Right. I've been gone quite a long time, haven't I? :I ...I do apologize about that! A mixture of writer's block and busyness hit me for a while, but I think it'll be better, now. I should have the next chapter out MUCH sooner. Hopefully.
I, also, want to say that there will be no Winter Schnee in this, sadly (no matter how cool she looks). As, I learned of her after I had gotten too far into WITWOS to change it. So, yeah... Just saying, in case anyone was wondering that. 'Cus, I think she looks awesome.
Also, I've been updating at my Tumblr (mustachedmrblender), occasionally, and have gotten a few drawings regarding my stories on there now. Including one of Anna! Check it out, if that so interests you. I'd appreciate hearing what you thought!
Anyways, that's enough talking. Hears the next (very late) chapter!
"It was scary, Blake… It was like I couldn't control my own body. All I could see was just… this rage. And, the power..." Yang slowly presses her head against a nearby cabinet, the cool structure doing little to counteract the hot flesh of her forehead. "In the dream, I could feel it flowin' off me in waves. I know how strong my semblance can get. But, that… That was pushin' it WAY beyond what I could handle. I'm actually pretty surprised I didn't start shootin' fire or somethin'."
Blake slowly bites her lip as she buckles Anna into her chair, glancing over at her girlfriend. While not technically 'fire', per say, Yang's semblance energy could be incredibly dangerous if not controlled. Unlike Ruby, whose energy was released in harmless petals, Yang's power was released in either heat or waves of fiery energy. Usually, it would manifest in her hair or on her hands.
So, you could understand why she'd want to keep that in control and not have it spewing all over.
"Well… Was there anything else in the dream that you can remember? You know they say that dreams sometimes mirror our fears and desires..."
"I… I remember that I was looking for Anna. She had just been next to me, but I lost her. And… And, right before that other version disappeared, I heard her crying. Hell, that just made it worse. If all that 'losing control' shit wasn't bad enough, I had to hear her crying along with it. It was terrible, Blake. Worst nightmare I've had in an awful long time."
"Well, maybe Anna has something to do with it. Maybe you're scared of losing her or doing something wrong? That's a common fear for mothers to have. Whatever the cause or reason for the dream, it's just that. A dream." Blake walks slowly over to where Yang is leaning, turning the blonde around to gently cup her face. She presses a few soft kisses her lips, smiling as she feels Yang relax a bit. "You're here, now. And, nothing's going to go wrong, okay? We're all okay."
"Yah!"
"Anna agrees." Blake says with a grin, casting her eyes back toward their child for a moment. Anna has her head facing toward them, her ears twitching in response to the small laugh that comes from her mother. She smiles, too, having been calmed down from her her prior crying quite a bit. "And, is likely pretty hungry."
Yang finally cracks a smile. "Yup, it never ends. Think I put some milk in that container in the fridge. Figured it was easier than puttin' it in ten thousand different bottles, right? Ugh, probably gonna have to use the pump again… Hell, I hate that thing." Yang grumbles, regarding her breasts with a sigh.
"Well, I know you hate that thing, but I think you'd end up hating it more if you didn't. It's a necessary thing for you to do. And, healthy."
"Okay, okay, don't give me the Weiss-style lecture. I get why I have to do it. Doesn't mean I can't complain that I have to do it. It's what I do." The blonde says with a shrug, Blake rolling her eyes a little before she glances at Yang leaning in toward Anna. "Right, Anna-Banana? Mama's earned some complaining time for her sore tits?"
She blows a raspberry.
"Well, I think that answered it. Point for Yang!"
"Oh, please. That raspberry was to show you how ridiculous you sound. And, don't say that in front of our daughter. I don't want her first word to be whatever nasty word you decide to say."
Yang gasps in mock offense, placing a hand on her chest. "That hurts me, Blake-y. I'm not the only one with a filthy mouth around here, Blake. You've said some pretty dirty things with poor Anna in the general vicinity."
"Oh?"
"I seem to recall a certain (incredibly sexy, mind you) lady calling me the 'Queen of Oral' with our daughter sitting right in my arms."
"About to. I seem to recall that a certain blonde cutting me off."
"I..."
"Exactly. Now, if that's your only argument?"
Yang pouts, opening her mouth to protest before her argument is cut off with the slapping of little hands on the tray of a high chair and a slightly annoyed 'Yah!' that turns the two parents' attention to their daughter. Anna is giving a pout very similar to her mother, her ears twitching slowly. Blake has to bite her lip to hold back her amusement when Yang turns back to look at her with a similar expression, the family resemblance undeniable.
"I'll get her milk ready." Blake finally manages to get out, unable to hold back the small snicker that slips out as she walks over to the refrigerator. She'd likely have to warm it up on the stove a bit before she gave it to Anna, however.
"Alright, babe." Yang says, turning her attention back to her daughter. She scoots her chair a little closer, placing her hands partially on the tray. "Hear that? Mama's gettin' ya somethin' good..."
Anna coos and reaches her little hands out toward Yang, who gently takes them in her own. The little faunus touches her hand to the skin, giggling a little at how warm Yang's hands are. She tilts her head as she watches her daughter feel around, her expression softening. "And, what got you so freaked out this morning, Anna? You were cryin' almost as bad as I was… What did it mean?"
The little girl doesn't offer anything in the way of answers, just continuing to touch.
