weiss says as she turns the page in her book.

The soft squealing of a highlighter against the page acts as a brief distraction. She folds over a corner of the page to mark the spot. All of her textbooks look this way. A mangled rainbow of color, sticky notes, and folded corners. After an entire school year of her abuse, it's a wonder any of them remain intact. This new set of books had been pristine just hours ago. Yet, if the ones sitting on the shelf are anything to go by, this last rounds of books will see the most abuse of all.

Yang knows what she'll see the moment she looks down, but she still doesn't like the sight any less.

"Aw, come on, Weiss." Yang says, grimacing at clutter surrounding her friend. Weiss has already begun laying out their study plans for the next month. If Weiss had her way, they'd have their noses pressed to books for hours at a time. "Forget about our grades for just a second. Look at Blakey all curled up and purring. It's a rare sight."

"You mean the way she's curled all around your sister? Honestly, it makes me think this is more common than you realize." The woman said, refusing to tear her gaze from the work at hand. "Although, I'd suspect it's also less innocent when we're not around."

"Gross, way to trash the sentiment…." Yang mutters, a clear disgust edging into her voice. "Did you really have to say it that way?"

Weiss closed her book slowly, taking the time to look at the two students basking in the afternoon sun. At some point or another they had both fallen asleep. Blake and Ruby were oblivious to the world around them. Ruby murmured nonsense, and Blake purred. Both blissfully lost in the depths of sleep. Above her, Yang sprawled out across the bed that had been suspended by ropes. Two added metal chains held the bed up just in case the ropes themselves somehow caught fire. It was likely a needless precaution, but one that Weiss had insisted upon anyway.

The lilac gaze that met her own seemed stormy. Weiss couldn't stand to look at that pained expression, and instead turned her gaze back to the couple that had caused it.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?" Weiss surmised softly, watching as one of Blake's ears flicked absently against one of Ruby's louder snores.

"Shouldn't it?" Yang asked.

The loaded question left much to be desired. It was a precarious thing, really.

Instead, of spewing out the first idea that came to mind, Weiss swallowed down her immediate answer. She weighed her thoughts, testing the words on the tip of her tongue. "I don't know. When it comes to sharing a bed in our dorm room, I'd say it's a fair concern. If I put myself in your position, I wouldn't be too keen to see Winter sharing a bed with anyone, either."

"Yeah?" Yang asked.

"Of course." Weiss told her. "Moments like these shouldn't be for our eyes to see. They're intimate in their own way."

"I don't mean like that…" Yang replied, though the way she averted her gaze was troubling. It implied that she still wasn't entirely happen about the new development. "I mean, in general."

Weiss knew that, of course, but had thought the diversion might have been helpful. If only it had worked. Now, she was faced with an even darker implication, one that left a foul taste in her mouth. She studied the sleeping couple as if doing so helped her to search her own soul for answers. "A lot of people are going to be against them." Weiss finally stated. "I can't blame you for being uneasy."

"It's not that I don't trust them. It's everyone else I don't trust." Yang said, as she started toying way a wayward strand of blonde hair. "My dad still treats Ruby and I like we're kids…and Blake's dad, he's got high hopes for her."

"I know that, and so do they. I'd like to think they're well aware of their circumstance." Weiss said softly. "They're good for each other, and that's indisputable."

Yang let out a sigh. "What if the people in the White Fang don't like Ruby? I don't like thinking that they'll try to force the two of them apart."

"I don't think Blake will let that happen."

"What if it's out of her control?"

It was an odd thing for Yang to say. It would have even been funny, if it had not seemed like such a grave concern.

"One thing that this team taught me, is that it's always within our control. We make our own choices, come of them what may." Weiss said then. Deep down, she wanted to believe her words. "You need to have faith that they'll be able to work it out."

"I just don't want either of them to get hurt in all of this…"

"Then all we have to do is prove that Ruby's good enough. We start doing that by graduating with high marks." Weiss declared decisively. The only way to protect her friends was to be prepared. Knowledge was the most powerful tool she had at her disposal. As she pulled herself up from her bed, she grabbed her bag and smiled. "Try not to worry so much right now. It's not an immediate concern that needs to be addressed. We have time, and we should take it." She hoped her expression and her words might instill some measure of comfort. "I'm going to the library to get ahead on studying. You three can meet me there after they wake up."

"Weiss…what if that's not enough? What if it doesn't work out?"

The smile that had once been on her lips disappeared entirely. "Personally, I think that's up to Blake."

"Not Ruby?" Yang asked.

"I don't think Ruby would ever give up. Then again, she doesn't have the same sorts of responsibilities that Blake does." Weiss told her. "We picked this life, Yang. If we're going to be huntresses, then it's our job to protect the peoples of Remnant. If the White Fang can't accept Blake's other responsibilities, or won't accept Ruby, then maybe she doesn't belong there anymore…that's only a choice she can make. Ruby can't force her."

