Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a serene winter morning in Vale and the capital's districts slowly awoke from their peaceful slumber. People were getting to work, shops and cafés were opened one after another, the streets slowly filled up with cars, cabs, and delivery trucks. The first dockers arrived at the port to prepare everything for the day, even though the first trading vessels weren't awaited before noon.

The capital's advanced school for Huntsmen and Huntresses, Beacon Academy, gave off a peaceful vibe as well. Outside of the various lecture halls in which the students honed their craft and acquired the knowledge that would help them to become great warriors against the forces of evil, everything was immersed in a tranquil silence. The courtyard was empty, the corridors were void of a single soul, too. The whole student body, as well as the professors, were either still sleeping because their workday wouldn't start for another couple of hours, or they were already in their respective classrooms.

Okay, that wasn't entirely true... every rule had its exception, after all.

"I can't believe this happened again, Ruby!"

"Yeah... Way to go, sis!"

"I'm sorry, okay... I-it was an accident!"

"You need to be more careful, Rose Petal. You're the leader, after all."

"I know... sorry, Snowflake."

Team RWBY's morning wasn't going according to plan... Not. At. All. Again, Ruby had failed to read their schedule correctly... therefore, the four girls had only five minutes left to get to class. And that resulted in a sprint across the whole campus. There were definitely a lot of nicer ways to start the day – especially two weeks before their well-earned semester break.

It had been a few months since the whole misery with the mutated Grimm and Ruby's illness had happened. Fortunately, the crimsonette had made a full recovery and was completely herself again. Admittedly, that had its pros... and cons, but Weiss wouldn't want her Rose Petal any other way... even if that meant she had to sprint to class from time to time.

Besides these minor slip-ups, their time together had been wonderful so far. The two girls' relationship had become even deeper and more amorous over the last couple of months. Neither of them felt some kind of routine yet... and it seemed like that would never be the case. Even the small things like a quick kiss on the cheek or simply holding hands during class were enough for them to completely, thoroughly, and whole-heartedly fall in love with the other anew. Both girls knew that this couldn't be puppy-love: They had found their soulmate.

By now, the majority of Beacon's students knew that Ruby and Weiss were an item. The couple even had a few nicknames already (mostly from their teammates and team JNPR), the most prominent ones being White Rose, Ice Flower, and, for some reason, Candycane. Of course, there had been a few people who made mean or even homophobic comments at first... Cardin Winchester, for example. However, this was quickly halted by Yang – and, in the blonde's opinion, the two weeks detention for wiping the floor with his sorry ass in the cafeteria were totally worth it.

All in all, everything was going well for the young couple. The only thing Ruby and Weiss missed sometimes was their own room because of... reasons. Unfortunately, there was no need for them to be separated from the rest of their team anymore now that the crimsonette was cured. Of course, the white-haired girl wouldn't want to exchange her lover's health for anything in the world, yet, the lack of privacy was kind of annoying... especially at night.

The bell rang the exact moment team RWBY burst through the door, not very quietly, on top of that. Of course, everybody else in their class turned around to see who was causing turmoil. A chuckle went through the rows the moment the other students saw the four heavily panting girls... this wasn't the first time something like that (or literally that, to be more precise) had happened, after all.

"Ahh, team RWBY... exactly to the second.", Doctor Oobleck said with a grin, "I guess that takes the term punctuality to a whole new level. Now catch your breath and sit down, girls. We have much to learn today. Oh, and Miss Rose... your Scroll has an interesting function. It's called "alarm clock"."

"I know... I'm sorry, Doctor Oobleck...", Ruby sighed embarrassed, "That was the last time, I promise."

"If I would get a hundred Lien every time you say that, it would probably triple my salary.", the green-haired professor responded, which earned him a chuckle from the rest of the class... and Yang. Of course, it was just an exaggeration: Team RWBY wasn't late that often... but often enough to be noticeable, nonetheless.

The four girls took their seats and Doctor Oobleck started with his lecture. It was about the colonization of Solitas and the foundation of the city of Mantle. Team RWBY tried to follow the green-haired teacher's ramblings the best they could – as if to make up for the earlier inconvenience – and took notes obediently. However, much to everyone's surprise, it was Weiss who barely followed the lecture this time and instead busied herself with another assignment. But then again, she probably knew the history of her own homeland anyway.

As the lecture went on, Ruby got more and more uncomfortable. She tried to hide it from her team but she knew she had to say something... to apologize, at least. She hated herself for the fact that these unnecessary slip-ups still happened after almost one and a half year. Admittedly, she was a pretty good fighter and a decent strategist in the field... but it took more to be the perfect leader she wanted to be, after all.

"I'm really, really sorry, guys.", the crimson-haired girl whispered to her team, "I promise that this won't happen again. For real this time."

"Okay... where are my one hundred Lien?", Yang whispered back with a chuckle. Even Blake couldn't help but smile.

"I'm serious.", the crimson-haired girl explained, "I'm your leader. I have to be flawless. A good example and stuff. Am I right, Snowflake?"

"I really admire your ambitiousness... I really do, Rose Petal...", Weiss responded with a grin, "In my opinion, and I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for Blake and Yang as well, you're already the best leader anyone can wish for. You're aspiring, you're resourceful... selfless, caring, and protective beyond belief. But regarding organizational matters and punctuality... well, you'll always be a dolt. No offense, though." Again, Yang and Blake started to giggle quietly.

"That's unacceptable.", the younger girl whimpered, "I need to be the best. An epitome of leader-ness. I'm no good if I still make so many mistakes."

"Relax, Ruby.", Blake said conciliatorily, "As Weiss said, if you leave the schedule stuff aside, you've become a great leader."

"I totally agree with her, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl seconded, "If the Weiss from a year ago would see you now, she would've never come up with the idea of scolding you."

"She would've found other stuff to criticize, though.", Yang chuckled, which earned her an annoyed glance from the heiress.

"Whatever.", Weiss said, trying to ignore the blonde's comment (even though it wasn't necessarily wrong), "What I'm trying to say is that, in my eyes, you're already perfect the way you are, Ruby. There's only one thing that's wrong with you... and that's the fact that there's only one of you." Then, she gently took the crimsonette's hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

"Okay... now I really can't decide if I need a shot of insulin or a vomit bag.", the blonde tossed in.

"That's true love, you brute. Deal with it.", the heiress shot back, "It's not my problem that you can't grasp this concept."

"Oh, believe me, Weissicle. I know everything about the concept of love.", Yang responded with a teasing grin, "It usually starts with a guy delivering a pizza and a girl, fresh out of the shower and only wearing a towel, who's a little strapped for cash."

"You're disgusting.", the white-haired girl sighed.

"Deal with it, Snowflake.", the brawler simply said and her grin grew even wider. Even though she and Weiss had become even closer friends now that the heiress was dating her sister, she would never stop teasing her – it was just too much fun. The white-haired girl still made it pretty easy, on top of that.

"You're not allowed to call me that!", Weiss grumbled, indignation apparent in her voice.

"Excuse me, Miss Schnee?", the green-haired professor suddenly piped up, "Is there anything you want to add to the lecture? Might as well be pretty interesting since we're talking about your homeland."

"No, Doctor Oobleck.", Weiss responded, "Your explanations already covered everything of Solitas' first colonization attempt perfectly."

"I thought as much.", their lecturer simply said, "And if there isn't anything interesting you want to enlighten your fellow students on, I would be glad if you keep the noise down. Oh, and Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang, who was quietly laughing at the white-haired girl's misery at the moment, stopped immediately.

"As much as I understand and can relate to a little teasing between friends...", Doctor Oobleck continued, "I would prefer that you manage to withhold your little jokes against Miss Schnee, whatever it is you two are arguing about, until the end of the lecture. I hope you understand." His tone of voice made clear that this wasn't a simple request but an order.

"O-of course, Profe... Doctor, I mean.", the blonde responded, "I'm quiet now."

"Splendid!", the green-haired man exclaimed, "Now, where were we... Oh, I remember! The colonists might be able to suppress the threat of the Grimm in this harsh environment, but on the other hand..."

The lesson passed without any further interruptions.

"Whew... at least we made it out of there without getting detention.", Yang sighed the moment they had left the lecture hall, "The last thing I need two weeks before the semester break is spending extra hours studying."

"You do realize that it would've been your fault if we would've gotten detention, right?", Weiss responded and shot her teammate an annoyed glare.

"As far as I recall, it was you who shouted at me in the middle of class.", the blonde explained with a grin.

"I just did it because you... urgh... you're terrible, Yang.", the heiress grumbled and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Why can't we just... I don't know... stop all of this nonsense now that Ruby and I are... well, Ruby and I. You've had enough time to adjust to the situation, after all."

"I like you and I'm totally okay with you dating my sister.", Yang explained matter-of-factly, "But I'll never stop teasing you or making fun of it. It's my way to show you that I'm... somewhat okay with you dicking..."

"Speaking of the semester break...", Ruby quickly tossed in to change the subject, "Do you guys have any plans already?"

"I guess I'm visiting my parents in Menagerie.", Blake responded with a sigh, "It's been a while since I've last seen them and... I have some explaining to do. I have delayed... that for a long time now." Her cat ears went flat against her head when she said the last part. Of course, her teammates knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Hey, cheer up, kitty-cat.", Yang tried to comfort her friend and put her arm around the Faunus, "You might've made a lot of shitty decisions in your past, White Fang and all that, but you've gotten your life back on track. You're helping people now. I'm sure your parents are proud of you again when they hear what you went through to redeem yourself."

"Yang might be pretty annoying most of the time, but sometimes she hits the nail right on the head.", Weiss seconded and gave Blake a friendly nudge, "So if your parents aren't as shitty as mine, and I guess that's pretty much a given, I'm certain that everything will go well."

"You did so much good already. And I'm pretty sure that I am already a pretty good example.", Ruby added, "Without your help, I'd be a mindless, apocalyptic superweapon controlled by a crazy scientist. So just use me as a reference and you're fine." She said the last part with a chuckle to lighten the mood.

"Huh... Maybe you're right.", the black-haired girl sighed again but a small smile crept to her lips, nonetheless.

"Have you ever doubted this?", Yang boasted with a huge grin.

"Well, actually...", Blake began teasingly.

"Don't ruin the moment, damn it!", the blonde quickly cut her off, which caused the Faunus and the heiress to giggle.

"Okay, now that covers Blake's plans for the semester break.", Ruby continued, "What about you, Snowflake?"

"I guess I'll just stay at Beacon.", Weiss sighed, "You know: studying a bit, training a little more. The last thing I want to do is to go back home. It would most certainly be even lonelier than staying here. My sister won't be there, I don't have anything to say to my father or my brother, and my mother is either too hungover or too drunk to properly talk to me."

"Well, you see...", the crimsonette began shyly, shared a look with her sister and received a nod in return, "I was hoping that you... umm, would come with me and Yang... to Patch. Our dad will be there as well and I thought we could... y'know... break the news to him. That we're a couple, I mean."

Upon hearing this, the heiress went even paler than she already was. Admittedly, what she had heard about the sisters' father so far didn't cause for concern, yet, meeting him would be a huge step. What if he didn't like her – Weiss knew how she could come across sometimes, even if it was just by accident. What if he didn't like the fact that she was a Schnee – her family was pretty infamous and disliked by many people, after all. And how the hell should she tell him that she was a... well, hermaphrodite, for the lack of a better word. The heiress knew she had to eventually. It was definitely better than the way Yang and Blake had found out. But then again, Weiss had had a pretty hard time sharing her most intimate secret with team JNPR already – and they were her friends for over a year now. Ruby's dad, however, was a complete stranger... and the father of her girlfriend, on top of that!

"It's about time, don't you think?", Yang suddenly mentioned and shook the white-haired girl out of her thoughts, "You two left Dad in the dark for almost half a year now. I've already talked with Ruby about that: Our old man will most certainly be pretty pissed if the moment he finds out that you two are dating is when he reads your name on his wedding invitation."

"That... sounds kinda reasonable.", Weiss sighed, "I guess we shouldn't put it off any longer."

"Don't worry, Weiss. Dad is awesome.", Ruby comforted her girlfriend the moment she noticed her tensing up, "I'm pretty sure he'll like you the moment he sees how happy we are together. And he definitely isn't like this idiot Cardin and his goons. He definitely won't mind the fact that you're also a girl."

"Well, about ninety-five percent a girl.", the blonde added with a chuckle.

"Yaaang!", the crimson-haired girl scolded her sister, "We're trying to calm her down, so stop making it worse. Meeting the other's parents is a huge step in a relationship. Can you at least try to be a little supportive?"

"Relax, sis. It was just a joke.", Yang said defensively, "You know I'm happy that you and Weissicle have found each other. As I've said, teasing her is my way of showing that she's part of the family."

"Your timing could use some work, though.", Ruby sighed, then, she turned to her girlfriend again, "So, what do you say, Weiss? Will you come with us to Patch? Pleeeaaassseee..."

The heiress still wasn't completely sure about meeting the crimsonette's father without a little more time to prepare herself. In her opinion, two weeks were definitely not enough. If she believed the stories Ruby and Yang had told her about their dad, the man was about as overprotective as the blonde, maybe even more so. And this probably meant that the smallest slip-up could ruin everything.

Was she overthinking this? Probably. The sisters' dad seemed to be an incredibly kind man as well, considering how fond the two girls always talked about him. But Weiss wanted to be perfect. Their first meeting had to be perfect. Ruby, the most important person in her life, deserved nothing less, after all.

However, the white-haired girl made the huge mistake to look into the crimsonette's eyes – into her cartoonishly large, cute, silver puppy-dog eyes. Weiss knew them all too well by now. But did this mean she was able to resist their mysterious spell now? The answer to this was an easy one: Nope... and she would most certainly never be.

"F-fine... I'll accompany you.", the heiress sighed defeated, "But you need to help me to come up with a plan, Rose Petal. Your dad has to like me, after all. I need to know everything about this man so I can impress him."

"Pfft... you'll be fine.", the blonde said with a shrug, "We already told you that our dad is awesome. Just act more Snowflake-y and less Schnee-y in front of him and everything's gonna be alright. If anybody needs a plan, it'll be Ruby when she meets your parents."

"Thanks for reminding me, Yang.", the crimson-haired girl grumbled.

"She's not wrong, though.", Weiss said gloomily, "But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Suddenly, the bell interrupted their conversation, reminding them that there were only five minutes left before their next class would start.

"Shit! We need to get going or Port is going to kill us.", Yang exclaimed, "Thank goodness Grimm studies takes place nearby."

"Wait a moment.", Blake suddenly mentioned, "I'm pretty sure we're having the class somewhere else today because the staff is renovating the lecture hall. Because of Professor Port's latest... pretty unorthodox classes."

"Right.", Weiss remembered as well, "We've gotten a notice a few days ago. Rose Petal?"

"Oh...", Ruby said and her eyes went wide. When her team looked at her in confusion, the younger girl quickly averted her gaze.

"What?", Yang asked annoyedly, "Is there anything you want to tell us, sis?"

"I'm pretty sure I left the note on our desk...", the crimsonette explained meekly, "...in our dorm room... Crap! B-be right back!" Then, she activated her Semblance and rushed down the corridor.

"You've got to be kidding me!", the blonde yelled at the trail of rose petals dancing through the hallway.

Team RWBY somehow managed to survive the day without getting themselves into trouble – a miracle, to be honest. When the final lecture was over, the crimson-haired girl excused herself to hit the gym. She thought that it was probably the best to give her teammates some Ruby-free time since she had screwed up so many times today. Blake went to the library to get some reading done... and to recover from the hectic day at a quiet, peaceful place. Weiss stayed in the dorm room to review today's notes and Yang, being the carefree soul she was, stayed as well because she wanted to play a new video game.

"Boom! Headshot!", the blonde yelled from her bunk while tapping away at her Scroll, "Whoa... this explosive ammo is really amazing."

"Could you please keep the noise down?", the heiress sighed, "I'm trying to study if you haven't noticed."

"You're no fun.", Yang responded, "We're done with all the exams for this semester and... taste my chainsaw bayonet, you fucking zombie-mutant! And there are only nine days of classes left. Sometimes, you just need to relax a little. Our lives are exhausting enough already."

"I can't relax.", Weiss simply explained, "If I don't busy my mind with something, then I'll just think about..."

Suddenly, she stopped mid-sentence, huffed something that sounded like "whatever", and continued to reread her notes. However, the blonde wasn't stupid – she knew exactly what her teammate was talking about.

"Still scared about meeting me and Ruby's dad?", Yang asked empathetically and paused her game.

Busted!

"Well... kinda...", the heiress sighed and turned around, "But can you really blame me? Ruby is my everything... so what if your dad doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm a freak because of my... extra thing? What if he doesn't give me his blessing when I'm asking for Ruby's hand in marriage in a year or two? What if..."

"Calm down, Weissicle.", the blonde interrupted her and sat up on her bunk, "Our dad will definitely like you. Besides the stick you have up your behind sometimes, you're pretty cool. You treat Ruby like she's a goddess to you, you barely make any inappropriate comments or give unnecessary scoldings anymore, and if, you quickly realize it and apologize. Maybe you shouldn't mention that you're giving his youngest daughter the D... or that you have one in the first place on your first get-together. But as long as you don't say or do something absolutely stupid, Yang-style, as you would call it, you're pretty much safe. The only things you have to worry about are a lot of awful puns and dad jokes. But then again, if he annoys you with this stuff, it means he has accepted you. Just like I do."

"You make it sound like it's going to be easy to impress your dad, but I still doubt it.", Weiss said, "And besides that, I don't just want to impress him. I want him to realize that I'm the perfect girlfriend for his daughter. I want to make clear that Ruby is my soulmate, that I love her more than my own life, that I want to be with her forever, that I'll never hurt or leave her, that I..."

"Weiss, you're rambling again.", Yang cut her teammate off once more, "Seems like Ruby has rubbed off on you a lot by now. But don't worry, I promise you that everything will be fine. Dad will notice how much you love the little cookie monster the moment he sees you staring at her with this dreamy, adoring expression on your face every time you think nobody's watching you."

"You do?", the heiress asked hopefully, but then she reconsidered, "Wait... You caught me staring at Ruby? When? I... I mean, I don't..."

"Hmm... let's see...", Yang interrupted her quickly and tapped her chin, "I'd say... every day a couple of times since I knew you two are together. Oh, and I've noticed that your staring doesn't just apply to her face."

At this comment, Weiss blushed furiously.

"No need to get all flustered, Weissicle.", the blonde said with a grin, "I'm already used to the fact that you undress my sister with your eyes from time to time. And instead of getting angry at you, I just think "Hey, she can't help it. She's just a pervert." now."

"What?! I'm no... you... urgh.", the heiress groaned and turned away so her teammate wouldn't see her blush deepening.

"You still make this waaay too easy.", Yang chuckled and returned her attention to her video game, "But seriously, don't worry about the semester break anymore. You managed to convince ME that you're a loving, caring girlfriend, so I'm sure Dad will like you as well. No joke, no pun, no nothing this time. I really mean it."

"Th-thank you, Yang.", Weiss said, calming down again, "I barely believe it but... talking to you actually helped."

"Don't get used to it, though.", the blonde giggled, "But... you're welcome... future sis-in-law."

After about an hour, the door to their room flew open and Ruby entered. Much to everyone's surprise, she was still dressed in her gym clothes, consisting of a tank top and a pair of tight sports shorts. Her body was glistening with sweat.

"Whew... when you think the day can't get any worse, the staff starts to clean the showers the moment you're done with your workout.", the crimsonette grumbled, "Anyone in the bathroom?"

"Nope.", Yang responded without looking up from her Scroll, "Blake's still at the library and Weiss has barely moved since she has sat down in front of her notes."

"That's exaggerated.", the white-haired girl corrected, but added shortly after, "Well, at least a little..."

"Alright, shower's mine for the next quarter-hour.", Ruby chirped and pulled out the fresh set of clothes from her gym bag, "Afterwards, we could go to the cafeteria and have dinner. Does this sound like a plan?"

"Fine with me.", the blonde responded, "I'm texting Blake to meet us there in about half an hour."

"Count me in as well.", Weiss said, "I'm getting tired of Atlesian history... and I know most of this stuff anyway."

"Awesome!", the crimsonette exclaimed with a beaming smile, "I promise I'll be done in fifteen minutes tops." Then, she entered the bathroom.

The heiress' gaze never left her girlfriend until the door had fallen shut. She couldn't help it, though – Ruby's cuteness (and sexiness) never ceased to amaze her, no matter how often she ogled her. Weiss had even forgotten that she and Yang had talked about this exact topic just an hour ago. And, as always, she didn't even notice herself that her eyes had been glued to the younger girl the moment she had entered the room.

"You're doing it again, Weiss.", the blonde sighed.

"Huh?", the white-haired girl responded and snapped out of her trance.

"You don't even try to make it less obvious.", Yang continued, "I know that these gym shorts give you a, well, better view than Ruby's skirts but... seriously, show some decency."

"Sorry.", Weiss apologized and explained herself, "I really can't help it. You can't understand this, because she's your sister... but Ruby's butt is like... an excellent piece of art. Or a beautiful sunset. You want to savor it every second you can because you don't know when you can do so the next time. Therefore, you take every opportunity you get to... well, stare. It's almost magnetic."

"I can hear every word you're saying, you know.", echoed a giggly voice from the bathroom, "Oh, and thank you, Snowflake."

"You're welcome, Rose Petal.", the heiress shot back with a smile.

"Well, if you want to join me in the sho...", Ruby began but was quickly interrupted.

"Don't even think about it!", Yang yelled, "I thought we've set a couple of basic rules when Blake and I found out the two of you are doing... this kind of stuff already. If Weiss wants to enter this bathroom right now, I'll have to hurt her... and you, too, sis."

"Relax, Yang.", the heiress mimicked the blonde from earlier, "I know the rules and won't join Ruby in the shower."

"That doesn't mean you don't want to, though, am I right?", came the crimsonette's teasing addendum from behind the bathroom door.

"Th-that's another matter altogether.", the white-haired girl responded with a faint blush.

"Take your damn shower already, Rubes.", Yang grumbled, "I don't know how you'd feel in my position, but discussing your own sister's sex life with herself and her lover is something I can pass on. And even though I've made a lot of progress being happy for you two so far, there are a few lines I'll never be able to cross – out of hopefully obvious reasons."

"Sorry.", Ruby and Weiss said in unison. Then, the heiress resumed studying and a minute later, the blonde heard the shower being turned on.

Team RWBY met again in the cafeteria where they enjoyed dinner with Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. Of course, the four girls had to endure a couple of jokes because they had been (almost) late again today – two times – but they knew that their friends meant no harm. However, Ruby took them to heart, nonetheless: It annoyed her that these stupid slip-ups still happened to her. Luckily, Weiss quickly noticed her girlfriend's worsening mood and she comforted her Rose Petal by gently grabbing her hand while sending team JNPR an angry glare... which was almost on par with the ones they still knew from the pre-relationship Ice Queen.

After dinner was over, everyone went back to their respective dorm rooms and routine took over once again. Blake was reading, Yang was playing around with her Scroll, Weiss was revising her (already ten times revised) notes, and Ruby had no idea what to do with her seemingly endless energy. She studied a bit, then opened and quickly closed every game on her Scroll, went through their room's bookshelf over and over again, and finally settled for playing cards with herself and annoying her teammates to join her until they finally relented.

Soon, it was bedtime and the four girls went through their evening routine. Yang watched out that Ruby and Weiss were visiting the bathroom separately again. The young couple seemed to be pretty horny these last days. The blonde had to be cautious: She was sure that if she would ever enter the shower stall and the floor was sticky and smelled weird, she'd have to kill herself.

Therefore, she was all the more annoyed when she left the bathroom herself and found the White Rose duo in their shared bed, cuddling and making out. Blake tried her best to ignore them and buried her nose in another (probably also indecent) novel again. Yang wished she could be as calm about her other teammates' relationship as the Faunus... but then again, it didn't involve the black-haired girl's sister, after all.

"No funny business, guys.", Yang quickly addressed the young couple in a scolding tone of voice, "And I really can't believe that I have to say this every other night..."

"Well, you could accommodate us a little and leave the dorm room for about two or three hours sometimes...", Weiss suggested and gave Ruby's butt an affectionate squeeze under the blanket, "About... umm, three times a week?"

"Four times.", the crimsonette quickly whispered to her girlfriend with a seductive grin.

"We already discussed this about a hundred times.", the blonde sighed, "Blake and I live here too and the two of you should be considerate of us. Aren't you going on a date and spend the night at Vale this weekend anyway? Once a week should be more than enough to... satisfy your lewd needs, don't you think?"

"Yang... we're a young, teenage couple driven by hormones and the desire to have as much inappropriate fun as possible in our free time.", Ruby explained dryly, "Once a day would barely... really, really barely be enough. You'd know what I'm talking about if you could spend a single night with Wei..."

"Ruby!", Yang, as well as Weiss, exclaimed immediately... and in perfect sync.

"Oh, you're right. Sorry.", the crimsonette quickly apologized, "That's probably a bridge we shouldn't cross, not even mentally."

"Whatever.", the blonde sighed in slight discomfort (again, she could pass on talking about her sister's sex life) and climbed onto her bunk, "Anyway, if I hear any kind of weird, suggestive noises in the night, I'm going to splash you with a bucket of ice-cold water. I've already prepared one in the bathroom."

"No, you haven't.", Weiss deadpanned. It wasn't the first time Yang had made such an empty threat.

"Do you really want to take that risk?", the brawler asked menacingly.

The answer was just an annoyed sigh from the young couple which brought a satisfied smile to the blonde's lips. Shortly after, Blake snapped her book shut, turned off the light next to her bed, and the room was enveloped in pitch-black darkness. The four girls mumbled a couple of goodnights to each other, then, everything went quiet.

For a couple of minutes, it stayed like this. Nothing but soft breathing disturbed the serene silence. Yang was about to drift off into the field of dreams, neglecting her watchdog duties... but then, she heard a whisper. At first, she thought the worst. However...

"Umm... Rose Petal?", Weiss breathed through the darkness, "H-how about you being the big spoon tonight because... y'know."

Shortly after, the shuffling of bedsheets was heard before the dorm room fell silent again.

'Thank goodness.', Yang sighed in thought. It wasn't like she was begrudging her sister and her girlfriend their intimacy, far from it, actually... Nevertheless, despite their youthful horniness and Weiss' enhanced libido because of the experiments she had undergone, the two girls needed at least a couple of boundaries so they wouldn't get out of control. In her semi-conscious state, the blonde made a mental note to buy a spray bottle in the near future...

Chapter Text

"Watch out, Snowflake!", Ruby exclaimed, barely afraid and more commanding at the moment... out of obvious reasons.

"Way ahead of you, Rose Petal!", came the enthusiastic response.

A second later, the sound of metal clashing with metal echoed through the arena of the sparring class lecture hall. A glyph propelled the white-haired girl away from Russel Thrush shortly after, just before the boy with the mohawk was flung across the arena by a scythe swing from the rapidly approaching crimsonette. The rose petals that partly obscured Weiss' vision weren't bothering her at all while she parried another strike from Cardin's mace – she was already used to these beautiful, red leaves that were dancing around her on a lot of occasions.

Every single one of the two against two matches of today's sparring class had been pretty heated so far... as if the students wanted to blow off some steam before the semester break. Nevertheless, this one was particularly fierce – it almost seemed like it was something personal. Of course, not every second-year student knew that it was because of team CRDL's stupid homophobia and the White Rose couple's desire to humiliate these jerks because of it.

Weiss easily dodged the next swing of Cardin's mace and countered by freezing his sabatons to the ground. She didn't even bother with carrying out the next strike, instead, she stuck her tongue out at him and turned around to pat her girlfriend on the back. Since Russel was still busy regaining his composure after the crimsonette's rough strike, they had all the time in the world.

"Hey, Ruby? How about you hit me a home run?", the heiress cooed with malicious glee and tilted her head to team CRDL's helpless leader's direction, "Your weapon is, most certainly, more suited for this, don't you think?"

"How can I deny you anything if you ask for it so sweetly?", Ruby grinned back and folded the blade of her scythe back until Crescent Rose pretty much resembled a bat.

"What the fuck?!", Cardin spat and tried to free himself of the glacial prison his boots and greaves were trapped in, "Stop playing around, bitches!"

"Ohhh... wrong response.", the crimson-haired girl sighed and took a big swing.

The moment the burnt-orange haired boy managed to free one of his sabatons of its icy jail, Ruby delivered her swing... which hit Cardin right in the face. He flew across the whole arena and slammed against the next wall. His Aura immediately dropped into the red – the match was over for him.

If team CRDL's leader wouldn't be such a big a-hole, the crimsonette would feel a bit sorry for him. After all, she knew exactly how it felt to be flung around and smash into a wall. She remembered all too well how Pyrrha had done this to her at the beginning of the semester... it had been the exact opposite of pleasant.

But then again, even though Ruby was an incredibly kind soul, she was sure that Cardin kind of deserved a little punishment for being a bully or being prejudiced against Faunus and same-sex relationships... the list went on. Maybe the crimsonette would still apologize for this rather harsh and humiliating attack later... well, maybe...

Meanwhile, Russel had picked himself up again. However, the moment he saw the scoreboard in the middle of the arena in the corner of his eye, his angry expression changed into a rather intimidated one. It didn't get any better when he faced his opponents again... both still pretty fit and ready to strike.

"Do you wanna take him on, or shall I?", Weiss asked and a menacing grin spread across her lips.

Unlike the crimsonette (and just like the younger girl's sister), the heiress didn't have any problem to wipe the floor with someone who was a complete, narrow-minded, and uncaring jerk, even though the guy didn't pose a threat anymore. In Weiss' opinion, it wasn't about winning the sparring match anymore... it was about sending a message. Everybody who questioned her and Ruby's pure, deep love in such a despicable way should face the dire, pretty ugly consequences.

However, the young leader (as the kind soul she was) intervened.

"Nah... let him speak up first.", the crimson-haired girl appeased her girlfriend and lowered her scythe, "You know that I'm not very fond of unnecessary violence. I hope he had learned the lesson we won't talk about here, though..." The last part was spoken with emphasis.

Of course, the guy with the mohawk wasn't an idiot. Prejudiced (maybe even just on Cardin's behalf), but not an idiot. He knew exactly what defending his (or maybe just his leader's?) outdated worldviews would carry with it. Maybe he had taken it too far with his disdainful comments about the two girls dating...

"Umm, I-I forfeit.", Russel quickly exclaimed, dropped his daggers and held his hands up defensively.

"Thought so.", Weiss grumbled angrily.

"Be nice, Snowflake.", Ruby quickly soothed her and added quietly, "At least we took down the leader of the stupid-and-bigoted-homophobes gang."

"I guess you're right.", the white-haired girl said with a small smile.

And before Professor Goodwitch could even say "And that's the match!", the two girls kissed in front of the whole class. It was a chaste kiss, yet, it spoke volumes about Ruby's and Weiss' connection... not that anybody in their class didn't already know that they were dating. However, it was the couple's way to relieve some stress after a sparring match. Well, the way they could allow themselves in public, that is.

"Children...", Glynda suddenly sighed, "As much as I appreciate the... bond you have established over your time in this institution... this is still a lecture. I must ask you to clear the stage for the next match."

"Sorry, Professor Goodwitch.", Ruby and Weiss said in unison and a faint blush crept to their cheeks.

"Love can be a powerful catalyst.", the blonde witch suddenly said with an almost motherly smile, only loud enough for them to hear as they were about to leave the arena, "Cherish it... And always remember that you're fighting for each other just as much as for the well-being and protection of the people. Understood?"

"Of course, Professor Goodwitch.", the young couple responded quickly.

"Very well...", Glynda concluded and her expression got stern again, then, she took a look at her watch, "For the final match during this class, I'd like to summon..."

Weiss and Ruby barely paid attention to the announcement anymore. After all, they had defeated their opponents... by a long shot. They had defended team RWBY's honor. But when the two girls made their way towards the exit of the stage, they heard something unpleasant from nearby...

"Fucking dykes...", Cardin groaned quietly, while he tried to pick himself up again after this rather unpleasant experience, "Are ya so frustrated 'cause you don't get any real dick?" It was probably a curse he was mumbling to himself... Nevertheless, the young couple heard it in passing.

"What was that?", the white-haired girl asked and turned towards him. There was a pretty threatening tone in her voice and her eyes burned with rage.

"N-nothing...", team CRDL's leader responded cowardly. He hadn't forgotten about the thrashing from Yang and he didn't want a rerun... especially after Ruby and Weiss had beaten him already... and in such a humiliating way.

"You were a worthy opponent.", Ruby quickly said and forced herself to smile, pretending she hadn't heard his homophobic comment, "But next time, try to win because you owe your team as much, not because you don't like me 'n Weiss for pretty stupid reasons, okay? If you're blinded by unjustified hatred, you'll never become a good leader. Umm, sorry that I'm so straightforward, though..."

"I'll... keep it in mind.", Cardin grumbled. Nevertheless, it didn't sound very honest.

"That's... good to hear.", the crimsonette responded and shot the orange-haired boy another small smile. She even got a nod in return before she and her girlfriend made their way down the stairs.

Ruby didn't mind that her little speech probably wouldn't change Cardin's opinion... but then again, she had at least tried to do so. Maybe, in the far future, he and his team would change their ways of thinking. But for now, the crimson-haired girl was just glad that she and her girlfriend had won the match and they both hadn't gotten injured. She grabbed the white-haired girl's hand happily and was rewarded with an affectionate squeeze, then, the two young Huntresses-in-training retook their seats to watch the last match.

The lunch break after sparring class gave Beacon's pupils the opportunity to calm down again. It was some kind of safety mechanism established by the professors that made sure that every student (from first to fourth year) had enough time to relax before the regular lectures would start. After a one and a half hours period of either fighting or watching other people fight, the last thing a Huntsman or Huntress (in training) wanted immediately afterward was to sit still and listen quietly.

"Can't we all just agree that team RWBY is the best one in our grade already?", Yang sighed.

As always, the four girls from the aforementioned team and their friends from JNPR were discussing their favorite topic after sparring class while eating at their regular table. Of course, it was mostly fun and some kind of friendly rivalry – that way, they encouraged each other and were still able to boast about themselves. However, today, the discussion had gotten a bit more heated than usual.

"Just check the statistics.", the blonde continued, "We're leading in the sparring department at the moment, we have first and third place regarding the grades, and we accomplished the most difficult mission this year... by a long shot."

"Okay, I'll give you that.", Jaune responded, "But on the other hand, we are leading in terms of extra-curricular activities, have the higher mission count... even though that's because of pretty shitty reasons that are, fortunately, over...", he shot Ruby a conciliatory smile and got a bright one in return, "And about your sparring statistics... if things keep going as they do for you and us at the moment for the remaining three classes, then there's a decent chance that we'll be first by the end of the semester."

"Yeah! You're on the downgrade!", Nora tossed in with a challenging grin.

She and her leader were the ones that usually participated in this playful teasing since Ren and Pyrrha were mostly too quiet and modest to exaggeratedly boast about their team. On RWBY's side, it was primarily Yang who was the ringleader – and sometimes Weiss when their friends pushed her buttons (which wasn't that hard due to her prideful nature). Ruby only tossed in a comment or two occasionally and Blake usually refereed.

"What the f-word are you talking about?", Yang asked in a mixture of confusion and feigned annoyance, "We totally kicked butt today during sparring class. Rubes and Weissicle won by a long shot and Blakey and I defeated Jaune and about three-fourths of a Pyrrha."

"You defeated Jaune after your Aura was almost down because your Semblance happens to work that way... and were knocked out by Pyrrha shortly after.", Blake noted dryly, "And I just managed to bring her Aura down so far because of an incredible cowardly hit-and-run strategy which dragged the match out for about ten minutes."

"Shhh, kitty-cat!", the blonde shushed her partner, "I'm trying to make a point here."

"So you won one match and lost another.", Jaune summarized, trying to sound superior, "We won both of ours. And Ren and Nora also had a lot of Aura left over. All in all, we could add more points to the statistic you were mentioning."

"Yeah, but that's just because, umm... well...", Yang tried to come up with another argument, "Weiss? A little help here?"

"Huh?", the white-haired girl asked and looked up from the food she was picking at. Apparently, she had been deep in thought.

"Backup!", the brawler groaned as if this should be obvious, "Team JNPR is using facts and logic against me and I need your wits to fight back."

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't listening.", the heiress responded, "I have something else on my mind."

"What's the matter, Weiss?", Ruby quickly asked and scolded herself inwardly that she hadn't noticed that something was wrong with her girlfriend.

"It's just about Cardin... and the things he has said today.", the white-haired girl sighed... and continued without noticing that Yang's eyes were already changing colors, "I just... I don't understand this kind of people. Why do they dislike same-sex relationships so much? I'm sorry, but... ever since you've convinced me to come to Patch over the semester break to tell your dad about our relationship, I can't stop thinking about what's going to happen when we break the news to my father. He's the same, after all... most certainly even worse."

"Oh, Snowflake... you don't have to wor...", the crimsonette tried to comfort her girlfriend. But she was quickly interrupted.

"What did Cardin say?", Yang asked flatly. Her voice was calm and collected, yet, there was a... murderous overtone to it. Her now red eyes showed pretty much the same emotion.

"It was nothing!", the young leader quickly explained, "He just... well, you know how he can be because Weiss and I are dating. But it was just him saying something stupid and insulting because he was frustrated because he lost against us."

"Ruby's right.", the heiress added (she had noticed Yang's furious expression as well, after all), "It's just an idiot being an idiot. Don't pay any mind to it."

Unfortunately, the blonde's mind was already on autopilot. She had been sure that she had made everything clear when she had wiped the floor with Cardin the first time. Apparently, that wasn't the case. But then again, another thrashing might nudge his memory a bit.

When she stood up, everyone at the table could hear her mumble something like "And here I thought I could avoid detention before the break...", then, she approached the orange-haired boy. How dared this piece of trash to still badmouth her beloved sister and her loving and caring girlfriend?! Even though Yang still loved to tease Weiss whenever she had a chance to do so, it was obvious that her 'Overly Protective Sister Mode' had gotten an 'Overly Protective Future Sister-in-Law Mode' add-on a couple of months ago.

"Yo! Winchester!", the blonde's booming voice echoed through the cafeteria and the addressed boy quickly turned around to face the source of the noise, "I've just heard something I didn't wanna hear and if you don't explain yourself in the next twelve seconds, you're going to feel something you don't wanna feel. Time's running."

"I have no idea what you're talking about.", Cardin shot back to the approaching brawler and returned his attention to the tray in front of him. However, a keen observer could notice that he was tensing up.

"Wrong answer.", Yang grumbled and cracked her knuckles, "But since I'm such an incredibly nice person, I'll give you another try and another twelve seconds." By now, all eyes were on them.

"And what if I still don't know what you want from me?", team CRDL's leader responded, "Are you going to try beating me up? Right here?"

"Most certainly.", the blonde said, her voice void of any mercy, "And I won't use the word try, by the way. Five seconds..."

"What's your fucking problem?", Cardin asked annoyed.

"My problem is that you and your team of degenerate homophobes are constantly giving my sis and her girlfriend shit for their completely normal relationship!", Yang growled and her hair started to glow already, "So what is your fucking problem?! Are you fearing that you're secretly gay as well and this is some fucked-up kind of outlet to keep yourself from admitting it?"

"Stop being ridiculous.", the orange-haired boy said, "I couldn't care less about your sister and the Schnee-girl. It's just stupid in general that two people of the same sex are having a relationship. Aren't we biologically programmed to preserve our species? Two pussies won't be able to do that trick."

Fortunately, Yang was already close enough to team CRDL's table that Cardin didn't have to shout anymore so only the people around them heard his comment – which was only the homophobe's friends and the blonde since no one really wanted to sit near them... out of obvious reasons. Otherwise, Weiss would've probably blushed as red as her girlfriend's namesake. What the orange-haired boy had said about her and Ruby not being able to procreate wasn't exactly true, after all. Fortunately, only her friends knew about her little extra.

"Don't get me wrong, though. This lesbo stuff is pretty hot in porn movies.", Cardin continued with a smug grin, "But in real life, it's just a waste of material."

He was probably thinking himself safe around his teammates with only the blonde as his (probably) upcoming opponent. As long as he didn't throw the first punch, he was in the right anyway, no matter what he said. A punch to the face easily bested some insults in terms of unruly behavior, after all... additionally, it was just Yang's word against him and his whole team.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that the blonde didn't care about the consequences she had to face as long as it was about her team and family. This piece of filth disguised as a human being would taste her fist. She secretly hoped that his Aura hadn't recovered enough by now to prevent a few teeth flying out of his mouth.

However, the moment she wanted to bash Cardin's face in, she felt a strong grip on her arm, holding her back with surprising ease.

"Even though I have just heard some kind of justification to your actions, Miss Xiao Long... you do not have permission to discipline other students.", Professor Port said calmly, "But do not fret. I do. So please return to your table."

Yang, as well as the members of team CRDL, was suddenly taken aback – the gray-haired man seemed to have appeared out of thin air, after all.

"P-professor Port!", Cardin yelped.

"Mister Winchester... again.", the professor sighed, "To say that I'm disappointed in you would be an understatement. It seems that you still haven't understood the meaning of being a true Huntsman. Disagreements between comrades are rather normal in our kind of profession and believe me, I had my fair share of... pretty heated arguments already. However, blind, unjustified hatred... maybe even for a reason you don't understand yourself, or maybe just a reason you're too lazy or narrow-minded to question... is despicable in every way. These emotions don't just attract the creatures of Grimm... they breed them. They feed them. You're giving the evil we all swore to fight new strength by your actions – and there's no place for this in this facility. However, I won't expel you from this school... and I doubt Professor Ozpin will, either. After all, we're here to teach you... to guide you. To show you the difference between right and wrong. I hope you'll reevaluate your worldviews and come to regret your doing during the two hours of detention every day until the semester is over. I still believe you are able to change and see the errors in your ways."

With his last statement, he was referring to the two weeks of detention Cardin had gotten when the staff had noticed his discriminatory behavior towards the Faunus. That had gotten better as well... if not as much as desired.

"I'm disappointed in your teammates as well.", Professor Port continued and turned his attention to the other three boys, "You may be a team, but that doesn't mean you have to endorse everything the other is doing. You're still individuals, after all. Of course, I know how important it is to trust your leader and to rely on him... However, if he does wrong and you know it, it isn't your duty to blindly follow him. Instead, it is your responsibility to show him the errors of his ways and to guide him back onto a righteous path. While your leader is responsible for your team, you, as individuals, are responsible for your leader. Always remember that."

Dove, Sky, and Russel looked down ashamed. They clearly understood what they just had been told.

"Oh, and Miss Xiao Long...", the gray-haired man suddenly addressed the blonde, "While it is splendid to see you standing up for your team, your friends, and your family, decisions made in anger can't be undone. A woman as smart as you should know better by now that referring to violence too quickly never has a desired or at least lasting effect. Additionally, breaking the rules of this school won't be tolerated by any one of the teachers, I included, no matter how noble the reasons for your... intervention may be. I'll leave it at a warning this time... but try to stay calmer the next time or I will have no other choice but to punish your reckless behavior as well. Am I understood?"

"O-of course, Professor.", Yang immediately responded, "I'm sorry for being too hot-headed... again."

"Splendid!", Port's gallant voice boomed through the cafeteria, "Now that everything's settled, I would like to enjoy my lunch without any further interruptions. Mister Winchester, you'll receive a message from me later this day containing the details of your detention. Miss Xiao Long, I hope you're going to take my little speech to heart. Class dismi... I mean, good day, students."

With these words, he made his way to the service counter.

"You should thank him when you have the next chance to do so.", Yang said disdainfully to Cardin, "I wouldn't have been so forgiving on the matter."

"Whatever...", the orange-haired boy simply grumbled and returned his attention to his tray, "Just leave me alone."

"Getting away from you as far as possible was the next step of my plan anyway.", the blonde huffed, turned around and left again.

The rest of the day flew by and soon, it was evening and everybody went back to their respective dorm rooms. Team RWBY wasn't an exception. After all the drama that had happened today, the four girls definitely needed some peace and quiet. However, even the safe confines of their own four walls couldn't stop Weiss from thinking about everything that had happened today... and the depressing thoughts that accompanied it.

"Please, Weiss.", Ruby pressured, "Cheer up again."

"How can I if there are people just like my father who can't get rid of their stupid, outdated views no matter how hard anyone is trying?", the white-haired girl sighed, "They just... won't change. Maybe they're just too stupid to do so. But that's not the point here. What will my father do if we tell him about our relationship in the future? I'm completely torn right now... ever since you mentioned your Dad."

"Torn about what?", the crimsonette asked carefully. She didn't like where this was going in the slightest. Luckily, Weiss noticed that her girlfriend was tensing up and immediately clarified her point of view.

"I will never, ever, as long as I live, leave you. I can't and I won't! Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. And everything else that came to being between us is like a dream come true. I love you more than myself and everything else in this world.", the heiress said with a determination in her voice that left no doubt about the truthfulness of her statement, "It's just that... if he disinherits me because of our relationship... and he most certainly finds ways to explain it in another way to the press... I can't right his wrongs. Don't get me wrong, Ruby, I would choose you over a billion SDC's and their money, that's absolutely out of question, but... I need to... I need to stop his despicable ways of doing business. The poor Faunus workers, the pathetic pays for the people busting a gut in the quarries, the way he deals with his rivals. That can't go on. But I have no idea how to live the life I want, with my beloved, adored Rose Petal by my side, and... everything I've just told you about. It's... frustrating, to say at least."

"Don't worry, Snowflake.", Ruby said soothingly, "We'll come up with a plan. We always have. But your dad is something we don't have to think about for a couple of months... Just focus on the next step for now, which is Patch. And my dad will definitely be happy for us. The worst you have to brace yourself for are a lot of tasteless and most certainly embarrassing jokes. Like: How can my little girl bat for the other team when I've never taught her how to play baseball?"

The crimsonette's little pep talk seemed to be working since she saw a small smile spread across her girlfriend's lips.

"In conclusion: Our dad is awesome.", Yang suddenly tossed in, "Annoying and over-protective, but awesome. You definitely don't have to worry about him. I was the tutorial, after all, and you can bear with me. So you're gonna be fine."

"Thanks for psyching me up." Weiss said, still not completely reassured (because of her own father and his foreseeable reaction) but at least a little more at ease, given how supportive her teammates were, "I know I tend to overthink things. It's just that I..."

"I'll stop you right here, Weissicle.", the blonde cut her off, "You were just about to overthink everything again. So I suggest a change of topic: How the hell did Port suddenly appear right next to me? I haven't noticed him, even Cardin hasn't noticed him. He was... just there. And how could he hear every obnoxious thing this orange-haired piece of trash has said?"

"Well, Professor Port is an extraordinary Huntsman, after all.", Blake explained, "Admittedly, some of his stories are probably a bit exaggerated, but they still must come from somewhere. If only half of the things he has told us so far are true, then we can assume that he really is an expert. No wonder he could sneak up on you and eavesdrop without anyone noticing his presence."

"Sounds reasonable.", Yang responded, deep in thought, "Damn, how can someone as chubby as him be so stealthy? Maybe I should really listen to his lectures in the future."

"And she only needed one and a half years to realize that you can actually learn something from the professors...", Weiss sighed with a small grin towards Blake.

"Ladies and ladies: That's my sister to you.", Ruby chuckled as well.

"Hey!", the blonde grumbled in feigned annoyance.

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door.

"Who could this be?", Ruby wondered. It was already pretty late, after all, and the four girls didn't expect anybody today.

"Probably Jaune and the others.", Weiss assumed and stood up from her desk. However, when she opened the door, she quickly came to notice that she was mistaken... by a long shot. She, as well as her teammates, would've never expected to see the three people that were standing in front of their room right now.

"Umm... h-hey...", Russel greeted team RWBY shyly. Dove and Sky only gave them a hesitant wave.

"What the fuck do you want?", Yang growled the moment she saw them, jumped down from her bunk, and approached the three boys, cracking her knuckles already.

"Whoawhoawhoa! C-calm down. We don't mean any harm!", Sky quickly clarified and held up his hands defensively, "W-we're here for the opposite, to be honest." His teammates mimicked his gesture and nodded in a slightly frightened manner. They knew Yang all too well by now, after all.

Upon hearing Sky's statement, the blonde stopped dead in her tracks... but she remained cautious. The other girls only raised an eyebrow in confusion. Nevertheless, they were pretty curious about what the guys of team CRDL had to say... and, apparently, the blonde was as well. Otherwise, she probably would've flung their visitors through the hallway already.

"We just... well, we want to apologize.", Russel began, "F-for the way we've treated Ruby and Weiss. That was pretty shitty of us. Beyond shitty, really. We've come to realize this now."

"We're also sorry for not stopping Cardin from saying and doing everything he has done.", Dove continued, "Not just the lesbian stuff, but the Faunus stuff as well... Port's little speech today really talked some sense into us. It was incredibly stupid to just blindly follow our leader without thinking on our own."

It was obvious that they truly meant the things they were saying. Apparently, the rest of team CRDL didn't agree with Cardin's way of handling things long since... they just didn't have the guts to stand up against him – so far, that is. However, even this sincere apology still didn't propitiate the four girls very much.

"If you don't even share Cardin's beliefs on all of this, then why did you participate in his offensive rants and the rest of the bullying-crap in the first place?", Weiss huffed, definitely not satisfied with the three boys' offering of remorse.

"You should've talked to him about the discrimination of the Faunus already during the last year.", Blake noted in a miffed tone of voice as well, her cat ears turning back in anger, "If you would've stood up to him in this earlier matter already, my teammates wouldn't have to endure all of that homophobic nonsense."

"As we've said... we were kinda swayed by him.", Russel admitted and hung his head in shame, "He's our leader, after all, and... I think we kinda misunderstood this following-thing..."

"And... to be honest... it was a little funny sometimes.", Sky added, but the moment he saw that Yang's eyes were changing color, he quickly continued, "B-but despicable and insulting... a-and nobody should ever do something like we did. We won't do it again! Definitely! We won't be sheep anymore, promise! We came here to apologize, after all, and to tell you that we want to leave this stupid episode behind us."

"Well, as long as you can forgive us, that is.", Dove said, making eye-contact with Ruby and Weiss for a second before looking at his feet again.

"Hmm...", the white-haired girl pondered for a moment, "As much as I'd like to..."

"You're forgiven.", the crimsonette quickly interrupted her girlfriend and stepped forward, "As long as you keep your word... and as long as you try to teach Cardin what it means to be a reliable, exemplary leader, we're good. Maybe... we even can be friends in the future... after the furor has died down. But that remains to be seen. Nevertheless, thank you for your apology. I... we appreciate it."

"N-no... we have to thank you, Ruby.", Russel said, "Th-that is very generous of you. I promise that we'll try our hardest to make this up to you and your team... a-and your girlfriend, of course. After all, it's not your fault that you have feelings for each other... Umm, y-you know how I meant that."

"Sure...", the crimson-haired girl responded with a friendly smile, "Well, I guess we'll see each other later."

"Y-yeah.", the boy with the mohawk agreed and his teammates only nodded, "Umm, h-have a nice evening. Bye... a-and... thanks again."

With these words and another apologetic bow, the three members of team CRDL turned around and left. After that, Ruby closed the door again.

"What, in all of Remnant's sake, was that?", Yang asked her sister, completely dumbfounded, "You let them off the hook that easily?! After all the shit they gave you and Weiss?"

"Their apology was sincere.", the crimsonette responded calmly, "That's all that matters. Even though they needed a little food for thought from Professor Port, they can change. And I think they will. Everybody deserves a second chance, after all." At the younger girl's statement, Weiss' eyes went wide in amazement.

"But these were the guys who gave you and your girlfriend shit for almost three months.", the blonde pressed, "And now, after Cardin has been taken down a peg by Port and they just have gotten a couple of scolding words... you just let it slide? Without any vengeance? Or at least another warning or the like?"

"Maybe I'm a bit naive on that matter... But then again, isn't there this old saying: "Be the change you want to see in the world"?", the younger girl shot back with a beaming smile.

"Urgh... fine... you're probably right.", Yang sighed in defeat, "Port told me as much as well, after all. About being too hot-headed and suffering from tunnel vision... and all that crap... You probably handled things pretty well in this situation."

"I thought so.", the crimsonette said, still grinning from ear to ear, "There's no need for any more hatred between brothers-in-arms anymore. We have to rely on each other when the going gets rough, right?"

"Is it weird that I'm getting aroused by Ruby being so diplomatic and... leader-like?", Weiss whispered to Blake.

"Not in the slightest.", the Faunus reassured her teammate, "Even I think she handled the situation pretty cool. That scene would've been awesome in a novel: The great protagonist that generously forgives his or her enemies in the end after they had seen the errors in their ways..."

"What's with the whispering over there?", Yang asked, "Even though Ruby said otherwise... if anyone of you still wants to beat these idiots up for everything they've done in the past, count me in."

"We were just talking about how much your sister's diplomatic skills have improved and how much of a great leader and empathetic person she is.", Blake responded, "You really can take a page out of her book, you know."

"You're no fun.", the blonde grumbled and climbed onto her bunk again, "If there isn't anything of interest anymore, please excuse me. I have a video game to beat... but then again, I guess little Rubes did pretty well. I may have handled things a bit differently, but I'm proud of her for being so calm and forgiving." Then, she gave her sister an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Yang.", the crimsonette responded, "I'm glad my teammates think I've done the right thing."

"Well, it's our duty to keep our leader on track, am I right?", the brawler simply responded, then, she focused on her Scroll, most certainly slaying digital Grimm.

"I hope you're feeling better now, Snowflake.", Ruby suddenly addressed her girlfriend with a loving smile, "People can change. They just need time and motivation... and a little push into the right direction."

"You don't know my father.", Weiss sighed, "He's... different. I mean, he hired a team of specialists to make me an heir instead of an heiress, because women aren't taken seriously among the Atlesian upper class."

"Nevertheless, we both, and Yang, and Blake, of course... and even Professor Port as well... made three people reconsider their beliefs in a single day.", the crimsonette explained, "I'm not saying that it won't be tough, but it is at least possible to change his mind as well. No matter what it takes from us, I'm absolutely sure there is a way to make your father accept us... It's never too late to guide the people back onto a righteous path."

"You know, Ruby...", the white-haired girl groaned (yet, a small smile spread across her face), "Seeing you all leader-like and so confident about how you handled things with team CRDL really made me pretty tingly... but now that you're quoting Professor Port... Well... Meh..." She gave her girlfriend a disappointed, yet playful shrug at the end of her speech.

"What? No! Get aroused by me coolness again, damn it.", Ruby pouted... yet, she couldn't suppress a small giggle at the end.

"Don't worry. There's nothing you can do that won't make me fall in love with you all over again.", Weiss said conciliatorily, stood up, and pulled her girlfriend into a tender embrace, "I still highly doubt that we can change my father's mind about all of that... about us... But then again, I want to believe you're right. And... if anyone can really make it happen... then it's you, Rose Petal."

"Just leave it to me.", Ruby reassured her girlfriend, "We'll get our happily ever after, I swear it. After everything we went through so far... we deserve nothing less, don't you think?"

"Yeah... I absolutely agree with you.", Weiss responded affectionately, "Somehow... we'll make it happen."

Of course, the crimsonette's promise was sealed by a kiss... and it was obvious that both girls would rather die than break it.

Chapter Text

As the days went by, Ruby and Weiss got more and more excited about their upcoming date on Saturday. Finally, they had a whole day to themselves again. Of course, they liked their teammates' company (they were best friends, after all)... but then again, sometimes Blake's and Yang's almost constant presence was rather impractical.

Ever since the young couple had to move back into their old dorm room, the times when they could get intimate had decreased drastically. When they had had their own room during the time of Ruby's Grimm-illness, they had sex at least every other day... mostly daily... sometimes even twice a day. Turning this down so radically had been a Herculean task for two hormonal teenagers who had just begun to sexually discover themselves – even for Ruby, who wasn't suffering from an enhanced libido because of a failed Dust experiment. But then again, maybe the crimsonette was just naturally as horny as her girlfriend.

Of course, Yang and Blake tried to be (somewhat) considerate of their teammates and tried to give them some privacy from time to time. However, it didn't help the White Rose couple's situation that much. After all, they weren't very fond of having sex on command. It was just too unromantic for two people so deeply in love that still wanted to make every time they spent together a magical one. Admittedly, Ruby and Weiss still used these opportunities when their arousal had grown too strong over the last days that they just HAD to blow off some steam.

Nevertheless, it wasn't what they really wanted: It was annoying to make love while having to check the time every once in a while, in constant fear of having to finish what they were doing quickly. It was annoying that they couldn't cuddle (much) afterwards... or that an infuriating alarm from their Scrolls always jerked them out of their peaceful afterglow nap way too sudden. It was annoying to know that they couldn't take all the time they wanted... that they kinda had a schedule for making out, foreplay, main course, and snuggles.

Therefore, their date night.

Weiss had planned everything for a whole two weeks already. Their date had to be perfect, after all – and she won't settle for anything less. After their disastrous first one, the white-haired girl had the urge to make every single rendezvous with her Rose Petal an epitome of excitement and romance. She owed Ruby that much... in the heiress' opinion, the best of the best was the least this adorable, amazing girl with the beautiful, silver eyes deserved.

Of course, the crimsonette appreciated her girlfriend's efforts, but she actually didn't share Weiss' need for perfectionism. Not that she wasn't trying to make the dates she planned herself awesome as well (for example, visiting a go-kart track and a Ferris wheel on a funfair, combing the food stalls afterwards and winning three stuffed animals in a row for her love at a shooting gallery)... Yet, entertainment, or restaurants, or whatever else wasn't what mattered to Ruby the most. They could go to the dentist together or even gut tunas on a smelly fishing boat... as long as her beloved Snowflake was by her side, everything was already a perfect date in the crimsonette's eyes.

Needless to say, Weiss felt the same. But she just couldn't shut up the part in her brain that was always telling her that these cute, easygoing things (like the funfair stuff, not gutting fish) weren't enough... as much as she wanted to and as much as Ruby reassured her that she would definitely like whatever the heiress had planned.

Therefore, this Saturday, the young couple would visit a cabaret show at first – a lighter one since Ruby probably wasn't very fond of something too political or controversial. After that, Weiss had booked a table in one of the fanciest steak houses in all of Vale – besides her sweet tooth, the crimsonette preferred rustic cuisine, after all. Then, Weiss had used the influence of her family name to pull some strings so they could visit a shooting range and Ruby, being the weapon dork she truly was, could try out a couple of guns, blasters and other deadly, Dust-powered equipment. Maybe the crimsonette would even get a few ideas on how to upgrade her scythe... And finally, they would conclude the night with a picturesque harbor tour by boat. Due to its rotation period, the mood should appear full tonight – which meant that the non-shattered side would face the planet. It was, most certainly, going to be utterly romantic.

The white-haired girl was sure that these activities were pretty much perfect for an amazing date. Even though it was part of all of their rendezvous anyway, she still wanted to earn the intimate encounter at the end of the night.

Of course, she hadn't told Ruby any of her plans – and wouldn't before they were actually happening. She wanted to surprise her girlfriend, after all. Additionally, it was kind of funny to see the crimsonette struggle to find out what she had planned and how she got more and more impatient until she practically begged for an answer. Of course, the heiress knew that it wasn't very nice to tease Ruby like this... but then again, the white-haired girl could endure a little bit of guilt if it meant to see the sparkle in her lover's eyes once the secret was finally revealed.

Friday's lectures flew by... and the rest of the day soon followed. The arrival of the airship that would take Weiss and Ruby to the city for their date came closer and closer, so both girls decided to get ready.

As always, at least when they had planned fancier activities for their date, they tried to dress as nicely as possible: In the heiress' case, that meant wearing a sleeveless, light blue dress under a white longline coat (it was winter, after all), a red scarf, and blue stilettos. Since the crimsonette's wardrobe didn't offer much regarding formal clothes, she had decided to wear the gown she had worn for the Beacon Prom again. Fortunately, she had gotten used to walking in the heels that went with it by now... even though she still kinda disliked these lady stilts. But then again, she wanted to look good for her girlfriend.

"Wow... you sure look great.", Yang mentioned the moment the white-haired girl stepped out of the bathroom, "How come you always have an outfit that I haven't seen yet whenever you take my sister out?"

"It's called effort.", Weiss responded with a grin after her girlfriend had entered the bathroom to change herself (and after giving Ruby a quick, yet affectionate kiss), "After all, I want to look pretty for my beautiful Rose Petal. That's probably the only reason I haven't sold whatever my rather lavish wardrobe has to offer for money to buy her cookies..."

"You do know that you could wear a potato sack and little Rubes would still kiss the ground you're walking on, right?", the blonde said and raised an eyebrow, "So you should reconsider your thoughts about this cookie money... would make my sis happier, no doubt about it." Then, she simply grinned back at the white-haired girl.

"If I would do that, I would probably need as much money again to pay for her dental bills.", the heiress responded and rolled her eyes.

"Then simply sell your shoes as well.", Yang shot back and her grin widened.

After a couple of minutes, Ruby exited the bathroom again... and Weiss' jaw dropped. Admittedly, she had seen her girlfriend in this dress a couple of times already, nevertheless, it never ceased to amaze her. Maybe it was because she didn't see the crimsonette in such fancy clothes that often... not that the younger girl wasn't incredibly stunning already not matter what she wore. Maybe the heiress was just amazed by the fact that her girlfriend, a rather simple and practical girl, could pull off such an outfit with such grace that she wouldn't attract any attention at a gala only consisting of billionaires and trophy wives. Maybe it was because she already knew what was about to happen when Ruby wore such an outfit... it was their date night, after all.

But then again... maybe it was something different. Something that had to do with every single one of the aforementioned options.

"Yang? Remind me to ask Dad to raise my allowance when we're in Patch. I need another dress.", Ruby grumbled and adjusted the bodice of her garment, "This one's getting a little tight."

"Well, I'm not complaining.", Weiss said smiling while she ogled her girlfriend's cleavage. The crimsonette's boobs had definitely grown a bit since the Beacon Prom.

"She just put it on, Weiss, so stop undressing her with your eyes already.", Yang sighed, "You two have all night for... well, that."

"I won't apologize for thinking... scratch that, knowing that your sister is the most beautiful, most attractive, and most tempting girl in all of Remnant.", the heiress responded matter-of-factly, "If you would feel how I feel about her, then you'd know that it is physically, biologically, and whatever-else-ically impossible for me not to stare at her. Especially when she's wearing a fancy dress... but then again, I guess my reaction wouldn't be any different if she had left the bathroom wearing sweatpants and a washed-out hoodie."

"Aww... Snowflake.", Ruby cooed, pulled her girlfriend into a loving embrace, and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Does anyone here have a shot of insulin?", the blonde asked.

"Please come up with new jokes...", Blake sighed behind the book she was reading, "And try to make them funny this time."

"Pfft... everybody is a critic nowadays.", the brawler grumbled and crossed her arms in feigned annoyance.

"Don't mind her.", the Faunus reassured the young couple with a friendly smile, "Yang's just incapable of understanding true romance. You two look really beautiful, by the way."

"Thanks, Blake.", Ruby and Weiss said in unison and a faint blush crept to their cheeks.

"Have fun on your date.", the black-haired girl said with a grin, "As much as possible if you know what I mean... just to annoy Yang."

"Weren't you, as my partner, supposed to support me?", the blonde asked and threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Not if you make it so easy to tease you.", Blake responded chuckling and returned her attention to her book.

"Well, I guess we should get going.", Weiss said, mostly to Ruby, and took a look at her Scroll, "We don't wanna miss our airship, after all."

"To the docks it is, then!", the crimsonette chirped, "I can't wait to find out what you've planned for tonight."

"Don't worry, you'll definitely like it.", the heiress reassured her girlfriend, "This time I've really outdone myself."

"In that case... hurry up already!", Ruby demanded and used her Semblance to rush to the door. Even though it was completely unnecessary to do so (the distance was about ten feet), she wanted to make a point.

"Right behind you.", the white-haired girl giggled and, just to play along, used a glyph to dash to her girlfriend's side.

"Now that's the spirit.", the crimsonette cheered with a beaming smile, then, she addressed her other teammates again, "See ya tomorrow. Oh, and don't burn down the dorm room while we're gone."

"I can't promise you that and you know it.", Yang responded with a grin, "Have a good time, you two. But don't overdo it. Especially regarding... well, you know..."

"I can't promise you that and you know it.", Ruby shot back, grinning even wider than her sister, "I'm a veeery passionate lover, after all."

"C-come on, Ruby... L-let's go or we'll be late.", Weiss said conclusively and quickly left the dorm room, so nobody would notice her deep blush. She might have made a lot of progress regarding her shyness... but sometimes, Ruby's blunt comments still caught her off guard. This was definitely one of those times.

"Y-yeah... listen to your girlfriend.", the blonde seconded her white-haired teammate and averted her gaze, obviously embarrassed by her sister's comment as well.

"Will do.", Ruby simply chirped and followed Weiss into the corridor.

Then, the young couple strolled down Beacon's hallways, hand in hand, towards their destination. The only thing that briefly interrupted the otherwise peaceful silence around them was the buzzing of the crimsonette's Scroll. It was a text from Blake and Ruby couldn't help but smile when she read it:

"They both really make it way too easy sometimes, don't you think?"

Of course, the crimsonette agreed.

"Oh my gosh! This date's gonna be awesome!", Ruby rejoiced over and over again while she and Weiss strode through the courtyard towards the airship docks.

"Of course it'll be.", Weiss repeated herself, "You deserve everything that makes you happy, after all... and so much, much more."

"Aww... that's so nice of you, Snowflake.", the crimsonette said happily and snuggled up to her girlfriend so close that they had trouble walking (they still had some time to reach their ride, though), "But as long as you're by my side, I'm already as happy as can be."

"I know, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl responded and added giggling, "But this isn't just about your enjoyment alone. This is about my personal high score... and considering the last dates I've planned, I still need a huge amount of bonus points."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Weiss?", Ruby said and pressed her lips to the heiress' neck affectionately, "We could eat out of a dumpster behind a fast food outlet as our dinner and watch people in a self-service laundry washing their clothes as our entertainment and you'd get a twelve out of ten from me."

"That might be true...", the heiress smirked as they approached Beacon's airship docks, "But then again, I'm aiming for a thousand out of ten. And I think that this might be possible... considering your humble expectations."

"Nothing against you and your planning, but I highly doubt that anything can beat the magician from a month ago.", the younger girl mentioned, "That guy was absolutely insane! I mean, he literally removed his head from his body, walked around as if it was nothing and then put it back on. How, in all of Remnant's sake, can it get better than that?!"

"You'll see soon enough.", Weiss answered with an unreadable expression on her face, "Now come on. Our airship seems to have landed already. Let's find a comfy seat while it's still empty. Scheduled departure is in ten minutes."

"Fine...", Ruby grumbled... not because she was annoyed with her girlfriend, but because she had no idea what would be awaiting her... and what could possibly be better than a magician that removed his own head? She knew that Weiss had never disappointed her in the past, so if she said that this date would be even better than their last one, then it was most certainly the case. Yet... how was that even possible?!

The crimsonette bit back the (more or less) thirty questions she wanted to ask her girlfriend and followed her into the airship. She tried to hide it the best she could, but she noticed that her left eye was twitching a bit and she subconsciously ground her teeth. Was that how drug addicts felt during withdrawal? Probably... and Ruby silently swore to herself that she would never start drinking or smoking on a regular basis.

The ship soon took to the air and headed for Vale's central station. It was a rather long flight (public transport), yet, Ruby and Weiss didn't pay any mind to it... if anything, they were already used to it. This wasn't a tactical Bullhead, carrying Huntsmen and Huntresses to missions, but a simple traffic airship, after all.

There were two wagons inside the ship's hold. Both of them were almost empty... which gave the young couple a lot of privacy since they took their seats in the very back. Apparently, the only people who took this airship on a Saturday were either Dust or weapon parts merchants, or students who wanted to spend a night in the city to have some fun – barely anybody since the semester was about to end and lots of party regulars were busy gathering much needed extra credits now.

Therefore, the crimsonette and the white-haired girl had the whole second compartment almost completely to themselves. There was only a napping businessman in the foremost row... and the young couple was sitting almost as far away from him as possible.

It was highly unlikely that the suit would wake up anytime soon. Therefore, the younger girl used this opportunity to tease her girlfriend a little... and maybe even something more, if fate would have it. It was their date night, after all.

"Weeeiiissssss...", she cooed in a sing-song voice and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Yes, Ruby?", Weiss whispered affectionately, turned her head and gently kissed the younger girl on the forehead.

"Do you know what's going to happen today?", the crimsonette asked and buried her head further into the crook of the heiress' neck.

"O-of course.", the white-haired girl answered with a giggle since Ruby's silky hair was tickling her skin, "I planned this whole date, after all. And it's going to be amazing."

"That's not exactly what I meant.", the scythe-wielder purred and, without a warning, she got up and seated herself in her girlfriend's lap, facing her, "I'm gonna sex you tonight, Snowflake. For real. No schedule, no fear of interruption... just you and me... and a whole night to do everything we want."

Her tone of voice showed nothing but pure affection and blissful anticipation. Then, she planted a firm, sensual kiss onto the heiress' lips. Apparently, her pent up arousal was already getting the better of her because she wasted barely two seconds before she pushed her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth. And while this was pretty much welcome by Weiss, the crimsonette's next action wasn't, well, that gladly received...

The moment the white-haired girl felt that her precious Rose Petal was pressing her crotch into her groin and started to gyrate her hips seductively, she knew she had to intervene. Of course, she actually didn't want to since it was incredibly pleasant... but then again, they were still on a public airship... even though it was almost empty. Therefore, she quickly pushed Ruby away before she'd lose the last bit of her restraint.

"R-Ruby Rose.", Weiss started, trying to adopt her infamous scolding tone, even though it wasn't anywhere near authentic anymore whenever directed at the younger girl, "Two things: First of all, nobody says sexing someone. And second...", suddenly, her voice got a lot more affectionate, "...stop what you're doing right now immediately unless you want my erection to rip my panties, pierce through yours and shove your cute, little womb up to... about here."

She placed a hand on her girlfriend's belly and gently rubbed her thumb over the place right under Ruby's sternum. However, this threat only caused the crimsonette to continue with her actions even more eagerly.

"Oh, I'd love that.", the younger girl purred and kissed Weiss once again, "My dress is pretty tight, so we'd see the bulge... sexy."

"R-ruby... Seriously.", the heiress demanded as her breath started to hitch, "Please... We really can't... you know... right here."

"Stupid public decency...", the crimsonette cursed quietly as she felt her panties getting a little damp already, "We need our own room at Beacon again so you can make love to me every night... and/or day."

Weiss only nodded at her girlfriend's statement... and swallowed a copious amount of drool. Of course, she knew that it was important that their team spent a lot of time together so their bond would become as strong as can be. They had to protect and rely on each other in the field, after all. However, Beacon's staff probably hadn't taken into account that such a... bond could flower into something more between two people of the same team... and that the constant lack of privacy would become a bit of a problem in that case.

"I mean, I like living with Yang and Blake.", the younger girl continued, "They're our friends. Our family... well, Yang actually is my family, but... well, you know what I mean. But on the other hand... We're just stupid, horny, hormonal teenagers, after all. We're young and in love... and we need some time for ourselves. For us."

The moment she had spoken these particular last words, she felt a powerful throb against her nether regions through her already slightly (well, in the eye of the beholder) wet panties and something that was already poking her entrance... something that got harder and more demanding by the second.

Weiss felt it, too... and, for a reason she couldn't explain herself, it was incredibly arousing. The risk of being caught, the risk of anybody noticing their indecent acts... it was... amazing. Doing unspeakable things to her Rose Petal, right here, right now, made the heiress' blood boil. Did she have some kind of exhibitionism fetish? Maybe the possibility of getting caught was the catalyst of her arousal... Admittedly, it was probably a calculated risk...

But still!

"R-ruby, please...", Weiss whimpered, trying to activate the last bit of reason her brain offered at the moment, "J-just a few more hours and we can do every single naughty thing we can come up with... And now get off of my lap immediately before I do the probably most stupid thing I've ever done in my entire life."

Pictures of her fucking her girlfriend into unconsciousness right here on the airship started to flood her mind. She tried to shake them off... to no avail. But, thankfully, Ruby finally complied.

However, even though the reason for the heiress', well, problems might have retaken the seat next to her again, her struggles were far from over. The effects of the younger girl's ministrations still had to be hidden, after all, even though the wagon they sat in was almost empty. Weiss tried her best to think turn-off thoughts while she pushed her already half-hard member down, so no one would notice the state she was currently in.

Of course, Ruby immediately felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm really, really sorry, Snowflake...", she apologized shyly, "I, umm, I guess I've taken it too far..."

"No, it's fine.", the white-haired girl quickly reassured her girlfriend, "It even felt... nice."

"You know... We could skip the date... or postpone our activities and go to the hotel first.", the crimsonette suggested, "That would be totally fine with me as. Relief some bottled-up stress..."

"Most certainly not.", Weiss told her off with a smile, "My... thing will go down soon, I'm sure of it. And I want to spend a wonderful evening with my girlfriend before the main event. We're better than that, don't you think?" She quickly leaned in and pressed her lips onto her girlfriend's softly.

"I love you, Rose Petal.", the heiress continued to explain, "And I want to treat you like a princess before we... no, even during these... activities."

"Haven't you always done that?", Ruby whispered back and stole another quick kiss from her lover, "Whatever you want to do, it is fine with me... even though I wish I had brought another pair of panties right now. Mine are a little damp already." Putting it like that was probably an understatement.

"Don't worry.", Weiss cooed, "We'll have enough time for that when our perfect date is over. Let's... just try to be patient, okay?"

"Okay.", the crimsonette responded and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder again, "Umm... By the way: What exactly are we gonna..."

"Not a chance.", the white-haired girl cut her lover off immediately.

"Fine...", Ruby pouted in feigned annoyance, "But the secret-mongering better be worth it or the next date I'm planning will consist of gutting out tunas on a smelly fishing boat as volunteers. And that's it. No entertainment, no food... and no privacy after we're done."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take.", Weiss grinned at this empty threat and planted a gentle kiss on the younger girl's forehead.

Soon, the airship arrived at Beacon's central station.

"Okay. We have arrived in Vale.", the crimsonette pressed her girlfriend again, "Now you have to tell me what we're going to do!"

"As a matter of fact... I highly doubt that.", Weiss responded with a shit-eating grin that almost rivaled Yang's, "If I recall correctly, we haven't agreed on such a clause by contract, so I'm not committed to sharing any information about our dates with you."

"If I wouldn't love you, I'd hate you right now.", Ruby half-grumbled and half-pouted, "Scratch that: I do hate you right now... at least for torturing me like this. Admittedly, the feeling will probably be very short-lived but at the moment, you're responsible for a grumpy Rose Petal! How can you live with yourself?! Seriously! Have you no conscience at all?!" This nearly award-winning performance was topped off by a couple of almost serious-sounding sobs.

Upon hearing this statement, the white-haired girl couldn't help but giggle. How in all of Remnant's sake could a single person be THIS cute? She had no idea. She didn't want to question it anyway. She was just glad that her girlfriend was exactly the way she was. One could offer her world domination in exchange for Ruby and the most innocuous thing Weiss would do in that case would be flipping them the bird.

"Don't worry, Ruby.", the older girl said with a smirk, "You'll find out soon enough."

"But I wanna know now!", the crimson-haired girl pouted, "Why are you doing this every time we're going out?"

"Because I want to surprise you.", the heiress responded and added chuckling, "And also because it is kinda funny to see you struggling to guess what we're going to do yourself whenever we pass a restaurant, theater, cinema, et cetera."

"Meanie...", Ruby grumbled, "I'm going to carry out my fish-gutting threat, I promise..."

"No, you won't.", Weiss said and her grin grew a little wider.

"No, I won't...", the crimsonette admitted and a small smile crept to her face as well. She was already familiar with the games they were playing from time to time, after all. That didn't make it any better for her curious nature, though.

The two girls shared a quick, yet passionate kiss at the station, then, they left the airship docks and entered the city. Tonight was going to be amazing!

Chapter Text

"Oh my gosh!", Ruby exclaimed happily in front of the small theater, "We're gonna watch a comedy show? I thought this stuff was beneath your dignity." The last part was spoken with a giggle to clarify that she was only joking.

"Well, technically, it's a cabaret show.", Weiss explained, "But it's something in that direction."

"What's the difference?", the crimson-haired girl asked a bit confused.

"You see...", the heiress began, "Comedy normally aims for quick laughs: One-liners, jokes, short and funny stories. A cabaret show is a bit more complex. There's usually more than one performer so the stories told are more like a little play. While it aims to be funny and entertaining as well, the jokes are more sophisticated and not as light-hearted as in a simple comedy show. The topics dealt with are often political or social issues and even though the cabaret artists hate on them in an amusing way, it is also meant to be very thought-provoking."

"That sounds like funny lectures.", Ruby sighed with a small pout, "Weiss, be honest: Are you trying to trick me into learning something in my free time?"

"Don't worry, Rose Petal. You'll like it.", the white-haired girl reassured her girlfriend, "I tried to pick a show that isn't too controversial and lecturing. Even I am fed up with studying sometimes."

"Wow... I'm really rubbing off on you.", the crimsonette mentioned with a grin, "But then again, I guess you're rubbing off on me as well. Which is a good thing, of course."

"Well, a proper education and work ethics are important, after all. But sometimes it is just as important to relax.", Weiss said and added with a small giggle, "Otherwise, studying really becomes a contraction of student dying."

"Was that a Yang-joke?", Ruby asked surprised and raised one of her raven eyebrows.

"Umm... n-no.", the heiress quickly responded (or lied, to be more precise), "A-anyway... let's go inside. The show's gonna start soon."

Even though Weiss had said that the cabaret show would be pretty different from stand-up comedy, the crimsonette was still able to enjoy herself to a great degree. Admittedly, the jokes weren't as direct as she was used to but incredibly funny nonetheless. She could even appreciate the more thought-provoking statements about political or social issues since she knew it was just the artists' way to try and make the world a better place. Her own duty as a future Huntress was ultimately the same, after all.

The white-haired girl was pretty glad that she had made the right choice to visit this show – something they both could take pleasure in. In her opinion, a good cabaret show was a thousand times better than some comedian telling everybody that if you would ask a woman for a cordless screwdriver, she would at least look into her purse before she answered No... or Yes. But then again, if it would make her Rose Petal happy, Weiss could endure an hour of flat and tasteless jokes as well. Her girlfriend's sister had toughened her up against those a long time ago anyway.

But then again, since the heiress had chosen a pretty light cabaret show, she wasn't spared from some pretty corny jokes. However, these were probably the ones Ruby liked best. Especially those about the academies since she could identify with them.

The play was comprised of two cabaret artists, one smart and one kinda dumb... well, street-smart was probably the better term. Nevertheless, there was a blonde woman who told some important stuff and a black-haired man who tried to ridicule everything she said – besides the times he also had an important statement to make.

"Don't you think it is kind of irresponsible to teach kids how to handle deadly weapons without providing them with the most basic education? Language, art, math, science?", the woman asked disdainfully, "I mean, when does combat school for future Huntsmen and Huntresses even start? At age twelve? Thirteen?"

"Well, I guess they are educated in the basic stuff to at least some degree... But you don't need to know the binomial formulas or imaginary numbers to slay Grimm.", the guy answered matter-of-factly, "I mean, the last time I encountered a Beowolf, it didn't want to discuss any of Shadespeare's works or plays... it tried to fucking eat me!"

Even though the joke was pretty flat, it made the audience laugh. Needless to say, everyone knew that Huntsmen or Huntresses weren't just dumb brutes – however, it was obvious that they weren't rocket scientists, either.

Weiss took a little offense to the artists' banter, though. While she knew that normal people got a better common education in high school or college, Beacon Academy taught them the basics of art and science as well. But then again, she had to admit that a couple of things they had to learn actually weren't very useful for them as future Grimm slayers, and it was obvious that the teachers didn't focus on those because of it.

"You have a point there...", the woman said thoughtfully, "Nevertheless, Huntsmen and Huntresses carry a lot of responsibility to society. And I'm kinda reluctant to entrust my life to someone who, and sorry for exaggerating, doesn't even know how to properly multiply."

"Have you ever visited one of the advanced academies?", the dude asked, "I mean, I'm no expert but I'd like to say that if you stuff a bunch of horny teenagers into mixed dorms, they learn a lot about multiplying."

"That's not what I meant, you idiot!", the blonde groaned in exasperation.

