Author's Note: Alright see, this is what happens when I actually get a moment to breathe: I get stuff done! In the midst of my work schedule, it had taken me a little less than two weeks to complete the first chapter of the fic. During that time, I had been enthused by the idea that I would be the first to get a Weiss sick day fic up on the site!
Course, then two of that kind of fic appeared. On the same day.
….Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-
Nah, it's cool. I had beaten myself up about this missed chance but, to be fair, momoxtoshiro had strongly hinted that, that would be involved in her sequel to Snow Angel so I can't be mad even if I wanted to. And both her Sick Day and ScarletRaven's Melting the Ice Princess are sweet, well-written, heartwarming reads that I would advise anyone to read if they desire more Ruby/Weiss sweetness. Well, that's if you haven't read them already (shame on you if this is the case).
At the very least, I took some comfort in the fact that I had decided to approach mine slightly different from theirs. Other than the fact that Ruby is wearing a maid outfit, I decided to not have her and Weiss in a romantic relationship and just stick to their awkward, back-and-forth love/hate friendship to offer more humorous moments. It seems to be working so far and you'll be getting some nice treats in this chapter I think.
Oh, and for those who have been so kind to congratulate me for keeping everyone in-character despite the situation…
…. ….
Yeeeeeeeaaaah…about that…
Cute indeed.
Armed with a pair of binoculars and seated on the roof of another part of the campus building that gave her a direct line of sight to the Beacon dorms – and, specifically, Team RWBY's designated room – Blake watched her plan unfold. With the help of the binoculars and her own sharp eyesight, she could see the very still Weiss while Ruby practically prostrated herself at the foot of the heiress's bed.
As always there was a novel currently open and resting on her folded knees. The golden, twisted lettering on the solid cover identified the novel with the odd title Meido Switch. From time-to-time, the bow-wearing girl looked away from the binoculars and down at the open pages, seeming pleased with herself as she skimmed through the words.
It was inevitable, Blake decided, that things would come to this. After all, there were few things that a reader could ask from the written word that they loved so much. Imagination was an infinite tool yet there came the irony that such boundless wonders that could be conjured by the human mind were also trapped within it. This would lead to the maddening result of, for one who had been left with nothing but the word of fantasy and her own thoughts for comfort, one who was unable to express what she received as comfort into the physical world.
Blake was of course talking about herself. A life of prejudice that she and others had responded to with violence, the only hope she could find was in a place cut off from the real world because, as she told Ruby upon their first meeting, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale. It was why she had derived so much relief away from it by becoming lost in the pages of her books, creating a shell of paper and ink that allowed her to find solace away from the harsh realities of the real world.
"Well that's why we're here," the young girl replied, a small smile on her face, "to make it better."
The sheer innocence of the statement had momentarily stunned Blake. That was probably when her shell had cracked; when she had allowed herself to be pulled back to the real world upon finding a light that had drawn her out from her own made-up reality. The light led her to Team RWBY.
But she had brought something else with her. It was something from her fairy tale world that had turned Blake into a cosplaying fiend.
"A-are you sure about this?" Ruby spoke nervously as she beheld the outfit. Currently hanging from a hanger, the young girl was holding it in front of her, examining it with a doubtful and incredulous look.
"Mhm!" Blake confirmed, nodding her head in confirmation. Guiding Ruby's hand, Blake moved the outfit closer so that her leader was holding it right to her body. After placing the white frilly headband on her head, Blake finally took a step back and held a hand to her chin, examining her work.
It was perfect and Blake had to pat herself on the back for her own good work. It was only when Ruby would finally put on the outfit that she would know for sure but this preview promised to meet all her expectations and more. It looked as if her measurements had been more or less precise and the bow – while not a standard accessory – had been a wise choice as it matched well with the red that was mixed in Ruby's black hair.
"What do you think, Pyrrha?" Seeking a second opinion, Blake had looked to the redhead who had only been able to drift into silence and watch, amazed, when Blake had conjured up the outfit and this small fashion show began.
"It's…cute?"
Ruby looked as if she had just been betrayed.
Seeing it, Pyrrha silently mouthed, "I'm sorry."
"I agree. Weiss can't possibly resist this."
"And this is supposed to help because…?" Ruby asked, still looking doubtful at the idea of how such an outfit of black and white would bring her relationship with Weiss back on friendlier terms.
