Muffled shouts could be heard across the threshold.
"They're kids, Oz! They're not ready!" Gruff, brazen tones. Qrow.
"They are perfectly ready for what is to come, and if they are not, they will have to be." Softer, more intoned. Ozpin.
A growl. "You're wrong! You can't do this!"
"I understand your trepidation, but I promise that my students will be ready."
"You can't understand! That is my fucking niece!"
"Qrow!" Short, clear, sharp as a whip. Goodwitch.
"No, Glynda, he is right. I cannot understand. That doesn't mean I can stop, though. We need them, Qrow."
"Not yet, we don't. We have time."
"You know we don't."
Silence, so heavy and thick that Ruby and Weiss could almost feel it seeping through the gap in the door.
Quick, heavy footsteps were the only sign that the door was about to fling open, and Ruby pulled her ear away, scrambling back quickly before Qrow shoved the door open, causing the heavy wood to crash against the wall. He was clearly fuming.
"Uh, hi uncle Qrow." Ruby muttered quickly, a little scared from seeing one of Qrow's rare moments of anger.
He seemed a little shocked to see her, but his anger quickly gave way to relief as he saw that Ruby was okay. "Hey, Rubes."
"Uncle Qrow, I need to talk to you."
Qrow gave an almost-smile to his niece. "What's up, kiddo?"
"It's about…" Ruby glanced over at her partner, and Qrow watched the torrent of negative emotions crossing her face as she looked at Weiss' right arm. "The mission."
Qrow took a much less subtle look at Weiss. Her right arm was covered by the long sleeve of her dress shirt, but he could see that the sleeve only dangled loosely around her elbow. No hand was visible. Weiss Schnee had lost her arm. Qrow felt a cold shock of dread run through his system. How the hell? She had Ruby Rose with her, and she was one of the best ranking defensive fighters in Beacon! He looked over at Ruby again, who looked like she was about to start flogging herself. Dust, she must think it was her fault.
Qrow kneeled in front of his niece, his eyes full of sympathy. "Ruby, it's not—"
Ruby shook her head furiously. "No, you don't get it!"
Qrow recoiled. When was the last time Ruby had shouted at him? At anyone?
"It…" Ruby trailed off. "We need to talk to Ozpin first. Stay here, please?"
Every one of Qrow's internal alarms was going off. Ruby was not supposed to look like that. Weiss was missing an arm, something which she doesn't seem to be too worried about. Ruby looked like she was about to cry whenever she looked at Weiss. "Yeah, uh, okay. I'll wait here." Was all he could say.
Ruby nodded and pushed open the door to Ozpin's office, Weiss following closely behind her and watching her back with concern.
Headmaster Ozpin's office was as immaculate as ever. Not a speck of dust corrupted the glass floor, there was not a hint of litter anywhere in the room, regardless of the fact that there was clearly no bin in the room. Ozpin sat at the center, chin resting on the bridge of his fingers, Goodwitch standing behind him, studious eyes glancing between her tablet and the pair that just entered.
Ruby's boots thunked against the glass floor as she walked to the pair of seats in front of Ozpin's desk, but the sound of her footsteps was greatly overpowered by the sound of Weiss' heels clacking behind her, a loud reminder that her partner was following her, even after she'd sliced off her arm. Ruby cringed internally, careful to not show such a reaction to Ozpin. She really didn't want his advice, right now.
"Miss Rose, Miss Schnee." Ozpin said, his voice quiet but so resonant. Ruby and Weiss bowed in response, then sat across from him. "Your mission?"
"It was… successful." Ruby said, quick to remember Weiss' lessons on speaking tactfully. "Hope Village is safe."
Ozpin nodded. "Casualties?"
Ruby's jaw clenched. "One."
Ozpin looked over to Weiss, who nodded. "I see. And I assume you'll be getting a replacement soon?"
Weiss nodded.
Qrow closed his eyes and sighed. "That is a relief. Did anything else happen?"
"We met the leader of AURM." Ruby mentioned, almost offhandedly.
That was the first time Ruby and Weiss had ever seen Ozpin give any kind of shocked reaction. It was minimal, but the way his eyes widened showed a kind of emotion few had every seen from the headmaster. "You saw Marcellus Aurelian?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, he helped stabilize Weiss and repel the Grimm."