Of course, this joke was a laugh as well. Ruby and Weiss giggled, too. However, they couldn't prevent a faint blush from appearing on their cheeks. They knew firsthand that what the cabaret artist had said was true, after all. But then again, it was a lot more difficult to actually find the time and place to... do this kind of stuff. That was one of the main reasons they were sitting here at the moment.

The play covered a couple of other topics as well: from Dust mining to governmental issues. Those two themes consisted of a lot of Atlas bashing but the heiress had to agree with a lot of things that were mentioned. However, the other kingdoms got their comeuppance as well. Mistral's art and cuisine, Vale's plainness and lack of culture, or Vacuo's work ethics: no matter was minced.

Needless to say, the artists only joked about most of these stereotypes to make clear that they were pretty much false and stupid – but it was incredibly amusing, nonetheless.

"Okay, I have to admit: For some kind of lecture, it was pretty funny.", Ruby chirped, clinging to her girlfriend's arm while they left the theater, "Do you think it would make Oobleck's lectures bearable if he'd try to incorporate some of these sophisticated jokes, as you called them?"

"Ruby, Doctor Oobleck's history lectures are incredibly important.", Weiss responded, trying to sound stern, "If we can't learn from the past, we're destined to repeat it. And I'm absolutely sure...", she tried to keep her composure but couldn't suppress a giggle in the end, "...that no amount of cabaret or comedy could possibly prevent us from falling asleep sometimes. That's why I always drink an extra cup of coffee before his lecture."

"Thought so...", the crimson-haired girl nodded with a grin.

"Don't get me wrong. The history lessons we have to attend to are crucial if we want to succeed as future Huntresses.", the heiress quickly added, suddenly being the dedicated student she truly was again, "But on the other hand... sometimes I assume that Doctor Oobleck likes his own voice almost as much as Professor Port does. I mean, the reasons, strategies, and outcome of some small skirmish between Vale and Mistral during the Great War should be more than enough information. No need to tell us about an anecdote how one of the generals came up with a formation while watching dandelions in the wind... and filling about half an hour with it. Which is about two hours for people with a normal speaking tempo."

"Oh my gosh... is it even possible to love you more than I do right now?", Ruby asked with dreamy eyes.

"Seriously: Just tell us the results and the counter strategy that could've avoided everything.", Weiss continued with a sigh, "Maybe even some improvements on the weaponry-side if it's important."

"It IS possible!", the younger girl literally squealed and jumped into her girlfriend's arms to give her a passionate kiss. If the couple wouldn't have been walking pretty slowly, they would've definitely tumbled over.

"Calm down, Ruby.", the heiress said and steadied herself and the crimsonette so they wouldn't fall down, "No need to get too excited just because I made a comment about one of your favorite topics. We'll have enough time to talk about weapons and everything related to it tonight. Promise."

"R-really?!", Ruby stammered and her eyes went cartoonishly large (well, larger than they already were), "Does it have to do something with the stuff you've planned for tonight?! Tellmetellmetellme!!!"

"Not a chance.", Weiss responded and wriggled herself out of the crimsonette's sudden bear hug, "You'll find out soon enough. But first, I think we should grab a bite to eat."

As fate would have it, the steak house the white-haired girl had chosen was pretty close to the theater... and they were already there. The pretty obvious name The Thrill Grill made it clear what kind of cuisine would await Ruby in there. The younger girl's eyes immediately doubled in size (again).

"You really chose this place for our dinner?", the scythe-wielder asked in joy and disbelief, "You're really the bestest girlfriend ever!"

"Do you know this place?", Weiss asked a bit confused.

"Of course I do!", Ruby cheered, "It's a pretty famous chain... well, at least in this part of Vale. Okay, in the more rural areas, that is."

"I had no idea...", the heiress responded. She had just picked a place that was serving mostly rustic cuisine which they hadn't visited yet and had gone with the reviews.

"I didn't know that we're having a Thrill Grill here in the capital.", the crimsonette rambled on, "Yang, Dad and I must've been to ours in Patch about a gazillion times."

'So much about a fancy steak house...', Weiss grumbled inwardly but quickly dismissed the thought, 'I should've checked this place more thoroughly before booking a table. But then again, since the reviews were incredibly good and the prices are in the range of what you'd expect from a good restaurant, I guess everything is alright. I even needed to make a reservation, after all. And just because a place like this exists in Patch, it doesn't automatically mean that it is a run-of-the-mill establishment. Come on, Weiss. You wanted to work on your prejudice, so stop assuming the worst before you've even gotten to know this restaurant.'

"Everything alright?", Ruby suddenly asked and shook her girlfriend out of her trance, "What are you thinking about, Snowflake?"

"I was just wondering...", the white-haired girl admitted, "I thought I was booking a table in a pretty fancy steak house but since I know little to nothing about these places, I just went with one we hadn't visited yet and that had the best reviews."

"Best reviews for good reason.", the crimsonette explained, "It might be a chain, but this restaurant is amazing. Our dad even got his photo on the Wall of Suffering back in Patch for eating a four-pound steak in less than thirty minutes... fries included!"

"That... doesn't really silence my concerns.", the heiress sighed. Of course, she was glad that her girlfriend liked this place... but she was hoping for an upscale restaurant where she could enjoy the food as well.

Again, she berated herself for already assuming the worst.

"You'll see for yourself. It's great in there.", the younger girl said and gave Weiss a comforting smile, apparently able to read her mind, "Even for people as picky as you."

"I'm not that picky.", the heiress clarified... but added, "...anymore."

"That's why you're going to enjoy this place almost as much as I do.", the crimsonette cheered, "I, personally, recommend the spare ribs with coleslaw. The barbecue sauce is amazing. But pick the regular one. The spicier stuff is going to burn a hole into your tongue if you're not used to it."

'What have I gotten myself into?', the white-haired girl worried.

"That was... surprisingly tasty.", Weiss admitted after she and her girlfriend had left the restaurant.

Admittedly, they had been pretty much overdressed for a place like this – and it had definitely been a Herculean task to eat spare ribs without getting a white dress dirty – but the food had been as great as the crimson-haired girl had promised.

"Told you so.", Ruby said with a big grin and rubbed her belly, "Just because a place isn't fancy doesn't mean it isn't good."

"I'll remember that from now on.", the heiress responded and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss to the cheek.

"Anyway... now that I'm all stuffed, I need some postpren... pran... umm, after-dinner activity.", the crimson-haired girl exclaimed and added a little teasingly, "I hope you've planned something in that direction as well, Snowflake."

"Oh, don't worry.", Weiss said with a wide grin, "I have planned exactly what you need right now."

"So we're finally going to the hotel?", Ruby asked, her tone a mixture of playful sarcasm... and slight hope.

"No, you dolt. We're far from done with our date.", the heiress explained, "It's still early, after all. After the restaurant, I've planned to... h-hold on a minute! Not a chance, Rose Petal."

"It was worth a shot.", the younger girl responded with a shrug.

"Do you really want to ruin the biggest surprise I have in stock for you?". Weiss asked, "The one I spend the most time thinking about and even more time to arrange it?"

"Of course I do!", the crimsonette practically yelled, "You should know this by now! I'm betting you a billion Lien that, in some ancient, long since forgotten language, the word for Ruby is the antonym of the word for patience."

"Well, I'm no philologist... but I guess you could be right about this.", the white-haired girl said with a smirk and checked her Scroll, "Anyway, we should get going if we want to make it in time. The place we're going to visit now is a bit... out-of-town. Out of obvious reasons which I can't tell you about at the moment."

"So we're going to have to walk out of town for your next date activity?", Ruby asked confused, "Admittedly, Vale's not Atlas... but the city is still pretty huge, y'know?"

"Well, you wanted a nice postprandial walk, if I recall correctly.", Weiss responded with a grin but added the moment she saw her girlfriend's concerned look, "But don't worry. We're taking the bus. I've downloaded its schedule to my Scroll beforehand so we could reach our next destination pretty easily."

"Ohhh... more public transport.", the crimsonette said in a seductive tone of voice, "I really hope I can keep my hands or... other things to myself this time."

"Ruby... seriously.", the heiress sighed, "Even my restraint has its limits. If you're going to try anything funny on the bus, we'll both end up in jail. And that's a promise."

"Do you think it'd be worth it?", Ruby asked with a grin, "And answer honestly."

"That's not the point here...", Weiss grumbled and her girlfriend's grin grew even wider, "Let's just head to the station or we're going to miss our bus. Maybe we'll have enough time left to stop by the public swimming pool so I can take a cold shower." Of course, the last part was just a joke. The pool was closed – it was winter, after all. However, the crimsonette interpreted the heiress' statement a little differently.

"A shower is a great idea!", she chirped, "Can I joi..."

"NO, you dolt!", the white-haired girl interrupted her quickly and stormed off to the bus stop. Ruby followed her, still grinning from ear to ear. However, she quickly noticed that her teasing was backfiring a bit... and moist panties would definitely be incredibly unpleasant during a cold winter night.

'Let's hope the next activity Weiss has planned will distract me a little...', she thought while trying to think about anything but the swaying hips and perfect ass hidden by her girlfriend's white longline coat right now.

"Oh my gosh! I never thought you could compress fire Dust that much.", Ruby yelled and pulled the trigger of the launcher she was holding at the moment again.

A few seconds later, a deafening boom echoed through the shooting range (barely weakened by the earmuffs she and her girlfriend were wearing) and another couple of dummies were pulverized. It was unknown to both girls how many the facility had in stock but, apparently, the crimsonette had made it her mission tonight to destroy every single one of them.

Weiss was incredibly happy that her girlfriend enjoyed the weapon testing so much. But she was probably a bit happier about the fact that they hadn't done anything stupid during the bus ride. The white-haired girl had even considered not sitting next to her girlfriend to prevent her (and herself) from trying something funny. Luckily, that hadn't been necessary – besides hand-holding and a couple of kisses, they had managed to control themselves this time.

Now they were here at the shooting range... and it was obvious that Ruby was having a blast – no pun intended.

"Did you see that, Snowflake?!", the crimsonette yelled enthusiastically at her girlfriend, "This thing is even better than the gun that fired these bouncing grenades. Do you think it is possible to put this technology into my sniper rounds?"

"Maybe in the future.", Weiss yelled back and wiped her safety goggles clean, "Most of the weapons we're testing are still in development, after all. So be careful, okay?"

"You're just saying this because the four-barreled shotgun loaded with gravity Dust sent me flying through the whole range.", Ruby groaned and rolled her eyes, "And it wasn't even my fault. It's just impossible to take a good combat stance in those stupid lady stilts."

"I'm wearing heels while fighting all the time.", the heiress shot back with a grin, "So stop with the excuses and watch this."

With these words, she raised her own gun, took aim, and fired two grenades strung together by a chain at a nearby dummy. The deadly projectile wrapped itself around its throat, threatening to slice right through. Then, the white-haired girl pressed a button on the weapon and the doll practically vaporized. The process was accompanied by the crimsonette's joyous cheers... and Weiss was sure that her girlfriend already thought about adding a second barrel to her sniper scythe to make doing something like that possible as well.

The heiress had already seen a lot of weapon scribbles on the side of Ruby's lecture notes – blueprints, as the younger girl called them. And if Weiss wouldn't be absolutely sure that her girlfriend was a kind-hearted and righteous person, she would've been kind of worried. The crimsonette probably had enough ideas to provide a whole new generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses with an incredibly deadly and (after some rework) fully functioning arsenal.

The two girls were almost at the end of their, well, mostly Ruby's weapon testing. There was only one thing left they hadn't tried out yet. Something the crimsonette had saved up for the grand finale.

Another batch of dummies was carried in by the facility's conveyers. Of course, they weren't aware of the fate they were about to meet. And if they wouldn't have been made out of wood, cloth and scrap metal, Ruby (as kind-hearted as she was) would've probably felt sorry for them.

But they were... so she didn't.

"Urgh... this thing's heavy...", the crimsonette panted while she tried to don the huge harness to her upper body, "Could you help me with the belts, Snowflake?"

"Please promise me to not kill yourself.", Weiss sighed but complied and closed the straps of the huge weapon around Ruby's shoulders and lower back, nonetheless.

"Don't worry. I've read the instructions.", Ruby responded, "Okay... I skimmed through... But then again, how difficult can it be to operate this thing? It's just a weapon, after all. You aim and pull the trigger, right?"

"This thing is a highly experimental... well, I guess flamethrower is an incredibly small word for this abomination.", the heiress sighed, "The working title of this thing most certainly contains the word Melter for a reason."

"As long as you stay away from the cone of fire, you'll be fine. And I'm protected by some kind of cooling system... at least something like that was written in the pamphlet.", the younger girl explained and added with a grin, "And if this thing burns my dress to ashes, then we can at least save a few minutes during our... late-night activities." With these words, she waddled into position, weighed down by the roughly forty kilograms of weapon strapped to her body at the moment.

"It would be a shame to waste such a lovely dress on it.", Weiss said and took a bit of safety distance, "And to rob me of the fun to strip you to reveal this amazing body of yours." The last part was spoken a bit quieter but Ruby heard it nonetheless.

"Don't worry. I'll be careful.", the crimsonette chirped, "You'll get your complete Ruby-unboxing experience tonight."

Then, she aimed the huge cannon mounted to the harness at the dummies and grabbed the trigger, which was more like a large handle.

"Well... here goes nothing.", she concluded... and pulled it.

Even though Weiss was standing a few yards away from her girlfriend, she still felt the searing heat on her face while the weapon unfolded its cataclysmic potential. A huge cone, not fire but something way more destructive (maybe plasma?), burst from the flamethrower's tip and burned everything it hit into ashes. Not only were the dummies reduced to nothing but dust, the hip-high safety barriers that separated the two girls from the conveyers started to melt as well. Apparently, the weapon Ruby was testing at the moment lived up to its working title.

The crimsonette's dress didn't burn down while using this flamethrower abomination – but she'd definitely need a shower afterwards. Fortunately, there were sanitation facilities within the weapon testing range. However, the younger girl knew that it was probably futile to ask her girlfriend to join her again.

Wait... why was she thinking about sex while she was testing an awesome weapon? Had her priorities changed that much? Okay, trying out a couple of cool stuff at an experimental weapon facility was pretty awesome. But then again, kissing her way down the heiress' body, from her lips over her neck to her collarbone, across the valley of her beautiful breasts, over her stomach until she finally reached...

Damn it... they needed their private room back. That way, they could get rid of this weird, sexual frustration easily and concentrate on the more important things in life. Not that making love to her Snowflake wasn't incredibly important, if not crucial, to the crimsonette and their relationship... but, well, the possibility of taking care of their urges whenever they wanted would definitely help them to focus on other things during the day.

The destructive cone of the huge flamethrower harness slowly became smaller and smaller and finally died out completely. Ruby engaged the safety of the weapon and examined her handiwork. Besides the lower part of their posts, nothing was left of the dummies. The safety barriers smoldered as well and were a little deformed, nothing that a few hammer blows couldn't fix, but still... Another two or three shots and the metal would probably be liquid.

"Holy quadruple chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles, marshmallows and peanut butter in the dough!", the younger girl exclaimed, "We need about five of these things and a long weekend and we could make Atlas look like Vacuo."

"I know you're just exaggerating...", Weiss said in astonishment, "But if there's a somewhat handheld weapon that could come close to make it possible, it would be that thing."

"I know, right?", Ruby chirped, "But... that was the last one we got to test, wasn't it?"

"Yup.", the heiress responded, "And we were even a bit faster than I thought..."

"Does that mean we can play around with this stuff for a little longer?", the crimson-haired girl asked hopefully and added with feigned anger, "I want to take my revenge on that shotgun."

"Unfortunately, we still have a tight schedule.", Weiss explained and checked her Scroll to confirm her worries, "If we want to make it to the next activity in time, we should get going in about half an hour. And we still need to take a shower. I have dust all over my face and dummy remains in my hair."

With these words, she dusted her dress off. Luckily, it got (almost) completely clean again. Why hadn't she thought about some extra clothes or at least some disposable protective clothing, she wondered.

"I guess it's pretty much pointless to ask if we can shower together, am I right?", the crimsonette said, already knowing the answer.

"Exactly.", her girlfriend responded, even though she couldn't help but at least think it over (How many times had she been doing this today already?), "Now let's get this over with so we can move on."

'The sooner we're done with this date, the sooner I can take everything this simply perfect girl is willing to give me.', she added mentally before she managed to shake the picture of a naked, soaped Ruby inside a steamy shower cabin out of her mind completely.

They quickly took a shower (separately) and met outside the testing facility again.

"Okay, Rose Petal. We're almost done.", Weiss explained, "All that's left to do is to... get us into the right mood before we... well, you know."

"Pants-off dance-off?", Ruby asked with a grin.

"I know you're kinda looking up to your sister... even though I still have no idea why.", the heiress sighed, "But could you at least stop using her idioms for any kind of intimate activities?"

"What about parking the beef bus in tuna town, locking legs and swapping gravy, or tripping down the mine shaft ?", the crimson-haired girl responded teasingly.

"Ruby... you're giving me a de-rection.", Weiss sighed again, "Do you really want that just before we're about to make love to each other?"

"Well...", Ruby said, stepped close to her girlfriend, and whispered into her ear, "All I have to do to correct that is telling you that my cute, little pussy is trembling and aching for your..."

"Y-yeah... I get your point.", the white-haired girl quickly responded and turned away, trying to hide her heavy blush, "But what I had in mind to get into the right mood doesn't involve dirty talk. It's a bit more... romantic."

"That's fine with me as well.", the crimsonette agreed, "I like the cute stuff way better than this kinky business anyway. Lead the way, Snowflake. If what you've planned is as romantic as I think, then I'm going to kiss and cuddle you to death."

"That's what I'm hoping for.", Weiss responded with a loving smile.

'That's the way I want to leave this world someday anyway...', she added in thought and her grin grew a bit wider.

The harbor tour went exactly as Weiss had planned. Needless to say, it was incredibly cold out on the sea – therefore, Ruby was seeking shelter inside the heiress' coat. It was nice to be so close to each other while ogling the moon and gazing stars. They were far enough away from the city that its light pollution didn't interfere with the amazing view anymore.

"Do you ever wonder if there's life out there?", Ruby suddenly asked and shook Weiss out of her thoughts.

"Probably...", the heiress pondered, a bit taken aback by her girlfriend's sudden train of thought, "Why are you asking?"

"Just curious.", the younger girl responded and snuggled up to her lover a little closer, "But you have to admit that it would be pretty cool to encounter some aliens... as long as they don't want to annihilate us like in those weird sci-fi movies Yang likes to watch."

"I guess you're adorable enough to make friends with them if they would come to visit us.", Weiss said with a grin and gently kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

"Maybe...", the crimsonette pondered with a grin, "But if those aliens were about to harm you, or anyone else of my friends, I'd kick their butts to wherever they'd come from."

"And I'd have your back.", the white-haired girl replied, "But then again... is it really important to you to encounter extraterrestrial life someday?"

"To be honest, I actually don't care.", Ruby said and turned around inside of the heiress' long coat's embrace until she faced her girlfriend, "Because all I want is right in front of me."

With these words, she closed the small gap between them and gave her girlfriend a passionate kiss. Weiss quickly returned it and embraced the younger girl, watching out to wrap her coat around both of them in the process. The heiress had long since stopped wondering how her Rose Petal's train of thought could travel from talking about aliens to locking lips with her. She didn't mind, either. All that mattered right now was the sweet taste of the crimsonette's lips and saliva... and the eager tongue that was invading her mouth right now.

She would never get tired of this, that was for sure... even if she were about to live a thousand years. And, as if their Auras were touching at the moment as well, the white-haired girl kinda knew that her Rose Petal had the exact same thought right now.

"This harbor tour is a really great finish for this evening, you know.", Ruby mentioned after they had parted and she had turned around again to continue watching the street of moonlight on the water.

"You mean, before the actual great finish, am I right?", Weiss asked seductively and embraced her girlfriend again. However, this time her hands were a bit more adventurous and while one of them massaged the younger girl's thigh, the other one went up to caress the curve of her breast above her dress.

"You know me so well.", Ruby purred and wriggled her behind against her girlfriend's crotch in the most seductive way possible.

"I thought so.", the heiress mentioned, "Lucky for you, we're about to return to the harbor..."

"Hmm... I like where this is going.", the crimsonette said in a sultry tone of voice.

"I hope you can contain yourself during the bus ride one last time.", Weiss responded with a loving smile, "That's all I'm asking... because once the door to our hotel room has fallen shut, I'm going to eat you alive."

"I can live with that... barely, considering the wait, but I'll manage...", Ruby responded, turned her head and kissed her girlfriend's cheek.

Both girls were as happy as can be. They had been on an absolutely awesome date, after all: Entertainment, food, and romance. But now, their amazing night was about to come to an end. All that was left was the fireworks.

Chapter Text

Weiss had accomplished many hard tasks in her life so far. She had survived a sad and lonely childhood, topped off by living under the thumb of an abusive father. She had managed to keep her sanity despite a cruel Dust experiment that had left her with incredibly weird anatomy – she could even accept herself and her strange body now (even though Ruby deserved most of the credit for that...). She had fought an incredible amount of giant monsters, some of them mutated, had written a twenty-page essay about Ursai migration behavior in a single night, and had survived a night out drinking with Yang.

However, at the moment, the heiress was probably facing the most difficult task in her young life so far: Trying to unlock the door to a hotel room while her girlfriend's fervorous hands and lips clung to her with everything they had.

"R-ruby... can you please contain yourself for about ten seconds so I can fit this stupid key into this stupid lock?", the white-haired girl demanded while turning her head away to avoid her girlfriend chewing on her lips any further.

"You're not going to like the answer to this question, my cute, little Snowflake.", the crimsonette responded before she buried her head and lips into the crook of Weiss' neck again. She said another thing or two to the heiress after doing so (something about key and lock, most certainly a sexual innuendo), but the white-haired girl couldn't understand her muffled explanations completely since they were accompanied by countless kisses and licks to her skin.

Weiss quickly considered her remaining options. She and Ruby were pretty much Huntresses already, even though their training wasn't over yet. Breaking down a door would most certainly be an easy task if she utilized her Semblance... and she could easily repay the hotel for the damage. That way, she didn't need to be separated from her Rose Petal for one second and they would still be able to enter their room. But just before her lust-addled mind could convince her that this incredibly stupid thought was a good idea, the key finally found its way into the lock.

The young couple quickly stumbled into the room and Ruby expertly kicked the door shut without stopping to suckle on her girlfriend's neck. The heiress' long coat was discarded almost immediately after they had their privacy. The crimsonette quickly searched for any buttons or zippers on her lover's dress to open them... and if she wouldn't find anything in that direction soon, she would probably just tear it apart. She knew that she was definitely lacking the money to replace it but she could at least apologize for the damage tomorrow... or maybe during the night already...

However, Weiss stopped her advances.

"R-ruby... calm down.", the heiress whispered, "I know you want to skip straight to the main event. I want to, too. But... don't you think we should take our time and really enjoy our last date activity? We do have all night, after all."

"Why do you always have to be the voice of reason in our relationship?", the crimson-haired girl whined, "I know that we should take things slower, take a shower first... and then concentrate on making this night magical for both of us. I want that as well. But I also want to pounce on you right now, tackle you onto the bed, rip our clothes off, and ride you until sunrise. I'm pretty torn at the moment, Snowflake."

"In order to protect our dresses' integrity and wash the salty sea air from our bodies, we should go with the first option.", Weiss said, "Even though the second one is pretty appealing as well. But we have to get a hold of our desires... at least for another couple of minutes, that is."

"Your little friend approves of the second option, though.", Ruby giggled and both girls' gazes went down to the now pretty obvious (because very large) tent that the heiress' dress was showing off at the moment.

"W-we'll stick with the first option, though.", Weiss quickly responded while blushing furiously, "Y-you go ahead. And I... I'll meditate for the time being. And I'll think about classes, homework, and chores... and the prospect of gutting fish during our next date. Or really anything besides you... and what we're about to do soon."

"How about we shower together?", Ruby suggested, "I mean, it's not our dorm room. We can do whatever we want in here."

"As much as I'd love that... it would ruin my last surprise.", the white-haired girl explained, "So... go ahead and take a shower, Rose Petal... and I'll prepare everything."

"Okay.", the crimsonette said a little disappointed, yet, she gave Weiss a loving smile, "See ya in a bit."

With these words, the younger girl left for the bathroom.

'Well... time for the finishing touches.', Weiss thought to herself and went for a small closet, hoping that the staff had prepared everything accordingly.

"Whew... all nice and clean.", Ruby chirped the moment she exited the bathroom, wrapped in nothing but a towel, "The shower is... all... yo..."

The younger girl's cheerful speak stopped immediately the moment she saw the bedroom.

There were lit candles all over the place, and incredibly soft, beautiful, and romantic music was playing from somewhere. The way from the bathroom door towards the bed was sprinkled with rose petals and even on the bed were said crimson leaves scattered around. On the foot of said bed sat Weiss, wrapped in just a towel as well, and looking immaculately clean. Apparently, she had washed herself the old-fashioned way to not spoil the surprise.

And, of course, Ruby noticed her loving smile, before the white-haired girl stood up, grabbed two glasses of what the crimsonette thought was probably champagne from the nightstand (there was a single strawberry in each of them), and approached her.

"My final surprise on our date night, my beautiful Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered tenderly, "I know it might be a bit old-fashioned but I wanted to show you how much..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence before Ruby dashed towards her, wrapped her arms around her, and pressed her lips to the white-haired girl's own. It was a miracle that Weiss was able to avoid spilling the champagne while standing such a ferocious attack. However, she managed... and she immediately pushed her tongue into the crimsonette's mouth for about five seconds before pulling away again.

"Easy there, Ruby... remember, we have all night.", the heiress panted, trying to recover from the passionate kiss while her cheeks went from crimson to just pink again, "I just wanted to show you how much I love you... and how much I appreciate it that you're fine with... someone like me."

"Please stop being so self-conscious about your... extra.", Ruby sighed and planted another kiss to Weiss' lips, "I know we won't shout it from the rooftops that the Schnee-heiress is dicking a peasant like me. But when it's just us... or our team, or our friends... you're not someone with some weird kind of anatomy change-thingy. You're my girlfriend. The only one I ever felt attached to. There are no boys, no girls, no nobody... only you."

"I know...", Weiss sighed, "But I'm still..."

"No buts, no cuts, no coconuts!", the crimsonette quickly intervened, "I never cared about dicks, I never cared about breasts or pussy. I was pretty much asexual because I never even cared about this kind of stuff. I would, most certainly, never be interested in anyone... besides my scythe, that is. But then I met you. And everything in my whole world was flipped upside down. It's not about the gender, or genitals, or whatever. The moment I saw you at the cliffs... okay, the moment after we finally got along... Or the moment we finally became friends... I only wanted you. No matter what's in your pants, no matter what you were hiding from me, and even after I found out about your... extra... I only wanted..."

The younger girl's ramblings were quickly interrupted by her girlfriend who softly kissed her again.

"I guess what I was trying to say is... that I'm Weiss-sexual.", Ruby concluded her little speech after they had separated again.

"And I'm Ruby-sexual.", the heiress responded and rested her forehead against her girlfriend's. She wanted to put her arms around the crimsonette as well but then she noticed that she was still holding the two glasses of champagne.

"Oh, umm... here's your drink.", Weiss quickly said and offered her girlfriend the flute, "I'd like to raise a toast."

"Why so formal so suddenly?", Ruby asked with a smile and took the champagne, but then, all of a sudden, her eyes went wide, "Oh my gosh... a-are you trying to..." She quickly checked her glass thoroughly. Of course, it was obvious to Weiss what she was looking for.

"Don't freak out.", the heiress tried to calm her girlfriend down with a grin, "I'm not going to propose to you... this time, that is.", but then, her tone of voice shifted, "I... I just wanted to tell you how much it means to me that we're together. How happy you make me... ever since this fateful night in our dorm room when Blake and Yang had been away on their mission. You're responsible for the person I am today, a person I can finally look into the eye in the mirror... and smile. After all, I know how I can be sometimes, even though I'm trying to better myself. But... if a nice, pure, absolutely amazing girl like you was able to fall in love with me... then how bad can I be, even though this little voice in my head still tries to tell me otherwise."

"I've been much worse than anyone can ever be.", the crimsonette responded softly, trying to soothe her girlfriend whose eyes had become a little moist at the end of her speech, "When I was infected with this... Grimm-stuff... I did a couple of absolutely horrible things. Yet, you stuck with me... and forgave me for everything. It was your unconditional love that kept me safe and sane during that time, Snowflake. So if anyone tries to tell you that you aren't wonderful, caring, and loving – even if it's your own mind – just tell them to bugger off."

"I guess you're right...", Weiss said and a small smile crept to her lips again, "I am pretty amazing, huh?"

"How about we finish our drinks and you show me just how amazing you are?", Ruby asked seductively.

"Sounds like a good plan to me.", the heiress said softly.

"Well, I'm the leader. That's my job.", the younger girl responded, "But... I'm pretty sure I'm good at other... jobs, too." The last part of her sentence was accompanied by a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Shut up and kiss me, you dolt.", Weiss giggled and pulled her girlfriend close again.

The young couple quickly finished their small glasses of champagne. Well, as quickly as they could, that is. They still needed at least a quarter of an hour to do so since they spent most of the time cuddling and kissing each other, using only the little breaks in between to take a sip. However, their resistance was crumbling and, after the aforementioned fifteen minutes, Ruby couldn't take it anymore.

"T-time's up, Snowflake.", the younger girl panted after an especially heated kiss and unceremoniously downed the rest of her champagne, "Chug it or leave it. But I need you NOW!"

Weiss quickly considered her options (again). She could just do as her girlfriend had told her... but that would be a bit plebeian – they were drinking expensive champagne, after all. She could take things slow, however, that would probably mean another ten or fifteen minutes before she and Ruby could finally... okay, that idea was off the table. But then it suddenly hit her: She could just combine something unladylike with something romantic.

The heiress quickly downed her champagne... but she didn't chug the strawberry. Instead, she kept it between her teeth until she swallowed the final drops of alcohol and offered it to her girlfriend with a seductive smile and half-lidded eyes. Needless to say, Ruby immediately understood and tackled the heiress onto the bed. Weiss had barely time to put her glass away. She succeeded, though – but it was a close one.

Their bed – Ruby had her own, but that one would definitely stay cold tonight – was soon the stage of a heated, strawberry-flavored kiss. Once the fruit was shared and devoured by both horny girls, they quickly shoved their respective tongue into a mouth that wasn't their own. For now, the crimsonette and the white-haired girl were laying side by side... but that would change sooner or later. Well, sooner than later, that is. And, of course, it ended how it always did.

Weiss was a strong, prideful, and independent woman. She was about to become one of the greatest, most skilled Huntresses that had ever graduated from Beacon. She had attended a mission that would've been a hard task for full-fledged Huntspeople, had fought a literal army of mutated Grimm, and had been victorious in the end.

However, she was just putty in Ruby's hands. The weight that was suddenly straddling her waist was proof of that.

"Well... I hope you're ready for me, Snowflake.", the younger girl whispered seductively while she mounted her girlfriend, "Because I won't and can't stop anymore, even if you aren't."

"I'm as ready as can be, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded softly.

"I can see... and feel that.", Ruby said and her gaze went down her girlfriend's towel-clad body.

From Weiss' crotch (where the crimsonette's lap rested on at the moment) to her sternum, both girls could see a very distinctive bulge underneath the piece of cloth. Needless to say, Ruby already knew what prize laid under her girlfriend's towel. The (comparatively) small, wet spot that stained the fabric just above the tip of the heiress' cock spoke volumes about her current state.

"Weeeiiissssss...", the crimsonette said in a sing-song voice, "Don't you think it is time for your... Ruby-unboxing experience. I know that I'm just wearing a towel at the moment but..."

She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before the white-haired girl practically ripped the piece of cloth off of her girlfriend's body. Barely a second later, Weiss sat up and buried her head into the crook of Ruby's neck, sucking hard – not hard enough to hurt the younger girl, but definitely hard enough to leave a hickey. One of the heiress' hands immediately started to massage one of the crimsonette's full and shapely breasts while the other grabbed and squeezed her ass.

Obviously, all the love and lust Weiss had bottled up since they had stepped into the airship was finally and completely breaking loose. Gone was the calm and composed heiress of the Schnee Dust Company – a wild animal was in her place now... and this cute crimson-haired girl was about to fall prey to it.

Not that Ruby had anything against that – far from it. The moment she felt her girlfriend's lips and teeth on her neck and dainty hands on the more, well, interesting parts of her body, she lost it as well. With a little bit of effort (since the two girls' forms were pretty much entangled), she managed to discard Weiss' towel as well before she returned the embrace and, of course, the hickey. The long-desired skin to skin contact immediately coaxed a moan out of the young couple.

"F-finally...", Ruby whimpered, her tone of voice a mixture of relief, bliss, and lust, "It feels like it has been a hundred years since we were this close the last time."

"Who cares...", Weiss responded and gave her girlfriend's perfect ass an affectionate squeeze, "All that matters right now is that this is finally happening."

"Agreed.", the crimsonette said and started to nibble and suckle on the heiress' earlobe while trying her best to grind their bodies together in order to stimulate the white-haired girl's member trapped in between. She was quickly rewarded with a huge spurt of precum that moistened the skin of her upper torso and the underside of her breasts.

Ruby was sure that Weiss had grown a bit since their first sexual encounter, and that didn't refer to her height. She had measured her girlfriend's member once out of curiosity, but that had been a couple of days after they had gotten their own room due to the crimsonette's illness. At that time, the heiress' dick had been 12.8 inches long, but then again, that was a few months ago. Ruby was pretty sure her girlfriend had surpassed the 13-inch-mark now.

If the crimsonette wouldn't be so busy kissing every bit of Weiss' skin she could reach at the moment, she would've scolded herself for not bringing a measuring tape. On the other hand... they still had a lot of time for that later.

Both girls quickly stopped licking and nibbling on the other's neck and locked lips again. Barely a second later, their tongues continued where they had left off as well, starting to dance around each other with renewed vigor. Ruby's grinding got more intense, too – and soon enough, her whole stomach was slick with precum... and the base of the heiress' member (as well as her thighs) was coated in the crimsonette's juices.

They were almost trying to choke the other one with their tongues now. While the phrase playing tonsil hockey was just an idiom, Ruby and Weiss were about to actually make it happen. By now, both of the heiress' hands were caressing and squeezing her girlfriend's butt cheeks, urging her on to press her dripping pussy even harder against her throbbing cock. Both girls' nipples were rock-hard and occasionally, well, frequently brushed against the other's. Every bit of friction sent electric shocks down their spines.

"It's not enough anymore, S-snowflake...", Ruby whispered between the passionate kisses, slowing down her grinding but not stopping completely, "Want to do something else? I... c-could suck you off. Or you could lick me... d-down there. Or we could... umm, just... s-skip to the main event."

"W-with main event, y-you mean...", Weiss asked, her breath hitching as well already.

"You taking your huge, th-throbbing dick and plunging it into my tight, little pussy.", the younger girl explained, adopting a seductive voice (she knew her girlfriend had a penchant for dirty talk), "And then we're going to make love until sunrise... o-or until we pass out. Whatever comes first."

"D-don't you think we need a little more... p-preparation?", the white-haired girl responded, "O-or a little break?"

"Close already?", Ruby asked teasingly... but stopped her grinding, nonetheless.

"Well, w-we haven't done something like this in a while...", Weiss explained, blushing furiously, "If we... just start now, out of the blue, I'll probably cum in three seconds... and about five gallons." Of course, this was just an exaggeration... but not overly so.

"So what? So far, I've almost always cum too when you filled me up.", the crimsonette whispered, "Additionally, I know that you've more than one round in your clip. So can you... pleeeaaase... just fuck me into a drooling, panting, barely conscious, and cum-bloated mess?" The last part was more or less a plea.

That was the final straw for the heiress.

So fast that Ruby almost thought her girlfriend had somehow stolen her Semblance, Weiss flipped her over and practically slammed her into the soft mattress. Barely a second later, she had spread the crimsonette's legs and almost drooled at the sight of her glistening pussy. She could even see a drop of the younger girl's sweet nectar running down her butt. The throbs of the white-haired girl's cock were almost painful now and it felt like another liter of blood rushed into it from wherever her body could spare it. It seemed like the colossal organ gained another half inch in length, as well as in girth, before the heiress finally pressed the precum-oozing tip to crimsonette's quivering entrance.

"Y-you asked for this, Rose Petal.", Weiss declared, her restraint and self-control finally completely abolished, "A-and you're not gonna leave this bed until you womb has swallowed the very last drop of my cum."

"If you keep me waiting any longer, I swear to every higher power I know that I...", Ruby began... but was quickly interrupted, "Hngh!"

Without another warning, the crimsonette's wet, silky folds were stretched in a way she hadn't felt for way, way too long. Her girlfriend's pulsating invader immediately went about six inches deep, much to Ruby's delight. The small bulge that was already visible on her abdomen was proof of their connection, and if the younger girl would've been a bit more flexible, she would've kissed it as a sign of utter affection. But then again, once the white-haired girl had crammed her full length into her snatch, the crimsonette was sure that she could make it happen. At least an internal boobjob was pretty much possible... at the right angle, that is. Thank whatever higher power for the unnatural stretchiness Aura made possible.

Weiss was on cloud nine already. If she wouldn't fight back the urge to cum with all her might right now, she would've flooded her girlfriend's slit with the promised gallons of spunk already. The scalding hot and slippery wet confines, the loving contractions, the greedy sucking motions... everything within the crimsonette's body told her one thing: Impregnate me already, Snowflake!

Of course, since the younger girl took the pill, the heiress' swimmers wouldn't find an egg to ravish, but then again, Ruby's privates reacted the way they were biologically programmed to.

"Hngh... R-Ruby.", Weiss groaned, "Oh Dust, y-you're so tight."

"Well, y-you're not... exactly small, y'know.", Ruby responded between two hitched breaths, "A-and how come we have this conversation every single time we love each other?"

"S-sorry, it's just...", Weiss panted as she sunk a few inches deeper into her girlfriend until the tip of her cock softly kissed the crimsonette's cervix, "Sh-Shouldn't your folds be used to me by now?"

"Do you r-really want me to be looser?", the crimsonette asked with a small, yet sweet smile.

"Oh my gosh, no.", the white-haired girl moaned and buried her head into Ruby's cleavage, enjoying the warmth and softness of these perfectly shaped mounds while toying with the hard nubs on top of them.

"Wh-what about your three-seconds-forecast from earlier?", Ruby moaned, enjoying the attention her breasts were getting at the moment... as well as being filled to the brim and beyond with a humongous amount of dick.

"F-false report.", Weiss breathed and immediately started sucking on one of her girlfriend's erect nipples, "Even if it fries my brain... mmhh... I'm going to turn you into a drooling... *smooch*... quivering mess before I blow my load into your womb."

"Th-that would be in another three seconds.", the crimsonette whimpered in bliss, "C-close..."

"A-already?", the heiress managed to ask before she felt a pair of slender, yet toned legs wrap themselves around her waist. Barely a second later, Ruby pulled her as close as possible. Suddenly, Weiss felt a lot of odd sensations, every one of them immensely pleasurable. There was hot skin pressed against her crotch, an impossibly tight ring of muscles constricting the middle of her member, and neatly trimmed fingernails scraping across her back. Then, the velvety insides hugging every millimeter of her dick at the moment were sucking on it as if they would never be able to do it again.

Ruby had gone blind. She was pretty sure that her eyes were open, but all she saw was white... and a couple of weird, colorful spots and blurs dancing in front of her vision. But then again, she had barely any brain capacity left to worry about that – it was, most certainly, temporary anyway.

The moment the heiress' huge dick had pierced through her cervix and stretched her womb so perfectly, the younger girl was blessed with a mind-shattering orgasm. Even though she had crammed every single bit of cock flesh into her greedy honeypot, she still tried to pull Weiss even closer, using hands, and legs, and every other part of her body that was currently available. Immediately, her insides milked the enormous intruder for everything it was worth. If Ruby wasn't so busy moaning and shaking at the moment, she would've ordered them to do so... luckily, they got the idea themselves. Right now, the crimsonette wanted nothing more than to feel the scalding hot love of her girlfriend pour into her and fill every nook and cranny of her insides. She awaited the warmth and pressure, the feeling of the heavy spurts against the back of her womb, the sensation of her belly swelling with all the virile cum Weiss was able to pump into her.

However, all of that never came.

Ruby needed a couple of minutes before she was able to see, hear, smell, and feel correctly again. But when her senses functioned properly, she noticed that everything that was currently occupying her womb was a lot of cock... and an already noticeable amount of precum. But the massive load she had been hoping for was missing. Her belly was still flat... well, besides the huge, very prominent bulge that began just below her navel and ended at the underside of her perky breasts. Every throb and pulse of the heiress' member was visible through the younger girl's stretched skin.

"Y-you didn't cum yet?", Ruby asked a little dumbfounded.

"W-well, either you're very easy to please... o-or I have a lot more self-control than I thought.", Weiss explained softly, her forehead resting against Ruby's while she tried to catch her breath.

"Is my... aren't you feeling good inside me anymore?", the crimson-haired girl whispered and averted her gaze.

At that statement, the heiress only raised an eyebrow. That couldn't be a serious question, could it?

"Ruby... I could've cum the second the tip of my cock touched your heavenly pussy...", Weiss explained and gave her girlfriend a quick but passionate kiss, "Wait, scratch that. I could've cum the moment you sat in my lap at the airship. If I wouldn't try to hold back the whole time being just near you, I would've died from dehydration long ago. But I want our... special moments to last for as long as possible. Every minute, every second... I always beg for them to never end. If I cum, I'll get tired... and after a few rounds, I'll fall asleep. I don't want that... not yet, at least. Right now, I just want you. I love you, Ruby." She concluded her little speech with another soft, yet way longer lasting kiss.

"Well, you got me.", the crimsonette whispered tenderly after they had parted, "Sooo... what are you planning to do to me now?" She felt a powerful twitch of a foreign, yet well-known object inside of her the moment she had finished her sentence.

"Oh, I already have a couple of ideas.", Weiss responded, "And I'm pretty sure that all of them are to your liking."

"Do as you please, Snowflake.", Ruby said with a loving smile, "Right now, I'm at your mercy anyway."

"Never say or think that again, Rose Petal...", the heiress whispered, "This is our time... not mine."

"But I owe you one.", the crimsonette said and bucked her hips against the white-haired girl's crotch (which coaxed a moan out of both girls), "So... just enjoy me, okay?"

"As if it had been any differently...", Weiss responded affectionately and gave Ruby another kiss.

Slowly and gently, the heiress started to move. Her thrusts were pretty short since she didn't want to slip out of the tight, loving confines of her girlfriend's womb... even though she was sure that the younger girl's cervix would do everything within its power to keep her dick lodged in there. So far, the ring of muscles had always reacted that way.

Again, Ruby felt a very familiar tingling in her center... even though she had had an orgasm just five minutes ago. Maybe she really was easy to please. However, the feeling didn't progress as fast as the last time now. That still made it incredibly pleasant, nonetheless.

The sound of the two girls moaning into each other's mouths, as well as the sound of flesh slapping against flesh, soon drowned out the romantic music that was still playing. Not that Ruby and Weiss cared. They hadn't noticed the soft melodies anymore since the younger girl had tackled the heiress onto the bed to get her half of the strawberry... and, of course, out of other, less innocent reasons.

"Y-you can go faster.", Ruby moaned between the kisses, "And make longer thrusts. I promise you my womb won't let go." To emphasize her point, she flexed her pelvic floor muscles and her insides squeezed the huge intruder affectionately. Needless to say, there was only one appropriate answer to this offer.

"As you wish.", Weiss whispered back... and immediately complied.

The slapping sounds got a lot more frequently in an instant... and so got the moaning and squealing of both girls. One of the heiress' hands searched for one of her girlfriend's, found it on her own back, took it, maneuvered it next to them, and quickly entwined their fingers. The other one, however, wandered to the crimsonette's left boob. She gave the supple mound a gentle squeeze before she started to rub her thumb over the erect nub... definitely one of her favorite parts of Ruby's body.

The younger girl's free hand got a lot more adventurous as well, spurred on by her lover's sudden actions. At first, she thought about grabbing a handful of Weiss' perfectly shaped ass. That way, she could urge her to go even faster. But just when her hand started to slide down her girlfriend's back, she got another idea. An idea she was sure Weiss was going to love... like she had loved it many, many times already.

Ruby's hand traveled down the white-haired girl's back but it soon changed course and slipped between their bodies. The crimsonette knew exactly what she was searching for and found it shortly after. She grabbed the bulge on her belly just below her navel and gave it an affectionate squeeze. Needless to say, she got the reaction she was hoping for. The sweet, high-pitched moan that escaped her girlfriend's throat and the quiver that rocked her body were music to Ruby's ears... and sense of touch, respectively.

"Found your weak spot?", the crimsonette chirped... even though it cost her a fair amount of willpower to suppress a moan herself. The stimulus wasn't just affecting the heiress, after all.

"Y-you already knew it was there.", Weiss panted back, "Th-that's cheating."

"Fine... I'll stop.", Ruby said as casually as the current situation allowed.

"N-no!", the heiress quickly exclaimed, "I guess... fair play isn't that important to me while we're... expressing our love physically."

"As much as I appreciate your attempts to be romantic...", the crimsonette whispered tenderly, "While we're... expressing our love physically, you can call a spade a spade."

"In that case, I really want you to caress my cock through your belly while I fuck you into oblivion.", Weiss responded challenging, "That way, you'll get the huge load you want a lot sooner."

"You're pretty convincing, you know that?", Ruby noted with a loving smile.

"I had a hunch.", the white-haired girl answered and returned the smile. Then, she leaned in and pressed her lips to her girlfriend's again. Soon, she felt Ruby's hand massaging her member once more... and, of course, she started to thrust again, a little more eager now. Well, way more eager now.

Despite the heiress' fervorous movements, the crimsonette still felt every throb and every twitch of her girlfriend's member... and it only added to her pleasure. This dick, this ridiculously huge pillar of flesh, had been made for her pussy. And for her womb. How would she miss the feeling once their kid was growing in there... But then again, the younger girl would gladly put up with it if it meant to catch a little Ruby or Weiss stealing from the cookie jar someday.

Needless to say, Weiss went through pretty similar sensations. Her nerves and brain registered every squeeze, every contraction, voluntarily or automatically, the crimson-haired girl's insides made. It made the heiress feel loved and accepted... and a little proud. How come that every single one of her worries and insecurities was blown away when she was with her Rose Petal? Weiss didn't know... but she didn't care about the reason either. Everything that mattered right now was her girlfriend, the intimate moment they shared... and, of course, the feeling of the younger girl's heartbeat through her very core.

The heiress had been right about her earlier assumption. Even though she was thrusting about six inches of cock in and out of her girlfriend's heavenly slit by now, the crimsonette's cervix clung to her as if its very existence depended on it. Fortunately, Ruby didn't seem to care that Weiss was currently rearranging her insides... like the younger girl had always done so far. Everything the heiress saw on her lover's face (when she wasn't trying to suck her tongue out of her mouth, that is) was pure and utter bliss.

Another couple of minutes passed. Yet, Ruby and Weiss barely noticed how the time flew by since they were way too busy making love, sucking on each other's lips and whispering sweet nothings into the other's ear whenever they needed a short breather from their passionate kissing. However, they had only that much self-restraint. And it crumbled... it had been crumbling from the very beginning of the night. And now, it was finally reaching its tipping point.

The friction of their bodies, inside and outside, would've been enough to ignite a fire... if Ruby wouldn't have been so incredibly wet and Weiss' output of precum wouldn't be able to put out a small blaze. However, things were as they were. The delicate layer of sweat coating their bodies did the rest. Their hands practically slipped across each other's forms, caressing breasts, butts, bulges, and everything else they could reach. Due to the heiress' thrusting, their erect nipples circled around each other as if they were dancing... whenever they weren't fondled or pinched by eager fingers, that is.

By now, the young couple was dead certain that everyone in the hallway and the adjoining rooms had a clear picture of what was going on in their little suite. Not that both girls cared about that... or anything else besides the other right now. All that mattered at the moment was their deep connection... mentally, as well as physically.

Every time Weiss hilted herself inside Ruby, was could feel the younger girl's heart beating right next to the tip of her cock. The sensation was even more pleasant than the loving contractions of the crimsonette's pussy and womb. It was still a mystery to the heiress how this wasn't doing any damage to her girlfriend's body, but then again, she was done questioning it. The most important thing was that this far from normal act was enjoyable for both of them.

Well, enjoyable was an utter understatement. Delightful didn't even scratch the surface, either. There was, most certainly, no word to describe what both girls were feeling at the moment... or any other time they were together and could just be themselves.

The pleasure rose higher and higher. The thrusts became shorter, yet faster. The kissing, fondling and squeezing got a lot more intense as well. The finish line was in sight.

Ruby already noticed all the signs. Her girlfriend's ragged breath, the shivers that rocked her body, the powerful throbs of her cock, the slight increase in girth... Weiss was close, very close. But then again, the younger girl also noticed that the warmth in her belly had turned into a roaring fire, almost painful if it wasn't so incredibly pleasant. The fuse cord on that powder keg had almost burned down completely as well, metaphorically speaking.

"R-Ruby... I-I'm close.", the white-haired girl panted, "A-and I don't think I can hold back any longer this time."

"F-finally.", the crimsonette responded with a grin, "I-I'm close, too. Our timing is as good as ever."

"D-dolt...", Weiss giggled, "Let's cum together, okay?"

"A-almost there.", Ruby said with a nod and bucked her hips against her girlfriend's crotch even more eager, "P-please, Snowflake. Fill me up! I need your cum to bloat my belly!" Then, she pulled the heiress in for another heated kiss.

That was the final straw for both girls. The moment their tongues met, it was like someone had pulled a trigger inside of them. Ruby and Weiss screamed each other's names into each other's mouths and the heat within them finally exploded. With her arms and legs, the crimsonette pulled her girlfriend as close as physically possible... even though this action wasn't really necessary. Weiss herself pressed her body into the younger girl with all the power her muscles could muster, pushing every single millimeter of dick into Ruby's heavenly slit, stretching her pussy and her womb far enough that the bulge on the crimsonette's belly slipped between her boobs. Then, Weiss finally let loose.

The first spurt of cum was powerful enough that the crimsonette almost felt it in her throat. At this exact moment, her brain ordered a complete shutdown and everything besides orgasmic bliss was pushed out of her mind entirely. Luckily for her, breathing was a reflex. Otherwise, she would've suffocated.

Speaking of suffocate, this was the exact thing her insides were trying to do to her girlfriend's cock at the moment. With the force of a screw clamp, they made it almost impossible for the second shot to pass through her insides, especially through the vice-like grip of her cervix. However, Weiss' cock was determined enough to make it happen and another incredible amount of pent-up cum splashed into the crimson-haired girl's womb. A third, fourth, and fifth quickly followed... but that was only the beginning.

Weiss was in a whole other world at the moment. Even though her brain reminded her of every loving contraction of her lover's insides, she barely registered it... besides her dick, that is, which was spurred on to pump out more and more scalding hot cum into the crimsonette's tiny, utterly outmatched womb. The heiress' mind, however, was blank... besides one thought. Ruby. Ruby Rose. Her Rose Petal. This cheerful, loving, compassionate girl that had made the last months of her life the most amazing ones anyone could ever imagine. This thought alone sent an orgasmic shiver down her spine... and increased her already inhumane output.

Soon, the white-haired felt something pressing against her stomach from underneath her. A few seconds later, she was lifted up an inch... then another one... and another one. She couldn't see it right now, but she knew exactly what was going on. Her girlfriend's belly was swelling with her seed, like it had done many, many times already. But something still perplexed the heiress: She wasn't absolutely sure but... wasn't it happening a little faster than usual today?

After the eighth shot, Ruby regained at least a slice of consciousness... and noticed how full she already felt. However, it seemed like Weiss was far from done. It was kind of fascinating what a couple of days of involuntary celibacy could do to her girlfriend's virility. But then again, the crimsonette didn't have much time to think about that because another orgasm overwhelmed her by the tenth spurt, her climax at least as powerful as the one just a couple of seconds ago.

More and more cum flooded the crimsonette's insides, the splashing and sloshing loud enough to be heard despite the music and the two girls' moans. What had begun as a little paunch quickly progressed through the early stages of pregnancy. And while Ruby felt every blast hitting the back of her womb through her orgasmic haze, Weiss noticed that the younger girl's cervix slowly crawled down her cock as the organ behind it swelled bigger and bigger... and bigger. With a soft pop, the younger girl's belly button turned outie from the sheer pressure of the mass of cum inside her. By the time the heiress' climax finally came to an end, the crimsonette looked like a baby was due in three weeks tops. The tight grip of her cervix prevented a single drop of the hot, jelly-like essence from escaping.

Ruby and Weiss finally broke the kiss they had shared non-stop since the heiress' climax had hit her and buried their faces into the crook of the other's neck. They were utterly out of breath, exhausted, sweaty... and happy. It was now that the heiress and the crimsonette fully realized how much they had needed this. The soft sounds of the music still playing reached their ears again as they basked in the sweet afterglow.

After about five minutes, both girls had recovered enough for their brains to function properly again. Slowly, Weiss lifted her head and leaned it against the crimsonette's forehead. Then, the young couple opened their eyes and icy blue met steely silver. However, the emotions they showed couldn't fit the description of color any less since they were full of love and affection. The heiress was the first one to speak up.

"So?", Weiss whispered softly after her breathing had (somewhat) returned to normal, "How was it? Everything to your satisfaction?"

"It was wonderful.", Ruby responded with a happy sigh, still a dreamy look on her face, "An absolutely great finish for this evening."

"Oh... is that so?", the heiress said teasingly, "I was actually hoping for another round. But if you think that was already the grand finale..."

"No!", the younger girl exclaimed quickly and wriggled her hips which caused the contents of her womb to slosh around audibly, "I-it was terrible. We can't let the night end like this."

"T-terrible? Was I... really that bad?", Weiss asked with feigned sorrow. However, the crimsonette bought it.

"No! No! It was perfect. You are perfect. I love you to the moon and back and...", Ruby stammered, but then she noticed her girlfriend's grin, "Oh, come on, you big meanie!"

"You make it so easy to tease you, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl said, but added conciliatorily, "Kiss and make up?"

"Yeah, whatever.", the crimsonette pouted, yet, a small smile tugged on her lips already, "J-just shut up and keep fucking m-mmh!" She couldn't even finish her sentence completely because Weiss pressed her lips to her own in the blink of an eye. Soon, a tongue gently asked for entrance... and Ruby didn't even think about denying it that. The tiny bit of real frustration she had actually felt immediately vanished into thin air and she returned the kiss. Barely a moment later, both girls were one soul sharing two bodies again, making out passionately. And wasn't there some movement going on... down there? It was now that the crimsonette noticed that her girlfriend's member hadn't softened at all.

The young couple moaned into each other's mouths as Weiss started to slowly thrust her enormous cock into Ruby's heavenly folds anew. Of course, the crimson-haired girl tried to meet every single push with a buck of her hips, urging her girlfriend on to move faster. Needless to say, it worked wonders. What had begun as sweet love-making evolved into something heated and impassionate again very quickly.

Both lovers knew that the night was very, very far from over...

The airship ride back to Beacon was peaceful. Ruby and Weiss were utterly exhausted... but incredibly happy, nonetheless. How many hours of sleep had they gotten? Had they even slept at all? Probably... there was at least one memory gap that didn't originate from a mind-shattering orgasm. However, both girls remembered that the last two rounds hadn't been illuminated by the shimmering moonlight anymore, but by something a little brighter. People who had other things to do at that moment than fucking the love of their lives into a blissful coma probably would've called it sunrise.

Weiss had left a generous tip at the hotel – to pacify the cleaning staff. And, most certainly, to replace the sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, bed... and parts of the parquet... oh, and the shower. After what she and Ruby had done last night (and this morning), the hotel would probably need to rebuild the whole room. However, the heiress didn't feel sorry. Well, maybe a bit. But, gosh, it had been worth it.

The heiress of the world-famous Schnee Dust Company destroying a hotel room... in a pretty disgusting way, on top of that. Well, the silver platter could get somewhat boring, after all. Freaking out from time to time should be understandable. Weiss almost giggled at the (to be honest, pretty exaggerated) thought, but she suppressed it. She didn't want to wake her girlfriend, after all.

Currently, Ruby's head was resting on the heiress' shoulder and the younger girl was fast asleep. However, even at that angle, Weiss could see the small, yet content smile on her face. It was the most beautiful thing the white-haired girl had ever seen... well, besides the crimsonette herself, that is. The date had been a full success.

But then again, that made planning the next one even more difficult. Of course, Weiss still had a lot of great ideas to make her time with her girlfriend incredibly amazing. But that wouldn't be enough, at least in the long run. This date had been superb... yet, it had been just a normal date. The heiress had to top this somehow... not immediately, that is... but at the latest when she wanted to propose to Ruby.

However, that thought only brought back another one of Weiss' worries: Meeting her girlfriend's father in a week. Okay, from all the stories she had heard about him, he was an incredibly kind and indulgent man. Yet, the heiress knew how she could come across sometimes. Admittedly, she had made a lot of progress already, but ultimately, Ruby was the only person Weiss really couldn't ice queen anymore. On top of that, she was a Schnee... and she knew exactly what a lot of people thought about her family. Enough said. Wait... there was still a pretty huge, in the eyes of almost everybody incredibly disgusting secret. Convincing him that she was the perfect match for his daughter wouldn't be easy.

And so, their amazing night out ended on a slightly sour note... at least in the heiress' mind. Luckily, the mumbled "Weiss... I promise... our kids ate all the cookie dough... I had nothing to do with it." from her girlfriend eased the heiress' worries a little... and brought a faint blush (and a small smile) to her face.

Chapter Text

Every tick and every tock of the wall-mounted clock sent a shiver down the white-haired girl's spine. She had long since given up on following Professor Port's lecture... the last one of the semester. Nine minutes and fifty-two seconds... fifty-one... fifty... forty-nine... When the timer in Weiss' mind reached zero, the bell would ring and the semester would be over. And that meant that she would have to go to her dorm room, grab her already packed suitcase, and board an airship towards Patch shortly after. It was definitely the first time in her life that the heiress wished that Port's lecture would last longer.

"And always remember, students.", the mustached man's voice echoed through the hall, his speech about to reach its peak, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So while you should, of course, relax during your break, you should also think about yourself... as well as about your teammates. About your and their strengths and weaknesses. Find out how you can work and fight together even more efficiently. How you can optimally complement your teammates' abilities and how they can add to yours. Especially out in the field, it is not just important to know the enemy, but also to know your allies as good as yourself..."

"Blake is reason, Weiss is grace, Yang will punch you in the face.", Ruby whispered with a giggle and got one from her teammates in return.

Besides Weiss, that is. The white-haired girl was still absolutely oblivious to the world around her. Of course, her girlfriend quickly noticed it after there hadn't been any reaction to her little rhyme... not even a small reproof like she usually got when she was joking around in class.

'Six twenty-seven, six twenty-six, six twenty-five...'

"Weiss?"

'Six twenty-two, six twenty-one, six twenty...'

"Remnant to Weiss? Is anybody there?"

'Six fifteen, six fourteen, six thirEEP!'

The heiress was quickly brought back to reality by a finger poking into her side. Luckily, she had only thought the noise of surprise as well. The last thing she needed right now was a scolding from Professor Port for disrupting the lecture in the last six minutes and... damn it! Where had she been at?

But, suddenly, she remembered what had shaken her out of her trance. She quickly turned to her right and looked into the big, silver eyes of her girlfriend.

"At least react when I'm calling you and don't just stare into nothingness like a zombie.", the crimsonette whispered, "You got me worried for a moment, you know."

"Oh, s-sorry, Ruby.", the white-haired girl responded quietly, "I guess I just spaced out for a bit." Her eyes wandered back to the wall-mounted clock. Of course, the younger girl noticed it.

"Can't wait to finally be free?", she joked, "I feel you, Snowflake."

"Umm, y-yeah.", Weiss nodded, "Exactly." It sounded nowhere near close to honest.

"You don't have to be afraid about our trip to Patch.", Ruby comforted her, effortlessly reading her girlfriend's thoughts, "Everything's gonna be fine, I promise. Dad's the best. He'll accept you the moment he sees how happy we are together."

"And what if I say or do something wrong?", the heiress asked, "I can still come across a little... mean sometimes, even though I really don't intend to. Also, I'm a Schnee. Your father definitely knows my family. And he definitely won't hold my name in high esteem."

"Urgh... this again.", the crimsonette groaned, "I should've recorded my speech from the first time. You aren't mean anymore. The icequeeny moments you're still having, incredibly rare, I want to add, are nowhere near as bad as they had been one and a half years ago. Also, my dad definitely won't judge you by your name... and you have to stop doing that as well. You're your own person. A wonderful, beautiful person. I mean, I fell in love with you. And I don't do that with just anybody, you know."

As always, the last three sentences brought a small, tender smile to the heiress' lips. And the moment she saw her girlfriend returning it, all of her worries were forgotten. However, it only lasted for so long.

The sudden ring of the bell almost made the two girls leap out of their skin. In an instant, all of Weiss' fears and insecurities returned. Even though Ruby's explanation had been pretty understandable (again), the heiress couldn't change her spots. She had been raised to believe that a single mistake could ruin a person's very existence, after all. And she had mostly worked on accepting her body (the mismatched part, that is) so far. There hadn't been much time to correct the other results of bad parenting.

"Well then, students.", Professor Port finished after the bell had gone silent again, "I hope you'll take my advice to heart and contemplate extensively about what I've just told you. But then again, I want you to relax and have fun as well. Enjoy yourself. Appreciating a well-earned break is also an important step of becoming a good Huntsman or Huntress, hehe. Class dismissed."

Relax... have fun... enjoy yourself... if Weiss didn't know better, she would be sure Port was making fun of her.

"Thank goodness. It's over.", Yang sighed relieved the moment they had left the classroom, "Four weeks of just doing what we want."

"And what do you actually want?", Blake asked.

"Well, I guess I'll stick to the classics.", the blonde responded, "You know, lazing around, eating junk food, watching TV and playing video games... getting drunk and into bar fights..."

"Sounds lovely...", the Faunus said sarcastically.

"What about you?", Yang asked back, "I mean... after you've taken care of the stuff with your parents, obviously."

"I don't know...", Blake sighed, her cat ears dropping slightly, "I haven't really thought about that. Right now, my mind's completely occupied with facing my parents again, especially my dad."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine.", the blonde reassured her partner and wrapped an arm around her, "Okay, you've made a mistake in your childhood, but you've already redeemed yourself... and then some. Just tell your parents that you've saved an entire village from some really nasty, mutated Grimm. You can even leave out that I did most of the work." She chuckled a bit at the last part.

"Ahem." The sound of Ruby clearing her throat could be heard about two steps behind them.

"Okay, it was a team performance.", Yang relented.

"A-Hem...", the crimsonette repeated, this time a little louder.

"Come on.", the brawler groaned, "Yeah, you and Weissicle did the hardest part in the end, but we got you covered so you could press on. All while babysitting an old, injured man."

"Who saved us beforehand.", Blake added.

"Relax, Yang. I'm just messing with you.", Ruby giggled, "We all saved each other's butts on that mission more than just once. And all of you saved mine again after everything was over. We wouldn't have found the serum if we hadn't worked together that well, after all."

"You're welcome, sis.", Yang said, grinning over her shoulder, "By the way, do you two lovebirds have any plans for your time in Patch already? Well, besides the obvious thing you're planning to do?"

"Having an emotional meltdown.", Weiss announced monotonously. She was almost as pale as her hair now and got even paler with every step she took towards the dorm room.

"This again?", the blonde sighed and raised an eyebrow, "Rubes, your girlfriend, your job. I'm at my wit's end."

"Believe me, I've done everything I can to calm her down as well.", the crimson-haired girl responded, "Well, not everything, but at least everything you allow me to do. If you catch my drift."

"R-Ruby!", Weiss exclaimed and blushed immediately.

"See: She's gotten back some color.", Ruby told her sister with a grin, "I'm awesome."

"Dolt.", the heiress grumbled.

"Your dolt.", the younger girl responded, still smiling.

"Yeah... My dolt.", Weiss nodded and gave her girlfriend a soft, yet affectionate kiss.

"Better?", Ruby asked after they had parted.

"A little...", the white-haired girl answered honestly, "But I'm still incredibly nervous. I mean, I don't want your father to just like me. I want to show him that I'm the perfect match for his youngest daughter."

"Well, you are.", the crimson-haired girl reassured her girlfriend, "Therefore, you just have to be yourself, am I right?"

"Was that an attempt to use logic against me?", Weiss asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe...", Ruby responded, "Did it work?"

"Let's just change the topic.", the heiress sighed.

They soon arrived at their dorm room.

"Come on, Weissicle.", Yang groaned, "We're gonna miss our airship. Dad has made a reservation for dinner, so we have to be... oh my gosh, I never thought it would be me saying that someday... punctual."

"Don't rush me.", the heiress shot back while rummaging through her suitcase, "I just want to make sure I've packed everything I need one last time."

"You've packed five days ago, checked your luggage every evening from that day on, and haven't taken anything out.", the blonde reminded her teammate and slung her own duffel bag over her shoulder, "You have everything you need. Besides psychological therapy, that is. Now get your butt in gear. There are spare ribs with chili cheese fries and coleslaw and a chocolate stout waffle sundae waiting for me at the Thrill Grill."

"Why do we have to take an airship right after class anyway?", Weiss asked annoyed and continued to toss around her belongings, "Blake has picked a flight for tomorrow."

"Well, that's because Blake has something really important to do and needs a little more time to prepare.", Yang explained.

"And I don't?!", the heiress yelled in exasperation.

"No, you don't.", the brawler responded nonchalantly, "Something we were trying to tell you for about a thousand times now. Believe me, once our dad notices how much you care about, love, and adore little Rubes here... which is, seriously, incredibly hard to miss... he'll start writing his wedding speech. No doubt about that."

"I guess we're not that far in our relationship yet.", Ruby mentioned and a faint blush crept to her cheeks.

"That won't stop him, though...", Yang responded with a shrug, approached Weiss, and slammed her suitcase shut, "You're done. Let's head out. No more stalling for time."

"I wasn't stalling for time.", Weiss... well, half-lied, "I just wanted to make sure everything's perfect before we reach the point of no return."

"Stop trying to be perfect all the time.", the blonde groaned, "That's the only reason you're freaking out. All that should matter to you is that you are perfect for Ruby, nothing else. That's all what's going to matter to Dad as well. You don't need to impress him or convince him of you with something else. So un-twist your panties and let's head to the airship docks."

She grabbed the suitcase and shoved it into Weiss' arms, then, she pushed her towards the door where Ruby was already waiting.

"Yang's right.", the crimsonette seconded with a comforting smile and took her lover's hand, "If Dad hasn't gone blind since the last time we saw him, he'll notice that there's no better girlfriend for me than you in no time."

Then, she leaned in and added in a whisper: "And don't worry about your panties... I'll help you un-twist them tonight."

"I still heard that.", the blonde grumbled monotonously.

"Awesome. Now I don't have to remind you to get some earplugs while we're in Patch.", the younger girl shot back with a challenging grin.

"I'm sleeping in the basement.", Yang sighed.

"Well then, we really should get going.", Ruby concluded, turned to Weiss, and received a (somewhat reluctant) nod, "Take care, Blake. And don't worry about your parents too much. I'm pretty sure they still love you and won't stop with that, no matter what."

"That's... probable.", the Faunus responded and gave her leader a friendly smile, "I'll keep you updated."

"Pinky promise?", the crimsonette asked and raised the aforementioned finger of her free hand, dropping her bag in the process.

"Pinky promise.", Blake sighed, but her grin grew the tiniest bit wider while she mimicked the younger girl's action.

"Yay!", Ruby chirped and scooped up her bag again, "It still feels weird that you aren't coming with us now that Weiss is. It'd be more fun if the whole team would be together."

"Maybe, after I've taken care of everything and spent a couple of days with my family, I'll catch up the last week or so.", the black-haired girl said, "Yang already asked me to do so."

"I almost thought so.", the young scythe-wielder giggled, "But don't feel pressured. Time with the family is important."

"I know.", Blake responded, "But you're my family as well."

"Aww...", Ruby cooed, her smile now reaching from ear to ear.

"Get going already.", the Faunus finally said, "If Yang misses her spare ribs, I'm pretty sure you won't hear the end of it for the whole semester break."

"She's god damn right about that!", the blonde piped up, "Alright, you two love birds. Time to get going."

Ruby and Weiss looked at each other and, with another nod and a squeeze of each other's hands, the heiress opened the door and the young couple stepped outside. Yang followed suit. But just when she stood in the door frame, she turned around one last time.

"Don't miss us too much.", she addressed her partner, "And call if something happens. Good or bad news... we're always there for you."

"I know. Thank you.", the black-haired girl responded with a warm smile, "For a second I thought you were going to make another lame joke."

"Wouldn't dream of it... given your current situation.", Yang said and a small smile already tugged at her lips, "Poor kitty... All alone in this empty, little dorm room now."

"To be honest, it is actually pretty nice to have the room for me from time to time.", Blake explained.

"I know exactly what that means.", the blonde exclaimed and a shit-eating grin appeared on her face.

"You're disgusting.", the Faunus sighed and rolled her eyes.

"And don't ever forget that.", Yang concluded, "Have fun reading." Then, she followed the White Rose duo into the corridor and the door fell shut behind her.

Blake stared at it for a while, then she glanced at the bookshelf. At the spot where she had hidden a certain novel, to be more precise. However, after about a minute of pondering, the raven-haired girl simply groaned and buried her head into her pillow.

Her stupid partner had killed her mood.

The last time the white-haired girl had sat in an airship had been wonderful. It had just been Ruby and her, cuddling and basking in the sweet, sweet afterglow of their date... and the concluding activities. This time, however, it was incredibly different. Even the cuddles from her girlfriend were. She wasn't receiving snuggles of affection right now – she was receiving snuggles of comfort. The reason for this circumstance was pretty obvious, though:

She was freaking out!

But then again, how couldn't she? In less than an hour, she would meet one of the most important people concerning her and Ruby's relationship. A man that was, albeit kind and understanding, at least as overprotective as the crimsonette's sister. Weiss had needed months to convince Yang that she was good company for Ruby... and at least as long again to fully convince her that she was the right girlfriend for the younger girl.

And then, there was her secret.

That thing was definitely her biggest problem – no pun intended. Even if things went smoothly and the crimsonette's father accepted her, she'd still have to explain to him that she was a genetic... curiosity, so to speak, someday. And while Ruby and Yang had told her that their father would probably just be happy to have some grandkids someday upon hearing this, Weiss knew that it wouldn't be that easy. Her dick never made things easy... besides bringing her girlfriend pleasure.

Well, no need to rack her brain about that at the moment. Right now, it was still uncertain if she'd even come that far. First, she had to convince the sisters' father that she wasn't the usual Schnee, then that she was the perfect match for his daughter, and, of course, that she would never leave her, no matter what would happen – even from her own family's side.

A shiver ran down her spine, followed by a slightly stronger squeeze of a hand that was holding hers at the moment. The simple gesture made her relax a bit again. If it wasn't for Ruby, she would've lost her mind long ago, that was for sure. But then again, if it wasn't for Ruby, she wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

"Hey, Rubes. Look.", Yang suddenly exclaimed and pointed out of a bullseye, "Home, sweet home."

The crimsonette gave her girlfriend a comforting smile, stood up, and pulled Weiss up with her. Then, the young couple went to the other side of the airship and took a look.

What was probably a pretty ordinary sight to the crimsonette already was a mesmerizing one to the heiress. Through the bullseye, she saw a beautiful, remote island, with a small, yet quite charming (from what she could see from up here) town on what appeared to be the eastside. A beach surrounded the village and people would probably populate it if it wouldn't be winter. The center of the island was pretty hilly and apparently a bit rugged. A huge forest dominated Patch, from the outskirts of the town to the cliff coast of the west. Most of the island was covered in a pristine white blanket of snow.

"Quiet the view, huh, Weissicle?", Yang asked upon seeing her teammate's impressed look, "Could be yours someday if you don't screw up in a couple of minutes." She grinned at the white-haired girl. However, Weiss' reaction was a little different: Her eyes went wide and she went even paler than usual.

"Yaaang!", Ruby immediately said in a scolding tone of voice.

"Too soon?", the blonde asked and bit her lip.

"Make a guess...", the crimsonette grumbled and quickly started to soothe her girlfriend again.

"Well, she can't back out anymore anyway.", Yang said with a shrug, "And soon, it'll be over, regardless of the outcome."

"Yaaang!", Ruby repeated, "Stop it or I'll cut your hair in your sleep!"

"You wouldn't!", the blonde shot back.

"Dare to find out?", the younger girl simply responded.

"Fine, I'll stop.", Yang sighed, "But Weiss should know that I'm only joking. By the way, I thought a "Schnee never lost their composure.", as she always says. One of her family's qualities that don't suck..."

For some, to Ruby and Weiss completely unexplainable reason, that finally did the trick. Weiss took a deep breath, shuddered shortly... and calmed down again.

"You're right.", the heiress finally said, "A Schnee doesn't lose their composure. And a Schnee doesn't back down from a challenge. Your sister and our relationship are too important to me to let my own insecurities overwhelm me. Thanks for reminding me. I can do this."

She had barely finished her sentence when the airship began its landing approach. Weiss stepped to the bullseye again and took in the landscape once more. She seemed calm and collected... for the moment, that is.

"Wow...", Ruby whispered to her sister, "I never thought that this would work so well."

"I already had the assumption that it would.", Yang explained, quietly enough for only the crimsonette to hear, "I mean, even though Weiss has changed a lot... she's still Weiss. Polishing her ego was probably the best way to calm her down before she'd face Dad. I just don't know how long it'll last, so I saved up this one for the last minute."

"You're incredibly smart sometimes, you know that?", the younger girl responded with a grin.

"Of course.", the blonde said matter-of-factly, "And I want things to go well for you and your girlfriend. I mean, it was incredibly hard to figure out Weiss' weaknesses and how to push her buttons. If you'd settle for another future sister-in-law, I would have to start from scratch again."

"You know that I don't want any other girl than Weiss.", Ruby sighed, yet, her grin didn't falter, "But... thank you."

"You're welcome, baby sis.", Yang responded, a little mockingly, "What would you do without me?"

"Banging my girlfriend in the dorm room while Blake would be in the library.", the crimsonette responded dryly.

"Touché.", the brawler said, "But I know you still love me."

"Enforcedly.", Ruby answered with a giggle, but then, her tone of voice shifted, "But... please... don't make this harder for me 'n Weiss than it already is. No jokes, no innuendos, no nothing. Until we break the news to Dad. I want things to go smoothly... and I want Dad to like Weiss from the start."

"Come on, Rubes.", Yang said soothingly, "I would never interfere with something that important. But after everything is taken care of, you'll face my wrath a thousandfold."

"What's with the whispering?", Weiss suddenly asked, "Anything I should know about?" A bit of concern appeared on her face again.

"Nope.", the blonde reassured her teammate, "Just arguing about who's gonna eat more at the Thrill Grill. Want to place a bet? Maybe even on yourself?"

"I'll pass.", the heiress sighed, "It's already going to be a success for me if I'm able to eat anything at all."

"With that attitude, you'll never get your picture on the Wall of Suffering.", Yang giggled, "If you really want to impress our dad, that'd be the best measure."

"In contrast to you, I'm looking forward to a nice, civilized dinner with your and Ruby's father.", Weiss explained.

"Oh boy... this is going to be so much fun.", the brawler said with a grin, "Little Weissicle trying to maintain proper table manners while we're going to eat like it's gonna be forbidden tomorrow."

"Yang... be nice.", Ruby immediately cut off her sister's ramblings, "Even I'll eat properly this time. I'm even gonna eat my fries with a fork."

"Y-you monster...", Yang exclaimed in feigned shock.

"And you're gonna do that, too. End of discussion.", the crimsonette continued, "This is important. Dad's first dinner with his future daughter-in-law."

Upon hearing this, the white-haired girl blushed almost as red as her girlfriend's namesake. But then again, the younger girl was right about that. After all, the only thing Weiss hadn't decided yet was when to propose to her.

"Urgh... fine.", the blonde groaned defeated... she knew that there wasn't any room to argue, "But, please, break the news to Dad quickly. I reeeaaally don't know if I can handle more than one day without any jokes, puns, teasing Weiss, and eating like a savage."

"We should wait until the last day of the semester break before we tell Dad about us.", Ruby told her girlfriend, snickering, "That way, we'll have a tame Yang for almost four weeks."

"As lovely as this sounds... I also want to get this over with as fast as possible.", Weiss explained, "Additionally, I reeeaaally don't know if I can handle more than one day without kissing you whenever I want."

"Good point.", the crimsonette admitted, "I doubt that I can do that, either."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.", a voice sounded through the cabin, "We've just been cleared to land at Signal Airport at Patch. Please return to your seats, fasten your seat belts, and make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. All on-carry luggage has to be stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you for your collaboration and prepare for landing."

"Well then...", Yang said and buckled up, "About time if you ask me. I'm bored and hungry. A deadly combination..."

"So, umm... how are we going to get to your home?", Weiss suddenly asked, "Are we taking a cab... or is it just a short walk?"

"Nope.", the blonde explained nonchalantly, "Dad's picking us up at the airport in his truck. Then, we'll head straight for the restaurant."

"What?!", the heiress exclaimed in shock, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"How is this important?", Yang simply asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me?!", the white-haired girl yelled, "I thought I had at least a little more time to make myself look presentable. Like... in a public restroom or something. I-is my makeup okay?" With these words, she grabbed her purse and headed for the airship's restroom.

"You are already beautiful.", Ruby cat-called, "Stop freaking out, Snowflake... Please?"

However, her plea fell on deaf ears.

"We were ordered to remain seated and to fasten our seat belts!", Yang exclaimed teasingly, "And rules are rules."

"Screw the rules.", Weiss shot back, "I jumped around a collapsing ruin on my second day at Beacon without getting a single bruise. I'm pretty sure that I'll be fine." Then, the heiress entered the restroom and the door fell shut behind her.

"She's not wrong, you know.", the crimsonette told her sister with a shrug.

"Let's just hope she won't poke her eye out with her eyelash curler...", Yang responded.

The airship touched the ground with a soft thud – the girls had finally arrived. Yang was relieved, Ruby excited, and Weiss... well, she still had a lot of mixed feelings about the whole situation. In a couple of minutes, she would meet her girlfriend's father... and then she had to shine. But she knew she could do this. She had to. Unlike her own father, they would have to see Ruby's dad a lot more often. Therefore, her first impression had to be flawless.

The three Huntresses-in-training grabbed their luggage and stepped outside once the airship's hatch was open. They were greeted by the crisp winter air and the faint smell of salt and sea. While Patch's airport was comparatively small, it sure was busy. However, Weiss quickly saw someone waving at them. The description she had gotten from Ruby and Yang fit perfectly.

The man had blond, tousled hair, a soul patch, and, if Weiss saw correctly from that distance, blue eyes. He was dressed in a tan shirt, a brown leather vest, and a brown coat – it was winter, after all. However, despite the cold, we still wore cargo shorts, as well as shoes that definitely weren't cut out for walking through snow sludge... but then again, Weiss was wearing heels, so she wasn't one to judge. As expected from a Huntsman, he also wore a metal spaulder, a leather vambrace, and a brown, fingerless glove on his right, currently waving arm. The other one held a sign which read: "Welcome home from prison, girls!"

So that was Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Very funny, Dad...", Ruby sighed upon seeing his sign.

"If we take Oobleck's history lessons into account, he's not that far off.", Yang chuckled.

"You may have a point here.", the crimsonette giggled, "Well then... time to face the music. Are you ready, Weiss?"

"As ready as can be.", the heiress responded, straightened herself, and approached the sisters' father alongside her teammates.

'There's no turning back now...', she thought determined.

Chapter Text

"Hey, girls!", Taiyang yelled the moment the group of three was within earshot, "Welcome home from prison!"

"We can read the sign, Dad!", Ruby yelled back, "And thanks for embarrassing us in front of Weiss before you've even met her."

"You're welcome, Rubes.", the blond man laughed, scooped up the crimsonette effortlessly once she was within reach, and gave her a bone-crushing hug, "Aww, I missed my baby girl."

"D-dad...", said girl struggled, "A-air..."

'That already explains a lot about Yang.', Weiss pondered while she watched her girlfriend being suffocated.

"And what about me?", the brawler pouted, "I might not be as cute as Ruby but I'm still your daughter, too."

"How inconsiderate of me.", Tai joked, dropped the younger girl (who was incredibly thankful for that), and gave Yang the same treatment.

