"What's up with Weiss?" Yang asked her partner. "She's been acting weird."
Blake checked Gambol Shroud's chamber for the twelfth time— a nervous habit. "What do you mean? Sullen is a perfectly normal way for Weiss to act, she tends to have a lot of bad days."
"Well, yeah, but—"
"Duck."
"Wha—" A branch smacked into Yang's forehead. "Hell did that come from?"
Blake shrugged, a small smirk upon her lips.
"As I was saying, she's usually got Ruby to keep her up, but they've been weird lately."
Blake cocked her head at her partner. "Weird?"
"Have you seen them? They might as well be joined at the hip, most of the time. Lately, though, they've been... distant."
Blake almost checked Gambol Shroud again, but caught herself. "So? Everyone needs space sometimes."
Yang huffed. "I guess that's fair, but… I dunno, it's not right. Ruby hasn't been herself either."
Blake hummed, but before she could reply a sound in the bushes to their right made her stop. Yang followed her example and ducked low, ready to pounce at any moment. Blake's ears swivelled left and right. Her nose tweaked, and she relaxed. Blake chuckled, and waved her hand in dismissal. "Just a rabbit."
Yang nodded and continued walking on their patrol. "Have you noticed?"
"That Ruby's been acting different, too?"
Yang nodded.
"That I have noticed. She's… quiet."
Yang cocked an eyebrow at her partner.
"Quieter."
'
"Right? Maybe there's something going on between them."
Blake snorted. "Doubt it."
Yang flashed Blake an odd glance. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Those two are too oblivious to ever admit they have feelings for each other, they'd need someone to spell it out for them."
"Who said I was talking about romance?" Yang smirked and nudged her partner. "Been reading too many of those novels, Blakey?"
Blake blushed and looked away.
"Ha!" Yang flipped her hair. "Thought so."
Blake rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What did you mean, then?"
Yang gave Blake a proud smile. "I was going to say it was something romantic."
Blake smacked her forehead and groaned. "You're lucky I like you, Xiao Long."
Yang blushed. Every time Blake complimented her or said something like that it set her off. Do friends say those kinds of things? Would Blake say those kinds of things to her friends? So confusing… her other relationships had been so simple, why does Blake get her so flustered with every little thing?
"Though, if it wasn't romantic, I'd say it was probably something to do with Qrow's lesson. She did send Ruby to the infirmary, after all."
"What?" Yang threw her hands into the air. "No way! It was just a cut, I broke your nose and we haven't been acting weird! Have we?"
Blake chuckled and laid a hand on Yang's shoulder. "No, we haven't. Still, Weiss isn't me, she might've reacted differently to hurting her partner."
"I'm really sorry about that, by the way."
Blake chuckled and waved her partner off. "It's fine."
Yang smiled at Blake. She had a chance, she realized. Swiftly, she sidled up to Blake and wrapped one of her arms around her partner's. "Thank goodness we're not acting weird."
Blake laughed. "Absolutely nothing weird."
Yang felt her heart flutter. Dust, she was swooning. Oh well, might as well try to push a little more. "What would be weird?"
Blake pensively placed a couple fingers on her chin. "Hmm, that's a good question. There are a lot of things that would be weird, what do you think?"
Shit. Yang had thought she'd just chuckle and wave that off, not turn it back on her! "W-well," She stammered. What! Yang Xiao Long does not stammer, dammit! "I'm pretty open-minded, nothing would really weird me out."
Blake gave her partner a wolfish grin, and leaned within centimeters of Yang's face. "Nothing?" She purred playfully into Yang's ear, which quickly grew red.
Yang almost flinched, but she stood her ground. It was now or never, time to double down. She turned to her partner, their noses nearly touching. "Nothing." She didn't wink, she held her gaze solely on Blake's amber eyes. She needed to show her. Yang pulled Blake's arm closer to her chest.
Blake pulled back, her arm still tucked against her partner, and a blush beginning to rise up her neck as well. She opened her mouth to say something, but a loud ring from her Scroll noted the end of their patrol. It was their turn on the Frontier village's palisade for the afternoon watch, then they'd swap again with Ruby and Weiss for the evening patrol.
Yang smiled and dropped her arm, instead slipping her hand into Blake's. Blake stared forward as Yang guided them back into the village by the hand. Yang hadn't laughed her off, she'd stood her ground, and returned Blake's little flirt. That wasn't what usually happened. Usually she'd blush, laugh, and they'd go back to business. It was a routine of sorts.