Ozpin leaned back in his chair, hiding his expression behind his steaming mug. Goodwitch shot him a look, one which he did not reciprocate. "That is… interesting."
The ever-present ticking of the room itself filled the looming silence after Ozpin spoke. Ruby waited for a long while before speaking, giving Ozpin ample time to ask another question. "Are we good?"
Glynda glared at her for her informal language, but it seemed to be just what Ozpin needed, as his quiet chuckle eased his features. "Yes, Miss Rose, we are good. As always, you have one day's break before you must return to your classes. Starting now. Dismissed, have a good day."
Weiss and Ruby nodded before rising and taking their leave, leaving Ozpin and Goodwitch behind in the clockwork office. Ozpin didn't even turn to his assistant, instead just speaking into the room after the door shut behind the two. "He didn't answer."
"No," Goodwitch said. "He didn't."
Ozpin sighed. "Perhaps that is a blessing."
Glynda hummed. "Do you want more cocoa?"
Ozpin smiled at Goodwitch, handing her his now-empty mug. "Yes, thank you Glynda."
Waiting outside of Qrow's office was painstaking. She could feel Ruby's emotions thrashing chaotically as she spoke to her uncle, but the most Weiss could pick out was the occasional loud, muffled word. Weiss wanted to press her ear to the door, or to burst in and comfort her partner, but Ruby had asked for privacy, and Weiss really didn't want to betray her trust, especially now.
She kept trying to comfort Ruby by embracing the link in their Auras, but Ruby's would recoil every time she probed it with her Aura, leaving her very much in the dark as to what Ruby was feeling specifically.
There was a muffled cry, and what Weiss could vaguely recognize as sobs. This time, when she prodded Ruby's Aura, it didn't have the energy to react. The moment they made contact, Weiss was inundated with Ruby's shame, regret, and sadness. Weiss focused on embracing her partner's Aura, and that same jolt and warmth came back again, this time slightly duller. Weiss felt another rose petal land on her lap, but it crumbled into dust the moment she touched it.
Ruby's emotions would rise and crest, then there would be a long moment of silence. These were the moments Weiss expected to see a red-faced, tear-stained Ruby throw open the door and sprint away, a trail of petals in her wake. Fortunately, that never happened. These must've been the moments where Qrow started talking, but Weiss couldn't hear any hint of the grizzled Hunter.
When Ruby came out of Qrow's office, she looked exhausted.. Her eyes had dark rings, she was slumped forward, her face was flushed red, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. She looked to Weiss with a small, small smile, and motioned to the door. "Qrow said he wanted to talk with you, too."
Dust, Weiss wanted to hug the poor girl, but she looked too fragile, like the smallest touch would break her. "Will you stay?" Weiss asked as she rose from her seat.
Ruby nodded, walked past Weiss, and practically fell into the chair she'd been sitting in. She looked half-asleep, and her hair was all over the place. She must've been pulling it.
Qrow's office was surprisingly tidy. Weiss still turned her nose up at it— mostly because Qrow was in there— but it was more of an unconscious action. When she realized she was being snooty, she blushed and dropped into the plush chair across from him.
"So, Weiss," Qrow started, his red eyes boring into Weiss. "What're your intentions with my niece?"
Weiss had been ready for any other kind of question, and she found herself sputtering as she tried to respond with the haymaker Qrow had immediately thrown her way. "I-I don't— You're not going to ask anything else?"
Qrow shrugged. "You seem fine, honestly. Or at least like you will be fine. Arm notwithstanding. Not like you can't afford a new one, and I've seen Winter come back from worse."
"W-well," Weiss was blushing, red blooms crawling up her pale neck. "I… um…"
What were Weiss' intentions? She'd all but said she had those feelings for Ruby. Qrow was rolling his hand forwards, prompting a faster answer.
"I'm not sure?" Weiss answered, drawing a small frown from the Hunter across from her.
"Figure it out soon. You're hurting Ruby." Qrow stated.