Well, not exactly the same. This time, Weiss heard a crackling sound – apparently, the blond Huntsman had held back a bit while hugging Ruby. The heiress was sure that if he would hug her that way, she would just snap like a twig.

"And you must be Weiss, huh?", Taiyang suddenly addressed her and let go of Yang, who stretched herself to ease the pain in her back, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Ruby had already told me a lot about you. Only good things, of course."

He held out his hand and gave the heiress a warm smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too, sir.", Weiss responded politely and shook the hand in front of her.

"Urgh... please don't use this word ever again.", the blond man groaned in feigned pain, "Makes me feel old... And we're not going to start with this Mr. Xiao Long stuff either, alright? I'm Taiyang... or Tai for short. These are your two options, got it?"

"O-of course, si... umm, Taiyang.", the heiress corrected herself, "Sorry." To her, it felt incredibly weird to address an adult she didn't even know with his first name.

"No need to apologize." the blond Huntsman said, "I know it's a big conversion for a lot of people. But you'll soon come to know that I'm handling a lot of things a little differently. Isn't that right, girls?" He gave his daughters a goofy grin.

"Unfortunately...", Ruby mumbled, only loud enough for Weiss to hear and a faint blush of embarrassment crept to her cheeks. Yang only shrugged.

"Well then, you must be starving.", Taiyang suddenly changed the topic, "Since the last semester break if Beacon's cafeteria grub hasn't changed over the last... couple of years." It was obvious that he avoided using an exact number on purpose.

"You know us. We're always starving.", the blonde shot back with a grin, "Rubes here is still a growing girl and I need a lot of energy for these babies." She flexed her bicepses for emphasis, even though her impressive muscles couldn't be seen under her coat's sleeves.

"And what about our guest?", the sisters' father asked politely.

"I'm quite hungry as well.", the white-haired girl answered honestly.

"Great.", Taiyang exclaimed, "I've booked a table at the Thrill Grill. An amazing place, even though it's probably not what you're used to, Weiss. Think of it like it's an awesome restaurant on the moon."

"On the moon?", Weiss asked confused before her teammates could tell her not to fall for it.

"Dad? No!", Ruby said quickly and firmly.

"Please don't...", Yang sighed.

"Great food, no atmosphere.", Taiyang delivered the punchline, laughing out loudly and causing both of his daughters to groan in annoyance.

'Oookay...', the heiress thought, even though she forced herself to smile a bit, 'Apparently, Yang and Ruby weren't exaggerating when they warned me about the dad jokes.'

"I actually visited the Thrill Grill in Vale with Ruby about a week ago.", Weiss explained, "At first, I was a bit... caught off guard by the establishment, but I soon came to know that the food it serves is pretty tasty."

"Wow. Ruby managed to drag you to a place like this?", Taiyang asked surprised before realizing what he had said, "N-no offense, though."

"None taken. I know it's not what one would expect of a Schnee.", the heiress said nonchalantly, "Actually, it was me who chose it. Ruby and I... umm, we... well..."

'Oh no! What have I done?!', the white-haired girl panicked inwardly, 'What do I say now? I can't tell him that we were on a date out of the blue! Excuse, now! Something about... urgh, come on, Weiss. Think, damn it!'

"We were having a girls' night out and she booked a table at some steak place she found on the web since she wanted to do me a favor.", the crimsonette quickly saved her girlfriend, "She actually had something way fancier in mind. You should've seen the look on her face when she saw it." She finished with a somewhat mischievous giggle to conceal her own nervousness.

"I was just surprised. Stop exaggerating.", Weiss sighed in feigned annoyance, yet, she shot her girlfriend an incredibly thankful glance, "But I guess I wouldn't have chosen the place if I would've known it better beforehand. I just went with the good reviews."

"I hope you came to the conclusion that they're all justified.", Taiyang said and grabbed the luggage of the girls. The two overstuffed bags from his daughters in his left hand, as well as the heiress' heavy suitcase in his right, didn't seem to cause him any exertion at all.

"The menu is a bit too meat-heavy for my tastes but the food was quite enjoyable, nonetheless.", the white-haired girl responded.

"In that case: What are we waiting for?", the blond Huntsman said and started moving towards the parking lot, "Let's get your stuff and yourselves into the truck... if it hadn't rusted away by now, that is... and get going. Gas money's on you, by the way, hehe."

"No biggie... Weiss got that covered.", Yang grinned, "I'm pretty sure that..."

"Oh no, you aren't.", Tai interrupted his daughter, "Your teammate is our guest. And no matter how rich or poor anyone is... we're paying for our guests. We as in you since you brought her here. I can loan you some money if you're strapped for cash right now."

Upon seeing the white-haired girl's puzzled look, he added: "I'm just kidding, don't worry. My daughters get their allowance on the dot. Especially denying Ruby her cookie money would be a giant leap towards an early grave."

"Hey!", the crimsonette pouted, "I'm not that addicted to sweets."

"Are you trying to convince us... or yourself?", Yang retorted and her grin from earlier returned.

"Weiss! Say something!", Ruby asked her partner for backup.

"I wish I could object your sister...", the white-haired girl sighed, "I really do..."

"Told you so, Rubes.", the blonde brawler chuckled.

"Traitor.", the crimson-haired girl grumbled towards her girlfriend.

"Enough, girls. Be nice.", Taiyang said and loaded their luggage onto the bed of a yellow truck that definitely had seen better days, "Otherwise, you won't get any dessert. Besides Weiss, that is."

"You wouldn't!", Ruby and Yang exclaimed immediately.

"That remains to be seen.", the blond man responded, a shit-eating grin on his face the heiress had only seen on Yang's so far (another similarity, she noted), "Now get in already. The thoughts of steak, sweet potato fries, and tangy carrot slaw are haunting me since I woke up today."

The three girls wordlessly entered the truck.

"Oh, and one more thing.", the blond Huntsman suddenly said, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine, "Before we walk into the bar..."

"We duck...", Ruby and Yang groaned in unison, already knowing every single one of their dad's horrible jokes.

"You're no fun today.", Taiyang sighed and set the vehicle into motion.

The drive to the restaurant was pretty quiet, yet, not very peaceful... at least in Weiss' opinion. Luckily, Yang had taken the passenger seat and distracted her father with a couple of light and funny anecdotes they had experienced during the last few months. Ruby and Weiss were sitting in the back seat, barely saying anything. The young couple spent the majority of the time sending each other nervous or soothing glances. At the restaurant, they would finally tell the crimsonette's father that they weren't just ordinary teammates and partners anymore.

After a short, ten-minute drive, they reached their destination. Weiss quickly noticed that the restaurant looked almost exactly like the one in Vale, just one or two sizes smaller. But then again, since it was a chain, that had to be expected.

"Here we are.", Taiyang announced and pulled into the parking lot, "Thank goodness I booked a table. Look at all those cars. The place is definitely going to be packed."

"Packed still means that it'll take ages for us to get our food.", Yang sighed.

"I don't mind.", the blond Huntsman responded with a shrug, "That way, we can chat a little longer. I'm still pretty excited to hear everything that had happened during your semester... and if you can best my stories from the time I was a student."

"The mutant Grimm-story alone beats every single one of them already.", the brawler mentioned matter-of-factly, "And there are still a lot of others left that would easily kick your best story's butt. Especially a particular one." She gave the young couple in the backseat a discreet, yet smug glance.

"And that would be?", Tai asked curiously and raised an eyebrow.

"Ruby tells it better.", Yang said with a smirk, "Right, Rubes?"

"I-I'm cold and I'm starving. Let's head inside.", the crimsonette quickly stammered, "The story has time for later. First, I need something to eat."

With these words, she practically leaped out of the truck and dashed towards the restaurant's entrance. A couple of rose petals that fell into the snow sludge of the lot marked her path.

"What's with her all of the sudden?", her father asked confused.

"N-no idea.", Weiss responded and left the vehicle as well to catch up with her girlfriend... but not before she had given Yang an angry glare.

As already assumed by the sisters' father, the restaurant was completely crowded. Weiss only made out two empty tables, a reserved-sign on both of them. The other ones were laden with families, teenagers (some of them probably students of Signal Academy), and what seemed like a couple of regulars since they kinda didn't fit in with the rest of the guests. Most of them sat at the bar, though. The heiress was immediately reminded of the terrible joke.

The smell of grease and grilled meat and the sound of cutlery scraping over plates filled the air, as well as the mumbling of the other guests... just like in Vale. However, for some reason Weiss couldn't quite understand, this Thrill Grill felt a lot cozier. Maybe that was the case because it was smaller than the one in the capital. Or maybe she felt that way because she was here with Ruby's family... a real family. For a short moment, she even forgot her worries about telling Mr. Xia... Taiyang that she and his youngest daughter were a couple.

"Hey, Dad!", Yang suddenly piped up and pointed at a framed photo on a wall, among about ten others, "Still looking good on that one."

"Damn right, I do!", the blond Huntsman exclaimed proudly.

Weiss' gaze followed her teammate's finger and her eyes came to rest on the infamous Wall of Suffering Ruby had told her about on their date. And there, he was. Taiyang Xiao Long: in front of a colossal, empty plate, mouth, hands, and hair smudgy with grease and barbeque sauce, an expression on his face as if he was going to die in the next five minutes. Yet, the heiress could make out a small, triumphant grin through his pain. What had he eaten again to get his photo on the wall? A four-pound abomination of a steak in less than thirty minutes or something like that. Oh, and the damn fries!

"Tai! Kids!", a hoarse, yet cheerful voice suddenly addressed them, "Long time, no see, little imps."

Suddenly, an older woman with red hair (and a couple of grey strands within) appeared in front of them. She was wearing an apron with the logo of the Thrill Grill, a pink blouse, a grey pencil skirt, and rimless glasses.

"Will you ever stop calling us imps, Cherise?", Yang asked with a sigh, "We're taller than three feet now."

"Nope.", the woman, obviously a waitress, responded with a mischievous grin, "You'll always be my little imps. How's it going at Beacon?"

"Haven't gotten kicked out yet.", Ruby explained with a smile, "But then again, we still have two and a half years to go."

"Nuff time to do something stupid, right?", Cherise joked back, "Like father, like daughters."

"Qrow and I definitely told you way too much about our past when we had a couple of drinks here.", Taiyang groaned, "And just to remind you: We graduated."

"Barely... and only because your grades and mission count were rather good.", the waitress shot back and her grin grew a little wider.

"Can you just take us to our table?", the blond Huntsman sighed.

"Of course. How inconsiderate of me.", Cherise said with a chuckle, "Follow me. I'll get you the menus as fast as possible. Even though I highly doubt that anyone of you'll need them. Besides the little Schnee-heiress, that is."

"Wha... how...", Weiss asked surprised. Admittedly, she knew that she was kind of (in)famous. But she hadn't expected to be recognized in a place like Patch that easily. Ruby had had no idea who she was when they had met for the first time, after all.

"I'm just old, dear. Not senile.", the waitress responded, smiling, "Having a good time at Beacon as well? Or do you have another connection to my little imps?"

"Okay, now you really just wanna mess with us.", Yang grumbled.

"She's my partner.", Ruby explained, "And yeah... we're... h-having a pretty good time." Luckily, it was pretty warm, so her blush could be easily explained if anyone would be asking.

"Well then...", Cherise said conclusively, "Let's get you something to eat. If your dad's stories about Beacon's cafeteria are even remotely true, you're probably in dire need of it."

"Compared to Bruno's spare ribs, Beacon's grub tastes like sawdust.", the blonde brawler explained. Then, the Huntsman and the three girls followed the waitress to their table.

'Does everyone knows everyone in this town? Or has Ruby's family eaten here daily before she and Yang have left Patch?', Weiss wondered.

"Urgh... I definitely needed this...", Yang groaned, patted her slightly pudgy belly, and shoved a plate full of gnawed off bones away from her... next to another one. Subtract the time limit and the choice of dish and she would probably be just one pound of meat away from the Wall of Suffering.

"Ditto.", Ruby agreed and set her cutlery down. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth clean – she had even stuck to her promise and had eaten her fries with her fork, much to her father's confusion. Nevertheless, she still had eaten way more than a decent person in a restaurant should've.

"I am sated as well...", Weiss said and mimicked the crimsonette's actions, "For someone who usually isn't that fond of red meat, I kinda fear that I'll come here more often. If they add fish to the menu and cook it as good as this filet mignon, that's pretty much a given."

"I'm glad you liked it, girls.", Taiyang hummed and licked his fingers clean (needless to say, he and Yang had still eaten like savages), "Do you know how many times the thought of a nice steak at the Thrill Grill had kept me alive when I was out on a mission?"

"Every time?", Yang asked with a grin.

"Not exactly.", her father responded and shoved a stray sweet potato fry into his mouth, "But your assumption isn't that far off. Oh boy, I love this place."

"I absolutely agree with you...", Yang seconded, "I mean, we were even able to convince little Weissicle here. I'm pretty sure that must mean Bruno and his crew's doing something right."

Weiss just wanted to retort something... but a dainty hand that suddenly grabbed hers under the table stopped her dead in her tracks. Slender fingers entwined with hers, a thumb rubbed affectionately and soothingly over the back of her hand... Apparently, her girlfriend thought that it was time.

"Umm... D-dad...", Ruby began hesitantly, "A-about the things we love..."

"Was something wrong with your ragout?", the blond Huntsman asked.

"N-no. No. Everything was fine with my food.", the crimsonette responded quickly, "It's just... I... well, you see..."

"Aaand it's time for me to leave you alone.", Yang said and stood up, "If anyone's looking for me, you'll find me at the bar. Don't worry, I won't overdo it." With these words, the elder sister left the table.

"Oookay... I'm a little bit worried here now.", Taiyang admitted while watching the blonde girl leave, "What exactly are you trying to tell me? You didn't do anything stupid, right?"

"O-of course, I didn't!", Ruby exclaimed, "It's... it's just pretty big news and I don't know where to start." She was getting more nervous by the second. How, in all of Remnant's sake, should she tell her father? Slow and steady? Or just rip it off like a bandaid?

She shared an insecure look with Weiss and got one in return. It seemed like her girlfriend shared her helplessness.

"Well, you know what I think about such things.", the crimsonette's father explained, "Just get it out. The more you rack your brain about it, the more complicated it gets."

"It's... not that simple...", the crimsonette sighed. Hadn't she had a plan? Or had she wanted to improvise from the very beginning? She didn't know anymore. Her mind was completely empty.

"Ruby... listen to me.", Taiyang said soothingly, "Whatever it is, I promise you that I won't be mad at you. I'm pretty sure that I'm not even able to be mad at you."

"Okay...", the young girl sighed and took a deep breath, "I... umm... y-you know that I'm already seventeen, right?"

"Since your birthday was just a couple of months ago, I'm still aware of that.", the blonde Huntsman joked... but then he suddenly had a hunch of what his daughter probably wanted to talk about, "Oh, let me guess: There is a certain someone you suddenly have... interesting feelings for, correct?"

Upon hearing this, Ruby, as well as Weiss, blushed deeply. Luckily, Taiyang didn't notice the heiress' red cheeks... yet. He was also oblivious to the fact that Yang might have left but the white-haired girl was still seated – and that this probably was the case for a reason.

"Th-that's one way to put it.", the crimsonette admitted sheepishly.

"Oh no. Please tell me you're not pregnant.", her father suddenly said, even though he highly doubted that his daughter would be that careless.

"WHAT?!", Ruby exclaimed in shock (and Weiss almost joined in), "Where did you get this idea from?! I... I'm definitely not pregnant, okay?"

"Phew... thank goodness.", Taiyang sighed relieved, "Okay, back to the topic. You said there's someone you like. Who is he?"

That was it: The moment of truth. She had to correct her father now and tell her that it was actually a girl she wasn't just interested in but already together with... for almost half a year now. But how should she do this?

Fortunately, her girlfriend got her back.

"Sh-she... actually sits right next to your daughter at the moment.", Weiss said carefully and raised their entwined hands from under the table. At the sudden answer and action, Ruby's eyes went wide. Considering that the heiress had been a complete basket case the whole week, the crimsonette would've never expected such a bold action.

"S-Snowflake...", Ruby managed to croak out, then, her eyes darted back to her father... who seemed to be absolutely speechless.

"Sooo... you two are already together, it seems.", Taiyang said after a couple of seconds, "For how long?"

"For almost half a year now.", the crimson-haired girl admitted coyly, "I-I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner but I didn't know how you would react when you hear that I'm dating a girl. Also, I thought it would be best to tell you something that important face to face and not just via Scroll or in a letter."

"Half a year, you say...", Taiyang pondered and scratched his soul patch, then, he turned to Weiss, an unreadable expression on his face. The heiress gulped audibly and squeezed the crimsonette's hand a little tighter. But what came next caught her (and her girlfriend) completely off guard.

"And Ruby hasn't driven you crazy yet?", the blond man asked in feigned disbelief, "That definitely makes you one of the toughest people I know." Then, another shit-eating grin appeared on his face.

Needless to say, both girls were utterly confused... or rather, perplexed. Nope, that would still be an understatement.

"What's with the weird looks?", Taiyang wondered, his smile shifting from smug to comforting, "Did you expect me to freak out or something? Well, sorry to disappoint you."

"You... you don't mind?", Ruby asked.

"Pfft... of course, I don't.", her father responded with a shrug, "So my little girl likes girls. That's no biggie at all. I'm actually relieved. During your time at Signal Academy, your relationship with your weapon had me a little worried already."

"To be honest, that still hasn't changed that much!", Yang suddenly yelled from the bar.

"Yaaang!!! Stop eavesdropping!", Ruby and Weiss exclaimed in unison.

"Calm down, geez...", the blonde said and held up her hands defensively, "Everything's fine, after all. Told you so, by the way." Then, she turned around again, took a sip of her Strawberry Sunrise, and continued to talk to someone she apparently knew.

"Not everything.", Taiyang suddenly mentioned, which caught the young couple's attention, "There's still one thing that annoys me."

"A-and that would be?", Weiss asked, tensing up visibly. If the crimsonette's father was fine with his daughter being a lesbian, then it definitely had to do something with her in particular. Probably something very obvious.

"I'm a little miffed that you took so long to tell me, Ruby.", the Huntsman quickly solved the mystery, "I can't believe that my own daughter thought I would think any less of her just because she's interested in the same sex."

"That was mostly my fault, sir... umm, Taiyang.", the heiress said, sheltering Ruby from the blame, "My insecurities were the reason we didn't tell you about our relationship any sooner. I was told that you most certainly won't mind that your daughter loves another girl... but then again, my family name doesn't sit well with a lot of people. So I kinda... wanted to keep the fact that Ruby and I are a couple a secret for a while to come up with a plan to explain myself and to somehow show you that I'm nothing like my father... or my brother... Th-that I'm someone worthy of your daughter."

For a moment, the blond Huntsman just stared at the white-haired girl. At first, Weiss thought that she had said something wrong and she was just about to apologize again. But then... Taiyang just burst into laughter. The heiress didn't understand a single thing anymore.

The crimsonette's father needed a couple of seconds to regain his composure. Then, after seeing the white-haired girl's puzzled look, he began explaining.

"There are already a couple of things that make me pretty sure you are worthy, as you put it.", Tai explained comradely, "You worrying about it is one of them. But then again, you're worried about pretty stupid stuff. Your family name doesn't define you. You decide who you are, after all, not blood or legacy. "

"Yeah... Ruby told me that much already.", Weiss responded, giving her girlfriend a soft, loving smile and getting one in return.

"She can be pretty smart if she tries hard enough, can't she?", the blond man chuckled, ignored the crimsonette's annoyed Hey!, and continued, "The second indicator that you're good company for her is that she had chosen you... as simple as it sounds. I trust my daughter enough to pick someone she truly loves and who truly reciprocates the feeling. And, just in case you're worried about that, Ruby's too pure to be a gold digger."

"D-dad!", the crimson-haired girl exclaimed, utterly shocked.

"Relax, relax... I was only kidding.", Taiyang said conciliatorily and turned back to Weiss, "Which brings me to point three... another pretty simple one. You have chosen her. I know that Ruby can be pretty difficult at times, is incredibly nerdy, and way too hyper, especially if you leave any sugary food unguarded. Therefore, and please don't get this the wrong way, if someone of your upbringing and history is willing to put up with that, there has to be more to it than just physical attraction or whatever. Especially after almost half a year. I'm probably seeing things a little pragmatic here, but still. I like to think that I'm making a little sense here."

"I guess...", the heiress answered. After all, she had never wanted anyone besides Ruby. Not just because of her secret... but simply because it was Ruby. It wasn't that she hadn't allowed herself any feelings for someone else. She simply hadn't had any so far. And then, this crimson-haired girl had sneezed her way into her life. The thought alone made Weiss smile.

"You're thinking about her right now, am I right?", the crimsonette's father asked, noticing her expression and shaking the white-haired girl out of her trance, "Point four: That... and the glance you two shared earlier, after... point one, I think. Call me an old romantic but when someone looks at their beloved like that, I'm pretty sure the relationship is meant to last... even after just half a year."

"Only a small fraction of the time we will be happy together.", the heiress said tenderly and, in a fit of boldness, gave her girlfriend a soft kiss. Needless to say, the crimsonette immediately returned it and, even though it was rather short and pretty chaste, it spoke volumes about the feelings they had for each other. When the young couple parted, they stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds again. And, for this short moment, nothing else existed for them in this world besides them.

"Definitely looks like it.", Taiyang said gently, causing both girls to return to reality, "I had someone who looked at me the exact same way... long ago." A sad smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah, I remember... faintly...", Ruby responded, suppressing a small snivel.

"A-anyway...", Taiyang quickly changed the topic, "I hope my little explanation made at least one thing clear: I'm incredibly happy for the two of you and I'm absolutely sure that you will make each other happy as well. Aaand I hope that all of your fears and worries have vanished now and we can just have a nice vacation together as long as you're here."

"Yes...", Weiss said with a beaming smile, "Thank you... Tai..."

"Wanna call me Dad already?", the blond Huntsman joked, "Or is it still a little too early for that?"

"That should probably wait until Ruby and I are actually married.", the heiress responded, then, a frown appeared on her face, "And before that is going to happen, we still have to tell my parents about our relationship. And I don't think I have to mention that my father will definitely be... less accepting, to put it kindly."

"We'll find a way to convince him that I'm the right one for you.", Ruby comforted her girlfriend, "And even if he won't accept our relationship, we will stay together... No matter who won't let us."

"Yeah, we will.", Weiss said determinedly.

"What have I just told you about fears and worries?", Taiyang asked, "You're on vacation, so let's just live. How about, instead of racking your brains about something you can't do anything about right now, you tell me how the two of you've gotten together. You can skip the intimate details if you want to, though."

At that statement, Ruby and Weiss quickly blushed in a deep shade of red.

"So there are already some, huh?", the blond Huntsman laughed upon seeing the two girls' flustered expressions, "Don't worry, I've been a teenager myself at some point in my life and I know exactly that being young and in love involves more than just going to the movies together."

Upon hearing this, the couple relaxed again... a bit.

"And while there's probably no father that wants to hear in detail what his daughter and her lover do in the bedroom, at least I don't have to worry about unplanned pregnancy now.", Taiyang joked conclusively. It had been an attempt to lighten the mood a little further. He couldn't have known that he just had made this conversation a million times more awkward.

"Hehe... r-right... nothing to worry about in that department.", Ruby laughed nervously and gave her girlfriend, who had visibly tensed up again, a nudge with the knee under the table.

"Y-yeah...", Weiss said while trying to stop her body from trembling, "I-It's not like I have the required equipment to make this happen, that's for sure." At this statement, Taiyang raised an eyebrow. Ruby noticed it and leaned over to her girlfriend a bit.

"What are you doing?", she whispered through clenched teeth.

"I don't know, help me.", Weiss shot back in a whisper as well.

"Something the matter, girls?", Taiyang asked confused.

"Nothing!", Ruby and Weiss yelped in unison. If only someone would diffuse this ugly situation...

"I've overdonnit!", Yang suddenly half-exclaimed and half-slurred and slumped down on her chair again, "Not mah fault, though... Blame Marcus..."

"Who's Marcus?", Weiss quickly asked to change the topic.

"Bruno's son.", the brawler explained, "He got me sloshed with a couple o' drinks on the house 'cause he wannet to hear about the stuff we went through at Beacon. The whole mutant Grimm-story alone was about two Strawberry Sunrises long... and I guess I gotta lil' carried away after that..."

"And you really had to chug all of the drinks he offered you?", the heiress sighed.

"Of course, Weissicle.", the blonde stated matter-of-factly, "Would've been unpolite... impolite? Not polite to refuse and let them go to waste, don't you think?"

"I blame your uncle's bad influence for that.", Taiyang groaned, "The first day of the semester break and you're getting drunk... unbelievable. Take a page out of Ruby's book and bring a girlfriend along instead of a hangover."

"Sorry, Dad. But I like the ones with the dicks.", Yang explained, but then, she shot Weiss a glance and a mischievous grin appeared on her face, "However, I've come to know recently that it is possible to..."

Suddenly, there was a loud thump under the table.

"OWWW!!!", the blonde exclaimed in pain, "That was my favorite shin."

"What happened?", Taiyang asked, confused yet again.

"Nothing.", Ruby said with emphasis, "Yang was just about to tell a stupid inside joke she promised me not to make anymore. Isn't that right, sis?"

"Do your boots have a steel toe-cap?", the blonde groaned and rubbed her shin under the table.

"Make a guess.", the crimsonette responded with a sugar-sweet smile.

"Well, I don't have to know and understand everything, after all.", the sisters' father said with a shrug, "Anyway, how about we head home? You're probably tired, especially after the last day of classes, the flight, and a heavy meal on top of that."

"Why should we head home already?", Yang asked, "The night's still young."

"But we're in Patch.", Ruby mentioned, "The only three establishments that are open longer than ten o'clock are the pub across the street, the pub at the port, and the gas station."

"Pub sounds nice.", the blonde grinned.

"Don't you think that you had enough already?", Weiss sighed, "I for one am absolutely exhausted... mostly mentally... since last week. I don't mind turning in early tonight."

"Yeah... me, too.", Ruby seconded, "We've taken care of everything we wanted to today anyway. Right, Snowflake?"

"Right, Rose Petal.", the heiress responded with a soft smile.

"Aww... original pet names already.", Taiyang chuckled, making both girls blush.

The blond Huntsman paid for their meal and the group of four left the restaurant. On their way out, Weiss quickly grabbed her girlfriend's hand and entwined their fingers. It felt good to do so... and she felt pride well up in her chest. Everybody should know what a beautiful and amazing girlfriend she had managed to get herself.

The drive to the Rose-Xiao Long residence was a whole lot more relaxed than the one to the restaurant. The young couple even cuddled a little in the back seat this time – as in Weiss rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder and snuggled up to her affectionately. Both girls were incredibly glad that they had told the crimsonette's father about their relationship that soon and, of course, that he was so accepting. After all, that meant that they could be close to each other all the time (as long as they didn't overdo it, that is) and nobody would mind. No Cardin, no other homophobes, and especially no one that would rat on her to her father. Just people who minded their own business, maybe just because they knew Ruby and her family here.

Patch was really beautiful, Weiss noticed once more... She wouldn't mind moving to the island once she and her Rose Petal were married and they had graduated from Beacon. Teaching at Signal or even a couple of courses at Beacon (it was just ninety minutes by air, not even half the time with a Bullhead), going on missions from time to time, a business trip to Atlas every couple of weeks to manage the SDC once she was in charge, working from home otherwise... A cozy, little home to raise their children, a garden, a sandpit, and a swing in the backyard... Life would be perfect here.

Her little fantasy was confirmed even more when Taiyang's truck finally pulled into the driveway of her girlfriend's home: It was a cozy cabin, with flower pots next to the front door. Some of them were empty since it was winter, but Weiss could make out a couple of rose bushes that fiercely stood up to the cold. Would that be the house they would raise their future children in? Or would they get their own, cozy little cabin, the heiress wondered.

But then again, if Ruby wanted to rent or buy an apartment in Vale, that would be fine with Weiss as well. As long as they were together, they could even live in a dumpster under a bridge. Okay, maybe something a little less extreme, but still...

"Home sweet home." Taiyang cheered and parked the vehicle, "I hope you haven't missed your old rooms too much, kids... since I made a gym out of both of them. Don't worry, I'm kidding. How about you, Weiss? I hope a small, cozy house is a nice change of pace rather than a disappointment."

"The mansion I grew up in was cold, distant, and, to be honest, more a prison than a home.", the white-haired girl responded matter-of-factly, "This place, however... already feels comfortable even from the outside."

"Then you should definitely see the inside.", Ruby chirped... and added in a whisper, "And my bedroom in particular." Needless to say, upon hearing her girlfriend's bold statement, the color of Weiss' cheeks quickly rivaled the one of her girlfriend's cloak. Luckily, nobody else had heard what the crimsonette had just said.

"I guess comfortable is the best way to describe it.", the blond Huntsman said and exited his truck, followed by his daughters and his guest, "I never understood why people need a mansion or something like that... no offense, though. All you need is a couple of bedrooms... or child's rooms, a bathroom, a living-kitchen area, a party area in the basement, no objections, and a workshop slash garage. That pretty much covers everything, am I right? But then again, the people in Vale manage to live in way smaller apartments, so maybe I'm a little spoiled as well."

"No... it's perfect.", Weiss simply said and whispered, mostly to herself and the crimsonette, "Already... and for later." She pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug and gently pressed her lips to the crimsonette's cheek.

"Looks like the folding cot I set up in Ruby's bedroom was a pretty pointless thing to do.", Taiyang sighed with a chuckle, "But then again, who could've known my youngest child would bring home a girlfriend instead of a teammate."

"Yeah... who could've known that this was meant to happen...", the crimson-haired girl confirmed affectionately and returned the kiss to her girlfriend's cheek.

"I think I'm gonna puke...", Yang groaned, "And not because of the booze. I can hold my liquor."

"I don't know if that should make me proud or disappointed.", Taiyang responded. Then, he fished his keys out of his pocket and opened the front door.

They were finally home.

Chapter Text

Taiyang and the three girls had barely entered the house before they were already greeted by a happy bark.

"ZWEI!!!", Ruby beamed and immediately crouched down to scoop up the little corgi, "Oh, Imissedyousomuch! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Yes, you are."

"My turn!", Weiss chirped and snatched the joyful, yet slightly confused dog out of her girlfriend's hands, "I'm sooo looking forward to cuddling with you without any Grimm, trains, or bad guys around!"

"You and Ruby can cuddle with each other.", Yang suddenly addressed the heiress and stole the corgi from her, "Therefore, it's only fair if I get to keep Zwei."

"Girls... girls... relax.", Taiyang tried to appease them, "There's enough Zwei for everybody. And there will still be enough of him tomorrow. So how about you go to your rooms, settle in, and get some rest? You probably gonna need it anyway since we're gonna start the next day early. I have a lot of stuff planned for tomorrow to show our guest around."

"I'm still keeping him.", the brawler said determined and squeezed the corgi to her chest. Unfortunately, Zwei used this opportunity to turn around and lick her face, which caused Yang to giggle, undermining the bit of authority she was trying to show.

"Fine then... But I will definitely claim the snuggles that are due to me tomorrow.", Weiss relented, but then, she wrapped her arm around Ruby's waist and pulled her close, "But then again, I guess my most important cuddles are waiting for me elsewhere anyway." She gave her girlfriend an affectionate smile and, of course, got one in return.

"I know you're probably tired of the joke about the two of you giving me diabetes...", Yang sighed, "But you're practically forcing me to make it over and over again."

"You're just jealous because I have something way better to snuggle up to.", the crimsonette responded and poked her tongue out at her sister, but then, she added quietly, "Sorry, Zwei. But I'm trying to make a point here."

"Oh... I definitely know what you mean with...", the blonde began with a shit-eating grin but was quickly interrupted.

"Get your mind out of the gutter.", the heiress hissed, "As long as your sister is near me, I don't need anything else and I'm as happy as can be. The... other stuff is just the icing on the cake. A welcome, yet inessential addition. And don't you dare to address it anymore." Then, she gave her teammate an angry, yet somewhat pleading look... since there was still a major detail that was left to be told.

Of course, Yang immediately understood, even though she was still a little tipsy. But then again, she would never dare to spill Weiss' secret to anybody. After all, they weren't just teammates. They were best friends. And they were definitely going to be sisters-in-law in the future. Therefore, she gave the white-haired girl a comforting smile and nod.

"Relax, Weissicle. As always, I'm just messing with the two of you.", the blonde said conciliatorily, "But you still make it way too easy to tease you. I thought... no, I know you have gotten a little more thick-skinned by now, so I was expecting a witty retort."

"I have gotten more resistant to your annoying jokes...", the heiress sighed, "But we've just broken the news to your father a couple of hours ago. And while I'm incredibly glad that he's so accepting about everything... even some, well, mature aspects... I won't tolerate that you're trying to depict us as some sex-crazed freaks who can't keep their hands to themselves for a single night. Ruby and I are better than that."

"You have your own room now, though.", Yang mentioned and her grin returned.

"A-as if this is going to change anything.", Weiss exclaimed while blushing, "At Beacon, Ruby and I still don't just pounce on each other once you and Blake had left the room."

"Mostly because we have no idea when they'll return.", the crimsonette whispered into her girlfriend's ear and the white-haired girl's blush intensified, "But I get your point: Just cuddling with you is absolutely wonderful already."

"I love you so much, Ruby.", the heiress whispered back tenderly and kissed the younger girl softly.

"Likewise.", the crimsonette responded after they had parted.

"Any more of this and I definitely need a shot of insulin.", the blonde groaned and averted her gaze.

"Yang, be nice.", her father addressed her, "You'll have more than enough time to annoy your sister and her girlfriend in the future. And now all of you take your luggage and hit the hay. Breakfast will be ready at eight o'clock tomorrow and we definitely don't have enough bathrooms for three girls in case you want to sleep in if we want to stick to my schedule."

"Alrighty, then.", Ruby chirped, grabbed her bag and Weiss' suitcase, and offered her arm to her girlfriend to latch onto, "Let's go to my room. I'll give you a tour of the whole house tomorrow."

"Sounds lovely, Rose Petal.", the heiress said with a sweet smile, tucked her arm into the crimsonette's, and followed her up the stairs.

"Oh, Weiss and Rubes?", Tai suddenly addressed the young couple with a mischievous grin, "If you want to... y'know... please place a sock over the doorknob, okay?"

Needless to say, the two girls blushed as red as the crimsonette's namesake immediately while Yang (as well as the blond man) burst into roaring laughter.

"DAD!!!", Ruby yelled, utterly embarrassed.

"S-sorry, R-rubes.", Taiyang tried to verbalize through his howling, "But... s-seriously. Yang's right: You two make this waaay to easy."

"C-come on, Weiss. We're leaving!", the crimsonette pouted and pulled her girlfriend up the stairs.

'Okay... I definitely can't blame Yang for her awful behavior anymore.', the heiress thought, 'She never had a chance...'

Ruby's room was way tidier than Weiss had expected. Admittedly, there were a lot of spare weapon parts, but they were neatly organized in a lot of different boxes in a separate shelf. A video game console was hooked onto an old TV on a stand, a rather plain wardrobe stood in the corner, and a desk full of weird drawings, most of them probably some kind of blueprints, was occupying the other corner. In the last one stood a single bed with colorful bedclothes which showed some weird people who were either some comic book superheroes or video game characters. Next to it was the already mentioned folding cot... which they won't be needing anyway.

"Well... that's my reign.", Ruby told her girlfriend with a shrug and a faint blush, "I know the bedclothes are pretty immature but I wasn't expecting company in here that soon. Oh, and sorry about the weapon stuff. Most of it is in the garage anyway since the storage space in here is waaay to small."

"Are you serious?", Weiss asked in disbelief, "There are already enough weapon parts in here to build an arsenal for a whole new team and this is only the tip of the iceberg?"

"Please don't condemn me, Snowflake.", the crimsonette whined in feigned agony, "If anything, it's your fault. You knew what you've gotten yourself into from the very beginning."

"Yup... I knew.", the heiress said with a loving smile, "I knew the woman I chose to spend the rest of my life with would be a complete weapon nerd, and a sweets-addict, and pretty much an absolute dolt at times. About as much as I am one. And yet, I wouldn't want it any other way. Because it's you." With these words, she quickly grabbed her girlfriend by her waist again and pulled her in for another soft, but this time way more passionate kiss.

It took Ruby about two seconds to force her tongue into the white-haired girl's mouth and barely after that, they were making out passionately. Finally, they could cut loose a little... just like they had been able to in their old, private room at Beacon. No prying eyes of their teammates, or the crimsonette's dad, or anybody. Just them... and their passion.

The moment Weiss felt a hand squeeze her butt, a squeaky moan escaped her throat. She didn't particularly want to let things escalate so soon, yet, her own limbs suddenly acted on their own as well. Dainty fingers crept under Ruby's skirt and grabbed a handful of immaculate buttcheek themselves. She applied just a bit of pressure and the sound that left her girlfriend's lips sent a shiver down her spine. Needless to say, a certain part of her body quickly responded to their actions... and the heiress' panties suddenly felt considerably tighter.

Therefore, she jammed on the brakes.

"W-wait, R-ruby.", Weiss stammered after she had gathered enough willpower to finally pull away from these ridiculously soft and warm lips, "D-don't you think we should stop here... at least for now?"

"What? Why?", the crimsonette whined with a pout and the sound almost broke the white-haired girl's heart, "It's been sooo long. I want to be close to you again. That kind of close." Admittedly, it had been barely a week, but then again, they were young and in love... and had a lot of urges.

"I know... but...", the heiress sighed, "Let's just... keep a low profile for now, okay? Please? At least until we've settled in a little."

"Three days tops.", Ruby grumbled and rested her head against her girlfriend's forehead, "But I guess I understand you, Snowflake. We don't want Dad to discover your secret the way Yang and Blake did, after all."

"Exactly.", Weiss responded, "So please, try to bear with me and my insecurities a little longer, Rose Petal. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as I can." Then, she gave the crimsonette a soft, loving smile.

"That would be waaay easier if you wouldn't be so damn cute and sexy.", the younger girl said seductively and pressed her lips to her girlfriend's cheek, "But I'll try. No promises, though..."

"That's all I can demand from you. I know that you can barely resist my assets.", the heiress giggled, "After all, I feel the same. I mean, just thinking about your beautiful smile, sparkling eyes, perky breasts, perfect butt, and... whoa, w-wrong turn of thoughts." She quickly screwed her eyes shut and turned her gaze away on top of that to stop herself from peeking at... certain things... again.

"You really know how to make a lady feel beautiful, Snowflake.", Ruby chuckled and wriggled herself out of their embrace, even though she didn't actually want to. Then, she went to her bag and pulled out a set of pajamas as well as her toilet bag.

"Do we really need these?", she asked playfully and waved the tank top and white pants with the pink rose-print around.

"Yes, we do.", Weiss quickly said, fast enough before her mind could convince her to tell her girlfriend otherwise.

"Buzzkill.", the crimsonette sighed but complied, nonetheless, "Anyway, the bathroom's the second door to the right. Unpack and relax until I'm finished... unless you want to join me."

"Most certainly not!", the white-haired girl squeaked and her cheeks turned scarlet, "I-I mean... even my willpower has its limits. So, umm, d-do your thing and tell me once you're done."

"Fine then.", Ruby chirped and approached the door, making sure to sway her hips in the most seductive way possible, "But you're missing one hell of a show."

"J-just leave already.", Weiss groaned, "Or I can't guarantee anything."

"Well, I won't exactly mind...", the crimson-haired girl began but was quickly interrupted.

"Out with you!", the heiress demanded and crossed her legs to hide the obvious bulge that tented her skirt.

"As you wish, Snowflake.", Ruby giggled, blew her girlfriend a kiss, and exited the room.

After both girls had showered, brushed their teeth, and changed into their pajamas, they finally crawled into Ruby's bed. The folding cot had been stored away in a more or less vacant corner rather quickly. It won't be needed anyway. Fortunately, the young couple was already used to sharing a single bed since Beacon didn't offer anything else in that direction. But then again, it wasn't like the two girls needed to be forced to be close to each other. Quite the opposite, actually. That's what Yang was for...

Ruby had barely hit the mattress before a slender pair of arms snaked around her from behind and pulled her close. The crimsonette quickly grabbed the hands of them, entwined their fingers with her own, and let out a contented sigh. Soon, the room was enveloped in peaceful silence, the only things disturbing it being soft breathing and the occasional appreciative hum from a kiss, nibble, or squeeze. However, it only lasted for so long.

"Weiss...", Ruby suddenly whispered softly.

"Uh-huh...", the white-haired girl responded, already sleepy, but mostly distracted by tracing her lips across the back of her girlfriend's neck as well as by the smell of roses and strawberry-scented shampoo that constantly filled her nostrils.

"C-can I ask you something?", the crimsonette continued and looked at the heiress over her shoulder, "J-just hypothetically, of course."

"I really don't like how serious you sound right now, Rose Petal...", Weiss sighed and pressed another kiss to the soft flesh of the younger girl's neck, "And I guess my worries are justified, right?"

"It's just that I was thinking...", Ruby started, "I know this is your own business... and I really, really don't want to force you to do things you're uncomfortable with. And it definitely doesn't need to happen tomorrow, or something like that, or even during this vacation. And I know that even if my dad is a pretty cool and understanding person and all that jazz, and I'm pretty sure that he'll be fine with... it... he's still just a stranger to you and I absolutely understand that you still need some time to get a little... or, well, way more comfortable before you... umm, well... I was just wondering how you... or we... urgh... y'know? Not now, of course, but we have to tell him in the future and I was just thinking that if you, maybe... or... Why's this so difficult to verbalize, damn it?!"

"Relax, Ruby...", the white-haired girl said soothingly and gave her girlfriend's ear an affectionate nibble, even though her stomach was tying up in knots since she immediately knew what the crimsonette was talking about, "Just ask me what I probably know you want to ask me anyway..."

"Okay...", the crimsonette sighed and snuggled up even closer to the heiress for additional reassurance, "D-do you already have any idea how to tell my dad about... well, the other part of our relationship? About your secret?"

"Not a single one that's even remotely good...", Weiss admitted with a sigh, "I mean, this isn't something you can just bring up in a normal conversation."

"I know...", Ruby grumbled, "And I also know that you still need some time to open up to him. I definitely won't rush you, even though my dad is awesome."

"He most certainly is.", the white-haired girl admitted, "Albeit annoying sometimes, just like your sister. But he really feels like a... well, a dad."

Of course, the crimsonette immediately recognized her mistake.

"I-I'm sorry, Snowflake...", she quickly said, "I didn't want to..."

"It's okay.", Weiss reassured her girlfriend and pressed yet another kiss to the back of her neck, "We both know better than to call my bloodline a family. That's why I can't wait to finally be part of yours. But before this is going to happen, we have to come clean with your dad."

"Whenever this is going to happen, I promise that I'll be there for you.", Ruby responded softly, "We'll get through this together... like we always did so far."

"Thanks, Rose Petal.", the heiress whispered and pulled her girlfriend even closer to her body, "I love you."

"Love you, too.", the younger girl immediately answered, "How about we get some sleep now? Unless you have another idea to... maybe... take our minds off things."

"Sleep sounds good.", Weiss said, thankful that she could hide her blush in a mop of black-and-red hair, "We already talked about the other stuff. Over and over again, I might add."

"Yeah...", the crimsonette grumbled a little disappointed (but hey, she had to try at least), "Three days tops, as said."

"Three days tops, Ruby.", the white-haired girl reassured her, "I always keep my promises. Goodnight."

"G'night.", the younger girl whispered back, "Sweet dreams."

With these words, the two girls snuggled up as close as possible to each other and tried to get some shut-eye.

However, the crimsonette's last wish to her girlfriend wouldn't be without consequences...

The next morning, Ruby wasn't woken by her Scroll but by a rather powerful throb between her butt cheeks. The foreign object responsible for it was huge, hot, and very hard. And didn't the back of her tank top feel kinda... wet?

"Hngh... Ruby...", a soft moan reached the crimsonette's ear, accompanied by another jerk of the cock firmly pressed into the crack of her ass... and lower back... and a little higher than that.

'Sounds like someone has a pretty interesting dream.', the younger girl thought and suppressed a giggle, 'I wonder if the Ruby in Weiss' mind needs a little help.'

With this in thought, the crimsonette started to slowly grind against the heiress. The effect of her actions showed itself immediately: Another moan, considerably louder than the first one, escaped Weiss' throat and the throbbing of her member got a lot more frequent as well. However, the white-haired girl's brain quickly realized that the stimulus it was experiencing at the moment couldn't simply come from itself and its fantasies. Therefore, after barely two minutes, the heiress stirred awake.

"Huh? R-Ruby?", she half-mumbled, half-moaned into the back of her girlfriend's neck.

"Good morning, Snowflake.", the addressed girl whispered back affectionately, "Sorry that I've woken you up." Needless to say, she wasn't sorry. Not at all.

"What are you doing?", the heiress asked dumbfounded and bit back the usual two words the former Ice Queen had liked to add to the sentence.

"I'm trying to make your dream feel a bit more... realistic.", Ruby answered, this time honestly, "I thought you would like that."

"Well, you can probably feel that I appreciate the effort. But now isn't the right time for that.", Weiss responded.

"Relax, it's still early.", the crimsonette explained... or assumed since she had no idea what time it was exactly, "I'm pretty sure we still have a lot of time before Yang or Dad get up. So let's have a little fun." She wriggled her butt for emphasis.

"A-as much as I want to, we...", the white-haired girl began but interrupted herself quickly.

The reason for the shutdown of the speech center of her brain was a dainty hand that had suddenly slipped underneath her nightgown and grabbed her member. Soon after that, her girlfriend removed her pillowy butt from her crotch. At first, Weiss had no idea why, but after Ruby had spread her legs a little to push the cock between her thighs and started to move back and forth, the mystery was solved.

"Come on, Snowflake...", Ruby cooed, her voice laden with lust, "Can't you feel that I want you? That I need you right now?"

Of course, the white-haired girl could feel it. She could feel the heat and wetness of her girlfriend's sex, even through their clothes. She could feel the trembling of the needy snatch her throbbing cock was pressed against right now. She could even smell the crimsonette's arousal. She could hear the longing in her voice. She could a lot of things... but holding back wasn't one of them anymore.

Suddenly, Ruby felt herself being pulled onto her back and, barely a second later, Weiss had already climbed over her. There was a hunger in the heiress' eyes that made the younger girl's heart skip a beat in blissful anticipation. The white-haired girl knew it was probably a bad idea... yet, her love and lust for the crimsonette finally made her discard her worries. Ruby felt a warm, fuzzy feeling well up in her chest... mixed with a decent amount of pride.

"Urgh... screw it.", the heiress groaned, yanked her girlfriend's pajama pants and panties down, and her own nightgown up, exposing their parts that wanted to be one again.

"As long as I can be it.", the crimson-haired girl responded with a giggle.

"Just shut up and do something better with this beautiful mouth of yours.", Weiss responded. She had barely finished the sentence before she crushed their lips together.

Everything happened at once... at least, it felt that way to both girls. Tongues danced around each other and hands roamed over each other's bodies. Cheeks were caressed and hair was disheveled. Breasts were squeezed and rock-hard nipples rubbed and pinched. Bare stomachs and hips were stroked, buttcheeks were groped. Genitals were either jerked or fingered, respectively... until the young couple couldn't take it anymore.

But just when Weiss pressed the tip of her precum-oozing cock to the crimsonette's sopping wet entrance, there was a knock on the door. Unfortunately, that made both girls jump... which caused the first few inches of the heiress' member to disappear into the younger girl's snatch... a rather rough, yet not unpleasant penetration. Not even a second later, Ruby felt a huge spurt of precum entering her velvety tunnel, forceful enough that it splashed against her cervix. Luckily, both girls reacted quickly and covered their mouths with their hands to muffle their inevitable (and very loud) moans.

"Wakey, wakey, girls.", Taiyang chirped from outside but didn't enter the room, much to the young couple's relief, "Breakfast will be ready in about an hour, so I'd recommend you to get your morning routine done. As you know, Yang takes forever in the bathroom, so I wanted to give you a chance to go first."

"C-coming...", Ruby answered shakily for both of them. It was already too late before she noticed that she had chosen the wrong word.

"Oh, am I interrupting something right now?", the man behind the door asked, "I told you to place a sock..."

"Shut up, Dad!", the crimsonette groaned, "You know I didn't mean it that way!"

And while this was the truth, she was already starting to get to the second meaning of the word as well. After all, it had been almost a week since the last time. The powerful throbs and jerks of Weiss' cock inside of her weren't helping her to keep her composure, either. And weren't they even stronger than usual? Suddenly, she remembered that Weiss got a lot more excited at the prospect of being caught – the first time she had noticed this was in the showers of Beacon's gym.

"Whatever... take all the time you need.", Tai responded and left the two alone. Ruby and Weiss heard his annoying laughter recede until it had faded away completely. After that, there was a long silence.

"U-umm...", the crimsonette found her voice back after about a minute, "Could you... p-pull out, please? Not that I actually want you to but... y'know..."

"O-oh. Right. Sorry.", the heiress mumbled and extracted about four inches of cock from Ruby's pussy until the tip slipped out with a wet pop, followed by a gush of precum. Needless to say, it was definitely enough to ruin the sheets already - a normal man probably didn't even produce half the amount during an actual orgasm.

"I never thought I'd start my first real day of our vacation like this.", Ruby sighed, already missing the feeling of her girlfriend inside of her, "And I definitely pictured our first time in my own bed a little different, to say at least."

"I highly doubt that there are many worse ways to start the day than, well, what we just went through.", Weiss grumbled, rolled down from her girlfriend, and snuggled up to her side.

"What the f-word is wrong with Dad, though?", the younger girl asked annoyed, "I'm pretty sure we still have a lot of time before..."

As if to mock her, the alarm of her Scroll suddenly sounded through her room.

"I hate you.", the crimsonette grumbled and shot the device a death glare. This caused the white-haired girl to giggle a bit and most of the tension from earlier left her body.

"Well, I guess we should take a shower... separately..." the heiress said, quickly adding the last part upon seeing Ruby's excited look, "...before Yang is using up the hot water. After that, you can show me around the house a little. I look forward to seeing where and how my Rose Petal grew up."

"I think the first stop on that tour should be by the washing machine.", Ruby suggested and pulled the blanket off of them, exposing her still naked crotch and a huge stain of their combined fluids (mostly Weiss', though) between her legs.

"How the...", Weiss exclaimed in disbelief, "Why is this so much? We barely did anything."

"We're pent up, I'm hot, and you get overly excited when things get a little risky.", the crimson-haired girl explained casually, not even bothering with pulling her pajama pants up again, "Do you still want us to take separate showers?"

"I do.", the heiress quickly responded, stood up, straightened her nightgown to hide her semi-flaccid dick, "And I'm going to take mine right now before I change my mind about your suggestion."

"Come on, Snowflake. Think about it.", Ruby tried to convince her again, "We won't even make a mess in there since it'll just clean itself."

"But we don't have the time to drain you afterwards.", Weiss explained while grabbing a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase, "And after all the edging, I'm pretty sure I'd give you a nine months pregnant-looking cum-belly with a single load."

"You could just cum outside.", the crimsonette responded with a shrug.

"Yeah, but I won't.", the white-haired girl said flatly and approached the door, "And even if I had the willpower to pull out in time, which we both know I haven't, you would definitely find a way to prevent me from doing so."

With these words, Weiss gathered the last bit of restraint she could muster and left the room.

'Damn it... she knows me too well already.', Ruby sighed inwardly and finally pulled her pajama pants back up. However, she quickly got rid of them again since the by now cold but still wet spot felt incredibly unpleasant on certain parts of her crotch.

Awesome: stained bedsheets, ruined pajamas, and, worst of all, not even a satisfying sexy-time with her girlfriend. What a way to start their vacation... and so much about three days tops.

Chapter Text

An extremely sexually frustrated Weiss bit back about a thousand curses the moment the ice-cold water hit her. Admittedly, she had never been very fond of overly hot showers... but this one was near the freezing point. At least, it had the desired effect: Her cock went fully flaccid again and finally stopped longing for the crimsonette's warm, wet, and velvety insides... for now.

The heiress had known from the very beginning that it would be a mistake to try and do something naughty early in the morning. So why had she given in? This was all Ruby's fault for being so damn cute, sexy and seductive. Weiss was sure that she wouldn't have any problems of that kind with a girlfriend a little less perfect.

After the white-haired girl had finally calmed down completely, she cleaned herself, stepped out of the shower, and dried herself off. Then, she finished the rest of her morning routine: Blow-drying her hair, brushing her teeth, applying a bit of makeup, and getting dressed. She tried to get everything done as quick as possible so Ruby would have the chance to shower before Yang could beat her to it. Otherwise, the crimsonette would have to take an ice-cold shower as well.

On the other hand... maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

Luckily (or unfortunately?), the younger girl made it in time and took care of her morning rituals, too. There hadn't even been a need to hurry for Weiss because once Ruby was finished, Yang was still snoring in her room – loud enough that they could hear it in the hallway.

"Wow... and here I thought I had already heard the worst from your sister.", the white-haired girl said astonished.

"Yeah... the volume of Yang's snoring is proportional to the comfiness of the bed she lies in.", her girlfriend explained, "Be glad that the bunks at Beacon are just run-of-the-mill."

"I never thought that the lack of comfort would be good for something someday.", Weiss giggled.

"You didn't grow up like I did.", Ruby shot back with a grin, "Speaking of which: How about I show you around the house a bit? I guess Dad still needs some time to prepare breakfast."

"Sounds lovely.", the heiress responded.

"Awesome. We need to put the bed sheets into the washing machine anyway.", the younger girl said, "And if Dad asks why, we can just tell him that they were too childish and I'm a little more mature now... especially around you."

"You and being mature? Do you really think he's going to believe this?", Weiss teased.

"Heeey!", Ruby whined.

"Don't worry, Rose Petal. I was only kidding. You've become a lot more mature already.", her girlfriend said conciliatorily, "But then again, I still want you to stay at least a little childish. That's part of your irresistible charm, after all."

"Good save.", the crimsonette responded, yet, she couldn't help but smile a little, "Anyway, let's start our tour. Please keep your seatbelt fastened at all times, don't walk off the designated paths, and remember to hold on to your garbage until you reach a garbage bin. Oh, and no flash photography allowed."

Upon hearing this lame joke, Weiss only shook her head and sighed: "You're lucky that you're cute."

"I know.", Ruby chirped with a way bigger smile, "Let's go."

Then, she began showing the heiress around.

The crimsonette began her tour by showing the heiress a door with a sign that read "Do yourself a favor: Keep out and stay alive" at the end of the corridor. If this wasn't a clear indicator that a Yang lived in the room behind it, the loud snoring definitely was. Ruby told Weiss that she and her sister had used to live in there together but after their first year at Beacon Academy, they had convinced their father that they needed a space of their own since they were adults now (more or less). The room they had slept in tonight had been a spare bedroom or a guestroom half a year ago.

'Thank goodness Ruby has her own room now.', the white-haired girl thought after hearing this story, 'I highly doubt we would survive this vacation otherwise.' A faint blush crept to her cheeks at the memory of their morning... at least the part before her girlfriend's father had interrupted them.

Since Weiss had already seen the crimsonette's room as well as the bathroom, there wasn't anything else to see on the second floor (besides Taiyang's bedroom but, of course, both girls respected the blond man's privacy – not that there was much to see besides a bed, a wardrobe, and a lot of framed pictures). Therefore, the young couple went downstairs.

Now, Weiss had a chance to fully take in the living room since she hadn't paid much attention to it yesterday. The middle of it was dominated by a dark green couch and an armchair of the same color on a light green rug. In front of the sofa stood a wooden coffee table, between the couch and the chair sat an end table with a lamp on it. Next to the opposite side of the sofa was Zwei's currently vacant dog bed. At the end of the rug stood a TV stand with a holographic projector – way more modern technology than the ancient flatscreen in Ruby's room. A couple of bookshelves, portraits depicting landscapes, and a large fireplace at the wall left of the couch added to the already incredibly homey feeling of the room.

The doorway next to the TV stand led into the kitchen and Weiss could already smell something delicious. However, this didn't seem to be their next destination. Instead, Ruby handed her girlfriend her coat and led her outside of the house into a small shed next to the garage. And upon seeing the inside, the heiress' eyes went wide.

"And this is where the magic happens.", the crimson-haired girl announced proudly after she had flipped the light switch next to a workbench.

"What the hell is all of that?", Weiss managed to gasp. In front of her were two large shelves that contained about a dozen boxes each. And most of these boxes were stuffed with what looked like nuts, bolts, springs, ball bearings, a lot of other mechanical stuff, and tools. The other ones contained blueprints, plans, and notebooks. Comparing this shed to Ruby's room was like comparing an assault rifle to a squirt gun.

"Weapon stuff.", the younger girl simply answered the question with a shrug, "Are you really surprised? You knew I'm a freak from the very beginning."

"Well, true that...", the heiress began, "But I didn't expect... this!"

"I should probably clear out some of this stuff when I have the time to do so.", Ruby pondered, "I'm pretty sure about a tenth of it is broken and/or useless by now anyway."

Weiss just wanted to say something about the crimsonette's conception of tidiness but, suddenly, something else caught her attention:

On some kind of trolley table in a corner of the shed, upon an oil-stained rag, laid a heavy, double-barreled gun with a curved blade attached to its underside which also seemed to work like some kind of handguard that way. Another pretty similar but mostly disassembled firearm rested beside it. Both weapons looked like they were pretty much cobbled together from spare parts from who-knows-where. Next to the table stood an additional box that contained various small and big weapon parts as well as a second curved piece of metal, probably the future blade of the other gun. However, it wasn't ground yet. The heiress could also see a worn and well-thumbed notebook lying in-between the many, many components.

"I see you have noticed my little side project.", Ruby said the moment she caught her girlfriend's curious look, "I immediately started working on it after I had finished Crescent Rose. At first, it was supposed to be just a bit of handicraft work on the side to try out a couple of things. But over the last two years or so, I've gotten so many awesome ideas that I've decided to make a separate weapon out of it."

"It definitely looks... interesting.", Weiss admitted and stepped closer to the trolley table, "May I ask what you have in mind for it? Knowing you, it's probably something incredibly complicated and excessive."

"You have no idea... and that's exactly the problem.", the crimsonette sighed, approached the table as well, and grabbed the bladed gun, "By now, there are about a thousand things I want to add. Therefore, figuring out how to build the mechanics and the combination mechanisms, arrange the moving parts, the barrels, the clips, and whatever else is giving me an incredibly hard time."

With some effort, she operated a stiff gear at the back of the gun's handle and the weapon started to transform. What took place now proceeded fast enough that the white-haired girl had some trouble following it completely. The grip of the gun straightened and practically merged with the barrels, the barrels themselves extended in a telescope-like manner (if only a foot at most), and the blade swang outwards until it snapped into place at an angle of ninety degrees again. It also split into sections, lengthening and curving further. The whole transformation took barely two seconds and after it, the weapon looked like an unpainted, one-handed version of Crescent Rose with a shorter but a little bulkier snath, a slightly smaller blade, and, of course, without a scope.

And while it was already pretty impressive in the heiress' opinion, Ruby didn't seem to be happy with it. Far from it, actually.

"No! Wait! What are you doing?! Stupid piece of scrap metal!", she cursed and pulled the gear again, without any reaction from the weapon, though, "You should just extract the blade, not extend and steal away my handle already! That comes in gear two!" The crimsonette pushed, and pressed, and pulled, and bent various parts of the scythe over and over, nevertheless, not a single piece of metal moved a millimeter. Admitting defeat, the younger girl put it aside again.

"As you can see, it still has some, well, little kinks I have to fix.", she half-sighed and half-grumbled, "And I've barely implemented a third of the functions I want it to have. And then, there's scythe number two."

"What in all of Remnant's sake do you want this weapon to be capable of?", Weiss asked confused.

"Well, to begin with, this damn shift from shotgun-mode to hybrid-mode to scythe-mode and vice-versa has to work.", Ruby started explaining, "Then, I want to add an option to fully fold out the blade so it can be used as some kind of sword or saber as well. This is also very important to combine the weapons: If you put both one-handed scythes together at the grip, which I plan to make possible as well, fold out one fully and the other one only halfway, you'll have like... a normal, big scythe, pretty much like Crescent Rose. In this form, it may be even possible to incorporate a sniper function, too. I mean, I would just have to add two different clips, well, technically three: Two magazines for shotgun shells at both scythes and a separate one for sniper rounds at the main scythe... or the support scythe? No, definitely the support scythe because the main one needs to house the scope. Right? That makes sense. Or should I switch that? Is this even important? I would have to adjust the barrels, too, though. And the triggers. Add another switch so you can change between shells and rounds. But this shouldn't be a biggie. Oh, maybe there's also a way to add a Dust infusion. Like the revolver-like chamber of Myrtenaster. And it'll ignite the blade with something like it's the case with Ash's weapon. Have I thought about that already? Damn, where's the notebook? Oh, in the box. I still need something to write with. Do you have a pen, Snowflake? Oh, andwhatifI..."

"Ruby, calm down.", the white-haired girl said with emphasis since it seemed that her girlfriend was about to start hyperventilating, "If you don't focus on what you have in mind already, you'll never be able to finish this thing. As much as I admire your creativity and determination to make this weapon the most detailed, most complicated, and hardest to operate one ever, you need to take one step at a time. If you just keep adding new ideas without finishing the ones you've already come up with, it'll just stay a mixture of a dream... and a piece of useless scrap metal."

"It isn't completely useless already.", the younger girl defended her creation, "The first blade is sharpened and the shotgun is working... at times. I just need to buy some ammo and I can show you."

"As much as I trust your engineering skills, I'd like to have a fully intact girlfriend. And that involves ten fingers, no fractures, and visible eyebrows.", Weiss said and scanned the crude, incredibly unsafe looking weapon again, especially the large gun barrels, "By the way, just how strong is the recoil of this thing anyway?"

"Let's just say you should keep your Aura in check.", the crimsonette admitted sheepishly and scratched the back of her head, "Otherwise, it's going to break elbow or spoke bone... or both. But I'm working on this as well. I just have to figure out how to install some shock absorbers."

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Rose Petal...", the heiress began, "I highly doubt that it is even remotely possible to incorporate everything you have in mind for this... abomination of a weapon."

At that statement, Ruby visibly deflated.

"But...", Weiss continued in a much softer, more affectionate tone of voice, "I'm pretty sure that if there's anybody who can do it, it's going to be you. And if you manage it someday... and find somebody who can fully operate this thing... it's probably going to be the most powerful, most effective, and most adaptable weapon ever designed. Make sure to engrave your name on it. It's probably going to be Ruby Schnee-Rose by then, though."

"Hmmm... Ruby Schnee-Rose. I like the sound of that. Rolls off the tongue pretty nicely.", the crimsonette said with a beaming smile, "Now I'm even more motivated to make this weapon the best one Remnant has ever seen! Umm, are you still okay with a girlfriend, and future wife, with just nine fingers?"

"I guess I would be as long as it's you... but let's try to avoid it, nonetheless, you dolt.", the white-haired girl giggled, "How about you show me the rest of the house before you decide to avulse one of your digits by trying out something that obviously still needs a lot of work before it isn't a deathtrap anymore?"

"Avulse is something bad, right?", Ruby asked and raised one of her eyebrows, "Like... tearing something off, considering the context."

"Exactly.", Weiss confirmed, "Now move your perfectly shaped butt back inside. I'm starting to feel cold."

"Says the girl who has spent her entire childhood on a deep freezer of a continent.", the crimsonette remarked with a smirk, even though she was starting to shiver herself.

"You're right.", the heiress responded challenging, "I guess I'm inured to the cold enough that I don't need anyone to keep me warm... especially at night... under the blankets..."

"Oh my gosh, Weiss! You're freezing! I'm so sorry I didn't notice sooner! Let's head back inside!", Ruby quickly announced, grabbed her girlfriend by the hand, and practically dragged her out of the shed.

'Now that was way too easy.', the white-haired girl thought with a smirk.

The young couple reentered the house and continued with the rest of the tour. First, the crimsonette rushed upstairs again to get their sheets, then, she showed her girlfriend the first-floor bathroom and the utility room with the washing machine (which she turned on immediately to destroy the evidence, as she put it) and the tumble dryer. After that, the young couple finally went to the kitchen. It was a pretty spacious room which also doubled as the dining area since there was a mid-sized wooden table that stood on a large yellow rug in front of the archway. It was decorated with a matching table runner and a green bowl with various fruit inside of it. The chairs had green cushions. Next to the entrance was a shelf that contained various books. Yet another landscape painting could be seen in the other corner. At the far end of the room was a U-shaped countertop with a large fridge at the left and a sink with a drying rack next to it on the right side. In the middle of the U, and under a couple of overhead cabinets, sat the stove. And at this stove stood Taiyang.

The blond man was currently flipping what appeared to be chocolate chip pancakes and whistling a jolly tune. Beside him, Weiss could see two other pans, the first one containing scrambled eggs with veggies, the second one hash browns. Two plates stood next to them... one with about a dozen already finished pancakes, and another with a literal mountain of bacon resting on top. There were also toast, biscuits, butter, syrup, two jars with jam and honey, a plate with cold cuts (ham, pepperoni, and cheese), a plate with sliced up gherkins, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and tomatoes, a package of cereal, a big jug of milk, a pot of freshly brewed coffee, and two bottles of juice (most certainly apple and orange, given their colors). Needless to say, the heiress was a bit stunned. Was Tai expecting guests... or a whole company of soldiers?

"Good morning, girls.", the crimsonette's father greeted the two without even turning away from his pans as if he had eyes in the back of his head. But then again, that was probably a feat one acquired over the years of being a professional Huntsman. Ruby didn't even seem to question it anymore.

"Morning, Dad.", she simply responded, trying to suppress her grudge from earlier, "We just finished the tour through the house."

"Was Weiss surprised by your little workshop?", Taiyang asked, turned off the stove, and finally turned around.

"Saying that I was surprised would be an understatement.", the white-haired girl explained, "There must be enough weapon parts in there to build the equipment for four entire teams."

"Probably.", the blond man seconded with a shrug, "And I'm pretty sure Ruby easily has enough ideas to come up with sixteen weapons."

"Now that's what I call an understatement.", the crimsonette responded with a grin.

"Well, then: Get started.", Tai simply said, "Ohh, I forgot. You're still busy with this never-ending twin-scythe-project of yours. How's that going, by the way?" He added the last part with a mischievous smirk, most certainly knowing about his daughter's difficulties with it.

"Shut up, Dad.", Ruby groaned, "This thing is probably the most complicated weapon ever designed, so I highly doubt that I'm going to finish it anytime soon."

"What's with all the commotion in here?", came a sleepy, yet annoyed voice from behind them, followed by a happy bark and the sound of claws scratching over tiles.

"Good morning, Sunshine.", the blond Huntsman greeted a miserable looking Yang who stood in the doorframe, "Is it possible that you are a little hungover?" Again, he smiled mischievously at his oldest daughter before crouching down to pet the approaching Zwei.

"Shut up, Dad.", the brawler groaned and sat down at the table, "Is breakfast ready?"

"Teenagers...", Taiyang sighed and started setting up the table.

Apparently, they didn't expect any guests, Weiss noticed. Instead, the Rose-Xiao Long-family seemed to be determined to eat everything by themselves. The pancakes and the bacon were obliterated first, the scrambled eggs and the hash browns soon followed. The white-haired girl felt a little out of place since she was only eating two slices of toast, one with cheese and one with jam, a small portion of the eggs, and a bit of fruit. Ruby and Yang, however, were eating even more than they usually did at Beacon. But then again, their portions were still dwarfed by Taiyang's.

Obviously, in this family, breakfast REALLY was the most important meal of the day.

After they had finished eating and washing the dishes afterwards, it was time for Weiss to be shown around town... or at least she thought that much, given Tai's announcement yesterday. However, she was about to be in for a surprise. And a rather interesting one, on top of that.

They put on their coats and left the house. However, just when Ruby and Yang wanted to head towards the village, they were stopped by their father.

"Wait a minute, girls.", Taiyang said, "I just remembered that I've forgotten something." Then, he went into the shed next to the garage.

"Probably the first signs of senile dementia.", the blonde joked.

"If that's really the case, you're in charge of changing his diapers in the future.", Ruby responded flatly.

"Don't you think it's a little tasteless to joke about a serious mental illness?", Weiss sighed.

"You're right. Sorry, Snowflake.", the crimsonette quickly apologized.

"Poor, henpecked little Rubes.", Yang chuckled.

The younger girl was just about to retort something... but then, Taiyang returned. And, much to everyone's confusion, he was carrying two worn, yet still sturdy-looking sparring swords.

"See! I knew I've forgotten something.", the blond Huntsman announced. However, his tone of voice had changed drastically... as well as his expression. He seemed combative, for whatever reason. However, this mystery was solved rather soon.

"Here, Weiss!", he said and tossed one of the sparring swords to the heiress. And even though the white-haired girl managed to catch it, she was still incredibly dumbfounded.

"Umm... what's that all about?", she asked in utter confusion.

"Isn't that obvious?", Taiyang said, "We're going to spar. One-on-one. Prove to me that you're worthy of my daughter."

"Wh-what?!", all three girls exclaimed in disbelief. Nobody had expected this drastic change of mind, especially after the sisters' father had been so supportive yesterday.

"As much as I appreciate that the two of you love each other...", the blond Huntsman started to explain, addressing the couple, "...but I want to see if Weiss can protect my little girl if worst comes worst. And before she has proven that, I can't commit my daughter to her care in good conscience."

"Dad, wait!", Ruby tried to object, "My Snowflake has saved me on more than one occasion already. Even before we got together. There's no need to..."

"Sorry, Rubes. I just wanna see what your girlfriend is capable of firsthand.", Taiyang told her, "Not that I don't believe the stories you've told and written to me already. But this is something between me 'n her now."

"This is absolutely...", the crimsonette began... but was quickly interrupted.

"Then so be it.", Weiss said determined and took her fencing stance, "If this is the only way you're going to fully accept me as your daughter's girlfriend, I guess I have no other option but to wipe the floor with you." Despite her infamous nickname, the two sisters, as well as their father, noticed a sudden fire in her eyes that burned so brightly that they wondered why the snow around her feet didn't start to melt.

"Heh... that's the spirit.", Taiyang complimented her and took a combat stance as well, "Don't worry, Ruby. I know that you're still students, so I'll go a little easier on her. I won't use my Semblance, for example, to make this fight at least a little fairer."

"He's going to regret this, isn't he?", Yang whispered to Ruby. She hadn't seen Weiss this determined very often... but every time it had happened since the heiress had been together with her sister, it had meant the doom of everyone and everything that was threatening their relationship.

"Probably...", the crimsonette responded dryly, "But that's his problem now. If he wants to mess with my girlfriend, he has to face the consequences."

While it was true that they were still not fully trained Huntresses, they had been through a lot already. And every single hardship had made them stronger. Therefore, underestimating the white-haired girl just because her training wasn't finished yet was a most certainly a big mistake.

"Are you ready, Weiss?", Taiyang asked, got a nod in return, and finished, "Alright, then. Show me what you got!"

He had barely finished his sentence before he started charging at the white-haired girl. However, Weiss had already expected something like this and dodged the first swipe effortlessly. Parrying the second one was an easy task as well. The third was already a little harder to block, the fourth and fifth even more so. The heiress stopped counting at eight.

Apparently, the blond man's strategy was to simply attack relentlessly without giving her a chance to counter... or breathe. His strikes were incredibly fast but still pretty precise. Weiss quickly came to the conclusion that she had to gain a little distance again to come up with a plan to breach this wall of blows. Therefore, she cast a Glyph and propelled herself backwards.

"Not bad.", Taiyang complimented the heiress again, "You've got some pretty good reflexes." Weiss immediately noticed that he wasn't even slightly out of breath, even after this fierce combination of countless blows.

"But then again, it'll take more than that to get the upper hand in a fight.", the blond Huntsman taunted with a grin, "How about you try to attack for a change?"

Of course, the heiress wasn't an idiot: This definitely smelled like a trap. However, the white-haired girl decided to fall for it... or at least pretended to do so. After all, the best way to win a sparring match was to establish patterns only to break them afterwards.

Therefore, Weiss quickly made her move. But instead of the head-on attack that Taiyang was most certainly expecting, she handled things a little different. Right before she was about to strike at the blond Huntsman, she cast two Glyphs: One to block his incoming counterattack and another one to swiftly move behind him. Then, she began her own assault.

Taiyang managed to parry the stab to his back only barely and having to turn around so fast left him staggering. Of course, Weiss quickly noticed this and aimed her next swipe at his legs. To dodge it, the blond man had to make a dive roll. However, the white-haired girl had already awaited this. She cast another Glyph in his path to prevent him from getting away too far and continued to attack.

They continued their exchange of blows for a couple of minutes but nobody seemed to get the upper hand. Most strikes were parried and the ones that actually hit were pretty weak since they either only graced the opponent or lacked the necessary momentum to really hurt. But then again, both combatants didn't use their full power: Taiyang because he had promised to make this fight a little fairer... and Weiss because she feared that he would stop holding back eventually and wanted to save her Aura for that case.

"Come on, Snowflake! Give him hell!", Ruby cheered suddenly.

"Remember that you represent team RWBY here!", Yang yelled, "If you lose against an old man, it'll cast a poor light on us as well."

"Hey!", Tai exclaimed, "You two still know that I'm your father, right?"

"Sorry, Dad.", the crimsonette apologized, "But I have to stick with my girlfriend here."

"Only because she dances the dance with no pants with you.", her sister said teasingly.

"Shut up, Yang!", Ruby groaned.

Weiss tried to ignore the sisters' banter and focused on the fight again. Taiyang was a tough opponent, after all, and it had already taken her some effort to just land a couple of hits. So much about wiping the floor with him. And he was still holding back, on top of that. However, she didn't have much time to wonder about how difficult this sparring session would be if the blond Huntsman would use his full strength... since he quickly started to attack her again.

Strike, parry, counter, dodge... they still weren't getting anywhere. Whenever Weiss came up with an effective move or combination, Tai had something up his sleeve to foil her plans. Even when she stepped it up a notch (using a little more Aura for her attacks, for example), it seemed that her girlfriend's father was already prepared for it. As if he was trying to mock her.

Suddenly, a certain thought crossed the heiress' mind: What if all of this was just a test? What if Taiyang wanted her to fight with everything she got... if only to see if she could actually land a real hit? A devastating blow, so to speak? What if all she needed was a single strike, or maybe a series of strikes, that would seriously floor him? Something that would prove that she was able to protect Ruby from whatever threat the blond man was expecting to happen?

The gears in Weiss' head immediately started turning. What could she do to impress her girlfriend's father enough to end this sparring match? Simply flipping him around like the pancakes he had made today wouldn't quite cut it. No, she needed something big, something extraordinary. Something monumental...

And she quickly got the perfect idea. However, she needed some time to pull it off. And there was only one way to get it: An all-out attack that would probably leave her completely vulnerable. And even though there was a high probability that Taiyang's counterattack would wipe her out afterwards, she knew she had to try it. For Ruby...

Therefore, she put her plan into action and charged at the blond Huntsman. Everything depended on the outcome of this:

Weiss feigned a slash at his right sight and danced around the other. When Tai had turned around, she stabbed at his chest and, just as expected, he dodged this one. Then, she attacked from the left where he was moving to. Of course, the Huntsman was fast enough to react and pushed her sparring sword away with his own. However, Weiss had anticipated this as well – the strike had been just another feint anyway and the blond man's parry was more than welcome. The white-haired girl used the momentum from the push, cast a Time Dilation Glyph to speed up her motions even more, and pinwheeled completely. She crouched down and used the wooden blade to literally sweep Taiyang off his feet. Another strike upwards sent him flying completely.

However, this was only the beginning:

Right now, the sisters' father was too stunned to notice the many Glyphs that suddenly appeared around him. Yet, he still felt that something was wrong when a heavy strike hit his side... and then another one... and another one. He barely saw the white-haired girl in the corner of his eyes disappearing and reappearing because every time she came into his sight was accompanied by a stinging pain in different parts of his body.

With each pass, Weiss landed another blow. Used Glyphs were quickly replaced by new ones so she could continue to attack. Unfortunately, she knew she had to save some Aura for the last part of her plan. And after about a dozen strikes, she ended her assault.

The last strike was a devastating stab, accelerated by another Glyph, to the blond Huntsman's chest. It was strong enough to send him flying far enough to slam against the wall of the shed a couple of yards away. Even Ruby and Yang verbalized an "Oww!" when they heard the rattling of the wood accompanied by a pained grunt of their father. Needless to say, Weiss had done an outstanding job so far.

Now, there was only one thing left for her to do to show Taiyang that she was able to protect his daughter, no matter what. However, she knew she had to pull off the rest of her plan in time or it would most certainly result in a crushing defeat. If Taiyang would recover from her latest attack too soon, then, she would be done for. But she had to pull through. For Ruby.

Unfortunately, the blond man regained his strength way faster than Weiss had hoped. Her attack hadn't been strong enough. She was about to abort her plan to come up with an alternative... but then...

"Alright. Apparently, I've underestimated you... held back a little too much... and was a bit too careless.", Taiyang grumbled, stood up again, and cracked his neck, "But I won't make the same mistake twice. I hope for you that this wasn't the best you've got already. Let's see how you hold your ground when I'm taking off the kiddie gloves."

Then, he prepared his next attack... most certainly a much stronger one this time.

However, and pretty much like any villain in a bad action movie, the Huntsman had made one grave mistake. His little speech had given Weiss enough time to play her last ace. He hadn't noticed the Summoning Glyph under the snow in the yard so far... but the damage was already done:

Right before he wanted to charge at the heiress again, a giant, pale-blue knight emerged from the ground right in front of the white-haired girl. The creature was at least ten feet tall and clad in sturdy-looking armor from head to toe. Instead of its usual broadsword, it wielded a large scythe which it slammed into the ground next to it before taking a battle stance. It was obvious that this wasn't an opponent to be trifled with. Taiyang immediately aborted his planned assault.

"What the...", he managed to croak out, completely taken by surprise.

"I don't need to be strong to protect Ruby. I have people doing that for me.", Weiss said in a slightly mocking voice... mostly to conceal the fact that summoning the Arma Gigas had been a pretty Aura-consuming task and left her a little short of breath.

Of course, the blond Huntsman knew that the heiress had made a joke: This dangerous-looking thing clearly had its origin in Weiss' Semblance. He had no idea how much power or skill was needed to summon something like that but he was pretty sure that no amateur was able to do it. And since he didn't know what this scythe-wielding knight was capable of and he actually never intended to go all out in the first place, he decided that it was probably best to end this fight here... or things would probably get out of hand. That hadn't been the plan anyway.

"Okay... Let's call it quits.", the blond Huntsman said and tossed away his sparring sword, "You are, without any doubt, a capable Huntress already... Ruby has definitely made an excellent choice by picking you as her girlfriend. Not that I questioned this at any time. Also, I'm pretty sure I'd have to remodel my front yard if I fight this thing, so you should probably send it away again. Umm, you can do this, right?"

"Oh, o-of course.", Weiss responded and cast another Glyph. Then, the knight turned around to face her, went down to one knee and bowed, and vanished shortly after.

"YOU DID IT, SNOWFLAKE!!!", Ruby cheered and immediately tackled her girlfriend to the ground, hugging her tightly.

"Urgh... R-ruby, calm down.", the heiress croaked out and pulled herself and the younger girl to their feet again (careful, so they wouldn't have to part), "I just did what I had to do to be accepted by your father."

"Wait... Did you really think I would've sent you packing if you had lost?", Taiyang asked with a chuckle.

"No... umm, I guess I didn't.", Weiss said, "I mean, I didn't think so but... I wanted to show you that I'm the perfect girlfriend for your daughter."

"You don't have to prove to be perfect to me.", the blond Huntsman reassured her with a warm smile, "Nobody is. The only thing that matters to me is that you love and care about Ruby and that you stand up for her. Even just accepting to spar with me already showed that more than enough in my opinion."

"Then... why did we still have to fight?", the white-haired girl asked confused.

"Do you really think I'd miss a chance to have a sparring match against one of my daughter's friends?", Tai explained with a grin, "This relationship-threatening statement was just a little trick to motivate you a bit more. Sorry about that, by the way. But it worked wonders... I mean, that final combo was pretty impressive. Definitely gonna feel that tomorrow."

"You're awful.", Ruby grumbled and pulled her girlfriend a little closer.

"Hey, it's your and Weiss' fault if you really believed I would ruin your happiness over some simple sparring.", her father said with a shrug, "I may be a slightly over-protective father but I'm not a monster."