Yang saw the puzzled look on her partner's face. "Cat's outta the bag now, eh?"
Several gears turned in Blake's head. All the looks, the closeness, the (now that she looked back on it) blatant flirting, how could Blake not see it! It had been obvious! No wonder she responded to all their outing proposals with 'it's a date'. Blake would smack herself if she had the mental wherewithal.
Yang liked her. Seriously. Romantically. Like all of her books said.
Like Adam.
The intrusive thought was enough to make Blake freeze as a cold weight dropped into her stomach. Yang glanced back when her partner stopped, and an array of emotions crossed her face. Confusion, realization, hurt, then just… nothing.
The last one struck Blake like a punch. "Yang, I don't know if I…" She trailed off, her limp hand dropping from Yang's. Not a speck of red flashed in those lilac eyes.
Yang thought that there'd be something inside her, a fire, an ember, a spark, but all she felt was… nothing. Ashes. Her anger gone, suffocated by the emptiness. It felt wrong to feel nothing. Usually she had a scrap of rage to hold on to, but everything was gone. "That's okay," Yang felt herself say, her voice a hollow echo. "I understand."
The sound that reached Blake's ears was barely recognized as Yang's voice. It was empty, it was wrong. Yang's lively eyes were dead, now. It was like seeing Yang turn into someone completely different. It was sobering, like a splash of cold water to the face. Yang turned her back on Blake and started walking away.
"Yang! Wait!" Blake yelled.
Yang kept walking.
No. Blake would talk to her. She couldn't leave her partner like this. With a flick of her wrist, Gambol Shroud launched from her hand. It arced around Yang's legs and Blake yanked the ribbon, restraining Yang and dragging her towards Blake.
The reaction was immediate. Yang slipped out of the ribbon with practiced ease, sprang up to her feet, and instinctually launched a flurry of punches at her partner. Blake redirected her punches with an open hand, not daring to block one and risk taking a hefty shot to her Aura. Yang caught her in the shoulder, which Blake rolled into. She turned the maneuver into a spin and circled Yang, pinning her arms to her sides with Gambol Shroud's ribbon. Blake struck out with a kick, knocking Yang off balance. Blake pounced onto Yang, straddling her and making sure her arms stay pinned.
In six seconds, Blake had blocked, restrained, and pinned Yang Xiao Long. Record time. Such an accomplishment would usually be impressive, but something was wrong.
There was no heat.
Blake looked into her partner's eyes. Lilac. Not a hint of red. No heat, no fire. She'd acted purely on instinct, not a shred of her usual fighting spirit. Hopefully Blake could reignite it.
"Yang," Blake hissed. "You should let me speak."
Yang didn't respond.
"I haven't had a great track record with romantic partners, so I don't know if I can give you what you want."
The words bounced around in Yang's head, but they didn't sound right. They sounded like someone had told her, with all their conviction, that the sky was green, or that her hair was black. Words, though they didn't feel like hers, passed quietly past Yang's lips. "What do you mean?"
"How long? How long have you felt this way about me?" Blake asked. She held her partner's gaze as she untied Gambol Shroud from her partner's waist.
There it was. Yang felt it, the ember in the ashes. This time, Yang actually felt her words come out. "Since our third mission… When you brought me coffee before we switched."
Coffee? That is what started it, of all things? Not when they first met, not when she revealed herself to be a Faunus. Coffee. Blake felt laughter bubbling up, but she pushed it down. She got up off of her partner, and held a hand out to her. Yang looked at it warily. "I care about you, Yang," Blake insisted. "We'll talk on the wall, okay?"
The ember grew, and more began to brighten with it. She accepted Blake's hand and got up. The walk to the wall was a daze of loud, conflicting thoughts for Yang, she didn't even notice Ruby and Weiss passing them, with the former giving her a worried look.
"Yang?" Blake said, shaking her shoulder a bit. They were sitting down on small wooden chairs atop Hope village's tall wooden palisade. "Yang, I'm going to start talking, okay?"
Yang nodded.
Blake sighed, and briefly stalled by checking Gambol Shroud's chamber— thirteenth time— as she tried to gather her thoughts. "You know the most about me and Adam."
