Strawberries and cookie dough, Weiss couldn't help but savour the air in her lungs, she felt her nose ruffle up against strands of hair but she took that as a sign to burrow deeper seemingly chasing after the scent, her arms held the battery of heat in front of her, revelling in the warmth the body provided, she peaked through half-parted eyelids and saw black hair with red highlights and all that mattered in that moment was that Ruby was with her. Her time of serenity however was quickly cut short as a clicking noise pierced through the air and her blurry dream state gave way to reality, a reality that Weiss tried to pull away from, Ruby had started to move away from her so on instinct Weiss' arms tightened and pulled her partner back closer to her. Weiss wished she could switch her hearing off as judging by the bickering sounds and Ruby's increasingly frequent shuffling something was causing an issue which threatened her sleeping.
As she woke up Weiss could only make out snippets of the conversation.
20 Lien a pic
Extortion
Creeping one eye open she spotted a smug Yang holding her scroll and Weiss could assume what the blonde brute was doing.
"Family rate then, 10 Lien." Yang offered to Ruby and Weiss cut into the conversation, making it clear to Yang what she'd do.
"You should know by now that to a Schnee, image is everything, if those see the light of day Yang, not even Ruby's silver eyes will be able to illuminate the black hole I'll bury you in."
…
Serene and calm, that's how Ruby felt in this moment, safe and warm, no worries and no weight on her shoulders, although it seemed that forces conspired to pull her out of her slumber as her senses slowly woke up. First was the smell like sweet vanilla and hints of mint, a signature that Ruby could recognise anywhere, breathing it in her lungs expanded but met with soft resistance her touch came to her next and she realized that there were arms wrapped tightly around her, memories flashed underneath her eyelids of the previous night recalling Weiss and her dream and how they both sought comfort with each other.
Her attempts to savour the moment were ruined as Ruby's eyes shot open when she heard some snickering above her and she was momentarily overwhelmed with yellow, Yang's hair draped over the side of the top bunk as her sister's head was obscured slightly by the scroll that Yang held in her hand, the soft click of a camera could be heard as the flash momentarily blinded her. Putting the puzzle together Ruby went to lunge at Yang but stopped herself when Weiss' arms tightened around her and her partner groaned in frustration at all the commotion as she seemingly remained asleep, unaware of what was going on between the two sisters.
"Yang!" Ruby spoke quietly but sharply.
"What are you doing?"
"Just documenting how clingy Weiss is for ya… I wonder if she's touch starved?"
Ruby reached for the scroll just as Yang finished speaking, the blonde lowering the hand it was in to gesture towards Weiss but her sister reacted faster seemingly predicting the attempt.
"Nah, these are mine, get your own…"
Yang's upside-down head tilted to the side, a thought clearly taking shape.
"You want some, I'm selling…" Yang waved the scroll just out of reach of Ruby's hand. "20 Lien a pic."
"That's extortion, if I didn't know any better I'd say your last name was Branwen."
Yang's mouth opened which she covered with the scroll covering up her fake shock at the jab but she smirked knowing what would only serve to frustrate Ruby further.
"Family rate then, 10 Lien."
A third voice intervened before Ruby could respond.
"You should know by now that to a Schnee, image is everything, if those see the light of day Yang, not even Ruby's silver eyes will be able to illuminate the black hole I'll bury you in."
Yang's eyes flicked to behind Ruby as she herself froze in fear, Ruby turned her head as much as she could shuffling slightly to see behind her, turning within the arms that kept her embraced until her eyes landed on Weiss' own that were blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Ruby spoke with a tinge of fear.
"Heh, morning Weiss."
Weiss stared back at Ruby, her right arm freeing Ruby from its hold forcing the other to compensate and hold Ruby's back to signal that she wasn't to move. Weiss' hand appeared in front of Ruby and flicked her forehead causing Ruby to scrunch her eyes closed in surprise and attempt half-heartedly to escape Weiss' hold, Weiss repeated Ruby's words mockingly.
"Don't you 'morning Weiss' me Ruby and you Yang…"
Weiss paused as she turned her attention to Yang who was struggling to hold back a laugh, a small shimmer sound was all Ruby heard as Yang fell off the top bunk, leaning over she saw her sister had landed dead centre onto one of Weiss' gravity glyphs.
"… you Yang need to be brought back down to your level."
Yang shot up and stared at Weiss with surprise and shock.
"How did you manage that? You're in bed."
Weiss brought her right hand up to herself and inspected her nails, giving them a gentle blow.
"A true huntress is always prepared."
With Weiss' non-answer Blake let out a laugh signalling her presence to the other three who turned to the Faunus who was sat on the and Blake continued at the way Ruby's head barely reached above Weiss' own alongside Yang's attempt to fix her dishevelled hair was too much for her, the trio smiled in response to Blake's laughter but their moment was interrupted when the door to their room rang out that the lock had released which drew their attention what followed swiftly was a series of soft taps that sought permission to enter.
Ruby looked back to Weiss who shrugged at the questioning glance Ruby gave her, using her semblance Ruby rushed over to the door and opened it revealing Oscar, cane in hand and a thin smile.
"Sorry for the early intrusion, me and Oz had hoped to give you all a longer rest but I'm afraid we need your help."
Ruby looked back to her team and the three of them nodded back at her, she felt her heart swell and couldn't help but smile gratefully before turning back to Oscar.
"We'll be right out, where do you need us?"