Blake tutted at Ruby but replied, "It's alright, I understand. You're still young and have trouble understanding not only how this can help Weiss but also better develop your position as a leader."
"…Huh?" Ruby looked down at the outfit, then at Blake, then back again as if hoping to find the logic that was absolutely lost on her.
Placing her hands behind her back, Blake slowly paced in front of Ruby, talking all the while. "There is more to being a leader then actually leading. As Pyrrha said, a leader must be willing to take care of their teammates. But one must go even further. At times, the leader must be willing to bend themselves to the will of the team. To become a servant, in a way, to their demands so that they may truly understand that their leader does not think that they are above the concerns or even the needs of those who follow them."
With a clack of her low-heeled boots, Blake swung her body back around and gestured towards the maid outfit. "In this case, I believe the literal sense will be much more effective. Weiss has been bred with the comforting knowledge that there are those willing to serve her every need so you can only imagine how jarring it is for her to be suddenly stuck in a situation where she is not the one in a position of power. Now that she has been incapacitated with this flu, she finds herself to be truly helpless with no control over what is happening to her. By doing this for her, you are granting her an opportunity for relief; a way for her to regain some semblance of control to not only allow her to handle her sickness but also allow her to realize that you, her leader, are willing to submit to her needs even when she is at her most vulnerable. The outfit, while meant to be familiar and reassuring to her, is also a sign of your willingness to become – although temporarily – subservient to her. This will allow her to better rely on you as her leader."
"Uuuuuh…" Ruby stared, open-mouthed, before slowly turning her head to Pyrrha, desperately seeking rescue only to find that the amazon was just as stunned as she. That confirmed it: Pyrrha had deserted her.
Then again, Ruby couldn't really fault Pyrrha for her silence in the face of this stimulated Blake. She was her team leader and even Ruby found this side of Blake to be completely new and unexpected. Despite the formation of their team and the raven-haired girl warming up to them to the point where she went along with some of their antics - namely the bunk beds -, she still tended to be the quiet one of their group, only speaking a couple words or, if pressed, a full sentence or two before she would then lapse back into silence. If Ruby hadn't just heard it, this lecture would've normally been considered as something that Blake was incapable of doing.
She seems awfully motivated, Ruby thought to herself and felt a jolt run down her spine when those amber eyes once again focused so intently on her. Unable to meet them, Ruby brought her attention back to the maid outfit. Maybe I should listen to her.
It took a bit more convincing but Ruby had finally relented on the condition that she would be allowed to continue wearing her cloak over it. Although Blake had disagreed with the idea and probably could've won the argument that would've ensued, she ended up conceding. She had achieved her main objective anyway.
She returned to her binoculars in time to see that Ruby had recovered from her fall and was now presenting the bowl of hot soup towards Weiss, speaking words that Blake couldn't make out; she knew how to read books, not lips. Still, she could make a guess at what was going on, especially when Ruby dipped the spoon into the bowl before extending the utensil towards Weiss.
Having apparently recovered as well, Weiss snapped at Ruby who shrank back at her harsh tone and took possession of the bowl herself.
Seeing the result, Blake couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Oh well, I suppose it would've been too much to ask. She glanced down at her book. Not like page sixty at all.
But just as she gave in to Ruby's request for her cloak, she was willing to take any inconsistences of her fantasy in stride. Right now she could just bask in the satisfaction that she was able to make it into reality.
Besides, it wasn't just here that she managed to achieve victory. As if right on cue, a figure down in the courtyard caught Blake's attention and with a little shift in position she focused her binoculars to the ground.
It had been easier with Yang as the blonde normally wore an eccentric style of dress to flaunt certain aspects of her voluptuous form. Unwilling to spend her entire morning stuck in JNPR's dorm, Yang had desired to go on one of her usual runs. Problem was that any change of clothes that she would need for such a sweaty exercise had been left in their dorm and Blake had quickly understood Yang's fear of catching the flu. It all proved to work to her advantage as Blake just happened to have a set of clothes in mind for her as well.
She had been slightly worried about the measurements of her partner's bust, especially as she obtained them and her other measurements with a bit of improvising. This hadn't been as much of a concern for the fifteen-year-old Ruby and her outfit for obvious reasons, but in order to assure proper fitting for the white, v-necked shirt, Blake had to take more direct action.