"Yeah, I dunno, either."
Blake, having poured a little milk into a bottle and set it in some water being heated on the stove, walks slowly over to her girlfriend and child with a smile. She doesn't miss the slightly furrowed brow of Yang's face, her ears lowering to her head. She has to wonder if this dream came about from stress, with the way Yang's been going lately. Perhaps the best way to deal with this anxiety that Yang had of losing Anna from her sight was to nip it right in the bud. She gets an idea that will be enjoyable for quite a few.
"Yang..."
"What do ya want?" The blonde asks, directing lilac eyes into slightly startled amber.
"W-What?"
"Whenever ya say my name like that, it usually means somethin' is going on in that big, beautiful brain of yours." Yang says with a chuckle, causing Anna to giggle along with her. Blake has to say that the sound of the two laughing together was the sort of thing that melted hearts into all kinds mush. "So, what's happenin'?"
Blake has to shake off the blush that rapidly finds it's way to her cheeks at how easily Yang had her scouted, making a mental note to check her voice the next time she wanted to have this kind of talk. Yang being aware of what she was doing at any particular time ruined her element of surprise. And, she could do a great many things with an element of surprise…
"I was thinking that we could take a night to go out for dinner..." Blake says gently, her tail swaying gently behind her. "Perhaps we could leave Anna in the care of her aunts? You know how Ruby's been wanting to..."
She can see Yang noticeably stiffen at the question, her eyes widely looking back to her girlfriend. "What? We can't do that, Blake, what if..."
"Yang, I think it would do you some good… I'm not talking about a whole day. Just a few hours at a nice restaurant." Blake replies, moving closer and placing a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Besides, I think you know how much Ruby would like to spend some time with her niece. She really seems to get Anna as well as we do. Just a little bit? I think it would really ease some of the stress you've been feeling."
"I… I'm not stressed." The blonde answers back, busying herself with her daughter's hands. Anna seemed to enjoy the gesture, smiling as she patted her fingertips along Yang's calloused knuckles. "I just had a bad dream, okay? Doesn't mean I need a break to hop out of bein' her mom. I can handle it, Blake."
The voice is more bitter than Blake expects, a slim eyebrow raising. "Yang… I'm not asking you to leave her selfishly. I'm asking that you leave her in the care of your sister, who loves her to death, and take just a few hours to clear your head. You don't have to feel bad for doing that… Everyone needs a little time to themselves, every now and again."
Yang clearly doesn't look all the way convinced. But, she lets out a small sigh and rubs the back of her neck. "Ya really think that would be a good idea?"
"I do."
"Well… I suppose I can't argue that it'd be nice. Do ya think that Ruby an' Weiss'll be too busy to watch her? Ya know how hard Weiss has been workin' on that White Fang event."
"I'm sure Weiss will subtly drop everything she's doing to spoil her. I expect that she will come home with far more toys than she arrives with. Ruby will likely squeal right into the phone the moment you tell her..." Blake replies with a smirk, Yang (despite her worries) unable to not crack a smirk.
"She DOES love kids…"
"I'll go make the call. We'll need to give them time to prepare, after all."
"Can you wait, Weiss? Can you WAIT?" Ruby squeals excitedly, practically jumping up and down near the other woman as she checks over what they have. Blake had called over to ask if they could watch over Anna for just a few hours, as Yang had apparently been having a rather rough time of it. She didn't explain too much about what exactly was wrong with Yang, but Weiss assumed that it was quite a private thing they needed to talk about.
Ruby had been over the moon ever since that call, more than ready to spend a few hours with her niece.
Things had been quiet since Ruby's encounter, leading both of them to still be wary of what could be happening. Weiss had been running around and sending her assets against every lead on the mysterious figure that she could find. Anderson and Jennings had been working quite hard to narrow down anything that could get from those petals, as well as much study into what exactly could have drained Ruby so quickly in terms of the battle…
Weiss was determined to make sure it never happened again. She needed to do what she did best… Learn. It was always what she had done best, from Beacon Academy to her stint as a full-time huntress. She was always the best at picking up on things that she could study more closely. She had, in fact, picked up a pattern of sorts in putting together all the pieces of information she had learned from when Ruby sighted this Grim-inspired stalker.
They only appeared when Ruby was alone.
Far-fetched? Weiss didn't think so. The first time this person had been seen, it was on a solo hunt that Ruby had gone on. The second, in a hospital… where only Ruby had really caught a good glance at her. It had only been trying to get Ruby's attention. And, the most recent? Ruby had been on a walk, which it took advantage of to… do whatever it had done to her wife.
Weiss' solution? Never let Ruby be alone. Brilliant.
Ruby, however, was less appreciative of Weiss being around her all the time. She had requested that Ruby come with her to work, followed her around the house, and even waited outside the bathroom for Ruby to finish. It's not as if Ruby didn't love her wife to death, but all this was just a tad smothering to the huntress.
When she had expressed this, Weiss had sighed quietly and assured her that this would be over once this stalker was caught. Until then, she would feel more comfortable if she could have Ruby's back. With the amount they had been through together, a single person would have to be crazy to attack with them both so close.
There hadn't been a peep from this person since, so Weiss was reasonably certain that she had scared them off for the time being.