"Which is a nice change of air compared to my own family.", the heiress sighed and returned the affectionate embrace.

"Okay... you remembering that was the last thing I wanted to drive at.", Taiyang quickly responded and scratched that back of his head, "So, umm... how about we finally show you around town a bit now? I have at least one funny and embarrassing story of Ruby and Yang in stock for almost every street." Then, she gave the white-haired girl a warm smile.

"That sounds like a good idea.", Weiss seconded, smiling as well.

"No, it doesn't!", the crimsonette quickly said and pulled away from her girlfriend, "Me 'n Yang did a lot of reeeaaally stupid stuff when we've been little!"

"Well, that's the point, sweetie.", her dad explained with a shit-eating grin, "Don't you think your girlfriend deserves to get to know the whole Ruby Rose?"

"Wait... why am I dragged into this all of a sudden?!", the blonde girl objected.

"Civilian casualties.", Tai responded with another shrug, "Unfortunately for you, you almost always played a major part whenever your sister did something dumb in her childhood. Just see it as a team bonding exercise. The more you know about each other, the better you get along. Also, that way, Weiss'll probably be more comfortable with sharing some more personal information with you as well."

"I highly doubt that there's anything more personal to her than...", Yang began but was quickly interrupted.

"Let's show Weiss the beauty of Patch!", Ruby exclaimed, "Even though it's a pretty small island, it's still an amazing place to live at, right?" Then, she shot the blonde an angry glare.

"Relax, Rubes.", her sister appeased her, "I won't share anything about Weissicle's past with Dad until she's comfortable enough to tell him herself. I was about to finish with "...the stuff she has told us already.". Promise."

At the sisters' banter, Taiyang raised an eyebrow. Admittedly, he knew that he wasn't the brightest guy at times but it was starting to get a little obvious that the three girls kept some kind of secret from him... something about Weiss. However, he decided not to press the issue. It couldn't be anything bad anyway: Otherwise, Yang would've intervened already.

"Whatever... Let's head to the village.", the blond man said, "I'm pretty sure Weiss rather wants to hear some embarrassing stories about your pasts than telling me about hers. Am I right?"

"Given the fact that you know who my father is, that's more than a lucky guess.", the heiress responded with a weak chuckle.

"Alright!", Taiyang exclaimed (probably to change the subject again since he didn't want to remind her daughter's girlfriend of her apparently miserable childhood once more), "You're about to see the most beautiful little town in all of Vale... probably even Remnant, but I guess that depends on your preference in architecture."

"I don't think I have one so far.", the white-haired girl explained with a shrug.

"In that case, it's definitely Remnant.", the sisters' dad announced with a grin.

Then, the group of four started walking towards the village's center.

Much to Weiss' relief, the rest of the day went by rather peacefully. It was mostly filled with Taiyang and his daughters showing her around the town: The port, the market place, the town square, the stores, the restaurants, and the taverns. They even strolled through the narrow streets of the older parts of the village and the heiress had to admit that the almost noble-looking half-timber houses had a certain charm to them. It was pretty obvious that the residents put a lot of effort into maintaining the buildings' appeal.

As promised, the whole day was filled with anecdotes from Ruby and Yang's childhoods:

How they used to play in the big fountain at the market place when they had been little, for example... and the trouble they have gotten after they had fished out every single coin other people had tossed into it to make a wish that one time. Needless to say, their parents had told them to put the money back into the fountain. However, Ruby discreetly told the heiress that she still had a lucky penny from that day.

Or the story about the two girls breaking into the bakery. The plan had been simple: One of them would cause a distraction while the other one would steal all the palmier pastries. The heist would've probably been a success if it wouldn't have been a four-year-old Ruby assigned to collect the baked goods. When Yang hadn't been able to stall for more time, the crimsonette had been lying in the display cabinet, in a food coma, her whole face smudgy with chocolate. Of course, the girls' parents had been furious when they had been called by the owner. It had been the first and only time the sisters had really and intentionally stolen something.

But then again, Taiyang tried to be fair and also told Weiss about the nice, not (or only slightly) embarrassing things his daughters had done. Like Yang saving some little kid's cat that had been stuck in a tree. Admittedly, it hadn't been necessary to chop down the whole tree to do so... but the kitty had been saved... scared shitless, but saved. Or that one time Ruby had raised money for Signal's library by fixing her classmate's bikes and other small mechanical devices. Fine, she had spent about half of her earnings on cookies and weapon parts afterwards, but still...

There were about a hundred tales of the two girls' shenanigans and Taiyang was happy to share all of them with Weiss, much to the blonde and crimsonette's embarrassment. However, the heiress was delighted to hear them. Her girlfriend had been incredibly adorable when she had been little.

They ate lunch at a cheap fast food joint. But, for some reason, the white-haired girl enjoyed her greasy burger and the sticky fries more than anything of the fancy food she had eaten in her own family's dining room so far... probably because she was sitting at this dirty plastic table with a real family.

It seemed like the small town of Patch was far bigger than Weiss had expected at first because they spent the whole day strolling through the streets without visiting a lot of them twice. Soon, the sun started to set and the small group decided to return to the cozy little cabin at the outskirts of the village. Once there, Taiyang started to prepare dinner while the three girls busied themselves with video games. Well, at least Ruby and Yang did so since Weiss had no idea how to play the weird beat 'em up the sisters were practically delving into as if they were the characters pummeling the bad guys themselves. It was fun to watch their cheers, their frustration, and the occasional mutual accusations if they fucked something up, though.

Dinner consisted of a hearty vegetable stew with chicken and rice on the side. And while Tai had still cooked a big pot, it was a more or less normal amount compared to today's breakfast. Nevertheless, it tasted delicious... so much that Weiss even ate a second helping. Of course, she didn't come close to loads of food the Rose-Xiao Long-family scarfed down. Again, the heiress wondered how Ruby and Yang could still be so slim.

They spent the rest of the evening watching TV and swapping stories. Then, it was time for bed.

"So? What do you think of Patch?", Ruby asked after she and Weiss had snuggled up to each other in the crimsonette's bed again.

"It's beautiful.", the heiress responded and kissed the back of her girlfriend's neck, "And it seems like a wonderful place to raise a family."

It was obvious to the crimsonette that her Snowflake wasn't (just) referring to her and Yang's childhood but was implying something else. The thought of it made Ruby blush immediately... but smile brightly, nonetheless.

"I'm happy you like it here.", she said softly and shuffled a little closer, "And you haven't even seen everything. The countryside is even more amazing. Especially during winter."

"And when are you going to show me that side of Patch?", Weiss asked and pressed her lips to her girlfriend's neck once more.

"I, umm, thought about tomorrow.", Ruby responded, "By the way: Has fighting my dad today left you tired or are you, well, feeling fit?"

"That's an incredibly weird way of asking for sex, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl giggled, "Even for you."

"Nonono! That wasn't my intention. Promise.", the crimsonette quickly clarified, "It's just... we may have to fight some Beowolves... well, a LOT of Beowolves when we go deep into the forest."

"And why do we have to go deep into the forest?", Weiss asked confused.

"Well, you see...", the younger girl began hesitantly, wriggled herself out of their embrace, and turned around to face her girlfriend. In her silver eyes, the heiress saw a weird mixture of emotions: sadness, insecurity... but trust and determination as well. What was that all about?

It felt like an eternity before Ruby finished the sentence... but she finally did:

"There's still someone important I haven't told about us yet."

Chapter Text

The weather had changed drastically. While it had been mild and clear yesterday, now, a literal blizzard was sweeping across the remote island of Patch. Even though it was already late in the morning, it was almost as dark as if it was night. The snow fell dense and heavy and a biting wind was blowing. Only an idiot would leave the house during this tempest. Well, two idiots, to be more precise.

'I can't believe she managed to talk me into this.', Weiss thought in annoyance and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, 'Must be these stupid, beautiful silver eyes of her. Why do I always look into them anyway... It's probably their fault for being so cartoonishly large and mesmerizing.'

However, the heiress refrained from actually verbalizing her discontent about her current situation. Somehow, her girlfriend was acting pretty weird. At first, she had vehemently insisted on going into the woods despite the terrible snowstorm so they could visit this mysterious person the crimsonette remained silent about. And now, she seemed... tense. Not just because they might be attacked by Grimm out here but... in another way as well. It was kind of odd seeing the usually bubbly and quirky girl like that.

Therefore, Weiss kept her mouth shut and simply followed Ruby. Whoever it was they were about to meet today seemed incredibly important to the younger girl. But then again, who the hell lived so far away from the village, practically in the middle of nowhere?

The snow crunched under their boots as they made their way deeper into the dark forest. The snowfall was getting heavier as well with every step they took... until they could barely see twenty yards ahead. However, the crimsonette seemed to know exactly which way to go... and even if she didn't, she didn't let it show.

"Is it still far?", the white-haired girl asked quietly.

"We're almost there.", Ruby responded in a weird, monotonous voice, "Maybe a mile."

"A-are you alright, Rose Petal?", Weiss asked further, "You seem... off."

"I'm fine.", the younger girl replied a little bit more affectionately, "Thanks for worrying about me."

It didn't sound very sincere, though. Something was bothering her, Weiss was sure of that. Was it about this weird meeting? Was there someone more important to meet than her father? But who could it be? An aunt, an uncle? A grandparent? The crimsonette's mother had passed away a long time ago, after all, as far as the heiress knew.

Soon, they reached a clearing... and the snowstorm seemed the get even worse. Even though Weiss was used to the harsh and cold weather in Atlas, their journey was getting rather unpleasant. Yet, Ruby didn't slow down. She even picked up the pace... as if she was driven by an unknown force.

"Are you sure that there isn't something you want to tell me?", Weiss pressed on.

"Nope.", the crimsonette responded dryly, "Not until we're there."

Again, it didn't sound honest at all... and Weiss was starting to really worry about her girlfriend. She was about to pry into it a little further... but she was quickly interrupted by a distant howl.

"Urgh... I knew it.", Ruby grumbled and snatched Crescent Rose from the magnetic clip on her belt, "It's always the same story with those pests."

"You expected this to happen?", Weiss asked and drew Myrtenaster.

"Don't worry... they're weak.", the crimsonette explained casually and unfolded her scythe, "But they're many."

"How many?", the heiress wanted to know.

"Depends.", Ruby simply answered, "But I've come here very often already and I didn't die so far. And I don't plan to do so today. Are you ready, Snowflake?"

"As ready as can be to protect my girlfriend.", Weiss shot back determined.

"Likewise.", the crimsonette said, "Happy hunting."

The young couple couldn't see very far... and that was definitely a disadvantage. However, they could at least hear the approaching Grimm, most certainly Beowolves, despite the howling wind. Ruby definitely didn't downplay their enemies' numbers: There were really a lot of them. She and her girlfriend stood back to back and awaited the first strike. And they didn't have to wait very long for it.

Weiss heard the growl, she heard the lunge, but before she could even react, she heard her girlfriend's scythe cut through the air, effortlessly dismembering the attacking creature. It fell into the snow just a few feet away from them. It was now that the heiress noticed that the Beowolf lacked most of the bone-like armor his conspecifics had before its corpse evaporated. Apparently, the Grimm in this forest were still pretty young... which meant that they spawned here pretty frequently, for whatever reason.

But then again, the white-haired girl didn't have much time to rack her brain about that because another Beowolf suddenly lunged at her. She quickly stabbed it and a swift movement of her arm threw its pretty light corpse to the side. Another one approached her and suffered the same fate. Then another one... and another one. Slash, dodge, riposte, parry, stab, dodge, slash, stab, dodge... After barely a minute, Weiss had slain about a dozen of Grimm. However, they just kept coming.

Ruby's scythe twirled around a few feet behind her, occasionally accelerated by some sniper rounds. The heiress only caught a glimpse of her girlfriend from time to time but, for some reason, the crimsonette seemed angry... and her fighting style was pretty reckless. Not as reckless as during the time she had been infected with this weird Grimm-illness, but still. Something about the Beowolves' presence here was aggravating her. As if the creatures were... defiling something, so to speak.

Unfortunately, Weiss didn't have much time to worry about her girlfriend again because their enemies' numbers didn't dwindle in the slightest. And even though they weren't posing that much of a threat, they were getting annoying. While a barrage of ice bolts easily took care of one wave, it was quickly replaced by another one. Additionally, the white-haired girl didn't have an unlimited Dust supply in Myrtenaster.

"Ruby? These things just keep coming and coming.", she yelled over her shoulder while dodging and decapitating another Beowolf, "Do you have a backup plan?"

"I'm already trying to come up with something!", the crimsonette shouted and swung Crescent Rose around, killing three Grimm in a single strike, "These things hadn't been that aggressive in a long time. Maybe it's because of you."

"Me?!", Weiss exclaimed, "Why would I have something to do with it?"

"Th-that's a long story.", Ruby explained and expertly slew another Beowolf, "Since Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, it's probably mostly my fault. You're just the trigger."

"But why does it upset you to bring me here?", the heiress wanted to know while burning a couple of their opponents to ashes with fire Dust, "Does it have something to do with whomever we're about to meet out here?"

"Definitely!", the crimsonette yelled back, "But I still won't tell you before we're there."

"Why?!", Weiss snarled and killed another approaching Grimm in a swift strike.

"Because you'll probably think I'm insane.", Ruby explained further while concentrating on fending off an especially large party of Beowolves.

"THIS is insane!", the white-haired girl yelled back, "These things might go down in one strike, but there are millions!" Of course, this was a bit exaggerated, but still...

"We're almost done with them, Snowflake.", the scythe-wielder said, "I can feel it. Just... trust me. Please!"

"You've got to be... urgh, fine.", Weiss sighed and stabbed another Beowolf, "I trust you. I'll always trust you, Rose Petal."

"Aww... you're the bestest girlfriend ever.", Ruby cooed with a beaming smile, "By the way, I've gotten an idea how to finish off the rest of the pack. But I need a little help."

"You can count on me.", the white-haired responded, "What do I have to do?"

"Cast a couple of your accelerating Glyph-thingies in a circle around you. And make them really strong.", the crimsonette explained, "But make sure to stand exactly in the middle of them. I'll handle the rest. Can you do this?"

"Almost done already.", Weiss said determined, slaughtered another approaching Grimm, and took a step back from the fight, "Ready when you are."

"Do it!", Ruby yelled and dissected two Beowolves herself.

The heiress' quickly stabbed her rapier into the ground and concentrated. She had no idea what her girlfriend was up to but, just like she had said, she trusted the younger girl. Therefore, she cast twelve Time Dilation Glyphs in a perfect circle around her. And while the task was pretty Aura-consuming and exhausting, Weiss still tried to look out for Ruby in case something went wrong.

The heiress already knew that her girlfriend was fast and agile. She also knew that the crimsonette had gotten a lot more proficient in using and controlling her Semblance over the last couple of months. Weiss' Glyphs had gotten stronger as well, after all. However, what the white-haired girl suddenly saw left her speechless, nonetheless:

The moment the Time Dilation Glyphs were cast, Ruby exploded into rose petals and started to circle around her girlfriend at a rapid pace. But after a couple of seconds, she was already too fast to be seen anymore. Instead, there was just a cyclone of crimson leaves... and snow... and... Beowolves?

The heiress barely believed her own eyes. The slipstream the crimsonette was creating at the moment was strong enough to sweep the Grimm along pretty much effortlessly. Twigs, broken branches, and even stones followed suit. The only thing that didn't get caught up in the maelstrom was Weiss. Just like Ruby had intended, she was standing in the eye of the hurricane.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a Beowolf was sliced in two. Then another one... and another one. The heiress had no idea how fast her girlfriend was currently circling around her but, apparently, she was still coordinated enough to execute precise attacks. Saying that Weiss was impressed would've been an understatement.

She briefly considered helping her girlfriend by bombarding the Beowolves in her field of vision with some Dust bolts. However, she quickly decided against it... out of two reasons. Firstly, she should probably focus on maintaining her Time Dilation Glyphs, even though they wouldn't vanish any time soon considering the huge amount of Aura she had utilized to create them. And secondly, there was still a remaining risk that her shots would miss the Grimm and hit her girlfriend... since Weiss had no idea where... or what the crimsonette was at the moment. All she saw was snow and petals... and evaporating Grimm-parts.

It seemed that Ruby didn't need any help to get rid of the final two dozens of Beowolves, though. The creatures just kept falling and falling. Soon, the young scythe-wielder had slain the last of them and the tempest around the heiress slowly decelerated. It seemed that they had finally won against the tide.

The petal storm finally came to a rest and Weiss could make out a certain, bigger cluster pretty soon. However, it was still twirling around kinda fast... and before the white-haired girl knew it, she already saw a distinctive figure. Unfortunately, it suddenly left the cyclone tangentially and smashed into the snow a couple of yards away from her. Much to the heiress' relief, her girlfriend's form didn't hit anything on its path, like a tree, for example.

That barely lessened Weiss' worries, though. After all, she had no idea how much her girlfriend had overexerted herself with this incredibly impressive attack. Needless to say, her mind quickly told her to assume the worst.

"Oh my gosh! Ruby!", she exclaimed and immediately rushed to her girlfriend, kneeling beside her, "Are you alright? S-say something! Please!" Then, she picked up the younger girl and rested her head in her lap. Much to her relief, she got an answer pretty soon.

"Urgh... d-dizzy...", the crimsonette croaked out, "G-gotta..." She shivered slightly and suppressed a retch... and a second one. Thankfully, she succeeded both times.

"Why, in all of Remnant's sake, did you think that trying out some weird technique we haven't even practiced before would be a good idea?", Weiss scolded her girlfriend... even though her apprehension still overshadowed her reproach.

"F-field study...", the younger girl responded with a small grin, "You would've managed to fend them off even if my strategy would've failed... I'm not that stupid, y'know? But then again, I didn't expect this move to be so... in need of getting used to. I can still taste my breakfast..."

"You don't say?", the heiress chuckled after she was sure that the younger girl was unhurt. Then, she helped her girlfriend back to her feet.

"Nevertheless... That. Was. Awesome!", Ruby suddenly cheered and even made a little jump. However, she quickly regretted this because she still had a pretty bad case of vertigo. Lucky for her, Weiss was there to catch her again.

"It certainly was.", the white-haired girl seconded while steadying her girlfriend, "I had no idea you're able to do something like that."

"Neither had I.", the crimsonette said, "I mean, I was already pretty sure that the tornado-thing would work, especially with your Glyphs. Otherwise, I wouldn't have tried it. But I didn't expect it to be so effective and... ultracool! Weiss, think! We need an equally ultracool name for this new team attack. Quick, while the memory is still fresh. How about "Rose Tempest"? Or "Crimson Hurricane"? Wait, these kinda leave you out... Maybe something like "Rose Blizzard" would be better. Or "Clockwork Petal Storm"... Or "Schnee-Rose Cyclone". What do you think?"

"How about "Rambling Dolt Merry-Go-Round"?", Weiss suggested with a grin.

"I would really appreciate it if you would take this a little more seriously, Snowflake.", Ruby responded in feigned annoyance, "Team attack names are important for coordination, and the morale, and to show other people how awesome we are."

"I know, don't worry.", the white-haired girl said, "But can we be awesome another time and move on? Now that we've gotten rid of the Grimm, we can finally continue on our way to... whomever."

"Oh! Y-yeah, you're right.", Ruby quickly exclaimed and most of her emotion left her expression again, "S-sorry for delaying everything, Snowflake... We should carry on. It's not that far anymore anyway."

With these words, she simply turned around and started moving. The heiress quickly followed suit. However, she was very well aware of the fact that she had said something wrong.

'You're such an idiot, Weiss.', the white-haired girl scolded herself inwardly, 'You should've let her have her moment of happiness for a little longer. Whomever we're about to visit, Ruby doesn't feel comfortable about it.'

They wandered through the forest a little further, leaving the clearing behind them. For whatever reason, the snowstorm seemed to get even heavier and harsher. However, Ruby pressed on... and Weiss simply followed. Whatever the crimsonette had in mind for this hike, it seemed utterly important. Therefore, the heiress didn't object anymore. She just hoped that whatever mystery her girlfriend had in stock would be solved rather soon.

Suddenly, they reached a cliff, void of any trees. The view was pretty amazing: Weiss could see most of the island and the village of Patch in the distance. However, that didn't seem to be the reason she and her girlfriend had come here. On the very far end of the cliff, in the middle of this wilderness, was something... manmade. Some kind of slab... or panel. Apparently, that was their destination.

It looked kind of... ceremonial. Like it was announcing some milestone in the crimsonette's life. Something incredibly important. On closer examination, it looked like a...

It was now that Weiss fully realized who she would meet here... and her eyes went wide. There was only one explanation now. Her girlfriend quickly confirmed her train of thought after she had crouched down in front of the gravestone.

"Hey, Mom..."

So that was the reason Ruby didn't tell her whom they would meet here. There wasn't anyone to meet... well, at least not physically. However, that didn't mean that it was any less important. The heiress knew how much her deceased mother meant to her girlfriend, after all.

Weiss stepped a little closer to take a better look at the tombstone but still stayed away far enough to give Ruby some privacy. The upper part of it was dominated by a rose emblem that looked almost, if not exactly identical to Ruby's. Underneath it, in a beautiful character font, was an engraving:

Summer Rose – Thus Kindly I Scatter

So this was the final resting place of the crimsonette's mother. At first, the heiress wondered why it was that far out in the forest. Then, she wanted to ask why her girlfriend had told her they would actually meet someone here. However, she quickly dismissed her thoughts... because something weird was happening.

"I'm sorry I didn't show up any sooner.", Ruby began, "I already wanted to visit you yesterday but something, well, interfered a little. Mostly Dad being Dad, hehe. You know how he gets sometimes. But then again, I guess he just misses going out on adventures with you. That's why he's slowly starting to get weirder and weirder. Oh, umm... Not... weirdly weird, just... well, Dad-weird. Y'know him. Nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, he still teaches at Signal. I guess it's only a matter of time until a student of him gets accepted into Beacon early, too. But if that's the case, I'm going to sabotage them. There can be only one! Hehe... just kidding... Seriously! I'm not that mean."

Upon hearing this, Weiss was taken aback. The crimsonette was talking to her mother's grave. Admittedly, that wasn't a totally unusual thing to do. Yet, the way Ruby actually did it was still... odd. It sounded like she really believed her mom could still hear her. No... as if she expected her to answer.

"But I don't want to put all the blame on Dad for my delay, don't get me wrong.", the crimsonette continued, "There's also another reason I'm late. A rather complex one... but a pretty amazing one, nonetheless. At least, in my opinion, that is... Well, it's kind of a long story. Lots of long stories, actually... Like, reeeaaally long. S-sorry if I'm rambling a little, but there's been happening sooo much during the last semester, I don't know where to begin."

Suddenly, Weiss understood while Ruby had been worried about being taken for crazy earlier. Not that the heiress actually thought that her girlfriend was insane now. Yet, the whole situation was kinda weird... at least in her opinion.

"Well, let's start like we always do.", the younger girl went on, "I... I miss you. I always do... o-obviously. Dad and Yang miss you, too, of course. But we stay strong and carry on. And even though it's still hard for me sometimes... not that much anymore... umm, s-sorry... I'll try to be happy and enjoy my life. I know that this is what you would've wanted. I'm even making some progress... well, a LOT of progress because... w-well, I'll tell you about that later. It's, umm, rather personal... Anyway, moving on:

Life at Beacon is... well, life at Beacon. Even though there are a bunch of people I'm not especially fond of, I don't even want them to suffer the cafeteria grub. The pancakes for breakfast are pretty nice, though. What's next? Well, obviously, I still haven't gotten kicked out yet. I guess you're glad to hear that, am I right? We both know that me being accepted two years early wasn't exactly a smart decision of Ozpin. But so far, I didn't F anything up.", she giggled a bit at that, "But then again, that's not especially my merit. Yang also plays no small part in it. She's still the big, strong, overprotective sister you know... a lot bigger and stronger now... and I highly doubt that she's gonna change very much in the future. Remember how she stuffed those two jerks in kindergarten into a single trash can when they've been bullying me because of the cape you gave me? I mean, it already looked super-amazing back then... and nobody should've been making fun of me just because I tripped over it from time to time. It was from you. And I eventually grew into it. I mean, look at me now!", she made an impressive, aerial twirl and landed in some kind of superhero kneeling pose in front of the tombstone, "I'm almost a full-fledged Huntress already. But don't worry: I'll never rest on my oars. I'll continue to train as hard as I can to get as strong as you."

By now, Weiss was starting to blink back a couple of tears. It was obvious to her that her girlfriend hadn't overcome the death of her mother yet. At least not completely, so to speak. Otherwise, this odd conversation wouldn' take place...

"Actually, I'm probably not that much down on you already.", Ruby continued with a small, prideful smirk, "W-with all due respect, though... But me 'n my team managed to pull off something awesome last semester. Y'see... there have been those double missions... and I went out on it with Weiss... My teammate and partner... and, well... th-the other stuff... A-anyway, there were some weird Grimm and they were kinda mutated. And Weiss and I investigated their origin. And I got stung by some weird kind of Death Stalker and it infected me with a weird Grimm-illness. At first, it just made me stronger and I welcomed it, but soon, I started to act weird and aggressive. Weird, weird, and weird... sorry for the repetition. Thankfully, Weiss made me realize that I needed a cure. Then, my team and Ash... oh, that was the guard captain of the village near those mutant Grimm's origin... pretty cool guy, he would've reminded you of a mixture of Dad and uncle Qrow. Anyway, we infiltrated the base and showed the guy who was responsible for those mutants who's boss. Much to our surprise, it was Doctor Merlot again, the insane scientist I've told you about the last time. Apparently, he has survived the explosion on his island and is now some kind of computer program. Nevertheless, me 'n my team fought our way through his new lab and hordes of mutant Grimm, got the icky serum he used to make them mutate, and escaped. And then, some pretty nice Atlesian doctors made an antidote for me. And so, I recovered... and continued to train to become an amazing Huntress in the future. I hope you're proud of me so far. I still have a lot to learn, though..."

After her little monologue, Ruby finally stood up again. Weiss secretly wished that this meant they would be done here... but she knew that they weren't.

"There's... a-another thing I came here to tell you about.", Ruby suddenly said, "Well, more like the actual thing I came here to tell you. Don't get me wrong, I also wanted to share my adventures with you... as always. But I'm not alone here for a reason."

Then, the crimsonette turned around and looked at her girlfriend. Her silver eyes had never shone like this. They were happy, sad, composed, and pleading at the same time. Weiss didn't know why, but they were even more captivating than usual.

The white-haired girl took a step forward... and another one... and then, another one... until she stood side by side with her girlfriend.

"I've already told you about Weiss.", the younger girl began hesitantly, "A-and about my secret crush on her..."

Upon hearing this, the heiress' eyes went wide. Ruby had already told her mother about her feelings... and preferences? After all, not even her father had known about them until the day before yesterday. But then again, who could keep a secret better than a tombstone?

"She's here with me right now.", the crimsonette continued, "Because we want to tell you something. It's another really long story and... umm, a lot of weird stuff happened between us. You see... there was this incident where she and I kinda... Well, I did something pretty stupid, like I always do from time to time, and because of that... I-I found out something about Weiss. A-and then... uhh..."

By now, Ruby was a stammering mess. However, for a weird reason Weiss couldn't explain herself, she understood her girlfriend. The crimsonette wasn't just talking to a slab of stone. She was talking to her mother. And not just because she tried to feel better or to process her passing. She believed (or maybe just wanted to believe) that Summer could still hear her in the afterlife. That she still kept an eye on her... watched over her.

With this in thought, it was obvious how difficult the whole conversation was for the crimsonette. Therefore, Weiss decided to help her girlfriend out. Polite and respectful, of course, in deference to the younger girl's feelings...

And maybe because a small part in the back of the heiress' mind wanted Ruby's believes to be true.

"Your daughter and I are a couple.", the white-haired girl interrupted her still-rambling girlfriend softly, addressing the tombstone, "We're together for a couple of months already."

"W-weiss...", the crimsonette said in astonishment. To be honest, she didn't expect her girlfriend to actually talk to her mother. She had expected her to understand why she was doing it herself... but not to participate.

"I may have needed a little longer than Ruby to realize that I love her...", the heiress continued, "But I do. I already felt that way a long time before we actually got together. I just couldn't accept it. Out of different reasons... e-especially a certain one."

"Weiss... y-you don't have to...", the crimsonette began. She immediately knew what her girlfriend was about to say. And even though she was just talking to her mother's grave, it was obvious that the white-haired girl was uncomfortable with telling her story. However, the younger girl was cut off.

"When I was really young, my father tried to alter my gender because he wanted, well, needed a male heir.", Weiss went on, "That's how it works in Atlas' higher classes. The experiment failed, though, and just added... m-male genitals to my anatomy... alongside my female ones. One day, by accident, your daughter found out. And for some reason, I started to pour out my heart to her after she had discovered my secret. And I told her that no one could ever love me because of it. Yet, Ruby told me that she could. She even kissed me. But I rejected her at first... and stormed off. But then I realized that I reciprocated her feelings... always had. Yet, I was still sure that I could never be with her because my mismatched anatomy would, well, get in the way. Metaphorically and literally. I even wanted to cut this hated organ off that night... which probably would've been my end. But Ruby somehow managed to... to show me that I was wrong about everything. That she really accepted me, even after she found out about my secret. That she... didn't care about it... that she only cared about me. She saved me that night. I'll always remember it... since it was the first time in my entire life that I was truly happy... in her embrace."

She gave her girlfriend a loving smile and got one in return.

"We've overcome a lot of hardships since then.", Weiss explained further, "Both of us did some stupid, dangerous, and pretty self-destructive things... but we were always there for each other. It only made us and our love grow stronger... to the point that I can't imagine going to sleep or waking up without Ruby in my arms anymore."

The heiress remembered everything that had happened during the last semester all too well: Her vomiting blood after she had overdosed on the pills that were meant to repress her libido, Ruby suffering from the Grimm-illness and becoming less and less herself. Yet, they had never left the other's side and had ridden out every misery... together.

"I guess what I am trying to say is the following...", the white-haired girl concluded her speech and made another step forward so she stood right in front of Summer's tombstone, "I love your daughter... more than anything. More than my own life. And if it'll ever be necessary, I'll gladly give it for her." Her tone of voice made clear that she was absolutely serious.

She crouched down and continued, staring right at the rose emblem, "I wish I could've met you for real... seeing the person everyone is talking about in such high regards, especially Ruby... so I could convince you in person that I'll never let anyone or anything harm my beloved Rose Petal. I don't know if I'll ever be good enough for your daughter in your opinion... the only thing I can promise you is that I'll always treat her like the most amazing person in the world... since that's what she is to me. She's the love of my life and this is never, ever going to change. No matter what life would offer me in return... I would always choose Ruby."

Weiss had never believed that the universe was handing out any signs. She was raised to doubt everything superstitious. There were scientifically proven facts... and there were coincidences. It was that simple.

However, what happened next made her doubt everything she had assumed to know about life... and the afterlife:

Suddenly, the snowstorm that had been raging around them the entire time was fading away until it had died down completely. The dense blanket of clouds parted as well and the sky opened up. Bright daylight illuminated the cliff, the young couple, and Summer's grave, a shining beacon that drove the darkness around them away. Even the bone-chilling cold that had been surrounding them had softened considerably at a moment's notice. The reflections of the tombstone made its surface sparkle in every color imaginable. And were there... petals? No, that must've been stray snowflakes... right?

Needless to say, both girls were awestruck.

"Wh-what in all of Remnant's sake just happened?", Weiss asked completely flabbergasted.

"I guess she likes you.", Ruby whispered back and a small smile appeared on her face.

"You don't actually think that your mother had something to do with this, right?", the heiress wanted to know and gave her girlfriend a confused look.

"Well, not really.", the crimsonette responded, yet, she added with a slightly bigger grin, "But then again, there are a lot of things in the universe that we'll probably never fully understand."

"You're still kind of a dolt sometimes, you know that?", Weiss sighed. However, she quickly pulled the younger girl into a tender embrace soon after and finished: "Never change, okay?"

"Don't worry, Snowflake.", Ruby said affectionately and returned the hug, "I promise you that I'll always be your little dolt."

"You don't have to be one all of the time, though.", the white-haired girl giggled.

"That's something I can't promise you.", the crimsonette responded with a giggle herself.

"Why is it always so easy for you to lighten up my life?", Weiss asked and pulled Ruby a little closer.

"Because I'm awesome.", Ruby simply replied, "But seriously, this is kind of my job. Also, you're doing this kinda stuff pretty effortlessly as well. All I have to do is to look into your beautiful, blue eyes."

"Flatterer.", the white-haired girl cooed, "I hope you don't just ooze charm to earn yourself a reward tonight."

"Oh, I'm oozing charm to get a reward right now.", the crimson-haired girl explained, "Even if it's just a small one." Then, she wriggled herself out of their embrace a bit and went in for a kiss. However, Weiss turned away before it happened.

"D-do you really think it's okay to do this kind of stuff in front of... of your mother?", the heiress asked hesitantly.

Her question was quickly answered by a soft pair of lips pressed against her own. The kiss was chaste and there weren't any tongues involved, yet, it spoke volumes about the crimsonette's feelings for her. Weiss immediately returned it. Unfortunately, it came to an end very soon. Way too soon, in the white-haired girl's opinion.

"Don't worry about Mom.", Ruby reassured her girlfriend after they had parted, "She'd have probably said something like "Get a room, you two.". Pretty much like Dad, I guess. I'm not sure, though... because, well..."

Weiss quickly noticed that her girlfriend's mood was about to worsen again. Therefore, the tried to change the subject.

"How about we go back home and cuddle a bit in front of the TV?", the heiress suggested, "Preferably with a warm beverage. Even without the snowstorm, it's pretty cold out here."

"Sounds like a good idea.", the crimsonette seconded, "I guess I've told Mom everything that was important anyway. But I'll definitely come back to visit her before we return to Beacon. Would you like to accompany me again?"

"Gladly.", Weiss responded without hesitation.

"Well then... bye, Mom.", Ruby said conclusively, "I'll keep you up to date as soon as possible whenever something interesting happens. And don't worry too much about me. I'm already a pretty cool prospective Huntress, I have an amazing team... and an even more amazing girlfriend to look out for me."

She grabbed the heiress' hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Farewell, Summer.", the white-haired girl added, "I promise you that I'll take good care of Ruby and make her happy. No matter what'll await us in the future, I'll never leave her side."

And with these words, both girls turned around and started to make their way back to the Rose-Xiao Long residence... therefore, they didn't see the single white rose petal that landed softly on the tombstone anymore.

Chapter Text

The young couple's way back to the Rose-Xiao Long residence was absolutely peaceful. To Weiss, it somehow felt like they were walking through a completely different forest. Barely an hour ago, hundreds of Beowolves had been haunting this area, but now, it seemed to be the perfect place for a Sunday stroll. Even the snowfall had died down considerably and the sun had come out again.

The most important change – at least in the heiress' opinion – concerned her girlfriend's mood, though. Apparently, Ruby had finally reverted back to her happy and quirky self. Needless to say, Weiss was incredibly relieved to see the crimsonette's skittish antics again. In one moment, she practically demanded cuddles and kisses, slowing them down in the process, and in the next one, she almost dragged the white-haired girl along behind herself, telling her to hurry up so they could watch cartoons and drink hot chocolate. Shortly after, she let go of her hand again because she had spotted something else that had caught her interest, an odd-looking tree or a cute animal, for example. Or she bombarded her with other ideas of pastimes for the rest of their vacation.

By now, the time when Ruby's erratic behavior had really annoyed her was only a distant memory to Weiss. If she had something important to do, it barely bothered her anymore, and if not, it was absolutely adorable to watch the crimsonette getting overly excited about the simplest things. It was relaxing and refreshing simultaneously... and the heiress couldn't imagine another single day in her life without the little ball of seemingly endless energy that was her girlfriend.

"Hey, how about a snowball fight when we're warmed up again?", the crimsonette suggested, adding another one to the about twenty activities she had already proposed to her girlfriend, "You and me against Yang and Dad. We should probably give then a ten-point headstart, though, so it's gonna be at least a little bit of a challenge."

"Well, not that I'm completely against the idea since it would involve giving your sister a snowy facewash...", Weiss giggled, "But don't you think that it is a bit childish?"

"Childish?!", Ruby exclaimed as if the heiress had insulted her very being, "Have you ever been in a real snowball fight before? This is war! This is madness! This is..."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry.", the white-haired girl quickly interrupted her as memories of the food fight at Beacon entered her mind like war flashbacks, "Calm down, Rose Petal. I get the picture. Nevertheless, my favorite of your suggestions is still ice skating on the lake since I haven't done anything like this for a long time. It's also the most romantic one so far."

"Fine with me, then.", the crimsonette responded with a smile, "But I'll still keep the snowball fight in mind in case I'm running out of ideas in the future."

'As if that's going to happen anytime soon.', the heiress chuckled inwardly.

However, and as if to prove her wrong, her girlfriend remained silent for the next couple of minutes... well, at least silent by Ruby's standards. The crimsonette still zipped around the forest – and around the white-haired girl in the process – and announced it whenever she found something interesting.

But just before the heiress really assumed that her girlfriend was out of ideas for now...

"Oh, Snowflake! I just thought of something else!", Ruby exclaimed in excitement and immediately fell into rambling about another plan.

'Here we go again.', Weiss sighed inwardly with a roll of her eyes, yet, she couldn't help but smile.

When the two girls arrived back at the crimsonette's home, it wasn't even noon. Apparently, their Grimm encounter hadn't thrown them back as much as they had assumed. The talk with Summer hadn't taken them very long as well. And the way back hadn't been overly interrupted by Ruby's shenanigans.

There were two notes on the coffee table in the living room. One of them was from Taiyang that said he went to town to buy some fresh groceries for lunch. The hastily scribbled and barely readable scrawl on the other could only originate from Yang and read that she was... somewhere else. The first letter of her destination was either a g, a capital B, a six, an eight, or a section sign. The rest was absolutely illegible. Even the words out, went, back, and lunch were barely readable.

"Do you have any idea where Yang could've gone to?", Weiss asked and scanned the note again, "Not that it is that important, though. I'm just eager to decipher these ancient hieroglyphs."

"Nope.", Ruby responded, popping the P in her usual manner, "Could be the gym, Barry's – that's a bakery – the 8-Ball, a billiards bar that isn't open yet, though, or Signal if this weird whatever here should resemble an S."

"I'm never going to complain about your sister's handwriting in class again.", the white-haired girl said and put the piece of paper away, "Apparently, she takes great pains to make her notes readable."

"Well, not all of us are as perfectionist as you are.", the crimsonette remarked with a grin, "My own handwriting isn't much better since Oobleck's rambling doesn't offer much time to care about niceties. Your notes could be printed and published the way they are, though. I'll probably never understand how you do this."

"Frequent training, due diligence, and overly demanding tutors back in Atlas that beat me up over the slightest slip of the pen, figuratively speaking.", Weiss explained, but added quietly, "Mostly..."

"Wow. That's... horrible.", Ruby gasped, "Well, not as horrible as the weird Dust experiments, but still."

"My sister went through the same drill, so I never questioned it.", the white-haired girl responded, trying to shrug off the bad memories, "It is anything but more efficient than your or any other people's notes, but I just can't turn it off. Otherwise, there is still some kind of little voice in my head that tells me I'm... well, a failure."

The heiress had barely finished her sentence before she was pulled into a comforting hug. Not even a second later, soft lips were pressed to her cheek.

"You are a lot of things, Snowflake, but failure is probably the thing you're the farthest away from.", Ruby said softly and nuzzled her face into the crook of her girlfriend's neck, "You're amazing. The only stupid thing you did – and still do – is not realizing this. Try seeing yourself through my eyes for a change... and you'll see the most beautiful person in all of Remnant, inside and outside."

"And yet again, you lighten up my life with no effort at all.", Weiss sighed contented and relaxed into the embrace.

"What can I say: Whenever you have a problem, you can always count on The Rose Petal.", the crimsonette giggled and pulled the white-haired girl even closer, "I should start working on a theme song. But I definitely need your awesome vocals for this."

"Count me in.", the heiress chuckled as well and gave her girlfriend a kiss to the cheek herself.

"Alright. Now that we've resolved this, how about we carry on with our actual plan.", Ruby proposed and pulled away again, "I'll head to the kitchen and fix some hot chocolate for us and you get comfortable on the couch and choose something to watch. Preferably something we don't have to pay too much attention to since I don't really want to focus on the show... if you catch my drift." Then, she wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Let's say I already have a vague idea.", Weiss responded, "But I hope you're going to make it a little clearer to me... once you're done with the hot chocolate, that is."

"Be right back!", the younger girl quickly exclaimed and disappeared in the blink of an eye. All that was left were a couple of rose petals dancing in front of the heiress.

'If I would use this power to encourage her to study more, she'd be top of the class in about three weeks.', Weiss giggled inwardly, sat down on the sofa, and turned on the holographic TV.

The white-haired girl had barely gotten comfortable before the front door flew open and Taiyang entered the living room, carrying two grocery bags. He expertly kicked the door shut again and tossed his keys onto a nearby sideboard. Then, he noticed Weiss on the couch.

"Oh, you're back already?", he asked and set the bags down, "Where's Ruby?"

Suddenly, a loud clatter sounded from the kitchen, accompanied by an annoyed "Oww! Fudgesicles!"

"I see.", the blond man chuckled, but then, his expression shifted and he scratched the back of his head, "Sooo... how was it?"

"What do you mean?", Weiss asked back, even though she already had an idea what the crimsonette's father was talking about... an idea that was confirmed rather quickly.

"Visiting Summer, of course.", Taiyang explained matter-of-factly, yet, there was a hint of sadness in his voice, "Must've been a pretty big surprise, huh? Sorry that I didn't tell you, but Ruby wanted me to keep it a secret because she was afraid of what you might think of her."

"As if I would think any less of her just because she still misses her mother and wants to talk to her.", the white-haired girl sighed.

"I told her that much already, but you know that she can be very... particular about the things that matter to her.", the Huntsman said and added with a small smile, "You're one of them now, after all."

"Apparently.", Weiss responded with a smile herself, then, she continued, "But to answer your first question: It was... weird. Not that I think that talking to a deceased person is exceptionally odd, but talking to them as if they're still standing right in front of you like Ruby did kinda caught me off guard. Well, at least at first."

"And after that?", Taiyang wanted to know.

"I kinda understood her.", the heiress answered honestly, "It is obvious that Ruby still misses her mother dearly... and maybe even thinks that she's still watching her from above, so to speak. And – and I can't really explain it myself – I suddenly wanted to believe this as well. Then, I told Summer's tombstone about my past, how Ruby and I got together, what we went through, and how much we love each other. And I promised that I'll do everything within my power to make her happy. Now that I think about it retrospectively, I'm sounding pretty weird myself right now."

"Not one bit.", the blond man responded, "Even though it's probably just some kind of superstition that there actually is some kind of afterlife and the people in there care about what we do or tell 'em... I'm pretty sure that what you did meant the world to Ruby. And I'm at least twice as sure that if Summer really would've been there, she would've given you her approval first-hand. Whatever that means..."

Immediately, Weiss' mind darted back to the sudden change of weather: the snowstorm that had disappeared, the clouds parting, the warmth, absolutely untypical for that time of the year... the snowflakes that kinda looked like rose petals.

She wanted to tell her girlfriend's father about all of that, not even minding that it sounded completely crazy, but then...

"Argh, my fingers! Milk?! We've been friends forever! Why do you betray me now?!"

"I should probably check out whatever our little chef is trying to do in the kitchen before she kills herself or burns down the house.", Taiyang said with a grin and pointed to the door frame with his thumb.

"It's supposed to be hot chocolate.", Weiss explained, "Please let her taste it before she pours it into our respective mugs. Then, we're gonna wait thirty minutes to see if it's safe."

"Don't worry. Ruby's hot chocolate, her cookies, or literally anything with sugar in it she cooks or bakes is safe to consume.", the crimsonette's father replied, "I mean, she's still alive and she eats this stuff regularly."

"I know... and my attempts to change this behavior have been pretty much ineffectual so far.", the heiress sighed.

"And you still try?", Tai said in feigned shock, "Okay, now my last worries about the two of you ever splitting up are gone for good."

"I guess even without being married yet, it's Till death do us part with us already.", Weiss responded with a smile. As if on cue, another, considerably louder clatter and a "Yikes!" could be heard from the kitchen. "We should probably make sure that this doesn't happen anytime soon, though.", the white-haired girl added and stood up from the couch.

"In that case, you should definitely stay here.", the Huntsman explained with a chuckle, "When Ruby or Yang whirl around in the kitchen, it's usually the bystanders who suffer the worst injuries."

Then, he grabbed his grocery bags and finished: "Wish me luck. And if I don't make it, make sure my sacrifice won't be forgotten."

With these words, he took a determined breath and entered the kitchen.

Weiss hadn't even sat down again before she heard a shocked: "What the...?! Ruby!"

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll clean this up... aaand fix the stove... aaand the other stuff.", came the meek response from the crimsonette.

'What the hell is Ruby doing in there?', the white-haired girl thought, 'She has baked cookies countless times at Beacon and the kitchen has only burned on three occasions... one of them being partially my fault.'

The reason for the chaos in the kitchen became apparent pretty soon. The beverage the heiress got a couple of minutes later could only be described as the mother of hot chocolate: It was a huge mug of milk with lots of cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon, topped off with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, roasted marshmallows, and biscuits. Upon seeing her girlfriend's amazed expression, Ruby quickly told her that it was nothing. Weiss, however, knew exactly that the crimsonette had only made the extra effort to impress her. But, of course, she didn't address it.

After the young lovers had gotten comfortable, they watched a couple of episodes of a show they had already seen. That way, they could concentrate more, well, fully on each other. Needless to say, Ruby and Weiss couldn't do anything lewd out here in the open – yet, this seemed to slip the crimsonette's mind from time to time. On more than one occasion, the white-haired girl had to slam on the brakes because a certain part of her anatomy started to act up whenever her girlfriend's lips and/or hand tried to do something not suited for a general audience, so to speak.

Their afternoon was spent on the frozen lake near the village of Patch. A lot of couples, families with their children, or just skating enthusiasts populated it, yet, Weiss couldn't care less about them. Everything that mattered to her was the girl with the black-and-red hair that clung to her arm and told her to slow down every now and then. Apparently, Ruby had chosen this activity with her enjoyment in mind... and without considering her own abilities. It was obvious that the crimsonette had barely skated so far, and while she wasn't an absolute beginner, she definitely paled in comparison to the heiress. Luckily, Weiss was able to teach her enough about balance and steering in a short time so they could even kiss occasionally while making slow rounds around the lake.

Unfortunately, it soon got dark – it was winter, after all – and the young couple decided to go home after just two hours of skating. And even though Ruby tried to hide it, it was obvious that she was glad about it. While she pretty much hated it to walk around in heels, her so-called lady stilts, ice skates apparently ranked not that far behind. Nevertheless, the younger girl had endured it so Weiss could have fun today, and it made the heiress love her even more... if that was even possible.

The rest of the day was spent with family feuds. Well, normal people might have called it board games. However, the Rose-Xiao Long household seemed to handle this a little differently. Every game ended with either accusing each other of cheating, actual cheating, or simply flipping the board. Weiss was pretty sure that her own family would've behaved the exact same way, probably even worse, if they would've ever played such games... but without making it up with each other almost immediately afterwards.

Nighttime arrived and soon, everybody went to sleep. Ruby and Weiss took care of their respective evening routines and snuggled up to one another in the crimsonette's bed. The two girls were incredibly happy about the prospect of proper rest, especially after their rather stressful and emotionally exhausting morning. However, the scythe-wielder seemed to focus on another detail, for whatever reason.

"Whew... thank goodness.", Ruby sighed the moment she felt her girlfriend's arms around her waist, "We somehow survived the games night."

"How is it that the possibility of casualties exists in literally everything your family does?", Weiss asked in disbelief while pulling the younger girl a little closer to her body.

"No idea. I've stopped questioning this a looong, looong time ago.", the crimsonette giggled.

"Compared to the board games, fighting off those Beowolves this morning has been a walk in the park.", the heiress said with a small giggle herself.

"Huh, yeah...", Ruby chuckled weakly, "Umm, sorry about that, by the way. Those things were pretty much my fault, after all. I was just worried about breaking the news to Mom, even though I know it was stupid since she's... g-gone. But then again, I was also worried about what you'd think of me because I deemed this meeting so utterly important."

By now, it was clear to the white-haired girl why her girlfriend had focused on the rest of the day rather than their visit to Summer's grave. Needless to say, Weiss immediately scolded herself inwardly for reminding her about it.

"It was utterly important.", she quickly said to cheer Ruby up again, "She's your mom, after all. And that'll never change."

"I shouldn't miss her so much anymore.", the crimsonette sighed, "I mean, it's been forever since she died. I had more than enough time to process it. Yet, whenever something important happens in my life, I always think: 'If only I could tell her about it.' Like, really tell her about it, not her tombstone. And see the smile on her face, whenever I did something she could be proud of. Or even an eye-roll or a scowl if I did something stupid."

"It's not wrong to feel that way.", Weiss further tried to comfort her girlfriend, "When my own mother... changed, I felt like I've somehow lost her, too. And I want her back as well, the way she was. I can't fully understand what you're going through, but I can sympathize with it at least a little. So believe me, there's nothing wrong with you still missing your mom, especially given how amazing Summer must've been when she was alive."

"I wish you could've met her for real.", Ruby continued, now barely able to suppress a sob, "C-can you imagine how happy she would've been for us after seeing how much we love each other?"

"Rose Petal...", the heiress whispered soothingly but had no idea what to answer.

"I'm sorry.", the younger girl grumbled, "I didn't mean to get all sobby and gloomy again. I'm lying in a bed with the most beautiful girl in all of Remnant, but instead of being overjoyed, like I should be, I'm just a stupid crybaby. Most of the time, I have it under control, but today was... somehow..."

She didn't finish her sentence, trying to fight the tears that started to well in her eyes instead. While she had always known it, visiting her mother's grave with Weiss had made it so much clearer to her that her mom would never meet the love of her life. She would never meet her future grandchildren, either. Summer wouldn't attend Ruby and Weiss' wedding, wouldn't come over to their place to babysit from time to time, wouldn't...

Her train of thoughts was stopped abruptly.

Weiss couldn't bear seeing her girlfriend in this state any longer. She had to do something to make her the cute, happy girl she deserved to be again. And if she wasn't able to accomplish that verbally, there was still another way. Actions spoke louder than words, after all.

One of her hands slipped under the crimsonette's tank top, slowly moving upwards and cherishing the feeling of her girlfriend's toned stomach before it came to rest at the swell of her naked breasts. The other one went into the opposite direction, lower and lower, until the heiress' fingertips reached the waistband of the younger girl's pajama pants.

"W-weiss?", Ruby asked confused, "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I've promised your mom that I'll make you happy, no matter what.", the heiress responded affectionately, "That includes taking your mind off sad things by telling and showing you how wonderful you are. Just like you do whenever I'm feeling down. And, given our current situation and latest lack of intimacy, I know exactly how to show you how much you mean to me."

"Y-you don't have to... hngh.", Ruby began but was quickly silenced by her own moan the moment Weiss' upper hand cupped one of her breasts and started to caress it gently.

"You're the most caring, sensitive, beautiful, and amazing person on this planet and I still thank the heavens every single day that they've sent me an angel like you to fall in love with me.", the white-haired girl purred sensually and kissed the back of the crimsonette's neck, "And even though I know I don't have to, I'll spend the rest of my life to repay you for that."

She brushed her thumb over the younger girl's stiff nipple and started to nibble on her earlobe.

"Do you want me to continue, Rose Petal?", Weiss whispered tenderly, "No matter how much I want to please you, I would never do anything you're not comfortable with."

"If you really mean that, then stop teasing me already, Snowflake.", Ruby whimpered needily and bucked her ass against the heiress' crotch. The white-haired girl was reading her like a book: She didn't want to be sad anymore. She wanted to feel good again. And sharing some intimacy with her girlfriend was most certainly the best way to accomplish that... if only for the time being.

"Your wish is my command.", the heiress responded.

While her left hand gave Ruby's boob another affectionate squeeze, her right one finally slipped into the crimsonette's pajama pants and, in addition, her panties. After their descent over the younger girl's smooth pubic mound, the heiress' slender fingers quickly found what they were searching for: Her girlfriend's beautiful flower. Interestingly enough, but not completely unexpected, Ruby was already slightly wet.

The moment the crimson-haired girl felt one of Weiss' digits part her puffy outer lips, she let out a soft moan. Another one, considerably louder than the first, escaped her throat when Weiss started to slide it up and down, gently caressing the valley of her pussy. This alone caused her tiny clit to stiffen quickly. The lips, tongue, and teeth playing with her earlobe only added to her pleasure.

However, all of these actions didn't just affect the younger girl. Simply hearing the sweet noises Ruby made, as well as the knowledge that she was responsible for them, already sent a shiver of arousal down Weiss' spine. Feeling the softness of her perky breast, the hardness of her nipple, and the wetness of her core fueled her lust even more. After barely a minute, the white-haired girl felt a familiar strain in her panties as her cock slowly swelled with blood. And just as the appendage itself, the desire to put it to good use grew by the second. Nevertheless, Weiss tried to restrain herself. Right now, this was about Ruby, not herself.

"Do you like that, Rose Petal?", the heiress whispered sensually, accentuated by another soft kiss to her girlfriend's earlobe.

"M-more, please...", came the shaky response.

"With pleasure.", Weiss said and immediately complied.

Ruby's next moan turned into a gasp midway when she felt one of her girlfriend's slender fingers entering her pussy. Her internal muscles immediately clamped down on the invader as if to prevent it from escaping again. Pleased, but still not completely satisfied with the crimsonette's reaction, Weiss pushed another finger into the younger girl's slippery tunnel. This caused Ruby's body to shiver and convulse considerably stronger and the flow of her vaginal fluids to increase. Finally happy with her handiwork, the white-haired girl slowly started to pump her fingers in and out of the crimsonette's slit.

Of course, Ruby wanted to pleasure her girlfriend, too, but her unfavorable position, as well as the heiress' iron grip, made it rather difficult. Right now, her only option was to grind her shapely butt against Weiss' crotch. At least, this seemed to be quite effective already. The growing and twitching cock between her cheeks was proof of that.

However, Ruby's grinding barely compared to the white-haired girl's actions. The way the heiress squeezed her breast and pinched her nipple, or how her dainty fingers slid back and forth along her velvety walls sent the crimsonette's brain's pleasure zones into overdrive. And even though having Weiss' huge, throbbing dick spread her pussy apart was a lot more pleasurable, the crimsonette already felt an orgasm approaching. It was obvious that she was losing this battle by a long shot. The feeling of the rather large wet spot on her lower back, which pretty much originated from the heiress' precum, was a negligible victory.

With some effort, Weiss managed to push a third finger into her girlfriend's core. It was a tight fit, though, and again, the heiress wondered how it was even possible for her much larger cock to enter the tiny hole. At the thought, the mentally addressed organ – now fully erect and drooling precum – gave a powerful twitch. 'Not now, maybe later.', she grumbled in her mind. At the moment, her own entertainment was secondary. The task at hand was frying her girlfriend's brain with pleasure.

In addition to her pumping motions, the white-haired girl started to wriggle and curl her fingers to intensify the sensation for Ruby. She soon found the crimsonette's g-spot and applied a little pressure. The reaction came immediately: The younger girl's slippery passage squeezed the three invaders even harder and her gasps and moans became louder and way more frequent. Spurred on by the loving contractions around her fingers and the sweet symphony of noises, Weiss sped up her motions even more. She was pretty sure that her girlfriend was about to cum any minute now.

True to the heiress' thoughts, Ruby already felt an all-too-familiar heat building in her stomach. She was on the edge and refusing to go over it to make this moment last a little longer got harder and harder. The urge to hold back had become so powerful that the younger girl didn't even care about the fact that she was the only one receiving pleasure at the moment anymore, something she usually never did. She would've reminded herself to make this up to Weiss somehow – most certainly with a morning blowjob – but, as said, her brain capacity was rather limited right now.

Even though the crimsonette's mind was trying to delay the inevitable, her body was working against it. Her grinding had ceased almost completely and only happened involuntarily. Instead, Ruby bucked her hips into her girlfriend's hand in order to drive her fingers even deeper. Just a little more and...

"Come on, Rose Petal. I can feel how close you are.", Weiss whispered tenderly and caught the crimsonette's earlobe between her lips, gently sucking on it, "Please show me how much you love me... and cum for me."

These last words were the final straw for the younger girl. Accompanied by a barely muffled scream, a powerful orgasm rocked through Ruby's body. Her vision went white and her whole body shook and trembled. Her insides clamped down on her girlfriend's fingers like a silken vice and practically tried to devour them. Furthermore, her pussy expelled a huge gush of fluids, completely ruining the next set of sheets, as well as her pajama pants and panties.

The moment Weiss noticed that the crimsonette was cumming, she immediately sped up the pumping motions of her fingers and tried to twist them around even more to prolong the younger girl's climax. She also made sure to rub her palm over Ruby's rock-hard clit with every move she made. Her other hand was still massaging her girlfriend's supple breast but paid even more attention to the sensitive nipple now. Lastly, her lips and tongue attacked every bit of skin that was within reach, namely the crimsonette's ear, her cheek, her neck, and her shoulders, leaving a hickey or two whenever the white-haired girl sucked a little harder than actually intended. In her defense, the whole situation had gotten her pretty hot and bothered as well.

After about half a minute, Ruby finally came down from her high... albeit slowly. Her body stopped spasming uncontrollably and her internal muscles reluctantly let go of Weiss' fingers again. Another two minutes later, her breathing had somewhat returned to normal as well. Soon after, she even found her voice back... at least to some extent.

"Weish... that... I... you... 'mazing...", the crimsonette panted.

"Amazing was exactly what I was aiming for.", the white-haired girl giggled, withdrew her fingers from Ruby's snatch, and licked them clean, "Mmh... You're delicious, as always."

Then, she pulled the younger girl into a soft embrace to let her bask in the afterglow of her orgasm a little longer. Focusing on her pants and faint shivers made it at least a little easier to ignore her raging boner still trapped between her girlfriend's immaculate ass cheeks. However, Ruby had other plans for the night.

"Fuck me, Weiss.", she whispered once she had regained her composure, "P-please... Plunge your huge cock into my pussy and stir up my insides."

"Wh-what?", was all the white-haired girl managed to respond.

"I want to feel even better... and I want you to feel amazing as well.", Ruby explained and wriggled her butt for emphasis. At the action, Weiss' member twitched powerfully and another big glob of precum stained her nightgown, as well as the crimsonette's tank top and back. And while the heiress had originally intended that tonight was just about her girlfriend, she had to admit that her arousal was barely containable now.

"Come on, Snowflake.", the younger girl concluded, as if she could read her mind, "I know you need it as bad as I do. I want us to be one again. More than ever."

More convincing wasn't necessary.

"D-don't move!", Weiss exclaimed and promptly got up, even though she didn't want to leave their tender embrace.

"Huh?", the younger girl managed to respond the moment she felt her girlfriend breaking the hug. However, her confusion was dissolved rather soon. Weiss quickly made her way to one of the drawers and fished a sock out of it.

"We don't want to be interrupted again, right?", the heiress explained seductively, carefully opened the door in case someone was in the hallway, and put the garment over the doorknob, "Or anyone to find you in the morning with a cum-bloated womb. Because that's what I'm going to do... t-to... Wow..."

Her last sentence got stuck in her throat when she turned around again and was greeted by the sight of a completely naked Ruby. Apparently, the crimsonette had used the little time she had had to get rid of her pajamas. And there, she was: Lying on the bed in all her glory, her perky tits and glistening pussy on full display. Weiss audibly swallowed a sizable amount of drool, which caused the younger girl to smile happily.

"And my womb can't wait much longer.", she whispered equally seductive, "Make me yours again, Snowflake. Or I'm gonna force you."

With a quickness that rivaled Ruby's, the heiress got rid of her nightgown and panties as well and jumped on the bed again, pinning the crimsonette down. The throbs and twitches of her cock were almost painful by now and a deluge of pre that was more or less on par with a normal man's actual orgasm hit the younger girl's stomach with an audible splat. But just before she could line up her monstrous member with its personal heaven, her girlfriend intervened.

"W-wait, Weiss.", she said, "Can I choose our position?"

"O-of course, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl immediately responded. After all, this was still about Ruby, and not even her lust-addled mind could tell her otherwise.

"Like this...", the crimsonette explained, pulled her girlfriend down on the bed, and turned her back to her until they were in their former spooning position again, "It, umm, felt really nice how you held me. I want that again while we're making love. Is this okay?" Her question was quickly answered by a pair of slender arms that wrapped themselves around her body and pulled her close.

"Anything for you.", Weiss said softly and pressed her lips to the younger girl's neck. Her left hand cupped one of the crimsonette's supple breasts again while the other came to rest on her thigh this time. After all, she needed her girlfriend's pussy for something else than her fingers.

"And now... enjoy me to the fullest, Snowflake.", the younger girl breathed, her voice low and husky.

Weiss didn't need to be told twice. She quickly lifted on of the crimsonette's legs up to gain better access, angled her cock down, and eagerly pushed her hips forward. However, the entrance the rigid member suddenly prodded felt a little different from what she was used to. That could only mean...

"Umm, Weiss? Th-that's the wrong hole.", Ruby confirmed her train of thought sheepishly, "Unless you want to try something new tonight. I mean, I, well, don't mind that much. But... b-be careful, though. You're huge, after all." She even pressed her butt a little firmer into the heiress' member and the tiny opening between her cheeks already swallowed the urethra, earning itself a hearty spurt of precum in the process.

"N-no. I-I just missed.", the white-haired girl explained with a heavy blush and pulled her cock away again, "W-we'll do it the normal way, as promised."

Nevertheless, just thinking about finally claiming the younger girl's anal virginity filled her with arousal... as always. She and Ruby had already talked about trying other things a couple of times, but never actually did it. It was either because Weiss was afraid to hurt the younger girl due to her size, or because their lust usually got the better of them when they got intimate and they didn't want to bother with much-needed preparations such as lube, pre-stretching or whatever else. Additionally, even though she was curious, the heiress was sure that she didn't really need to have anal sex: Her girlfriend's heavenly snatch was more than capable enough to wring every drop of cum out of her member in record time.

Suddenly, a soft hand that took hold of her shaft shook her out of her thoughts.

"Then how about you carry out your promise already?", the crimsonette whispered tenderly and lined Weiss' precum-drooling glans up with her flower, "I'm all yours... and I need you now."

The moment Weiss felt even the tiniest fraction of her tip slip inside her girlfriend's dripping entrance, she immediately pushed her hips forward while pulling the younger girl even closer. This action caused about four to five inches of girthy girl-cock to spread Ruby's velvety folds. However, the heiress was far from done. Spurred on by the crimsonette's delighted moan, the next thrust drove her member even deeper, sheathing another couple of inches. By the third shove, the tip of her dick already bumped into her girlfriend's cervix... and a skin-covered bulge against one of her forearms.

Despite the previous fingering, Ruby's pussy hadn't loosened up in the slightest. If anything, it felt even tighter than before. The loving contractions of her insides also were a little stronger than usual. And even though it sounded pretty stupid in the heiress' mind, it seemed like her girlfriend's slit had missed her.

When the white-haired girl's cock kissed the crimsonette's cervix, she ceased her movements, out of two reasons: First, she wanted to give her girlfriend a few moments to adjust to the rather rough intrusion (which Ruby most certainly didn't need), and second, she needed a short breather herself. That her Rose Petal suddenly grabbed one of her hands and guided it to the bulge on her belly didn't help with that.

"At last, we're one again, Snowflake.", she cooed happily, "C'mon, feel it."

Then, she gave the protrusion a gentle squeeze with her as well as Weiss' hand. In response, the heiress' cock twitched powerfully, palpable for both of them, and a huge spurt of precum forced its way through the younger girl's cervix into her welcoming womb. The tiny organ's walls were immediately soaked. Ruby even let out a little squeal the moment she felt the liquid heat plastering her innermost depths.

"Hngh... y-yeah, I feel it, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl gasped, "A-and if you want that feeling to last a bit longer, you better move our hands faaar away from this... e-external proof of us being one."

"But what if I want a nice, huge cum-filling right now?", Ruby asked with an innocence in her voice that sent a shiver down the heiress' spine, "This instant...", she squeezed the bulge on her stomach a little firmer, "Would you do me that favor?"

"No.", Weiss replied, immediately and matter-of-factly.

"Huh?", the younger girl uttered.

"You deserve better.", the heiress explained, "We deserve better. I'm gonna make our pleasure last as long as possible... as always."

"To be honest, a part of me is a little disappointed.", Ruby responded and gave the bulge on her belly another squeeze before pulling her and Weiss' hand away again, "But then again, another part of me was hoping you'd say that... as always."

"Don't worry, my cute, little Rose Petal. You'll definitely get the huge load you anticipate.", the white-haired girl said tenderly, "But not before I turned your brain into a mush of bliss."

"I guess I can live with that.", the crimsonette concluded with a giggle... and a gasp after a pretty forceful twitch of her girlfriend's member, "Hngh... b-but don't take too long to ring our bells, hehe..." She knew that this wouldn't be the case anyway.

"W-wouldn't dream of it.", the heiress panted... and finally started moving again.

She began with rather slow and shallow thrusts, though, still a little worried that she might blow her load prematurely otherwise. Even now, the feeling of her cock sliding along her girlfriend's slick, hot inner walls was already enough to milk a steady flow of precum out of it. However, Ruby didn't seem to mind the rather gentle start of their love-making. Her appreciative hums and the soft rippling of her insides were proof of that.

Nevertheless, Weiss' self-imposed restraint crumbled pretty soon. She might have wanted to proceed at a moderate pace, but her own, bottled-up lust quickly got the better of her. Ruby's occasionally rasped "Harder, Snowflake." didn't make it any better. After barely a minute, her thrusts sped up considerably. And even though their position made it a bit difficult to pound her girlfriend for real, the white-haired girl was determined to make it happen.

The crimsonette didn't know how, but Weiss managed to hit all of her sweet spots with every single thrust. Maybe it was because the heiress knew her insides thoroughly by now, or maybe it was due to her size and shape. Or maybe it was just impossible to not feel absolutely wonderful when the love of your life stretched your pussy to new limits over and over again. Well, the younger girl didn't really care about the actual reason. All that mattered at the moment were the huge, throbbing cock ravaging her, the two dainty hands roaming over her body, and the beautiful girl everything belonged to.

While Ruby's lips were busy with producing a symphony of gasps and moans, Weiss used hers to shower the crimsonette's neck and shoulders with kisses. The hand on the younger girl's boob still kneaded and squeezed the supple flesh relentlessly, only stopping to play with the perky nipple on top before resuming its massage. The heiress' other hand slid around the bulge her cock made and down Ruby's body until her fingertips came to rest on her clit. The moment the digits brushed the small, stiff nub, a powerful jolt went through the crimsonette, which caused her to slam her ass into the white-haired girl's crotch... and the dick inside of her to finally pierce her cervix.

The moment the heiress' enormous member breached Ruby's deepest barrier and slipped into the squishy, precum-filled confines of her womb, both girls let out a loud squeal. The crimsonette's innermost barrier immediately clamped down hard on the well-known intruder, trying to milk it dry. And while the younger girl's hungry womb still had to wait for the gut-bloating tide of Weiss' essence a little longer, at least it got another enormous blast of prespunk plastering its interior – an appetizer, so to speak.

"D-Dust! Yeeesss!", Ruby mewled ecstatically, "Oh my gosh, Snowflake. M-more! Deeper! Faster!"

Needless to say, the white-haired girl gladly complied. In a matter of seconds, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh got a lot more frequent... and so did both girls' moans. The bulge that rose and fell on the crimsonette's stomach with every thrust was considerably bigger now. Ruby couldn't contain herself any longer and grasped it, giving it affectionate squeezes whenever Weiss was at her deepest. Every caress was rewarded with another splatter of hot, pasty precum that the cock inside of her womb stirred into a white, foamy mess immediately afterwards.

The fervorous pounding continued for a few minutes, even though the concept of time had long since lost its meaning to the young couple. The concept of space wasn't that far behind, either, though. So was the fact that they were at the crimsonette's home and could be heard by her father pushed further and further into the back of their minds. Right now, the loving squeezes of the crimsonette's insides or the quaking throbs of the white-haired girl's member were more important to them, anyway... let alone the heavenly friction of their respective organs.

The heiress' thrusts got harder, faster, and wider by the second, frantic strikes that bulged her girlfriend's belly almost up to her sternum. By now, she was sawing about ten inches in and out of the crimsonette, dragging her cervix along with her glans. The tight ring of muscles gripped her so hard that Weiss was sure it would follow her cock to the entrance of Ruby's pussy... or even outside! However, the white-haired girl wouldn't even dream about pulling out at the moment. If anything, she wanted to cram her dick even deeper into her girlfriend's perfect body. About half a year ago, she had detested this organ, and now she found herself mentally wishing for a couple of extra inches so she and Ruby could be connected even more, stronger, deeper. Interesting how her opinion of her member had changed.

The crimsonette was in a state of complete and utter bliss. By now, she was biting into the sheets to muffle her moans to at least some extent. However, she barely succeeded, the sounds still on par with the loud slapping noises Weiss produced with every shattering thrust against her supple ass. Her mind was almost completely empty, the only thoughts able to stay were dedicated to the colossal cock currently rearranging her insides in the most amazing way. She was getting closer and closer to the edge.

The white-haired girl felt the rippling and trembling of Ruby's velvety pussy intensifying by the second, too. She knew exactly what that meant. But then again, Weiss was also approaching the finish line at a rapid pace. It got harder and harder to hold back with every thrust and the need to cum was growing unbearable. It was obvious that both of them wouldn't even last another thirty seconds. Round one, well, two in the crimsonette's case, was about to come to an end.

"D-damn, Rose Petal. I can't hold on any longer.", Weiss panted while hammering her girlfriend's pussy even faster, "I-I hope your womb is hungry."

"S-starving.", Ruby replied between her moans, "Come on, Snowflake. F-fill me up to the brim and beyond."

"D-dust... Cumming!", the white-haired girl exclaimed and shoved her cock as deep into her girlfriend as it would go.

"Do it!", the crimsonette yelled as she felt the heiress' member swell to even more ridiculous proportions, preparing to flood every nook and cranny of her uterus. And that's exactly what it did a mere moment later.

The first blast of cum hit the back of Ruby's womb hard enough to push the bulge on her belly against the underside of her boobs before the dense substance settled down completely. A second, bigger, even stronger one followed immediately and joined its predecessor with an audible slosh. By the third one, the crimsonette finally hit her own peak.

The moment she felt her orgasm crashing through her body, the younger girl was almost blinded. Her pussy spasmed erratically around the massive dick and squirted another huge amount of fluids onto the already ruined sheets, the base of Weiss' member, and their thighs. Barely conscious, she bucked her hips harder into her girlfriend's crotch, trying to fit even more cock into her comparatively small body.

Weiss just kept shooting rope after gurgling, churning rope of extra-thick spunk into her girlfriend's womb, nowhere near the point of running dry anytime soon. If anything, her inhuman output only increased the moment she felt a crushing sensation on her erupting member. Her internal testicles – or whatever equivalent was responsible for her cum production – went into overdrive, with a single goal in mind: Pumping as many hyper-virile swimmers into the younger girl's breeding ground as possible.

Despite her bliss-clouded mind, Ruby felt every pulse of jizz absolutely distinctly... from the beginning to the very end. It started with a big bulge squashed against, then forced through the smooth, trembling petals of her flower. Once inside her pussy, it rushed up the silky tunnel and slammed into her cervix, lingering a short moment before finally overcoming its resistance, either in the short moment the ring of muscles relaxed a bit between its contractions or with the help of another blast of cum that amplified the pressure. At last, it punched into the back of her womb, stirring up the flood already occupying the organ. Every impact practically restarted her orgasm.

Ruby's poor (or happy?) belly rapidly expanded around the monstrous load, its size reaching and passing the early stages of pregnancy in a matter of seconds. With each glut of spunk her body gulped down eagerly and noisily, it bloated bigger and bigger. Soon, the bulge of Weiss' cock had disappeared under the giant swell of her stomach. Cum rushed up the crimsonette's fallopian tubes, desperately trying to find more space it could fill. By the time the spurts finally started to weaken, Ruby's belly button popped out, unable to withstand the pressure of her utterly overstuffed womb anymore. And when her girlfriend's cock squeezed out the last drops, the younger girl's middle looked like she was at least a month overdue.

The two lovers lied motionless for a couple of minutes, panting heavily and enjoying the other's closeness. Every now and then, the aftershocks of their respective orgasms caused them to moan softly. At this exact moment, neither Ruby nor Weiss could see anything wrong in the world.

Using every bit of her slowly recovering strength, the crimsonette managed to turn her own head around and to pull her girlfriend's onto her cheek. That way, barely more than the corners of their lips touched, but the two lovers didn't care. A kiss, no matter how small, was still a kiss... and even that one already spoke volumes about their love and adoration for each other.

After a few moments of gentle nibbling, Ruby's tongue slipped out of her mouth, craving to taste more of her girlfriend. Much to her surprise, the slippery muscle met Weiss' own. Apparently, they had gotten the idea simultaneously – another proof that they were absolutely in sync. Their tongues quickly started to dance around each other, lost in the desire to get a taste of foreign, yet familiar saliva.

"That was wonderful.", the younger girl whispered after she finally broke away and gently nursed her hugely swollen cum-gut, making it slosh and gurgle in the process, "Definitely one of the best times we did it."

"I hope you don't think we're already done, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded tenderly between two shaky breaths.

"W-we're not?", the crimsonette asked a little confused... and incredibly excited.

"Far from it.", the heiress answered, her voice full of lust again, "Tonight, I won't stop until one of us passes out from the pleasure. And I'm dead set on making sure the one is you."

She flexed her abdominal muscles, causing her barely softened dick to twitch inside the ocean of cum currently occupying the crimsonette's womb. A much louder moan escaped Ruby's throat when she felt her girlfriend's member throb to its full, thirteen-plus inch glory again. Also, it seemed that the heiress' refractory period was more or less non-existent tonight. Otherwise, the younger girl wouldn't have felt another spurt of precum hitting the back of her immensely bloated baby chamber.

"Lucky me.", Ruby purred and wriggled her butt seductively, teasing the huge cock still hilted in her pussy.

"The feeling's mutual.", Weiss said softly and kissed her girlfriend's cheek, "I hope you're ready for me."

"Always.", the crimsonette responded passionately, "I... I love you, Snowflake. More than anything."

"I love you, too, Rose Petal.", the heiress replied and started thrusting again, slow and gentle, "And I'll do anything to make you happy. No matter what."

And with these words, the lovers' night continued... and it wouldn't end until Weiss had carried out her promises.

Chapter Text

The annoying beeping sound of her Scroll came way too early, at least in Ruby's opinion. Was it morning already? The crimsonette felt like she had barely slept at all. On the other hand, for whatever reason, she was still well-rested. And, more importantly, she felt incredibly satisfied.

A soft, yet displeased groan reached her ear and something slightly pointy buried itself into the back of her neck, its owner apparently trying to drown the noise. A hand on her boob pulled her closer to her bedmate – while giving the supple mound an affectionate squeeze in the process – and a few strands of snow-white hair fell into her field of vision. Every single thing felt wonderful... yet, the beeping kinda ruined the moment.

Ruby tried to turn around to turn off the alarm of her Scroll, but found herself unable to do so. Something seemed to weigh her down. It was now that she realized what her own hand was resting on. With still half-lidded eyes, the crimsonette looked down and found a huge, smooth, flesh-colored orb. She poked at it and felt it giving way. Then, the moment she stopped applying pressure, it quickly returned to its original, dome-like shape, accompanied by an audible sloshing sound. The sensation sent a shiver down her spine.

Yup, that was definitely her stomach: filled with so much cum that it didn't look like a normal human pregnancy at all. Well, maybe with quadruplets. Overdue quadruplets. Thank goodness she always made sure to take her birth control pills. Otherwise, these four loads (or five, her memory had gotten a little hazy at the end of the night) would most certainly cause a huge problem.

"Weiss, can you turn off the alarm, please?", Ruby asked sleepily, "I'm kinda immobilized here."

In the blink of an eye, the white-haired girl let go of her, turned around, and shut the annoying device up. Her motivation was simple: The sooner the task was accomplished, the sooner she could cuddle with Ruby in peace.

"Don't you think that's a little overdramatic, Rose Petal?", Weiss said softly and quickly wrapped her arm around her girlfriend again, "I wasn't hugging you that... oh..."

This time, her hand hadn't returned to the younger girl's breast, instead, it had come to rest on her midriff. And while the heiress knew that she wasn't the tallest person and, accordingly, her limbs weren't the longest, her arm was usually reaching further around her girlfriend's stomach... not just barely touching her popped out belly button.

"You really did a number on me last night.", Ruby giggled and gently caressed her massive, gurgling cum-gut before her hand found Weiss' and their fingers entwined.

"S-sorry.", the white-haired girl chuckled meekly and a blush crept to her cheeks, "I, umm, guess I overdid it a little. But don't blame it on me. If anything, it's your fault for being too sexy." Then, she pressed her lips to the back of her girlfriend's neck.

"Well, it's not the first time you bloated my belly this big. Though I must admit it doesn't happen very often that you pump so much cum into me.", the crimsonette noted, "Remember that one time when we got the dorm room to ourselves all day and I rode you for two and a half hours straight?"

Of course, Weiss remembered. How could she ever forget? The jiggling of her girlfriend's perfect breasts in front of her, while she was bouncing up and down on her enormous cock, had been one the most mesmerizing things she had ever witnessed. Or the smooth movements of her immaculate ass cheeks when she had turned around for the second half, so her inflated stomach wouldn't get in the way. That night, Ruby really did a number on her. And if she would've died of dehydration, she would've gladly accepted it.

Recalling that scene in her mind caused her spent member to twitch against her girlfriend's perfect butt. It even started to grow a little, but barely got semi-hard... it even hurt a bit. But considering what it had gone through yesterday, this wasn't very surprising.

"Back then, you came four or five times without pulling out as well.", Ruby continued, "And afterwards, you blacked out and I was stuck on your dick with a liquid exercise ball in my poor little womb. Not that I really minded." She added the last part with a giggle.

"I just couldn't pull out because you didn't let me.", the heiress explained, "But, to be honest, I didn't actually try to fight back. But can you blame me for that?"

"Nope.", the crimsonette responded with another giggle, popping the P in her usual manner, "My pussy's awesome."

"That doesn't even scratch the surface.", Weiss corrected and gave her lover's neck another affectionate kiss, "Anyway... I guess we should get to the shower and, well, drain you. I highly doubt that anyone but me should see you like this."

"You mean until you've really gotten me pregnant, right? Not just with a cum-baby.", Ruby said nonchalantly, yet sweetly, which caused her the white-haired girl to blush again, this time furiously.

"Umm... I-I... w-well...", was all the heiress could stammer.

"Hehe... it's so easy to tease you, Snowflake.", the younger girl giggled, "But, kidding aside, the kids have to wait until we graduate. And even after that, I guess we still have a whooole lot of planning to do before we can finally start to be a little more carefree about birth control."

"If that's the case, we should get the cum out of you rather soon before we're gonna be faced with more than we can handle.", Weiss suggested, "If our offspring is going to be anything like you, taking care of her will be a full-time job for three people."

"Hey! I wasn't that difficult to handle as a kid.", Ruby pouted.

"I've heard a lot of stories that told me quite the contrary in the last few days.", the white-haired girl simply responded, "Nevertheless, we should get ready for breakfast. And while the sock on the doorknob proved itself to be a pretty useful barrier, I don't think that we should spend all day in here. Considering that we weren't exactly quiet yesterday, any breakfast conversation is probably going to be awkward enough already. By the way, we reeeaaally need to keep the noise down if... well, when we're gonna repeat this."

"I guess you're right.", the younger girl agreed with a sigh, "You should probably spy out the hallway so nobody sees me while I carry these... four or five? ...gallons of cum to the bathroom. Then, you can either guard the door or help me get all of it out... ooor maybe you wanna make another mess. Self-cleaning. Think about it."

Then, she turned her head around and gave her lover her best bedroom eyes over her shoulder. Despite her soreness, especially in a certain area, she didn't want to let an opportunity for some sexy-time with her beautiful girlfriend go to waste. After all, they most certainly had to turn it down a lot again after their vacation was over.

