3rd Person POV
"So, Spencer Stone, Amber Drake, Skye Delacour, and Date Kirimaru." Ozpin smiled at each in turn, standing behind his desk in his office. "Now that you've completed your initiation, quite brilliantly might I add, now comes the issue of your team's name." They all nodded. "Now, normally team names stem from the initials of your names, but unfortunately there was a bit of trouble finding an appropriate name for your team."
"So, team DASS is out of the question?" Spencer asked, the four of them struggling to keep straight faces. Ozpin frowned.
"Yes. However," He clasped his hands behind his back and eyed them closely. "We are willing to make an exception and let you pick your own name this time. Please keep in mind that team names have four letters and must be-"
"Team BOOB." Spencer said immediately, his face serious. After a brief moment of silence, the initiates all cracked up. Skye snorted.
"Team GUNS." Date shook his head.
"Team DATE." Amber thought for a moment.
"Team KILL." Ozpin sighed.
"Appropriate." He finished drily. After another minute of spouting random answers, they calmed and put their heads together.
"We all have to agree on something," Skye said, folding her arms. "But what?"
"Something that ties us all together," Date answered. "Something we have in common."
"Team HUNT?" Spencer suggested, then he grimaced. "Never mind, I got a bad taste in my mouth right after I said that." Amber huffed.
"What do we all have in common?" They pondered this for a moment, then looked up as Dante responded from where she was slouched in a folding chair on the side of the room.
"You all have no family." All eyes turned to her. "And they were all killed violently."
"Ms. Stryker," Ozpin said curtly. "I was unaware you were still here." It was clearly a dismissal and Dante knew it. She stood and brushed imaginary crumbs off of her lap.
"Geez Louise, you try to help and ya get snapped at." She shook her head. "Story of my life." She left without another word. The four initiates looked around at each other.
"That is strange." Skye commented. "To have four people with no connections other than deceased family." Spencer mulled it over.
"Yeah, kinda seems like it was deliberate." All eyes turned to Ozpin.
"You were all specifically chosen, but not because of your lack of relatives." Date tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Still, it's seems way too coincidental. Almost like it's destiny," He mused. "Or even like-"
"Fate." Everyone looked at Amber. She grinned slowly. "Team FATE. . .it's perfect!" Spencer paused, stroking his chin.
"I like it. Makes us sound like complete bada-" He glanced at Ozpin and coughed into his fist. "Ahem. Like complete bosses." Skye smirked.
"Nice save. But Spencer's right, it does have a certain mysterious ring to it. Mysterious is always good. It has my vote." Date nodded.
"I like it too. It's original, four letters, and appropriate. I vote FATE." Ozpin smiled.
"Well I guess that settles it. From this moment on, you four are team FATE. I hope you're all satisfied, because you can't change it now."
Ruby POV
I woke up gradually, frowning at the uncomfortable sensation of something hard digging into my back. Where did I fall asleep? I yawned and reached behind me, groping for the offending object in the darkness. I touched it, but it slid away. I tried again with the same result. Growling, I tried for the third time.
"Nnnngh, stop grabbing my elbow, dammit." Weiss mumbled.
"Oh, sorry." I mumbled back. Wait. . .Why am I sleeping with Weiss? I was suddenly wide awake, and from the way she stiffened, I could tell Weiss was too. I uncurled my body and sat up, knocking a couple books off of her bed. The smell of a candle that was lit until very recently permeated the air as I slid my scroll from my pocket.
"Ugh, we fell asleep studying again." I grumbled, seeing that it was 4:30 Sunday morning. Weiss groaned.
"You think?" I stretched the kinks out of my back and cracked my neck to relieve the stiffness.
"Now I'll never be ready for Oobleck's test." I sighed and Weiss rolled over to look at me.
"I'm sure it'll be fine if you just do your best." I blinked once, then twice, my jaw falling slack with surprise. "What?" Weiss said, somewhat self-consciously. "Am I not allowed to encourage my partner and team leader?" I shook my head quickly.
"No! I mean, yes! Yes, you are, you just rarely do, so it surprised me." She looked away.
"I know," She said softly. "I just-" I touched my finger to her lips gently and her eyes widened.
"You don't have to explain, Weiss, I understand." She nodded, her expression grateful. I turned back over and attempted to calm my furiously beating heart, wondering if Weiss was doing the same.
You're the most amazing girl I've ever met.
I frowned to myself and wondered how I could have forgotten such sweet words until now.
A gentle hand on my back startled me from my thoughts.
"Ruby?" I swallowed.
"Yeah?"
"Could you move over some? I'm practically hanging off the bed." I bit back a smile at the image her words brought to my head.
"I can go to my own bed if you want." I offered, hoping she'd decline.
"No!" She blurted, a little too loudly. "Er, that's okay, I just need a little bit more space." I smiled and scooted over until my knees hit the wall.