She knew this was trying for Ruby, so she had agreed the moment that Blake had called to ask if they could watch Anna… despite certain apprehensions at the idea. She had held the child, before, and loved the little girl quite dearly. But, she was still slightly nervous around children, not quite knowing exactly how to read them.
Not like Ruby, anyway, who could likely read a child's mind to sense their hopes and dreams.
Anna was an exception in that she would at least try her best to put her worries away, though still needed a lot of help from Ruby. Weirdly, Ruby seemed to be putting a great deal of effort into getting her more comfortable around the small girl. Especially into holding her and interacting…
That look Ruby had given her when the redhead had been holding Anna still gave her shivers and a funny feeling whenever she thought of it. She wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to be feeling whenever it came about.
Whatever her feelings, though, she had to admit that the arrival of their niece was a pleasant breeze of fresh air to look forward to. And, with Ruby being as excited as she was, it was hard not to feel a little rush of excitement into her, too.
"I suppose I can't." Weiss says gently, typing a few things on her laptop as she sits at the desk and glances at Ruby from behind her reading glasses. "I just hope we got enough to take care of her needs..."
"Weiss, we got her more than enough! We should get 'em all to stay over, sometime! Especially with the new renovations we made, right?"
"It certainly took long enough for the house to begin looking like it hadn't been suddenly hit by a tornado, that's for sure. The new rooms we added were a happy coincidence." Weiss says, slowly glancing down to her work once more. She wanted to finish this up so that she would be completely free for the evening. Just a few messages to more people about the faunus event, rinse and repeat, to see if any more persons of influence would consider it. She was gaining a good amount of people considering it, so that was an encouraging sign.
The representatives of the various faunus tribes would be arriving in Vale from various points of Remnant in a few week's time, staying in rather nice lodgings courtesy of Rose Dust. While, perhaps, not exactly coming to gain rights for those faunus born in human society specifically, they WERE coming to call for the rights of faunus everywhere.
Especially in that governments of the kingdoms did little to stave hungry businesses off from the few lands that faunus tribes still held. Her call to action would seek to change that, thus making her very favorable amongst them. Juggling the different tribes was certainly tricky.
The deer tribes didn't like the cat tribes, nor the wolf tribes, to which the latter had little love either. But, it seemed that the threat of encroaching territory disputes was letting them begrudgingly work together.
"You okay, Weiss?"
"Mm?"
"Your eyes are doing that crinkle thing that they always do when you're stressing about something. It's harder to see with your glasses on, but I know what to look for..." Ruby says, walking slowly up to Weiss' desk and hopping up up onto it. "Anything you wanna talk about?"
"Oh, no more than usual. Juggling prejudices, bigotry, sweeping change, begrudging tribes of faunus…" The pale woman says before sighing and rubbing her temple. "I swear, this is what's going to turn me grey. I know I'm young, but I feel like I've lived a hundred years, sometimes."
"Well, we've been through a lot, right? With Cinder, with the Grimm… With everything. Some day we're gonna have a lot of stories to tell all the young people."
"I think they would very much like to hear your stories, Ruby… Particularly the Noodle Incident-"
"Weeeiss! Goddd… Are you EVER gonna let that go?" Ruby whines, a pout coming to her face when she sees the smirk coming to Weiss' face. It's nice to see her making an expression other then 'stressed beyond belief', but still…
"Never. The expression you give me in response to me talking about it is far too cute to give up. And, I do so enjoy watching it. So, no, I think not." Weiss says with a chuckle, looking back down and typing out a few more things as Ruby continues to pout at her.
Ruby looks down at her wife for a moment, pout still firmly on her face. "You can be so evil, sometimes..."
"I do my very best, of course." She replies, her eyes rising up on slightly to look at her pouting wife. "I do so like to see that cute pout you get on your face."
"Evil!"
Weiss keeps her eyes up, gazing up into Ruby's and keeping them held there long enough to bring a blush to her face. Ruby, eventually, has to look away before her face turns into a molten inferno. Well, more than it already was, at least. When Weiss is pleased enough, she finally glances back down to her work. "Those three should be here any time, now."
"I hope so! I can't wait to see Anna again!" Ruby is finally able to say after gaining control of her flush, a grin coming to her lips. "Plus, she really seems to like you! Probably 'cus your hair's all soft an' stuff, y'know? She likes soft things."
"Mm. I noticed that, the last time I held her. I seem to recall you all but shoving her into my hands."
"Well, I wanted you to see how cute she was! Plus, she's your niece… so ya got to learn how to hold her, right? Babies aren't all bad..." Ruby says, the last part being uttered in a slightly more quiet tone. It causes Weiss to look up at her wife, a slim eyebrow being raised upward.
"Are you alright, Ruby?"
"Yeah! I'm fine!" The redhead replies, waving off the question with quick gestures of her hand.
Weiss' eyebrow raises further and she sits up a little straighter in her chair, a position that Ruby often calls the 'business' stance. It's something Weiss does when she thinks Ruby isn't being all the way forward with something. "Are you sure? You're acting very… odd."
"Oh, just excited! Yang and Blake are leaving Anna with us and going on a nice dinner! What's not to be excited about?" She says quickly, Weiss opening her mouth to say something else before the sound of the doorbell rings out in the house. "Oh! That's them! C'mon, let's go!"