Besides, who would figure that Gambol Shroud, with some temporary markings, could be used as an effective tape measurer? Time it right during one of their duels and no one would be the wiser. Granted, her concentration on obtaining measurements rather than fighting had forced her to take a couple blows from Ember Celica but the injuries that resulted from taking one or two extra shells to the abdomen were temporary. Armed with the measurements of Yang's well-defined body and the countless possibilities on what to fit on it...it had definitely been worth it.
And as Blake could see through her magnified view, her hard-earned measurements had been accurate with the sweat that was collecting at her partner's chest offering a tantalizing view with the white fabric. Of course, the true key to this outfit were the black bloomers that ran high up and tight to Yang's thighs.
She could do more. She could easily do more. At the moment, these were just demos to confirm her collected measurements. For the future…
There was another book beneath Meido Switch. It was a particular black book that had the letters of its title colored red and a pair of narrowed eyes in front of a red background drawn beneath that. As she took a peek at it, Blake attempted to create the first of many excuses she could form when she finally made her move to produce a kunoichi outfit for Yang.
Not for the first time did she thank whatever deity that watched over Remnants and its inhabitants for giving her such great friends. Gullible too but that was just one of the reasons why they were so great.
It took some time before Weiss could regain control of her mouth and form words. Well, a name really. "Ruby."
Hearing it, the younger girl looked towards her yet remained on her knees. "Yes?"
"Where did you get that outfit?"
"Oh…uh…" The shade of pink still present on her cheeks, Ruby tried to distract herself by letting her fingers toy with the frills of her apron. "Blake gave it to me."
Though her mouth was working again, Weiss found that her brain needed more time to process this current situation because all she could do was nod her head and respond with, "Ah, okay."
… …
Wait a minute! her brain interrupted. That's not okay at all! When did Blake get a maid outfit? …Why did she have a maid outfit? Why is Ruby wearing it? What, by all the elements of Dust, is going on here?
There were too many questions and her flu-addled mind had a difficult time processing them so all Weiss could do was sit and stare as she tried to come to grips with this situation. This did nothing to help Ruby, giving her little to work with. At the very least, Weiss wasn't yelling at her so she couldn't say that this was starting off poorly. It even gave her some confidence to stand back up on her feet before returning to the table where she left the bowl of hot soup.
"I brought you some soup." Returning to Weiss, Ruby held out the bowl for the heiress only to be met with further silence. The blank, blue eyes made her wonder if Weiss was even paying attention. "Um, here?" She took the spoon, scooped up a bit of the soup, blew on it to help cool it, and held it to Weiss's lips.
That seemed to finally get a reaction from Weiss although it wasn't a good one. At first giving the spoon that same blank look, Weiss visibly jerked upon realizing what was happening, her face reddening before she harshly snapped with, "I can feed myself!"
Ruby winced at the harsh tone and how fiercely Weiss snatched both bowl and spoon from her hand, the latter of which the heiress stuck in her mouth to prove her declaration. "I see." Bowing her head, Ruby stepped away from the bed. "Uh…be careful; the soup's still a bit hot."
The critical look remained on Weiss's face as she tracked Ruby's retreat, the spoon still held in her mouth all the while. It was only when Ruby's back was turned to her did some of the hostile edge leave her face. Although the cloak once again hid most of the dress and apron that made up the maid outfit, the image was still stuck in the heiress's mind.
It seemed to have been made out of nice material, she mused. Well-tailored too. Where did Blake-
No. No, no, no, no!
Something was wrong here. Something was very, very wrong. Weiss wasn't sure what had occurred but it had to have been when she first got a real, good look at Ruby in her attire. When young Ruby had fallen, brought to her knees at Weiss's bed and giving the heiress a perfect show of the black dress swaddled in white frills, it was like a switch or something had suddenly clicked inside her, shutting down all thought and reason from her mind. Every minor grievance she had once held against Ruby, any resentment that she had felt against her leader's constant, childish antics, it all fled from her mind. The only thing that stayed was the realization that Ruby Rose was in a maid outfit.
Considering her upbringing, Weiss found this confusing. Maids were far from a rare occurrence within the Schnee family; they were everywhere along with their male counterparts. The first time she met Ruby she had been in the company of a pair of butlers who ferried her luggage into Beacon. All her life, when she wanted something, a servant was there to get it for her. When there was a task that needed to be done – laundry, dinner, cleaning – there was always a maid that was assigned to do the task so that she wouldn't have to lower herself to perform it. When she had been born, when she had been sick, when she had been tutored, there was always a servant involved to look after her.