Yang tried to keep her surprise subdued, but she failed.
"All my parents know is that we didn't have a good relationship, and he's part of the reason I left the White Fang. So, you're the only one that knows about… everything else."
Yang nodded slowly.
"I'm not easy, Yang. I'll freak out at little things, randomly, I'll ruin moments, I'll probably cry a lot, I'll scare you, I'll lash out. I can't hurt you, Yang, and I'm afraid I might do that if we're… together. I do feel for you, Yang, like that. I just don't want you to regret it. Please, consider your own wellbeing before you consider dating me, of all people." The last part came out like a whisper.
Yang stared at her partner in disbelief. "Is that it?"
Blake glared in response.
Yang held up her hands in apology. She took a few moments before offering her rebuttal, then spoke with a renewed vigor. "I really like you, Blake. You're worth a lot to me.."
Blake looked at her as if she'd failed the simplest math problem. "Don't you get it, Yang? I could hurt you."
Yang shrugged. "And I could hurt you. But really, I think that being hurt is worth it," She leaned forward and held out a hand. "To be with you."
Blake stared at her partner's offered hand.
Yang smiled. "Why not give it a shot?"
` Blake gulped. She was scared, and she could tell Yang was scared, too. Her offered hand was shaking, and Blake shuddered at the thought of what Yang had become earlier. What would become of them? What if it went poorly? What if she ruined everything?
In the back of Blake's mind, a new voice arose. It spoke softly, with confidence. It sounded like Yang.
What if it all went well?
Tentatively, Blake reached her hand out, and laid it gently within Yang's.
When Blake looked back up at her partner, she was nearly blinded by her smile. Yang's elated expression was actually quite similar to her sister's, and it was something Blake hadn't seen before. The fire was back in Yang's eyes, but she couldn't see the rage looming beneath. Just pure joy. It was infectious. Slowly, a smile crept across her own face.
Yang scooted her chair over so she could be closer to Blake, and laid her head on her shoulder. "So, do you wanna maybe go watch a movie sometime?"
Blake tensed up a little from the contact, especially with it being under a new context, but she found Yang's warmth to be relaxing. It felt undeniably right. "Like a date?"
Yang looked up at her partner. Her smile was beginning to hurt a little, but she couldn't tame it. "Yeah."
Blake looked out past the palisade, into the verdant green forest surrounding them. It hadn't been cleared, and the path leading to the village's gate was unpaved, but it held promise within the darkness of the trees. Sure, there were Grimm, but there was also potential. "I'm not sure," Blake said, her voice clearly teasing. "I'm more of a wine and dine gal."
Yang snorted. "You're more of a 'dusty old tome and chill' gal."
"Would that be alright?" Blake looked down at her partner, her question only partially made in jest.
Yang rolled her eyes. "Only if you'd read it to me."
That struck a chord within Blake. Reading to Yang did have a certain appeal. Maybe later, though. "A movie would be fine."
Yang drew little circles on the back of Blake's hand with a finger. "Which one though?"
Blake tentatively rested her head atop her partner's. "We can worry about that later."
Weiss purposefully walked ahead of her partner, she couldn't bear to look at her. She could count the words they'd spoken to each other since… then on her hands. She thought about it constantly, the feeling of her partner's marred skin under her fingers— her fingers, and her lips. She wanted to do it again, she yearned for it, but she knew better than to let her partner risk being with someone like her.
Not yet, at least. There was an itch within Weiss, she needed to tell Ruby. Ruby had to know how she felt, and what she would do. What was difficult, though, was deciding what order she would do that in. Would she tell Ruby her plan first to solidify her trust, or would she tell Ruby her feelings first to make her feel more obligated to support her? Weiss mulled over the latter, suddenly feeling sickened by the notion of it. Manipulating Ruby into supporting her with her own love, the sheer thought made Weiss want to vomit. It was something her father would do.
Weiss looked into the forest on their right. It was eerily serene— Only a singular birdsong filled the air, which only drew more attention to the fact that everything else was silent. Even in the afternoon, when activity should be peeking, there was nothing. Such is the nature of Grimm-infested forests. Very few things lived there, and even fewer would have the audacity to make much noise. It would be the perfect place to tell a secret that only Grimm would hear.
The itch within Weiss intensified again. She needed to tell Ruby. If she did, then… No, best not to rush. Even if Ruby doesn't accept her romantic proposal, then at least she'd be able to help her. Weiss knew her partner would do that much, no matter what.