With that, she bolts out of the room and leaves Weiss to wonder. She would have to remember to inquire further about that, later. Ruby very often had loose lips, particularly when Weiss was involved. Not wanting to miss the arrival, she quickly stands up from her chair (deciding that the paperwork can wait for a little) and follows the path of semblance petals to the front door. Ruby has already let Yang and Blake in (both wearing quite beautiful dresses for the occasion of their date), all talking with smiles and laughs that bring a pleasant settling of happiness on her heart. Quite a rare commodity, with all that's been stressing her out as of late. She notes, however, that Yang looks a great deal more tired than she usually does.
A light smudge of muted purple under her eyes signals a lack of sleep, the bags making Yang look a great deal… older. Blake has the same, but much less defined than Yang. Perhaps Blake was right in her observation that Yang needed just a bit of a break away.
As, in the words of the very blonde in question, she looked like utter shit.
Anna is looking in the direction of Ruby's cheerful voice, giving a few happy gurgles in response and reaching out toward the huntress' face with a smile. Yang snorts, giving the girl's head a gentle rub that causes her to purr happily. "Easy, there, kiddo. You'll have plenty of time to re-arrange aunt Ruby's face, when we leave. Beat her up real good, 'kay? She could really use it-"
"Hey! Just what're you trying to get her to do to her poor aunt?"
"Rats! Foiled, again!"
Yang laughs, but it's a somewhat hoarse and very drained sound. Very peculiar, in Weiss' eyes. She thinks she'll just leave deciphering her to Blake.
"Oh, hey, Weiss! Yeesh, you're really quiet. I didn't even see you come in!"
"Well, in the face of how noisy my wife is when she tromps all around the house, I have to be considerably more quiet in my steps than her." Weiss answers back, causing Ruby to pout and Yang to laugh. Blake smiles when Yang laughs, looking between the two sisters and shaking her head.
"Well, Ruby DOES love her tromping..."
"Hey…!"
"Why don't you two come inside? I was thinking a break for tea would be good for me, anyway."
"Can't really, sorry… Blake got reservations, but they're kinda at a time that's a lil' weird. Last space they had! So, um..." Yang shifts her hip when Anna begins to fuss, smiling sheepishly as she moves her over to the other one. "Likes to move around, the lil' stinker. You girls are gonna have your hands full with this one."
"We'll be fine, Yang!" Ruby says with a smile, Yang giving a smile that still seems a bit nervous. "Just watch, she'll be all like 'Momma, it's so fun here that I don't wanna go home'!"
"Oh, will she? I think you're forgetting that the biggest word she's ever used is 'dah!'…" Yang chuckles, Anna's ears twitching as she smiles at her mother's laughing. "Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine… Just… If ya need anything at all… ANYTHING… Just call my scroll. She already ate, so she shouldn't be hungry. Um… Shouldn't be. I packed a bottle for her in case she is later; ya just have to warm it up. Oh, and I changed her diaper so you don't have to. Uh, if she DOES manage to soil it, I packed a few spare diapers in the bag. Y'know. For emergencies. Oh, and her bear and squid are in there, too."
"Her… squid?"
"Yeah! It's this little stuffed squid Blake got her. She likes laying her face on it."
Weiss turns to Blake with a raised eyebrow, tilting her head inquisitively. "Why did you get your daughter a squid? I mean, a little teddy bear I can see, but… A squid? Why?"
"I just saw it in a shop, one day, and thought it was cute." Blake replies as her lips give the subtle curl of a smile. "And, Anna loves it to death, so I would say she thinks so, too. It doesn't hurt that it's made of some pretty soft fabric. Don't worry, Weiss, her other favorite is one of the bears you bought her in that mad shopping spree you did all those months ago… Your pride is restored." Blake adds with a smirk, causing Weiss to release an indignant huff and cross her arms.
"It wasn't THAT much. Just the necessities!"
"A clerk nearly having a heart attack at the amount of stuff they had to scan is not the necessities, Weiss."
"Oh, that is not even CLOSE to true!"
Ruby coughs quietly into her hand. "It… It was kinda a lot, honey. I mean, the clerk DID pass out for a little..."
The pale woman gives a look full of utter betrayal back to her wife, Ruby wincing as Yang snorts in laughter. The blonde hoists Anna up into her arms slowly, walking closer to her sister and handing the baby off. "Alright, so just a few things to know… Don't move her too fast, she hates that."
"Gotcha."
"M'kay, and 'dah' means she wants something and you're not doing it fast enough."
"Just like you!"
"Alright, ya lil' shit, just one more thing."
"Of course!"
"She doesn't mind loud noises, but only when she knows that they're coming. Sudden ones will spook her and it'll take you an hour or two to calm her down… Trust me, I know."
"No problem."
"You realize I trust you completely and am just being all paranoid about her first time away?"
"Yeah, I get it. Don't worry about a thing, Yang! You two just have a good night, 'kay?" Ruby says, giving Anna a little bounce that causes the child to giggle. "We'll be fine!"
Weiss nods in agreement. "Indeed. We are more than capable of handling a baby. Now, you two should go before they give away your reservations."
"Alright, Anna, you're in a whole new house! Whatcha think about that?" Ruby asks as she carries the girl through the house, giving a little hum as Weiss follows along behind her… albeit, very carefully. Anna babbles a little to the redhead's question, reaching her hands up to mess with her hair. That certainly brings a big smile to her face. "Aww, you're doin' fine!"