"As much as I'd love to, I'm pretty sure that all the messes I'm capable of for the next couple of days are already sloshing around inside of you.", the heiress explained softly and kissed her lover's neck one last time before she got up. While she somehow had gotten more productive, so to speak, over the last couple of months, she was sure that if she were to cum now, her cock would merely eject what it usually did as pre. Not that it would even get erect at the moment anyway.

"I just have to play my cards right and you're horny within a couple of hours already.", Ruby responded and grinned seductively.

"You're gonna be a Huntress... and Huntresses don't use their powers for evil.", Weiss simply responded.

"Party pooper.", the younger girl sighed, but giggled, nonetheless.

Much to the young couple's relief, the hallway was completely empty. Therefore, Ruby managed to sneak (or waddle, to be more precise) to the bathroom unseen. Also, the crimsonette's cervix stayed strong, despite the immense pressure in her womb, and not a single drop leaked on the floor. Even their sheets, while still in dire need of a wash, had remained pretty much cum-free.

Luckily, the drains were able to handle Weiss' porridge-like essence quite well. If there would've been any kind of pipe blockage, it would be incredibly hard to explain. Nevertheless, the actual draining procedure still posed some difficulties to Ruby. However, after a few miniature orgasms, she had taken care of it and her stomach had returned to its normal, toned, and (as always) stretch mark-free shape. She barely even questioned why getting rid of her girlfriend's cum was about half as pleasurable as receiving it anymore. Maybe her vagina was just pretty sensitive in general.

Once fully empty, the crimsonette continued with the rest of her morning routine and quickly cleared the bathroom afterwards so Weiss could do the same. Of course, her easy to see through offer to help her girlfriend with it by washing her back in the shower fell on deaf ears again. Maybe the heiress was really spent after the many, many poundings and loads she had given her yesterday. It was now that Ruby realized that she was walking a little bit funny. She should definitely try to avoid doing so in the presence of her dad and sister.

When the two girls were finally presentable again, they went downstairs and entered the kitchen. Much to their surprise, Yang was already there and helped her dad to prepare what seemed to be the last bit of breakfast. She was baking waffles while Taiyang was busy with the last one of four omelets. A couple of plates with cold cuts and sliced up veggies, as well as a basket of bread buns, a package of cereal, two big jugs containing milk and orange juice, and a pot of coffee were already sitting on the table.

"Morning, Dad. Morning, sis.", Ruby said as nonchalantly as possible.

"Oh, good morning, you two.", Taiyang said and turned around, expertly flipping the omelet without even looking, "Did you sleep loud? U-umm, I-I mean well. Did you sleep well?"

Then, he gave his daughter and her girlfriend an awkward, lopsided, and way too toothy smile, which did anything but help to defuse the embarrassing situation at all. Needless to say, both girls immediately blushed as red as Ruby's namesake.

"Just kill me.", the crimsonette directed a pained whisper at her girlfriend.

"From how it sounded, Weiss almost managed that yesterday.", Yang said flatly without even turning around, "Seriously, you're too goddamn noisy when you do the nasty."

"Umm, h-how much did you hear?", the heiress asked meekly.

"Luckily...", Yang began and mouthed the words for you over her shoulder, "...nothing specific. Nevertheless, it was definitely enough to ruin a good night's sleep."

"Well, Weiss was just trying to comfort me since I've been a little emotional because of our visit to Mom's grave and... umm, one thing led to another... and then a couple of others.", Ruby explained sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

"Urgh... Why did you tell me that?", the blonde grumbled, "How am I supposed to be mad at Weissicle now?"

"Relax, Yang.", her father said conciliatorily and faced the two girls again, even though he still had a bit of trouble to maintain eye contact, "They were just having a little fun. And while I would appreciate them being, well, quieter while doing so in the future, I don't really mind. As long as they use protection, that is."

He chuckled weakly at his obvious attempt to lighten the mood with a lame joke... like he always did. Unbeknownst to him, he only made matters worse. The moment the crimsonette saw her girlfriend tense up, she knew she had to intervene somehow.

"Very funny, Dad.", she said with a roll of her eyes, but then, she remembered something... and changed tactics, "But I guess I could get some birth control pills with the fake ID Yang got me a couple of months ago."

"You did what?", Taiyang asked in a mixture of disbelief and disapproval and faced his oldest daughter.

"What? I... umm...", the blonde began to stammer, sent a bewildered glance towards Ruby, and continued, "I-I was framed! I-I mean, she tricked me into doing this! N-no, she forced me to do it! Yeah! She's completely out of control! Becoming a leader has changed her! The power has made her go mad, seriously! Blake and I are living in constant fear at Beacon!"

Upon seeing her father's overall expression, namely, him tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow, she added, "A little too much to be credible, huh?"

"Are you atoms?", Tai asked, "Because to me, it seems like you're making up everything." Despite the horrible dad joke, the situation was too tense to elicit a groan from the three girls.

"Well, technically, she is atoms.", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend, "At least, she consists of them."

"I know.", Ruby responded equally quiet, "Dad does, too. But the lame joke doesn't work in another way."

"Try again.", the Huntsman addressed his oldest daughter and crossed his arms, turning off the stove and leaning against the counter, "And you should probably go for the truth this time. Ruby and Weiss may start eating already while we sort this out. Enjoy your meal, girls."

"You'll pay for that, sis.", Yang grumbled.

Then, the two excused themselves to discuss this matter in the living room.

"Don't you think it was a little... shabby to use your sister as some kind of human shield?", Weiss whispered while they sat down at the table, "Even though you did it for me?" Of course, she knew why her girlfriend had reacted that way.

"I guess you're right...", Ruby sighed, "But it was the best distraction I could think of at the moment to calm you down again."

"I'm really sorry to have put you into this position.", Weiss grumbled, "It's just that... I don't know how to approach the subject yet. Y'know, how to tell your dad about my secret."

"Come to think of it... why do we have to tell him in the first place?", the crimsonette suddenly tossed in, "And why didn't I ask this sooner? I mean, our sex life is our private matter. He already knows that we're doing the nasty, as Yang has put it. So why is it so important to you to tell him how we actually do it? It's... kinda weird, don't you think?"

"It's... c-complicated.", the heiress started to explain, "Th-there are a couple of reasons, I guess. For example, for some, weird reason, I think that your father's approval of our relationship isn't... complete yet, so to speak. As long as he doesn't know what he's dealing with – or what his daughter is actually dealing with – it doesn't feel like he's completely fine with it to me. I mean, you're dating what could be described as the weirdest form of a lover, well, human lover at the moment. We're in some kind of lesbian relationship, but still in a somewhat normal relationship as well, because of my... anatomy. And since your dad has no idea about it, his blessing feels kinda... not real to me. Does this make any sense?"

"A-absolutely, Snowflake.", Ruby immediately responded, her eyes wide, "I'm incredibly sorry I didn't consider your feelings about this. I, umm, I think I understand how much it stresses you out to hide your true self from the people who are important to you... And I can only guess how good it feels to, well, come out. I'm also sorry I forgot about that as well. Even I feel kinda bad about lying to Dad about this... even though it's him who unknowingly addresses the topic every time."

"Yeah... we should tell him soon.", Weiss sighed, "I mean, it's crucial for me to get along well with your dad... unlike my father, with whom we definitely don't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary, yours will be an important part of our future family. But it isn't exactly easy to be comfortable around him when I freak out every time he makes one of his weird jokes. Also, I don't want him to find out about my secret himself... like Yang and Blake did. We, umm, weren't exactly careful yesterday."

"Oh boy, Yang discovering your secret herself was a disaster.", the younger girl remembered, "You're right. We definitely don't want a repetition of that... or other, probably even more awkward stuff."

"Exactly.", the heiress nodded, "Or what if he finds, well, other evidence? Like your birth control pills, for example. What if he thinks they're mine and that I'm cheating on you?"

"That would be even worse.", Ruby admitted, "Alright, I get it now. We really have to tell him. Together. I'll help you to come up with the perfect plan."

"Thank you.", Weiss said relieved, but then, another thought crossed her mind, and she continued hesitantly, "B-but what do you think will he do when we break the news to him? He seems to be pretty afraid of someone getting you pregnant by accident. Okay, whose father wouldn't be? So, umm, when he finds out that I'm also capable of this... d-do you think he'll still accept me as your girlfriend?"

"Absolutely, Snowflake.", the crimsonette repeated, now with a loving smile, "Well, as long as we don't just drop the bombshell, and emphasize that we're careful with... y'know, and all that jazz. And even if he voices a little complaint or two, like we aren't allowed to lock our door anymore or the like, it won't change anything about us. I love you, Weiss, and I always will."

"Likewise, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl replied and gave her girlfriend a soft kiss.

"Alright, Ruby.", Taiyang suddenly announced as he and a rebuked Yang reentered the kitchen, "Hand over your fake ID. No excuses, no compromises, and no puppy-dog eyes."

"Umm... I don't have it with me.", the addressed girl lied – she needed it to buy her birth control pills, after all, "It's at Beacon. I mean, I just use it when we're having a girls' night out at a club or the like... so I don't carry it around all the time."

"Alright, then.", the blond Huntsman sighed, "If I don't find it in the mail two weeks after you're back at Beacon – by the latest – you're getting a lot of trouble, young lady. Understood?"

"Yes, Dad.", Ruby grumbled, and added in a whisper, "Geez, as if you've never been young yourself."

"What was that?", Tai asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing!", his daughter quickly replied.

"Thought so.", her father said with a grin and took his seat, "Well, then: Let's eat!"

'Great...', the crimsonette sighed inwardly, 'Now I have to convince Yang to get me a new fake ID so I can still buy my pills until I'm really eighteen.'

She glanced at her sister and gave her a friendly smile the moment their eyes met. However, the blonde's lilac orbs only darted quickly to her dad, and when she was sure that he wasn't looking, she simply made a throat-slitting gesture. Apparently, she was still a little miffed about being ratted out.

'Well, looks like this is gonna be harder than I thought.', Ruby pondered and grabbed herself an omelet, then sharing half of it with her girlfriend.

Wait a minute... Weiss was already of legal age. Why the hell hadn't she considered that option so far?

'Thank goodness I have a couple of smart people on my team.', the crimsonette thought, 'Because, apparently, my brain seems to be powered by a potato battery sometimes.'

Over the next few days, the young couple tried to come up with a plan to break the news of Weiss' pretty unique condition to Taiyang. However, finding a way to approach the subject proved itself to be anything but easy. Telling someone you had a dick despite being born a girl wasn't exactly something to sprinkle into a dinner conversation. However, just addressing it out of the blue didn't seem like a good idea, either.

To Weiss, it had already been incredibly hard to tell team JNPR about her secret – and they were her best friends and not related to Ruby, on top of that. Also, their relationship hadn't been at stake. It had been more or less just an acceptance-thing.

The big reveal had taken place during a game night and she and Ruby had been the last remaining players of some kind of board game. After the crimsonette's defeat and a little, playful quarrel, Nora had made some lame joke about makeup sex, the lesbian kind, of course. To this day, Weiss didn't know what had gotten into her, but, for some reason, she had told them about her condition that night, slowly and carefully, but still. Maybe she really had been tired of hiding her true self from her friends, maybe she had thought she owed the truth to them. Nevertheless, it had been relieving to get it off her chest and the reassurance afterwards had felt great as well. Nora even suggested to come up with a plan to break Jacques Schnee's legs for forcing such a cruel experiment on his daughter – without much reception, though... besides from Yang.

After her confession, barely anything had changed between her and team JNPR. If anything, she was even more relaxed around them now. On top of that, they were more considerate of her when the situation called for it. Of course, telling her friends the truth had some minor downsides, too, namely, Nora's now way more accurate teasing when they were just among themselves. She was only about half as annoying as Yang, though.

Nevertheless, Weiss didn't bang the daughter of her friends with her freakishly large cock. Therefore, comparing the revelation to team JNPR to telling Taiyang about her secret was pretty much pointless.

Besides their little confession-problem (and the frustrations that came with it), their vacation was incredibly relaxing. They spend their time sightseeing, even though there wasn't that much to see in Patch, hiking, or just unwound in front of the TV or gaming console. Sometimes, Ruby busied herself with her twin scythes, yet, she didn't make much progress. And every time the younger girl was tinkering, Weiss kept her company, out of two reasons: First, the crimsonette's work was pretty interesting and the heiress wanted to learn more about her passion, and second... she didn't trust this scythe-shotgun-hybrid abomination. At. All. Therefore, she wanted to keep an eye on Ruby in case this damn thing exploded during a test and always kept a vial of healing Dust in her pocket whenever they spent some time in the makeshift workshop. Better safe than sorry.

Of course, they were still Huntresses-in-training, so they also sparred from time to time. Usually, it was Yang who proposed the idea, but something even Ruby and Weiss were in the mood for a little match. Needless to say, Taiyang participated as well whenever he had the time to do so. And even though he was a fully trained Huntsman with a lot of combat experience, he soon came to the conclusion that his daughters and the heiress were barely inferior to him. Apparently, all the stories they had told him about the incredibly dangerous missions they had been through already really hadn't been exaggerated.

Before they knew it, two weeks had passed and their vacation was halfway over. Much to their dismay, Ruby and Weiss hadn't come a single step closer to telling the crimsonette's father about the heiress' secret. Fortunately, there was still a lot of time left to do so – at least the young couple told themselves so.

It was a Saturday morning when Yang suddenly got a call. The three girls and Taiyang had just finished eating breakfast and were cleaning the dishes when the blonde's ringtone echoed through the kitchen.

"Who the hell is calling me that early?", the brawler sighed and pulled her Scroll out of her pocket. But when she saw the caller ID, her mood shifted quickly.

"It's Blake, guys.", she exclaimed and immediately accepted the call, "Heeere, kittykittykitty. Whoa, wait! Don't hang up! It was just a joke, seriously. I... Urgh... Well, fuck."

"Way to go, Yang.", Weiss sighed, "Greeting her with an awful cat joke, even though you have no idea how the talk with her parents went."

"Don't you think she would've called earlier if something went wrong?", the blonde replied matter-of-factly.

"Did you just use logic against me?", the white-haired girl asked in disbelief.

Yang just wanted to retort something but was interrupted by Ruby's Scroll.

"There she is again.", the crimsonette said after checking the ID and answered the call, "Hey, Blake... Yeah, I know... Yeah, you don't have to tell me, hehe."

"Are you guys bitching about me?", Yang asked slightly annoyed.

"Make a guess.", Ruby responded with a shit-eating grin and headed towards the living room so she could talk in peace.

"Why the hell can't anybody take a joke anymore?", the brawler groaned and continued to scrub a pan.

"It's not about the joke itself.", Weiss explained, "But nobody would buy a ticket to the same show over and over again."

"Are you trying to say that I'm running out of jokes.", Yang asked.

"No.", the white-haired girl responded with a grin almost as wide as Ruby's earlier one, "I'm trying to say that this happened about a year ago. If anything, you're more suited to the comedy of the situation than jokes and puns anyway."

"Take that back immediately!", the blonde gasped.

"Hey, Dad?", Ruby suddenly called from the living room and her head appeared from behind the doorframe, "Can Blake stay here the last two weeks of the vacation? Starting tomorrow?"

"The more, the merrier.", Taiyang simply responded and continued to soak the plates, "After all, the folding cot is still available."

"Awesome. Thank you.", the crimsonette chirped and disappeared into the living room again.

"Well, looks like the team's about to be back together.", Yang said and dried her pan, "And I'm finally getting my ally back in my crusade against you and Ruby's noisiness at night."

"We haven't been that loud anymore in the last two weeks.", Weiss defended her girlfriend and herself, even though she blushed a little, "That one time was just an exception."

"It was just the worst case.", the blonde shot back, "And despite you really weren't that loud the next few times, you're still audible. And, believe me, not understanding the dialogues anymore isn't exactly an improvement of my situation."

"You could try what I did to drown the noise.", Taiyang suggested.

"And what did you do so far?", his daughter asked, obviously interested... and hopeful.

"Well, I got myself a house so I could claim the bedroom faaar away from the other ones.", the blond Huntsman responded with a shit-eating grin, "And I haven't heard anything from them these last few days."

"Very funny.", Yang grumbled and grabbed another dirty pan.

'At least it wasn't another dad joke.', Weiss thought and resumed washing the cups and glasses. She had heard enough of them for two lifetimes in the last fourteen days.

However, both girls ceased their cleaning actions the moment the crimsonette reentered the kitchen.

"So, what did she say?", Yang immediately started to pester her sister with questions, "Is everything alright? Has she sorted out all of this White Fang stuff with her parents?" Admittedly, the blonde could be an annoying handful sometimes, but if she possessed another character trait that was equally (or even more) appertain to her, it was the fact that she cared for her friends and family more than for her own life. She had already proven that on a lot of occasions.

"Relax, Yang. Everything went smoothly.", Ruby told her, "Even better, so to speak, but I guess she'll tell us in detail tomorrow. Even I just got the abstract."

"So she's coming to Patch tomorrow?", Weiss asked and put away a cup and her sponge.

"She'll text me again when she's boarding the airship and knows her exact time of arrival.", the crimsonette explained, "Then we're gonna pick her up at the airport."

"Aww, yeah! Team RWBY's finally back together!", Yang exclaimed, "Well, tomorrow, but still. Let me guess: Despite spending some time with her family was pretty nice for a while, now she misses the cool kids and wants to have her fair share of hijinks and adventure?"

"Well, kinda...", Ruby responded with an unreadable expression suddenly covering her face, "But there's also something important she wants to tell us about."

"That... sounds waaay too serious to be good news, am I right?", Weiss asked and cocked an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately... well, probably? I'm not sure. Blake isn't, either.", the crimsonette began, "All she has told me so far was that stories from cargo ship captains and freighter pilot guys are piling up at Kuma... Ku... Kunoa-something harbor..."

"Kuo Kuana.", the heiress corrected her girlfriend and rolled her eyes, "Largest city on Menagerie." They had heard the name at least a hundred times in Oobleck's history lessons. How could Ruby not remember?

"Yeah, that.", Ruby continued, "Umm, stories about weird and oddly behaving Grimm."

"So what?", Yang said with a shrug, "People are encountering new types, or sub-types, or whatever-types of Grimm every other day. And I highly doubt that you can say that these fuckers are behaving oddly since they are pretty much unpredictable in the first place."

"That's not it.", her sister explained further, "Apparently, almost every single one of these sightings happened on a route between Solitas and Sanus. Near the northeastern coast of Sanus, to be more precise."

"Th-the island of Vytal?", Weiss asked and her eyes went a little wider.

"Wait. D-do you think that...", the blonde began but interrupted herself shortly after.

"It might be just some rumors or seaman's yarn, as Blake has put it.", Ruby finished, "But maybe a really dangerous computer program has recovered from a minor setback."

"Umm, it's just a guess, but this is about this mad scientist, huh? Merlot?", Taiyang asked and, after he received a shy nod from the three girls, he added through clenched teeth, "Well, that's probably really bad."

Needless to say, their mood was pretty much ruined for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

"Alright, tell me again.", Yang said as the three girls made their way to the airship docks, "What's exactly going on with the White Fang now?"

"Urgh, I already told you a hundred times.", Ruby sighed, "I hardly know anything but it looks like the original, peaceful White Fang is coming back somehow. And before you ask me about the Grimm-stuff again, I know even less about that. Just wait until Blake arrives and then we're gonna get more detailed information."

"Geez, what's the matter with you, sis?", the blonde asked, "Did Weissicle fail to ring your bell yesterday?"

"Wh-what? No! W-we didn't do anything yesterday.", the younger girl quickly exclaimed and blushed almost as red as her cape.

"You're an insufferable pervert, Yang.", Weiss grumbled, "By the way: Did you consider that Ruby might be irritated because you keep asking her the same questions over and over again instead of her being sexually frustrated? Because I make sure – and double-check – that the latter doesn't happen."

"Yuck! Now that's something I wouldn't have minded not knowing. Ever.", the brawler groaned.

"Remember this exact moment whenever you want to make another comment on my and Ruby's sex life.", the heiress responded with a shit-eating grin, "Two can play that game." Maybe it was just because she and the crimsonette were able to get physical more often during their vacation, but lately, she dealt with Yang's inappropriate remarks a lot better.

"Change of topic.", the blonde quickly said, "When did Blake say her airship would arrive? And before you get mad again, Rubes, I only asked this two or three times so far. Aaand I'm really bad at remembering stuff like that."

"Six PM. So... in about twenty minutes.", the crimsonette responded, "If there's no delay."

"Yeah, because public transport by airship is sooo incredibly reliable.", Yang snickered, "Especially on long flights. So any idea how to spend the upcoming two-hour wait?"

"Come on. Public transportation isn't that bad.", Weiss objected.

"Says the girl who brought a book and a deck of cards in her very subtle belt pouch.", the blonde responded and her grin grew a little wider, "Very trusting indeed."

"Hey, better safe than sorry.", the white-haired girl said with a shrug.

"Why do you guys always assume the worst?", Ruby sighed, "This isn't a mission, just three friends picking up a fourth at the airship docks. I'm pretty sure Blake's gonna arrive on time."

"Full house, nines over queens.", Yang sighed languidly, put her hand on the table, and took a sip of her soda, "You owe me eighteen fries, Weiss-cream... and seeing your plate, you better order up."

"I hate you.", the white-haired girl grumbled, gave her jack-high straight one last, hateful glance, and made her way to the counter of the fast-food joint near the airship docks they were currently sitting at.

"Told you she wasn't bluffing.", Ruby explained quietly and passed two fries – the big blind – to her sister. She had folded the moment she had seen her own, pathetic hand... and the malicious glint in the blonde's eyes.

By now, it was well past seven o'clock, yet, Blake's airship wasn't anywhere near arriving at Patch. After the first delay notice, it should've arrived at half past six, the second one mentioned an arrival at quarter past seven. Now, it seemed that the ship was stuck somewhere in Sanus' far eastern part, at some city Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and even Blake hadn't even heard about yet, despite Doctor Oobleck's thorough history lessons. By now, the black-haired Faunus didn't even send detailed text messages to inform her teammates about her ETA anymore... just a couple of apologies and emojis or short animations of people or stylized animals in various states of annoyance, frustration, rampage, or orally expelling formerly consumed food, to put it kindly.

However, the last part didn't seem to slim down Yang's appetite.

"Could it be that I've eaten three servings already and haven't paid for a single one of them?", the blonde asked with a grin. Then she grabbed a couple of fries from the still very full, red plastic plate in front of her, scooped up a generous amount of mayo with them, and stuffed them into her mouth.

"I'm pretty sure that Weiss is gonna kill you if you keep teasing her like that.", the crimsonette sighed, "Admittedly, it's kinda her fault for being so bad at this game, but still..."

"Loog on ge grigh' chide, shish.", Yang explained while still chewing, then she finally swallowed her food and continued, "I've just proven to you that you're gonna marry a woman who always carries more than sufficient fast-food money around. You're a lucky girl indeed."

"You know exactly that Weiss' fortune doesn't have anything to do with my feelings.", Ruby said sternly.

"I know, I know.", the blonde said conciliatorily, "There's the soulmate-thing, the treating-each-other-like-the-most-precious-thing-in-the-world... thing, and the huge-trouser-snake-thing."

"Yang!", the crimsonette yelped in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

"What?", the brawler responded with a shrug, "I may have a lot of flaws, but dishonesty isn't one of them."

"Indecency and lack of tact are, though...", Ruby grumbled and added with a blush, "You don't always have to address things so... explicitly in crowded places. Especially the stuff about Weiss'... y'know."

But just before Yang could repeat the word trouser-snake, a couple of fries were tossed onto her plate in what could be described as a vitriolic manner.

"I hope you suffocate on them.", Weiss snarled, set down her own, bright red plastic platter, and took her seat again, "Deal out."

"As you wish, Weissicle.", Yang responded with a grin and started to shuffle the deck.

At about quarter to eight, the heiress had lost another two plates of fries and the blonde already felt a slight stomach ache. Luckily, Blake's airship finally arrived at the port and the other three girls could stop playing poker. It was for the better, anyway: Soon after Weiss' fifth order, Ruby had started to notice a murderous sparkle in her girlfriend's eyes... and gentle and affectionate hand or thigh squeezes under the table couldn't delay the inevitable forever.

When the trio arrived at the airport, the ship had already landed. Weiss and Yang immediately stopped their advances the moment their teammate exited the hatch… mostly because her attire had changed considerably. She didn't wear her usual black, coat-tailed vest over her sleeveless shirt, her white shorts, and her thighs anymore. Instead, she was dressed in a black crop top under a long, white tailcoat with dark, gray lining, black, fitted pants, and thigh-high black heeled boots with gold-colored edging around the top and her emblem on the outer side of her thighs. She definitely looked a lot more mature in this outfit... and it made Weiss and Yang reconsider their own choice of clothing.

But not Ruby... at least not yet. The crimson-haired girl was way too busy screeching the Faunus' name once she had spotted her and then took off, leaving a trail of rose petals behind her. If Blake wouldn't have known that the red, swirling ball meant no harm, she probably would've summoned one of her shadow clones to take the blow instead of her. But she didn't... it was her dear friend and leader, after all. However, the moment the impact sent her and her suitcase flying back onto the ramp, she reconsidered her choice: The clone would've been the better option.

"Aww, Blake! I missed you so much! Did you miss us, too?", the younger girl chirped and pulled her friend into a bone-crushing hug that almost rivaled Yang's.

"R-ruby... It was just two weeks... and I still need to breathe.", the Faunus croaked out and tried to wriggle herself out of the embrace.

"Oh, right. Sorry.", the crimsonette said sheepishly, let go of her teammate, and pulled her up again, "It's just... well, Weiss was here, and Yang was here, but you weren't, so something was missing and... whoa! You look awesome! What's with the new outfit?"

"A lot of things around us are changing, so I thought it was time for a change myself.", Blake responded and dusted herself off, "Even if it's just something trivial like my attire. I even considered cutting my hair a little shorter. About as short as yours, to be more specific."

"Well, that definitely would've taken a load off of our shower drains...", Ruby pondered with a grin, "But I'm not sure if short hair would suit you... no offense, though."

"None taken.", the black-haired girl responded with a friendly smile and picked up her suitcase again.

"I hope little Rubes didn't crush you already.", Yang suddenly piped up behind her sister and shoved her out of the way a moment after, "Because now it's my turn!"

Luckily, this time, Blake was prepared. The moment her partner wanted to pull her into one of her trademark bear hugs, she quickly slipped away and the shadow clone that had taken her place vanished into thin air once Yang's arms encompassed it.

"Hey, no fair!", the blonde grumbled, "Let me love you! And don't make me force you to do it, kitty-cat!"

"I'm also happy to see you, Yang.", the Faunus said, stepped forward again, and pulled her into an embrace herself, but a much softer one.

"Likewise.", the brawler responded and returned the hug, careful not to overdo it this time, "I was really happy to hear that everything with your family turned out fine."

"And I'm happy to see that you haven't killed Weiss yet, despite all the noise she and Ruby are bothering you with at night.", Blake replied and sent a mischievous grin towards the heiress.

"Y-you told her?!", the white-haired girl gasped and a faint blush quickly covered her cheeks.

"Of course. She's my partner.", the blonde said nonchalantly and let go of the Faunus, "Therefore, I wanted to warn her before she would accept our invitation."

"After all this time, you're still despicable, Yang.", the heiress sighed annoyed.

"Don't worry, Weiss.", Blake explained and hugged her white-haired teammate as well, "I'm happy to hear that your and Ruby's relationship hasn't changed one bit. I really, really am. Also, I've bought a whole bag of earplugs in advance. Kinda annoying that I always need four at a time."

"Funny...", the fencer grumbled, yet, she pulled Blake even closer one last time before letting go again, "But of course, I'm happy that you'll spend the rest of our vacation here with us. Even though it was just two weeks, it's still kinda weird to be separated so long from... my most important family."

"I couldn't have put it better.", the Faunus responded with a warm smile.

"Awwwwwwwwww...", Ruby and Yang cooed in unison.

"Way to ruin the moment, you morons.", Weiss and Blake sighed, also in unison.

There was a short moment of silence, but, considering the odds of these ridiculous circumstances, all four of them quickly burst into roaring laughter. It was relieving, and merry, and a lot of other things that quickly made the girls forget about any troubles bothering them. They were finally together again.

Reunited... not just as a team... but as family.

"By the way, where's your dad?", Blake suddenly asked and looked around the airport, which was almost empty by now.

"Well, he stayed at home to clean up and prepare a nice dinner.", Ruby explained and added with a chuckle, "He probably wants to make a good first impression... since you know me and Yang already. But don't worry. You'll come to know that he's more or less just as much a mess as we are. Oh, and beware of the dad jokes."

"Speaking of dinner, I guess I'm gonna pass on this one.", the blonde tossed in and suppressed a burp, "I already had five plates of fries at a nearby fast food restaurant thanks to a generous..."

"It would be a reeeaaal shame if you'd have to spend the rest of your vacation bedridden due to an unforeseen injury, don't you think, Yang?", Weiss quickly interrupted her teammate and shot her an angry glance.

"Do I want to get filled in on that?", Blake asked Ruby in a whisper.

"Nope.", the crimsonette answered, "The less you know, the better."

"Thought so.", the Faunus replied, "Aaanyway, why don't we head to your place? I'm sick of sitting or standing around and want to relax a little. Preferably with a nice meal instead of squishy sandwiches or a bag of unsalted peanuts."

"Sounds like a good idea.", Weiss agreed, "I'm starving."

"I wonder why?", Yang shot back with a shit-eating grin and simply started to walk towards the Rose-Xiao Long residence.

"I'm carrying out my threat, I promise.", the white-haired girl snarled and followed suit.

"Looks like I missed out a lot of stuff.", Blake chuckled and joined them on their journey, with Ruby staying by her side.

"You have no idea.", the crimsonette said, "But then again, we've also missed out a lot of important stuff that has happened in your life."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you the whole story... after we've eaten something actually consumable.", the black-haired girl explained, "Airship food is horrible if you travel economy class. I wonder if your girlfriend has ever faced this problem..." She added the last part in a whisper, but...

"Hey, I heard that.", Weiss responded over her shoulder, ceasing her bickering with Yang, "And just so you know, I barely traveled in my father's corporate jet. The only times I did so, we were on our way to some weird gala, or fundraiser, or work party... where I had to do a song performance before I was told to leave and wait in the car.... for a couple of hours. And believe me, eating fancy food during the flight was the last thing on my mind at those moments."

"Oookay... I just wanted to make a joke here, but it seems that I struck a chord.", Blake quickly apologized, "I'm really, really sorry. Are you alright?"

"Well, those awful things are in the past now anyway.", the white-haired girl explained, suddenly incredibly cheerful, "I've broken the shackles that tied me to my father, I'm currently living my own life, and I scored myself a loving, caring, beautiful, and all-in-all absolutely awesome girlfriend. So I guess you can say that I'm way better than just alright. But once I inherit the company, my private jet will be filled with everything Ruby gives even the slightest preference to."

"Sloppy Joes with coleslaw and triple chocolate chip cookies!", Ruby immediately cheered.

"Alright, not much on-cost on that front.", Weiss giggled, pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug, and softly pressed her lips to the crimsonette's cheeks.

"Anyway, what's with the new outfit, Blake?", Yang suddenly tossed in to take part in the conversation, "Not that it doesn't suit you, but... why the sudden change in your attire?"

"As I've already told Ruby, a lot of things around us are changing. So I thought, why not try out a new combat outfit?", the Faunus explained, "It's not that I don't like my usual attire anymore, but... I don't know. It looks a little more mature and... umm, kinda... cooler, don't you think? More fitted to a Huntress? Especially one that wants to take down a mad scientist..."

"Absolutely.", the blonde quickly replied, "I guess the rest of us should upgrade their combat outfits as well. I'm pretty sure a leather coat and tight-fitting pants would suit me as well. Oh, and those boots of yours are absolutely awesome."

"Well, as much as I hate to agree with Yang, I guess it's time for an alternative combat outfit.", Weiss pondered, "However, I don't exactly want to give up the freedom of leg movement my skirt provides."

"Combat skirt sisters!", the crimsonette immediately chirped and tackled her girlfriend into another hug that almost caused the couple to fall into the snow sludge piled up on the sides of one of Patch's main roads.

"Ruby! Careful!", the heiress exclaimed and steadied them again, "The fact that I consider getting another outfit doesn't mean that I already want this one to get all wet and messy."

"Unlike me?", the younger girl whispered back.

"Why would you want to get your outfit dirty?", Weiss asked confused and raised an eyebrow.

"I’m still talking about your preferences... and not about my clothes, Snowflake.", Ruby explained seductively which finally caused her girlfriend to get the message.

"O-oh!", the white-haired girl stammered and blushed immediately, "Th-that's a different matter altogether… and could you please refrain from making those comments in public?" Luckily, due to the increased frequency of their nightly activities, a certain part of her body barely responded – but only because Weiss managed to shove the many lewd pictures that quickly entered her mind out of there rather soon.

"Alright, fine.", the crimsonette responded, "Then I'll continue once we have a little more... privacy."

"That's not really what I meant.", the heiress sighed, but added shortly after, "I won't stop you, though, Rose Petal."

"What's with the whispering?", Yang suddenly asked, "You're either making fun of me or talking about lewd stuff again. I don't approve of both. Now get into gear. Blake's hungry and I'm bored."

"Yes, drill instructor sergeant Xiao Long.", Ruby responded jokingly and made a mock salute.

"That's major to you, sis.", the blonde shot back with a grin.

'As if someone as unruly as Yang would survive long enough in the regular army to become sergeant, let alone major.', the white-haired girl thought and even giggled a bit at the thought of her own sister – as an Atlas forces' Specialist – reaming out private Xiao Long over something as stupid as an incorrectly folded shirt or an unlocked locker.

"Something still the matter, Weiss?", the blonde asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing major, major.", the heiress responded with a small smile.

After a fifteen-minute-walk, the group of four finally arrived at the Rose-Xiao Long residence. Just like Weiss, Blake also had to admit that it looked incredibly cozy... even more so once she had seen the inside. However, her joy was kinda short-lived once an already familiar corgi approached her the moment the front door had fallen shut.

"Awww, looks like Zwei missed you, too.", Ruby chirped. However, the crimsonette considered her statement pretty much pointless once she saw that her teammate had climbed upon Yang to get out of the dog's reach.

"Keep him away from me and my stuff.", Blake said dryly while trying to find a comfortable spot on her partner. If it wasn't for Yang's strength and balance, the blonde and the cat Faunus currently occupying her shoulders and head would've fallen over instantly.

"Y'know... I really appreciate this team bonding exercise...", the blonde said, lifted the black-haired girl up, and tossed her onto the couch, "But don't use me as some kind of cat condo... outside of the bedroom, that is." She added the last part with a mischievous grin.

Blake didn't even have the time to respond something to her partner's tasteless joke since Zwei quickly climbed onto the sofa and started licking the Faunus' face enthusiastically.

"Ewww... bad dog... these are unauthorized snuggles.", the black-haired girl said, grabbed the curious corgi, and pushed him down before she stood up again.

"And you must be Blake Belladonna.", a sudden voice shook the Faunus out of her misguided aversion.

A tall, grinning, blond man dressed in casual, yet sturdy-looking clothes and a caramel-colored apron over them leaned against the door frame that led to the kitchen-area. His expression could've been described as fatherly if it wasn't for the slightly gleeful tint accompanying it.

"Zwei, heel!", Taiyang quickly announced and, of course, the fluffy corgi complied immediately, which earned him a couple of pats and affectionate ear scratches, "Good boy. Don't worry about him, Blake. I'll make sure that he's not gonna bother you while you're staying here."

"U-umm, thank you, sir.", the black-haired woman responded gratefully.

"Urgh... the sir-stuff again.", the Huntsman groaned, "Please call me Taiyang or Tai. You're part of the family as well, after all."

"Dad's really self-conscious about his age.", Yang quickly explained in a whisper.

"Alright, uhh, Taiyang.", Blake responded to the sisters' father.

"That's waaay better.", the blond man said, "I've never been much of an authority figure. Well, besides towards my daughters or my students, that is. Anyway, dinner's almost ready. I hope you're hungry."

"You bet!", the Faunus immediately exclaimed, but quickly reconsidered her choice of words as well as the volume of her voice, "I-I mean, thank you. I really appreciate..."

"Airship food, huh?", Taiyang interrupted the black-haired girl with a chuckle, "Been there myself. This stuff can drive even the toughest Huntsman crazy. Seems like a couple of things never change. Well then, let's have some real food. Apparently, you're in dire need of it."

"I think I'm gonna pass.", Yang suddenly said, "I already overate on fries at the fast-food joint near the airport."

"Fries-poker?", the Huntsman asked, immediately getting the hint, and turned towards Ruby, "Really?"

"Well, Blake's airship was late, so we tried to kill some time.", the crimsonette explained with a shrug.

"Let me guess: She cleaned out Weiss?", Taiyang wanted to know.

"That's an understatement.", the heiress grumbled, "And I still can't rule out the possibility that your daughter has cheated somehow."

"Don't worry, she didn't. She's just annoyingly good.", Taiyang responded with a tint of pride in his voice.

"Well, I learned from the best.", the blonde said grinning and fist-bumped her dad.

"Seriously? You taught her?", Weiss asked, "I would've expected something like that from a rapscallion like her uncle."

"Well, Uncle Qrow isn't very good with cards.", Ruby explained, "Or really any other kind of game, to be more precise. No idea why, though..."

"Maybe his Semblance is Misfortune.", Yang snickered.

"Don't be ridiculous.", the crimsonette responded, "That would be the dumbest Semblance ever."

"Not if it rains down on his enemies.", the blonde responded.

"Enough chit-chat. As said before, I'm starving.", Blake suddenly tossed in, "And I’ve really started to hate peanuts and chicken sandwiches."

"Luckily for you, your teammates already told me about your preferences.", Taiyang explained, "Therefore, I made a tuna casserole." He had barely finished the sentence before the Faunus' eyes widened considerably. Even her jaw dropped and her ears perked up.

"R-really...", she managed to croak out. It was now that she took a big sniff and her sensitive sense of smell quickly discerned a lot of ingredients: Cream, cheese, noodles, soup greens, green peas, onions, mushrooms... and tuna. Lots of tuna! She immediately made a bee-line to the kitchen, almost running down the sisters' father in the process.

"Thank goodness I took the big baking dish.", Tai chuckled, "Come on, girls. Sit down and relax. Casserole should be ready in five." Then he followed Blake.

"Well, since Yang isn't eating anything, at least there is no jealousy about food this time, maybe even leftovers.", Weiss mentioned and made her way to the kitchen as well, accompanied by her teammates.

"We're talking about a tuna dish and a starving Blake here.", Ruby disagreed, "There won't be any survivors."

She would be right about that.

What followed was a nice, relaxing family dinner. Ruby, Weiss, Taiyang, and especially Blake were immensely enjoying the casserole, the cucumber salad accompanying it, and the small cups of blueberry pudding prepared as a dessert. The cat Faunus even took seconds and thirds of the main dish: Apparently, whatever they had tried to serve her on the airships had really been inedible.

But despite the peaceful atmosphere, Yang was growing impatient, and not just because she didn't have anything to do besides sitting at the table and watching other people eat. After all, her partner had promised that she would tell them about her vacation and those weird Grimm-sightings after dinner, things the blonde was dying to hear the moment they had picked her up at the airport. Yet, the Faunus just kept eating as if she hadn't done so for weeks. But everything tended to come to an end eventually... and the moment Blake had put the last spoonful of pudding into her mouth, Yang couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright! You're done eating!", she practically exclaimed over the table, way louder than necessary, "Now tell us already! About your vacation, the White Fang, the Grimm stuff, everything!"

"White Fang?", Taiyang asked and raised an eyebrow, "I mean, you already said something about that yesterday, and Blake's parents, but what..."

"Yeah, Blake was with the White Fang for a while before she decided to attend Beacon.", the brawler quickly interrupted her dad in order to shut him up and hear her partner's story, "Now could you please..." It was now that she realized her mistake. "Oops.", she managed to croak out. Her eyes went wide and her face went even paler than usual.

"You've done an uncountable amount of stupid things, Yang.", the heiress sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "But that one's definitely making it to the top three without any poll necessary."

"Relax, Weiss.", the black-haired girl said conciliatorily, "I never asked her to keep it a secret. Unlike other things. Also, I'm tired of running away from my past, just like I was tired of hiding my Faunus heritage." She remembered all too well how Ash had told her that there was nothing to be ashamed of being a Faunus and how she shouldn't make the same mistakes as him.

"So you're a former member of the White Fang?", Taiyang asked, deep in thought. Luckily, his tone of voice didn't show any kind of disfavor.

"Ever since I was a kid.", Blake explained, "You could almost say that I was born into it. Back then, it was still a peaceful organization, though. However, despite the White Fang's best efforts to accomplish peace and unity between Humans and Faunus, the hate and discrimination didn't stop. Therefore, a lot of members changed their tactics and wanted to take equality by force. Rallies, boycotts, those kinds of things... at first. I was there every time, on the front lines, so to speak. And about six years ago, when my father stepped down as their leader..."

Apparently, not only Yang's brain tended to malfunction sometimes. The words had barely left the black-haired girl's mouth before she also paled considerably. To say that her teammates were shocked would still be an understatement.

"Umm, s-surprise?", Blake said insecurely and with a lopsided, awkward smile, "And before you look at me like that again, he's also the current chieftain of Menagerie."

"Okay, now you're making things up.", the blonde exclaimed and waited for some kind of reaction from her partner... which never came, "Seriously?"

"Seriously.", the Faunus responded, "Anyway, when my father stepped down as the High Leader of the original White Fang, a new one took his place. One with a... new way of thinking. And suddenly, our protests were replaced with organized attacks: Hhijacking cargo, arson, even assassinations. And finally, the Faunus were treated as equals. But not out of respect, but out of fear. I was still with them, believed that we made a difference, and tried to turn a blind eye to the gruesome things we did to accomplish equality. But one day, maybe two years or so ago, after a rather horrible heist, I couldn't take it anymore. I left the White Fang and decided to dedicate my life to an actually good cause. And thanks to Professor Ozpin, I'm going to be a Huntress now. So much about my past."

"Well, we know pretty much all of that already.", Yang said, "Besides the stuff about your father, that is."

"But our father didn't.", Ruby reminded her sister, "So explaining it again still makes sense, don't you think? Also, I’m pretty sure that – after what I already heard yesterday – all the stuff Blake just told us about her dad is somewhat tied to the rest of the story. Am I right?"

"That's... more than a lucky guess.", the black-haired girl explained with a small grin, "When I arrived at home – and much to my own surprise, to be honest – my mom and dad welcomed me with open arms. As if I hadn't run away from home to hang out with a group of radical activists. They were just happy to... to have their daughter back." She suppressed a little snivel at the last part.

"Awwwww...", Ruby cooed with a beaming smile.

"Of course, I still explained myself, and told them about how and why I ultimately left this life behind.", Blake continued, "And after that, my father and I had a long talk about the White Fang and... how things are going with it at the moment. Needless to say, he has already heard about the rather... unpleasant turn things took with the organization... also about the splinter groups and their terroristic approaches."

"Tell them the best part! Tell 'em!", the crimsonette cheered her teammate on.

"Easy there, Ruby.", the cat Faunus sighed, "Nothing's set in stone yet.", then she turned back to the rest of the group, "However, after hearing my story, Dad decided that things couldn't go on like that anymore. Therefore, he's trying to pull some strings and hold some speeches in an attempt to get the White Fang back and restore it to what it has been: A peaceful Faunus rights movement. Or maybe forge some kind of counter-organization. The real White Fang, if you want to look at it that way. Apparently, what his daughter went through ignited something inside of him again. Nevertheless, even if this is gonna make a real difference in the future, we still have a lot of work to do before it's gonna happen. But at least it's a step in the right direction."

"That is... actually incredibly amazing.", Weiss suddenly said, "I mean, it's no secret that I loathe my father for the horrible labor conditions that he forces upon his Faunus workers. But I also hate the White Fang, no offense, Blake, for stealing cargo and killing innocent people. Nevertheless, if your father manages to pull through with his plan, I promise you as the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company that this organization will have my full support."

"Thank you, Weiss. It... really means a lot to me to hear that.", the black-haired girl responded, but added with a small chuckle, "Even though I pretty much guessed that it was a given already."

"Guessed? Were there still any doubts?", the heiress shot back with a challenging grin.

"Nope.", Blake said matter-of-factly and her smile didn't falter in the slightest, "I knew that all the time we spent together, and especially the last couple of months of you snuggling with Ruby, would ultimately drive the cruel businesswoman you were raised to be out of you."

"Well, I don't contest that.", Weiss admitted, "However, as much as you guys helped me to seriously better myself, it was mostly my Rose Petal that made me become the person I really wanted to be. Y'know, 80/20 rule."

"Yay, I win!", the crimsonette cheered and pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug, even going as far to kiss her on the cheek, "I had the bestest influence on my Snowflake. But then again, she bettered me a lot as well, that's for sure."

"Yeah, Rubes, we get it. A lot of good things happened to you and Weissicle since both of you are causing extra laundry.", Yang groaned.

"Thanks a lot for the colorful description, my Sunny Little Dragon", Tai sighed, "Nevertheless, that stuff about the White Fang is really great news. Of course, the discrimination of the Faunus has to be stopped, but I'd like to think that all of those radical attacks only drove us farther apart. Maybe a new, peaceful group that stands up against the terrorists will manage to close this gap again."

"Let's hope for the best.", Blake responded, "At least my vacation got a little more relaxed after all of that. I almost forgot how beautiful Menagerie is. And a lot warmer. Pretty cramped, though."

"And how did you spend the rest of your time?", Ruby asked further, "You probably didn't just talk about the White Fang for two weeks, am I right?"

"I mostly spent the time with my family.", the cat Faunus explained, "We had a lot of catching up to do, after all. Other than that, I roamed around the city of Kuo Kuana. Y'know, checking out what had changed since I left. I even found a couple of old acquaintances from back then. However, the majority of my time outside, I spent at the harbor."

"I sense we're approaching the second important topic.", Weiss said and her expression got a lot more serious.

"Right, the Grimm-sightings.", Yang added, "What about them? Do you think they're somehow linked to Merlot?"

"Well, when I heard the first few stories about some sailors encountering weird Grimm on their journeys, I didn't pay much attention to them.", the black-haired girl responded, "I mean, it's not that unusual to discover new Grimm from time to time, especially at sea."

"Told you so.", the blonde shot a whisper towards Ruby and Weiss.

"However, the more time I spent at the harbor, the more frequent those stories turned up.", Blake continued, "And most of them took place either between Solitas and Sanus or directly around Vytal island. Sailors or freighter pilots told about encountering strange, especially aggressive Grimm that didn't evaporate upon death, but exploded, corroding the hulls of their ships in the process. I even saw one of those battered Bullheads. The damage wasn't severe, but noticeable, nonetheless."

"Some stray mutants, maybe?", Yang pondered, "I mean, we might have destroyed Merlot's lab - or at least a pretty big part of it - and killed a lot of his weird creations, but there's no way we eradicated all of them. And now they finally found another way out of this cave."

"Makes sense to me.", Weiss seconded, "Don't you think it is highly unlikely that Merlot rebuilt his laboratory and restocked on Grimm in just a few months? The last time, he told us that he spent years building this underground facility in case his other lab on his island would be discovered and destroyed. Which it was. By us... aaand him, if we're completely honest here."

"At first, I thought so, too.", the Faunus said, "But then, other unsettling details started to come up. People were talking about new types of mutant Grimm... or at least modified old ones. There was a story from a pilot of an airship where a swarm of purple-glowing Lancers fired stingers that exploded, just like Merlot's other creations after you killed them. Another one consisted of an odd-looking Nevermore emitting some kind of mist that turned other Grimm that were attacking a container ship into mutants. Admittedly, those kinds of sightings, if they're true, occurred a lot rarer than just the normal purple Grimm-attacks. But it is obvious that there's still something incredibly weird going on around the island of Vytal and it seems to be linked to Merlot."

"So we either missed these types of Grimm when we fought our way through the lab a couple of months ago...", Ruby mused, "Or Merlot somehow managed to get his facility going again."

"And he came up with another couple of deadly serums to create even more dangerous speci-things.", Yang grumbled and added worriedly, "You didn't hear something about people acting odd or aggressive after the attacks, right?"

"Fortunately, no.", Blake responded, which earned her a sigh of relief from her teammates (and Taiyang as well), "I guess the mutant Death Stalker abomination that infected Ruby with the Grimm-illness was an extraordinary specimen that took Merlot a lot of time and effort to create... just like the first, green one on his island."

"I hope you're right.", Weiss said, "Imagine having to fight an army of those things. We already had enough trouble killing the first. And Ruby only managed to end its purple successor by herself because of the new powers the infection caused."

"I wonder if the people at Vale's port or airport are also reporting about weird Grimm-sightings.", the crimsonette tossed in, "I mean, Patch is just a small island with barely any traffic, but if Merlot is really back in action, I'm pretty sure that these stories should pile up in every bigger city."

"We should probably investigate this once we're back at Beacon.", the Faunus pondered, "Maybe inform Ozpin about it as well, in case he doesn't know already."

"Why wait?", Weiss piped up, "Every day we just sit around doing nothing, Merlot can raise even more mutant Grimm."

"But you're on vacation.", Taiyang suddenly said sternly, "Aaand you're still students. If this Merlot-guy is really as dangerous as you've told me, you should let the professionals handle the situation. As much as I admire your ambitiousness, your job is to relax for the next two weeks and then go back to Beacon to continue your training. Also, I'm pretty sure that Ozpin, as well as the other academies' headmasters, already know about the situation. Believe me, these guys have their eyes and ears everywhere."

"But...", Ruby wanted to intervene.

"No buts.", her father interrupted, "If Ozpin really needs you because you've already destroyed two of Merlot's labs and are experienced in handling those mutant Grimm, he's gonna get in touch with you. Otherwise, you're going to enjoy the rest of your vacation and sign up for a mission that might have something to do with this mess once the new semester starts."

"But...", Yang tried as well.

"Did I stutter?", Tai sighed and rolled his eyes, "Please, take some advice from someone who does this job for... umm... q-quite some time now: Don't meddle in things that are none of your business. There's a reason that people spend four years at the academies before they're allowed to go out on their own. Also, be grateful for every bit of free time you get. Because once you graduate, there is no such thing as vacation anymore."

"Ever since Signal is on semester break, you're working barely three hours a day.", the blonde said dryly and raised an eyebrow.

"While watching TV on the side.", Ruby added.

"Still no vacation.", their father responded with a grin, "I didn't say it would be hard graft all the time. Also, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be out there right now scouting out Vytal island."

"At the risk of betraying my team, I actually agree with your father.", Blake suddenly addressed the sisters, "As much as I want to stop this mad scientist as well, he's right: We're only Huntresses-in-training. Not to mention that we barely made it out of those labs alive the last two times. And if the stories are true, Merlot has come up with even deadlier creations now. Maybe it's really better to just relax for the time being and focus on our studies once we're back at Beacon."

"Urgh... I guess you're right.", Weiss sighed, "Maybe we should really try to just enjoy our stay here for the next two weeks, then tackle the issue with renewed vigor. It's probably only a matter of time before Ozpin sends the students on another mission to investigate the island and its perimeter again anyway."

"But now that we know what might await us in the future, we can use some of our time to prepare ourselves.", Ruby said determined, "Y'know, training a little more, come up with a couple of strategies against these new mutants... Oh, we should upgrade our weapons, too!"

"As if you really need a reason to tinker with your scythe.", Yang mentioned with a chuckle, "But maybe we should really make the most of our vacation before we dive headfirst into the next adventure."

"Alright, now that that's settled, how about you show Blake around the house a bit?", Taiyang suggested, "And, if you don't have any other plans for today, maybe we could play some board games afterwards."

"Oh my gosh, no!", Weiss immediately exclaimed, which earned her many confused looks, especially from the black-haired girl.

"Okay... I've told you my story.", the cat Faunus said, "Now what in all of Remnant's sake did I miss?"

"Hey, Rose Petal?", Weiss whispered softly that night in their shared bed, "Can't sleep?"

"How did you notice?", Ruby asked confused. After all, her breathing had been completely regular and she hadn't moved a single muscle during the last half hour.

"What do you always say? That's my job.", the heiress giggled quietly and, being the big spoon again, pulled her girlfriend closer, "So what's the matter? The stuff about Merlot?"

"Do you think we can defeat him?", the crimsonette asked, "I mean... at all?"

"What do you mean?", Weiss responded.

"He's a computer program or something like that now, right?", the younger girl said, "How do you kill, or imprison, or whatever-else this kind of stuff?"

"I don't know...", the white-haired girl admitted sheepishly, "Destroy the main processor or some kind of server, I guess."

"I have a lot of photos, videos, and games uploaded to a cloud.", Ruby responded, "If I'd lose my Scroll, I still have a backup. What if Merlot has something like that as well? What if he just... can't be beaten?"

"In that case, he would need a connection to the CCTS.", Weiss explained, "And if he'd have something like that, some tech professionals would be able to track him and his labs down, or maybe even erase him completely. I'm pretty sure Merlot is playing it safe and operates from a secluded network. At least, that's what I would do. It would be too much of a risk to go public with my whole entity."

"Huh, didn't think of that.", the crimsonette pondered, "So all we – or other Huntsmen and Huntresses – have to do is to destroy every computer and server in his lab complex?"

"I guess so.", the heiress responded, "Or just destroy his androids and other machines. If there's nothing he can control over his internal network anymore, even his eternal life is pretty much useless."

"That makes sense.", Ruby sighed, "Thank you, Snowflake."

"Feeling better?", Weiss asked softly and gently kissed her girlfriend's neck.

"Absolutely.", the younger girl confirmed.

"I'm glad I could be of help, Rose Petal.", the heiress whispered softly and gave Ruby another affectionate squeeze, "I hope you can rest calmly now."

"Well, as much as I want to agree... I'm still pretty much wide awake.", Ruby suddenly cooed, "But, y'know, there is something we could do that usually makes me reeeaaally sleepy when we're done."

She had barely finished the sentence before she felt a hand pulling down her pajama pants and panties and a ridiculously soft pair of lips suckling on her earlobe. A moment later, something big, hardening, and throbbing was pressed between her butt cheeks.

"I'm certain I can arrange that.", Weiss purred and gave her girlfriend's cheek a seductive lick, "Just don't complain if you're walking a bit funny tomorrow, Rose Petal."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Snowflake.", the crimsonette responded and ground herself against the white-haired girl's rapidly growing member.

Of course, the young couple tried to be quiet... they really did. However, there was only so much earplugs could do... especially against a certain Faunus' sensitive hearing.

Chapter Text

It wasn't exactly an easy task, considering all of the Merlot-stuff that was almost constantly occupying their minds, but team RWBY still tried to have a nice, relaxing vacation. And they somewhat managed to do so, even though the four girls had to make a couple of compromises since their interests were rather different, to put it kindly. Ruby was pretty energetic and still tended to be a bit childish sometimes, therefore, things had to be fascinating, rich in variety, yet not overly intellectual for her to fully enjoy herself. This already clashed with Weiss and Blake's concept of a good time: The former wanted to perform or participate in more sophisticated activities, while the latter preferred the peace and quiet.

And Yang was... well, Yang.

Nevertheless, they always managed to come to an arrangement everybody could live with. Their options were pretty limited anyway since they were in Patch. Yet, they made the best of it.

For example, they visited the island's only museum on Weiss' and its only library on Blake's behalf. Admittedly, they didn't offer a lot of information or books to read (mostly about fishing in both cases), but the Checkmate duo was still fine with that as long as they could learn something new and do what they liked.

Ruby, on the other hand, persuaded her dad to set up an interesting scavenger hunt all across the small town. The four girls competed as partners against each other and the losers had to cook dinner for the winners. That day, the crimsonette found out that her girlfriend wasn't exactly an expert in the kitchen. Seriously, how could a person that wielded a rapier with inhumane precision be so bad at mincing onions?

Yang even managed to drag her team to a pub on one day. Fortunately, it didn't get out of hand... because of Ruby. As a seventeen-year-old girl (and without the fake ID she had forgotten at Beacon, like she had told her father), she wasn't allowed in a facility that served alcoholic beverages past midnight. It had been Weiss who had pointed out this crucial little detail.

Otherwise, they mostly relaxed at the Rose-Xiao Long residence: playing video or board games, reading books (in Ruby and Yang's case mainly comic books), watching movies, and enjoying a lot of tasty home-cooked meals. Of course, they helped Taiyang in the kitchen whenever they could – or were allowed to since the Huntsman, as the good host he wanted to be, always told them that they didn't have to. Yet, team RWBY hardly cared, especially Weiss and Blake. After all, they all were a family now, and that meant helping each other out. In addition, the heiress definitely wanted to improve her cooking skills so she wouldn't be second to her girlfriend once they would live together in a couple of years.

However, the four girls still couldn't banish the thought of Merlot's (likely) return out of their minds, no matter how hard they tried. Therefore, they also trained and sparred on many occasions to prepare themselves for what was probably to come. As before, Taiyang also participated whenever he wasn't busy with other stuff. And he soon came to know that Blake also proved herself to be a worthy opponent. By now, the blond Huntsman knew that when this team would graduate, they would definitely surpass him... and it made him incredibly proud. He didn't hold back much anymore in order to win a match and whenever he allowed a duo to take him on, he barely won while using his full strength. Needless to say, he and team RWBY quickly relocated their sparring sessions about two hundred yards away from their home into the woods to contain the damage on Tai's property.

True to Ruby's word, she overhauled and modified her team's weapons to some degree, even going the extra mile to use up the really good parts in her storage and ordering a few new ones from Vale. At first, she provided Crescent Rose with a rather simple upgrade that allowed her to rotate the blade 180 degrees whenever it was necessary. Unfortunately, that provoked at least five new additions to her never-ending twin scythe project, pushing it further and further away from ever being finished.

Next up was Ember Celica, which got an additional chamber for highly explosive, sticky grenades that could be detonated by an additional trigger. Myrtenaster was blessed with a higher Dust-storage capacity, as well as with an intelligent emergency reload mechanism inside the handle that would distribute any reloaded Dust into its respective revolving chamber. Gambol Shroud received mostly minor mechanical upgrades for its gun, like a bigger magazine and some adjustments on the barrel, muzzle, and slide to increase its firing rate.

All in all, team RWBY somehow managed to find the right balance between preparing for a (probably) upcoming battle against Merlot and enjoying their semester break. Well, at least two of them, that is...

With every passing day, Ruby and Weiss grew more and more worried. No matter how much they racked their brains about it, it was still incredibly hard to come up with a plan on how to tell Taiyang about the more... peculiar details about their relationship. A somewhat useful opportunity didn't find them itself, either.

However, the White Rose couple knew that they had to tell the crimsonette's father during this vacation. Addressing this topic definitely called for a face-to-face conversation and now was their best chance. Admittedly, they could visit Tai over a weekend during the upcoming semester. But to do so only to have an extremely embarrassing conversation they could and should have had beforehand – at the moment, they were still (more or less) lying to the blond Huntsman – and which also kinda decided the future of their relationship was an absolutely terrible option. Right now, the atmosphere was relaxed, Weiss had come to know her future father-in-law, and was on good terms with him. Maybe this would soothe the blow of the pretty awkward news a little.

Therefore, they at least succeeded in coming up with the basics of the big revelation. Ruby and Weiss agreed that it would be best to tell the former's father on their last overnight stay at Patch. That way, he would be able to process the news and calm down even if he was against his daughter's relationship with someone like the white-haired girl – even though the crimsonette still doubted that this would be the case. If worst came worst, they would be forced to spend their last night separately, but otherwise, not much would change until Taiyang accepted everything.

Also, they decided that they wouldn't beat around the bush too much. They would simply tell the blond Huntsman that there was still something left they had to tell him about their relationship in order to be completely honest with him. Something rather unusual, but still something that had to be said, out of many reasons... and that they only delayed this because they had no idea how to tackle the issue so far.

Of course, they let Yang and Blake in on their plan and asked them for their cooperation, which meant that the duo would leave them and Tai alone for a while after their last dinner at Patch was over. Needless to say, the blonde and the black-haired girl immediately agreed and wished them luck. They could only guess how afraid and stressed Weiss was about the whole confession-thing. Yang even withheld herself from making one of her tasteless jokes about the heiress' situation – which already spoke volumes about her support of Weiss and Ruby's relationship.

Saturday evening of their last week of vacation wasn't long in coming. And since the four girls most certainly wouldn't be able to spend another day in a cozy, comfortable environment like this for quite some time, they tried to enjoy this day to the fullest:

It started with an amazing breakfast, on par with (if not surpassing) the one Weiss had been introduced to on her first day here. Chocolate chip and peanut butter pancakes, massive amounts of bacon, omelets with various veggies, hash browns, fried fish, cod's liver as a spread, toast, bagels, bread rolls, different kinds of jam, honey, a plate with various cold cuts, different kinds of cream cheese, lots of sliced up vegetables and fruit, cereal, milk, coffee, different kinds of juices... a half-board, 4-star hotel absolutely paled in comparison to that.

After the four girls were done eating and had cleaned up the dishes, they took a little walk through the woods, out of three reasons: First of all, it would definitely help to digest all the food. Secondly, who knew when they would have the opportunity to take in Patch's beauty again, especially in Weiss and Blake's case. And last but not least, there was a small chance that some Beowolves or Creeps showed up, providing a little more combat practice.

However, they didn't encounter any Grimm and could enjoy their little stroll in peace. Apparently, not even Ruby and Weiss' nervousness seemed to attract them... probably because other, way stronger emotions lingered underneath. Emotions the creatures didn't feed on and most certainly didn't even understand.

Once they got back, it was already time for lunch. Fortunately, Taiyang had only prepared a couple of light sandwiches, ham and cheese, smoked salmon and avocado, and egg salad – to offer at least some vegetarian options. At first, the four girls welcomed this since they were still kinda sated from the lavish breakfast. However, when they heard about the reason why the blond Huntsman only served such an (in his opinion) insufficient lunch, a shiver went down the young couple's spines. As a surprise, and to conclude their vacation in a spectacular manner, he had booked a table at the Thrill Grill.

Needless to say, that definitely complicated Ruby and Weiss' plan. Telling Tai about the heiress' unique condition in a crowded place like this was incredibly risky, even though it might keep him from freaking out. There was no guarantee, though. However, waiting for their return only to break this incredibly awkward news to him just before they turned in for the night wasn't a rather attractive option, either.

Every other plan team RWBY had made for their last day of vacation was quickly discarded by the young couple. Instead, Ruby retreated into her makeshift workshop next to the garage, a place where she could think clearly and order her thoughts. Of course, she was accompanied by her girlfriend so they could come up with an emergency strategy. Also, Weiss was still afraid that the crimsonette's scythe-shotgun-hybrid would blow up at one time or another.

"Just great: Now we have two options which both are pretty much worse than the one we needed days to gear ourselves up for.", Ruby grumbled while her trained hands quickly and expertly dismantled a mingle-mangle of various machine parts from one of the numerous boxes, "We can either tell Dad about your secret at the Thrill Grill, hoping that he won't freak out in public – which only will make matters worse once we're home again – or we can wait until we're back and tell him right before we go to sleep since I highly doubt that we'll just eat and leave immediately afterwards. Would be a first if that's gonna happen today."

"And what if we tell him tomorrow?", Weiss suggested.

"That's kinda pathetic, don't you think?", the crimsonette responded and scanned the different parts on the workbench, "It would come off like "Hey, Dad. Me 'n Weiss didn't tell you about a major thing we actually wanted you to know in the first place. And now we're telling you last minute because we don't want to deal with your reaction and don't give a damn about it as well. See ya!". And then we board the airship back to Beacon."

"Don't you think you're depicting this way more dramatic than it actually is?", the heiress asked and raised an eyebrow, "By the way, you didn't want to tell him in the first place."

"You've changed my mind about that, Snowflake. You made it clear to me why it's important that we tell him.", the younger girl defended herself, "So, umm, please, don't let us get into a fight over this. We should try to find a solution instead. And I definitely can't do this on my own. It's your secret... and you're the smart one of us."

"As much as it flatters me to hear you say that, you're way smarter than you admit to yourself.", Weiss explained with a warm smile, "So stop selling yourself shorter than you are."

"I'm taller than you if not for your heels.", Ruby shot back with a shit-eating grin.

"That's not what I meant and you know that, you adorable dolt.", the white-haired girl sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Anyway, you're most certainly right: We have to do this today somehow. That way, we can still argue with the fact that we wanted to tell your dad sooner, didn't muster the courage until now, but still didn't want to leave him in the dark until the last minute... as originally planned. If we're fortunate, this is going to give us at least some, probably much-needed brownie points."

"Alright. That still brings us back to our earlier problem. When should we... OWW! Son of a gun...", the crimsonette said, and exclaimed, threw away her pincers, as well as a certain mechanical part, and shook her right hand while dancing around the workshop. Then, she put her thumb into her mouth to ease the pain.

"When should we tell your dad about everything, am I right?", the heiress finished the sentence for her girlfriend.

"Eshacky.", Ruby confirmed while still sucking on her thumb, "Ahy igeas?"

"Let's start with you putting your oil-smeared finger out of your mouth and take a hanky instead.", Weiss responded and offered the crimsonette the aforementioned piece of cloth.

"As if I want to get your pristine white handkerchief dirty while tinkering with my scrap.", the younger girl responded, "I'm not bleeding anyway. And you know what they say: Dirt scrubs the stomach. Anyway, do you think it would be a good idea to tell Dad at the Thrill Grill, in public? Or should we wait until we're back home... whenever this will be. Probably not even an hour short of regular bedtime… which sounds incredibly weird now that I think about it since we're pretty much adults."

Suddenly, an idea struck the white-haired girl. One that was probably even better than whatever she and her girlfriend had in mind so far.

"And what if we tell him on our way back from the Thrill Grill?", she mentioned, "All we have to do is to convince him to walk there instead of taking the truck, which shouldn't be that hard. Think about it, Rose Petal: He wouldn't be able to escape the conversation since he would still have to get home to let Yang and Blake inside. If he would freak out, it wouldn't be in a crowded place. We could still follow him around to explain every detail since I highly doubt that he would leave us behind and lock us out in the cold. That way, he would have no other option but to hear us out, no matter what. E-even if he doesn't approve of our relationship anymore. Which I also think won't happen, to be honest. But better safe than sorry."

"That's brilliant, Snowflake!", Ruby cheered, turned around, and swooped her girlfriend up into a big hug, "I knew you'd come up with an awesome idea to turn this apparent disadvantage into something awesome. That's why you're the brains of us. And I'm... well, I just look cute and kill Grimm with a deadly, frequently upgraded arsenal of weapons. Work-sharing, y'know. Not that you're not capable of killing Grimm yourself, but I wanted to contribute..."

"Stop it right here, Rose Petal.", Weiss interrupted the crimsonette, "You're incredibly smart as well and have developed skills I would never come near reaching, no matter how hard I'd try. I'm just a little better at reading and handling people because I was taught to do so besides my combat training since I'm still expected to run my father's company someday. Even though I still plan to do this as a full-fledged Huntress."

"I still consider myself incredibly lucky that I managed to get myself such a beautiful, wonderful, genius girlfriend that complements me in every single way.", the crimsonette purred and tightened their embrace a bit, "And even though you told me often enough that you think about me the same way, I probably won't be able to repay the happiness you make me feel every day in a single lifetime."

"Well, a good start would be to wash my now oil-stained, white clothes once we're back at Beacon.", the heiress responded jokingly, yet, before Ruby could let go of her in embarrassment, she pulled her even closer, "But I'm still going to bake you a plate of your favorite cookies as a reward. Nevertheless, I don't guarantee that they're gonna be safe to eat." She said the last part with a small giggle and pressed a gentle kiss to her girlfriend's cheek.

"I'm still gonna eat them, no matter what.", the younger girl responded softly, "Tasting sugar, chocolate, and especially your love for me is worth a couple of cavities... or broken teeth."

"Hey, cut me some slack here. My skills in the kitchen aren't that bad.", Weiss pouted and let go of the crimsonette, "And I'm trying to better myself. For example, the smoke detectors barely go off anymore when I'm cooking something for us at Beacon's community kitchen. After all, I'm responsible for feeding our future kids a balanced meal when you're away on a mission."

The words had slipped out of her mouth before she could prevent them to do so. But on the other hand... wasn't she completely honest here? Needless to say, Ruby noticed it, too.

"That's probably the sweetest thing you've ever said, Snowflake.", the younger girl said with a beaming smile, "I love you so much." She had barely finished her sentence before she practically crushed her lips against her girlfriend's. Of course, Weiss tried to participate for as long as possible... which included at least a little tongue-wrestling. However, she quickly broke the kiss, way sooner than her girlfriend wanted. The moment she felt a foreign hand sliding up her thigh, to be more precise. Unfortunately, she had to be the voice of reason... and not just because a certain part of her anatomy suddenly tried to demand much more than she could provide at the moment.

"Umm, w-we better keep concentrating and working on our plan. Y'know, going over the details and play through this whole confession again.", the heiress suggested after she had caught her breath, "I mean, just because I mentioned children doesn't mean we have to start making some already. Or at least do something that would normally lead to them..."

"Y-yeah. Of course.", Ruby agreed with a faint blush, "Sorry... I kinda overdid it. Let's concentrate on the matter at hand. And if this confession-stuff goes well, we can continue with the other stuff tonight anyway, right?"

"You really know how to motivate me, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded with a small smile, "Alright, let's go through the whole sequence again. First of all, I'll ask your dad if the three of us can talk in private about an important matter concerning our relationship. Something about me we haven't been completely honest with him yet. Since it's my secret, I should make the first step."

"Copy that.", the crimsonette nodded, "Then, once Yang and Blake got the hint and gained some distance, I will apologize that we haven't addressed it any sooner because we had no idea how to tackle the issue. That way, Dad will know that we're both to blame for not telling him any sooner. And my puppy-dog eyes will do the rest."

"Good thinking!", the white-haired girl said, "Once this is done, I'm gonna start explaining..."

The young couple spent the rest of the afternoon fine-tuning every single step of their confession, to the point where Ruby stopped working on her twin scythes completely. After all, getting rid of this last secret in a way Weiss was comfortable with was more important. The tinkering had served its original purpose – calming down the crimsonette – anyway.

After they had rehearsed everything over and over again, they told Yang and Blake about their change of plans. As before, the black-and-yellow duo immediately assured Ruby and Weiss of their support. The cat Faunus even mentioned that it was probably better to tell Taiyang about the heiress' secret on a little walk instead of doing so at the Rose-Xiao Long residence. However, the couple didn't know if she really meant it or if she just wanted to bolster them up.

Soon, it was time to head out. The four girls and the blond Huntsman grabbed their coats and were about to make their way to the Thrill Grill. Fortunately, the weather was still somewhat nice so Taiyang didn't get suspicious when Ruby suddenly suggested walking instead of taking the truck. Weiss added that it would be too cramped in the vehicle with five occupants, Blake said driving the rather short distance would be a waste of fuel. And Yang simply argued with the fact that Tai could drink a couple of beers himself that way.

Whatever reason convinced the blond Huntsman, in the end, it only mattered that he agreed that taking a little walk through the snowy, peaceful village of Patch one last time before their vacation was over was a good idea. They still had enough time to do so as well – not that anybody at the Thrill Grill would ever cancel his reservation. Also, after they were done eating, they would most certainly be in dire need of a postprandial stroll anyway.

Therefore, the group of five left the truck in the garage and starting walking towards Patch's town center. And with that, Ruby and Weiss steeled themselves for clearing the last hurdle in front of them. After tonight, there would be no more secrets left.

Chapter Text

The walk to the restaurant was pretty peaceful and relaxing. Well, in Blake, Yang, and Taiyang's case, that is. Ruby and Weiss perceived it a little differently, though. But in their defense, the young couple was only one family dinner away from telling the crimsonette's father about the heiress' unique condition. And since the Huntsman already knew about the other, more mature aspects of their relationship, the revelation would put a whole new complexion on those. Of course, there was no need to go into detail about the white-haired girl's equipment... but that didn't make it any easier.

At least Ruby and Weiss still had some time to mentally prepare themselves for what laid ahead of them since Yang was a master of distraction. To anyone who knew what was currently going on in the White Rose duo's mind, it was obvious why she was practically besieging her father with a torrent of words, always and effortlessly finding another topic to talk about. Thankfully, Taiyang was completely oblivious and happily chatted with his eldest daughter. Therefore, the heiress and her girlfriend had the chance to go over their plan one last time.

They soon arrived at their destination and, as always, the Thrill Grill was jam-packed. It was like all the people of Patch were simply taking turns visiting the restaurant. If you were to come by the place without a reservation, you wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell to get a table. However, that wasn't very surprising: The food was great, the prices pretty keen compared to a high-class steak house, and the ambiance had a certain, rustic charm even Weiss had come to like by now.

The moment the group of five passed through the door, they were immediately greeted by Cherise.

"Greetings, Tai, Weiss, little imps.", the red-haired waitress addressed them cheerfully, "Oh, a new face. What's your name, dear, and how are you connected to the family? A Huntress-in-training as well?"

"Yes, ma'am.", the black-haired girl responded politely, "Blake Belladonna, Yang's partner at Beacon Academy. Nice to meet you, Miss..."

"Just call me Cherise.", the waitress said with a friendly smile, "I've never been fond of such formalities."

"Me neither.", Blake replied with a small chuckle, "By the way, why did you address Yang and Ruby as imps, if you don't mind my curiosity?"

"Aaand that's the point where you lead us to our table and get us the menus, Cherise.", the blonde quickly interrupted.

"Is there an actual story behind the nickname besides you being small children back then?", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend.

"The less you know, the better.", Ruby simply responded and followed the red-haired waitress to their table.

'And here I thought I've heard every embarrassing story about the Rose-Xiao Long sisters already...', the white-haired girl noted inwardly and followed suit.

Once they were seated and had gotten their menus, Cherise took their drinks order. In Blake and Weiss' case, it was just table water, Ruby chose a lemonade, and Yang and her father went for a beer. Then they started to skim through the card. Just like the heiress two weeks ago, Blake immediately pointed out the lack of fish or seafood. However, the others – even the white-haired girl, who had only eaten at the Thrill Grill two times so far – quickly assured her that whatever she would order would be delicious.

After a few minutes of pondering over different dishes, the cat Faunus decided to get a simple point steak with potato wedges, Weiss remained faithful to her filet mignon. Ruby and Yang both ordered some spare ribs and thankfully managed to talk their father out of taking the four-pound steak again (even though the Huntsman was probably only joking about that). The crimsonette mostly did it because she and her girlfriend needed a non-food-comatose Tai for the big reveal of the heiress' secret. Yang just didn't want to listen to him wallowing in self-pity afterwards. In the end, Taiyang ended up deciding on a tomahawk steak – still a big portion, but easily manageable for someone like him.

Cherise soon came back with their drinks, took their orders, and even managed to tease the two sisters a little bit during the short time she needed to tend to their table. Then the group of five had to wait, probably for quite some time given how busy the place was at the moment.

"Well... parting-mood.", Taiyang suddenly sighed, "I'm so gonna miss my baby girls when they're back at Beacon." He even feigned a snivel at the last part.

"Dad, I don't wanna burst your bubble, but I'm of legal age already.", Yang mentioned, "And Ruby's gonna be in about eight months as well. Don't you think it's time for you to stop calling us your baby girls?"

"Never!", the Huntsman shot back, "No matter how old you are, you'll always be my baby girls. By the way, aren't you still calling Ruby your baby sis?"

"That's something entirely different.", the blonde responded.

"No, it isn't.", the crimsonette tossed in and added with a grin, "And I would appreciate it if you'd stop referring to me like that."

"Never!", Yang grumbled.

Then the three burst into laughter.

"Do you really want to be part of this family, Weiss?", Blake chuckled while watching their antics.

"Actually, I can't wait.", the white-haired girl responded and added with a small giggle, "I mean, subtract Yang and it would be perfect."

"I heard that, Weissicle.", the blonde said with a challenging grin.

"Splendid. Now I don't have to repeat myself.", the heiress replied and returned the expression.

"We're gonna discuss this when there are fewer witnesses around.", the brawler explained and cracked her neck.

"Aww... Low blows and death threats. Just like a good old family dinner should be.", Tai laughed and took a swig of his beer.

"With the slight difference that we're only joking.", Weiss mentioned, "Unlike the family dinners I'm familiar with. I'm pretty sure my little brother still sleeps with at least one eye open, even though I haven't been at home for one and a half years by now."

"Was he really such a brat?", Blake asked.

"He's pretty much a carbon copy of my father.", the white-haired girl answered, "I guess that already makes any further explanation unnecessary."

"Thank goodness it's you who's gonna inherit the company someday.", Yang said, "The last thing the SDC needs is another Jacques. I'd say no offense, but since I know exactly how you feel about your dad, I pass on that."

"Nothing's set in stone yet.", Weiss grumbled, "I'm pretty sure that my father is already trying to come up with a couple of plans to cut me off so he can inherit the company to Whitley. He just needs to find a way to explain this to the press. Maybe he'll even manage to use my and Ruby's relationship against me once he comes to know of it."

"But we're not gonna put up with that.", the crimsonette suddenly piped up, "We're gonna come up with a plan ourselves so you can live the life you want to. Being a Huntress, still righting your father's wrongs as CEO, and living happily ever after with me. Right, Snowflake?"

"Of course, Rose Petal.", the heiress responded with a loving smile, "Together, we've always overcome whatever obstacles life had thrown in our way so far. And we'll continue to do so. No exceptions."

"Wow... I sense a great potential for a wedding vow here.", Taiyang said with a chuckle.

"Daaad!", Ruby whined in embarrassment, "It's still a little early for that. I'm just seventeen, y'know."

"Won't hurt to note down a couple of phrases, don'tcha think?", her dad shot back and his grin grew even wider.

"Please don't pay any attention to his antics, Snowflake.", the crimsonette sighed, "This'll only make matters worse in the future."

"Don't worry, Rose Petal.", Weiss said softly, "I think I've come to know your dad good enough by now to notice when he's just trying to tease us."

Yet she pulled her Scroll out of her pocket as subtle as possible and opened the notepad.

Much to their (delighted) surprise, their food arrived rather soon and Team RWBY, as well as Taiyang, dug in. Blake quickly came to know why even Weiss didn't mind eating here, although this restaurant mostly offered dishes the heiress usually disliked. It was absolutely delicious. The steak tasted beefy and juicy, the potato wedges were crispy and perfectly seasoned, and even the small portion of salad accompanying the dish was remarkably diverse and incredibly fresh. Just like the white-haired girl about two weeks ago, the cat Faunus stated that she'd definitely visit this place more often if they added fish to the menu in the future.

"Urgh... I'm stuffed.", Taiyang sighed and shoved his cutting board to the side.

"Me, too.", Yang groaned and took a sip of her beer.

"Me, three.", Ruby chimed in and sank a little lower into her chair.

"Thank goodness I have a couple of SDC shares whether I inherit the company someday or not.", Weiss said, long done with her filet mignon since it had been a normal portion, "Feeding you properly once we're married is going to cost a ton of money, Rose Petal."

"I would like to argue with that, but I just can't lie to you, Snowflake.", the crimsonette responded and rubbed her stomach, somehow trying to ease the fullness she felt at the moment.

"I still can't believe how the two of you can eat so much and still be as slim as you are.", Blake mentioned, "I mean, of course, you're training a lot... but... seriously, guys."

"Well, little Rubes here is so hyper, she already needs twice as much energy as a normal person in standby mode.", Yang started to explain, "And I have this rare genetic condition where every excess bit of fat goes straight to my puppies." She patted her impressive bust for emphasis.

"You're really shameless, you know that?", the cat Faunus sighed.

"It takes one to know one, huh?", the blonde shot back with a grin and added upon seeing her partner's confused expression, "You have some reeeaaally interesting books, y'know. Is that the reason you've tied that ribbon to your weapon? Just in case?"

"Sh-shut up.", Blake quickly grumbled and started to blush a bit.

"Wow... I never thought that this was even possible, but next to them, I almost feel normal.", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend.

"A few things in these novels are pretty interesting, though.", Ruby responded quietly, "Maybe we should try them out sometime in the future."

"You read this filth, too?", the heiress asked astonished.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?", the crimsonette answered with a sly smile.

They continued to chat and joke around for about half an hour longer while Taiyang and Yang had another beer. But when the Rose-Xiao Long family was sure that they could stand up again, the blond Huntsman paid their bill and the group of five began their journey homewards. It had gotten late and Team RWBY had to be well-rested for tomorrow.