…
"So Tai, Raven and Qrow are checking the eastern perimeter while teams JNR and CFVY keep the northern area secure but everyone else is either recuperating or too far out, this is where you come in." Oscar pointed towards the western part of the map on the table in the middle of the room before continuing. "We're short in this area, should be simple, follow the road and you'll come upon a guard post with a signal relay that increases the range so we can communicate to the people at the port, repair it and come back. Any questions?"
Weiss was the first to put her thoughts in the air.
"Yea, who are we talking to right now? Oscar or Ozpin?"
Ruby glanced at Oscar before looking at Weiss and then back to Oscar, she realized that she was curious as well and Oscar looked down at the cane in his hand as he spoke.
"Sometimes it gets a little unclear but right now it's me, Oscar."
Weiss hummed seemingly satisfied as she made her way over to Ruby, resting her hand on Ruby's shoulder, she raised an unimpressed eyebrow to her team leader.
"Really we're tech support now?"
Ruby lent her head onto Weiss' hand.
"Think of it like a warm up, team practice."
"Always the optimist."
"Weiss catch."
Yang threw some keys to Weiss who caught them in her free hand, confused she dangled them in front of her and read the label. Dust Store
"You know since your short on gravity dust."
"I'm going to kill your sister."
"Pfft kill her with kindness."
"No, I think I'll just leave her in the desert."
"You can't, that would make me look like a bad leader."
"Oh… I'll make it up to you somehow."
Yang waved her hand in front of them.
"Do I get input on my chances of survival?"
"Nope…" Weiss teased back.
"At least Blake has my back, right?"
The three of them looked over to Blake who rolled her eyes.
"Sorry but this is your bed, you're going to have to lie in it yourself."
"Technically it was Ruby's bunk."
"YANG!" Yelped Ruby, struggling to contain her growing blush, thankfully a small cough drew everyone's attention back to Oscar.
"If that's everything, I wish you all the best of luck."
Weiss leaned closer to Ruby and whispered.
"I still think that's Ozpin."
The four of them turned to leave as Ruby thanked Oscar as she did before talking under her breath to Weiss.
"I wonder if it's like a really slow blender swirling the two slowly together."
Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes as she answered.
"You're horrible at metaphors."
…
"Should be simple." Weiss groaned out, her right heel digging into the sand as she braced against the force of the Creep Grimm that had lunged at her, parrying it with Myrtenaster she was able to deflect it and she watched it tumble into the sand behind her while a shimmering blue sword appeared beneath it and sliced up through. Weiss turned back to the rest of her team; Blake was busy repairing the relay box as Yang covered her, punching into a Beowolf that was approaching the two of them while Ruby was holding back a Beringel. "This doesn't feel simple."
Ruby fired into the ground, launching herself into the air, a gravity glyph appeared above her as she stood with her head to the ground and her feet on the glyph she smiled at Weiss.
"You like a challenge." She stated as the felt the glyph dissipate and she fired Crescent Rose again this time spinning downwards and slashing a line down the middle of the Grimm before using her semblance to redirect where she was heading, flying up and landing in front of Weiss with the same smile and a flurry of rose petals. "If it wasn't you'd just say this was boring."
"Listening to Yang talk about motorcycles was boring as we walked here, this is annoying."
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Teased back Yang as she gave the Beowolf an uppercut firing of a shotgun round as she did and sending it flying, giving herself a moment to chat. "Seriously, you still have money, you could buy me one as an apology."
Blake giggled to herself as she fiddled with the relay, syncing her scroll with it as she turned to Yang.
"You'd just take it apart immediately; besides she'd buy you a white one and Weiss would kill you if you sprayed it yellow."
Yang paused, turning to Weiss.
"You'd buy me a yellow one right?"
"The key can be yellow." Compromised Weiss sarcastically.
Yang grumbled to herself having waited long enough for the Beowolf to run back into range she ducked under the swing it took at her, slamming her fist into the middle of its arm and pulling the trigger as she did with her other arm she swung round and kicked the back of its head tumbling it forwards toward Blake who thew Gambol shroud which planted squarely in the monster's forehead, it slowly disintegrated.
"Done?" Yang asked.
Swinging her weapon back into her hand Blake holstered it as she held her scroll in the other, a small progress bar quickly filled green and she gave a thumbs up.
Ruby clapped her hands together. "S plus for team RWBY, now let's head back."
"Shouldn't it be an A plus?" Asked Weiss but Ruby just shook her head confidently.
Turning back towards Vacuo they could just about make out the outline of the city but any ideas of a let-up in Grimm was dismissed as a dozen of Centinels burrowed out of the ground in front of them and another group of Grimm appeared behind them, one of Raven's portals appeared next to Yang and Qrow's Corvid form flew through it up into the air and Qrow landed in front of Ruby.
"Sorry kids, gotta borrow Ruby."
"You're joking?" responded Weiss sarcastically knowing that Qrow would only ask if it was serious.
Ruby looked between her teammates and Qrow.
"I'll be right back."
"Ruby..." Weiss spoke softly, Ruby looked back at her and Weiss' voice somehow went softer. "Be safe."
Ruby smiled. "You to, don't do anything I wouldn't." As she finished Ruby stepped into the portal, Weiss rolled her eyes but she couldn't help the small pit of worry that took root in her stomach, which Yang seemingly sensed.
"Don't worry about her."
"I know but-"
"I know, Weiss." Yang cut her off confirming that the two were both thinking the same thing, what could the remnants of team STRQ need Ruby's help with and what couldn't they handle on their own.