"Perhaps we should take her the guest room. That's where we're keeping all her things, if I'm recalling correctly."
"Yeah, totally! Let's go~!"
As Weiss looks toward Ruby, she gets that funny feeling in her heart again. That odd, heartbeat ravaging feeling that makes Ruby seem to slow down, a hyper-aware Weiss glancing at all the little subtleties of her wife as she walks down the hallway. Ruby's smile is definitely bigger than usual (though, Ruby loved her niece to death, so that one wasn't all that surprising), but there is a subtle glittering in her eyes that draws Weiss immediately to them.
She didn't know what exactly to do with this feeling that was being stirred up inside her, but she very much wishes it wouldn't come about so quickly. It leaves her flustered and unable to speak properly for at least a minute, afterward. And, for someone like Weiss? That was very disorienting.
As they reach the room, a sudden ringing goes out through the house. They both jump more than a little, Anna whining a bit before starting to sniffle. Their eyes widen, almost trying to will the child not to cry with their minds.
Until she begins an absolutely heartbreaking bout of wailing, panicking Weiss to the extreme.
"Oh, no, she's crying! What do we do? What's wrong with her-"
"Weiss, relax… That noise scared her. But, unlike us, she's just a baby. How was she supposed to know that was just a phone an' not a big, scary monster or something? I know I was spooked by a lot of things, when I was little… Aw… It's alright, Anna..." Ruby glances back to Weiss for a moment, giving her a little smile. "Can you go answer that? I'll see if I can calm her down a little."
Weiss nods slowly, keeping an anxious expression on her face as she leaves the room. Who could possibly be calling this late? She swears, if it's something stupid and it caused Anna to cry… she's going to have a few choice words with the person on the other end.
She reaches the phone and picks it up, letting out an exasperated 'hello?' to the person on the other end.
"Hey, Weiss! It's Jaune."
"Jaune? What is it? Why are you calling?" Weiss asks, running a hand through her hair. "We're in the middle of something, here."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know… Um..."
"Just, out with it, please."
"Right! I just had something I wanted to talk to Ruby about is all. There's something that we need her for..." Jaune says with a sheepish laugh, one that Weiss can easily picture (along with that 'scratching the back of his neck' thing he always seems to do). "Is she right there, handy?"
His voice is calm, yet there is a slight tone of insistence that makes her eyebrows raise.
"...Yes, she is. Hold on."
Weiss wonders vaguely what Jaune wants to talk to her wife about. She didn't know what it could possibly be about, nor why it it would need to be talked about at this time of day. Perhaps something to do with her huntress duties? Is there any news that absolutely NEEDS to be delivered at night, save for emergencies?
Not that she didn't like Jaune, but still…
Upon walking back into the guest room she had left Ruby in, she is immediately greeted by the sight of Anna and Ruby sitting on the floor in such a nonchalant manner that it looks as if they're having a conversation about the most unimportant of things. The little faunus is seated on Ruby's lap, blonde hair standing out brightly against the red of Ruby's sweatshirt as she babbles and reaches her hands out for Ruby's.
The redhead is giggling, patting their hands together every now and again to draw a laugh from the little one. She glances up when she sees Weiss enter the room, the pure happiness and joy in her smile bringing a flush to Weiss' face.
"Anything important?"
"A-Actually, Jaune wanted to talk to you about something?"
"Hm? Wonder what he's got in mind… Hey, could you watch Anna for just a sec while I see what it is?" Ruby asks, getting up more slowly than she normally would (her normal being hop up quickly or don't get up at all) and walking toward Weiss to present her the gurgling child.
"Ruby, I don't know about this..."
"Hey… You'll be fine, okay? It's not that hard. Just talk to her and let her know you're there! She's such an easy baby!"
"Oh… kay..."
Ruby smiles that darling smile of hers as she hands Anna off to Weiss and bolts out of the room. "Back in a bit!"
Weiss glances at the girl in her arms, seeming uninterested and looking off in a random direction, biting her lips anxiously before slowly seating herself on the floor where Ruby had been sitting. She really hopes that Ruby doesn't take too long. She doesn't know what to do with a child all on her own, nor how to keep one entertained.. particularly one that couldn't see what she was doing.
At least Yang had changed her diaper before bringing here. As, there was NO WAY she was going to be changing diapers in any way, shape, or form. The very idea makes her nose wrinkle in displeasure.
No. Way.
"Well… It looks like me and you are going to be spending a few moments together. *Ahem* You had best behave yourself. I'm not as easygoing as your aunt Ruby." She says in a polite tone, Anna's face following her voice until her milky eyes stare right through Weiss' head. She has to admit that it's more than a little unsettling to talk to someone when their eyes don't focus on anything in particular, her slight phobia of children just… staring at her certainly don't help matters.
Calm down, Weiss. It's just a child. There is, quite literally, nothing that a child could possibly do to you. Besides unsettle you with how wide their eyes are, remind you how startling they are when they suddenly cry out… Hm. Thinking about this isn't really helping.
"Wah."
This simple word brings her attention back downward to Anna, who has started to lightly smack her hands at Weiss'. She purses her lips, remembering what Ruby had been doing with the child when she walked in. "My… hands?"