Weiss slowed her pace, allowing her to fall in step with Ruby. Ruby looked to her in surprise. "Weiss?" She asked, her voice low and tentative as she ducked under a branch.
Weiss inhaled deeply, the clean scent of the forest filling her lungs and refreshing her. The weight on her chest built, and the words inside her begged for release. "Ruby," She started, her face deadly serious as she looked at her partner. "Give me your Scroll."
Ruby was taken aback. "Why?"
Weiss was already taking her scroll out of her pocket, and she sent Ruby a pleading glance. She couldn't say anything yet, the question of Scroll surveillance was one that not many had delved into yet, but she wouldn't dare risk it. Ruby acquiesced upon seeing her look, but she couldn't keep the confusion from her expression.
Weiss took her partner's Scroll and laid it on the ground. For good measure, she took off her warm, puffy coat and laid it over their Scrolls. She grabbed her partner by the arm, and escorted them both into the forest.
Ruby allowed herself to be dragged, the return of Weiss' touch making her feel warm. "Weiss, what are you doing?"
Weiss shot a quick look over her shoulder, briefly meeting her partner's silver gaze. "We need to talk."
Ruby's heart leapt into her throat. Weiss had given her the silent treatment ever since she touched her scars, and not knowing how Weiss felt was torture. She hadn't dared to try and give Weiss a hug, or hold her hand, or any of their usual affections while getting the cold shoulder. Experience had taught her to keep her distance from Weiss when she was being deliberately ignored.
After walking a good distance from the village, just far enough that they could barely see Weiss' bright white jacket past the treeline, Weiss stopped. She inhaled again, taking a calming breath to ease the severity of what she was about to admit, then turned to her partner.
Weiss affixed her partner with the most serious expression she could. "Ruby, you know what the Schnees have done, right?"
Ruby nodded. "But that doesn't matter, because you're not just a Schnee, you're Weiss. Your family doesn't define you."
Weiss felt the weight on her chest lighten a little. It was flattering, but off-topic. "No, Ruby, I… I know that. That's not what matters. They… we are horrible, horrible people for what we have done to the Faunus. The Schnee Dust Company is a morally bankrupt business, led by morally bankrupt people."
Ruby opened her mouth to object, but a gesture from Weiss kept her from continuing.
"I will be one of those people. As heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Huntress or not, I will have to take up the mantle of CEO to a business built on the bodies of the Faunus. It will make me a monster, no matter what I am now."
"But won't you have the power to make things better?"
Weiss smiled wanly at her partner, charmed by her optimism. "If only. A CEO still bends to the will of its directors and shareholders, and the only ones worse than the Schnees are those that direct us. Any improvement on the lives of our Faunus workers would put a dent in our bottom line, and would quickly lead to… undesirable outcomes. It was something my mother tried to do as CEO of the SDC, but she was out-voted, insulted, threatened, and worst of all, pressured to marry my father, who the Board immediately elected as CEO. Then…"
No, she couldn't talk about her mother. That would get her off track. She needed to say this.
"No, that's not important, right now. Ruby, I will become a monster. You will hate me."
Ruby looked appalled by the accusation. "I could never—"
"Ruby, if you wouldn't hate what I become, I would think less of you."
Ruby looked like she wanted to respond, but she couldn't think of anything to say other than, "Why are you telling me these things, Weiss? Are you leaving? Please don't leave!" Ruby reached forward and gripped her partner's sleeve.
Weiss flinched a bit, surprised at the passion from her partner. "R-Ruby, I—"
"Please stay here, Weiss, don't let them change you!" She shouted, clutching her partner's shirt.
Weiss pushed her partner away a little. "Ruby, I will not leave. I have a plan. Now, please, be quiet. This forest is full of Grimm."
Ruby bounced in place, her expression of worry slightly masked by one of curiosity. "What's your plan?"
Weiss looked around nervously. What if there was someone in this forest? What if they'd been followed. Weiss felt her jaw clench. It doesn't matter. There's no one here. No time left for stalling. "Ruby, I plan to take… drastic measures to ensure that I do not fulfill my role as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."
"Like what?"
"Crime. Excessive amounts of white-collar crime."
"So… Am I gonna have to tell someone?"