When they left the Thrill Grill, the Bumblebee duo noticed that Ruby and Weiss tensed up a bit again... unsurprisingly. After all, they were about to tell Taiyang the biggest secret regarding their relationship and to fully reveal the heiress' tragic past. Blake and Yang could only guess how stressed their white-haired teammate must be at the moment.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your vacation at Patch and will visit again, girls.", the blond Huntsman said while they made their way home, "That means you, Weiss and Blake. Yang and Ruby don't have a choice anyway."

"It was great. And the countryside is really lovely.", the cat Faunus responded, "If you'll invite me again, I definitely won't mind spending another semester break here."

"I couldn't agree more.", the white-haired girl seconded, "Compared to the overcrowded city of Atlas, Patch wins by a long shot. I most certainly won't have a problem settling down here in the future. If that's in Ruby's interest as well, of course. I can do most of my work as the SDC's CEO from home anyway... in case I really inherit the company, that is."

"You mean once you inherit it.", the crimsonette corrected, "I told you that we'll find a way to make this happen. The poor miners and all the other people depend on you, after all."

"Yeah, you're right, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded with a small, yet affectionate smile.

"You're gonna need a couple of assistants that'll handle the company-stuff in your stead anyway. At least from time to time.", Ruby continued, "Because once we graduate, I can't wait to go on a couple of missions with you. Real ones. We're gonna be the best duo of Huntresses the world has ever seen."

"Hey! And what about us?", Yang suddenly piped up, "You're nothing without me 'n Blake. That was already proven on more than one occasion."

"We'll give you a call when we're confronted with something my Snowflake and I can't handle ourselves.", the crimsonette responded with a grin, "But I won't expect your Scroll to ring all the time if I was you."

"In Ruby's defense, a lot of teams don't operate together anymore once they've graduated.", Blake tossed in.

"Yeah, I know...", the blonde sighed, "But we can still help Ruby out when Weissicle is too busy with handling her company. Or Weiss when it's Ruby's turn to take care of any future children."

"I won't mind babysitting from time to time in the slightest.", Taiyang said, but added with a chuckle, "But, please, Weiss: Do me a favor and don't adopt someone like my daughters. There's only so much a parent can take... and I already had my fair share of stress-induced breakdowns."

As fate would have it, the moment the blond Huntsman had finished his sentence, they left the city core behind them and entered the more rural areas of the small village. And as if they had been waiting for a statement like this, the heiress and her girlfriend gave each other a firm nod.

It was time.

"Well, about that...", Weiss began sheepishly, "There's... umm, s-still something we haven't told you about."

"And that's our prompt.", Yang announced, "C'mon, Blake. Let's move ahead."

"Right behind you.", the cat Faunus said.

Then the two girls quickened their walking pace. Simultaneously, Taiyang slowed down a little. Ruby and Weiss followed suit. Suddenly, the blond Huntsman's expression got unreadable. There was a moment of silence.

"So let me guess...", he began once the blonde and the black-haired girl were out of earshot, "You actually don't want any children, do you?"

"Huh?", was all the White Rose duo was able to respond.

"Don't worry, I'm not cross with you or anything if that's the case.", Taiyang continued, "I guess some, or maybe even a lot of same-sex couples don't want that... well, I'm no expert, though. Additionally, the job of a Huntsman or Huntress isn't exactly a good profession if you want to raise a family. And hey, if I wanna be a granddad someday, there's still Yang... if she actually decides to settle down someday, hehe."

"No, wait! You got it all wrong!", Weiss quickly intervened, "I totally want to raise a family with Ruby. More than anything."

"Really?", the crimsonette's father asked, "That's great. Umm, but... why do you need to talk to me then? Considering the context of my earlier statement."

"We...", the heiress began, but suddenly, she had a lump in her throat. Her eyes quickly searched for the ones of her girlfriend... and when the baby-blue orbs finally found silver ones, they were met with a gaze full of love and reassurance.

"We won't adopt any children.", Weiss continued, confidence surging in her chest, "We won't have to because... I-I'm different."

"Uhh... oookay? What do you mean?", Taiyang asked, completely confused now.

"We're really sorry we haven't been completely honest with you yet.", Ruby suddenly took over, "We really wanted to tell you earlier, but... well, we had no idea how to address the subject since it's... Incredibly weird would still be an understatement. Also, we were afraid of how you'd react if we told you. But we don't wanna lie to you anymore. And we don't want you to find out how Yang and Blake did. Or that you get the wrong idea of us in case you find out I'm on the pill."

"You're on what?!", the blond Huntsman exclaimed and his confusion grew by the second, "Alright, wh-what is going on here? And what does it have to do with adoption and stuff?"

"I-I can father my own children.", Weiss said bluntly, "Besides my female anatomy... since I was born as a girl... I also have... m-male genitalia. D-due to a highly experimental Dust treatment my father put me through when I was a baby."

The words had barely left her mouth before her body went as stiff as a board and started to shake like a leaf. Her face went even paler than usual as well and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. But despite her physical reaction... she was relieved. She had really done it. Her secret was out. And whatever would happen now would... well, just happen. She knew that Ruby would never leave her, no matter what... and that was probably the only thing that kept her from fainting.

Taiyang had no idea how to react to this statement, to put it kindly. He needed at least half a minute to even process the information the white-haired girl had just given him. So, apparently, his daughter's girlfriend had a penis. And her own father was responsible for that...

"S-so... your dad somehow tried to alter your gender with a weird kind of medical Dust when you were little?", the blond Huntsman finally asked, his eyes as wide as humanly possible.

"Th-that pretty much sums it up.", Weiss admitted with a slight sob in her voice, "The Atlesian society is extremely patriarchic, especially the large, long-established, family-owned companies. So after my elder sister Winter was born, my father knew that he couldn't really bequeath the SDC to her. But when his second child... m-me... turned out to be a girl as well, he didn't want to take any risks anymore... or to sire any more children to maybe finally get a boy.

"There was a rumor that some kind of Dust could change a child's physique and even gender, at least to some extent, in an early stage of development. A few questionable and more or less failed experiments supported that thesis. Of course, my father didn't care about any what-ifs... or even dangers... and told a couple of scientists he hired to... t-to perform whatever necessary procedure. I don't remember. I was barely six months old. At least I've been told that much.

"As a result, I kinda developed both sets of genitals, even though the rest of my body remained the way it used to be. Against my father's demands, the scientists aborted the experiment after some time because it was deemed too dangerous. Yet, the damage was done. And I am who... or what I am now."

"Wh-what in all of Remnant's sake...", Taiyang managed to exclaim, but was interrupted again.

"Maybe my father only made me the heiress to the SDC because he was hoping for some delayed success in this despicable experiment.", the white-haired girl continued, "To this day, I don't even know how he managed to justify his sudden change of plans to the press since Winter decided to abandon the family to join the Atlas military a lot later. Maybe that's why I'm so scared that he's gonna do the same thing to me in the future since he finally got his male heir, my brother Whitley, a few years later... completely by accident, I might add. Nevertheless, it doesn't change what he did to me. I was forced to be what I am now, someone... or something I never wanted to be in the first place. I was told to keep it a secret from everybody, so I quickly developed a lot of trust issues because of that. I started to hate myself as much as I hated this awful extra appendage. When I finally couldn't take it anymore, I almost ended up cutting it off, which probably would've killed me... but Ruby stopped me."

"Wh-what?!", was all Taiyang could respond. He was completely at a loss for words now. Most certainly illegal experiments on human beings (without a chance to pursue this anymore, though), abuse of highly experimental substances, depression, self-loathing, attempted suicide... he barely even knew what was going on anymore.

By now, a few stray tears had started to run down the heiress' cheeks, even though she had tried everything in her power to prevent it. Apparently, the reminiscence of her atrocious past had gotten the better of her again... but she still continued, for the sake of her and Ruby's relationship. Taiyang deserved the truth... the whole truth.

"The night Ruby and I finally got together, everything went down a little different than we've told you.", Weiss continued, "Of course, I didn't lie to you when I said that your daughter saved me. We just left out a... couple of details."

"I'm all ears.", Taiyang responded, his tone of voice void of any emotion.

"It was mostly my fault that everything went down the way it did.", Ruby suddenly piped up, "I've fancied Weiss for a long time already, but we barely became friends... mostly because she was afraid of her own feelings."

"Which I probably had for as long as you.", the white-haired girl added bashfully and turned to the blond Huntsman again, "But I've never expected her to return them because of my... c-condition."

"Then, one day, when Blake and Yang were on the partner mission we've told you about, I heard Weiss in the bathroom and I thought that she was in pain.", the crimson-haired girl continued, "So I broke down the door to come to her rescue... and to earn some brownie points to my at that time absolutely stupid endeavor to win her heart somehow... But then I saw that Weiss had... umm... y'know... an additional thingie."

"I explained everything to your daughter afterwards.", Weiss took over, "How I became what I am. Why I always pushed her away. That nobody would be able to love me because of my mismatched anatomy... and the psychological issues it had caused. That nobody should force themselves to put up with someone like me. But Ruby didn't care. She even kissed me. But I ran away... to protect both of us from this... mistake.

"That was when I wanted to cut my... p-penis off. I couldn't stand it anymore because it made what I actually wanted impossible. It made being with Ruby impossible. At least that's what I've thought that night. But I needed my Scroll to summon my weapon. Yet, I've fled in my nightgown and I didn't have it at hand. Additionally, I wanted to tell Ruby how I really feel about her before... I would put an end to this abhorrent appendage. But when I reentered our dorm room... everything went down a little different."

"I was still there when Weiss came back.", Ruby continued, "For whatever reason, I just knew that she wouldn't let it end like this. Of course, I still thought that she didn't want to be with me after everything that had happened. But then I told her that nothing about my feelings for her had changed a single bit and that I still loved her, no matter what's between her legs. That I would always love her. And I finally managed to breach her barriers... and stopped her incredibly stupid plan. She called me a dolt and then she kissed me again. And from that moment on, we were a couple."

"Now you know how Ruby saved me that night. From a life in complete isolation... or probably even from death.", Weiss finally concluded, "I owe your daughter more than I can ever repay in a lifetime. I've never been loved by anyone before. I never thought that someone could even accept me once they would discover my secret. But Ruby... she made... makes me feel that I'm someone worthy of all of this. Despite me being... well, me, physically and mentally. I love her... More than myself, more than anything in all of Remnant. I've never felt anything like this for anyone before, neither man nor woman. I've never cared about things like love in the slightest because I thought I would never experience them. But then, I met Ruby... and this beautiful, caring, loving, absolutely amazing girl showed me a way out of my misery. Thanks to my Rose Petal... I can finally accept myself... no matter that there's something wrong with my anatomy."

"You're very welcome, Snowflake.", Ruby said with an affectionate smile, "I love you."

"I love you, too.", the white-haired girl immediately responded and gave her girlfriend a quick, gentle kiss.

After they had parted, there was a long silence. The young couple could almost hear the gears turning in Taiyang's head as he processed the news... and there was a lot of it. Her daughter's girlfriend had a dick due to some weird Dust experiment that was forced on her when she had been a baby, she had tried to mutilate herself because of it, and she probably would've died in the process if it hadn't been for Ruby and her emotional support. To say that the blond Huntsman was completely overwhelmed by everything he had been told mere moments ago would be the understatement of the century.

"Sooo... your father tried to make a boy out of you by using highly experimental Dust, but it only made you grow a penis.", he tried to recap everything, his voice still emotionless, "And it made you grow cold and distant to everybody in order to keep it a secret. Then you wanted to cut it off because you were sick of how it was impacting your life and the choices you made... or were able to make. But Ruby prevented it and the two of you got together."

"That... sums it up pretty accurately.", Weiss confirmed hesitantly. She was almost sure that the blond Huntsman would change his view on her and Ruby's relationship after coming to know what his daughter was actually dealing with. But then...

"I... I can't believe it.", Taiyang began... and continued full of hatred, but not towards the young couple, "What kind of cruel, despicable, complete degenerate would be willing to put his own child through such a horrendous procedure just for the sake of a fucking company and make their whole life miserable?! I've never been fond of your father and his actions before, Weiss, but right now, I wouldn't mind taking the next airship to Atlas and pound him into the ground up to his stupid, little mustache!"

He spat the words with such hostility that Ruby and Weiss even backed away a step or two.

"Urgh... I, umm, apologize for the sudden outburst.", the blond man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while trying to regain his composure, "I just... I can't understand how someone could even consider doing this to their own child. I'm so sorry to hear what you've been through, Weiss. I can't even imagine how hard it must've been for you... or how hard it must've been to come up with the courage to tell me about all of that."

"So... y-you're not mad or anything?", Ruby asked carefully.

"Of course, I'm mad. But not at you.", Taiyang responded, "You did nothing wrong here. If anything, I'm proud of you. Proud of Weiss for overcoming her fears and opening up, willing to change her life in a way she wants to live it, and proud of my daughter for valuing a person's heart and soul over everything else. And, of course, I'm proud of both of you for willingly telling me the whole truth about your relationship, even though you barely had any reason to do so besides your desire to be completely honest with me. I wholeheartedly appreciate it."

"And you really don't mind that your daughter is dating someone like me?", Weiss said, "Despite my... m-messed-up anatomy?"

"Love comes in all shapes and sizes. And what a detested human being would I be if I would get in the way of my own daughter's happiness when she had found someone that truly cares about her and holds her in such high regards?", the blond Huntsman explained, "Your pretty unique condition doesn't change the fact that you are an amazing person who absolutely adores my little Rubes. I don't care about your extra... I mean, it wouldn't have been any different if Ruby would've fallen in love with a boy. No offense, though. I'm sure you still identify as a girl, am I right?"

"Well, mostly. But it's kinda complicated sometimes.", the heiress admitted a little gloomily.

"Whatever the case may be, my opinion on your relationship hasn't changed significantly.", Taiyang said, "I'm still happy that the two of you have found each other and still think that you are a great couple. The reveal of your secret has nothing to do with who you are, Weiss, or at least with whom I've come to know over the last four weeks. And that is, as already said, an amazing person. I can't think of a better significant other for my daughter."

Upon hearing this, both girls let out a big sigh of relief. Now, everything was finally completely fine. Or that's what they thought.

"Even though this puts a completely new complexion on your nightly activities and forces a few really weird pictures into my mind I never wanted to have in there.", the crimsonette's father suddenly continued, "Also, a lot of worries I thought I wouldn't have to care about are back now. You said you're on birth control, right, Ruby?"

"O-of course.", the younger girl stammered and she and Weiss immediately blushed in a shade of red that rivaled the younger girl's namesake, "B-buying the pill is the primary use of my fake ID."

"Very well, then.", the blond Huntsman said, "I trust you to be careful and that there won't be any... accidents until you graduate."

"D-don't worry about that, Dad.", Ruby promised, "So far, nothing bad or... well, unplanned has happened and Weiss and I are going to keep it that way. I still wanna be a Huntress, after all. We will simply take care of the family-stuff after that's done."

"So you weren't kidding when you said that you want to have children in the future.", Tai mentioned and his expression finally got completely soft again.

"Of course, we weren't.", Weiss explained matter-of-factly, "Ruby is going to be a great mother. And I... have a couple of decent qualities as well. The only two things that still keep us from starting a family are the fact that we want to graduate first... and my worries that the cookie bills will financially ruin us without a proper income the moment our first-born gets her first tooth." Obviously, she had added the second part only to lighten the mood a little further.

"Pffft, you don't need teeth to eat a cookie.", the crimsonette suddenly piped up.

"I know. You've already demonstrated that.", the heiress sighed, "And it was as fascinating as it was disgusting."

"You still wanna put a ring on my finger, though.", Ruby reminded her with a grin, "So it couldn't have been that bad."

"It was, believe me.", the white-haired girl responded, "The fact that I'm still here is just a testimony of how much I really love you. Even though you don't make it easy at times."

"But I have to counterbalance your prim and proper attitude with my shenanigans.", the crimsonette defended herself, "Otherwise, our future children would end up being completely boring."

"I can be a fun person, too, if I want to.", Weiss pouted.

"Girls, relax.", Taiyang tried to appease the two play-fighting girls, "Believe me, both of you are gonna change drastically once you have to raise a child. Do you really think I've always been the way I am today? I was a total daredevil during my time at Beacon. But that wasn't really reconcilable with taking care of two little girls."

"So it is my and Yang's fault you are who you are now?", Ruby asked.

"I won't exactly call it fault.", her father explained, completely ignoring the teasing aspect of the crimsonette's comment, "I like the way I am now. And if I managed to raise two pretty amazing daughters like you, the person I've become has to be pretty awesome, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess you are.", the younger girl said with a warm smile.

"I absolutely agree.", Weiss seconded, "Even though you probably should've held back on the awful puns and jokes in Yang's case."

"I already did.", Tai responded with a grin.

"You mean she could've ended up being an even worse punster?", the heiress asked aghast.

"You haven't even witnessed half of what I'm capable of.", the blond man shot back and his grin grew even wider, but then he changed the subject, "Anyway, I'm starting to get cold... and Yang and Blake are probably tired of waiting for us. Is there another big revelation you wanna add while we're at it or are we good to go again? I'm pretty sure I've made it clear how I think, or still think about your relationship now that this final secret is out. To sum it up: Everything's not your fault, Weiss is still Weiss, and I remain incredibly happy for you. Any more questions?"

"No, I think we're good.", Ruby said with a beaming smile, "Right, Snowflake?"

"Right, Rose Petal.", Weiss agreed, wearing the same expression, "Wow... I feel like a leaden weight was just lifted from my mind. Th-thank you for being so accepting, Taiyang."

"I'd say "You're welcome", but there's actually nothing to thank me for.", the blond Huntsman responded casually, "As said before, what's in your pants, or under your skirt, in your case, doesn't define who you are."

"I know.", the heiress said, took her girlfriend's hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Even though I needed a little help to realize that."

But just as they were about to continue their journey home, it started to snow, causing Taiyang to stop dead in his tracks again and look up in the sky. It wasn't sleet, it wasn't a storm, only big, fluffy flakes that slowly, gently floating down onto them, illuminated by the moon and barely shaken by the wind. The young couple quickly paused as well and emulated the blond Huntsman's deeds. For some weird reason, it didn't feel like a normal change of weather.

"Hey, Ruby.", Taiyang suddenly addressed his youngest daughter, his voice almost sounding solemn, "Do you ever think that the snowflakes sometimes... look like petals?"

"Y-yeah... sometimes they really do.", the crimsonette confirmed and continued hesitantly, "D-do you think that sometimes... it feels like Mom's still watching over us?"

"Yeah.", her father said, "Maybe I'm a little crazy in that regard, but whenever I say or do something she would be happy about or proud of, I see exactly this kind of snowfall... when it's cold enough, of course. As if... she wants to tell me somehow."

Weiss immediately remembered the day when she and Ruby had visited the latter's mother's gravestone. The weather had been terrible, but the moment she had told the slab of stone about her feelings for the crimson-haired girl, the clouds had parted and the storm had died down completely. The only thing left had been some stray snowflakes... this kind of snowflakes. Could it be? No, that was absolutely ridiculous... right?

"A-anyway, we should get going.", Taiyang suddenly announced and wiped a stray tear of emotion off his cheek – even though he tried to do so as subtle as possible, "Maybe the snowfall is gonna get worse. It's still the weather we're talking about here, not some weird signs or whatever. Also, if we leave Yang and Blake out in the cold for too long, we'll never hear the end of it. At least in Yang's case, that is."

"Right. It's starting to get a bit chilly.", Ruby seconded, "We should better head home. Tomorrow's a big day, after all. Back to Beacon, facing whatever is gonna await us there."

"Well, no matter what the future holds, we'll pull through.", Weiss announced and gave her girlfriend a loving smile, "Together."

"Together.", the crimsonette repeated and gave the heiress' hand another gentle squeeze.

And with this, they made their way to the Rose-Xiao Long residence, for the last time during this incredibly unusual vacation.

The next day was rather hectic, at least for Ruby and Yang. Of course, Weiss and Blake had already packed up their belongings yesterday, but the sisters had been rather lazy regarding this. So when the Checkmate duo enjoyed some downtime between their morning routine and breakfast, their respective partners were whirling around in their rooms, trying to organize their luggage. Ruby had it the worst... because the action was accompanied by another little lecture from her girlfriend about tidiness and preparation.

It was probably the first time during their whole vacation that breakfast wasn't a feast. Admittedly, it was still way better than Beacon's cafeteria food, but the table wasn't completely laden with two dozen different types of food and drinks. It was just, well, a normal breakfast: cereal and milk, bread buns with a couple of cold cuts and spreads, scrambled eggs and bacon, a bit of fruit, coffee, and juice. No pancakes this time, no sausages, no hashbrowns, no omelets, no baked beans, no grilled tomatoes or fried mushroom, or whatever else Taiyang had come up with over the last four weeks. Blake and Weiss didn't mind that much, but it was obvious that Ruby and Yang were rather disappointed. Their father's gleeful explanation – "To make the transition easier for you." – wasn't helping in the slightest.

When breakfast was over, the four girls helped Taiyang with washing the dishes... which didn't take very long this time. Afterwards, they checked their belongings again and took one last tour of the house and the yard.

Then it was already time to depart.

"And you really can't stay a little longer?", Taiyang asked while he was driving Team RWBY to the airship docks in his truck, "At least for lunch?"

"Sorry, Dad.", Ruby explained, "But it's probably best to show up at Beacon a little earlier. We need some time to settle in, some time to get familiar with our new schedule, other organizational matters we need to tackle... There's a lot of stuff we have to take care of and I don't wanna do this last minute."

"You mean like packing your bag?", Weiss tossed in with a small grin.

"If I forgot to pack something up, Dad can simply send it via mail.", the crimsonette responded with a sigh, "If we don't take care of everything at Beacon in time, we're gonna screw up on our first day of the new semester."

"Well, at least our fearless leader has her priorities straight.", Blake chuckled, "She wants to shine from the very beginning, even with unbrushed teeth and in dirty underwear."

"I've made to sure to pack my toilet bag and enough panties, thank you very much.", Ruby grumbled.

"Relax, I was just trying to make a little joke here.", the cat Faunus said conciliatorily, "I know no one would expect this from me, though."

"Sure that.", Yang confirmed, "If everyone's gonna be funny in the future, I'll lose my whole identity in this team."

"Don't worry about that.", Weiss reassured her blonde teammate, "We still need you to plan our girls' nights out and to beat up Cardin's homophobic ass so it wouldn't be us getting detention for doing it."

"I know you're trying to make fun of me, Weissicle, but I'm actually pretty proud of both things you just mentioned.", the brawler shot back with a grin, "If it comes to talking people into drinking with me and wiping the floor with jerks messing with my sis and future sis-in-law, I'm second to none."

"Can't argue with that.", Ruby giggled, "But don't try to focus on that first part too much."

"Or drop it completely.", Taiyang said with a sigh, "Being drunk and still kinda functioning properly isn't as easy as your uncle makes it look."

"Don't worry, Dad.", the blonde explained, "I'm a party girl, not an alcoholic. During this whole vacation, I was drunk just two times. And now that I'm gonna have to kick Grimm-ass again, I highly doubt that it'll even happen once a month."

"That's good to hear... I guess.", Taiyang sighed.

Then he pulled into the parking next to the airship docks.

Thankfully, the distance between Patch and Beacon Academy was rather short, so there wasn't any delay this time: When the group of five arrived at the airship docks, their ride was already waiting for Team RWBY, ready to take off in about fifteen minutes. Their vacation had finally come to an end.

"Well, this is it, huh?", Taiyang asked, "Time to say goodbye. At least for a couple of months."

"Don't be so overdramatic, Dad.", Yang sighed, "We can send text messages, we're gonna call from time to time, and little Rubes is gonna send you a few of her old-fashioned letters every other month."

"They aren't old-fashioned.", the crimsonette defended herself, "It's just easier to tell a big story that way. Nobody wants to read a five-page text message and I'm just not that good at telling everything that happened in a normal conversation."

"Mostly because you're making too many weird karate noises while describing a fight scene.", Weiss tossed in with a small giggle.

"That's... only one of my problems in that regard.", the younger girl chuckled a little embarrassed.

"Pay no mind to Yang, Ruby.", Taiyang explained, "I love getting your letters. Every time I read a new one, it absolutely makes my day."

"Thanks, Dad.", the crimsonette responded with a big smile.

"Ohhh, I SO gonna miss my little girls.", the Huntsman whined and pulled both of his daughters into a bone-crushing hug.

"Urgh... definitely gonna feel that tomorrow.", Yang croaked out.

"F-feeling... ribs... c-cracking...", Ruby managed to gasp.

Luckily for the two sisters, their father let go of them before any severe injuries occurred. Then Taiyang turned to the black-haired girl.

"Well, Blake. It was a pleasure to meet you.", he said with a warm smile.

"Likewise, si... umm, Taiyang.", the cat Faunus responded, "Now I finally know how Ruby and Yang turned out so great. Besides some minor flaws, that is." She added the last part with a chuckle to clarify that she was only joking and held out her hand. But upon seeing it, the Huntsman just grunted.

"A handshake? Seriously?", he said in feigned offense, "Come here." And, without warning, he scooped up the black-haired girl and gave her the same treatment as his daughters... albeit not as crushing.

"Please keep an eye out on Yang for me in the field, okay?", he whispered only for the Faunus to hear, "We both know how she can be at times... and I don't want her to get hurt just because she does something hotheaded."

"I promise.", Blake whispered back and returned the hug, "I'm already a bit familiar with keeping her in check."

"Thanks.", Taiyang said conclusively and let go of his eldest daughter's partner, "That brings me to you, Weiss."

"Please don't overdo it. I'm a little more fragile than Ruby and Yang.", the heiress joked, yet she welcomed her girlfriend's father with open arms. Needless to say, the blond Huntsman immediately hugged her as well.

"Just like Blake, never forget that you'll always be part of this family.", Taiyang began, "Especially since you're planning to make it official someday. And please don't let your past get the better of you again. This horrendous experiment doesn't define who you are. A lot of people caring about you already showed you that much. Mostly your girlfriend."

"I know.", Weiss said, "But thank you for reminding me again."

"You're very welcome.", the crimsonette's father responded, "Love can be a powerful catalyst. I'm absolutely sure that you and Ruby will overcome everything together. May it be giant monsters... or your father."

"I don't see much of a difference here.", the heiress noted with a giggle.

Well, you have a point.", the Huntsman chuckled, "Anyway, I wish you all the best."

"Alright... are you done with saying goodbye to everybody?", Yang suddenly asked, "Not that I don't appreciate this fatherly warmth you want to bestow on us... but I guess we should board the airship now."

"Way to ruin the moment, my Sunny Little Dragon.", Tai sighed and let go of the white-haired girl again, "But you're probably right. After all, I don't want you to miss your flight just because I'm getting a little sentimental."

"Are you trying to make us feel guilty?", Ruby asked with a frown, "Because it's working..."

"Relax, Rubes. I'm only joking.", her father explained, "Even though I'd like to have you here for a little longer, you having a good start on your upcoming semester is more important. Becoming a Huntress requires a fair amount of discipline and I'm happy to hear that you're up to the task. Just promise me to be careful, alright?"

"You're worrying way too much about us, Dad.", the crimsonette appeased the blond Huntsman, "Think about all the stuff we've already accomplished. We're gonna be alright."

"So far, it seems that you're still half left.", her father said with a grin, causing everyone but Yang to groan.

"You had to do it one last time, didn't you?", the blonde chuckled.

"Of course!", Taiyang exclaimed proudly, "Who knows when it's the next time you're gonna hear my awesome jokes."

"If there really is a merciful deity up in the sky somewhere, I'd say never.", the crimsonette sighed.

"We should try to limit his and Yang's contact to our future children, Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend, "Or this horrendous process of passing down bad jokes will never come to an end."

"I promise you, Snowflake: We'll break this cycle.", Ruby responded.

"Alright, girls. Now off with you.", Taiyang announced conclusively, "Have a safe trip and settle back in. Tomorrow, the serious side of life starts again."

"Bye, Dad. We're gonna miss you.", the crimsonette said, then she turned to her friends, "Come on, team. Back to Beacon!"

The four girls bid their goodbye and started to approach the airship. But just before they were out of earshot, Tai cat-called sternly: "Oh, and Ruby, Weiss? I hope you'll also take this other issue we've talked about to heart. If I get wind of any unplanned news, you're gonna get the scolding of your lifetime. Have I made myself clear?"

"O-of course, Dad!", the crimson-haired girl responded and a heavy blush appeared on her and her girlfriend's face, "W-we won't do anything stupid. Promise."

"Good to hear.", the blond man said, "Alright, then. Stay safe!"

"You, too.", Yang replied, "And don't be too hard on your students tomorrow."

"We'll see about that.", Taiyang mentioned with a grin.

Then Team RWBY finally entered the airship. Soon, the hatch was closed and the vehicle slowly took off. The four girls stood at the windows, watched the sisters' father wave for a minute (and waved back, of course), but he was quickly reduced to a tiny speck on the airport as they gained more and more distance. And once they couldn't see him anymore, they sat down and tried to relax until they would arrive at Beacon Academy.

"Whew... four weeks really flew by, am I right?", Yang mentioned and stretched herself in her seat, "But even though I'm gonna miss the free time, I'm also happy that we're finally getting a bit of action again."

"I, for my part, had enough action during those last four weeks.", the white-haired girl explained, "And I'm pretty sure Ruby and Blake will agree."

"Well, in my case, the worst was over after I've talked to my parents.", the cat Faunus responded, "And it was kinda your fault that you postponed telling Taiyang about your secret for so long, Weiss."

"We just couldn't come up with a plan on how to approach the subject any sooner.", Ruby shrugged, "But I'm glad everything turned out to be fine. Now I look forward to some normality. Sorry to burst your bubble, Yang, but I highly doubt that we're gonna have a lot of action at the start of the new semester."

"Well, at least we'll have a couple of different sparring partners.", the blonde said nonchalantly, "Nothing against you guys, but I was getting a little tired of beating you up."

"You only really won against me one time.", the crimsonette reminded her sister, "And that was just because I didn't have enough sleep the last day... and was still a little sore."

"Eww... too much information, sis.", Yang groaned.

"Yeah, too much information, Ruby.", Weiss seconded while blushing a bit.

"Sorry.", the younger girl apologized and scratched the back of her head, "I guess my tongue was a little faster than my brain... again."

"Isn't it nice to know that some things never change?", Blake suddenly tossed in with a giggle, which caused Yang and Weiss to laugh. Ruby pouted for a bit, but quickly joined in. It felt incredibly refreshing. And so, the airship slowly approached Beacon Academy, where new adventures, new experiences, and new challenges would await the four girls.

But Team RWBY was ready.

Chapter Text

The first two months of the new semester went down pretty much as expected by Team RWBY. The days were dominated by lectures, assignments, and – much to Yang's enjoyment – sparring against other teams. For some reason, the four girls were glad that Beacon was still... well, Beacon, and that barely anything had changed, despite the rather disturbing rumors Blake had picked up in Kuo Kuana.

The topics of their studies had gotten more difficult and complex, though. For example, the times where they had just learned how to defeat a certain type of Grimm in 'Grimm studies' seemed to be over once and for all. Instead, Professor Port had started to explain a lot of theories how the different (and new) species came into being due to mutation, adaption to certain biomes, climatic conditions... and that these changes could take place over the course of months, or even weeks, depending on the situation.

Other than taking care of their studies and assignments, not much out of the ordinary happened. Admittedly, they went on field trips from time to time and carried out a few simple search-and-destroy missions. But besides that, Team RWBY's life mostly revolved around normal school activities. Well, as normal as training to become a warrior against the creatures of Grimm could possibly be.

However, that gave the four girls the time to work on a project of their own. Ever since they'd gotten back – and whenever they had some time to spare – they tried to gather information on Merlot and his mutated Grimm. The source hardly mattered at all, may it be from the news, some other media, or simply some stories from traveling Huntsman and Huntresses, pilots, or sailors.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going too well. While there were a couple of sightings lately, they were hardly connected to each other and made only moderate sense. Yet Team RWBY knew that everything that was happening had to be part of a bigger picture somehow. They just needed to figure it out.

"This is ridiculous!", Ruby whined, slammed her head onto the textbook on the desk in front of her, and continued in a slightly muffled tone of voice, "How can anyone expect us to remember so many things in such a short period of time? I'm definitely gonna flunk the next exam."

"No, you won't.", Weiss reassured her girlfriend and comfortingly squeezed her shoulder, "You're making a lot of progress. But I guess we should probably call it quits for today. You're at it for almost three hours already."

"I am?", the crimsonette groaned, looked up shortly, and then rested her head on her textbook again, "Whatever... time has lost its meaning. Everything else as well. Life is just an unyielding miasma of pain and hopelessness."

"Don't you think you're way too overdramatic here?", the heiress asked, "And I'm pretty sure that last part is just some quote out of one of your weird shows."

"That doesn't make it any less true, though.", came the younger girl's exhausted response.

"Hmm... I probably have a few ideas on how to change that worldview again.", Weiss whispered affectionately and gave Ruby a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Ohh, I'm all ears.", the crimsonette purred and sat up again, "Do a couple of these ideas... by chance... require fewer clothes?"

"We already did that before we started studying, my horny, little dolt.", the white-haired girl giggled, "And I highly doubt that we're going to have time for another round. Yang and Blake will probably return soon."

"Buzzkill...", Ruby sighed, but then she got an idea, "And if we try to make it real quick? Just let me on top. I'm gonna use my Semblance and ring both our bells in less than five minutes."

"We're not going to do this again.", Weiss quickly responded, "My poor hips remember the last time you used your Semblance while we've been at it veeery vividly."

"It was pretty hot, though.", the younger girl pondered, "Until it hurt after the post-orgasmic bliss was over, that is. What if I'm a little more careful this time?"

Before the heiress could turn down the offer again, the door suddenly opened, but only a crack. For a few seconds, nothing else happened, but then Yang finally asked: "Is it safe to enter?"

"It is, don't worry.", Weiss assured her teammate, "We're both fully clothed."

"Unfortunately...", Ruby added in a whisper.

"I heard that.", Blake said with a grin while she and her partner had entered the dorm room. Needless to say, the crimsonette and her girlfriend immediately started to blush.

"Heard what?", the blonde asked confused since her hearing was a lot less sensitive than that of a Faunus.

"Nothing.", Ruby and Blake replied in unison.

"Alright, that's a clear indicator that I definitely don't wanna hear it.", Yang said.

"Right on the money.", Weiss sighed and turned around in her chair to face her teammates, "Anyway, did you pick up anything interesting in town?"

"Nope. Absolutely nothing.", the cat Faunus answered dryly, "Even the attack on the Dust freighter a week ago isn't a hot topic anymore."

"Seriously?", the crimsonette asked confused, "Last week, this stuff was all over the news. This airship actually came down, after all, and wasn't just attacked by Grimm. And now nobody's talking about it anymore?"

"Well, the Grimm have gotten more and more aggressive over the last three months or so.", Yang explained, "I guess the people are used to this stuff happening by now. Even to the mutants."

"But only because the normal population – and probably even a lot of Huntsmen and Huntresses – don't know that they were created by an evil scientist that tries to eradicate humanity.", Weiss said.

"If this crucial, little detail were to be leaked to the public, the result would be a mass panic. And we all know what would happen if entire cities would be... clouded with negative emotions, so to speak.", Blake tossed in, "So it's probably a good thing that only the headmasters of the Academies and their most trusted Huntspeople, specialists, and scientists know about Merlot. Oh, and us... since we discovered his first lab last year and his new hideout last semester."

"When you think about it, we're pretty awesome.", Yang mentioned, "Considering that we're just second-year students and already part of some kind of inner circle."

"On the other hand, we joined that circle completely by accident.", the white-haired girl reminded her teammate, "A lot of teams attended to their partner missions around Vytal Island. If Ruby hadn't gotten stung by this mutant Death Stalker and we wouldn't have been looking for a cure, then we wouldn't have found Merlot's new hideout in the first place."

"But aren't you glad it happened?", the blonde asked, "Admittedly, I think we can all agree on the fact that we could've passed on little Rubes suffering that much in the process and all of us almost getting killed in this underground lab. But other than that, if none of this would've happened, we wouldn't have figured out that Merlot is still alive and behind all of this mutant Grimm-crap again. And just because we were able to retrieve that bit of information, the Academies came to know about this threat and were able to start preparing countermeasures. If you look at it that way, it was a good thing we went through this mess."

"I guess you're right about that.", the heiress admitted.

"Wouldn't it be funny if future history books tell the story about how Ruby saved the world by accidentally getting stung by a mutant Death Stalker?", Blake tossed in.

"It wasn't accidentally.", Weiss remarked a little miffed, "She got stung because she was trying to save me from the attack. And I won't allow anybody to ridicule the noble sacrifice she made."

"Relax, Weiss. I was only joking.", the cat Faunus said conciliatorily, "Besides, Ruby saved us all back then, remember? Without her, we would've never made it out of this lab alive."

"As if I could ever forget that.", the white-haired girl responded, "You'll always be our heroine, Rose Petal." She turned around again to give her girlfriend a hug... but there was no Ruby on the chair next to her anymore. However, a quick scan of their dorm room shed light on her whereabouts.

While the three other girls had been busy with their conversation, the crimsonette had gotten up and walked over to a large whiteboard that stood in another corner of the room. It was loaded with handwritten notes in different colors, as well as a couple of affixed newspaper snippets about a few different mutant Grimm attacks. From the eye of an independent observer, it was obvious that Team RWBY had taken their research of the last weeks very seriously.

"I can't believe we still haven't figured out the bigger picture behind these raids.", Ruby pondered, somewhat to herself but loud enough for her teammates to hear. Soon, the other girls approached their gathered information as well... like they had many times already.

"And I can't believe that nobody's missing this thing yet.", Yang said, referring to the whiteboard, "I mean, we just took it from a supply closet, hauled it through the whole campus, and no one was batting an eye. All we had to do was to act like we owned it."

"Told you that was going to work.", Blake tossed in with a small amount of pride.

"I'm still not comfortable with the fact that we stole school supplies.", Weiss remarked.

"We didn't steal it, Weissicle, we just borrowed it.", the blonde explained, "I mean, it's still on the campus, right?"

"But not in the locked supply closet anymore.", the heiress sighed.

"If somebody finds out, they'll definitely forgive us since we're working for a greater good here, Snowflake.", Ruby simply responded without averting her gaze from the whiteboard, "We just need to discover how all the attacks are connected and what Merlot is planning next."

"Well, we know that his mutant Grimm mostly target Dust freighters, mining grounds or transports of mechanical parts.", Blake pondered, "Probably to reinforce his android army and power his whole facility."

"Nobody needs as much Dust as Merlot is trying to pillage to power a laboratory and some androids.", Weiss explained nonchalantly, "In addition, some kinds of Dust – Ice, Rock, or Hard-Light Dust, for example – would be useless anyway since I can't imagine how they could be used to operate some kind of power plant. Furthermore, don't you think he's also mining his own Dust underground so he could produce enough energy himself to keep his facility running instead of relying on raids that may or may not be successful? This guy might be a complete lunatic, but he's smart enough not to take any risks. He must need the additional Dust for something else."

"That's exactly what I mean.", Ruby said, "While he probably really needs the mechanical stuff to build some kind of weaponry or other machinery, he must've some other plans for all the Dust his mutants are trying to steal."

"Maybe he uses it to create a couple of new serums.", Yang mentioned, "And, in addition, new types of Grimm who can breathe fire or spit icicles... or whatever."

"Or he's experimenting with Dust to improve his original recipe.", Blake guessed, "The one that allows his creations to infect human beings with the Grimm illness. Maybe he's even trying to spread the disease via the acid his mutants eject upon death."

"He could also use it to create another deadly weapon we can't even think of at the moment.", Weiss joined in, "After all, Merlot is – unfortunately – a brilliant researcher and has a vast knowledge of a lot of scientific fields."

"Urgh... that's exactly what I'm talking about!", Ruby suddenly groaned in exasperation, "Maybe, trying, could... I'm starting to hate these words. There are just so many possibilities! Merlot could use this Dust to cook android-friendly pancakes and we can't even rule that one out! This uncertainty is driving me crazy! There's a madman on the loose and it seems that barely anybody gives a damn. And we're just sitting here, learning why Creeps grew just one pair of legs or what herbs you need to gather to make a nutritious salad out in the fields. We should be out there and fight against evil, don't you think?"

"Ruby, calm down again.", Blake tried to appease her team leader, "This is bigger than any of us. As already mentioned, the last time we infiltrated Merlot's new lab, we barely escaped with our lives... thanks to your corrupted Grimm powers, which you – thank goodness – no longer have because they messed with your entire being. And if this facility is really as big and sprawling as he told us, we don't stand a chance. At least not without enough planning, backup, and weakening him first... somehow. Just barging in there and trying to stop whatever Merlot is doing would be suicide, even for a couple of teams of full-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses. And we're just four students."

"Yeah... I know.", the crimsonette half-sighed and half-grumbled, "It's just... I feel so useless right now. We've collected all this information and so far, it's gotten us nowhere. All we know is what Merlot's mutants are trying to steal and where – roughly – most of these attacks take place. But we still have no idea why he's gathering that much Dust... and I highly doubt that we'll solve this mystery by just watching the news and asking questions at the harbor or the airship docks."

"We'll find a way to figure out what he's planning, Rose Petal.", Weiss reassured her girlfriend and put a hand on her shoulder, "I promise."

"Thank you, Snowflake.", Ruby responded and gave her a determined nod.

However, Team RWBY didn't know that this way was about to find them... and soon.

At the end of the week – on a Friday afternoon, to be more precise – the four girls were sitting in their last lecture of the day: Grimm studies. And even though it was almost over, Professor Port had talked himself into a frenzy, emitting words at an impressive pace that almost came close to Professor Oobleck. His speech was a mixture of interesting and important information and a tale of him being a badass Huntsman in his younger days... as always.

"If only half of the things Port always tells us are true, why won't Ozpin send him to take care of Merlot?", Yang sighed quietly while trying to stay awake, "Seems like it would be a piece of cake for him."

"Don't be ridiculous, Yang.", Weiss whispered back, "You're exaggerating waaay too much here."

"I agree.", Blake added, "Also, I'm starting to think that his stories actually aren't that overly puffed up. Think about it: We're second-year students and already took out a literal army of mutant Grimm by ourselves... okay, and the help of Ash and a couple of Atlesian Knights. But still: If Professor Port was like us as a student already, it isn't too farfetched to assume that he managed to accomplish what he always tells us as a full-fletched Huntsman. At least to a certain degree."

"As if anybody's as awesome as we are.", the blonde chuckled, "Wanna back me up on this, Rubes?"

Upon hearing her (nick)name, the crimsonette suddenly perked up and stopped scribbling a mixture of notes and Merlot-hypotheses onto the papers in front of her.

"Oh, umm, s-sorry. Wasn't listening.", she admitted sheepishly, "I was busy following the lecture... and thinking about other stuff."

"Merlot again?", Blake sighed, "Ruby, you really need to calm down about that. I'm starting to worry about this... obsession of yours. Just because the reports of mutant Grimm sightings have gotten a little more frequent lately, it doesn't mean the end of the world."

"I'm with our kitty-cat on this one.", Yang seconded, "I mean, Merlot isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's a computer... or something like that, after all."

"But what if the raids get worse?", the young leader asked, "What if other people suffer the same fate as I did and become his mindless tools? Or what if he launches a huge attack on a big city or something along these lines?"

"I'm almost absolutely certain that Merlot won't do anything reckless anytime soon, Ruby.", Weiss tried to calm down her girlfriend, "Any incautious action would endanger his ultimate plans at the moment. He's still way too weak to take on Remnant head-on... umm, at least I think so. So there's still time for us to prepare, figure out what's going on exactly, and then we..."

Suddenly, the white-haired girl was interrupted by the bell.

"Oh! It seems like the lecture is over already.", Professor Port's enthusiastic voice echoed through the hall, "Funny how time flies when you're having fun, am I right, hehe?"

The auditorium showed no response at all. Even a cricket probably would've remained silent.

"Anyway, I hope you are going to take this lesson to heart and will be more careful around Teryxes now... if you ever end up in Solitas.", the mustached man continued, his voice still full of confidence despite the poor reaction to his joke, "Class dismissed."

But before the students could gather their belongings and leave the lecture hall in order to enjoy their well-earned leisure time, Port suddenly added, "Except Team RWBY, that is."

Upon hearing this, a lot of Ohh-calls echoed through the room. Needless to say, the four addressed girls were beyond confused.

"What? Why?", Yang asked annoyedly, "We – especially I – didn't do anything stupid... lately. So what is he going to punish us for?"

"Relax, Yang.", Blake said, "We don't even know what he wants from us. Stop assuming the worst all the time just because a teacher wants to talk to you."

"Once bitten, twice shy.", the blonde simply responded.

"It could be because of the stolen whiteboard, though...", Weiss suddenly mentioned and went a little paler than usual, "I mean, a lot of people saw us taking it to our dorm room. Maybe the staff finally pursued that."

"Whatever the case, I have a bad feeling about this.", Ruby tossed in.

Then the team approached the gray-haired man.

"So, umm, what's the matter, Professor?", the crimsonette asked politely once the lecture hall was empty and they were standing in front of their teacher, "Is there any trouble?"

"I want you to report to Headmaster Ozpin as soon as you can arrange it.", Port said nonchalantly, "There is an urgent matter he would like to discuss with you."

"What?!", Yang suddenly blurted out, "We're gonna get sent to the headmaster just because we stole a whiteboard?"

"Excuse me?", the mustached man responded confused.

"Oh, umm... well, I... we...", the blonde stammered and shot an imploring glance at her teammates, yet she just found them in different states of disbelief and reproach, "Urgh... alright, I guess I f-ed up here."

"Well... why you have seized academy property without permission is not at issue here.", Professor Port explained in a calm tone of voice, "I have merely been instructed to inform you that the headmaster wishes to see you. Apparently, it has something to do with the recurrence of these... mutant Grimm you encountered during the last semester."

"The mutant Grimm? Y-you mean... Merlot?", Ruby asked in a weird mixture of fear and hope, "S-so, is there a lead or something?"

"I recommend you discuss this with Professor Ozpin.", the gray-haired man said sternly, "Whatever the case may be, I wish you good luck. If my... assumption is correct, you may need it."

"Thank you very much for this information, Professor.", the crimsonette responded, happiness and worry still fighting in her mind... and her expression, "We'll visit Headmaster Ozpin immediately."

"Take care, students.", Port simply concluded.

And with that, the four girls made their way towards Beacon's main building... and the headmaster's tower.

"I can't believe this is really happening!", Ruby chirped enthusiastically on their way, "What do you think is gonna await us? Hunting down a giant mutant? A stealthy investigation of the perimeter of the attacks? Ohohoh! I know! An ambush on a recently discovered processing plant! That would be so cool! Really dangerous, though... but still cool! And we can finally do something about this lunatic and his abominations."

"Don't get your hopes up too early, Ruby.", Blake reminded her teammate, "We still don't know why Professor Ozpin has summoned us. Maybe he has just gotten wind of our investigations and tries to talk us out of doing something stupid. After all, we're dealing with a really dangerous enemy here."

"But what about Professor Port's assumption?", Yang tossed in, "It kinda sounded like he was sure that we're gonna get sent on a mission."

"Or that we're about to get the scolding of our lifetime.", Weiss said, "In retrospect, frequenting the harbor or the airship docks and asking all kinds of people rather suspicious questions probably wasn't a very smart approach. Even though it is pretty unlikely in my opinion, there's still the possibility that Merlot has somehow managed to convince or force a couple of people to work for him. And I highly doubt that he's happy to hear that some of Beacon's students are snooping around and gathering intel on the attacks."

"Even if Merlot was able to bring other people under his control – which I don't believe, either - I'm almost certain that he wouldn't let them just wander around in Vale... or really any other city, town, or village.", Blake simply responded, "The risk of anyone finding out about it would be far too high. Any marionette the authorities could capture would only create a lead to his lab or could spill other important data about his plans."

"Agreed.", the blonde seconded, "And think about how hard it had been for him to almost take control of little Rubes. Also, didn't he tell us that he won't waste this Grimm infection-thing on ordinary human beings? Only on, how did this crazy a-hole put it, extraordinary specimen?"

"No need to rack our brains about that at the moment.", the crimsonette suddenly interrupted her teammates' discussion, "In a few minutes, we'll know exactly what Professor Ozpin wants from us. May it be a mission, a scolding, or something in-between. Probably the last."

"I guess Ruby's right.", Weiss agreed with her girlfriend, "Assumptions and theories do not help us here. They haven't over the last two months. Let's just ask the headmaster what he wants to talk about with us. We probably shouldn't go at it like a bull at the gates, though."

"Do you think he's also gonna address the stolen whiteboard?", Yang asked, "I mean, Port may not have known about it, but – for some, weird reason – Ozpin always knows exactly what's going on in his school. In frightening detail, on top of that."

"I hope he doesn't.", Blake responded with a sigh, "The last thing we need in addition to a scolding slash dangerous mission is a week of detention afterwards."

Soon, they arrived at the elevator to Ozpin's office and stepped inside. With a little bit of self-control, Ruby resisted the childish urge to push all of the many buttons and simply pressed the one for the top floor. The ride was rather short for the distance, and after barely a minute, a few beeping sounds announced that they had reached their destination.

"Good afternoon, students.", Professor Ozpin announced once Team RWBY had entered his office. He was currently sitting at his desk and seemed to be scanning some files on a holo screen. However, when the four girls approached him, he turned it off, grabbed his coffee mug, and stood up.

"You wanted to see us, Professor?", Ruby asked politely, trying to hide her excitement.

"Indeed, Miss Rose.", the gray-haired man responded, "And I assume you already know what topic I want to talk about."

"Professor Port just said something about mutant Grimm.", Weiss explained, "But otherwise, he remained silent."

"Did you manage to track Merlot down?", Yang suddenly asked, "Or at least found another entrance to his underground laboratory?"

At the bold question, Ozpin only raised an eyebrow.

"Yang...", the heiress hissed, "What did we say about bulls and gates not even five minutes ago?"

"In her defense, if she hadn't asked, I would have.", Ruby admitted with an awkward smile, "I'm not good at handling tension as well."

"Who would've guessed it?", Blake sighed.

"Girls, please.", Ozpin interrupted the team's little banter, "Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to locate Merlot's exact whereabouts, nor have we managed to discover another access to his underground facility. According to the reports, well, assumptions of our surveillance teams, he uses a dense network of jamming transmitters and stealth field generators, which makes scans on and around Vytal Island extremely difficult."

"Aww, man... what a bummer.", Yang grumbled.

"However...", the headmaster continued, which caused the girls to perk up again, "The latest reports I received show that the attacks of the mutated Grimm are significantly increasing in a certain region. But I assume you already noticed this for yourselves, considering the amount of information you have collected."

Even though the members of Team RWBY already expected that Professor Ozpin knew about their recent activities, the statement still caught them off guard a little.

"Well, umm...", Ruby began hesitantly, "You see..."

"No need to apologize, Miss Rose.", the gray-haired man interrupted her with a conciliatory smile, "While I do not, of course, condone your unauthorized appropriation of school property, I appreciate your concern about the current situation... although this isn't very surprising, given what the four of you, especially your leader, went through last semester. Nevertheless, I hope that you will return the stolen whiteboard as soon as you no longer need it for your research."

"O-of course, Professor.", the crimsonette immediately responded.

"Very well.", Ozpin said, "That brings me to the matter at hand. As you already know, the majority of the latest mutant Grimm attacks are targeting Dust freighters and exploration sites. In the latter case, that almost entirely concerns the town of Blackwell, the only site in the vicinity of Vytal Island with a major, currently mined Dust deposit... although this region is already outside Merlot's actual field of activity since it's located at a more southern part of Sanus' north-eastern coast. This is why the accumulation of attacks in the perimeter of Blackwell is so concerning."

With a wave of his hand, he gestured the four girls to come closer to his desk. Then he called up the holo screen again and showed them a couple of diagrams and aerial shots riddled with different kinds of markers.

"Do you or the scouts you've sent have any idea why Doctor Merlot is so possessed with Dust?", Weiss asked, "At least with quantities that exceed the amount he needs to run his laboratory by a very long shot?"

"Unfortunately, Miss Schnee, we don't.", the headmaster admitted with a sigh, "Ask three specialists and you have five different opinions: usage for advanced power plants, a new serum for his Grimm mutants, a revamped arsenal for his android army, a weapon technology we don't even know about yet... the list goes on."

"So your specialists aren't any smarter than we are in that matter.", Blake said grumpily.

"Exactly.", Ozpin responded somewhat ruefully... and after a pause, he added, "And that's why we need a ground team to investigate Blackwell's perimeter... at best, one that has faced a similar situation before."

"I think I know where this is going.", Yang said and cracked her knuckles.

"Since you already have a lot of experience with handling Merlot's mutant Grimm... and a rather personal connection to the events, I think you are well-suited for the task, despite being only second-year students.", the gray-haired man confirmed the blonde's train of thought, "However, we cannot say anything more precise about the mission's exact threat level at the moment, as we lack more specific data in this regard as well. Therefore, you are free to reject the assignment if you feel..."

"We'll do it.", Ruby quickly interrupted the headmaster determinedly, "Just like at Nave, the suffering of the people at Blackwell has to be stopped. Merlot has to be stopped. And if this mission brings us closer to that goal, we'll do everything within our power to find out what's going on at this mining site."

"Is Miss Rose speaking for all of you?", Ozpin asked the other girls and immediately received three firm nods, "I see... I'm going to send you the detailed information about the task at hand to your Scroll as soon as I can. Departure will be on Monday at seven in the morning. Once you've reached Blackwell, report to the police station. There, you will meet one of our specialists who's in charge of the mission and can plan your further proceedings."

"You can count on us, Professor Ozpin.", the crimsonette said, "We won't let you down."

"Have you ever?", the headmaster asked with a small smile, "Alright, that's all for the time being. I'll work on processing and summarizing the mission's details for your files now, expect them by tonight at the latest. You're dismissed. Enjoy your weekend."

Team RWBY politely bid their goodbye and left the gray-haired man to his duties. But just before they had reached the elevator, they were addressed again.

"One last thing.", Ozpin said conclusively, "Be careful out there. And good luck."

"Thanks, Professor.", Ruby responded, "Whatever's going on in Blackwell, we'll put an end to it."

The four girls received a final nod, then they stepped into the elevator and ventured down again.

"Alright, ladies and... other ladies!", Yang announced once they had exited the lift on the first floor, "Looks like we're about to kick mutant Grimm-ass again. I'd say we start to prepare for this mission immediately. And you know what that means, am I right?"

"Freshening up our knowledge about the species of Grimm native in that part of Vale in the library?", Blake suggested.

"Coming up with a couple of effective combat strategies to use against the mutants?", Weiss asked.

"Finetuning our weapons again so they'll be at their best when we're out in the field?", Ruby tossed in.

"Three wrong guesses.", the blonde responded with a grin, "We're going shopping for new combat outfits... well, everyone but Blake, that is. That's long overdue."

"Are you serious?", the heiress asked in a mixture of confusion and mockery.

"Dead serious.", Yang simply said, "If we're going into a deadly mine full of mutated Grimm, I wanna look good while killing these pests. And you and little Rubes need a new style, too. Preferably something more mature... and not that frilly."

"Excuse me?", Ruby pouted, "My outfit is perfectly mature already and has just the right amount of frill."

"C'mon, you two.", the brawler sighed, "It's gonna be fun. Also, it's been a while since we've done girl-stuff. And now we even have a good reason to go shopping."

Of course, the white-haired girl knew that getting a new combat outfit just because they were going on a bigger mission was kind of stupid. But then she looked at her attire and began to wonder. She was wearing her strapless dress and bell-sleeved bolero as her default set of clothing for a pretty long time now. Admittedly, she felt comfortable fighting in these clothes. But many things had changed since she had first worn them... especially she herself. She wasn't cold and distant anymore, she had friends now, and, most importantly, a loving and caring girlfriend. Maybe it was really time to... move on, so to speak, as trivial as it sounded to do so by simply changing her attire.

Therefore, she grumbled: "Urgh... fine. I guess it won't hurt to pick a new combat outfit. Although it's debatable that an upcoming mission is a good reason to do so."

"Okay, if Weiss is going, I'll come, too.", Ruby agreed as well, "But I'll decide what I'm going to wear. You're not forcing me into anything, Yang. Oh, and the cape's staying!"

"Relax, sis. I don't plan to dictate you what to pick. All I'm gonna do is nag about your choices.", the blonde responded with a grin, then she turned to Blake, "What about you, kitty-cat? Care to accompany us?"

"I think I'll pass.", the Faunus said, "I've already gotten myself a new attire. I guess I'm going to the library and read something about the Grimm from the northern parts of Vale again."

"Are you sure?", Yang asked, "I thought about checking out this new sushi place near the airship docks once we're done shopping for clothes."

"Well, we've probably learned everything interesting about Vale's native Grimm already anyway.", Blake replied with a grin herself, "Maybe it's really the best if we try to relax a bit before going on that mission. After all, Ozpin said so, too."

"Now that's what I'm talking about.", Yang chuckled, "Alright, team: It's time for another girl's night out!"

"We're not going to a bar or a club tonight.", Ruby said sternly, "We'll buy new outfits, grab a bite to eat, and return to Beacon. Tomorrow, we'll start to really prepare for this mission and I doubt that a hangover is gonna help us with that."

"You're no fun, sis.", the blonde sighed, "If I wouldn't be so proud of you for taking this Merlot-stuff so seriously, I would be pretty disappointed. But I guess you're right."

"Do you know that you're really sexy when you're in full leader-mode, Rose Petal?", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend.

"I've changed my mind.", the crimsonette suddenly announced, "You and Blake should totally go to a bar or a club once we're done with shopping. You've earned it. Weiss and I will go back and start gathering the stuff we need for Monday."

"Nice try, Ruby.", Blake responded with a chuckle, "But next time you should be a little more... subtle. Also, I have no intention to go drinking tonight."

"Now you're no fun.", the younger girl pouted.

"Three girls trying on different outfits is going to take a looong time.", Weiss said to Ruby, "Probably more than enough for me to come up with another plan to get us a little... privacy this evening."

"Maybe you two should consider a chastity belt for your new combat attire.", Yang grumbled.

"I'll pass on that.", the crimsonette replied with a challenging grin, "But since we're going to a clothing store anyway, I might as well buy some sexy lingerie."

"I'm starting to think that going shopping was a bad idea.", the blonde pondered.

And with these words, the four girls reached Beacon's airship docks and got their tickets to Vale, trying to make the most of the two and a half days of peace and quiet they had left. On Monday morning, they would depart for their new mission...

And the fight against Merlot would finally continue.

Chapter Text

"I still can't believe you somehow managed to make your combat outfit look even girlier.", Yang sighed while stretching herself on the three uncomfortable airship seats she was currently lying upon.

"Not that I'm counting or anything, but that's the seventh time you said that since I've bought it.", Weiss responded flatly, "And I'm starting to think that you're just jealous because I look better than you."

"Pfft... as if.", the blonde responded snidely.

"I might be a bit biased here, but I have to agree with Weiss.", Ruby tossed in and ogled her girlfriend's new clothes thoroughly once more:

The heiress was wearing a short, glittering, strapless dress, its color gradating from gray-blue at her chest to pale-blue at the hem. It had a sweetheart neckline and ended in a white, tulle petticoat. A white sash was wrapped around her waist multiple times and fastened in a tight, yet fancy knot which accentuated her slender waistline incredibly well. Over the dress, she wore a slightly sheer, long-sleeved bolero – fastened at the collar with a sapphire broach – its color matching the one from the top of the aforementioned garment. The back of the shrug bore her emblem. The outfit was completed by gray-blue wedge heels, sapphire earrings, and a red scarf with a flowery, white design at the ends – a small shout-out to the crimsonette.

"Aww... thank you, Rose Petal.", Weiss cooed... and then she added teasingly, "But I can definitely return the compliment. You look a lot better than Yang, too. And that's an objective opinion."

Whether or not her last statement was true wasn't exactly at issue, though. It was a fact that Ruby's new outfit looked great... and a lot more mature as well. She still wore a black skirt with red tulle underneath, pretty similar to her former outfit, but her waist cincher had been replaced with an (in the heiress' opinion incredibly sexy) underbust corset with red strip holding it in place. She also wore a white, high-neck, décolletage blouse with brown studded wristbands on her arms. A black, red-bordered belt was wrapped around her waist, holding magnetic clips for her scythe and its ammunition. The crimsonette had also exchanged her full black stockings for thigh-high ones that reached a bit below the hem of her skirt and bore the image of a long-stemmed rose. Also, instead of the cross-shaped pins, she fastened her cloak with a singular one in the form of her emblem now. Her new, still red-soled and black combat boots looked a lot sturdier as well.

"Wow... what a surprise: Our little couple joins forces against me.", the blonde chuckled and stood up again, "However, as cute and beautiful your new outfits may look like in each other's eyes – and sorry for repeating myself again – you completely missed the point in why I urged us on to get a new combat attire. We're not a bunch of nameless students anymore! Still students, though, technically... but already awesome! Even though our training isn't finished yet, we've already managed to bust a hideout of a terrorist organization, we've beaten an incredibly evil, mad scientist – twice, I might add – and found the key to a cure for an entirely new, artificially created Grimm illness. So why don't your outfits scream "Badass Huntress-mode activated" like Blake's and mine do?! I mean, look at me!" Then she struck a heroic pose.

Of course, Yang wasn't actually wrong about her attire looking more badass, as she put it. Her new combat outfit of choice consisted of a tan jacket with orange lining and gold edging, which left a part of her midriff bare and was also unzipped halfway to show an orange crop top underneath. The coat's short sleeves were a darker shade of brown and a thick, belted collar encircled the blonde's neck completely. Furthermore, the jacket had two long, gold-trimmed, rectangular tails. The brawler also wore fitted, black pants and knee-high boots with gold caps on the heel and toe and a gold zipper on the upper half of the front. A small, buckled strap adorned the upper outside of her boots and a purple bandanna was tied around her left knee. The outfit was completed by a brown belt around her hips with two pieces of dark-brown material trimmed in gold attached to it and black fingerless gloves with long brown cuffs that reached up to her mid-forearms.

"We get it, Yang. You look cool.", Weiss sighed and leaned back in her seat, "We didn't say otherwise. It's just that I think a more elegant outfit is more suited for Ruby and me... and that we rock this look better than you do your badass style."

"Pfft... everyone's a critic today.", the blonde snorted, "Blake, what do you think?"

"I already told you: Everyone of us looks great in their own way.", the cat Faunus explained dryly, "However, I think that it should be our priority to concentrate on the upcoming mission instead of our new outfits. You may haven't noticed, but we're about to take on Merlot and his mutants again."

"I agree with Blake. We should focus on the task at hand now.", Ruby seconded, "We'll probably arrive at Blackwell shortly. How about we review the information we've gotten from Ozpin again?"

"What information?", her sister asked sarcastically, "You mean the few notes and instructions even I managed to read and memorize in half an hour? I highly doubt that going over those one more time will be of any use."

"Unfortunately, Yang's right about that.", Weiss agreed, "We won't get any smarter by studying this meager intel over and over again. Let's just hope the police force of Blackwell or this specialist we're about to meet there can provide us with a little more input on what's exactly going on. Otherwise, I guess it's gonna be learning by doing."

"Like it's the case for about three out of four missions.", the black-haired girl tossed in with a frown.

"Blake's right. Something like missing information hasn't stopped us before... and it won't do so now!", Ruby cheered, full of zest for action.

"I was actually trying to express my displeasure about this fact with my statement.", the cat Faunus explained, "However, I assume that you're not wrong with yours, either."

"See?", the crimsonette grinned back at her, "I mean, back at Nave – or at Merlot's first lab – these creepy mutants also appeared without warning and we still managed. So I highly doubt it's gonna be different this time, no matter what he's is gonna throw at us."

"I admire your optimism, sis, especially since you had it worst the last time we fought Merlot.", Yang said, "But I guess you're right. We're Team RWBY, for Dust's sake. We've already beaten this crazy bastard twice and I'll be damned if this winning streak will ever come to an end."

"I'd still prefer if Blackwell's authorities would provide us with a little more detail on this mission, but other than that, of course, I'm with you.", Weiss seconded, "Failure isn't an option. As Yang said, we haven't been bested by Merlot so far and we're going to keep it that way, no objections!"

"That's the spirit, team!", Ruby cheered once again, "We're gonna figure out what's going on in those mines in no time, clean up the mess, and in a few days, we're already sitting in an airship back to Beacon. Promise!"

"Dear students, this is your captain speaking.", a voice suddenly announced over the speakers, "We're about to arrive at Blackwell in a couple of minutes. You can already see the town if you take a look out of the windows to the left in flight direction."

Of course, the four girls immediately rushed to the aforementioned bull's eyes while their pilot commenced the airship's descent. But what they saw let them doubt their leader's former statement somewhat. The small town itself looked pretty ordinary: Mostly wood frame construction houses in the outer districts, just a couple of (small) highrises in its center. They also spotted a couple of parks, some kind of bigger sports area, and a rather large church... not that bad for a town with a population of barely ten thousand people – according to their information.

However, the settlement itself didn't stick out that much. What mostly caught Team RWBY's attention was the sizable mining site a couple of miles next to it. The surface mine already looked immense, but apparently, that was only the tip of the iceberg... since they've been told that there was also a lot of underground mining going on. Searching the whole perimeter for any clues would be anything but a simple task.

"Okaaay... maybe we need a little longer than a few days.", Ruby corrected herself and sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

She only got slightly annoyed looks in response.

After their airship had finally landed at the small (yet still a lot bigger than Patch's) port, the four girls gathered their field packs, thanked their pilot, and set out. Unfortunately (and needless to say), they didn't know their way around the town and the map they've gotten didn't provide as much information as they've hoped. Admittedly, they knew where the police station they had to report to was located, but not the best, most simple route to take. A cab – either already ordered and waiting for them, or simply one in general – would've been nice, but was nowhere to be seen.

"I guess we have to do this the old-fashioned way.", Blake grumbled and examined the map on her folded-out Scroll, "Let's see... we just need to get to Hazel Point, then it's basically around the corner. So we can either take Marina Crescent until we reach Parkfield Plaza, then go left – Sandridge Road – and finally make a right turn at the crossing Sandridge and Pearwood. Or we simply follow Marina Crescent until Blind Oaks and turn left. Then it's just straight ahead. But I guess that's the longer way."

"What kind of weird map is this anyway?", Weiss sighed, "Most of Atlas simply looks like a grid – with a few exceptions. Streets run west and east, Avenues north and south. Almost everything is numbered. It's practically impossible to get lost there. Even the majority of Vale isn't that messy and confusing."

"That's because most of Atlas and some parts of Vale had been thoroughly planned as the cities grew, Princess.", Yang explained, "This one simply expanded more organically as people came to town."

"I know why it's the case, Yang. ", the heiress shot back, "What I don't understand is simply the fact how any urbanist can let something like that happen when a town reaches a certain size. A small village like Patch certainly doesn't need lots of planning for the people to know their way around, but this is simply ridiculous."

"Well, not everyone likes organizing things as much as you do, Weiss.", Blake chuckled at her teammate's (in her opinion exaggerated) displeasure.

"Let's just take Marina Crescent as far as we can.", Ruby quickly intervened and pocketed her Scroll again, "That way, we don't have to make too many turns and maybe even get lost in the process. Also, I like the name."

"Our fearless leader has spoken.", Yang chimed in with a grin, "Lead the way, sis!"

"Alright! Follow me!", the crimsonette concluded... but then she called up the map once more and pointed in two different directions, "Umm... was Marina Crescent this or that road?" If there were any street signs, they were rather well-hidden.

"Umm, Blake? Could you give her a hand... or a compass?", Weiss asked, "I would like to arrive today."

"Hey! My sense of direction isn't that bad!", Ruby pouted.

"Rose Petal... I seriously, utterly love you... with all my heart...", the heiress began with a small sigh, "But you managed to get lost at the dorm."

"That was one time during our first year.", the crimsonette defended herself, "And just because all of these stupid corridors look the same."

"We found you on the roof, though.", Blake mentioned.

"Urgh... Just tell me the directions already.", the young leader groaned.

It took Team RWBY some time, but finally, they managed to arrive at Blackwell's police station. It was a rather big, brick-build, three-story building at the edge of the town's center. At first, it looked kinda idle and even a little run-down – there was probably not much crime going on around the town. However, the moment the four girls entered the station, they were suddenly confronted with a different picture:

For a small town's police force, there were a lot of officers running around, at least half of them wearing a trainee -badge. It was obvious that Blackwell had been recruiting a couple of new people recently... which wasn't that surprising, considering the latest events the town suffered through. However, what stood out most was a unit of twelve Atlesian Knight-240s, labeled SF-106 Delta – therefore, it was probably not that farfetched to assume that the units Alpha, Beta, and Gamma were already on duty somewhere in the operational area... probably at the surface mining site.

"Umm, hello?", Ruby quickly addressed a young, brown-haired clerk in charge of the reception desk, "We're Team RWBY from Beacon, assigned to deal with the Grimm at the mine. Our headmaster told us to report here and meet up with some specialist who's running our mission."

"Ah, sure. We've already expected your arrival.", the guy behind the desk responded, "Did you find the place all right?"

"Umm... we managed.", the crimsonette shot back with a lop-sided smirk. Weiss rolled her eyes, Blake let out a sigh, and Yang simply stifled a chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about letting you walk all the way.", the clerk apologized, "We would've sent a cab, but we had no idea when you would exactly arrive. Airship travel these days is horrible... and also rather dangerous around here."

"No worries. We finally got here, didn't we?", Ruby replied politely, "So, where's this specialist, and what's he... or she like? Also, I hope they can provide us with a little more information on the task at hand. Our intel has been rather... disappointing, to put it kindly."

"Of course. I'll take you to his... and your temporary office immediately.", the young receptionist said and stood up, "Follow me, please."

Then he led Team RWBY deeper into the building. They soon arrived at a stairwell and ventured to the highest floor. A couple of corridors followed, and after that, they stood in front of a plain door without any lettering.

The clerk knocked a couple of times and addressed the person he assumed to be inside: "Umm, sir?"

"C'mon in.", a gravelly voice responded, "And didn't I tell ya guys to cut the sir crap?"

"Right, sorry.", the young guy remembered and opened the door, "I just wanted to tell you that the team from Beacon finally arrived."

"Thanks, pal. Send 'em in.", came the curt reply. Apparently, the specialist wasn't a man of many words. And didn't his voice sound strangely familiar to the four girls?

As soon as they entered the office and spotted him standing behind a desk laden with documents, they knew exactly why: The tall man with the dark-gray eyes; spiky, pitch-black hair and goatee; and two small scars on his right eyebrow and bottom lip respectively – wearing his signature black duster coat over a white shirt; black, baggy pants; and heavy boots – was anyone but a stranger.

His warm words of greeting the moment he saw the four girls were the following: "Urgh... for fuck's sake. Whenever you guys show up, it means nothing but trouble." Yet he said them with a grin.

"Ash!", Ruby yelled happily, "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I s'pose.", the Huntsman responded nonchalantly, "Guess we're 'bout to kick Merlot's mutants' butts again."

"So I assume you retired from retiring as a Huntsman?", Yang asked with a giggle.

"Not exactly, Blondie.", Ash shot back with a shrug, "I'm still the humble guard captain of Nave that merely takes on an easy mission or two 'round the perimeter of his village once a month. However, Ozpin specifically wanted me in charge of this task – probably 'cause all of the shi... stuff we went through half a year ago. And since I know exactly what suffering these mutants cause, I let myself be talked into it to help the people of Blackwell... well, 's much as these ol' bones still can, that is."

"Says the guy that broke a mutated Ursa's neck with his bare hands.", Weiss tossed in and raised her eyebrows, "By the way, you still don't look anything like fifty-four."

"That's 'cause I'm fifty-five now.", the black-haired man joked with a small, rumbling chuckle, "Anyway, to make a long story short: I'm somewhat involuntarily reinstated as a real Huntsman since I have a lotta experience in dealing with Merlot's abominations, my men and women take care of Nave, and, well, now I'm 'ere."

"No matter the circumstances, we're incredibly happy to have you on our side instead of someone else.", Blake explained with a relieved smile, "Experience, age, or whatever else aside, it is always good to know that you can rely on your companions if worst comes worst."

"Yeah... let's just hope we can avoid the severe acid burns we suffered the last time we had to do this.", Ash grinned, "Movin' to the task at hand: Y'all are probably incredibly curious what's gonna await us. Given your surprise to meet me here, I assume your information about this whole mission was as lousy as what I received."

"That's more than a lucky guess.", the heiress responded, "Even calling it information would be an exaggeration."

"Thought so.", the Huntsman grumbled and made his way to a map on a pinboard. It was now that the four girls noticed that he had cut a hole in his duster coat for his lion's tail. And around the near end of it – a little worn and tattered, but still recognizable – Blake's bow was tied. Upon seeing it, Team RWBY's, but especially the black-haired girl's eyes, went wide. But then again, he had promised her to protect it with his life... as a reminder to never be ashamed of his Faunus heritage anymore.

"As y'all can see here, the mutant Grimm attack either from the woods surrounding the mining site or out of the tunnels – at least half of 'ose given up by now.", Ash began his instructions and pointed to a couple of red markers on the map, "They don't show up as frequently as they did at Nave, but often enough to be a real pain in the ass... Nasty lil' fuckers. Oh, umm, sorry 'bout all the swearing."

"Seriously, you don't have to hold back around us.", Yang explained, "Everybody but Ruby is of age... and even she has to share a room with me. Also, she and Weissicle here still can't handle even a couple of day s without any aggressive cuddling, which probably makes them more mature than the rest of us."

"Thanks for passing this bit of information in such a colorful way.", the heiress grumbled.

"Well, congratulations that ya two are still so eager regarding your relationship. ", the black-haired Huntsman addressed a blushing Ruby and Weiss with a hearty laugh, then he continued, "Anyway, as said, those fuckin' pests still show up often enough to be a real annoyance: Attacking miners, the guards, even freighters that want to leave the town. Whatever Dust they forage, they haul it back into the cave. At the moment, we assume that there might be some kind of side-lab or side-base in the tunnels. There's also a theory that the deeper parts of the mine are somehow connected to Merlot's main facility – the one at or below Vytal Island – but personally, I think that's bullshit. The tunnels would've to be waaay too long in that case. I still think we have to deal with a separate operation here, maybe some kind of field experiment, if that explanation makes any sense."

"Assuming this is still a lot more plausible than to believe that Merlot's underground lab spans over thirty or maybe even fifty miles below sea level.", Ruby pondered, "Unfortunately, we still can't rule out that possibility, either, as ridiculous as it sounds."

"That's one of our biggest problems for sure.", Ash grumbled, "Nevertheless, miners and freighters keep getting attacked, Dust keeps getting stolen. Our first priority is to fully secure the mining site again, get rid of any Grimm nests and the like – the Atlesian Knights and a bit of other backup is gonna help us with that. The next one is to examine the deeper, already forsaken parts of the mine in order to find any clue about what's exactly going on here and why Merlot's so obsessed with Dust nowadays. As ya probably know, there're a bunch of theories about that as well."

"We do.", Blake responded with a sigh, "And each one of them is as likely as the other."

"Whatever the case, our main objectives are pretty clear already, aren't they?", Yang suddenly piped up, "Get down to the mine and kick some butt. Then we check out the tunnels to figure out the source of the mutant Grimm – may it be a new lab, another kind of base, or whatever else – get rid of it, and the people of Blackwell can live in peace again. And on our way, I'm pretty sure we're gonna find a clue about why Merlot's trying to gather a crapload of Dust."

"As much as I disagree with Yang's overall choice of words, I guess she summarized the core of our next course of action quite accurately.", Weiss admitted, "We need to get a better picture of what's exactly going to await us, gather our own information to fill in the gaps and to either confirm or disprove any theories. And there's certainly no way around a little field study to accomplish that."

"My point exactly.", Ash agreed, "And even though I highly doubt that we're gonna go on a bigger expedition today – given that ya just arrived here – how about I still show you 'round the mine a bit? That way, y'already get a glimpse of the field of operation, so to speak. And maybe, if we're unlucky, a couple of these mutant bastards show up while we're there and you get some kind of warm-up again. Not that I believe thatcha need it, though. These fuckers are foes you don't forget that easily, after all."

"May that be true or not, I guess getting familiar with the surroundings as fast as possible is incredibly important.", Ruby explained, "So we definitely take you up on that offer. The sooner we get to see the mine, the better we can prepare ourselves to defend it in the future. Right, team?"

"Correct.", the white-haired responded firmly.

"Count me in.", Blake seconded.

"Alright. But only if we get to grab a bite to eat beforehand.", Yang suddenly tossed in, "It's almost lunchtime and everything we've gotten for breakfast were these shrink-wrapped, soggy, barely edible sandwiches you only get on an airship."

"Way to ruin a heroic declaration.", Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"She's not wrong, though.", the crimsonette remarked and – as if on cue – her stomach started to grumble, "And I'm pretty sure some great thinker, or poet, or philosopher once said: "You can't save the world on an empty belly." So I guess that – if there isn't any kind of emergency coming up soon – it won't hurt to pick up something to eat... to go, of course."

"As much as I want to appear as serious and dutiful as I usually do...", Blake said, "But I'm pretty hungry as well."

"Then it's settled.", Ash announced with a deep chuckle, "Gettin' some grub first, then everything else. I mean, it's not that the five o' us are on high alert at the moment. A lot of Atlesian Knights have the area secured. And even though I still dislike these rust buckets, I've to admit that they've been doin' a pretty good job so far. Also, if something really nasty's going on at the mining site and they need backup, I – as well as the rest of the police – will get a message anyway."

"Urgh... I can't believe you guys.", Weiss groaned... but then she relented, "Anyone up for some noodles? I'm not really into greasy burgers, pizza, or anything in that direction right now."

Chapter Text

"Wow... that's way bigger than I expected.", Yang said with a whistle through her teeth, "And I don't say this to just anybody."

"Can't you even manage two hours in a row without making an inappropriate sex joke?", Weiss groaned.

"Nope.", the blonde shot back grinning, "If I do, I'll explode. Get it?"

"Now that one wasn't even remotely elaborate.", Blake tossed in.

The four girls, as well as the reinstated Huntsman, were currently standing at the edge of Blackwell's combined surface and underground mining operation – and to say that it was huge would still be an understatement. Even the heiress, who was somewhat familiar with Atlas' Dust quarries, had to admit that this place was anything but an ordinary pit. The strip mine had to extend over several (tens of?) square miles... and that was just the surface! In regular intervals, tunnels branched off, most likely leading deep into the underground.

"Pretty impressive, huh?", Ash asked and slurped the final bits of noodles out of his second, rather large takeout container before tossing it into a nearby garbage can, "Ya definitely don't see somethin' like that every day. Well, I did the last couple o' ones."

"Seeing this kinda makes me feel bad about our environmental footprint.", Ruby admitted.

"Ecological footprint.", Weiss corrected her girlfriend.

"Thanks, Snowflake.", the crimsonette said and scratched the back of her head.

"Don't worry about the environment, kiddo.", the black-haired man responded, "Once they've exploited the deposit completely, they gonna flood this thing and it's gonna become a lake. So everything's gonna look nice and tidy again eventually."

"That's... not exactly the point here.", the heiress remarked.

"Who cares? Instead, Ash should give us the promised tour before everything's going to be underwater.", Yang joked, well-knowing that this wouldn't happen anytime soon, "We should get familiar with our surroundings as fast as we can so we can protect the mine and the people working here at the best in case these mutant Grimm show up."

"I admire your enthusiasm, Blondie.", the Huntsman said, "Then let's get going. Not much to see 'sides a big hole and some tunnels, though. But at least ya'll get a feel of the perimeter... aaand I can show ya the shafts those purple pests usually use to get to the surface whenever they attack from the underground."

"Sounds good enough to me.", Ruby agreed to the black-haired man's plan, "Okay, team: Lock and load! We want to look professional here, right?"

"I highly doubt that anybody would mistake four girls in badass outfits carrying badass weapons for tourists, sis.", Yang tossed in.

"I think our fearless leader's comment referred more to our attitude in general, not our appearance.", Blake said and added slightly sarcastically, "But that's just an assumption."

"In your case, just hold back on your bad jokes and inappropriate puns at least a little.", Weiss addressed her blonde teammate, "That would be completely sufficient as far as I'm concerned."

"But I put the "laughter" in slaughter.", Yang responded with a shrug, "Or the "fun" in funeral."

"Every time you annoy Weiss on purpose with these exact actions, I have to do unspeakable things in the bedroom to make up for this emotional torture the family she's marrying into puts her through.", Ruby said, quiet enough that Ash couldn't hear it, "For example, that one time…" She had intended to make a pause after that, but didn't need to.