"Wah." The blonde says again, this time a bit more insistently as she gives another little smack to pale hands. Her head tilts up into Weiss' general direction, giving a pout that is so, undeniably, Yang that she can't suppress a chuckle.
"Alright, I think I understand..."
She gives a few pats to the girl's small hands, earning a giggle for her efforts. She has no idea if this was supposed to be some sort of game or merely an enjoyable way for Anna to interact with the people in her life, but she admits that it is rather cute. Giggling is much better than any amount of crying.
Judging by the fact that she responds so quickly and intently to the movements her hands make, Weiss believes she has done this many times before. Possibly with Yang and Blake, which Ruby (and, now, Weiss) had picked up. She gazes downward and gives a small smile.
"You're a lucky child, you know..." She murmurs, another series of returning pats by Anna making the small girl giggle again. "So many people around you that want nothing more than to make you happy… That's the way it needs to be."
The scar next to her heart gives a dull throbbing, as if to remind her about what her own childhood inevitably led to.
"The way it should be."
As if picking up on the rather somber tone her voice, Anna looks toward Weiss and coos out that simple word once more. "Wah..."
Weiss smiles a little and moves a gentle hand to rub between the girl's blonde ears, a small purr slipping out in response. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. A lot of stressful things on my mind these days, I suppose… Thankfully, your visit is making things a little less stressful. Ruby is getting a little annoyed that I'm following her around, everywhere… But, what choice do I have? I don't want her to get hurt agai-"
She stops and blinks a few times.
"And, I'm now talking about my life problems to a baby. I truly must be stressed."
Anna doesn't change her head's direction, though she does give a small smile in response. There's something special about this child, for her to actually start rambling about her own problems to her. This is… nice for her. Maybe, she could get used to having this kid around... Though, the smile soon turns to a strained pout, causing Weiss' eyebrow to slowly raise.
"What on earth are you making that face for? That's not a very nice… Oh. Oh, no, don't you dare do this to me. Anna, I swear!"
Yang gives a smile over to Blake as they stroll down the sidewalk, hands held closely together. "Y'know, this is really nice. Glad you decided to get me to do it. Feels like forever since we've had some time to ourselves."
"See? It's good to be able to get out every once in a while. I think you were getting a bit of cabin fever, being cooped up like you were."
We don't have a cabin, Blake. What do ya think we are, rich as Weiss?" Yang says with a snicker, her shoulders shaking a bit with every laugh. "I mean, she's got a whole big-ass mansion in the rich-people area."
"You know what I mean, Yang. And, she doesn't even use that."
Yang winces a little after Blake says that and nods. "Yeeaah… It's kinda abandoned, now. Creepy. Still has the police tape around the doors, if I'm rememberin' right."
"I think you're right…" The faunus replies with a shiver, squeezing Yang's hand a little tighter. "Let's stop talking about this. I think I know why Weiss doesn't want anything to do with it, now. Besides, we still have to get to the restaurant before our reservation gets given to a couple more on time."
"That'd be just our luck, though, wouldn't it?"
They increase their pace, though still keep their hands tightly clasped together. It doesn't take them long to get down to where the restaurant, crossing the street leading to it after a few minutes of fast-walking silence. It's lucky that they get there when they do, as fat droplets of rain have begun to fall by the time they get to the door. Blake gives a huff befitting of Weiss and directs her eyes back out as rain patters on the sidewalk, Yang laughing and leaning in to kiss her cheek.
"Just our luck..." She says with a snicker, crossing her arms across her chest. "Maybe it'll let up by the time we get out?"
"It better." Blake replies with a small frown. "I'd rather not be soaked, by the time we get back."
"Isn't that how you are after every date with me, though~?"
Amber eyes slip over to meet sparkling lilac, the suave facial expression that follows making Blake bite her lip a little. "That was the most original joke I've ever heard you use, for sure. Did you make that one up, yourself? That was really clever."
She makes sure that Yang doesn't miss an ounce of her sarcasm.
"Aw, you know you like it."
"Yes, but you have it all mixed around, don't you?"
"Huh?"
Blake leans in as they open the door, giving a little nip to Yang's ear. "I'm not the one who's soaked." She whispers with a smirk, walking inside and leaving Yang staring at her with wide eyes.
Before she got with Blake all those years ago, she thought herself the absolute master of seduction. She soon learned that she was SO, very wrong in that idea. Because, the kinds of things that Blake could stir up with just that little whisper was absolutely amazing. She has to struggle to keep her eyes even as Blake walks into the waiting area, fanning herself with her hand.
And, suddenly a cold, rainy night was too hot.
"Looks like we got here on time." Blake observes, seeing the little group of people waiting for their reservation to be called. "They haven't called ours, yet. I'm going to go tell them we're here."
"Kay. Don't be too long. I might get all lonely, here in this dress by myself~" She says, leaning over to plant a kiss on Blake's lips and earning a sly look in response.
"I'll be sure to. We can't have you doing that, can we?"
Her girlfriend walks off to go tell the man calling out the reservations her number, as well as who they were. And, it's really hard to NOT watch how her hips sway. To distract herself, she brushes off her dress a little. She had decided to be a little bolder, tonight, wearing a purple dress with a high cut up the leg (maybe in some ploy to show off a good amount of tanned skin to her girlfriend, though Blake was proving to be more subtle in her glances than Yang).