Weiss reeled. "No! Dust, no. Do not tell anyone. Not even Yang. The SDC is a den of scum, and I plan to bring it down. I am exacting justice."
"I dunno, Weiss, that sounds kinda… delusional? Like when a villain does some stuff and says it's okay because they did it for justice, but it's really not because they're still doing bad stuff."
Weiss smacked her forehead, more than a little offended that her partner would imply she's a villain. "Ruby, the Schnee Dust Company is safe from any authorities. They have every police officer and private detective paid off. They're not innocent, there just isn't anyone with the gall to convict them. Even worse, if someone does convict them, they tend to end up dropping the case it due to… familial complications."
Ruby frowned. "Then who can stop them?"
Weiss felt a little surge of pride, but tamped it down. "I plan on fulfilling that role."
"Do you… need help? Is that why you're telling me this?"
That gave Weiss pause. "I… Don't know."
Ruby looked around, very clearly confused and perhaps a little irritated. "So…"
"I just needed to tell you."
"Why?"
"There's something I need to tell you, Ruby," Weiss' voice shook a little. "But I needed to know that you'd support me before I told you."
Ruby felt the anticipation building again.
Weiss sighed. She could tell her, now. Ruby had to know her feelings. "Ruby… about the… thing…"
Ruby perked up. Her chest tightened, her heart sped up. "Y-yeah?"
"I…" Weiss was going to tell her. She had to. It would be so freeing, to finally get her feelings off her chest. Weiss' mind grew panicked. She didn't know what to say. She had the feelings, but she didn't know what to say!
"It was an accident," Weiss found herself saying, her voice tight and formal. No, no! "I hope it doesn't change anything between us." She was speaking, but she could barely feel the words come out, they didn't feel at all like her own. They felt like something she'd say in Atlas.
Ruby felt the tightness around her chest loosen, and it kept loosening until she felt like her heart had been replaced by a gaping void. So it was just a wish, a dream. Her thoughts became dull and grey. It was a mistake. Weiss didn't mean anything when she… kissed her scars. What a mistake. Ruby felt light on her feet, not with jubilance, but because she just couldn't feel anything. "Yeah, okay" Ruby said, her words sounding foreign as they tumbled out of her throat. "That's fine."
Ruby barely registered how shocked her partner looked. Weiss' eyes were wide in surprise and… fear? Weird. She looked like she had more to say, but she didn't. Instead, Weiss just walked within Ruby's personal space and wrapped her arms around her partner. She was warm, but distant. Like a campfire, but not being near a campfire. More like looking at a campfire on TV. Fake campfire. Memories. Absently, Ruby returned the hug.
Weiss' thoughts were in chaos. She'd ruined it. Instead of letting her feelings out, she'd briefly reverted to her worst self and just… pushed them away. Formally. That was the worst part, how she spoke to Ruby like a business partner or a bad suitor. Her hold around Ruby was loose, and it felt more like an obligation than anything else.
No, she could fix this. She could fix everything, she just had to…
Weiss looked up into her partner's eyes and saw nothing. What was once gleaming silver looked more like concrete. Ruby still had a smile on her face, but it looked like a doll's smile, like a smile Weiss would practice in the mirror before entertaining a "friend" that her father had sent her. Weiss wanted to reach up and touch her partner's face, but she couldn't. She'd ruined it, she'd ruined everything. Now Ruby would never forgive her for toying with her emotions. Maybe it'd be better if she just shut up before she hurt Ruby again.
They separated, and didn't take another moment before turning around to get their scrolls back. The walk was completely silent. It hurt.
Ruby walked slowly behind her partner, staring blankly ahead.
Something moved in the corner of her eye, something very dark. It lunged toward Weiss, and Ruby was immediately in motion, her numbness overtaken by her urge to protect her partner. It was a Beowolf that had somehow snuck up on them. In the back of her mind, Ruby acknowledged that she should have noticed the Grimm.
Weiss had only just started turning around when she heard the familiar sound of Crescent Rose unfolding, and she drew Myrtenaster instinctually. Before she could fully turn, though, two halves of dead Beowolf fell at her feet, sliced perfectly across the waist. They faded into dust, and Weiss saw Ruby as she'd never seen her before. Usually when Ruby saved her (which wasn't exactly uncommon) she looked like an actual savior, like a hero fighting to protect the innocent. Now, though, she looked… withered. Like she was doing a job, and Weiss had only caught the briefest flash of emotion crossing her face, only for it to disappear again.
