A/N: This chapter is mostly character development, so don't expect there to be any huge reveals this chapter
Team RWBY's dorm,
Weiss
The dorm was silent after Weiss and Ruby had returned. Ruby seemed tired, and with good reason. Taking on someone who was even slightly bigger than you was difficult. Taking on four people who were all larger than you? That required a lot of courage or a lot of stupidity. Weiss couldn't help but feel like it was a mixture of both. The small girl jumped onto the top bunk, collapsing beneath the sheets instantly. While there was still light out, she decided that it was a good a time as any to catch up on some shut eye. Weiss returned to her bed, reading through the textbook for battle techniques and strategies. She had missed the class today, but she expected that nearly everyone else in the class had missed it as well. That wasn't an excuse for her to miss any more days this year, but after what they had gone through yesterday, it was well warranted. She was lucky that she had even managed to get up and make it over to the cafeteria.
"Hey Weiss, what do you think about that new guy we met today? Was his name Mark? I can't really remember. I was too busy being happy that I wasn't a stain on the grass to really pay attention." She asked, her voice clearly tired.
"He was nice, I suppose. He had good manners, good etiquette, knew who I was, spoke politely, had a good sense of professionalism, was the leader of a squad" she remarked, clearly showing interest in him.
"You like him huh? I can almost see you drooling under there right now" she teased, which aggravated her silver haired partner.
"No I don't you dunce! I'm just impressed by his knowledge and figure. That's all."
"That doesn't explain why your cheeks were as red as my combat skirt when we were walking away. I'm kind, Weiss, but I'm not blind. Those are two completely different things you know."
"So what, maybe I do have a slight interest in him. What about it? Why should you care?" She spat, wanting to get off the topic.
"Because I care about you Weiss. You're my partner. And partners are supposed to look out for each other. I want to know how you're feeling, what you're feeling. It's my job. I'm your squad leader as well you know." Replied Ruby, happiness accompanying drowsiness in her voice.
"Thank you. Now aren't you supposed to be going to sleep right now?" Weiss replied quickly, the conversation coming to an end.
Weiss didn't really know how she felt about her silver eyed leader. Sometimes she felt like she was an absolute dunce, sometimes she felt like she was incapable of doing her job properly. Sometimes she felt like she was someone who she could trust, sometimes she felt like she was just a squad leader. Sometimes she felt like a shield, blocking Weiss from harm like she had in the field. Someone who would go out of their way to make sure that she was fine, even if it meant causing themselves suffering. The girl was honest and innocent; two traits that growing up as an heiress. She'd been taught that that would only get you killed. That's what her farther had drilled into her mind at a young age. The physical scars he left healed up with time, but the mental scars never fully recovered.
The opening of the door behind her awoke her from her sleep, the sun having clearly set out the window. She had been so enticed with her thoughts that she had failed to keep herself awake. Blake and Yang entered the room, chattering away with their normal positive attitudes. Blake had a knack for calming down Yang when she was mad, a trait that was most useful to have.
"Hey, ice queen" Yang called across the room, startling the heiress. "How are you two doing in here?" She asked nonchalantly, having clearly calmed down.
"Well, I almost died today. But other than that, I'd say I'm doing splendid." Her sister joked, still upon her bunk. She wasn't sure if she'd just woken up as well, or if she'd still been awake, but she did know that the girl was still as content as could be. You could drop a cargo ship on her emotions and the girl would still find a way to be as happy as could be.
"Ruby, I don't know where you get your never ending well of happiness and energy, but do you think you could hook me up sometime?" Her sister joked, walking over to their small kitchen and opening the cupboards. She scrounged around for a minute or so, before turning around defeated.
"We have nothing good to eat. Anyone want to go with me to town before everything closes down and get some unhealthy stuff? I could really go for some unhealthy stuff right now." She asked, her eyes directed towards the fauness.
"Yang, I don't even think I have a choice as to what I do anymore. I'm just the ball and chain around your ankle. I try to slow you down, but all I do is get drug around everywhere." She groaned, clearly wanting to rest.
"And that's why I'm glad you're my partner. We make such a good team" she announced gleefully, grabbing her nearly passed out partner by the arm. "We'll be back in a few hours. If you guys need anything, feel free to give us a call and we'll pretend like we care. See you guys later!" She said as she pulled her partner by the arm out the door, leaving as fast as they came.