It was a little risque for the restaurant they were eating at, but, dammit, she wanted to wear a sexy dress for Blake. She was used to getting stared at, anyway.
Feeling that exact feeling, now, she glances back and finds a couple staring at her quite intently. Their faces are unreadable, so she merely assumes she's getting stared at for her looks. "Eyes are up here, guys. Thanks for the compliment, though. When I got up today, my first thought was 'I reeeally need someone starin' at my boobs, today! I hope my wish comes true!'. So, thanks."
The couple give her a dirty look, faces screwing up in an obvious expression of… distaste? Well, Yang certainly wasn't used to that. She still had a few traces of baby weight in some places, but c'mon… That's hardly a reason for dirty looks. It's only when Blake returns that she realizes the reason for their staring, as the sourness of their expressions greatly increases. Oh, is THAT the reason? Well, then…
"He said that our table should be ready, soon. He apologized for the wai- mph!" Nearly as soon as she takes the blonde's side, Yang has spun around to take Blake's face in her hands and press their lips together in a searing kiss. Her cheeks take a surprised flush and she kisses back a little, stumbling for words when Yang pulls back with a grin.
"I… Wow, that… W-Where did that come from?"
"I love ya. You know that, right?" Yang asks, arms slipping down to wrap her girlfriend in a tight hug.
"Yes, of course."
"Then, that's all that really matters, yeah? Besides, you're so fun to surprise with kisses. I mean… You're fun to surprise with other things, too, but half of them I can't do in a public area."
"That's never stopped you, before, Yang. Losing your edge?"
"Oh, I'm sure that dress will end up crumpled on the floor sometime in the night… And, the Queen will be ruling her kingdom~"
Blake shakes her head and gives Yang a little shove, her tail swishing behind her happily. "While her subjects roll their eyes and wonder what's taking her majesty so long to get to the point."
"Her majesty takes as long as she wants to get to the point. And, her subjects never end up complaining." The blonde laughs, directing her head toward the door in a vague glance when she hears it open. A wide smile comes to her face when she sees who it is, causing an immediate wave of her hand.
"Coco! Velvet! Long time, no see!" She calls out, gaining the (soaked) pair's attention.
Coco walks up to them with a smile, brushing water droplets from her coat as best she can. Velvet has it worse, her poor ears drooping with the weight of wet fur (which she seems to be actively trying reverse). She quietly follows Coco's confident stride, giving a small wave to them both when they reach them.
"Fancy meeting you, here, Xiao Long. And, of course, the lovely Miss Belladonna." The brunette says, giving a chivalrous bow that makes Yang snort with laughter. She adjusts her shades, tilting her head a bit. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, having dinner, obviously."
"Your trademark wit is as sharp as ever, Belladonna. I suppose I set myself up for that one, eh?" The older woman laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. "I meant that I thought you had prior obligations… unless the little rascal is hidden somewhere in Yang's boobs."
"Ruby and Weiss are watching Anna tonight. We thought we'd take a few hours to have a nice dinner, here. I've heard good things about it." Blake replies, shaking her head in amusement as Yang begins laughing fully.
"Same here. Apparently, they've got specials that are to die for. Velvs found the place and I thought I'd treat her out." Coco says with a happy smile, looking over to Velvet (who is still trying to dry out her ears). "I wish it had been under better weather, but what can you do? You okay, sweets?"
Velvet groans, stroking her wet ears with a small frown. "I-I swear, sometimes I can't do a single thing with them. The rain comes and ruins everything."
"You don't have to tell me twice. I have the same problem with my tail."
Blake and Velvet begin talking amongst themselves about their mutual dislike of rain, Yang glancing over to where she had seen that glaring couple earlier. She catches them as they get up from where they had been sitting to leave the restaurant, hearing Coco release an annoyed grunt next to her.
"So, you noticed 'em, too, huh?"
Coco's shades slip down enough for Yang to see the purple of her eyes, looking rather fierce as she watches along. "What, the stifling racism? The day I see all the people like that get theirs can't come soon enough. They look like they're about to throw up if a faunus comes within five feet of them. And, heaven forbid a faunus having a relationship with a human. Because, apparently that's the greatest offense ever. Makes me want to clock them one."
"With that bigass handbag you call a weapon?"
"No, actually with my fist. Much more personal."
"I like the sound of that, actually. Mind a double-team? I can put 'em in a headlock and you punch their gut."
"Should I feel bad that I really want to do that, sometimes? I mean, most people are getting better, but every so often you meet a rude son of a bitch… Worst part is that Velvs is all cool about it; humble despite her doing nothing to deserve that. At least she doesn't get all of it, though."
"What do you mean?"
"People go after me, too, y'know. Saying I'm 'into bestiality, apparently'. Or, asking if we both fuck like rabbits." Coco says, clenching her fist. "I didn't care, that time. I knocked that bitch on her ass. Talk about my girl like that and you get punched. What's wrong with those idiots? We're all just people..."
"Ya got me, there." Yang says with a shrug, shaking her head. "I'm just waitin' for the day that the 'humans only' signs on any shop that has them come down. Hopefully, Weiss' event will help put faunus rights on track. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she has as many rights as anybody does."
"Yeah, she contacted me to help guard that. I'd like to see someone try to wreck that." She sighs, slipping her hat off to run a hand through her hair. "How have people been treating you guys? I know it's hard enough to have a relationship, but adding a baby complicates things. On both sides."