"That's as far as I can go," I whispered. "These beds are kind of small." She slid over until I could feel her breath on the back of my neck.
"Thanks. Um, can I. . ." Her hands brushed tentatively against my waist and I relaxed against her.
"Sure." Her arms wrapped around my waist and she nuzzled against my neck. "W-Weiss?"
"I love you." She murmured. I froze.
"You. . .Huh?" She squeezed me tighter.
"The other day. I wanted to say that I love you, but. . .but I was too scared." She took a shaky breath and pressed her face into my hair. "I meant what I said, Ruby. You mean so much to me. After you left, I could hardly breathe. I spent a long time thinking." I cleared my throat.
"About-" My voice cracked and I gritted my teeth. "About what?" She was silent and for a minute I thought she'd fallen asleep.
"About you. About us. Ruby, I want there to be an us. Not just as teammates or partners, but more than that. I-I want. . .What I mean is. . .I'm trying to say. . ." She sank into silence.
"Weiss?" She got up off the bed and my heart sank. Not again.
But then her fingers closed around my wrist and she pulled me off the bed, leading me across the room and into the bathroom. She turned the light on, sat me on the toilet, and stuffed a towel in the crack under the door. She stood with her back to me for a beat, then she squared her shoulders and turned.
Her normally pale face was blotchy and red, and her eyes were bright with tears. We stared at each other for a while.
"Weiss. . ." Then she was on her knees, my hand in hers.
"I'm begging you, Ruby," Her usually composed voice was quivering as she stared up at me. "Please be my girlfriend." My eyes began to itch and I knew it wasn't long before I started crying too.
"Weiss, I-" She cut me off.
"I've never needed another person the way I need you, Ruby. I haven't been sleeping well, I can't concentrate, I can't do anything! I'm a fucking mess, Ruby." The way she said my name, with such desperation and longing, made my heart ache. "I don't know how much longer I can live without you by my side, so please. . ." I leaned in and kissed her hard. She cupped my cheeks and returned it eagerly.
"Of course I'll be your girlfriend, Weiss." I smiled at her as I broke the kiss and she smiled back. It was perfect.
"That's sweet and all, but could you quiet down? I'm trying to sleep here." Yang's muffled voice called, sounding extremely amused.
"D'aw shit." Weiss muttered. But I didn't much care if Yang knew, I was too happy to be bothered.
Orchid POV
Where am I? I wondered as I looked around at the tall, thick trees, topped with wide black leaves and plated with craggy bark. Heiress? She didn't answer, and I began to grow worried. She always answered me when I needed her. And I needed her right now. It's too dark here. It's like- I shut the thought down before it took root.
"Hello?" I called, looking around.
"Hello indeed, little flower." Heiress? I spun around, echoing the thought.
"Heiress? Is that you?" A slow chuckled rolled through the trees like a wave of dusk and the air seemed to dim more.
"No. I am not your precious Heiress. I am something much worse," A shape appeared in the gloom and stepped forward out of the shadows. Despite her words, the woman I saw was practically a mirror image of Heiress. Her long, black hair flowed down to her shoulders, blending with her black, knee length strapless dress and contrasting sharply with her pale skin. She padded closer on bare feet, and I wanted to step back, but I couldn't move.
"Who. . .who are you?" She studied me for a moment with vibrant gold eyes, then her red lips curved and she smiled a sinisterly beautiful smile.
"I am the one they never see coming."
I let out a short yelp as I hit the floor hard, landing squarely on my wrist. I bit my lip and stood cautiously, glancing around to make sure none of my roommates heard me. They all seemed to still be asleep.
Rubbing my wrist, I slipped into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. I am the one they never see coming. I pondered the statement for a moment.
Little one, what troubles you? I watched in the mirror as Heiress stepped up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. I shook my head.
"A dream." She kissed the top of my head like a mother would and squeezed me gently.
What was your dream about? I shook my head.
"I'm not sure." She frowned, her eyebrows drawing together.
Then why does it trouble you so? I thought for a moment.
"The one they never see coming." I muttered. I watched with alarm as a shadow passed over Heiress's beautiful face. "What? What does it mean?" She smoothed my hair and shook her head.
Nothing you need concern yourself with, little one. I didn't like that she was shutting me out.
"Heiress, what aren't you telling me?" She smiled sadly and I knew she was keeping it from me for my protection. "Who is she? Why is she so dangerous?"
Back to sleep, little one, you need your rest. I nodded reluctantly and turned to go, my hand reaching for the doorknob just as a soft knock sounded on the door.
"Are you okay in there?" One of my teammates. I opened the door and she looked past me into the bathroom. There was no one there. "Who were you talking to?" I stared at her for a moment, then shook my head.
"No one, good night." She watched me suspiciously as I crawled back into bed and waited for sleep to come and steal me away.
Meh. Nothing to say right now.
TWAD#8: The answer to #6 is Grace, in case you hadn't guessed. X3