So why did seeing her team leader in an outfit that she saw more than her own family have such an effect on her? It took her a moment but the answer soon came. As simple as it sounded, it was because it was Ruby Rose who was wearing a maid outfit. The same childish, dorky, clumsy, naïve, and overeager Ruby who had been giving her both hell and help ever since their team-up.
Weiss didn't know how long she had been sitting there, lost in thought, but she finally became aware that she still had a spoon jutting out of her mouth. Embarrassed and automatically blaming maid Ruby for this, Weiss pulled the utensil out of her mouth to scoop up more of the soup.
It was only when she had that spoonful in her mouth did Weiss realize that no matter how long she had been sitting in her bed looking like an idiot, it had apparently not been long enough for the soup cool.
Hot, hot, hot! Weiss mentally cried as the clearly hot soup splashed upon her tongue and cheeks. Her body reflexively jerked in pain, causing the bowl on her lap to tip and dump a portion of soup onto her blanket-covered knees. That turned Weiss's reflexive jerk into a jump as she cried out, kicking blanket and bowl away from her and onto the floor.
With a small shower of rose petals left in her wake, Ruby was at Weiss's side in an instant.
"Ah!" In a panic, Ruby waved her arms frantically as she beheld the mess, trying to figure out what just happened. "Whatdidyoudowhatdidyoudowhatdidyoudo?"
Weiss couldn't respond, the heiress currently fanning her mouth with her hand. Fortunately Ruby seemed to understand as her head immediately whirled to the water that was at Weiss's side. Snatching the glass, Ruby filled it and handed it to Weiss who accepted it before quickly downing the water to cool her burning mouth.
"I told you it was still hot!" Ruby scolded, her hands firmly planted on her hips. "You were supposed to be careful!"
Weiss didn't respond right away and actually kept the glass to her lips longer than necessary to give her more time to form a proper retort. In the end she couldn't. With a small blush of embarrassment appearing on her cheeks, Weiss held the now empty glass to Ruby while quietly muttering, "Sorry."
Ruby sighed, taking the glass to put it back on the small table. "It can't be helped now. No use crying over spilled…" she paused, looking down at the mess before finishing with, "…soup."
At least the mess itself wasn't as bad as it could be. Despite how Weiss had knocked the bowl off her bed, the spilled contents hadn't reached the rug that dominated the center of the room. It would be an easy matter to just wipe the soup off the hardwood floor. The blanket, on the other hand, was a loss with it now being soaked and stained. It was definitely going to need to be washed.
Ruby knelt down to gather up the discarded blanket and bowl. "I'll wipe this down and drop the blanket off to get it cleaned." She looked up at Weiss to give her a reassuring smile. "They should have some spare blankets…" Her voice trailed off.
During the past forty-eight hours, Weiss had hardly gotten out of bed and when she did she had always kept her blanket with her. Now, exposed to the elements with nothing but her nightgown and still sick with her flu, Weiss felt chilled. In an attempt to make up for her lack of protection, the heiress brought her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapping around them to hug them tight to her body. That was not enough to stop her from shaking.
Clearly Weiss couldn't wait for a spare. Ruby looked around the dorm room in an attempt to find a proper substitute but failed. That was when she felt like a fool and, suppressing the urge to hit herself over the head, Ruby looked up.
Shaking in her little ball, Weiss watched wordlessly as Ruby climbed up to her bunk that hung precariously over the heiress. The bed shook with her struggles and even in her state Weiss felt nervous just like she always did when Ruby climbed up onto that death trap that was her bed. One day those ropes were going to snap. Even with the knowledge that one day she was certainly going to be crushed, for some reason Weiss had made few arguments about separating the beds or, at the very least, creating better supports. She should really start doing so even if she secretly liked the idea of bunk beds.
It only took a few seconds before Ruby dropped back down to the floor. "Here Weiss, take this."
At first Weiss was only able to stare, dumbfounded, despite how it was very clear that Ruby now presented another blanket; this one dry and clean. The heiress didn't know who to blame for her slow mental functions – her flu or the maid Ruby – but it took her much longer than it should've been necessary to understand where it came from.
"Isn't that yours?"
"It's not like I need it and I can't just take Yang's or Blake's so here." With Weiss having yet to take it, Ruby took matters into her own hands, leaning forward to wrap the blanket around her partner. "I'll get another one for myself so just use this for now. Now to clean this up."