She feels the red taking over her eyes, sending her vision into a haze. And, she screams. Louder than she ever has before.
Why does it hurt so much, why does it hurt?
"Anna! Anna, where are you?! Anna!"
"It... hasn't been bad." Yang answers, giving a few slow blinks. "We stay out of the public eye, for the most part. Even if I heard people criticizing my decision, I wouldn't care. My life, not theirs. Anna and Blake make me happy. Rest of the world can go screw itself, for all I care."
"Well, aren't you a shining example cross-race relationships?"
"I try."
Coco brushes off her hat before placing it back onto her head. "I don't think you guys know how much of an impact you have on faunus-human couples. I've seen more out, since you two had the baby. They're walking with pride. They're taking a stand because of you."
"That's… terrifying."
"Hm?"
"Me? The inspiration of a whole group of people? Their courage riding on my decisions? I'm just a woman who loves her family, not someone who goes up to stages to give grand speeches."
"I think that's the reason for it, Yang. You're taking a stand simply by doing it. It's an ideal that people can latch on to. Plus, it doesn't hurt that you're a famous huntress." She pauses for a moment, tapping a finger on her lip. "Well, we sure got heavy, there, didn't we?"
"Seems to be the tone everyone takes, nowadays."
She looks over to find that Velvet and Blake have finished talking, now walking up to her and Coco. Blake is the first to speak. "Yang, I think I heard them calling our number. We should get moving."
Yang nods with a smile, looking back over to Coco. "Nice meetin' you guys again. You should come up, sometime. Anna'd sure love to meet you."
"I think she'd love to meet Yatsuhashi more. He's like a saint with kids. But, yeah… I think I'd like that." She says as Velvet moves back to Coco's side. "Enjoy your dinner, you two."
"But… that doesn't make sense, Jaune… A whole town, overnight?" Ruby says into the phone, leaning her other hand forward on Weiss' desk. Various blueprints and plans gaze back at her, hand slowly moving to absently shift through them. They make crinkly sounds, as if they were Weiss, herself, scolding Ruby against removing them from their neat order. "What would we even do about it, anyway?"
"I don't exactly know. But, the supervisor of the town is reaching out to more than a few well-known huntsman and huntresses. If I had to guess… maybe Grimm are involved?"
"Ya think so?"
"I… don't know. They haven't really told us anything. Just a subtle suggestion that the town is in quarantine. And, by subtle, I mean REALLY subtle. This is as hush-hush as I've ever seen it get. They'll probably tell us more on the way there. They didn't want to start hysteria, I guess. But, if they 're involved… it's our duty to take care of it." Jaune says in a quiet, serious tone. "I know that they'd be happy if you could lend a hand. You're one of the best huntresses in this generation."
"You sure know how to flatter a lady, Jaune~"
"Excuse me? Is this Yang? I thought I was talking to Ruby..."
"Aw, shuddup. Yeah. I'll think about it. Weiss… er… might come along, too, I imagine."
"More the merrier, I always say."
"Even that one thing Nora suggested you and Pyrrha do?"
"…Except that. That's a special case."
"I can't really give you an answer tonight. Me an' Weiss are takin' care of Anna for Yang and Blake, but I'll talk about it with her tomorrow and have an answer for you soon." Ruby says, sighing a little. Weiss was already stressed out and spread WAY too thin across her various projects… But, she had the gut feeling that she wasn't going anywhere alone until her little stalker problem was solved. "That okay?"
"Yeah, Ruby, it's fine. I get it." Jaune replies, likely smiling through his words. "We've all got things we need to do. Just get back to me, if you can."
"Will do. Talk to ya soon, Jaune." She says, hanging up after Jaune says his goodbyes and running a hand through her hair. "Man, the world just keeps tryin' to top it's weirdness, doesn't it? Well… Weiss is in a good mood, right now. Don't want to spoil it. Tonight, at least. Oop! I forgot she was waitin' for me!"
She speeds out of the office and back toward the guest room, smiling as she opens the door… to see a frowning Weiss. "Hey, Weiss… Call's finished and, um… are you okay?"
Weiss holds up a pretty thoroughly used diaper in her petite hand, her frown deepening as her nose crinkles upward and her icy eyes give a few twitches. It'd be pretty adorable, if Ruby didn't know Weiss was annoyed. "Yang is an absolute liar. I said no diapers, Ruby."
"Oh. Uh..."
"Never. Again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go dispose of this. And, then wash my hands several dozen times. Perhaps, replace the garbage can, as well." Weiss replies with a shudder, walking quickly past her wife and comically holding the diaper as far away from her as she could.
Ruby glances over to where Anna is, the girl's tail swishing happily. Especially when Ruby addresses her. "Wooow… Aunt Weiss sure did a good job, huh? It's so neatly folded!"
"Wah!"
She couldn't help thinking that Weiss was getting a bit better with kids, especially seeing how she had actually changed the diaper instead of fumbling around until Ruby returned. Weiss had a natural aversion to gross things, after all. As Ruby brings Anna up into her arms, she can't help but wonder how to bring up the potential mission to Weiss in a way that won't worry her.
Things were already crazy enough without adding in a quarantined town and potential Grimm, after all.
She bounces Anna on her hip, hoping that Blake and Yang are having a nicer time with their thoughts tonight.