The solitary trip to the library was not as relaxing as Weiss had hoped for. Cogs turned in the back of her mind.

As the fourth year of Beacon began, Weiss fully expected their team to struggle. They didn't make it this far by slacking off, and the final year promised to be even more difficult than the ones preceding it. The white haired woman sat in the student library preparing for the difficult onslaught ahead. Her books were set in carefully aligned stacks. Her notes on each book rested side by side. Her current project was medical dust application in the field. Three open textbooks and a browser on her scroll helped to beef up her research.

Ten pages of empty paper waited to be written on, and Weiss had been sure to prepare everyone's presentation books the same way as her own.

While she waited for the others to eventually arrive, she wanted to get as far ahead in her own assignment as possible.

She worked diligently, writing out what parts of the body dust could be used on. She carefully detailed what parts of the body were not compatible. As a general rule, humans tolerated emergency dust treatments better than Faunus. In addition, men's bodies were more likely to tolerate dust application than women. The treatments were often last ditch resorts, and very painful. The reasons for that were still being studied to this very day. Millions of lien went towards those all too important studies. The military and the Schnee family provided the funding and manpower for most of them.

There were some naysayers, of course. People claiming that the results were rigged by the atlesian government, or others in a position of power. Recently, other kingdoms had begun their own experimental testing in order to confirm previous claims made by James Ironwood, or her father.

Weiss struggled with her report. Many of the treatments were difficult to understand, even for her. She knew that she'd have to devote her entire afternoon to explaining the complicated dust theory homework to Ruby. Weiss frowned at that. she hoped this was one study session that would be clear of embarrassing questions. It wouldn't be the first time she'd have to gloss over unpleasant truths about dust and bodily functions. She doubted it would be the last.

Dust was a finicky substance, even for one as knowledgeable as Weiss.

Dust theory was certainly Ruby's worse subject by far. Dust when in regards to medicine was a sure way for team RWBY to fail a team research paper. She would have to help Ruby through all of it, and take extra care to explain what the teachers had not. Skipping two whole years in Signal had also meant that the girl had skipped two entire years of fundamental dust education. Ruby had spent all of her time in Beacon trying to catch up, relying heavily on Weiss to help pick up the slack.

That was not the only enormous gap Ruby had in her studies, either.

Weiss sighed to herself, pen in hand. The first page of her report was complete, but even that offered little in the way of accomplishment.

Loud raucous laughter broke her concentration. Cardin Winchester and his team were causing a ruckus as they found a younger Faunus to pick on. Then, a new voice joined the laughter. Blue eyes dragged away from her workbook to see who it might be. The grey haired young man stood cockily around the other boys. All five of them mocking the new first year. Weiss sighed then, pointedly slamming down her pen.

It was just loud enough to draw several glares from around the tables. She stood angrily, walking across the room. She stepped between Cardin and the fanged Faunus who now cowered in the corner. The girl scampering away before Weiss even got a good look at her. Then again, with the Schnee Company logo still plastered across her back, Weiss wondered just who the Faunus was more terrified of.

"Cardin Winchester, you are a contemptable excuse for man." She told him venomously. Her voice intentionally low as she tried to keep the peace. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but, you're going to stop this instant."

"Easy there, princess." Cardin grinned, leaning heavily on a nearby bookcase. "No need to get all huffy."

Weiss narrowed her gaze. She had to crane her neck just to look up at him. Yet, he was hardly an intimidation. "Now you listen to me very carefully. You will leave that poor girl alone. If I catch you harassing anyone else, I shall report your constant disturbances directly to Professor Goodwitch."

"You think that'll stop me?" He snickered.

"If it doesn't, I have other ways of seeing you punished." Weiss hissed from between her teeth so as not to cause a greater racket than had already been achieved. "Have I made myself clear?"

Cardin just laughed again, inviting the other boys to do the same.

"Is there a problem here?"

Weiss looked over her shoulder, seeing Pyrrha Nikos standing tall with a few books in her hand. "Nothing to concern yourself with." She said as turned her gaze back to the group of five. "Merely a dispute about disturbing the peace." Weiss said, still eyeing daggers at cluster of males in front of her. "Although, let it be known that the next disturbance I come across will be met with action."

The champion's eyes zeroed in on Cardin she stepped in close. "I presume this 'disturbance' was some form of bullying. Am I correct?" She said, watching as Weiss nodded. The small motion was enough to ignite in insipid fury in the redhead. "I see." She said, as she looked to Cardin with disgust. "Mind your manners, Cardin, or I will retaliate." With that, she pushed passed him as though he were nothing. Her shoulder colliding with his hard enough to spark aura between them.

With the dispute silenced, Weiss went back to her table. She felt only slightly placated when the boys found a table to sit around. Although, they were no less quiet as they pulled out a deck of cards and talked.