Astonished, Weiss did little to stop Ruby. Instead, once she had the blanket wrapped around her, the heiress took hold of it to pull it closer to her. Along with the warmth, she took note of something else that was quite different from her own blanket. It smells like roses.
It smelled like Ruby. Even though she hadn't slept in her bed last night, it was clear that her scent from the night before still lingered. While the cloth provided heat for her body, the scent offered a different kind of warmth that Weiss felt blossom at her chest.
So she silently sat there, watching Ruby wipe up the spilled soup with a towel. If not for the red cloak messing up Ruby's appearance as a maid, the scene would've very much resembled the ones that Weiss always saw at home: maids going about their chores while she focused on Schnee family matters or her own personal goals. However, Weiss was starting to understand that there were more differences in this occasion than just appearances.
"This shouldn't take long." Gathering up the towel and blanket in her arms, Ruby stood up and looked to Weiss. "I'll be back in a minute! Oh!" Something seemed to come to Ruby just as she was about to leave. Turning back to Weiss, Ruby did her best to place the blanket and towel under one arm to free a hand that she used to lift up her skirt before bending her knees in the form of a curtsey.
Weiss was stunned. "Oh…uh…yeah. I'll just be…here." Her face burned with how totally and utterly lame that sounded. This was something that usually came from Ruby, not her!
Ruby didn't seem to mind. Instead, with a smile on her face and a quick "Be right back!", the red-cloaked girl left the room, leaving Weiss alone.
Alright, the heiress thought once it was only her in the dorm. …Just what in the hell is going on here?
With a frustrated growl, Weiss fell back onto her bed, her head hitting hard against the pillow. She regretted it immediately when her vision started spinning from the violent maneuver. Ah, right, she was supposed to be sick.
There! Right there! Just what's gotten into me? When did I start turning into…into…that? Ugh!
By 'that', she meant Ruby. Burning her mouth with hot soup, spilling said soup onto herself, and just being utterly flabbergasted. That was not how Weiss Schnee was supposed to act. Such clumsiness was only supposed to be restricted to her partner! Maybe Weiss had been infected with more than just a flu because she had no other way to explain what was happening to her.
Well other than the fact that Ruby Rose was dressed in a maid outfit!
Weiss pressed her palm to her forehead, willing her spinning vision to stop. She managed to bring it under control and the heiress took a deep, calming breath.
The scent of roses filled her partially-clogged nostrils again. Weiss immediately froze her lungs 'less she wanted to infest herself with more of Ruby Rose.
Speaking of which, doesn't that dolt realize that she could catch what I have? Why is she even spending so much time around me? I appreciate the soup but isn't the rest of it a bit much? Especially that outfit!
The outfit had to be the one thing aggravating her the most because there was no sense behind it. Not only did it not make sense that Ruby was wearing it but it didn't make sense that it was affecting Weiss as it was. Why was the appearance of a maid Ruby throwing her off her game? There should be no difference between this maid Ruby and the other maids that populated her family's mansion.
The lack of oxygen was causing her lungs to burn. It wasn't doing her head any better either as she started to feel lightheaded. Seeing no choice, Weiss relented to her body's attempts to gain much-needed air and with it the smell of roses came rolling in.
No, there was a difference and Weiss knew it. As if being drawn out by the scent of roses, images of the recent events flooded her mind. Ruby taste testing the soup, Ruby holding the soup to her, Ruby's smile, Ruby wrapping her in her blanket, another smiling Ruby…
A maid didn't act like that. A maid only acted with the motivation of a proper salary of Lien. A maid only cared for you because an employer demanded that they do. A maid only wished to stay in your company if only to indulge in the furnishings of the noble house. A maid did not do it because…because…
…Because I am her friend.
Weiss felt her heart swell with emotion at the revelation. It was an uncomfortable feeling, unfamiliar…but not unwanted. She tried to fight against it either way. This was nothing like the ache that had plagued her earlier when she had thought of loneliness. It was not painful – it was actually exhilarating - but it still felt like a weight that was making it difficult to breathe which did little to help her condition. Her hands rubbing against her chest as if that would relieve some of the pressure, Weiss rolled over onto her side and stayed that way as she attempted to loosen this knot. After a while she thought she finally succeeded.
"Hey Weiss, I'm back!"