"Okay, I'm almost absolutely sure that this is just a bluff to shut me up.", the blonde quickly interrupted her sister, then relented grumpily, "But I'm quiet now. As long as you spare me any details."

Upon hearing this, the crimsonette gave her girlfriend a beaming grin and a look that pretty much said: "See? Wasn't that difficult, was it?"

'Why haven't I thought about something like that in the first place.', Weiss thought and returned a grateful smile.

Via various ramps built from overburden, the group of five entered the quarry. Since no suitable vehicle was available and, even if, none of them was able to drive one that could transport all of them – not even Ash – they had to take the complete tour on foot. Not that the four girls and the black-haired man minded that. As Huntspeople, they were pretty much used to walking most of the time. Also, they were rather grateful for this little postprandial walk.

Just like Ash had already told Team RWBY, the inspection was anything but interesting: a huge pit, some construction site equipment, here and there a couple of lifts and tunnels, the latter ones sometimes guarded by half a dozen Atlesian Knights. Diggers, tipplers, and other heavy vehicles of unknown purpose drove past them ever and anon or simply stood idly between mounds of earth and rocks. Whenever they passed a site hut, the smell of coffee, tobacco smoke, and various foods hung thickly in the air. Otherwise, it was almost always dry and dusty, despite the snow sludge that covered nearly everything. At least in Ruby's case, the large bucket-wheel excavator in the very back was somewhat fascinating at first... but since its operating principle didn't offer much variety in terms of weapon design, her excitement was rather short-lived.

All in all, there really wasn't much to see besides some rare points of interest. The only things that gave off the vibe that this wasn't an ordinary mining site anymore were the Atlesian Knights, a few patrols the four girls passed on their way, and three machine-gun emplacements established at some apparently critical locations.

"Well, that's it.", Ash concluded once he had shown the four girls everything worth seeing.

"Just what I expected: A big hole containing construction equipment, trailers, and a couple of smaller holes within.", Yang said with a shrug.

"The tunnels were of some importance.", Blake tossed in, "I hope you at least remember which ones were abandoned and sealed off because if... or when any Grimm mutants attack from underground, they most certainly will emerge from the adjacent shafts."

"Don't worry, kitty.", the blonde reassured her partner, "Despite the fact that this was probably the most boring sightseeing trip I've ever attended, I'm still well aware of our mission and the significance of such details."

"Knowing the location of the defensive positions is also crucial in case a tactical withdrawal is necessary.", Weiss reminded them.

"Two of the machine-gun nests weren't even completely manned.", Ruby said, half-sighing and half-grumbling, "So I guess we can only hope for some minor backup if worst comes worst."

"Hey, the people here still survived before the four of ya showed up, so stop assumin' a tidal wave of mutants thrown at us just because you're here now.", Ash suddenly piped up in a somewhat reprimanding manner, "Admittedly, you might attract some bad luck in a weird, unknowable way... especially whenever this Merlot-guy is involved. But ever since I arrived here and there was a Grimm attack at the site, I only served to clean up the mess faster... IF I got here on time to get my share of the battle, that is. The people of Blackwell are pretty much fine without our help within the town's borders. The most important part of our mission is to clear out any Grimm nests surrounding the mine or underground to lessen the strength and frequency of any ambushes so the whole situation won't get worse... and, if the Gods be willing, to find some clue about Merlot's current plans and possible next courses of action. We're not garrisoned here because the whole place would go to shit otherwise. Just patrolling the perimeter would defy the whole purpose of our presence. Understood?"

"Yeah... I guess you're right.", Ruby admitted, even a little embarrassed about her – and her team's – obviously wrong priorities, "Worrying about the mine itself should be our least concern. At least as long as there isn't any imminent or present threat while we're around. Apparently, the whole securing-the-mine stuff our intel said is open to interpretation."

"It's a bit more complicated than that.", the black-haired man added a little more conciliatorily, "Of course, it's our duty to fend off any Grimm attacks at the mining site as well. But if all... or some of us remain on guard duty at the pit all the time, we wouldn't get our other objectives done properly... or safely."

"Maybe there's a way to do both... to protect the mine and to clear the surroundings of any threats.", the crimsonette suddenly mentioned, "To some extent, that is. I mean, back at Nave, Merlot's Grimm never attacked twice in a short period of time, probably because they had to gather a bigger pack again for another organized assault. Does this behavior apply here as well?"

"Now that I think about it, it's actually somewhat similar... although ya can't really set your watch by their attacks.", Ash responded, "But I guess I know what'cha drivin' at."

"So the best course of action would probably be to await a major attack here, ward it off, and then move out when the enemy is weakened for the time being.", Blake verbalized the Huntsman's thought, "That way, we wouldn't have to worry too much about the mine and its workers while we're out in the field... or maybe even abort an ongoing investigation because we're suddenly needed back here."

"That's not a half-bad strategy in order to cover both primary objectives.", the black-haired man admitted, "Nevertheless, and unfortunately, there're a few things we still have to take into consideration. First of all, if we exhaust ourselves while fighting the Grimm at the pit, then set out immediately afterwards, our performance in the field may suffer. And while I know what the four o' ya are capable of, we have no idea what's exactly gonna await us. Could be some lil' Grimm nests, could be another one of Merlot's labs, or an outpost of some sort, hidden by stealth technology. Don't wanna charge into that while still recovering from a recent fight.

"And second: We've no idea when these mutant bastards are gonna attack again. From what I've heard from the police, sometimes, they even don't show up for days. And we definitely can't sit 'round for that long just playin' pocket pool... or whatever a woman's equivalent of that might be. But we also can't just... dunno... snap our fingers and the next major attack's gonna happen out of the blue."

Ash didn't even manage to do so, though. As if the universe wanted to mock him, just before he lifted his arm to demonstrate the ridiculousness of his last statement, sirens all around the mine started to blare. A moment later, his Scroll went beeping.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me?!", he gnarled, pulled the device out of his pocket, and read the message, "Encounter at sector C2. Apparently a serious one. Get goin'!"

Needless to say, Team RWBY didn't need to be told twice.

"What da hell's up with ya guys?", Ash grunted while they were running to the attack's location, "Whenever you're involved, somethin' weird and unfortunate is just 'round the corner. Is one of your Semblances some kind of bad luck charm by any chance?"

"I don't think Semblances work that way.", Weiss responded.

"Well, ours don't, but we can't say for sure that it isn't possible.", Blake tossed in, "Aura – as the manifestation of one's soul – can be incredibly complex... and I guess the same goes for a Semblance since it's the physical power developed from it."

"Could we please postpone any philosophical discussions?", Yang suddenly piped up, "Not that I'm completely against something like that, but I'd like to think that our new dialogue partners right in front of us require a different kind of talking, if you know what I mean."

True to her words, it was now that Team RWBY and Ash noticed the purple acid explosions just a few hundred yards ahead of them. In-between stood a couple of Atlesian Knights and a human patrol, fighting against a horde of what appeared to be mutant Creeps – mostly smaller ones, but a few Alphas could be spotted here and there. Conforming to the dark-haired Huntsman's earlier statement, Blackwell's defense forces were holding up fairly well against the threat, but of course, that didn't mean they couldn't use some backup.

And backup they got.

Before Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Ash had even drawn their weapons, a flurry of rose petals rushed past them and into the fray. Accompanied by a fierce battle cry, Crescent Rose sliced through three aligned Creeps. But when the beasts exploded into acid clouds mere seconds later, Ruby was already out of the splash zone, taking on the next enemies. It was obvious that the crimson-haired girl still remembered these opponents – and how to mow them down best – very well.

Of course, the rest of her companions didn't want to pale in comparison. Another pack of Creeps that was currently climbing down a rampart to join their fellow mutants in the fight was suddenly met with a barrage of sticky grenades from Yang's upgraded Ember Celica. They stuck to the ground for only a couple of seconds, though, because once the blonde was certain that pretty much every new arrival that came from that direction was within reach, she detonated them, blowing up many of the Grimm's reinforcements with devastating efficiency.

Weiss and Blake's approaches were a bit more defensive. By utilizing their respective Semblances, they easily managed to maneuver themselves through the allied gunfire in order to shield the Atlesian Knights and Blackwell's mine guard from any pouncing Creeps. Fortunately, the robots as well as the humans quickly adapted to this strategy and directed their cones of fire to the flanks while the Checkmate Duo took care of the front lines. A couple of approaching mutants – even two Alphas among them – quickly got frozen solid by Myrtenaster before some salvos of Gambol Shroud blew them to pieces shortly after. Thanks to the respective enhancements Ruby had applied to their weapons, the heiress and the Faunus didn't have to worry about reloading anytime soon.

And then, there was Ash. Apparently, the seasoned Huntsman was convinced that brute and reckless force was the best way to deal with the threat. With a small burst of his Semblance – that still tore his shirt at several places to make room for his growing muscles – he lunged into a cluster of mutant Creeps, basically flattening one of them before kicking it away so the acid splash won't hit him. Then he grabbed a nearby Alpha by the leg and effortlessly flung it away before a bullet from his heavy pistol to its head killed it instantly. Two other beasts that approached him soon suffered a similar fate. Then the black-haired man dodged another attack from behind, drew Scarlet Spike, and immediately set it ablaze by pulling the gear shift at the hilt.

"Is it just me, or are there more than usual today?", the Huntsman grumbled, mostly to himself, maybe partially to the guards... even though they were way too busy to answer him at the moment.

"Do fewer Grimm attack usually?", Ruby asked, slammed her scythe into an approaching Creep, and used a sniper bullet to propel herself to a safe distance shortly after.

"At least simultaneously.", Ash explained while slicing up a mutant himself before backing away again, "Compared to last week, we're dealing with about one and a half packs. And I highly doubt that this is gonna be the only wave."

"Maybe we really are your personal bad luck charm.", Yang chuckled between two shots, "Consider yourself unlucky." Then she punched a Grimm hard enough that it almost flew out of the pit again.

"Your jokes are getting slightly better, but your timing is still incredibly awful.", Blake tossed in and – with the help of a path of Weiss' Glyphs – cut through a couple of Creeps herself. One of her shadow clones took the acid splash for her.

"Hey, Snowflake!", Ruby yelled to drown out the fighting noises, "Do you think you can get us some air support?"

"As good as done!", the heiress replied, "I could use a safeguard, though."

"On it!", Yang immediately said, got rid of her latest wannabe sparring partner, and rushed to her white-haired teammate's side.

The moment Weiss knew herself protected, she started summoning. It didn't take her longer than a couple of seconds, though, and soon, a small swarm of Lancers was buzzing around the battlefield, firing their stingers at every mutant they came across. Much to the heiress' relief, the Atlesian Knights – as well as the members of Blackwell's police force – recognized them as allies, not as another threat.

The fight continued for a while without the enemy's numbers dwindling significantly. Whenever a batch of beasts was defeated, another one replaced it shortly after. Admittedly, against an experienced Huntsman, four extraordinary Beacon students, and a robot and police force that shouldn't be underestimated, the Creeps posed more of an annoyance than a grave danger, yet their quantitative superiority could turn into a serious problem sooner or later.

But then, finally, after a good twenty minutes of fighting, it seemed that the enemy was slowly running out of reinforcements.

"Urgh... about time, don't ya think?", Ash asked his companions as soon as they noticed the latest turn of events, "My sword arm's gettin' tired here."

Of course, nobody from Team RWBY could take this statement seriously. Still somewhat fueled by his Semblance, the black-haired Huntsman's bare arm – he had shed his duster coat some time ago so it wouldn't suffer the same fate as his by now pretty tattered shirt – looked more at home at an Ursa than at an actual human being. Nevertheless, the four girls completely agreed with him. After all, they couldn't keep this up forever, even with the backup of the tireless Atlesian Knights and Weiss' summoned support – which was starting to wear the heiress out rather quickly as well.

But just when the mine's defenders were about to declare themselves the victors of the battle, another wave of Grimm suddenly stormed down the hills and into the pit. However, these enemies bore barely any resemblance to Merlot's ordinary mutants.

They still somewhat took after Creeps, but had four legs and a slightly longer body, which gave them a lizard-like appearance. But that wasn't the most prominent difference. Instead of the usual purple glow, they shone in different colors, namely red, navy blue, and yellow.

"What in all of Remnant's sake are those things?", Ash asked while he and his companions took care of the remaining regular enemies.

"No idea.", Yang responded, "But when it's from Merlot as well, it's probably disturbing and dangerous."

"Better keep our guard up.", Ruby said, "We have no idea what these things are capable of."

They didn't have to wait very long to find out, though. When one of the red lizard-Creeps had come close enough to the crimsonette, it suddenly vomited a piping hot, viscous, orange liquid that burned the ground and almost also the scythe-wielder. Luckily, she had already expected something along those lines to happen, managed to dodge out of the way, and eliminated the creature with a bullet to the head. When it exploded, more of the lava-like substance was expelled, covering an area about five yards in diameter. But, different from the purple acid, it didn't evaporate and continued to pose a blazing threat.

"Careful with the red ones!", Ruby yelled, "They belch and explode into some scorching stuff that doesn't disappear!"

"Copy that!", Weiss responded and summoned a deflection Glyph to shield herself from a couple of incoming icicles, "The blue ones can spit ice shards! No idea if a single hit can pierce an Aura, but I'm not very keen on finding out!"

A swift rotation of Myrtenaster's revolving chamber equipped the weapon with fire Dust – since the heiress assumed that it would be effective against such an icy foe. Then she fired a barrage of burning bolts at the Creep and, pretty much as expected, killed the creature with it. This time, the explosion caused a multitude of icicles to be sent in every direction. It was little short of a miracle that none of the Huntspeople or the policemen got hit... but two of the Atlesian Knights lost an arm and a leg, respectively. And even though that didn't give clear information about the danger the projectiles posed to a human – the robots were unable to generate an Aura, after all – if they were able to cut through metal, getting hit by one would be an incredibly unpleasant experience, to put it kindly.

"What the hell was that?!", Blake exclaimed immediately after an ice shard tore through one of the tails of her coat.

"Whenever you're about to kill one of the blue Creeps, ALWAYS announce it first, so the others can take cover!", Weiss explained, "These things are like freaking claymores!"

"Understood!", came the reply from the rest of her team, as well as from Ash and Blackwell's city guard.

Meanwhile, Yang was approaching the last of their new enemies, a yellow glowing one. Since the other creatures seemed to be infused with some kind of Dust, she could already assume that this Creep also had a nasty trick related to the multifarious energy propellant up its sleeve. And given the sparks it emitted, it had probably something to do with electricity. When the mutant lunged at the blonde and she dove out of the way, she felt an unpleasant stinging sensation in her wrists, as well as all over her body wherever her clothes featured something metal.

"Alright, the yellow fella's some kind of electric eel!", she enlightened her companions, "Avoid direct contact at all costs... unless you wanna be tasered!"

Then she shot a couple of shells at the beast. However, some kind of magnetic field seemed to deflect a decent amount of the pellet-like projectiles, leaving the Grimm injured, but not yet dead.

"Okay, they can also avert small caliber ammo somehow!", Yang updated her analysis, then she addressed the Creep, "But I bet you can't deflect that, butthead."

True to her assumption, a grenade hit the Grimm right between the eyes, stuck there, and was detonated shortly after. Even without the formerly inflicted injuries, that would've definitely been enough to kill it. The electric pulse the mutant Creeps emitted when it blew up was rather harmless compared to its red and blue brethren's farewell note.

Now that Team RWBY and Ash knew what they were up against, they were able to develop a couple of strategies against these new foes. The lightning mutants were the easiest ones to get accustomed to. Besides the fact that they were charged up, they had no other dangerous abilities. And as long as one didn't use melee attacks and kept some overall distance, they were pretty much fine. Admittedly, the Grimm's magnetic field could deflect smaller bullets – like the ones from Yang's shotgun gauntlets, Blake's pistol, and even their backup's assault rifles (to some extent) – which was rather annoying. It didn't stand a chance against Ruby's sniper rifle, Ash's heavy pistol, and, of course, Weiss' Dust bolts, though.

The fire Creeps were a bit more tricky. Not only did the five Huntspeople need to watch out for their lava-vomit, but the beasts themselves also radiated a blazing heat that was anything but pleasant to whoever got near them. That applied mostly to the heiress since she was neither used to nor very fond of high temperatures. Yang, however, barely cared about it, even when hitting the mutants with her fists. The location for the kill had to be taken into consideration as well. Once a fire Creep was slain, it left behind a bubbling puddle of molten substance and the area was temporarily impassable until it had cooled down.

The ice Grimm were probably the most dangerous ones. They were just as agile as the other mutants, had fast and vicious long-range attacks on top of that, and upon death, they transformed into pretty much unpredictable fragmentation grenades. As Weiss had already suggested, it had to be announced when someone was about to deliver a killing blow to one of the beasts, so their allies could concentrate on blocking or dodging any incoming icy projectiles. Another strategy Team RWBY came up with on the fly was for the heiress to summon a circle of protective Glyphs around the beast immediately after it was defeated. However, this quickly proved to put a huge strain on the white-haired girl's Aura in the long run. Therefore, everybody knew that they needed to think of a different countermeasure soon, in case they encountered a whole lot of these blue pests in the near future.

Thankfully, the number of these new mutants was still manageable this first time... as if it was just some kind of test run. And while Blackwell's defenders had to fight a lot more carefully than against the usually encountered purple Grimm, they quickly got the hang of the new situation and were able to get rid of the threat without any casualties and only minor injuries among the city guard. The four girls and Ash were exhausted and their Auras rather depleted, but despite a few small scalds and bruises, they were completely fine. Nevertheless, they knew better than to celebrate. Quite the contrary, actually: Whatever Merlot had managed to create – and considering that these were probably mere prototypes – only gave them many more reasons to worry about Remnant's future.

"Urgh... thank goodness it's finally over.", Blake sighed and shoved a new magazine into Gambol Shroud, "Well, at least for now. But it seems that the enemy has finally run out of reinforcements for the time being."

"And not a moment too soon.", Yang added and checked her gauntlets, "I'm almost out of grenades. We need to stock up on ammo once we're back in town. I highly doubt that whatever we brought along will be enough. Can you make more of them if supplied with the correct tools and materials, Rubes?"

"I guess so.", the crimsonette said, leaning on her scythe to support her exhausted body, "A few mechanical parts, some already prepped Dust crystals... would be easier to give one of these things to a professional and see if they can replicate it, though. I'm just a tinkerer and can't manufacture them in large quantities. You already used up about half of the stuff I needed three days to assemble back at Patch."

"Whoa... sorry, sis. I guess I should be a little more thrifty with these things, then.", the blonde apologized.

"They were effective, ya used them, end o' story.", Ash suddenly tossed in in his usual, gravelly voice, "On your deathbed, nobody's gonna say "At least she saved us some ammo"."

"Fair point.", Yang admitted.

"Anyway, let's catch our breaths, wait for a few minutes in case another stray pack arrives – 'though I doubt it – and return to the HQ.", the black-haired Huntsman suggested, "Then we'll assess the attack, plan our next moves, 'n call it a day. Sun's gonna set in about an hour anyway. Pointless to head out now since none of you besides Blake can see shit at night. No offense, though..."

"Makes sense to me.", Weiss agreed, "An ambush of these things at night and we'd be toast."

"I could use a little break as well.", Blake seconded, "Whatever just attacked us is a serious threat. Diving into the next battle unprepared, exhausted, and with three of us at a major disadvantage would be suicide."

"The next time we attend to a mission, remind me to ask for night vision goggles.", Ruby grumbled, "I feel a little useless now."

"What didn't ya understand about "No offense"?", Ash sighed, "Now I feel like a scumbag. Hey, if it lightens ya up a bit, at least ya don't have to worry about catching this thing...", he grabbed his tail and waved it around, "...in a door. Happens way too often and kinda makes me wanna tuck it away again."

"What about kitty-cat here?", Yang suddenly asked, "She just has the ears, so there are pretty much no other complications... instead of needing twice as much Q-tips."

"Thanks for helping, Blondie.", the Huntsman groaned in slight annoyance.

"Relax, you two.", Ruby appeased her companions, "I was just trying to make a joke... well, mostly. But night vision must be pretty handy at, well, all times. Am I right?"

"You can read in bed at night without disturbing your teammates.", Blake explained with a chuckle, "Although it quickly becomes quite tiring to decipher the small letters without some proper light."

"If I were a Faunus, I'd probably spy on the boys in the other dorm rooms in the cover of darkness.", Yang responded with a shrug, "Maybe some of them sleep naked."

"There are two kinds of people.", Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, accompanied by a hearty laugh from Ash.

The five trained warriors waited for about a quarter of an hour, but when no more Grimm showed up, they decided to return to Blackwell's police station. On their way out of the mine, Ash picked up his duster coat he had flung to a safe distance so it wouldn't be corroded by acid, or burnt, or destroyed by the many other hazards they had encountered today. A police van picked them up at the entrance, ready to carry them back to their office.

They had a lot to discuss... and a lot to figure out so this town – and others – won't end up in ruins.

Chapter Text

"So let me sum this up again.", Yang said once the group of five was back in their office at the police station, "Blackwell's mine is under attack for about a month or two... or three, you're (she was referring to Ash) already here for eight days... and this was the first time these weird fire, ice, and lightning mutants showed up?"

"Urgh... how many times do I have to repeat myself?", the black-haired Huntsman grumbled, "Until the four o' ya showed up here, the patrols and I were just dealing with the purple bastards: acid vomit, acid explosions, y'know the drill. There haven't been any freaking fire-belching, icicle-spitting, shock-emitting abominations so far."

"Were there at least any hints about other mutants than the regular ones?", Blake asked further, "Like... I don't know... unusual forest fires, especially grim frost where you wouldn't expect it, a static charge on machines or equipment?"

"Nuffin' at all, cross ma heart.", Ash responded firmly, "Why won't ya believe it when I tell ya these new mutants showed up out of the blue today?"

"Okay, thank you very much for that information... again.", Ruby suddenly tossed in, interrupted her teammates' banter in the process, and studied the maps sprawled out on the table everybody was sitting around, "If we take that into account, it's either incredibly weird that the new mutants haven't shown up until now, or it means something. Maybe Merlot has been holding back this bigger threat until a full-fletched team of Huntresses – or Huntresses-in-training, in our case – arrived... y'know, to test them. Which would mean that he has this whole mining site surveilled somehow."

"But how could he possibly accomplish that?", Weiss wondered, "Don't you think that some kind of cameras, no matter how small, would've been noticed? Or could it be that Merlot somehow manages to watch us through his Grimm army?"

"I highly doubt that.", Blake said, "Admittedly, we know he can somehow communicate with them, as he could with Ruby when she'd been infected with this Grimm-illness. But I think it's a bit far-fetched to assume that he can also see through their eyes, for the lack of a better explanation."

"That's not necessarily the only way Merlot could surveil what his mutants encounter.", the heiress responded, "It could be a lot less complex. Among Huntspeople, it's general knowledge that Grimm can sense negative emotions... and beyond that probably Aura, too. So what if Merlot can't just order them around, but their communication is mutual? His mutants encounter a few exceptional Auras, send him some kind of signal, and he commands his new abominations to attack now that there's a real threat. Highly speculative, I know, but has anyone of you a better explanation?"

"But wouldn't it be a lot smarter to just – and sorry I'm putting that so bluntly – wipe out every bit of resistance at the mine with these new mutants and pillage the Dust instead of waiting for someone capable of knocking the stuffing out of them?", Yang mentioned.

"Not for a crazy scientist, it seems.", the black-haired girl shrugged, "As Ruby's said, Merlot probably wants to test this new type of Grimm extensively to weed out any major weaknesses before he starts mass-producing them. Otherwise, he'd waste a lot of time and Dust on a more or less ineffective army. Nevertheless, and as unlikely as it sounds, it may still be possible that the completion of this first batch and our arrival coincidentally collided."

"Also, just conquering a mine by force isn't exactly Merlot's way of doing things.", Weiss added, "It's way too conspicuous and may even endanger whatever other plans he has concerning this field study. By now – considering the sudden appearance of new mutated Grimm – it is probably safe to assume that we aren't dealing with a simple Dust-stealing operation here."

"Agreed.", Ash seconded dryly without even looking up from the various maps.

"But look on the bright sight.", Yang said, "At least we have already found out why Merlot needs so much Dust: He wants to create new mutants to raise an even deadlier army. Nevertheless, that's something we can easily take care of by tracking down and destroying the presumed forward operating base."

"Encountering the mutants only explains the what, not the why.", Ruby suddenly rejoined the conversation, "Maybe even just a part of the what. I mean, Merlot could've easily experimented with Grimm and elemental Dust in his main lab, then sic them on some Huntspeople or other defensive forces to test them. There has to be another reason why he took the trouble to set up a bigger operation here. Not just stealing Dust or assessing the fighting strength of his new creations, but something more... sinister and, well, mad-scientisty."

Unfortunately, everyone had to agree that the crimsonette's words made sense. This mission would most certainly not be as easy as simply getting rid of a few Grimm and some kind of processing plant.

"Therefore, we should plan our next step, namely where to begin our investigation of the perimeter.", Ruby continued determined, "Given the information displayed on these many maps, we can pinpoint the locations from where the Grimm most frequently attacked the mine. And that would be Sector F1 in the very back, E9 pretty much on the opposite side, and C2 – today's battlefield. And since we've encountered these new fire, ice, and lightning mutants there, I'd say we start with checking out the surroundings of that one."

"Sounds like a good plan to me, kiddo.", Ash nodded and scanned some files, then he returned his attention back to the maps, "It's also not that far away from the town limit, so we can prolly investigate the perimeter of the sector within a day and return to the city in the evening. I dunno what's your opinion on that, but I'm not very fond o' setting up camp in the middle o' nowhere while it's freezin' cold outside. 'though we most certainly won't get 'round that at one point..."

"Thank goodness we brought long undies.", Yang explained with a chuckle, "Situations like these are probably the only raison d'être for those passion killers."

"Raison d'être?", Weiss asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, just because I don't use a lot of big words doesn't mean I don't know a couple.", the blonde responded with a shrug, "I'm actually a lot smarter than you give me credit for."

"Your grades tell a different story, though.", Blake tossed in teasingly.

"That's because I'm lazy, not because I'm stupid.", Yang defended herself.

"Feel ya, sister.", Ash chuckled deeply, "But enough with the chit-chat. We should concentrate on planning our next steps. Would be rather shitty freezin' to death in some backwoods forest or gettin' mauled, melted, impaled, or electrocuted by a couple o' freaky mutants."

"I second that.", the crimsonette chimed in, "This mission is going to be tougher and more dangerous than we thought. So we need to prepare every action to take right down to the last detail."

"You know... you're incredibly sexy when you're in full leader-mode, Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered to her girlfriend, quiet enough for nobody else to hear. Needless to say, this made the younger girl blush a bit, yet it also motivated her even more to plot their first investigation as fine-grained as humanly possible.

By the time the group of five had come to terms with tomorrow's plans, it had long since gotten dark outside – it was winter, after all. Nevertheless, it was still way too early to turn in for the night, so Ash offered to show the girls around town a bit so they would know the location of a few points of interest, namely the supply depot of Blackwell's police force – which sat a few blocks off the actual station – to stock up on provisions and ammunition, the gunsmith so they could keep their weapons in check, convenience stores, restaurants, and the like. Of course, the tour would end at their accommodation.

Needless to say, Team RWBY gladly accepted. Who knew how long they had to stay before they found the clues about Merlot they were hoping for? Therefore, the four girls shouldered their luggage again and headed out, following Ash's guidance.

After they had wandered around town for a while and memorized the layout (more or less), the black-haired Huntsman treated them to dinner at a small, cheap, yet pretty nice diner. The menu was anything but extensive, but – much to their surprise – the four girls still found something that fit their respective tastes: Blake went with a tuna sandwich, Weiss ordered a mixed green salad with chicken. Yang settled for a BBQ cheeseburger with fries... and Ruby for pancakes with banana slices and chocolate sauce – which immediately rekindled the probably never-ending debate between her and her girlfriend if breakfast for dinner was either absolutely delicious and creative or just culinary anarchy. And considering everything they had gone through today, the blonde and the two Faunus were grateful for the entertainment the young couple provided.

When it was Ash's turn to order, the waitress simply asked "The usual?" and got a nod in return. Apparently, the black-haired Huntsman had visited this diner quite a couple of times over the eight days he was garrisoned here so far.

When their drinks arrived – two iced teas, two sodas, and a milkshake (for the sugar-addicted crimsonette) – the black-haired man quickly used an unobserved moment to pour a shot of liquor from his flask into his pop since the diner didn't serve any alcoholic beverages. The four girls raised an eyebrow each, but didn't comment on his actions. Once again, Ruby couldn't help but notice some similarities between Ash and her uncle. Were all pure Huntsmen – her dad primarily taught at Signal, after all – like that, she wondered? Thank goodness she didn't like the taste of alcohol, or she would've worried to become like that herself someday.

Soon after, their food arrived – in the black-haired Huntsman's case a huge meatball sub of some sorts – and they dug in. The next two hours were filled with chewing and smacking and, after they were done eating, with chit-chat and laughter. After Team RWBY's rather rough welcome, it was refreshing not to care about a single thing in the world, even if it was just for the time being. Therefore, the group of five wallowed in memories – as limited as they were – exchanged various stories, or just joked around.

A little past nine o'clock, Ash decided it was time they left so he could show the four girls the inn they were staying at. He paid for dinner, then they were on their way again. It was a rather short walk, though, and a couple of blocks later, they had already arrived.

"Huh... this doesn't look half bad.", Yang said once they were standing in front of the four-storied building. The black-haired Huntsman might have called it an inn, but it most certainly looked more like a hotel... and a rather nice one, on top of that.

"I know. Way better than the flophouse at Nave, am I right?", Ash responded, "Nothin' against my home, but then again, this is a real town, not just a fishin' hamlet. No board as well, though. Beacon's just paying for the rooms."

"Considering the breakfast menu at the diner, I actually don't mind that.", Ruby tossed in with a giggle.

"If you don't take any hair-care products into account – which I brought myself – I'm a pretty humble person, too.", the blonde seconded, "I just need a bunk and a bathroom and I'm happy."

"I guess we can all agree on the fact that our job has taught us to appreciate even the little things.", Weiss mentioned, "Like sleeping in an actual bed in a secluded room while on a mission."

"Did you really expect to be accommodated in some empty room at the police station?", Ash asked, "With a folding cot and a sink for some kind of catlick?" Blake was about to make a witty remark about the Huntsman's phrasing before she remembered that he was part cat as well.

"Not exactly.", Ruby responded, "But we thought our housing would be more like a normal motel or hostel or the like... not a real hotel."

"Then I'd say ya can consider yourself lucky.", the black-haired man said, "Rooms're pretty nice here: mini-fridge, TV... though kinda I doubt you're gonna have much time to watch ya favorite programs."

"Don't worry about that.", Yang replied with a chuckle, "Blake's more a fan of books, Rubes and I told our dad to record our favored shows for the time being... and I highly doubt that Weiss considers normal things fun anyway."

"Do all of us have to share the same room or are we housed separately?", the white-haired girl asked Ash, paying no mind to her teammate's comment.

"Double rooms.", the Huntsman responded.

"In that case, Yang...", the heiress finally addressed the blonde, "...I can assure you that I'm going to have plenty of what normal people consider fun, if you catch my drift." And, in a fit of boldness, she wrapped her hand around the crimsonette's waist and pulled her close to her.

"Snowflake!", Ruby exclaimed and blushed as red as her namesake, "And here it's usually you who always reprimands me when I say such things in front of other people."

"Alright... as already said, happy to hear that your relationship's still going strong.", Ash said with a hearty, although slightly embarrassed laugh, "But I seriously don't need any details on that front. So how about we get you checked in and you can... well, do whatever you deem appropriate for the time of day and the amount of privacy."

"Totally fine with me.", Blake suddenly piped up, "Now that our two love-birds have even announced their plans for tonight, I definitely need to distract myself from the many disturbing thoughts with a good book. Preferably something academically dry. Let's just hope the walls are soundproof in case we get adjacent rooms."

"Since ma neighbors haven't complained 'bout my snoring yet, I assume that the sound reduction is working quite well.", the black-haired Huntsman said with a grin, "Anyway, let's getcha to your rooms. The sooner you go to sleep...", he shot a meaningful glance towards Ruby and Weiss, "...the better rested you'll be tomorrow. And I'm sure ya gonna need a good night's sleep, so keep whatever you plan to do to an appropriate level."

Upon hearing this, it was also Weiss' turn to blush. However, she knew that Ash was right. She and Ruby couldn't love each other until the sun rose... even though she wanted to. Nevertheless, a few intimate activities were most certainly okay, the heiress was sure of it. And wouldn't it even help their combat moral if they weren't just well-rested, but also sexually satisfied?

The registration progress was a simple one. The four girls just had to show their IDs and Beacon badges and they got the key cards to their respective rooms: 213 and 214. Ash was staying in room 204. The black-haired Huntsman suggested – or rather ordered – for them to meet in the lobby at half past seven by the latest. That way, they could grab a bite to eat on their way to the police station, prepare, and it would be light when they'd set out to investigate Sector C2's surroundings.

After that had been said, he and the four girls parted ways and went to their respective rooms.

"Alright, you two.", Yang sternly addressed the White Rose couple once Team RWBY was standing in front of 213 and 214, "Ash may have told us that the soundproofing here is quite decent, but he doesn't know how loud you can be when you really get into it. So if... or, well, when you do so, please try to keep it down a little tonight. Tomorrow's most certainly gonna be exhausting, so I'd appreciate a good night's rest."

"Roger that.", Ruby responded with a grin, "I'm pretty sure we're gonna find some way to muffle our moans."

"Aaand I'm out.", Blake sighed at the comment and unlocked the door to 213 with her key card, "Good night, you two. Don't overdo it."

"Don't worry.", Weiss reassured her teammate, "Ruby and I will be good and quiet, I promise."

"If only I could believe you.", the blonde grumbled and followed the black-haired girl into their room, "G'night."

"Sleep tight.", the crimsonette shot back, then she and her girlfriend entered their respective room as well and switched on the lights.

Just like the reinstated Huntsman had already told them, it was pretty luxurious compared to Nave's humble inn. The room itself was decent in size and neatly furnished. Next to the entrance, on the right side, stood a large, empty wardrobe for them to store their clothes. To the left, there was another door, most certainly leading into the bathroom. Down the short hallway stood a low dresser, a flatscreen TV on top, and a minifridge next to it. Behind the arrangement, in the back left corner, stood a small, round table with two chairs. Most of the right section of the room was occupied by two single beds, separated by a nightstand.

"Huh... Ash didn't promise too much.", Ruby remarked and put her backpack down, "This place looks really nice."

"It certainly does.", Weiss agreed and closed the door behind them, then she rummaged through her own rucksack and fished out her toilet bag and her nightgown, "Dibs on the first shower."

"Fine with me.", the crimson-haired girl responded, "I'll unpack and stow our stuff away, at least everything we won't be needing tomorrow."

"Thank you, Rose Petal.", the heiress said, "See you in a bit." Then she left her girlfriend to her duties.

The bathroom was pretty ordinary, but still more than sufficient. There was a sink right in front of the white-haired girl, a mirror hung on the wall above it. To her right stood a high, slim cabinet containing towels and a few small bottles of various toiletries. Behind it, the shower cabin was installed, a towel rack next to it. In the farthest corner of the room was the WC.

Weiss quickly undressed, relieved herself on the toilet, stepped into the shower, and adjusted the water temperature. Then she began cleaning herself thoroughly. It was one of her favorite times of the day ever since she was a Huntress-in-training: soothing her sore muscles with – in her opinion – warm water and washing all the sweat and grime off of her body after a long day of fighting. For a little over a year, she even would've considered it her most favored activity regarding comfort and relaxation. But then a crimson-haired hotspur had broken down a bathroom door at the most inappropriate – or most appropriate, as it turned out later – moment possible, one thing led to another, and soon, other actions quickly knocked a nice shower down from first place in terms of pleasure.

When the white-haired girl was sure that she was completely clean, she stepped out of the cabin and toweled herself down. She put on her nightgown for the time being, not even bothering with underwear since she had other plans for the night, brushed her hair, and then her teeth. Once done with every task she deemed necessary to get ready for bed, she exited the bathroom again.

"Shower's all yours.", Weiss announced once she had spotted her girlfriend sitting at the table and fidgeting with her Scroll, "By the way, have you already picked a bed for yourself? I need to make sure to occupy it and burn the other one so you won't have another choice but to cuddle with me."

"Feel free to choose either one.", Ruby giggled and grabbed her toilet bag and a set of clothes which were already resting on the table, "I'll simply pick mine by enticement afterwards. Spoiler warning: Cute, sexy girlfriend is most certainly gonna beat free space by a long shot."

With these words, she stood up, made her way to the bathroom – not without giving the white-haired girl a soft peck on the cheek in passing – and stepped inside.

Once Weiss was sure that the door was shut, she carried out her plan. She turned the dim bedside lamp on and the bright ceiling light off. Then she got rid of her nightgown again and stowed it away in the wardrobe. After that had been taken care of, she quickly slipped under the covers of one of the beds – since they were pretty much the same, it didn't actually matter which one to pick – and made sure that her nakedness was completely hidden by the blanket. A small grin appeared on her face at the thought of Ruby noticing the surprise in a couple of minutes. Usually, the crimsonette was the bold one of the two in the bedroom... but that didn't mean that the heiress couldn't be a bit daring herself from time to time.

After the white-haired girl had gotten comfortable, there wasn't much else to do but to wait for her girlfriend to finish preparing for bed. Therefore, she simply listened to the sound of the running shower and Ruby's soft hums that drowned it occasionally. However, another noise suddenly blended into the symphony, and it didn't seem to be a pleasant one. It almost sounded like the crimsonette was... quietly cursing? The heiress was about to check on her girlfriend, but then the annoyed mumbles stopped again, topped off by a defeated sigh. Apparently, it had just been a typical Ruby-problem – maybe she had knocked something over, stubbed her toe, or the like. In a few minutes, Weiss could soothe her girlfriend anyway, no matter what was bothering her.

Soon, the shower was turned off and the faint sound of the crimsonette brushing her teeth could be heard. Any moment now, the white-haired girl thought and her grin grew a little wider. However, the anticipation also had another impact on her now, namely a familiar throb between her legs and a noticeable redirection of her blood flow. Her usually thumb-sized member slowly started to swell, gaining approximately four or five inches and getting half-hard before the growth came to a temporary halt. Of course, this bit of imaginary stimulus didn't suffice for it to reach its full size – almost exactly 13.8 inches, as measured by a curious Ruby one night at Patch. Nevertheless, it still amazed the heiress that the mere thought of her beautiful girlfriend was still enough to get her going, even after everything they had already done and the amount of self-control she had (assumed she had) acquired.

Weiss was shaken out of her contemplations when she heard the bathroom door opening and the crimsonette stepping inside the room again. The heiress tried her best to relax and to act the innocent while her girlfriend slowly approached the bed. However, for some reason, Ruby seemed to be a bit disappointed – the white-haired girl already noticed it from the way she walked. But what could've spoiled her mood in the maybe fifteen minutes in the bathroom?

The heiress tried not to rack her brain about it for the time being. She would cheer her girlfriend up again in a couple of seconds anyway.

"Hey, Weiss.", the crimsonette began softly and slipped under the covers to embrace her lover, "We have a little... wh-wha!"

She cut herself off the moment she had wrapped her arms around the white-haired girl. While she had expected to feel the silky fabric of a nightgown, her touch was met with the warm, soft skin of Weiss' underboob. However, it didn't end there. The moment the contact was established, the heiress grabbed her girlfriend's hand, pulled it a bit higher, and encouraged it to squeeze one of her perky breasts. A shiver of arousal went down the crimsonette's spine when she felt a rock-hard nipple press into her palm.

"Surprise.", Weiss whispered softly, then she turned around in Ruby's arms and gave her lover a deep, passionate kiss. She made sure to firmly push her naked form into the crimsonette's pajama-clad one so the younger girl could feel her boobs against her own and her pulsing, hardening cock against her crotch and belly. Barely three seconds into the kiss and the white-haired girl's tongue already conquered new ground. The stunned crimsonette found herself unable to say or do anything but to moan into Weiss' mouth after her lips had been pried open.

Completely taken by instinct, Ruby's hands cupped one of her girlfriend's upper and lower cheeks respectively and gave the one downstairs a firm squeeze. The heiress did the same, quickly slipping her dainty fingers under the crimsonette's pajama pants and panties and massaging her shapely butt. Her other hand left the back of the younger girl's neck once she was sure that they wouldn't part anytime soon, and slid under Ruby's tanktop, sensually groping and caressing one of her full breasts. Almost immediately, their moans got considerably louder, especially the crimsonette's.

But then the younger girl remembered what she had been trying to tell Weiss on her arrival – and that this would certainly get in the way of their initial plans.

"W-wait, Snowflake.", she explained after she had somehow managed to break the kiss and push her over-zealous girlfriend away a bit, "We, umm, I... you see, something kinda inconvenient happened just now."

"Does it severely interfere with tonight's anticipated activities?", the heiress asked with a sigh, "Otherwise, I'd rather focus on worshipping every inch of your perfect body and you can tell me after I'm done turning you into a panting, semi-conscious, completely satisfied mess."

Needless to say, Weiss' words were enough to make Ruby quiver in arousal again. Her pussy would've most certainly started to leak... if there wasn't something currently preventing that.

"To put it simply: I'm having a... code red down there, if you understand.", the crimsonette finally explained with a slight blush, "So the passage is kinda blocked right now."

"What? But why? If I recall your cycle correctly, this shouldn't happen for another three or four days.", the white-haired girl asked confused, but then she got worried, "Wait, you do take your birth control pills daily, right? If you forget it from time to time, it could mess with your hormones... and, most importantly, it can be incredibly risky to have unprotected..."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry.", the crimsonette immediately interrupted her rambling girlfriend, "I would never be careless about something that important. It's most certainly just stress that's messing with my cycle. Not the first time it's gone completely crazy when something extraordinary was going on, like a dangerous mission or the like. When I got accepted into Beacon two years early, I thought I've somehow gotten pregnant at first, despite still being a virgin, and after nine more days over, I believed someone had stabbed me in the morning. Oh, umm, sorry about the details. What I'm trying to say is that I'm completely fine... besides, well, a few things needing to be canceled tonight."

"Urgh, I guess it can't be helped.", Weiss sighed again, but quickly adopted a comforting and loving expression, "Nevertheless, there are still a couple of things we could do... if you're comfortable with that, of course. I'm pretty sure we can also have a pleasant night without any penetration."

Ruby was about to agree... but then she had another idea. There was still a second hole down there for her girlfriend to use and they had already talked about trying some new stuff but never pulled through with it so far. Maybe now was the right time to make a virtue out of necessity.

Well, it won't hurt to at least address it, she thought determined. And who knew, it might be just as pleasurable (or at least close to) as doing it the regular way.

"I guess we could go with your suggestion.", the crimsonette began a bit hesitantly, "Or we could try... a-anal tonight, if you want to. I mean, I'm completely clean back in there right now."

She had barely finished her sentence before the heiress blushed so deeply that every ounce of blood should've left her dick, causing it to immediately shrivel up again. That begged one question: Why was the opposite the case... and where did her body find enough of the red liquid to paint her face a deep crimson and still cause her cock to surge in size once more? Could the rest of her organism really spare it, or would her other organs slowly shut down if this particular state continued for too long? Maybe the weird Dust experiment forced on her when she had been a baby had also altered her bone marrow, her liver, and other components of the hematopoietic system to properly deal with situations like that. In that case, there would be nothing to worry about.

Wait... Did Ruby just ask her if she wanted to fuck her up the bum tonight?!

"A-are you serious about that, Rose Petal?", the white-haired stammered in utter disbelief once she had managed to process the information.

"Well, why not?", the crimsonette responded with a small shrug, "We've already discussed the matter on a few occasions. And what mostly held us back from trying it out was the fact that whenever we planned our intimate activities back at Beacon, we made sure that our date nights and my period wouldn't clash. Now we have a room to ourselves by accident, so to speak, and my pussy isn't available. So why don't we finally give it a shot? Maybe it'll even turn out to be surprisingly pleasurable and we'll discover an entirely new world of fetishes, hehe."

The last part was mostly meant as a joke since both Ruby and Weiss highly doubted that they would ever get tired of doing things the traditional way. Nevertheless, trying out something new in a sexual manner was always exciting... and once the younger girl had finished her explanations, the heiress' member throbbed eagerly against her midriff and expelled an especially voluminous glob of warm, sticky precum to stain the crimsonette's tanktop with.

"And it seems your not-so-little friend down there is already looking forward to claiming my last remaining virginity.", Ruby added with another chuckle and gave her girlfriend's by now almost fully erect member a gentle squeeze, making Weiss shiver in the process.

"B-but will it really be fine?", the white-haired girl asked concerned, "After all, that hole isn't supposed to be penetrated... at least not by something as big as my... endowment."

"If we simply go by size, your cock probably isn't supposed to penetrate anything, Snowflake.", the crimsonette explained with a soft giggle, "At least nothing human. But, believe it or not, whenever I had the pleasure to experience it in whatever way, complaining or pondering what should be anatomically possible was more or less the last thing on my to-do list... mostly because I was too busy cumming my brains out. And if my pussy and womb managed to appreciate your giant dick so much, I'm pretty sure my butt will as well... as long as we're careful and take things slow again, that is. After all, we needed some kind of settling-in phase in the first case, too."

And with that, the younger girl gave her girlfriend another gentle kiss and her member another reassuring squeeze.

"S-so... we're really doing it this time?", Weiss asked conclusively, still a bit hesitant – although one of her hands was still massaging one of the crimsonette's simply perfect butt cheeks.

"Just relax and let me handle the preparations and the insertion.", Ruby reassured her, "Just like the first time we made love about half a year ago. That way, you won't have to worry about doing anything I might dislike since I can set the pace. However, if I'm doing something you're uncomfortable with, tell me immediately, okay?"

"O-of course.", the heiress confirmed. Nevertheless, she highly doubted that the crimsonette was even remotely capable of doing anything in terms of consensual sexual favors (which excluded that one, horrible time while Ruby had been severely affected by the weird Grimm-illness) that would come close to put her off. If anything, Weiss merely expected to tell her lover to slow down occasionally (or frequently) so she won't be launched over the edge in an instant.

The white-haired girl's affirmation wasn't even answered verbally. Instead, the crimsonette simply pressed her lips to her girlfriend's own pillowy pair and pushed her tongue through the barely existent resistance it provided. A sultry dance of the two slippery muscles followed immediately. However, the passionate make-out session hardly persisted for more than ten seconds before Ruby broke the kiss again and her lips and hands trailed downwards. At first, they paid a lot of attention to her girlfriend's neck and collarbones, then they settled for the white-haired girl's moderately sized – yet in the crimsonette's opinion absolutely immaculate – breasts. One of her hands quickly encompassed one and squeezed the impossibly soft and sensual mound while her mouth soon caught the pink, stiff nub on top of the other and started sucking. A small push was all it took to turn the heiress onto her back and the younger girl – not once breaking contact – climbed on top of her.

Her promise to Blake and Yang already forgotten, Weiss let out a deep moan at the many sensations she was currently experiencing. And they hadn't even started with the main course yet! It seemed that Ruby had long since come to know her body better than she herself: Every kiss, lick, touch, and squeeze hit all the right spots and was timed perfectly. By now, the heiress' member was drooling a near-constant stream of precum that pooled on her stomach and sometimes – when ejected with enough pressure – splattered against the underside of the younger girl's still clothed breasts.

After a while, the crimsonette deemed the attention her girlfriend's boobs had gotten sufficient and she continued her descent. However, the distance she had to travel to reach her next destination was a tiny one. Weiss' cock was already completely erect and the tip was barely two inches short of reaching her cleavage. Therefore, it merely took Ruby a little shuffle and a tilt of her head, and her lips were firmly planted on the hot, throbbing crown. She had already greedily slurped and swallowed the next, considerably bigger glob of precum before she remembered that she actually wanted to use the sticky substance as lube. But then again, there was still more than enough where the tasty treat came from, so it was most certainly alright to snack on it a little.

"Gosh, Rose Petal... y-you're absolutely amazing.", Weiss cooed and gently ran her hands through her lover's silky hair, "Even after all the time we've been together, I still don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful girlfriend like you."

Encouraged by the sweet declaration, Ruby decided to step it up a notch. She withdrew her lips from the heiress' sizable cock and sat up again, discarding the covers in the process, then she quickly removed her tanktop and let her perky breasts spill out. The sight of the pale, perfectly round, gravity-defying orbs made Weiss shiver in arousal and her cock spew another thick lump of precum, this time forceful enough that it almost hit the white-haired girl in the face. The reaction caused the crimsonette to grin seductively before she grabbed her lover's pulsating member and pulled it towards her until the tip was pointed at the ceiling. Then she bent forward a bit to catch the heiress' precum-belching glans between her lips again – but this time, she also encompassed the shaft with her soft, full tits.

The amount of the hot, sticky substance that was blasted into her mouth this time was almost enough to puff her cheeks out. The younger girl was incredibly tempted to gulp it down again, but could control herself this time. Instead, she released the vacuum-seal her lips had instinctively formed on Weiss' cock and let the cum flow out and down the thick, throbbing shaft. If they really wanted to fit the enormous thing into her tiny pucker, it definitely had to be well-lubricated.

Therefore, Ruby continued her ministrations for quite some time, dragging her tongue, lips, hands, and breasts along the mighty pillar of flesh and thoroughly coating it in a mixture of semen and saliva. The whole endeavor was accompanied by a symphony of sweet moans and gasps from Weiss, with the occasional interjection that told the crimsonette to slow down a little. By now, the heiress' precum production had doubled or even tripled, her huge member emitting more and thicker essence in a single spurt than a normal male could produce during an actual orgasm. Of course, the younger girl was incredibly pleased by that: Not only provided it the much-needed lube, it also meant that she could drink at least some of the generous output.

After a couple of minutes, Ruby was satisfied with her handiwork. When she finally withdrew the many pleasure sources from her girlfriend's enormous dick, it was coated in a thick, shining layer of spit and semen. It also looked a little bigger than before... and the crimsonette wondered if it was just her imagination or if the multifarious stimuli had caused Weiss' member to crack the fourteen-inch-mark this time. However, now wasn't the right moment to be vexed about the fact that she hadn't a measuring tape at hand. Instead, she should prepare for the next step that was about to follow – namely getting this intimidating thing into her tiniest hole, preferably to the hilt.

"Alright, Snowflake.", the younger girl announced and a smirk appeared on her face when she saw her heavily panting lover looking back at her with half-lidded eyes, "I hope you're ready for a whole new experience."

"I-I'm pretty sure I already had one.", Weiss shot back, her voice quivering, "H-has our foreplay always been this intense?"

"Sometimes, I think...", Ruby responded thoughtfully, "But this time, I was extra thorough to get you ready for the rather unusual main course."

"You could've just ignored my pleas for you to slow down and sent me over the edge... probably multiple times already.", the white-haired girl explained, finally having caught her breath again, "Then I would've tended to your needs with my hands and tongue and we could've called it a day without trying... y'know."

"I know.", the crimsonette said with a sweet smile, "But I finally want to pull through with it tonight. And aren't you curious about how it feels as well? Being deep inside my tight, little butt, your fat cock rearranging my insides, and then blowing a load so huge it fills and bloats my stomach from the wrong end?"

As always, the dirty talk didn't miss its mark. It seemed that Weiss' cock swelled even bigger once again and whatever spurted from the tip probably couldn't be called precum anymore as well. Ruby could even make out a few pulsing veins on the usually smooth and feminine-looking shaft. It was obvious that her girlfriend really had a thing for taboos, may it be (semi-)public sex or, in this case, shoving her cock into a forbidden hole.

Deciding she had teased and kept the white-haired girl waiting long enough, the crimsonette stood up and got rid of her pajama pants and panties in one, swift motion. Then she climbed onto the bed again and straddled her lover's lap in a reverse cowgirl position. There was no need for Weiss to see her pussy and, in addition, the tiny cord currently dangling out of it, although she doubted that the white-haired girl would mind it that much – she was still a girl herself, after all, extra appendage or not.

Once she had gotten comfortable, Ruby lifted her butt into the air and used one of her hands to spread her shapely cheeks apart, making sure that her girlfriend got a good view of the pink, puckered hole her massive cock was supposed to enter this time. In Weiss' opinion, it looked waaay too small to be penetrated by her almost fist-sized glans... but, on the other hand, the younger girl's pussy – and even her cervix – always handled it without much trouble. Maybe it was safe to assume that her asshole was just as stretchy. Of course, the heiress intended to pull out immediately the moment she noticed that she was causing her lover any pain, even if the crimsonette wanted to keep going.

She could barely hold on to that thought when she suddenly felt Ruby's dainty hand grabbing her slick cock – her fingers only able to encompass a little more than half of the turgid shaft – and lining it up with her tiny orifice. The moment it prodded the tight ring of muscles, another huge spurt of precum left its urethra which almost completely filled the crimsonette's butt crack before it flowed down her member again and pooled between the couple's legs.

"Well, then... here goes nothing.", the younger girl announced one last time and finally started to lower herself.

At first, they didn't make any progress at all. Weiss' cock was just too big and Ruby's narrow passage too tense to make penetration possible. But the crimsonette tried her best to relax her sphincter and made another approach. The heiress, for her part, simply forced herself to resist the urge to buck her hips into her lover – already a task and a half, in her opinion.

Agonizingly slowly, Ruby's butthole spread... and kept spreading. Gradually, the tip of Weiss' cock sunk deeper into the tight, trembling ring of muscles, approaching and passing the halfway point. And with the white-haired girl's urethra completely buried inside, every drop of precum her member spit out landed inside the younger girl's bowels, providing further lubricant.

"Hngh... s-so hot.", the crimsonette moaned once the first sizable deluge of sticky fluid entered her ass, savoring the pleasant warmth that distracted her from the slight strain she already felt. However, she also noticed that her ass was starting to loosen up, allowing her to take the increasing girth a little easier. She applied more pressure... and then a little more – until, finally, her anus slipped past the rim of her girlfriend's glans with a wet pop.

Both girls let out a loud gasp the moment it happened: Ruby at how full and stretched she felt and Weiss at the incredible tightness the younger girl's orifice provided. It certainly outmatched her pussy and even came close to the vice-grip of her cervix. And then there was the immense heat inside this forbidden fruit. Just like the first time – and many others afterwards – the heiress had fucked her girlfriend's heavenly quim, it took her a fair amount of willpower to stop herself from blowing her load right then and there, even though another copious amount of precum plastered the crimsonette's anal walls white.

However, all of the sensations were quickly forgotten when Weiss noticed Ruby's labored breathing.

"O-oh my gosh, Rose Petal!", she exclaimed terrified, "A-are you alright? I-I'm gonna pull out, okay!"

"N-no, wait.", the younger girl responded in a moan that didn't sound pained at all, "I'm – holy cookies, you're so huge – t-totally fine."

"Really?", the heiress asked, still concerned, "Please don't say something like that just because you want to satisfy or prove something to me."

"D-don't worry. If it was awful, I would stop myself.", Ruby explained, "It just feels... weird. But still kinda good-weird."

"Alright. Nevertheless, don't push yourself.", Weiss demanded softly. However, her girlfriend's response caught her off guard.

"But that's the plan, Snowflake.", the crimsonette said with a grin over her shoulder before she turned back and pressed her shapely behind a bit more determined towards the white-haired girl's crotch. From her position, Weiss could see all too clearly how the younger girl's tiny, over-stretched butthole greedily swallowed inch after inch of her engorged member. Had Ruby secretly trained her ass with toys or the like or was she simply a natural when it came to sex... of whatever kind?

After the crimsonette had reached the next halfway mark – this time regarding the heiress' shaft – she finally took a break from her gradual descent to adjust to the massive intrusion. She knew that at least six inches of wrist-thick girl-cock were still left to take, yet she felt utterly stuffed already. A look between her heaving breasts and at her stomach confirmed that the odd sensation wasn't just her imagination: A bit above (and left of, due to the natural curve of her colon) her belly-button, she spotted a rather prominent, visibly throbbing bulge. That deep had her guts been conquered by Weiss' enormous dick so far... and so soon, she mused. An impressive feat, considering it was her first time taking something up her ass. Nevertheless, Ruby still deemed that insufficient – her pussy performed way better. But what did they say: Practice makes perfect.

Therefore, the younger girl slowly lifted her butt up and about three inches of her girlfriend's magnificent tool slid out of her guts again. A long, needy whine escaped the heiress' throat at the feeling of Ruby's tight asshole scraping along her cock – it almost seemed like the ring of muscles wanted to suck her back it. She didn't have to wait for that very long, though, since the crimsonette soon pushed her hips down once more, shoving what she had already taken back inside her tiny tush... plus an additional half an inch, maybe even a whole one. Weiss' eyes barely managed to focus again before her girlfriend repeated the action. Then again... and once more – until she had built up a slow, yet steady rhythm. Grunts of effort mixed with moans of pleasure quickly filled the entire hotel room while Ruby – little by little – approached her goal: her lover's crotch.

The heiress could hardly describe the many sensations she felt as more and more of her ridiculously sized member was devoured by the younger girl's immaculate ass. The heat, the vice-like grip, the loving contractions... it was too much. Her fingernails threatened to tear the bedsheets to shreds as her cock steadily pumped Ruby's bowels full of syrupy precum. She highly doubted that she would last much longer if not given another break to get used to this extraordinary feeling.

As if some higher deity had heard her prayers, her lover's movements suddenly slowed down and finally stopped completely... accompanied by a soft clap. A few seconds later – after the pleasure had sunk to a survivable level – Weiss managed to open one of her eyes again. She was greeted by the sight of Ruby's perfectly round, smooth butt cheeks pressed into her groin. Her dick was nowhere to be seen. That could only mean...

"Aaand done.", the crimsonette announced with a slightly weary, yet proud and happy sigh, "A-all inside." She looked down at her belly and examined the slightly curved bulge again... which by now gently poked the underside of her left boob. She had really done it: She had taken this monster in its entirety into her small, inexperienced ass.

"H-holy mother of... a-are you even real?", Weiss croaked out as she felt her girlfriend's heartbeat hammering right next to the tip of her cock.

"Do I feel real?", Ruby responded seductively and rolled her hips in circles, letting the white-haired girl's massive tool dance around inside of her overstuffed body.

"Hngh... R-ruby, wait.", the heiress quickly exclaimed, "Take it a little slower, okay? The first few times we did it the normal way, I also needed a bit of rest occasionally, or it would've been over way too soon."

"Fine with me.", the crimsonette said softly, "But don't take too long. I'm starting to think that my ass is just as hungry for your cum as my womb." She had barely finished the sentence before an especially powerful throb sent a ripple through her chest and a huge glob of liquid warmth was pushed through her bowels.

"Y-you're not helping here, Rose Petal.", Weiss playfully scolded her girlfriend.

"Sorry.", Ruby apologized and carefully leaned back until she was lying completely on top of the white-haired girl, "I'll be good now."

Then she gently kissed the heiress who immediately returned the gesture.

For a minute or two, the young couple lazily made out with each other until Weiss was sure that she would be able to endure more than a few meager seconds inside of her girlfriend's amazing ass when they really got cracking. To signalize this, she suddenly shoved her tongue a little deeper into the crimsonette's mouth and moved one of her hands from Ruby's hip to one of her full breasts. She even pushed her cock a little firmer against her butt from below. Needless to say, the younger girl got the hint and broke the kiss.

"Ready to experience a ride of a lifetime, Snowflake?", the crimsonette cooed.

"Not exactly, given how divine everything you do to me feels.", Weiss responded with a loving smile, "But I'll try to hold on as long as I can so you'll get your money's worth, too."

"That's all I'm asking for.", Ruby said conclusively, then pressed her lips against her girlfriend's soft pair once more.

The contact had barely been established before the younger girl started to grind her hips again, this time much more eager. The soft moan the heiress almost immediately forced into her mouth was music to her ears. Spurred on by the beautiful sound, Ruby grabbed Weiss' other hand – the one that currently wasn't busy fondling her boob and rolling her hard nipple around between thumb and pointer finger – and guided it to the relentlessly pulsing bulge on her stomach. A simple squeeze was all it took and her girlfriend's sweet whimpering raised an octave.

After a few moments full of tongue-tying kisses, fondling, groping, grinding, and thrusting, Ruby decided to finally carry out her promised ride of a lifetime. She pulled away from Weiss – much to the white-haired girl's dismay – and sat up again. With a lot of interesting body parts suddenly out of reach, the heiress' hands settled for her lover's well-toned thighs and butt cheeks. But the moment her fingers dug into the soft, warm flesh, she was sure that it was a compromise she could live with.

"I seriously hope you're ready, Snowflake.", Ruby said with a cocky grin over her shoulder, "Because this time, I won't be holding back until you showed me how much you love me by pumping as many little swimmers into my guts as you can."

"If my cum production would really be proportional to my love for you, we would've drowned long ago.", Weiss shot back with a tender smile.

"That wouldn't be the worst way to depart from this world.", the crimsonette giggled softly, "At least in my opinion."

"Stop joking around and take me already, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl said conclusively.

And that was exactly what Ruby did.

She wriggled her hips one last time to emphasize this, before lifting her ass high into the air. At least half of Weiss' tremendous cock – likely even more – left her anal cavity in the process... before the whole length was re-stuffed into the tight confines of the crimsonette's large intestine in one smooth motion. A loud clap echoed through the small bedroom the moment Ruby's buttocks smacked onto the white-haired girl's thighs again. But it was just the first of many.

It didn't take the younger girl very long to get used to not only the sizable invader inside an inexperienced hole, but also to the foreign sensation its frequent in-and-out provided. Therefore, she was soon able to ride her sweetheart in earnest. Up and down she bounced, her tight, little sphincter caressing as much of Weiss' length as it could. Her insides quickly found the perfect balance between loving and demanding, slurping on the heiress' giant tool as if it was a straw and milking ounce upon ounce of precum out of it.

While Ruby already had to admit that she liked vaginal sex way better, she couldn't deny that it was quite pleasant how Weiss' cock frequently slid over and put pressure on her g-spot through the thin barriers separating them. Although not even penetrated (except for the small tampon), her pussy quivered in bliss at the many interesting sensations it was still able to experience. They weren't overly intense, though... but at least the crimsonette could concentrate more on providing her cherished Snowflake a unique experience that way.

Weiss quickly came to the conclusion that she had fairly overestimated her ability to resist her Rose Petal's ministrations. Every ascent of her lover's immaculate ass seemed to try to pull every single one of her swimmers out of her cock, and every powerful descent utterly clarified that there was more than enough space to house them, to provide them shelter as well as warmth and comfort. It was only a matter of time until the inevitable happened.

Nevertheless, she would be damned if she were the only one basking in pure bliss while her soulmate did all the work and probably wouldn't even be decently compensated for it. That was simply unacceptable. They were destined to cum together whenever they got intimate. Therefore, one of her hands that was currently resting on and squeezing her girlfriend's thigh sought out – and quickly found – the crimsonette's clit.

To say that the touch felt electric to Ruby would still be an understatement. The moment Weiss' fingertips brushed the stiff nub, every nerve ending in the crimsonette's body was set on fire. Her whole body shivered in pleasure and her insides clenched down on the heiress' cock even harder. Unconsciously, her thrusts immediately became shorter – now working barely four inches of rock-hard dick – to make sure her girlfriend's hand would always stay within reach of her sensitive love-button. Nevertheless, that also meant that she was bouncing up and down Weiss' massive pole even faster now.

"Oh my... YES! Keep doing that, Snowflake!", Ruby yelled ecstatically, "M-more. Harder. Faster!"

She was answered by her girlfriend rubbing and pinching her clit even more fervorous. The increased friction of the heiress' cock against her g-spot did the rest and brought her closer and closer to the edge. The crimsonette's own hands – which were currently resting on Weiss' thighs to keep her steady – quickly withdrew from their position. One joined the white-haired girl's dainty digits to amplify the pleasure her pink pearl was receiving, the other went for the bulge on her stomach again. She grabbed the throbbing protrusion and immediately started to jerk her lover off through her skin, well-knowing that it would drive the heiress crazy. A powerful pulse of Weiss' cock and an especially large jet of precum being forced into Ruby's guts quickly confirmed it.

By now, the crimsonette rode the heiress as hard and fast as she could, only taking short, merely two-second-breaks from time to time to roll her hips around, stimulating her girlfriend even further. Weiss, for her part – now sure that the younger girl was completely fine with taking her up the ass – bucked her own hips into Ruby's backside whenever their crotches collided, somehow pushing her cock even deeper into the tiny hole between her lover's soft, round cheeks. The rodeo went on for a few more minutes, but soon, it was about to reach its crescendo. Both girls already noticed the many signs that signalized the other's impending climax.

"R-ruby...", Weiss croaked out, unable to repress her approaching orgasm any longer, "I-I'm gonna... g-gonna..."

"M-me, too.", the crimsonette panted as the burning hot knot in her stomach was about to become undone as well, "T-together! As always! Cum with me!"

That declaration was all the encouragement both girls needed to be sent flying over the edge in an instant.

"CUMMING!", they yelled in unison as their respective climaxes overran them like a freight train at the exact same time.

The announcement had barely passed before Ruby pressed her hips as firmly into Weiss' crotch as she could and her insides clenched even tighter around the heiress' swelling cock. A soft, vibrating sensation was added to this shortly after as the younger girl's body shivered in bliss. Clear femcum erupted from her trembling pussy, dousing their fingers and thighs, then joining the puddle of juices already staining the sheets. All the while, her anal walls greedily sucked on the massive intruder, milking it for all it was worth – although that wasn't exactly necessary anymore.

Ruby was so absorbed in her own body's reaction that she barely noticed the white-haired girl's orgasm (for the time being)... despite the fact that it was taking place directly, forcefully, and astonishingly deep inside of her.

Weiss might have deemed it impossible, but without warning, the crimsonette's ass was getting a lot hotter and tighter. If Ruby's expert movements and the fondling of her cock through her belly hadn't sent her over the edge already, this most certainly would've done the trick alone. The white-haired girl's abdominal muscles clenched, her huge member twitched and bloated, and her urethra started to gape inside the crimsonette's anal tunnel. In a matter of split-seconds, an explosion of cum would flood her lover's guts.

With the way Ruby's trembling sphincter was chocking her dick's base like a cock-ring several sizes too small, the heiress almost ran into problems by pushing her seed through its vice-like grip and into her girlfriend's heavenly ass. The first massive deluge simply slammed into the constricting barrier, unable to pass through – as it was sometimes the case with Ruby's cervix. However, a second shot quickly arrived, finally providing enough pressure to force the thick lump of semen through the crimsonette's tight hole. It immediately rushed to Weiss' tip and blasted into Ruby's already precum-drenched bowels. The impact was strong enough to push the younger girl's already distended skin deep into the boob her crown had prodded all the time, lifting the soft mound up a little in the process. It was now that the crimsonette finally realized what was going on inside of her... and she loved every second of it.

More and more hot, syrupy cum pumped into Ruby's small but shapely ass with splattering gurgles. The younger girl could even feel it rush through her intestines - deeper and deeper - before it settled heavily in her stomach. Her belly swelled around the vast load, rounding out as it rapidly progressed through the stages of pregnancy. Soon, it had reached full-term size, yet Weiss kept unloading inside of her. And audible sloshing sound from all the tight-packed seed and the soft stretching of skin mixed into the sweet symphony of moans that frequently escaped the two girls' throats.

But just before Ruby thought her stomach was about to tap out – stuffed with enough liquid that she looked like she was pregnant with twins due any minute – Weiss' orgasm slowly petered out. Blasts became pumps, those became trickles shortly after, and a few seconds later, the filling stopped (almost) completely. The sloshing inside the younger girl's belly got considerably quieter and the loud moans of the couple were soon replaced by deep, soft breathing. None of them was able to move for the time being as they basked in the sweet afterglow of their respective peaks.

Once Ruby had fully come down from her high – and was sure that Weiss had blown her entire load (safe for a few small, stray spurts she still felt occasionally pumping through her stretched butthole and into her overstuffed bowels) – she carefully leaned back until she was lying on top of her sweat-soaked and heavily panting girlfriend again, their cheeks touching. In the process, she also pulled the blanket over them since she assumed that they would go to sleep after some more cuddling. Much to her surprise, the piece of cloth still managed to cover them completely, despite her significantly bloated middle.

Their first anal adventure had been... interesting, to say at least. Admittedly, it didn't compare to the most mind-shattering orgasms the crimsonette had experienced so far, but it had been rather pleasant (a lot more pleasant than Ruby had expected), nonetheless. She wouldn't mind doing it again sometime in the future... if Weiss wanted to as well, that is. But judging by the size of her cum-belly, the heiress would probably have no objections.

"Well... that was something, am I right?", the younger girl asked softly and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

"That's... one way to put it, I guess.", the white-haired girl responded, still a little out of breath.

"At long last, every single one of my virginities belongs to you now, Snowflake.", Ruby said while burying her face into the crook of Weiss' neck, "I hope you enjoyed this new experience."

"You couldn't tell already?", the heiress asked with an almost audible smile, grabbed one of her girlfriend's hands, and guided it to her belly. Then she gently patted the sloshing, gurgling semi-sphere of flesh and cum.

"I have to admit, that gave me kind of a hunch.", the younger girl giggled, "But I wanted to hear it from you, too. Not just feel it from your cock."

"It was pretty amazing, that's for sure.", Weiss finally said, "Nevertheless – and although it's always exciting to try out something new – I still prefer your pussy. Not by a long shot... since, as said, everything you allow me to do with your body feels absolutely wonderful, but it adds to my pleasure to provide you with the same sensations. And I assume that taking it up the bum was less stimulating for you than doing it the normal way."

"It was still nice, though.", Ruby replied, blushing a bit by her girlfriend's choice of words now that the heat of the moment had passed, "But yeah... I probably wouldn't have cum – at least not that hard – if you didn't play with my clit."

"You're welcome, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl simply shot back and pressed her lips to the crimsonette's forehead, "And I promise you that I'll make up for this imbalance in pleasure once your time of the month has passed."

"You don't have to.", the crimsonette explained, "After all, I'm feeling just as uncomfortable as you – maybe even more – about having regular sex while on my period. So this imbalance, as you put it, isn't actually your fault."

"Then let me rephrase that.", Weiss whispered seductively, "I can't wait for your period to end because I simply love to eat out your tasty pussy."

Upon hearing this, another shiver of arousal shook the younger girl's whole body. And of course, that also applied to her ass. The moment Weiss felt her lover's tight ring of muscles giving her barely softened cock an affectionate squeeze, the huge member throbbed powerfully and belched another sizable spurt of precum into Ruby's insatiable depths.

Needless to say, the temptation to go for another round grew immensely. However, both girls knew that it would be incredibly unreasonable to sacrifice too much of their resting time to simply indulge in carnal pleasures. After all, they weren't in this town for fun.

"I-I guess we should go to sleep now.", the white-haired girl suggested, "Although we're probably still good to go for a couple of times, tomorrow's going to be an exhausting day. So it's certainly best to be well-rested."

"Yeah, you're right.", the crimsonette seconded, "We're gonna need our strength for the mission."

Carefully – so she won't trigger another pleasure spike that would make them reconsider their decision – Ruby turned to the side until she and Weiss were in a comfortable spooning position and turned off the bedside lamp. As always, the heiress' cock stayed inside her lover – just because they (hopefully) wouldn't do anything lewd anymore didn't mean they still couldn't enjoy the closeness and connection with each other. Besides reaching their respective peaks, this was probably the young couple's favorite part of the night whenever they got intimate: slowly drifting into the field of dreams, completely satisfied, while reveling in the other's tender, protective embrace.

"Hey, Weiss...", Ruby mumbled after some time, already sounding a bit drowsy, "What do you think is gonna await us tomorrow? Or... in general while we're here?"

"I don't know.", the heiress answered honestly, "More of these new mutants, I guess. Maybe another secret weapon Merlot wants to use to either wipe out humanity or to infect it with this weird illness. But... it doesn't really matter because we're going to stop him. Right?"

"Right...", the crimsonette sighed and tried to relax into her girlfriend's embrace again.

"Are you... worried, Rose Petal?", Weiss asked softly.

"M-maybe a little.", the young leader admitted, "I mean, what if we don't find anything useful or can't foil Merlot's plans this time? We have a lot of responsibility here. To the people of Blackwell, to Beacon... likely to all of Remnant."

"We don't have to save the whole world ourselves, Ruby.", the white-haired girl comforted her girlfriend and gently pressed her lips to the back of her neck, "We're students in our second year, sent on a mission to scout out some weird activities at a mining site. And once we're done with it, other, more capable people will deal with the outcome while we return to Beacon to finish our training. So stop thinking ahead so far and concentrate on one step at a time, okay?"

"That's... surprisingly plausible.", the crimsonette responded, "Thanks for always being my voice of reason, Snowflake."

"Anytime.", the heiress said tenderly and pulled her lover a little closer, "And now try to get some sleep. Maybe a few of your worries will already be taken care of tomorrow. But only if we are properly rested and can perform at our best."

"Agreed.", Ruby nodded and entwined her fingers with the white-haired girl's, "G'night, Weiss. I love you."

"Good night, Ruby. Love you, too.", came the soft reply, then the two lovers fully relaxed into the mattress and each other.

And who knew: Maybe they would really find a clue about Merlot's future plans rather soon... or maybe, it would find them first...

Chapter Text

In Weiss' opinion, her Scroll's alarm sounded way too early... and apparently, her girlfriend thought so as well.

"Hngh... already?", Ruby grumbled sleepily and tried to bury her head deeper into the pillow both of them were resting on, "Five more minutes?"

"We can't.", the heiress sighed, although she also buried her face into her lover's neck in order to drown the annoying noise, "Important mission, remember?"

"Yeah, I know.", the crimsonette sighed back, obviously torn between her ambitions to be a Huntress and her desire to cuddle a little longer, "But do you think the world's gonna end if we're a couple of minutes late?"

"Probably not.", Weiss admitted, "However, better safe than sorry, am I right?"

"Remember when I thanked you for being my voice of reason yesterday?", Ruby asked and switched on the bedside lamp, "I wanna take that back." Her giggle afterwards made it clear that she was only joking, though.

"Come on, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl said with a small chuckle herself, "We should get ready to meet up with the others in the lobby."

Then she gave her girlfriend a soft kiss to the back of her neck and stood up. It was now that both of them realized that Weiss' cock had slipped out of Ruby sometime during the night. However, that was probably for the better anyway... otherwise, it would certainly have given them currently inappropriate ideas.

"Don't snooze off again, you hear me?", the heiress said firmly and headed for the bathroom.

"As if I can do that so easily anymore without you next to me.", the crimsonette responded softly. Weiss was about to let out a touched "Awww..." before her girlfriend added with a grin: "But I'm willing to try."

"Don't you dare.", the white-haired girl shot back mischievously, "Hell hath no fury like I do."

"Urgh... fine.", Ruby sighed, "Even though I could simply snooze a little longer while you're in the bathroom, I'll stay awake." However, deep down she knew that if she wouldn't get up soon, properly starting the day would only become harder and harder.

"Good girl.", Weiss praised her, "But... just to make sure you really have to get up..."

Then, without warning – and in one, swift movement – she yanked the blanket away from her girlfriend and unceremoniously tossed it onto the vacant bed in the room.

"Gah! C-cold!", the crimsonette yelped, "Why did you do that?!"

"I just told you.", the heiress responded with a smile, "And maybe also to admire the view a little."

Even if she wouldn't be doing it intentionally right now, Weiss was sure her eyes would've automatically taken in every inch of her girlfriend's simply perfect body in all its naked glory: Ruby's (usually) slender form with its still visible narrow waistline and broad hips, her strong arms and toned legs, her perky breasts, her shapely butt... even her overly pregnant-looking belly was incredibly erotic in the heiress' opinion. Needless to say, Weiss' cock twitched with need and started to fill with blood – fast. Maybe ogling the younger girl so intensely hadn't been such a good idea, after all.

"A-anyway, I'm hitting the shower. And ice-cold one.", the white-haired girl explained, adding the last part in a whisper, "I-I'll be quick. See ya."

"Hey... no need to rush.", Ruby said in a sultry voice, obviously having noticed her girlfriend's arousal, "Now that the blanket's gone, why don't you come over and provide me with some body warmth until I've adjusted to the cold a little more."

"That... doesn't make sense.", Weiss noted.

"It doesn't have to since we both know what I just said isn't my actual intention.", the crimsonette purred and tried to strike a sexy pose, although her cum-gut didn't make that an easy task.

Nevertheless, it still worked wonders on the heiress – but, unfortunately, not the way Ruby was hoping for. Suddenly, her entire world was enveloped in darkness when the previously stolen blanket was thrown over her again. A moment later, the younger girl heard a door opening and slamming shut shortly after. Bamboozled again...

"Buzzkill.", the crimsonette sighed with a small giggle. Then she fully wrapped the blanket around herself and tried to find a spot that smelled especially intense of her girlfriend.

Weiss kept her promise and finished her whole morning routine in barely over ten minutes. Much to her girlfriend's dismay, she was already fully dressed when she exited the bathroom again. How she had managed to grab a set of clothes in the short timeframe between throwing the blanket and entering it would probably remain a mystery to Ruby forever.

"Bathroom's all yours. I'll prepare our stuff for today while you're in there.", the heiress announced, a towel still wrapped around her head. Apparently, she had saved some time by skipping blow-drying her hair.

"Again, no need to rush.", the younger girl responded, staggered to her feet, and gently patted her sloshing belly, "Because that's probably gonna take a while."

'And it's most certainly gonna be a lot less pleasant than getting your cum out of my pussy.', she sighed inwardly.

"Well, since we woke up early, we should still have more than enough time.", Weiss reassured her girlfriend.

"What are you going to pack anyway?", Ruby asked curiously, "I mean, if I remember yesterday's plans correctly, we're gonna be back here in the evening."

"Instructions state that whenever moving out on a mission, Huntsmen and Huntresses should always carry the necessities to set up a camp, two days of rations, first aid equipment, tools to maintain your weapon, Dust supplies to...", the heiress began as if she was citing some kind of manual.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it.", the crimsonette quickly interrupted her and grabbed her toilet bag as well as a set of clothes herself, "I'll be right back, model student."

"Hey!", Weiss pouted a bit at the mocking nickname, "What if we already find a lead to Merlot or his projects today and decide to press on with the examination?"

"Huh... good point.", Ruby pondered and quickly turned back into the zealous Huntress she actually was (most of the time), "In that case, pack three days of rations and some extra ammo. But make sure to grab the good meals, so no sticky pasta-stuff or lumpy porridge. Oh, and canned bread is okay, but the constipation cookies aren't."

"You want me to check every MRE we brought?", the heiress asked and raised an eyebrow, not even bothering about her girlfriend's choice of words – in a way, they were true, after all.

"And to rearrange them, if necessary.", the crimsonette added with the authority of a general... although she knew that her current lack of clothes and, well, other things resulting from last night's activities undermined her demeanor a little.

"Got it, Ma'am!", Weiss played along, nonetheless, and even saluted her girlfriend (even though it took her some effort to suppress a small grin), "Now prepare yourself for combat while I take care of the finishing touches."

"Thanks, Snowflake. You're the best.", Ruby said, quickly dropping her role and waddling over to her lover to give her a soft kiss, "See you in a bit."

Then she finally entered the bathroom to take care of her own morning routine.

First of all, the crimsonette approached the toilet to relieve herself – in more than one way. As expected, it wasn't very pleasant to get rid of her girlfriend's cum out of her other hole... and it reaffirmed Ruby's opinion that she liked vaginal sex a lot more. Furthermore, her pussy was already used to Weiss' massive member while her butt currently felt a little sore, not overly so, but still.

Once the younger girl had taken care of the most important task, she stepped into the shower and cleaned herself thoroughly, paying even more attention to her nether regions this time than usual. Afterwards, she toweled herself down and blow-dried her hair – not a very time-consuming task since it was way shorter than Weiss'. Last but not least, she brushed her teeth and got dressed, then she was ready to go.

In the main room, the heiress was currently sitting at the round table in the back, Myrtenaster in front of her, resting on an oilcloth. She had dismantled the handle and was carefully cleaning the chambers of its barrel. The refilled Dust cartridges were neatly lined up next to what could be compared to watchmaker's tools. Under the table, Ruby spotted their packed backpacks.

"Performing a little maintenance here?", the crimsonette asked and approached her girlfriend.

"Well, we still have about fifteen minutes before we have to meet the others in the lobby, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to check the barrels again.", Weiss explained without looking up from her work, obviously incredibly focused.

"Huh, sounds like a good idea to kill some time.", the younger girl mused and went through her backpack in search of her tools, "I should probably give Crescent Rose a little love, too."