"And you wanted to date that Niko's girl." Dove laughed as he began doling out the cards. "What a bitch."

"Nah, Nikos is just a bunch of hot air. Bitchy is better than crazy." Russel said as though he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth. "That other girl on JNPR, she's the one you have to watch for. She's a wildcat."

Weiss bit her cheek. Nora might have been a bit excitable, but she was a gentle soul, and Weiss had always known that. Weiss forced herself to ignore them. There was no point in arguing. They were jerks, plain and simple.

"Eh, Niko's just needs to be bent over a desk and shown whose boss." Sky replied, though his voice was quieter than the rest.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it." Weiss breathed soundlessly under her breath. She bit her cheek harder. She could taste blood in her mouth, but she was too angry to care.

"You'd be amazed what I'd put up with for a smoking hot babe. It's fine though. Back home I met a saucy one, I think I'll stick with her for a while." Cardin laughed, hand slapping down onto the table as he slid his cards towards him. "What about you, Mercury? Have any of the ladies given you and your team a warm welcome since transferring?"

Weiss froze, locking away the stranger's name within the depths of her mind. Mercury, was it? She'd have to look into him later.

"One, I guess." Mercury said. "A blonde girl, her name's Yang."

"Wait a god damn second." Cardin balked, another round of laughter shattering the silence. "Yang, as in Xiao Long?"

"Yeah," Mercury said. "That's her. We had a good thing going for a while. Really warm reception out of her."

"Dude, you do realize she could snap you in half, right?" Sky said, not even bothering to hide his surprise. "I mean, she's hot, but she's not worth it man. She's a damn she-hulk."

"Eh, she had a nice rack, so we shacked up for a bit. It's no biggie now. We're completely over and done with." Mercury said, tilting his chair back and resting his shoes on the corner to the table they occupied. "Said she wanted more than I was giving her. I didn't feel like making it a thing, so I haven't seen her since."

That was the last straw on an already thin rope. Weiss could almost hear her resolve snapping in half. Along with it went her sense of decorum.

Weiss gripped her pen so tightly that it snapped. Residue of ice dust freezing the oozing writing utensil instantly. She grabbed her scroll, telling her teammates to meet her in the dorm later on. She didn't want to explain what had happened. Instead, she gathered her things. White hot rage bubbled beneath her skin. She crinkled her pristine notes as she shoved them between the pages of her books.

She crammed everything into her bag with all of her other materials. Even her bag couldn't withstand the force of her grip, frost collecting around her fingers as the leather crinkled in agony.

Slamming her chair back under the table, she grit her teeth as she passed by the boys. They reminded her too much of the wealthy young men in Atlas. The sort with more money than sense. Pausing just behind this 'Mercury' fellow, she intended to give him a piece of her mind. Sadly, all she found was empty rage. Instead, she let every ounce of vitriol slip from her lips. "Degenerate lowlifes like you, make me sick." She whispered hotly as she stormed passed them and out of the library, slamming the glass door behind her.

The quickly frozen glass shattered on impact.

Weiss had never known a true desire for cruelty.

She had never felt the urge to cause true bodily harm to another living being in all of her life.

She knew vindictive pleasure on rare occasion, especially when karma got the better of those that had done her wrong.

However, this level of rage was new to her.

She knew anger tempered by loneliness. Fury fueled by failure. She knew annoyance, aggravation, and confusion brought on by the ineptitude of others. However, for the gambit of negative emotions that she had become well acquainted with in her life, never once had Weiss felt such a murderous rage. Those five young men could have dropped dead, and she would have been fine with that.

A flash of fire illuminated the area before a concussive burst of dust sent a training dummy flying against the wall.

Weiss cut through her electronic opponents one by one. Her elegant dance of dust and swordplay was as intricate as it was deadly. When she reached one end of the training room, she summoned a glyph beneath her feat. Launching herself high up, she twirled back down to earth again, taking some of the flight drones with her. With a well-timed flick of her fingers, another three drones went spiraling into another training dummy. The blast washed across her face.

She only felt heat. Nothing but a soothing warmth and flickering flame.

Yet, there were still more targets to remove. Weiss dropped down to one knee, stabbing her sword cleanly into the ground. The rest of her opponents meeting the frozen wrath of ice dust.

With that, the simulation ended, and the room around her turned black. Weiss closed her eyes, resting her forehead gently atop the hilt of her beloved Myrtenaster. She tried to get the crude words out of her head. It hadn't been hers to hear. They pained her all the same. Weiss knew that she shouldn't be surprised. Yang had always been a notorious flirt. The blonde seemed to feel better about herself whenever she'd caught the attention of someone.