Weiss groaned at the sound of the door opening and her partner's return. Impeccable timing as always.
If Ruby heard her she didn't say anything about it. Actually, Weiss didn't hear anything from her at all except for her wandering around the room. That was fine with her as she didn't know what would happen if she turned around and saw Ruby in all of her maid glory. The subtle sound of tableware clinking together and a liquid being poured caused her stomach to sink. Don't tell me…
"The kitchen staff was off today so I had to make this myself," came Ruby's voice. "So I made sure to make some extra soup just in case! Not that I expected to need it but…uh…well…you know…"
Yes, I spilled it. Thank you for reminding me.
"Anyway, I think enough time has passed so it shouldn't be too hot now." Ruby's voice – and footsteps – came closer to Weiss's bed. "Hey Weiss, you awake?"
Weiss felt a gentle nudge at her shoulder. Her immediate reaction was to do what she should've done to avoid this entire situation: ignore Ruby until she went away. Considering what occurred when she didn't follow that plan, it was very ill-advised to make the same mistake twice.
And yet she found herself making it when she rolled back over to face Ruby. She didn't know why she did it, the movement coming as a surprise to her, but when she thought about it she found that the idea of ignoring her friend when all she was doing was trying to help bothered her. Besides, she was still hungry so she could really use some of that soup.
She had to admit, the sight she saw wasn't so bad either. With her sudden roll, Ruby had moved her head back, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. This close, Weiss got another good look at that white band that stood out on top of her partner's head. Between that, the red bow at her collar, and the frills at the shoulders of her apron framing her face, the word cute passed through Weiss's mind for the second time to describe Ruby.
"I'm awake." Pushing herself up, Weiss returned to her seated position.
The surprise on Ruby's face gave way to a smile. "For a second I didn't think you were. Um, I got more soup so…" She tentatively held out a refilled bowl towards Weiss.
Weiss glanced over Ruby's shoulder, spotting the desk and the large, closed pot that she had missed before on top of it. Ruby really did come prepared. She looked back at her partner to see that she still held out the bowl in outstretched arms. Sighing, Weiss finally took possession of the bowl – the soup it held was still warm, surprisingly enough – and set it on her lap.
She didn't eat it just yet. "Ruby?"
The young girl was still standing at the side of her bed even after she had been relieved of the soup, possibly to keep watch for another spill. At hearing her name, Ruby tilted her head to look at Weiss curiously. "Yes?"
"Are you…sure about being here? You know you could get sick."
"No worries!" A confident grin on her face, Ruby waved away the concern before proudly pounding her fist against her chest. "I should be fine! If I keep my Aura levels up I should be able to fend off any infection! Well, at least that's what Pyrrha said should happen anyway."
Weiss restrained the urge to smack her palm against her forehead if only because it would result in another headache. "Should?"
This definitely sounded more like the Ruby she knew: going with a plan because it may work and shrugging off the chances of it not working. This would then leave her without any kind of backup plan for them to fall back on in case they hit any snags. It was the Nevermore Disaster all over again: ride the giant Grimm bird to locate their objective without any kind of plan on how they were supposed to get off and land safely.
"I'll be fiiine," Ruby assured. Her grin slowly morphed into a smaller, more sober smile. "Besides, I have to be the best team leader I can be, right? And what kind of leader would I be if I didn't help my best teammate?"
The knot that Weiss had been trying so hard to loosen retightened. Her heart was now beating heavily as if it was attempting to push on through and keep her vital functions going despite this swell of emotion that was pressing in all around it. Weiss felt her body start to slowly sway, making her fear that the soup was about to spill again. She didn't have to worry as not only did she feel someone grab the bowl at her lap but there was also a small, gentle grip on her shoulder to steady her.
"Weiss, are you okay?"
Whether it was due to this latest moment of bodily weakness or Ruby's strange maid power – or both -, Weiss came to a decision. When she looked back at Ruby's face, full of concern and worry for her friend that she was supporting, the heiress resolutely decided, Okay, that's it. You know what? I'm just going to go with this. I have a flu, she has a maid outfit, so when this is all over we can both just plea to temporary insanity as we clearly have enough evidence to make it stick.
Besides, this matched with another Schnee doctrine: take advantage of any opportunity that should arise and use it to the fullest.
And I am totally going to make the most of this. Her resolve gave her strength, enough to regain control of her body to stop it from swaying. When she met Ruby's concerned gaze, Weiss now had a strengthened body and mind. She was going to need it with what she planned.