"Ruby, I don't know how you guys have so much energy. Are you guys involved with shady people that I should know about?" Weiss asked, trying to joke around with her partner. Being so cold to her partner was beginning to feel wrong. Especially with a partner as innocent as Ruby.
"I don't know either Weiss. We're just kinda, energetic people by nature. I'm energetic, my sister's energetic, my uncle Qrow is energetic, my…" She froze suddenly, her silence strange. "Mom was energetic."
That's why she went silent all of a sudden. Ruby had never really talked about her mom before. Even though Weiss's relations with her mom were not the best, they were better than her being dead.
"I really miss my mom sometimes Weiss." Her partner whimpered from above her, clearly upset from the thought. While the girl was primarily happy, her emotions could change as fast as the wind, and normally, without notice beforehand.
"It must be unfortunate losing your mom at such a young age. I never really got along with my mom that well when I was younger. It only got worse once the white fang began to attack. She got more stressed out, more stern. She became more like my father." She returned with sadness, the emotion now filling the room.
"This feels really gloomy princess. I really don't like this feeling. It feels weird to be sad. You're wasting time when you could be happy."
"What kind of a nickname is princess? Of all the nicknames you could give me, you gave me the nickname princess?" Weiss replied, surprised by the nickname.
"Well, do you want me to call you ice queen?" Ruby bargained, her happy mood returning.
"No. Princess is fine as long as you let me call you crater face." She returned, fighting fire with fire.
"You wouldn't dare." Ruby joked, happy that her partner wasn't so cold anymore.
"Says who? Because I can really see myself getting used to calling you that."
"Why are you being so nice all of a sudden Weiss?" She paused for a second. "What do you need from me?" She asked suspiciously, not used to her partner's sudden kindness.
"Is it wrong for me to try and be kind to my partner sometimes? Maybe I just felt like being cheery around you."
"Weiss, you're scaring me now. Did you hit your head? Do I need to get you to a hospital? Should I get a teacher in here to make sure that you're not going to die?"
"No, Ruby. I'm not going to die. I just genuinely felt like being kind today. If you want me to go back to being the same old, cold Weiss Schnee that everyone else knows, you can feel free to let me know."
"Well, thank you then. I like this new, kind Weiss Schnee way more than I like the old one. The old one was scary and freaked me out. The new one gives me hugs and is kind to me and…"
"Ruby, I thought I told you never to bring that up again, remember?" She pressed, suddenly on the defensive.
"Actually, from what I recall, you told me not to tell anyone else. And I'm not telling anyone else. I'm telling you. Wait… Are you forgetting things? Should I go and tell the teachers that you're having some kind of medical thingy and that they should get you some medical help?"
"No, Ruby. Like I said, I'm fine. But I'm just wondering why you'd bring that up again. I was happy for you saving my life, and nothing else. Can we just leave it at that?"
"I was just saying that I was happy for this new Weiss. Please don't go back to being old Weiss. I'm really sorry for what I said!" She backtracked, trying not to bring back the old Weiss. The cold, uncaring old Weiss.
Weiss allowing herself a small chuckle. "It's fine Ruby. I'm not going to hurt you. That memory was actually kind of nice. Just make sure you don't bring it up in front of anyone else alright?"
"Alright princess, I'll make sure I never tell anyone else." Ruby replied cheerfully, and Weiss could nearly feel her smile radiating through the bunk bed.
"I'm going to go to sleep for tonight. Is there anything else you want to tell me before we wake up tomorrow crater face?" She joked back, refusing to take the joke without returning one of her own.
"Sleep well Weiss." She answered, her voice returning to its drowsy state.
"Sleep well Ruby." She replied, placing her head against her pillow.
She wasn't sure about the emotions that she felt about her partner. She wasn't sure if it was kindness, envy, security, or more than that. She didn't know how to find out what the emotions she felt were, but she knew that time would tell. But right now, she had classes to attend tomorrow, and she wasn't going to miss them again.
A/N: I have a confession to make. There wasn't going to be another chapter up tonight. There really wasn't. But Cymki and Tatya1999's comments changed my mind. So this chapter is devoted to you, random citizens of in the internet. I wasn't kidding when I said that reviews could affect my writing. It's greatly appreciated.
As for this chapter, I have a question for you guys. Do you like how I'm developing these characters? If not, why? Because quite personally, I like how it's building up right now. I haven't rushed anything, and I feel like I've kept them mostly in character.
But anyways, that's enough for tonight. If you guys like me posting these chapters so continuously then let me know. It really does make a difference.
So have a great morning, day, evening, night, and take it easy.