Weiss felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She was waiting precisely because she didn't want to hurt Ruby! But Ruby was hurting either way… Dust, she'd been a terrible partner. "I… don't know what to tell her."
Qrow leaned back in his chair, his eyes softening as he heard the heiress' shamed tone. "Then tell me."
Weiss flinched, her lips immediately quirking in disgust. "I can't tell you that!"
Qrow rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. I know Ruby better than you do, so lay it on me."
Weiss had no retort, but Qrow's tone was starting to irritate her. She could see why him and Winter clashed so often.
"Or you could just keep fumbling around with your feelings and hurt her again." Qrow urged, his eyes darkening as he levelled another glare at Weiss. "I'm sure Yang and I would be ecstatic to see Ruby crying because of you."
Dust, did he have to be so blunt? Every word felt targeted to bring Weiss the maximum amount of shame possible. It made her feel, as Yang would have eloquently put it, like shit. "I…"
"Spit it out, Schnee."
Weiss desperately wanted to smack him. "Ruby is… very important to me." She said tactfully.
"Oh, Grimm take me," Qrow muttered. "Weiss, cut the Schnee legalese bullshit. What does she mean to you. What would you do for her."
Weiss felt her mouth go dry. "She is… more than my partner? I would… um… jump off a… bridge? For her? Something like that?"
Qrow released a furious sigh as he smacked his own forehead. "Holy shit, Weiss. Jacques really messed with you guys, didn't he?"
Weiss winced. Could her inability to express her feelings really be blamed on the years of emotional and psychological abuse? Now that she thought about it, the answer would probably be a resounding yes.
"Okay, just name one thing you want to do with Ruby. Anything. Well— nevermind. One thing."
Weiss was able to answer that pretty quickly, there was actually a list of things she wanted to do with Ruby. Was it weird to keep lists like that? No, it couldn't be, it was necessary to staying organized with someone as chaotic as Ruby. "I want to embroider her cloak."
Qrow nodded, a hint of a smile hiding just behind his lips. "Good, good. That's nice. Now, why do you want to do that?"
Weiss took a solid few moments to think. Justifying her actions wasn't really something she did often, mostly because it detracted from the time available to commit to those actions. "She said she wanted me to do it, so I'll do it." Weiss said, growing a little more confident.
Qrow leaned forward again and rested his chin on his closed fist. "Is there any combat advantage to embroidering her cloak?"
Weiss shook her head. "No, of course there isn't."
Qrow almost smirked. "So you're doing it to make her happy?"
Weiss nodded. "Of course I am, it's Ruby."
The smirk couldn't be hidden anymore. "What would you do to make her happy?"
Why was he asking such stupid questions? Who wouldn't try to make Ruby happy?. "Most things."
Qrow nodded, his expression one of clear satisfaction, not entirely unlike the face Ruby makes when she outplays Weiss in Remnant. Damn that girl and her ridiculous topdecking. "And what's in it for you if Ruby's happy?"
"Well—" Weiss paused. "I… It makes me… I like it?"
"Seeing Ruby happy makes you happy?"
Weiss nodded.
Qrow hummed. "And you like being around Ruby?"
"Of course I do." Weiss said matter-of-factly. "She's my partner."
"And that's the only reason you like being around her?"
"No, of course not, she's... " Weiss gulped. "She's my friend."
"Do you want to be around her?"
Weiss nodded. "Yes, I find our time together to be enjoyable."
"Wow," Qrow dryly remarked. "You sound truly heartfelt."
Weiss only glared at him in response.
Qrow waved it away, the withering effects of a Schnee stare having long lost their potency due to his extended exposure to Winter. "Don't be such a hardass, Schnee. So, you find your time together to be enjoyable," He said, using a mocking tone and air-quotes. "What about it is enjoyable?"
Weiss had to think harder about that, she wasn't used to the hermeneutic analysis that Qrow was putting her up to. "She...makes me feel— no, she doesn't make me feel like a Schnee."
Qrow quirked an eyebrow. "Whaddya mean?"
Weiss' eyes fell into her lap. "She makes me feel like I'm not in Atlas, being drilled on my posture and my mannerisms, like I don't have to be perfect around her, she likes it when I slip up and sometimes…"
Qrow was almost across his desk as he tried to listen to the heiress, her words fading into silence. "What was that, Weiss?"