"I'm okay." Weiss scooched back until she felt her back press against the headboard of her bed to better lean against it for support. "But it seems like I'm not that okay. I don't think I'll even be able to feed myself without help if I don't want to accidentally spill some soup again." She felt her face start to grow warm at this rather bold tactic of hers but managed to keep it straight.
Ruby just stared at her in reply. Her mouth half-open, her silver eyes wide and confused, Ruby just stood there with the bowl in her hands. Then, with a small, cute tilt of her head, she meekly squeaked, "Huh?"
Stop trying to distract me with cute! Frustrated that her team leader didn't get the obvious hint – like she always does -, Weiss pointed back to one of the desks. "Grab a chair and feed me!"
This time it was Ruby who almost spilled the soup with how quickly she jumped at the heiress's loud command. "Um-uh-right! Yes! On it!" She placed the bowl on the table before zooming across the dorm room to grab a chair from the desk. It proved fortunate to relinquish control of the soup because the younger girl nearly tripped on her skirt again, causing her to stumble yet managing to keep herself from falling this time.
The heat generating from Weiss's face had grown further at her outburst, making her attempt to will her body to cool itself before Ruby returned. She tried to better her appearance as well, her hands gliding through her frazzled hair to smooth it down before folding them onto her lap. With her back straightening and head held high, Weiss attempted to form the proper, composed image of a Schnee.
Dragging the chair behind her, Ruby nearly slammed it into place at Weiss's bedside upon her return in her urgency to not waste a second of time. She almost did the same with her own body as she all but fell onto the seat. Then, once she had retrieved the soup, she quickly took a spoonful and held it out to Weiss.
The heiress's eyes were closed to effectively create her cool image. Upon registering the spoon before her lips, Weiss opened one eye to carefully regard the utensil before she leaned forward and took it in her mouth.
Ruby, thankfully, had been right about the soup. Although there was still a bit of heat to it, there was not enough for it to burn her mouth like before. In fact, now that she was able to calmly eat, Weiss could properly taste the soup. She easily detected the chicken and vegetable broths that had been used in its creation but, this time, she took note that mixed with the salt, the pepper, oregano, and basil was some other spice that she couldn't identify. It offered an extra, spicy kick that wasn't overpowering but more than made up for any of the heat that the soup had lost while it had been sitting at the desk. Enough so, after a few more spoonfuls, Weiss started to feel her nasal passages start to clear.
"You said you made it yourself?" Weiss questioned after the devouring the contents of the fifth spoon, her one eye focused and quirked in Ruby's direction, accentuating the scar that trailed down it.
Ruby vigorously nodded her head, afraid of responding too slowly to anything that Weiss may say to her. "Yes! I mean it's just normal chicken soup but I did add a couple things that my dad had used when I had been sick." Her expression turned hopeful. "Is it alright?"
Weiss mentally counted to three, letting enough time pass for Ruby to begin to look uncomfortable before the heiress allowed her head to make a small nod. "It's good. Better than I expected in fact."
Ruby positively beamed at the compliment, forcing Weiss to shift her gaze somewhere else.
It continued just like that: Ruby holding out a spoon full of soup which Weiss ate. She then refilled it and the process repeated until the bowl was completely empty. By the end, the hunger that Weiss hadn't realized she possessed had been satisfied while the spices and broths eased her throat, cleared her head and nose, and efficiently warmed her usually chilled body.
"Would you like me to get you more?" Ruby questioned, dropping the empty spoon into an equally empty bowl.
Weiss shook her head while maintaining her composed, straight-back position. "No, that was enough thank you. I could use some water though."
"Right!"
With Ruby's focus now directed on the pitcher, Weiss focused on her. She got another clear view of Ruby's red cloak and that in itself bred some more ideas for the heiress on how to make the best of this situation. Again that heat started drifting back to her face as she thought of how increasingly forward she was becoming with her partner.
Why shouldn't I be? This is Ruby's fault after all. Instead of letting Ruby do it when she presented the glass of water, Weiss took it and drank it herself in hopes that the cool water would do something about her face. If she's so determined to help me then who am I to stop her? Especially if she insists on wearing that outfit.
The thought gave her more confidence in her course of action. Once she had completely drained the glass, she handed it back to Ruby. She waited until her partner set it aside before she struck. "Ruby, we need to talk about your uniform."