There were times that Yang went missing, choosing not to return to the dorm after a date. Weiss had never asked, and Yang never spoke openly about the matter. Still, the team all assumed why it might be. Even Ruby had long since concluded that Yang was no saint. Yang just liked to indulge in carnal desire on occasion, and that was no one's business but her own.

Weiss sighed deeply, pushing herself up and withdrawing her sword from the floor. Then she stepped off to the side, resetting the censors around the room. They had no doubt seen abuse from her dust. After the ice had melted, tiles had replaced themselves. Finally, Weiss pulled out her scroll and reset the simulation. As all of the enemies returned once again, Weiss got herself into position.

Her body ached from the many rounds of practice, but she refused to cease.

She felt a stinging rage in her chest, bitterly clawing at her. Her eyes burned with salty wetness, but instead of acknowledging that, she propelled herself with a glyph directly into the fray. Her sword an extension of herself. She could dance this way forever if it would keep her mind off of Yang. Like a finely forged piece of steel, Weiss clamped down on her emotions, the training was all that mattered.

All she needed to do was succeed.

In the middle of this training round, a blur of black caught her eye. The sound of bullets whizzed by, and Weiss did a backflip into safety. Back to back, she felt the Faunus standing solidly against her. Weiss looked over her shoulder, Blake nodding as they continued the training. The two said nothing as they maneuvered around each other. Blake was really the only one who could twist and turn around Weiss as though it were nothing, the two of them flowing freely in a deft dance of footwork.

Neither of their team members could ever hope to achieve the unspoken synergy that engulfed the monochrome pair. Blake and Weiss shared a different sort of symmetry on the battle field. Weiss like water, and Blake like air. Ten more robots were dispatched quickly before the walls, ceiling, and floor turned black again. A small noise chimed, the simulation ending for the umpteenth time.

"Blake! That was a solitary program." Weiss said as she reloaded her sword with red dust. "What are you even doing here?"

"You never showed up to team studying, or dinner. We figured you were caught up with something, but then you completely missed blackout combat training with JNPR too." Blake said. "Ruby and I got worried."

"We weren't supposed to meet with JNPR until eight tonight." Weiss said with a breath. Mild surprise at war with relief. She hated even trying to fight in the dark anyway, especially against Blake.

"Weiss, it's already almost midnight." Blake told her, pulling up the time on her scroll. "It's okay though. We didn't end up sparring since Yang and Nora had to cancel. Goodwitch found out what we were doing in Forever Fall, and that they were the ones who instigated it. Those two going to be running combat drills all night in detention because of it."

Weiss grit her teeth and nodded. "I see. Well, that's typical." She began, as she smoothed out her combat skirt. "Either way, I apologize for worrying you. It wasn't my intention. As for our missed study session, I'll make it up to everyone later." She said as she gathered her things. "I'm going to go for a walk. I promise, I'll go back to the room after. Tell Ruby not to worry."

"Hey wait, you can't just bail out on me." Blake told her, hand outreaching to grab a slender wrist. She beseeched Weiss to turn around, a small tug was all it took. "Besides, I think it's pretty obvious something's wrong. You've never ditched out like that. Normally you get man when I ditch out like this..."

"There's a first time for everything."

"Weiss, something's really wrong here. I can tell, and even if I couldn't, you weren't exactly subtle." Blake mumbled, nearly cringing. Blue eyes like a raging tempest leveled a questioning gaze back in her direction. For not the first time, Blake felt guilty. "People are saying you broke a swinging door in the library."

"Perhaps I did." Weiss bit out.

"Look, I know these things are training simulations, but you've been fighting the robots to the point of overkill. You've got to talk about it eventually."

Pale lips flattened out as Weiss pulled away. Nervously she clutched at her satchel, her thumb running up and down the crease of the fabric. "You know precisely what's wrong, Belladonna."

"You still haven't told Yang how you really feel, have you?"

Weiss bristled at the accusation, even if it was entirely true. "No, I haven't. I told you before, it's completely and utterly out of my hands. There's no way she could have feelings for me. Even if she did, Yang is…she is…a wonderful teammate, and an irreplaceable friend." Weiss swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Despite that, she's hardly reliable when it comes to matters of the heart."

"You don't know that." Blake said softly, ears folding down as her heart ached with pity.

"You said it yourself just yesterday." Weiss shot back on the defensive. "We both know what she does up on Beacon's spire. It doesn't last, Blake, it never does. How could I possibly think that's she'd treat me any different?"

"Because Yang is who she is, and because you are who you are." Blake said gently with a small shrug. "It's just the get feeling that I get."

Weiss seemed to roll that around in her head, but in the end, it only upset her more. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. Her jaw clicked shut as all of her jealousy bubbled to the surface anew. Unlike the rage before, this feeling was simply lonely, and sad. She would never be able to compete. Never for a person like Yang.

"That's not good enough." Weiss murmured. "I won't be another notch in her bedpost…I won't….I can't be."