Weiss felt the blush pulsing in her face again. "Sometimes I… I slip up on purpose… just to make her happy."
Qrow dropped back into his seat. "Damn, princess. That's pretty sappy."
Weiss' full blush belied her glare. "Shut up, I'm not sappy."
Qrow waited in smug silence for the heiress' embarrassment to fade.
"How are you getting all this out of me?" Weiss asked.
Qrow shrugged. "Despite my current state, I was actually the most emotionally stable outta STRQ. For some reason, they kept coming to me for help, and usually that was just me drawing their emotional roots out so they could understand their own feelings."
Weiss didn't really have a follow-up, so she just sat in silence until Qrow spoke up again.
"Look, Weiss, Ruby's touchy right now, but that doesn't mean you should distance yourself from her. She needs you now more than ever. Take her to get ice cream or something." Qrow's expression had lost all semblance of smugness, and Weiss found herself genuinely taking his words to heart. She nodded.
"And don't hurt her," Qrow added, his voice sullen but… harrowing. "For my sake, really. Harbinger doesn't need any more blood on it."
Weiss shivered. He may be a drunkard and a heathen, but he could certainly be intimidating. Come to think of it, when was the last time she had seen his ever-present flask?
Qrow was motioning to the door. "You can go, Weiss. Go talk to Ruby."
Weiss nodded, but turned around the moment she got to the door, suddenly remembering something. "There was something else about Ruby," Weiss said, but then shook her head. "Nevermind, surely she told you."
"Tell me anyways." Qrow insisted before Weiss could open the door.
"Well, when she was… uncontrolled, she had some kind of change. Her eyes—"
Qrow's expression suddenly became dire. "What about her eyes?"
Weiss flinched. Dust, he could be scary. "They had small red spots in them, kind of like Yan—"
Qrow had stood up so fast that his chair was thrown out from under him, flying back and landing against the wall with a crash. He marched up to Weiss, something terrifying in his eyes. "They what."
Weiss found herself shrinking before the Hunter. "T-they became red. Not fully but there were flecks of red."
"Fuck!" Qrow shouted, whirling around and pushing a hand through his hair. Weiss felt the sudden jolt of fear across her Aura's link to Ruby, and she could tell that the was up against Qrow's office door. Qrow's voice came out suddenly, and rushed. "Fuck, I gotta call Tai. Go on, kid, take Ruby somewhere. And… fuck, nevermind. Just go. Sorry for yelling." He was already on his Scroll, his other hand shooing the heiress away.
Weiss gulped and nodded, then tentatively exited the office. Upon feeling the door close behind her, she let out a sigh of relief.
Ruby was sitting across from her in one of the waiting chairs, but Weiss caught the briefest glimpse of a rose petal on the ground just before it could fade away. She'd most likely zipped away from the door to make herself look as inconspicuous as possible. "What happened?" She asked.
'
Weiss slowly walked up to her partner. "I don't know, Qrow just… had a fit when I told him about your eyes. Did you not tell him?"
Ruby looked genuinely confused. "What? My eyes?"
Weiss wanted to smack herself. How could Ruby have known? "Your eyes became… reddish when you were fighting those Beowolves."
Ruby looked at her incredulously. "Red? No, that's Yang. Maybe it was the lighting, or something."
Weiss thought back to the fit Qrow had, and figured that it'd probably be best to just leave it to him. She didn't want to make Ruby worried anyways.
"So, what'd you guys talk about?" Ruby asked.
You. How I feel about you, Weiss wanted to answer, but only found herself saying, "You, mostly."
Ruby frowned— an odd thing to see her do. "Come on, I'm fine. You're the one who we should be worried about."
Weiss shook her head. "Ruby, you've been acting very different. It's worrying me. I am fine. It's you that I worry about."
Before Ruby could respond, Weiss captured her hand in her own and began tugging her partner down the hall. "Ack! Weiss!" Ruby cried. "Where are—"
"We're going into Vale." Invisible to Ruby, Weiss began to blush as she worded the next part of her statement. "I'm taking you out. We're getting food."