It was Ruby's turn to become flustered with attention being brought back to her outfit. Bowing her head, she started playing with her apron like before. "Yeah, I know. Blake thought it would help but this is all rather silly, isn't it?"
"Take off your cloak."
Ruby's head shot right back up. "What?"
The look of surprise on Ruby's face nearly caused Weiss to falter. Nonetheless, she stood firm with the heiress crossing her arms over her chest. It was meant to enhance a more steadfast image…as well as maybe help suppress the heart she felt quicken beneath her breast. "If you wish to truly serve a member of the Schnee dynasty then you must dress appropriately. While I applaud your efforts to obtain an adequate uniform, your cloak is the only flaw. Remove it."
Ruby had unconsciously touched at the red fabric of her cloak and Weiss barely managed to hold back a grimace. She didn't know the story behind that bit of cloth but considering that the only time she had ever seen her leader without it was when she was sleeping, she had to assume that it held some importance to her. Seeing how uncertain she looked, the heiress soon had second thoughts and was about to tell Ruby to forget about it.
Well, that was until Ruby obeyed. With a sudden, determined set of her shoulders, the girl reached up, unclasped her cloak, removed it from her shoulders, and carefully folded it before setting it aside.
Weiss felt the pacing of her heartbeat increase even further when her partner straightened in her seat, now without her cloak. Okay…okay good. She nodded to herself, not only to show Ruby her approval but also to use the movement to reassure herself that this was all going to plan. Without her cloak, Ruby now perfectly fit the part of a maid. There was still that red bow and the red streaks of her hair yet those slight discrepancies seemed to enhance her adorable appearance rather than retract from it.
Trying to control her heart for what was to come next, Weiss pressed on. "Good. Now we need to correct one last thing."
At that, a small pout appeared on Ruby's face.
No! Weiss felt another bout of weakness threaten to take over in the presence of that pout. No, don't do that! How can I possibly hold out against that?
It was getting hard to even sit straight. Attempting to gain more support and put a stop to that pout, Weiss leaned over and placed her hands heavily upon Ruby's shoulders. The maneuver worked although that familiar look of concern that appeared on Ruby's face was almost as bad.
"Now, Ruby," Weiss continued slowly, her grip tightening on her shoulders. She then powered on through. "I want you to call me master."
Ruby's head jerked back, blushing heavily. "Uuuuuh…wait." She seemed to think about what Weiss just said then timidly asked, "Wouldn't it be my lady?"
You're seriously going to make me ask again? Her heart now battering around within her rib cage, Weiss's grip on Ruby tightened further. Ignoring the brief wince on her partner's face, Weiss leaned forward, her eyes wide with desperation, and snapped, "Just say it!"
The tight grip on her shoulders and the crazed look in Weiss's eyes forced Ruby to obey without a second thought. "Y-y-yes master!"
Deep inside, Weiss felt her heart leap and jump with joy upon hearing the words.
Then it came crashing back down.
Weiss only had a second to become very aware that her heart had stalled before that weakness she felt earlier came rushing in, robbing her of consciousness.
Author's Note: Remember when I said that this was going to be two chapters long? Yeeeeeaaaaaah…about that… Long story short, I ended up having a lot more fun with this chapter then I expected which resulted in me tossing a few more things in here. Good news though: if you had been enjoying this fic, there's still more to come! However, I'm really, really sure that there shall only be one more chapter. And it probably won't be as long as the previous two.
Anyway, if none of you recognized any of the blatantly-obvious hints I placed in this chapter, then you haven't seen Fate/kaleid which is the main anime that I got the idea from and Ruby's maid attire was the same one that Miyu had worn. As a fan of the multiple Fate anime, I decided to watch this magical girl spin-off, enjoyed it, and obviously it left an impact on me. If you decide to watch it though, I feel like I should mention that, as this is a Fate spin-off, the anime wasn't exactly afraid of throwing in a few bits of fanservice even if they involved elementary school girls. Just fair warning.
Another anime, Servant x Service, also had some influence, specifically with the idea of turning Blake into a cosplaying fiend. It was a quirky, funny anime about civil servants (with one of them, Chihaya, being the quiet, cosplaying-obsessed fiend) and if you need a good laugh, I highly suggest that one.
And for those who haven't figured it out yet, meido is the Japanese word for maid. Until next time!