Ruby, for the first time in her life, found herself disappointed in the Grimm she'd just killed. If only it would have lasted a little longer, she might have found some kind of emotional reprieve in the combat. She sighed, not bothering to reset Crescent Rose and simply carrying it over her shoulder.
Before they could begin walking again, they were beset by another Beowolf, many more, actually. Weiss found herself backpedalling towards the palisade as Ruby slashed at the Grimm before her.
Weiss saw something… odd in how her partner was fighting. Of course, Ruby didn't move like a dancer with that oversized gardening tool, but she was far from inelegant. Watching her fight was usually a pleasure, but something was different. Usually, there was some deal of performance, but now it was all raw. Weiss got closer to the treeline when she heard Ruby… screaming. It sounded excessively painful, and it was downright terrifying.
Weiss found herself standing in awe at the edge of the treeline as she watched her partner fight. Roses were flying wildly, surrounding her partner in a flurry of red, and Weiss could only track her by the sound of her screaming, and the dirt kicked up by Crescent Rose. Ruby looked less like she was wielding the giant scythe and more like she was throwing it around and allowing herself to be pulled by its weight. She had no control of her own momentum, she was simply moving as the scythe dictated. Weiss didn't dare approach.
With a good deal of effort, Weiss tore her gaze away from her partner. She sprinted the rest of the way to her bright white jacket, took out her Scroll, and called Blake.
Blake answered quickly. "Weiss?"
"North-East side, Beowolves, probably a pack, Ruby's engaged with them now." Weiss said in a rush.
"Why aren't you with her?" Blake asked, the jostling from her sign of the line indicative of her movements.
"Doesn't matter, just come quick! And sound the alarm!" Weiss quickly ended the call and began sprinting back to the forest. She could hear the cries of Beowolves intermixing with Ruby's own screaming. Dust, she was still screaming.
Ruby could think of nothing but the fight. There was a raging inferno within her, fueled by the same emotions that had made her feel so dull. She lashed out with Crescent Rose, the scythe pulling her with it as it cleaved through two Beowolves, only for them to be replaced just as quickly by another pair. Ruby could feel her own voice tearing at her throat, but she couldn't stop herself from screaming. It felt so liberating. She felt a spray of Grimm ichor coat her as the scythe ripped through another Beowolf, the substance covering her face and cloak and painting them black. Some of it found its way into her mouth, and it was easily the foulest thing she'd ever tasted, but she didn't dare take the time to spit it out. She needed to keep fighting. She feared that if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to start again.
One, three, five, countless Beowolves assailed her, and she cut each of them down. She found herself wielding Crescent Rose with only one hand, not bothering to use her arm in any other way than to hold the scythe, and only moving the weapon by pivoting her body and lunging with her Semblance, launching her and Crescent Rose through at least two Grimm at a time.
Why did Weiss say that? Did Ruby really mean that little to her? Crescent Rose drove her through another pair of Beowolves. Did all their affections mean nothing? All the times she texted Ruby to confide in her, or to complain about being in Atlas, or to tell her how much she wished she was at Beacon, and none of it was special. Crescent Rose impaled a Beowolf on its point, the momentum carrying Ruby over it and sending her boot-first into another Grimm, which buckled under the force of her kick. No, it wasn't right. It couldn't be. If it was right, then "Why did she kiss my damn scar!"
Ruby's cry echoed across the forest, but it was completely unintelligible. Her words were garbled with rage, all of them stringing together and simply continuing her scream. More fuel to the flame inside Ruby. She felt like she was losing herself, falling into the deepest pit as her mind took less and less control over her body. The world around her became a blur, but she couldn't tell whether that was due to her Semblance or because she was losing herself. She could barely see the trees in her peripheral, she could only see each Beowolf in front of her, each one that Crescent Rose brought her to. More ichor sprayed across her front as the scythe tore through a trio of Grimm, she was covered head-to-toe, now. It was cold and warm at the same time, and it was thick but also incredibly runny.
Something bright entered her periphery, and she turned her head to see it dancing around one of the Beowolves that she was hurtling towards. Weiss. It was Weiss. Weiss was in the way. Weiss was in the way.
Qrow was right. Ruby couldn't stop the scythe.