"Why, though?", the heiress asked with a small chuckle, "I'm pretty sure you won't find a single spot on any part. I mean, you're so obsessed with the well-being of your weapon that it wouldn't even surprise me if you'd clean it in the middle of a battle after each shot."

"Hey! I'm not that crazy.", Ruby pouted, grabbed Crescent Rose, and promptly addressed it, "You agree with me, right, sweetheart? I'm no helicopter mom at all."

Upon seeing her girlfriend giving her a weird look, she added: "That behavior isn't helping my case here, is it?"

"If you treat our future children even half as clucky, I already feel sorry for them.", Weiss giggled and resumed cleaning Myrtenaster's barrel.

Of course, the white-haired girl couldn't know right now, but in a couple of years, Ruby would remind her of these exact words... a lot.

At quarter past seven, the two girls assembled their weapons again, packed up their stuff, and set out. As fate would have it, they immediately ran into Blake and Yang in the hallway who were just locking the door to their room.

"Hey, guys.", Ruby greeted them in a chipper tone of voice, before she noticed their slightly annoyed expressions, "Umm, we tried to be quieter last night, I promise."

"Well, maybe you should try a little harder next time.", Yang grumbled, "Being quieter, that is. Not the other, grosser stuff."

"You didn't hear anything specific, did you?", Weiss asked carefully and started to blush.

"Mostly muffled voices and moans thanks to the soundproofing, but still enough to make falling asleep somewhat difficult.", Blake responded, not in a much better mood than her partner, "Why do you ask, though?"

"Wait a minute... Did you force any perverted sex games on my baby sis?", the blonde suddenly tossed in, equally irritated and disgusted.

"What? No! Everything was consensual.", the crimsonette quickly explained on her girlfriend's behalf, "Aaand, if anything, it was probably the other way around. B-but it wasn't actually perverted, just... maybe... kinda... a bit different from the stuff we usually..."

"Alright! Let's play the throw-up game. Me first!", Yang yelled to interrupt her sister, then she simply turned around and started walking down the hall without waiting for any further reaction.

"If I would have to guess, I'd say either weird positions, toys, bondage, or anal.", Blake said in a slightly teasing manner, "But since we're also somewhat family, please feel free not to give me a specific answer."

"That's exactly what I had in mind.", the heiress responded matter-of-factly, while a blush pretty much as red as her girlfriend's namesake appeared on her face. Ruby's cheeks weren't far behind, though.

And with that, the trio went to catch up with the fourth member of their team and to meet Ash in the foyer. It was time to act professionally now – they were on a mission, after all.

When Team RWBY arrived in the lobby, Ash was already there... as expected. The tall man was currently inspecting his heavy pistol and his sword one last time. Yet, the moment he saw his companions approaching him, he immediately holstered his weapons again and stuffed what seemed to be a clip of ammo into his own backpack.

"So ya made it in time, after all.", the dark-haired Huntsman chuckled once he spotted the four girls, "Thought at least our two lovebirds would sleep in a little, hehe."

"Just so you know, we're professionals.", Weiss explained with a challenging expression, "Ruby and I know exactly how to allocate our private time so it won't interfere with the mission. And that's all I'm going to say about that."

"Yeah.", the crimsonette added, "We even cut our morning cuddle time short so we would arrive on schedule."

"Then you're definitely more diligent than I was at your age.". Ash responded with a grin, "I'm pretty sure that whenever I, well, spent the night in town, I never made it back in time for my first class. Didn't happen every week, of course, but still: To this day, I have no idea why the staff let me even graduate."

"If I wouldn't already know that you can kick some serious butt, I would start to get a little worried that you're in charge of this mission, y'know?", Yang tossed in.

"Me, too, don't worry.", the black-haired man shot back, "But 'nuff fooling around. Ya ready to set out?"

"You bet!", Ruby cheered.

"And I assume ya equipment's prepared?", Ash asked, "Food, ammo, camp stuff?"

"Two days of rations, a couple of magazines, Dust, and a survival kit.", Blake replied.

"Although I don't get why we need all of that stuff.", the blonde added, "I mean, we're gonna be back by the evening, right?"

'Yang and Ruby are definitely related, no paternity test needed.', Weiss giggled inwardly.

"Standard procedure, nonetheless.", Ash said with a shrug, "Gonna be thankful for a warm sleeping bag and an extra MRE when something goes wrong."

"Or when something goes right.", the crimsonette added, "What if we find an awesome lead and decide to press on, for example?"

"I already tried to explain that to your sister.", Blake mentioned.

'Huh... maybe Blake and I are somehow related...', Weiss pondered.

"And I highly doubt that it's gonna be that easy.", Yang responded, "But I guess you're right. It's best to be prepared for every possible scenario... especially when it can torch, impale, or electrocute you."

"Well said.", the black-haired Huntsman concluded, "So let's head out, grab a bite to eat, and then fetch us a ride to the mine at the police station. I wanna use as much daylight as possible. I mean, ya need it more than I do, but... ya get the point."

"I don't.", Blake said with a cocky grin.

"Whatever.", her partner sighed.

"How about we stop bragging with our superior night vision or being jealous of it – respectively – and concentrate on the mission?", Weiss asked... although it was obvious that it was a rhetorical question.

"Alright, team: Let's get this show on the road.", Ruby cheered once more, "But first: Let's get some breakfast. We're gonna need the energy."

"Agreed.", Ash seconded and shouldered his backpack, "Quick stop at the diner, then it's time to tear some mutants a new one."

And with these words, the Huntsman and the four girls set off.

Much to the crimsonette's dismay, a quick stop at the diner literally just meant a quick stop. The same went for grabbing a bite to eat. Therefore, the delicious pancake breakfast she had been hoping for was quickly crushed into buying a ready-made sandwich for everyone to eat on the drive to the pit, as well as a cup of coffee. But, as said, Ash wanted to exploit every little ray of sunlight they'd get today... although the aforementioned celestial body has barely started to rise.

With their (in Ruby's opinion incredibly disappointing) breakfast in tow, the group of five soon arrived at the police station. The staff was already briefed and their ride ready to take them to the mine. Ash quickly grabbed a few things out of their assigned office, then they were on their way.

The drive was peaceful, yet full of speculation about what would await them today. Needless to say, the crimsonette almost immediately came up with a vast amount of action-packed, overly heroic stories where they fought literal armies of already encountered and even made-up mutants, beat them, found a processing plant, and destroyed it as well as the androids operating it. Her enthusiasm seemed to be somewhat addictive because Yang was soon caught up in it. Blake and Weiss, on the other hand, remained skeptical and assumed that today's explorations would probably just bring a few Grimm nests to light, maybe a small mutant hideout or a tunnel that somehow led to the mine. Ash made up the third fraction and barely participated in the discussion besides a few hums and grunts here and there. Instead, he was burying his nose into two maps he had brought.

A rather short ride and a surprisingly tasty sandwich later, the five Huntspeople arrived at the mine's main entrance in the south, much like yesterday. They thanked their driver, grabbed their backpacks, and exited the police van. From here on, they had to continue on foot since the terrain was unsuitable for pretty much every land vehicle. Not to mention that they most certainly had to fight quite a lot and any means of transportation would only get in the way.

"Alright, squad! Last review, then we head out.", Ash said in a military demeanor, "As discussed yesterday, we'll round the pit clockwise till we reach Sector C2's surroundings, which we'll examine thoroughly since that's where 'ese weird Dust mutants came from. Nevertheless, on our way, we'll also check out a few POIs, like clearings, weird rock formations, and the like. Couple o' airships had spotted 'em and noted 'em down on our maps. Maybe we'll also find a few useful leads to Merlot's plans there."

"Wait a minute.", Yang suddenly tossed in, "If the airships managed to scout these locations out and didn't find anything, why do we have to check them out again? Or, if the data isn't precise enough, why walking if we could simply drop off from the sky?"

"Various reasons.", the black-haired Huntsman responded dryly, "First of all, we can't just borrow an airship every day. The two the police force has are needed to secure the airspace around town, and the cargo freighters and passenger ships are busy all the time. Secondly, the forest around the mine is pretty dense, even in winter, so scouting the perimeter by foot is necessary to completely cover the area. Grimm nests could be hidden in burrows, for example. And last but not least, what if Merlot uses his stealth technology to hide his operation here as well? We stumbled into the first field completely by accident, maybe we can repeat this success again. Can't do that from an airship, can ya?"

"Yeah, I get your point.", the blonde sighed, "This mission would be more fun if we could just skip to the interesting parts, though... things like beating up Grimm or androids instead of trudging through snow sludge for hours on end."

"This mission isn't supposed to be fun, Yang.", Weiss reprimanded her teammate, "We're here to save the people of Blackwell and help to stop a crazy scientist in his efforts to wipe out mankind or to create some horrendous Grimm-human-hybrid race. So I'd prefer if you would take things a little more seriously."

"Come on, Snowflake. You know that Yang's well-aware of what's on the line here.", Ruby intervened, "Besides, who said that saving the world won't be fun?"

"The prospect of fighting dangerous mutants in unknown territory?", Blake suggested.

"I call your fear of death and raise you the thrill of making the world a better place.", the crimsonette shot back with a grin, "Admittedly, it's not exactly fun-fun, but a pretty amazing feeling, nonetheless."

"Here's to that.", Weiss agreed with her girlfriend.

"Alright, 'nuff with the pep talk for now.", Ash said, "We all know the risks of this profession and why we chose it anyway. Now let's head out and foil some evil plans."

Then he shouldered his backpack, drew his sword, and headed into the wilderness. Team RWBY followed suit.

Unfortunately, the big clue to Merlot's dark deeds or whereabouts they were hoping for – especially Ruby – was nowhere to be found. However, that was to be expected. What the group of five wasn't prepared for was the fact that literally NOTHING hinted at the mad scientist's presence at the mine at all. Not only didn't they find some hidden tunnel or burrow, but not even a single mutant crossed their path over the course of their whole exploration. Of course, they encountered many Grimm on their way – no surprise, given the tense mood all around Blackwell – yet, those were just regular ones... just like the pack of Ursai they were fighting right now, in the afternoon and at the outskirts of Sector C2.

"Whoops... too slow!", Yang shouted after dodging one of the beast's claws before she threw a few heavy punches to its flank. The Grimm groaned in pain and turned around, trying to hit the blonde once more. Yet, the brawler easily managed to evade it as well.

"Seriously, it's like you're not even trying.", Yang taunted and unceremoniously eliminated the creature with the use of a few shotgun shells.

"Stop playing around with our enemies!", Blake yelled at her partner while leaving a confused Ursa behind as it simply charged through one of her shadow clones, "They may not be as dangerous as Merlot's mutants, but they're still Grimm." Then she struck her current opponent a few times with Gambol Shroud's katana and bladed sheath and dove to safety before it had a chance to counter.

"I know, I know.", Yang sighed and proceeded to the next Ursa, "But after fighting so many of these purple freaks – and especially since yesterday – normal Grimm aren't that much of a challenge anymore. Not that I'm complaining here, though." Dodge, punch, dodge, shot, rounding the enemy halfway, and a few blows to the creature's back... and another beast had been taken care of.

While Blake didn't exactly appreciate the blonde's carefree attitude, she had to admit that her partner had a point. Of course, fighting against regular Grimm still wasn't a cakewalk, however, it definitely wasn't as exhausting as a year ago anymore. Apparently, encountering Merlot's mutants over and over had been serious combat practice.

"Ain't nothin' worse than underestimating ya enemy, Blondie.", Ash suddenly butted into their conversation while swinging his burning sword at a Grimm himself, "So ya better don't start with that, just because ya got a little more experience and are familiar with a couple o' Grimm."

"Whoa!", Yang suddenly exclaimed when an Ursa that had approached her from behind almost hit her. She still managed to roll out of the way in time, although it was a close call. A moment later, Blake struck the creature's spine with the sickle form of her weapon, killing it instantly.

"Yeah, definitely keeping that in mind.", the blonde finished, now way more alert, then she addressed Blake, "Thanks for taking care of that thing for me, my favorite kitty cat. I owe you one."

"You're welcome.", the black-haired girl replied nonchalantly and added with a grin, "I had such a hard time growing accustomed to your awful jokes and don't want that to be for nothing."

"Well, I take what I can get.", Yang said and continued to focus on the unusually large pack of Ursai.

The recent battles clearly showed that Ruby and Weiss' performance as a duo had become absolutely outstanding. Individually, their fighting skills were probably still on par with their teammates', but both the blonde and the Faunus knew that the young couple would most likely win if the four of them would spar two versus two. Not only did they manage to understand each other with barely any communication – verbally or otherwise – but it seemed like they were able to know what the other was thinking before she was even fully aware of it herself.

This fight wasn't an exception.

"Snowflake!", Ruby yelled and smashed the tip of Crescent Rose into an Ursa's side. The young couple was currently fighting a bit offside the others – back to back, just like most of the times.

"On it!", Weiss simply responded, miraculously knowing what her girlfriend wanted from her.

A moment later, the heiress used a Glyph to propel herself into the air, spun around, and fired a few Dust bolts at the Grimm the crimsonette had attacked. Almost immediately afterwards, Ruby pulled her weapon out of the creature and used the scythe's new mechanism to turn the blade 180 degrees. Then she swung Crescent Rose behind her, well-aware that her girlfriend wasn't in the way anymore (even without looking), and cut another approaching Ursa into pieces. Meanwhile, Weiss had taken care of the enemy in front of her and gracefully landed next to her lover.

Another Grimm that charged from the side smashed into a Platform Glyph before the creature even had the chance to attack. A simple twirl of the white-haired girl's fingers changed it to a Time Dilation Glyph which remarkably accelerated the sniper bullet Ruby sent through the Ursa's skull shortly after. Two more approaching enemies were frozen to the ground by ice Dust. However, they didn't remain there very long because the crimsonette quickly burst into a flurry of rose petals, rushed to them, and Crescent Rose effortlessly sliced through their bodies.

Compared to their teammates, the young couple had a rather easy time dealing with the situation.

However, another, considerably more dangerous foe suddenly arrived: an Ursa Major, and a huge one at that, most certainly the pack leader. The huge beast let out a deafening roar before it started charging at the squad. Luckily, most of the other Grimm had been slain by now. Therefore, the Huntspeople could better concentrate on the bigger threat... which would probably be necessary since this enemy most certainly won't go down with simply a couple of strikes.

"Umm, guys. We have a minor problem here.", Ruby announced once she and Weiss had taken care of the last few normal Ursai that had been surrounding them. She had barely finished the sentence before she and her girlfriend dove out of the way of the charging Grimm, causing it to crash into and through a tree.

"I'd say that this is a Major problem.", Yang chuckled, "Get it? Because..."

"Yeah, we get it.", Weiss groaned annoyedly, "A little help would be nice."

Then she struck out at the Ursa with Myrtenaster, only for the blade to be deflected by the much sturdier bone plating of the beast. A swing from Crescent Rose a moment later showed the same results, although it was obvious that it was causing the Grimm pain. However, that only made it even madder.

"Go support ya teammates.", Ash announced and turned the gear shift on his sword, causing the engine to howl menacingly and the blade to burst into roaring flames, "I'll handle the rest of the minnows."

"Alright. Take care.", Blake simply said and rushed to Ruby and Weiss' side. Yang followed suit.

The large Ursa Major was about to lunge at the crimsonette when a heavy punch to its side threw it off balance. When it swung its claws at the blonde, she managed to block the strike with her gauntlets, although it pushed her a couple of yards away and almost managed to knock her off her feet. A burst from Gambol Shroud caught the Grimm's attention shortly after before it decided to go after Yang. Weiss used this distraction to try and land another hit on the beast, using a Glyph to accelerate her speed. Unfortunately, and much to everyone's surprise, it seemed that the creature had already expected something like this because it quickly turned around and struck the heiress with its backhand. It wasn't an especially strong punch, but heavy enough to send the white-haired girl flying. Though with a quick roll, she was on her feet again, shook the snow off of her clothes and out of her hair, and retook her combat stance.

Ruby immediately charged at the Ursa once she was sure that her girlfriend wasn't injured, dead set on avenging her. However, her reckless attack wasn't crowned with success, either. The presumedly sluggish creature simply made a quick sidestep to dodge it and countered with a strike itself. Thanks to her Semblance, the crimsonette was able to avoid being hit, but it was a close call. It was obvious that this enemy was very superior to the other Ursai they had fought recently.

"Damn it... you don't see an Alpha Grimm that strong every day.", Yang gnarled and cocked her gauntlets, "Any plans?"

"Its armor is too sturdy to be penetrated by normal bullets.", Blake explained while the four girls circled around the beast, "Ruby's sniper rounds or your explosives probably won't do the trick, either."

"Same goes for bladed weapons.", Weiss added, "The bone plates simply deflect our strikes... and on the fly, I don't notice any crucial weak spots. Just hitting it over and over would take way too long and be unnecessarily dangerous, unless we really can't come up with a better strategy."

"This thing's pretty fast as well.", the blonde continued, "I never thought an Ursa could even be this agile, let alone one that big." As if to undergird this point, the Grimm suddenly charged at her, forcing Yang to dive out of the way. A few yards behind her, it logged another tree, slowly extending the clearing they were currently fighting at.

"That's it!", Ruby suddenly exclaimed, "It's too fast to properly attack it, so we need to slow it down. And blades aren't very effective, so we need to use blunt force, and a lot of that. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That you should tell us before the Ursa is back on its feet instead of letting us guess?", Blake responded and reloaded her weapon.

"It's time for Ice Flower and Bumblebee.", the crimsonette concluded, "Me 'n Weiss freeze his limbs, you hurl Yang at it, and then my sis does what she does best: Cracking a couple of skulls. This Ursa won't know what hit it."

"Great idea, Ruby.", the white-haired girl praised her girlfriend.

"Yeah, let's do this.", Yang seconded.

Team RWBY had barely finished their conversation before the Ursa had gotten up again. It turned around to face the four girls and let out another roar. Weiss used this short timeframe to flung a few Dust bolts at the creature, if only to anger it. Her girlfriend immediately understood her girlfriend's intentions and fired a shot at the Grimm herself.

"Ruby and I will get his attention so the two of you have time to prepare since this clearing isn't very spacious.", she explained, "But once we're done freezing it to the ground, you quickly have to execute your attack. I have no idea how long the ice will stop him."

"Roger that.", Blake nodded while she and Yang receded a bit from the Ursa.

A moment later – and just like intended – the Grimm charged at the White Rose duo. A few further Dust bolts and sniper bullets didn't do anything to slow it down, but that wasn't the plan anyway. The two girls waited for as long as they could and just before the creature was about to run them over, they dodged out of the way, using their respective semblances to do so. This time, however, the Ursa didn't simply continue to dash ahead. Instead, it stopped its onrush – as fast as this was possible in the snow – and turned around again, ready to try once more.

But Ruby and Weiss were already prepared. When the creature was finally facing them again, it looked at the two girls through an Elemental Glyph, the barrel of a sniper rifle behind it. The Ursa had barely any chance to react before the first enhanced bullet froze one of its feet to the ground. The other soon followed, then its claws were encased in an icy prison. Again and again, the crimsonette pulled the trigger until the whole lower body and arms of their enemy were completely immobilized. Then it was Blake and Yang's turn to shine.

The moment their leader and her partner had opened fire, the blonde and the black-haired girl got into position. Yang latched onto one end of Gambol Shroud's ribbon, then Blake began to spin her around so she would gain momentum. They started with a narrow round, but slowly increased the diameter. By the third rotation, the brawler was already close behind Ruby and Weiss, and pretty fast, thanks to accelerating herself further with Ember Celica. Luckily, the White Rose duo was finished with their team attack by then... and Yang decided it was time to strike.

"Outta my way, guys!", she yelled and fired another couple of shots to increase her speed even more. She wasn't even running anymore at this point, more like soaring through the air with occasionally touching the ground to push herself forward harder. Ruby and Weiss immediately obeyed the order and stepped out of the blonde's spinning radius. Yang made one final round and let go of another portion of Gambol Shroud's ribbon so she would reach the Ursa.

"Hope you're ready, fella.", she exclaimed and her Aura flared up, "Because here. I. Come!"

The Grimm barely managed to turn its head in the brawler's direction before Yang's fist connected with its temple. The impact was strong enough to shatter the icy prison that had held it captive. Nevertheless, the ugly crack when the Ursa's neck was twisted about twice as far around as nature had intended was still audible. The creature was – without a doubt – dead in an instant.

After Yang had executed her attack, she slowly decelerated until she came to a halt again. Once she had regained her footing, Blake quickly dropped Gambol Shroud's ribbon and began to massage her biceps. Apparently, it had cost her a lot of strength to hold onto her partner – no surprise, given the blonde's speed on the final stretch. But the crimsonette's plan had been successful. The slowly evaporating corpse of the Ursa Major was proof of that.

At the other end of the clearing, Ash had managed to slay the remaining Grimm and closed up to the four girls. He had flung his coat over his shoulder and his shirt was in tatters again. It seemed that he had needed to use his Semblance to get rid of the last few Ursai. Not for the first time, Ruby wondered how high the Huntsman's monthly wastage on clothes was the moment she spotted him.

"Whew... Now that takes care of that.", Yang panted and stretched herself, "Although this last guy really gave us a run for our money at first."

"Definitely looked like it.", Ash addressed his companions after reaching earshot and put his coat back on, "Was about to help ya, but had a little trouble taking care of my own business."

"In the end, everything turned out well, and that's what counts.", Ruby said, "Great job, team. One fewer pack of Grimm that can pester the miners."

"Unfortunately, I highly doubt that this area will stay peaceful for long.", Weiss sighed.

"Stop being so negative, Snowflake.", the crimsonette pouted.

"Your girlfriend's prolly right, though.", the black-haired Huntsman grumbled while reloading his heavy pistol, "These things either respawn in a couple o' days or others move up from deeper parts of the forest. Mood's pretty dull in Blackwell, especially at the pit. And as you know, that makes grade A Grimm soil."

"At least today's accomplishments take a load off of the mine's security for the time being and the people can work more safely.", Blake reminded him.

"Not necessarily.", Ash responded, "It's mostly mutants who attack the pit. Admittedly, sometimes, even regular Grimm stray there, but usually, they stick to roaming the woods... for whatever reason. Spent lots of time playing cards during Grimm studies... and visited the classes decades ago, after all, so my memory isn't the best on that stuff."

"But don't you think that's incredibly weird?", Ruby suddenly perked up, "The Grimm's attack patterns and preferences, that is."

"What do you mean, Ruby?", Weiss wanted to know.

"Well, we've been wandering around this forest for hours, checked landmarks and whatnot, and even covered a good portion of C2's surroundings... and not a single mutant showed up so far.", the crimsonette explained, "I mean, every other day, these purple things ambush the pit, either from the walls or through the tunnels. Yesterday, there were even mutant Grimm nobody has ever seen before. And now, we encounter a few Beowolves and Ursai and that's it? Something's fishy here."

"Maybe we got rid of all of them yesterday.", Yang said with a shrug, "There were a lot of these bastards, after all. It could just be that Merlot needs some more time to equip this part of the forest with new ones."

"Huh... maybe you're right.", the young leader pondered, "But maybe there's another reason."

"Do you think Merlot tries to hide from us?", Blake vocalized the thought hanging in the air.

"It would make sense, wouldn't it?", Ruby continued, "That way, the hunter doesn't become the hunted. Merlot can test his Grimm in this twisted field study but doesn't risk his operation, or base, or lab being exposed."

"That actually doesn't sound too far-fetched.", Weiss agreed, "Remember what we talked about yesterday? How Merlot may be able to communicate with his Grimm and vice-versa. Maybe he really gives the order to retreat to another hideout once his scouts notice some dangerous Aura signatures. He may even lay false trails in the future once we manage to get too close to a lead."

"That'd complicate the matter considerably.", Ash grunted, "If Merlot really has his eyes and ears everywhere his mutants are and can direct them more precisely than back in his main lab now, he still has a huge advantage even out in the field."

"We don't know for sure, though." the crimsonette pondered, "It's still possible that Yang's right and we just eradicated every mutated Grimm in this area yesterday, at least for the time being. Maybe they really need some time to regroup."

"But now that you've mentioned it, it really isn't too unlikely that Merlot's armies were avoiding us on purpose today.", Weiss said, deep in thought.

"As far as our mission is concerned, that development doesn't sound too promising.", the blonde mentioned.

"Hey, it was just an assumption.", Ruby quickly tossed in the moment she noticed her team's morale slipping, "We can't say for sure. And even if everything we speculated on just now may be true, there's not much we can do about it anyway. The only thing we can do is to keep up our investigations, burn out Grimm nests near the mine so the people of Blackwell can work in peace, and continue looking for clues. I mean, there have to be some tunnels or even another stealth field here. We just need to stay on the ball and sooner or later, everything will go the way we want it to."

"As if it has ever been any different.", her sister said, now more enthusiastic again.

"Correct.", Blake seconded, "So far, we've been able to complete every mission assigned to us."

"And no crazy scientist is going to change that, no matter how powerful.", Weiss agreed.

"Then let's continue with our investigation!", the crimsonette cheered, "Go Team RWBY!"

"I appreciate ya enthusiasm, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow.", Ash suddenly said while looking into the sky and checking the time on his Scroll shortly after, "It's getting late, so we should start headin' home. Sun's about to set and we prolly need over an hour to get back to the mine's entrance."

"B-but... my pep talk.", Ruby pouted, but then she reconsidered, "Urgh, fine. I guess you're right. It would be anything but pleasant to run into an ambush at night in a dense forest. And even though we haven't encountered any mutants today, it doesn't have to stay that way, especially if Merlot really can control them more precisely now."

"Not to mention that we're all somewhat exhausted already and would be an easier target right now.", her girlfriend added, "Whatever the Grimm around here lacked in threat level, they definitely made up for that with the frequency of their attacks."

"Even at our best, fighting those new mutants, especially the icicle claymores, while the bigger portion of our team barely sees anything would be suicide.", Blake mentioned, "Maybe Merlot's just waiting for such an opportunity."

"And that's exactly what I'm worried about.", the black-haired Huntsman said, "So let's call it a day. First, we'll head to the police station for a little debriefing, and after that, you're free to do whatever you want with the rest of the evening. Should be six at most by then. But no bar-hopping. I need ya in top shape tomorrow."

"Don't worry.", Yang reassured him, "I'm pretty sure we'll find something else to get us through the evening. Starting with a dinner that's actually enjoyable. Nothing against the vegetable curry I had for lunch, but I'm starting to think that whenever it was canned, taste hasn't been invented yet."

"Look on the bright side, sis.", the crimsonette tried to cheer her up, "At least we haven't found a tag that reads "Best before the Great War" or something like that."

"That doesn't make sense, Ruby.", Weiss remarked dryly, "I highly doubt that it is possible to use a future event – one nobody even knows that it is going to happen – as..."

"Urgh... I was just trying to make a joke here, Snowflake.", the scythe-wielder interrupted her girlfriend with a sigh.

"Y'all should be really grateful for attending Beacon nowadays and not 'bout forty years ago.", Ash tossed in with a hearty laugh, "When I was a student, I'm pretty sure our field rations were already ruminated one or two times before we got 'em... and probably not by someone or something with excellent dental hygiene, to put it kindly."

"Thank you very much for this interesting mental picture.", Blake said slightly disgusted.

"Alright, I suggest we get going already before I lose my appetite completely.", the heiress groaned and simply started to make her way back to where they had come from. The other four quickly did the same.

"Well, so much for the plan for a possible lead we came up with yesterday.", Ruby addressed her companions as they walked through the snow, "I guess it's just trial and error from now on."

"Don't worry, sis.", Yang reassured her, "Even if we have to comb every corner of this forest, we'll find out what Merlot is up to. Whether it takes days, or weeks, or even longer."

"You're just looking for a way to weasel yourself out of classes here for as long as possible, am I right?", her partner asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I mostly want to support my sister and help to save the world.", the blonde responded with a shrug, "No boring lectures is just a pleasant side effect."

"Well, I studied a bit in advance.", Weiss suddenly chimed in, "So technically, we could visit Blackwell's library and I could help you to go over some of the stuff we're probably missing out on."

"Seriously?", Yang sighed.

"As much as I hate to sacrifice my free time, that's actually not a bad idea.", Ruby pondered, "That way, we wouldn't have too much to catch up on once we're back at Beacon."

"I'm fine with that as well.", Blake agreed, "Maybe we'll even learn something that'll help us on our mission."

"No fair, though.", the blonde teased, "Ruby's gonna get the best grades at the Weiss-lectures anyway because she sleeps with the teacher."

"Doesn't work that way, trust me.", Ash suddenly said before he even realized what slipped out of his mouth himself... and who he was talking to.

"What?", the four girls asked in unison.

"Uhh, n-nothing.", the black-haired Huntsman quickly replied, "Come on, let's pick up the pace. Even in the twilight, we're at a disadvantage in a fight."

And so, Team RWBY's first official and pretty uneventful day at Blackwell slowly came to an end. Unfortunately, they hadn't found anything useful so far. Nevertheless, Merlot – or at least one of his side bases – had to be around the mine somewhere. In that matter, the only question that remained was: Who would find whom first?

Chapter Text

Much to Ruby's dismay, the next few days went down rather similar to their first expedition on Tuesday. It seemed like there was absolutely nothing interesting going on around Blackwell's mining site. The investigation team's current highlight of the week had been a large nest of King Taijitus they stumbled upon completely by accident. Of course, Team RWBY and Ash had taken care of the creatures, but it wasn't of much use. Not only had this species of Grimm never attacked the mine before, but it also provided no clue about Merlot's plans.

If solely based on the results of their examinations, the group of five even would've started to doubt the mad scientist's presence around Blackwell. However, the persistent ambushes of his mutants on the mine taught them better... and even forced them to interrupt their expeditions on Wednesday and Saturday. Again, it wasn't just the purple acid Grimm they had to fight, but also those enhanced with elemental Dust. Something big HAD to be going on here without a doubt.

But actually finding whatever that something could be turned out to be way harder than the four girls and the Huntsman had expected. They had almost surrounded the entire mine by now... and around the sectors that suffered the most frequent attacks, they had even pushed a lot farther into the forest. Nevertheless, not a single mutant had crossed paths with them out in the field so far. Maybe Merlot was really hiding from them and only showed (through his Grimm) when it was in his own interest.

Needless to say, Ruby's mood was getting glummer and glummer – with those of her teammates and Ash not very far behind. Admittedly, they hadn't expected to simply run into the crazy scientist or his presumed side lab on the first day, but almost an entire week without any progress was a different matter altogether. And while nobody was happy about that, the crimsonette seemed to suffer most from it.

Of course, Weiss tried everything within her power to keep her girlfriend's spirits up... especially at night. Unfortunately, that timeframe quickly became the only remaining one Ruby was as cute, excitable, and easy-going as usual. But during the day, the crimsonette was restless, completely absorbed in her own world, and just behaving oddly in general. Not Grimm-illness-odd again, thankfully... but odd, nonetheless. The heiress started to worry about her girlfriend's state of mind if nothing regarding their mission would change anytime soon.

"Alright, team!", Ruby announced and jumped out of the police van at the entrance of the mine this Sunday, "I have a good feeling about today. You know what they say: "Sixth time's the charm"." But although she tried to be her typical, peppy self, it didn't sound overly convincing anymore. As always since the last couple of days, the three other girls and Ash immediately noticed it but refrained from saying anything.

"From a mathematical point of view, that means twice as much luck as the actual saying.", Weiss seconded and followed her leader and girlfriend to retrieve her backpack. The rest of the group followed suit.

"Well, there're still a lotta stones unturned in this damn forest.", Ash remarked, "Unfortunately, and as much as it gives us the confidence to find something every day, that's also our biggest problem."

"It would be easier if it wasn't just the five of us.", Blake mentioned, "But since we're the most experienced people when it comes to dealing with Merlot, I doubt that we're going to get reinforcements any time soon... especially for a simple investigation around a currently still manageable area."

"Already thought of approaching Ozpin 'bout the matter.", the black-haired Huntsman admitted, "But I feel the same 'bout that – he probably thinks so, too. Things might be different if another week passes without any results."

"Then let's find something today to make sure that's not gonna happen.", Ruby suddenly said and shouldered her backpack, "It's already bad enough that we're putting ourselves in danger here. I don't want it to be our fault that another team with less experience with those mutants needs to do the same."

"Spoken like a real Huntress, sis.", Yang said with a grin and gave the crimsonette an appreciative nudge with her elbow, "Now come on, guys. We have plenty of work ahead of us."

"Damn right, we have.", Ash agreed, "Everybody remembers the plan for today?"

"We surround the mine counterclockwise until we reach the extents of Sector F10, then we advance further east, deeper into the forest.", Weiss summarized, "And while we're at it, we'll examine every oddity, no matter how small: fallen trees, burrows, even a simple haze in case Merlot hides behind his stealth technology again... which we now consider to be very likely, given our successes to date."

"We wouldn't have this problem if all of you would simply agree to my plan.", Yang said.

"Using our weapons and explosives to cut down half the forest around the mine is a stupid idea.", Blake objected dryly.

"It helped us – well, kinda – to find the last stealth field if I recall correctly.", the blonde responded with a shrug, "At least I tried to come up with a better plan than simply walking and looking around. Because if they were easy to find, they certainly wouldn't feature the word stealth in their name."

"That's why we have to be extra thorough.", Ruby explained sternly and checked Crescent Rose's clip one more time, "The people of Blackwell, no, of all of Remnant rely on us. And I don't plan to let anybody down in that matter. Let's go now. We're wasting daylight."

"Ruby is right. We can discuss any further plans and speculations in the evening again.", Weiss added, "At the moment, we should use the little time we have each day to foil whatever Merlot is scheming." Then she and her girlfriend holstered their weapons and took off into the wilderness.

"Umm, when did I stop bein' in charge of this mission?", Ash asked and raised one of his eyebrows.

"That's my sister to you.", Yang answered proudly, "She may not always act like it, but she takes her duties as a Huntress veeerrry seriously. And she'll do everything within her power to help other people, regardless of her own safety."

"In that case, I don't mind handing over the leadership role.", the black-haired man responded and added with a chuckle, "I didn't scramble to get it anyway... and the only reason I accepted is identical with Ruby's motivations."

"You're more experienced, though.", Blake tossed in.

"Even after just the few things we've been through together, I wouldn't sign that anymore.", Ash responded.

After that brief exchange, the rest of the group quickly caught up to the White Rose couple.

The walk to Sector F10's outskirts – where they had aborted their investigations on Friday and couldn't continue so far due to the attack on the mine on Saturday – was rather uneventful. This circumstance was a good and a bad thing alike. Of course, it meant that the majority of the Grimm in the areas they passed had been eradicated and posed no threat to the mine anymore. Mere two small, stray packs were hardly an exception. On the other hand, the lack of events didn't bring Team RWBY and Ash any closer to their goal. Although they checked the already familiar path a lot more thoroughly this time, nothing indicated Merlot's presence or offered a clue about his intentions... as always.

"And that's the match.", Yang quoted Professor Goodwitch once the last Boarbatusks that had tried to ambush them had been slain, "Whew... I knew the mood in Blackwell was bad, but I didn't expect new Grimm to spawn here after only two days."

"They haven't necessarily spawned here.", Weiss objected.

"What do you mean?", the blonde asked curiously.

"Is everything you do in 'Grimm studies' class just sleeping and playing games on your Scroll?", the heiress asked back with a slight frown.

"For the most part, yes... but that doesn't answer my question.", Yang responded with a shrug.

"Although Grimm usually don't fight each other, they're still territorial creatures.", Blake started to explain, "If the population grows too dense in a certain area – and especially when different species are involved – the weakest pack is driven away or even wiped out if the first option isn't possible. The Beowolves and Boarbatusks we encountered could have migrated here because they noticed that these parts of the woods were vacant now and wanted to avoid a territorial dispute. Unfortunately, that would mean the deeper parts of the woods are already congested with Grimm, which really doesn't work in anyone's favor... despite Merlot's."

"Another explanation could be that these packs were simply the first new ones attracted to the negative emotions currently present in the town and mine.", Ruby tossed in and reloaded her sniper-scythe, "In either case, it just means more Grimm, so we should concentrate on getting rid of the root of the evil here, then everything should return to normal... more or less."

"We've almost reached the Sector we had to interrupt our investigations on Friday.", Blake mentioned optimistically, "What lies beyond is another still unexplored area. With a little luck, we may find something useful this time."

"Let's hope so.", Weiss said and checked the time on her Scroll, "But I suggest we should take a little break before we move on. It's already half past one and we still haven't eaten anything except two cereal bars each on the ride to the pit. Does everybody agree on a quick meal and a twenty-minute breather?"

She studied the faces of her companions and received four nods. However, that of her girlfriend was rather reserved, almost reluctant. Unfortunately, the white-haired girl noticed that kind of behavior from Ruby way too often lately. With each passing day that showed absolutely no results, the crimsonette was pushing herself harder and harder – to the point where she wasn't even able to relax after the debriefing at the police station in the evening anymore. As said, the only time of the day she was still at ease was during the night while cuddling (and more often than not doing more intimate things) with Weiss.

"I know you don't want to waste any time, Ruby.", the white-haired girl said conciliatorily, "But we still need to eat occasionally to keep our strength up. Especially in these harsh temperatures."

"No, it's alright.", the crimsonette relented, "I know we need to recharge our batteries from time to time to stay healthy. It doesn't help anybody if one of us gets sick just because I want to save a couple of minutes."

"I'm glad you understand, Rose Petal.", the heiress responded softly and gave her girlfriend a soft kiss to the cheek.

Then the group of five searched for a good (and easy to guard) place to set up a fire Dust-powered cooker. Luckily, they didn't have to look around very long and quickly found a small clearing. Soon enough, a pot of water was boiling and the team could prepare their instant meals.

But even during their break, Ruby wasn't actually unwinding. Instead, she had asked Ash for the maps of the area which she was currently scanning while mindlessly shoveling spoonful after spoonful of pasta with meatballs into her mouth. She was so focused on whatever she was doing and thinking about at the moment that the piece of cutlery even missed its mark a few times, leaving smears of tomato sauce on the crimsonette's left cheek.

"For freak's sake, Ruby.", Weiss sighed in a scolding manner – although she tried not to sound harsh – the moment she noticed her girlfriend's terrible table manners, "Could you please stop studying this map over and over again and eat like a normal human being while trying to relax for at least a few minutes?"

"Gan'k ho.", the young scythe-wielder shot back through a mouthful of pasta, "Her'sh shtill..."

"At least swallow before you're trying to talk to me.", the heiress interrupted her, "Also, I wasn't exactly asking you a question here."

"Sorry...", the crimsonette apologized once she had gulped down her food, "But there's still something that bothers me. You see, besides Sector E9, most of the Grimm attacks at the mine come from the west. Vytal Island is also north-west from here. Yet, there's still a noticeable amount of ambushes that are executed from this area. Do Merlot's mutants always take a huge detour to get here and it's just a plan to distract anyone who tries to find him? Or did he set up his base in the east on purpose because it's less likely to look for him here? But then, his Grimm would always have to round the mine when attacking from the west... and since both onslaughts on the pit – the ones from Wednesday and Saturday – have been coming from there, we should've run into the mutants in that case. But we didn't. So either my first assumption is correct and we're currently looking at the completely wrong spot, or Merlot uses some kinds of sneak paths to coordinate his Grimm... maybe tunnels or the like. But if that's the case, how come the miners haven't found any so far. Or maybe he has..."

"Ruby! Stop right here.", Weiss interrupted her girlfriend once more and even yanked the map out of her lap, "You're beating yourself up about this mission waaay too much. I know how important it is to uncover Merlot's plans and to stop whatever he's up to in this area. But if it's the only thing you're focusing on, it is only a matter of time until you go completely crazy.", then she added a lot softer, "You need to take your mind off of it occasionally – even if it's just for a couple of hours in the evening before bed, or simply a meager twenty-minute lunch break."

"Urgh... you're right.", Ruby sighed, "But... I can't help freaking out. It's Merlot we're up against here. And the last time this was the case, I... y-you know."

"So that's what all of this is about.", the heiress suddenly understood.

"What if he isn't simply testing new mutants for his army?", the crimsonette continued, "What if this is also another attempt to infect and enslave humanity with his weird plague? He certainly didn't scrap this plan. I need to find Merlot, or his side base, or whatever we're looking for here so I can put an end to his dark deeds. I have suffered so terribly from this Grimm-illness and caused so much pain to so many people I love. This mustn't happen to anyone ever again."

Suddenly, Ruby felt a pair of dainty arms being wrapped around her waist and a moment later, a pair of soft lips on her right, still unstained cheek. After that, Weiss immediately pulled her girlfriend into a tender embrace and rested her head on the crimsonette's shoulder.

"I know that this is a personal matter to you, Rose Petal.", she said soothingly, "And of course, I share your desire: No one should experience what has happened to you... to us after you have gotten infected with this illness. However, I also don't want you to get lost in your endeavors to hunt Merlot down and to lose many traits that define you in the process. It wasn't a fierce Huntress obsessed with her goals that won against him the last time. It was you, as a whole. If you stop trying to be whatever you consider necessary and just start being Ruby again, everything's going to be fine, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Snowflake.", the younger girl said with yet another sigh that almost sounded like a small sob, "I really needed that. From now on, I'll try not to get completely consumed by our mission anymore. Although I can't promise you that I'll be able to fully take my mind off of it until we finally find a promising lead."

"I'm not asking you to completely blank it out.", Weiss explained, "Just don't let it get to you so much when we're given a short break. It probably sounds weird coming from me, but it is important to relax from time to time. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long – and I don't want you to burn out anytime soon, okay?"

"Me neither.", Ruby responded and nudged her girlfriend's cheek with her own affectionately.

"Alright. Now that this is settled, how about you try to enjoy your... whatever paraphrase for food is appropriate here for starters and don't just wolf it down like an animal?", the heiress asked with a soft smile.

"I think I can do that.", the crimsonette smiled back and turned her attention back to her bowl of now lukewarm pasta. Weiss did the same, but not before wiping her girlfriend's left cheek clean again. And so, the young couple sat together in peaceful silence and ate – and for the first time in three or four days, Ruby finally looked content outside of their hotel room.

In the corner of her vision, the white-haired girl caught a glimpse of Yang who was smiling at her herself, as well as a subtle thumbs up. And if the heiress wasn't completely mistaken, she also saw the blonde mouthing the words "Thank you". Apparently, she had silently entrusted her to take care of her sister in her place. Needless to say, it made Weiss incredibly proud... and happy about Yang's belief in her.

The group of five extended their lunch break a little, mostly for Ruby. Obviously, everybody had noticed what had been going on with her in the past few days. Therefore, Blake, Yang, and Ash simply kept their mouths shut after the agreed twenty minutes were up so the crimsonette could relax a little more. She certainly needed it.

However, all good things had to come to an end. This revitalizing lunch break wasn't an exception. After Team RWBY and Ash had finished their food and chatted for another few minutes – without mentioning the mission they were currently attending until they had to again, of course – they packed up their things and continued their investigation of Sector F10's surroundings. As planned, they continued to travel eastward, moving further away from the mine. Since they had found no clue to Merlot's whereabouts in the vicinity of the pit so far, this seemed to be the most reasonable course of action to take.

Their journey continued as usual, though – a simple walk through the snow-covered wilderness without any noteworthy events... besides maybe another pack of Beowolves that attacked them. However, the creatures were merely a nuisance, not the helpful clue Team RWBY and Ash were looking for. It was getting later and later and the time for returning home was getting increasingly closer... unless they wanted to continue their investigations in the dark and risk an ambush. To make matters worse, it suddenly started to snow heavily, which already worsened the visibility conditions before the sun had even begun to set.

"Is it just me, or does this forest start to look more and more generic the more we try to find any anomalies?", Yang sighed and shook some stray snowflakes out of her hair... a pointless action since they were immediately replaced by new ones.

"Unfortunately, I'm slowly getting the same feeling.", Blake seconded, "If we wouldn't have a map and a compass, it would probably be impossible to find our way back until the weather gets better."

"We should be headin' back soon anyway... in half an hour tops, I guess.", Ash mentioned, "The way home's gettin' longer each day. Maybe I should start negotiating with Blackwell's police to at least provide us with an airship that can drop us off in the wilderness in the morning. Otherwise, we're gonna waste too much time gettin' back to where we left off the further we explore."

"Awesome... another day wasted.", Ruby sighed, mostly to herself, yet she mumbled it loud enough for Weiss to hear.

"Don't be so pessimistic.", the white-haired girl addressed her girlfriend softly, "Just think of it as another area ruled out. That's still progress... somehow."

"Not as much as I was hoping for.", the crimsonette responded, "But it can't be helped, can it?"

"Correct.", Weiss agreed, "And remember: With every red cross on the map, we're still getting closer to our goal. You already said it many times: Merlot has to be operating here somewhere. Otherwise, there won't be so many mutants... or maybe even any mutants at all. If we just keep doing what we're doing, he's slowly but surely running out of hiding spots."

"That's true, I guess.", Ruby pondered, "But the longer it takes, the more time Merlot has to continue his weird field study or whatever... and to harm the people of Blackwell. I just wish that we would finally find someth..."

She didn't have the time to finish the sentence because a sudden growl caught her as well as her teammates' attention. A split-second later, an icicle rushed past Ruby's face before slamming into a nearby tree, missing the crimsonette's right ear by barely two fingers' breadth. She could even feel the freezing cold the projectile emitted. Of course, everybody immediately understood the situation they had been forced into without warning.

"Contact!", Ruby yelled, "Take cover!" Then she unceremoniously unclasped the straps of her backpack in a single motion – it would only get in the way in battle – drew Crescent Rose, and quickly (although unsuccessfully) scanned the area for the enemy in the little time she allowed herself to do so. But once she noticed that her team had carried out her order and was (hopefully) safe for the time being, she also dove to safety behind a tree. Not a moment too soon, as it turned out, because she had hardly reached her destination before the spot she had just been standing on was already riddled with numerous ice shards.

"Damn it! That was close.", Yang grunted, "What now?"

"Grimm track us through our Aura and we can't see shit in this snowstorm.", Ash grumbled, drew his sword, and set it ablaze, "We're definitely in a fucked-up situation."

"We need to lure them closer to fight properly.", the crimsonette quickly explained, "Blake? I need a Shadow as bait. That way, we at least know where they're coming from."

"On it.", the cat Faunus responded dutifully and sent out a clone of herself. It had barely stepped out from behind Blake's tree of choice before another barrage of icicles tore through it. Luckily, it was created by using Aura so the Grimm recognized it as a target as well. And by backtracing the line of fire, the five Huntspeople now had a vague idea of where the pack of mutants was currently located.

"Weiss? I need a Platform Glyph in front of me as a shield.", Ruby commanded, "Make it as see-through as possible if you can affect that. The moment it is up, we need another clone. Ready?"

"Ready.", Weiss and Blake answered in unison.

A second later, the Glyph was summoned and the Shadow was created. The moment the Dust mutants took it under fire, the crimsonette stepped out from behind her tree – Crescent Rose in rifle mode – and took aim. She barely needed two seconds before the first shot rang out. Almost immediately afterwards, another loud bang and a multitude of ice shards that flew in every direction announced the successful hit. The events even repeated themselves one more time before Ruby had pulled the trigger again. Apparently, the Grimm had relied on their hiding advantage too much and currently stood in a formation that allowed for such a chain reaction to happen – unlike yesterday during their fight at the mine. However, the young scythe-wielder still wasn't satisfied with merely two slain creatures... a problem that was solved with another sniper bullet, although she could see even less now that icicles shattered against the Gylph protecting her. After being sure that she had hit her mark, Ruby took cover behind her tree once more.

"Alright. That definitely should've gotten their attention.", she explained, "And now that they know we can simply take them out without risking anything, they need to come closer. If not, I still have another couple of tricks up my sleeve." It seemed that those weren't necessary, though, because once Ruby had finished her sentence, everybody heard the approaching footsteps in the snow – faintly at first, but quickly coming closer. And there seemed to be many of them.

"Do you have a follow-up plan now or is it an everything goes once they're here, sis?", Yang asked.

"Thank you for speaking up, of all people.", Ruby continued, "Because once they're in sight, I want you to crush the trees in their path. Wreck havoc! Everything needed to slow them down and take out as many as possible. Ash will take care of the ones that'll get past too quickly. Blake and I will cover the flanks. In the meantime, Weiss will summon us some backup. Lancers or Nevermores, preferably. Small ones, but many of them. If my assumption is correct, they may be able to see or trace the Grimm better than we can and will tell us the location or direction of new approaching mutants, like some kind of warning system. Is everybody fine with the plan?"

Halfway through her explanation, her girlfriend had already started executing her orders – the moment she had heard the words Weiss and summon, to be precise. The rest of the team only gave Ruby curt nods as affirmation. Yang switched from her regular ammunition to the new explosives, Ash extinguished his sword again and drew his heavy pistol. Blake exchanged Gambol Shroud's current magazine for one with Earth Dust – probably to further halt the mutants' advances in battle and maybe even to provide extra cover for the icicles.

It didn't take long before Team RWBY and Ash were able to finally recognize the approaching Grimm. Despite their limited sight due to the dense driving snow, they soon noticed various luminous spots appearing in the distance... which quickly came closer. Those spots shone in already familiar colors, namely purple, red, blue, and yellow. Apparently, the pack consisted of every type of mutant they had encountered here so far – the ice Grimm had only made themselves noticeable first due to her superior ranged attack capabilities.

The moment it was clear from which direction the majority of the Grimm would attack, Yang put her part of their plan into action. She carefully left her cover, scanned the forest in front of her, and precisely fired her sticky explosives at five trees she deemed fitting for their strategy. She would've planted more during this first attempt, but another barrage of icicles forced her to retreat again. Luckily, Blake noticed her teammate's struggles and sent out another of her clones as a decoy. The blonde immediately used this new timeframe of privacy to stud another couple of trees with grenades.

All the while, the Grimm rapidly approached until they were completely visible, not just some glowing smudges in the snowstorm. They looked even more aggressive than during the times they had attacked the mine. Soon, they were within reach for normal firearms to land a clean hit... and passed the booby trap.

"Now!", Ruby yelled.

Yang didn't need to be told twice. She detonated her explosives... and the bigger part of the forest in front of them was torn apart. Trees were flung through the air as if they were toothpicks before they came crashing down again, snow and dirt swirled up, and Grimm were roaring and screeching. After the explosions from the blonde's grenades had subsided, new ones from slain mutants took their place. Acid, lava, and ice shards flew everywhere, in-between flashed a few electric pulses.

However, as impressing the trap Ruby had come with had been, it didn't manage to eradicate the whole pack, barely even half of it, actually. But then again, the crimsonette had already expected such an outcome. Of course, the mutants wouldn't simply and mindlessly rush towards them in one, big heap. They were way too intelligent and careful – considering they were walking explosives themselves – for that. Hopefully, the five Huntspeople's backup plans and overall fighting prowess would be enough to get through this fight without any major injuries... or worse.

The Grimm needed a few seconds to reorientate themselves since they had been taken completely by surprise. But once they had regained their composure, they continued with their charge. A few tried to climb over the fallen trees – a somewhat difficult task for the purple Creeps since they had only a single pair of legs – another portion sheered off to the sides and rounded the shattered wood to attack their enemies' flanks.

But Team RWBY and Ash were prepared.

Once the first mutant – a fire Creep – had crested the make-shift barricade, a bullet to its head from the black-haired Huntsman's heavy pistol took it out. A second one quickly suffered the same fate, his bursting accompanied by the announcement "Blue one!" from Ash. The four girls immediately took cover to avoid getting hit by any flying ice shards the creature ejected upon its death. Unfortunately, even the Grimm remaining on the main front were still too numerous to be taken out fast enough by bullets alone. It was only a matter of time until this would turn into a melee.

On the flanks, Ruby and Blake were busy fending off the rest of the pack. The crimsonette's high-caliber sniper rounds made short work of the approaching creatures, a single bullet enough to slay a Grimm. The black-haired girl had it a little tougher guarding the other side of the main front and needed to take better aim since Gambol Shroud's projectiles didn't cause as much damage and were also deflected by the lightning mutants to some degree. Fortunately, Yang – who had already fulfilled her initial duty – had her back and took care of any Grimm that managed to enter the effective range of Ember Celica.

In the middle of the group, a swarm of shining blue Lancers suddenly emerged from Weiss' Summoning Glyph and immediately joined the battle. Some of them aided the currently fighting members of the investigation team, others rushed into the distance to seek out any mutants still hidden in the snowstorm – as hoped by Ruby and ordered by the heiress. Once the summon was complete, the white-haired girl joined Ash's side to ward off the Grimm still trying to overcome their improvised palisade... after making sure her girlfriend could handle things on her own, of course.

Much to everyone's relief, they seemed to have overestimated the enemy's threat level – although not by much. Nevertheless, the fierce dogfight they had dreaded didn't take place. Merely a handful of mutant Grimm succeeded in getting past their walls of fallen trees, bullets, and summonings and had to be taken down in close combat. Neither Ash nor the four members of Team RWBY knew if they had simply miscalculated the creatures' numbers or if the heiress' Lancers had driven a few of them away unsighted. But then again, they couldn't care less about the actual reasons why the fight had been less challenging and dangerous than expected.

"Take that!", Ruby shouted and speared the last remaining fire Creep with the folded-out blade of Crescent Rose. After executing the attack, the crimsonette quickly pulled the trigger so the fired bullet would propel the creature away from her before it could explode. But although it worked perfectly, the young scythe-wielder still leaped back out of caution – how humiliating would it be if the final enemy managed to hit her? Oh, and not to mention the certainly excruciating pain the burns would cause, of course.

"Was that the last one?", Weiss panted – her guard still up – and looked around.

"Seems like it.", Blake responded. Her cat ears twitched while she strained her superior hearing to make out any traces of remaining mutants that might still lie in ambush. There weren't any, she noticed relieved.

"Whew... now that was something.", Yang sighed, "Tell me to show a little more appreciation to the Atlesian Knights that always have our backs at the mine."

"Count me in on that... might even become a fan o' these rust buckets in the future.", Ash grumbled, sheathed his sword again, and reloaded his pistol, "These mutants really gave us a run for our money. What a way t' end the day..."

Upon hearing this last sentence, the crimsonette perked up.

"What do you mean? End the day?", she asked confused.

"'s gettin' late.", Ash explained nonchalantly, "Snowfall's gettin' heavier by the second, too."

"But we just found a major clue!", Ruby objected, "We need to press on or we may lose it."

"Are you serious?", Blake asked and looked up into the gray sky. Although the snowfall obscured her vision to some degree, she – and everybody else – noticed that the sun was about to set.

"Of course, I'm serious.", the crimsonette explained, "Think about it: We've never seen Merlot's mutants so far while being out in the field. Now they suddenly show up without warning. We're on to something here, that's obvious. Merlot doesn't want us here and that can only mean one thing."

"Ruby, please.", Weiss tried to change her girlfriend's mind, "It's getting too dangerous out here in the dark. Especially now that we know Merlot's mutants roam the area."

"Listen to ya sweetheart.", Ash agreed with the heiress, "We've experienced how much of a fight these bastards put up just now. And we already had a lot more trouble with 'em than usual due to simple snowfall. Do ya think it'll get better if we see even less?"

"We roughly know where Merlot hangs around now.", Yang joined the conversation again, "That's already a huge step. Let's just pick our investigations back up right here tomorrow."

"You don't get it.", Ruby continued to explain herself, "Merlot's cunning... and resourceful. And if he can really communicate with his Grimm the way we assume, he'll come to know about our presence here, or he already knows. If we wait too long – even if it's just until tomorrow – we'll most certainly give him enough time to conceal his operation again. He could move the base we assume to be around here, or he could seal up a tunnel entrance, or whatever else. And in that case, we'd have to start all over again. This, right now, is our big chance."

She scrutinized the expressions of her teammates, but only found doubts and worries.

"Please...", she concluded her speech, "You know everything I just said is possible... rather likely to happen, even. Just... another hour of checking out the area the mutant Grimm came from. That's all I'm asking for. If we haven't found anything by then, we can go home and try again tomorrow."

When she had finished, she looked at her teammates and friends with her big, silver puppy-dog eyes. Of course, the crimsonette knew how dangerous her proposal was. But she also knew what was at stake here. And she was willing to take the risk – as long as the rest of her team didn't object, that is – if it meant to protect the people of Blackwell... of all of Remnant. Wasn't that what being a Huntress was all about?

For a moment, Ruby was met with silence. Her teammates' expressions had changed, but she couldn't tell if for better or worse. But just when the crimsonette was about to say something even she didn't know at the moment – it would probably come down to her discarding her idea again – Ash let out an annoyed groan.

"Urgh... for fuck's sake.", he grumbled and pulled his Scroll out of his pocket.

"Umm... what's that supposed to mean?", the young scythe-wielder asked worriedly.

"Everybody fine with Ruby's idea?", he addressed the other three girls, "What she said makes sense, after all." Weiss, Blake, and Yang simply nodded at him, then they gave their team leader a supportive smile each.

"Great. Then it's settled. We move on.", the black-haired Huntsman said curtly and checked his Scroll, "Perfect. Even has a signal. I'm gonna call the station for a lift... and some reinforcements, just in case. We'll most certainly get 'em if I stress the importance of the lead we just found. And we'll save ourselves the walk back."

And with these words, he simply set off in the direction the mutants had come from. But when the four girls didn't follow him immediately, he turned around again.

"What'cha waitin' for? Do ya think I just want some privacy to make the call?", he asked and when he received four confused nods, he continued with a chuckle, "I ain't callin' my mom here. Get going already. We shouldn't waste even more time."

"Of course! S-sorry.", Ruby apologized and quickly caught up to the black-haired Huntsman. Her teammates followed suit.

"At least you were raised to be polite.", Ash responded with a grin, then he called the police station.

"So here we are approaching another one of Merlot's deathtraps.", Yang said while they walked, "In an environment probably just as hostile as his lab underneath Nave. I'm started to get a bit nostalgic here."

"You have a very strange understanding of nostalgia.", Weiss mentioned with a roll of her eyes.

"At least our fearless leader is in her right mind this time.", Blake giggled, "That should make things a little easier."

"Ruby doesn't exactly possess something like a right mind, though.", the blonde remarked with a chuckle herself, "It's a bit more complicated in the little cookie monster's case."

"It takes one to know one, huh?", the heiress asked with a challenging grin, "And just so you know, my Rose Petal – your sister, by the way – is perfect in every way."

"I didn't deny that.", Yang responded, "Being weird isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"It takes one to know one, right?", Blake repeated Weiss' tease.

"I'll take it as a compliment, kitty-cat.", the brawler simply shot back.

Listening to her teammates' playful banter soothed Ruby to a great degree... and distracted her from her worries. Of course, she was still convinced that continuing their investigation after finding this big lead was the right course of action... but that didn't change a thing about the dangerous situation they found themselves in now. If any harm would come to her friends, she would never be able to forgive herself. And she swore that she'd do whatever it took to prevent this from happening.

Hopefully, they weren't about to bite off more than they could chew right now.

Chapter Text

With new-found vigor, Team RWBY and Ash continued their investigation – despite the dangers the snowstorm and the slowly setting sun provided. Especially the crimsonette was more determined than ever to unveil Merlot's plans around Blackwell now that they had finally found a big lead after days of uselessly roaming through the wilderness. And she won't let this opportunity to stop the mad scientist go to waste so the townspeople could live in peace again.

The further the group of five ventured into the direction the first pack of mutants had come from, the more of the Dust-infused Grimm appeared and – of course – immediately ambushed them. But although the frequent battles were incredibly exhausting, they could still be considered a good sign. As Ruby had already mentioned, Merlot wouldn't try to stop their advances so suddenly without any reason.

Unfortunately, whatever the four girls and the black-haired Huntsman assumed to be hidden around here somewhere only made itself known through the mutant creatures that relentlessly attacked. Other hints were nowhere to be found – no matter how thoroughly they checked their surroundings as they moved deeper into the forest. The extra hour of investigation time Ruby had requested was slowly coming to its end – clearly indicated by the fact that it was getting darker and darker. The heavy snowfall didn't let up, either.

And then, without warning – as if to mock the crimsonette even further – the Grimm encounters stopped entirely, too.

"Suddenly pretty quiet here, huh?", Yang asked slightly disgruntled while they continued to trudge through the snow, "Not that I actually miss those mutant bastards, but sadly, they've been our only lead so far."

"I don't like this one bit.", Blake grumbled and carefully scanned the perimeter, "It kinda looks, sounds, and even smells like a trap just waiting for us to step into."

"Or we already fell for it.", Weiss tossed in, "What if Merlot only sicked his mutants on us to create a false trail? And while we've been chasing them, they just lured us further and further away from his actual operation."

"Can't rule that out, unfortunately.", Ash said disappointedly, "I'd trust that fucker to do anything to achieve whatever twisted goal he has in mind. Even pushin' his own granny off the thunder mug."

"What a beautiful allegory.", the heiress grimaced.

"Still pretty much to the point, though.", the blonde remarked with a shrug, "It makes it unmistakably clear what a scumbag Merlot is."

"Could we pleeeaaase postpone this... whatever kind of discussion until later?", Ruby groaned, "We still need to figure out how to proceed from here. Should we go back and look for other clues? Or maybe we should split up in teams and contact each other once we've found something useful? Compared to the first time we've encountered Merlot's Grimm today, the follow-up attacks haven't been as fierce, so maybe if we..."

"Sorry, Ruby... but that'd be far too dangerous.", Ash simply interrupted her, "Also, time's almost up and it's gettin' pretty dark. With the snowstorm, we won't be able to see mere five yards in half an hour."

"B-but... what about our big chance?", the crimsonette tried to appease the Huntsman, "If we abort the mission now, we're giving Merlot time to regroup. We'd most likely have to start from scratch again tomorrow."

"Better than a likely rather plain memorial plaque at Blackwell's town square.", the black-haired man shot back nonchalantly, "Hour's almost up, sun's 'bout to be gone soon. I'm better calling in the airship. By now, it should be somewhere around here searchin' the area for us."

And with that, he set his backpack down and rummaged in it for the flare gun that was standard equipment for Huntspeople out in the field.

"Hey... chin up, sis.", Yang said and comfortingly slung an arm around the crimsonette, "At least it went better than the last few days. But it's really getting late. And at night, our chances against these mutants are pretty slimmed down, especially in case of an unexpected ambush... which tends to be their preferred strategy. As much as hate to admit it, I agree with Ash. It's time to return to the town."

"We did all we could today.", Blake seconded, "We even bothered Blackwell's police by ordering an unscheduled transport so we could follow this lead. Now that I think about it, they probably won't be happy to hear that this was all for nothing."

"Let me handle the crap with the deskjockeys.", Ash explained, "After all, I called 'em... and everybody still believes I'm in charge of this mission."

"All for nothing, huh?", Ruby grumbled, "At first, I was really excited about this big lead... but now I think I'm even more disappointed than if we hadn't found anything at all."

"What are you talking about, Rose Petal?", Weiss suddenly asked soothingly, "I still believe we made a lot of progress today. As you've said, we most certainly encountered Merlot's mutants here – for the first time out in the field, I might add – for a good reason. He definitely tried... and still tries to hide something. So we should continue with the investigation of this area tomorrow. Maybe he won't manage to completely cover his tracks overnight. And even if he moves the base we assume to be around here, or seals up a tunnel... it would still be a major setback for his operation. Not to mention that we could possibly be able to trace him again over any attempts to do so. So cheer up. Please. You know I can't stand to see you all glum."

"Weiss...", the crimsonette whispered, touched.

"I know you're preferring a sprint. But this is a marathon.", the heiress continued her explanation, "And it can only end with two scenarios: Either Merlot ceases his horrendous actions around Blackwell and aborts his operation himself if he wants to stay hidden, or we'll eventually find him and force him to stop making the people here suffer. But you need to keep your spirits up and mustn't rush into anything just because this may take longer than you want to.

"I know you take this whole mission personally after everything Merlot put you through. And I feel the same – after all, this twisted bastard hurt my Rose Petal. So no matter how long it takes, I'll always have your back. And I'm sure I'm speaking for Blake, Yang, and Ash as well in that regard."

"Snowflake, I...", Ruby began... but quickly cut herself off.

She neither knew why nor how this was possible because she didn't notice an unusual thing nor heard an unusual sound. But, for the lack of a better explanation, she suddenly felt something under her very skin. There was an evil presence approaching them, a threat to her team, her friends... her lover! Her body immediately reacted on its own.

Probably a lot more forceful than ultimately necessary, the crimsonette grabbed Weiss by the collar of her bolero – almost strangling her with her red scarf in the process – and flung her away. A split-second later, Ruby drew her scythe and quickly unfolded it. But just before the rest of her team – Weiss included – could respond a single word to this weirdly aggressive action, a huge mutated Beowolf appeared out of thin air... and was immediately impaled on Crescent Rose's double-pronged blade at the bottom of the shaft. Wasting no time, the crimsonette pulled her weapon's spear-like back end out of the creature's torso once its lunge was completely halted, twirled her scythe around until its barrel was pointed at the enemy, and pulled the trigger. The shot sent the mutant flying a few yards back from where it came from... and without warning, it disappeared again, seemingly swallowed by the landscape itself. A loud bang followed and the sky itself spat out a few stray droplets of purple acid.

"A-a stealth f...", Yang stammered but was quickly interrupted by her sister.

"Back up! Enemy encounter!", Ruby yelled and leaped away a couple of yards from where the Beowolf had come from.

Then she took her battle stance protectively in front of her girlfriend who was quickly staggering to her feet again after a rather rough landing – although she now realized that the crimsonette's action was well-intended. A moment later, the blonde was by their side, and Blake shortly after, too, while one of her Shadows took a blow from an emerging lightning Creep. Suddenly, a howling sound was heard and the whole clearing was illuminated by a purple fireball. Realization came quickly to the four girls: Ash had fired the flare gun to alert the airship and likely to get them some backup... before he joined Team RWBY's frontline and set Scarlet Spike ablaze. The used signal pistol was swiftly tossed away and replaced with his signature firearm. Then the team sought out cover as best as the small clearing allowed while still trying to stay close to each other.

"Give 'em hell, fellas!", the black-haired Huntsman shouted and opened fire on the mutants that left the stealth field, one enemy at a time.

"You don't have to tell me twice!", Yang yelled and immediately sent out a barrage of Ember Celica's new explosives.

The blonde's teammates weren't far behind, either. Blake targeted every Grimm that made it past her partner and Ash's shots to slay them before they could reach the group. Weiss did her best to shield her allies from incoming acid explosions or icicles with her Platform Glyphs while also sending out various Dust bolts to slow their enemy's advances. Needless to say, Ruby took out as many mutants as her sniper-scythe's rate of fire allowed, too.

Unfortunately, the enemy's numbers didn't seem to dwindle. For every mutated Grimm the five Huntspeople slew, another one simply appeared out of nowhere... which posed another problem altogether. Even in the snowstorm – which was still raging on, though – they could've at least made out the silhouettes of the creatures and knew from where they were approaching. But now, the mutants simply materialized. The team had just a vague direction they could focus on, but that was it. And any acid spits or icicles couldn't be foreseen at all.

However, Ruby quickly figured that this problem had a rather simple solution.

"We need to get into the stealth field somehow!", she announced, straining her voice so it would be audible over the fighting noises.

"What?!", Weiss exclaimed in shock – and beat her teammates to it by barely a second, "Are you insane?"

"Probably.", the crimsonette shot back (verbally at Weiss and with her weapon at an acid-spewing Grimm), "But we can't fight properly if we can't at least guess where our enemies are... much less react to any long-range attacks. If things continue as they are, they're gonna push us back again."

"But we don't know what's going to await us inside.", Blake noted, "It could be a massive army, automatic cannons like last time, or an entirely new threat."

"Alternative would be to try 'n stand our ground and wait till Merlot runs out of meat for the grinder.", Ash tossed in and reloaded his pistol while Yang took care of his share of mutants for the time being, "And that could take a while... if it happens at all."

"Considering these options, maybe a counterattack really is the better course of action.", the heiress pondered.

"Told you so.", Ruby said triumphantly... which was actually quite unfitting considering their current situation.

"Well then... whatcha need, sis?", the blonde asked and cocked her gauntlets, "Do you already have a plan?"

"First of all, we need to create a breach.", the crimsonette explained, "We can't risk immediately running into any Grimm once we've passed the border. How many grenades do you have left?" Her eyes briefly drifted to their discarded backpacks. At the moment, they could only resort to the ammo currently loaded and a few extra clips they carried on their belts or elsewhere.

"More than enough.", Yang luckily answered with a grin, "Want me to set up some fireworks?"

"See the spot between the big rock and the charred tree stump?", Ruby asked and pointed at the two landmarks, "That looks like a good entry point to me."

She had barely finished the sentence before her sister yelled: "You got it!" A moment later, she stepped out from her cover and sent a barrage of sticky explosives to the aforementioned area. The projectiles buried themselves into the snow until only a faint, red glow hinted her presence – safe for the ones that had entered the stealth field. A single grenade struck a Grimm that suddenly emerged from it, though, and immediately tore the creature to pieces once Blake had precisely hit it with a burst of bullets.

"Alright, team!", the young scythe-wielder announced, "On my mark, we attack. Yang's gonna set off her explosives right before we arrive, then we'll use the resulting opening to enter the stealth field. Once inside, we can secure and take up an advantageous position."

"Fine with me, but I'll lead the charge!", Ash suddenly growled and tossed away his duster coat. It was obvious to everyone what he was planning to do. Therefore, nobody complained about his command.

Ruby just waited until the next Grimm had emerged from their designated entry point – she knew that they would risk other mutants or their demise triggering the grenades if they would delay their attack for too long. So after she had taken out the creature with a well-timed bullet, she gave the signal to charge. Much to her relief, everything worked perfectly: Yang detonated her bombs to provide them the needed room for their advance, then they managed to hurry through the splashing dirt and snow without encountering any resistance and finally entered the stealth field. Once inside, only a single mutated Alpha Creep immediately lunged at them... and even that poor creature was immediately crushed bare-handedly by the Aura-enhanced, musclebound Ash and flung away before it could explode. Then the hunk of a man slowly (but not completely) deflated again in order to save his Aura his Semblance would rapidly burn otherwise.

Now that they had passed the invisible barrier, the group of five could finally see what lay beyond it. Surprisingly, the sight that offered itself to them was almost disappointingly ordinary.... but only almost. The territory was ultimately different from the rest of the wilderness in three ways: First of all, there were the mutants. Admittedly, they've already become a familiar sight around here over the last hour, but this pack was definitely the largest so far, as well as the most various, given the mutant Beowolves – luckily, there were only purple ones. Second off, there was a rather large tunnel in front of them which frequently spew out more Grimm. Unlike the passage the team had found around Nave last semester, though, this one didn't sport a big metal door and also no heavy automatic cannons – but then again, they were most certainly just dealing with a secondary operation here. And last but not least, right in the middle of the stealth field (obviously...), Team RWBY and Ash could spot a high, sturdy-looking transmitter mast which was the clearest indicator that Merlot hadn't wanted this place to be found.

'Jackpot!', Ruby thought with a grin – although she had already expected this – and immediately conveyed the next course of action, "We need to take down the transmitter as fast as we can! That way, not only the airship can back us up once it arrives, but we can also prevent it from being shot down by the unseen threat... or from leaving again."

"Great idea, Captain Obvious.", Yang yelled while taking out an attacking Fire Creep, "I'd have gotten right to it if it wasn't for the army of mutants between us and this thing."

"Thanks for the encouraging and constructive words.", Weiss sighed and halted a charging Beowolf with a Platform Glyph before killing with a barrage of Dust bolts, "At least we can see the enemy now and are somewhat safe from an ambush." Just like the last stealth field they had encountered, this one also worked like a one-way mirror – they could still see what was going on outside of it.

"We just need another plan to fight through this mass of Grimm.", Blake explained and experimentally shot a few bullets at the mast... which, unfortunately, didn't damage the device in the slightest, "I'd say most of us concentrate on clearing the path to the transmitter, then one or two take it down while the others provide cover."

"Dibs on path-clearing!", Ash shouted. Then the lion Faunus lunged forward, stabbed a Creep with his sword, unceremoniously pulled it off again, and tossed it to one side while taking a step to the other to evade the acid spray.

"Rubes and I will be on the de-engineering team.", Yang announced, "She's good with mechanics... and I like to break stuff."

"Agreed!", the crimsonette seconded, "We still need Blake's Shadows and Weiss' Glyphs against the mutants."

"Well, then... whatcha waitin' for? Party's already started!", the black-haired Huntsman growled and slew another pair of purple Creeps before shouting "Blue one!" and shooting down an ice-infused mutant.

And with that, the team fought their way through the Grimm towards the transmitter mast. To do so, they needed to round the tunnel entrance – from which more and more enemies emerged the closer they got to the device. Especially the Dust-enhanced creatures posed an even bigger threat now since the four girls and the Huntsman had to take most of them down in melee in order to advance. Nevertheless, although slowly and carefully, they managed to arrive at their destination.

"I think we're close enough.", Ruby announced, "Cover me while I tear this thing down."

"Alright!", the rest of her team responded and immediately focused on keeping any Grimm at bay that tried to come close – and there were many of them. Meanwhile, the crimsonette started searching for any potential failure points in the device's construction... and quickly found a rather thin, unreinforced-looking spot quite at the bottom of the pylon.

'Well, here goes nothing...', Ruby thought and fully unfolded Crescent Rose's blade to make the most of her swing. She waited for a good opportunity, activated her semblance, and hurried toward the transmission tower to cut right through it.

However, right before her scythe could make short work of it, a stinging pain shot through her entire body. Sparks swirled around her and she almost dropped her weapon while it seemed to push her away from the mast.

"Argh!", she mewled in pain, rolled off on the ground, and narrowly escaped an attack from a mutated Beowolf.

"What the... Are you alright, sis?", Yang asked worriedly and immediately halted the follow-up strike on the transmitter she had planned in case the crimsonette wouldn't manage to destroy it.

"The tower is surrounded by some kind of electric field... similar to those who protect the lightning Creeps, but a lot more powerful.", Ruby warned everybody, "We need to take it down somehow without getting too close."

"Leave it to me!", the blonde responded and fired a couple of her grenades at the machine. Unfortunately, the projectiles already exploded a few feet in front of it. If their detonation still did any damage, it wasn't clearly noticeable. Another try from Ruby using her high-caliber sniper bullets showed the same results – while they effortlessly tore through the Dust-enhanced Grimm, they were simply deflected this time.

"This has to be a bad joke, right?!", Yang shouted annoyedly.

"Let me try!", Weiss suddenly said, "Myrtenaster doesn't use conventional bullets. Maybe that works." A barrage of various Dust bolts followed her words, yet they didn't manage to bang up the device significantly, either.

To make matters even worse, the alerted airship suddenly arrived over the clearing – of course, its occupants couldn't discern the expanse as one due to Merlot's still perfectly working apparatus. The vehicle didn't even come close to the stealth field, however, a few ice Creeps in the back immediately started to spit icicles at it. Clearly irritated, the pilot tried to maneuver the aircraft out of the line of fire... only for other Grimm currently in a better position to attack. Needless to say – and despite the distraction the other enemies provided – Team RWBY and Ash quickly noticed what was going on.

"Crap! What now?!", Yang yelled, "If we don't do something, the airship's either coming down, retreats, or returns fire. I guess I don't have to mention that neither option is in our favor... especially the last one since the crew doesn't know we're right here."

"We have to make ourselves known somehow so that they won't shoot at us.", Weiss explained.

"None of us has their flare gun with them and since we're surrounded, we can't make it out of the stealth field fast enough. Going up probably won't work, either, assuming its radius is the same in every direction.", Blake summarized, "Our only option is to destroy the transmitter."

"But how?", Ruby asked, "Our weapons barely damage that thing and we can't hit it with all we've got because we still need to fend off Merlot's mutants simultaneously."

"Got an idea, though I really don' like it.", Ash suddenly grumbled, "Guess I'm takin' a short break from this mission..." Then he suddenly holstered his weapons.

"What are you talking about?", the heiress wanted to know... but she – as well as the rest of Team RWBY – got an answer to that soon enough.

Without warning, the black-haired Huntsman's charcoal Aura flared up much more intensely than the four girls had ever seen. As always when he activated his Semblance, his muscles rippled and bulged... but when they hit what everybody had assumed was their peak, they didn't stop expanding. His baggy pants, as well as the remains of his already tattered shirt, grew tighter and tighter until the former started to tear and the latter fully ripped apart. His skin soon followed: His muscles just grew too big too quickly for his skin to contain them and suddenly, the faint scars that had always covered his entire body made a lot more sense as they started to bleed slightly. If Ruby wouldn't be too busy fighting Grimm right now, she probably would've started to wonder why she was able to stretch without injury whenever she and Weiss got intimate – but then again, her Aura had always been fully intact on those occasions... and she also didn't grow this rapidly. After barely five seconds, Ash's transformation – as in everything his Semblance was truly capable of – was completed... and the at least nine feet tall figure that stood before Team RWBY barely resembled a human anymore.

"Now that's gonna hurt.", the black-haired Huntsman grumbled – his by default already deep voice another octave deeper – and lumberingly stomped to the transmitter mast. He was soon struck by the tower's electric field, but although he let out a pained growl, it barely seemed to bother him. Then he put his paws – given their spade-sized palms, they simply couldn't be called hands anymore – around the pole and started pulling. All the while, the four still incredibly astonished girls did their best to guard their companion. However, they quickly heard the groaning of metal, a sizzle, then a loud creak accompanied by a raging roar. A moment later, the uprooted tower was flung over their heads and into a couple of charging Grimm... and the flicker around the group that indicated the stealth field's presence disappeared.

"FUUUUUCK!!!", Ash screamed, sunk to his knees, and quickly returned to normal once he was sure that the job was done. He was bleeding a lot more prominently now while his remaining Aura immediately tried to fix the damage the best it could. His condition didn't seem to be life-threatening, though – the black-haired Huntsman likely knew his limits and had calculated everything (at least to some extent) – but it was obvious that he was currently completely unfit to fight... or even to protect himself.

Luckily, he could rely on his backup in his vulnerable state – which didn't just involve the four girls, but also the airship now. Of course, its pilot and the rest of the crew needed a moment to comprehend everything the moment the tunnel and the mutant army appeared out of nowhere, but once they understood what had happened, they immediately joined the fight. The gunner and the two armed officers aboard quickly provided much-needed direct-support fire and did their best to drive the Grimm back.

Much to everyone's surprise, the mutated creatures soon retreated back into the tunnel once they realized that it was pointless to continue fighting. It seemed that Merlot either wanted to preserve his resources or prepare a more effective counterattack. Probably – and unfortunately – a little bit of both.

While Yang and Ruby guarded the tunnel entrance after the last few Grimm had fled, Weiss and Blake retrieved their backpacks and rushed back to Ash as fast as they could to administer first aid. In the meantime, the airship made its landing about a hundred yards away from them on the other side of the clearing. The vehicle hadn't even touched the ground when the two officers jumped out of it and hurried to the investigation team with their own medical supplies. Obviously, they had already noticed that the black-haired Huntsman had gotten wounded.

"Urgh... definitely gonna feel that tomorrow.", Ash groaned weakly and hissed in a pained manner when Weiss applied some healing Dust to one of his many injuries. His Aura briefly flared up a little stronger afterwards and the edges of his wounds scabbed over a bit.

"What you did was unreasonable and dangerous.", the heiress scolded him, although it was obvious that she did so out of worry, "However, I can't deny that it was immensely helpful as well.... and probably saved us a lot of trouble. So... thanks."

"Ya welcome.", the black-haired man simply responded, "And don't consider me an idiot. I wouldn't've done that if I hadn't known that everything would work out without me takin' a dirt nap. I was hopin' for someone else to come up with a better plan before I pulled through with it, though."

"It was incredibly amazing, that's for sure.", Blake said, "By the way: Why didn't you fully use your Semblance during our mission at... well, beneath Nave? In your fight against the mutated Ursa, for example?"

"Ya did see me a couple o' minutes ago, didn't ya?", Ash asked with a small chuckle, although he immediately regretted it due to the pain it caused in his chest, "Of course, I would've been able to rip that Ursa apart goin' full Primal Force... but would've never gotten a hold of it. If I go all out, I could prolly fold an origami crane out of this airship over there... but I also move at a glacial pace. Not really suitable for combat. Could've used it to help Ruby with the doors back then, if I wouldn't've already been all fucked-up on the way back. Also, I can barely maintain that form for two minutes before I collapse – record was four when I was in my early twenties or somethin'. That's why I always moderate myself... or try not to rely on my Semblance at all. Whate'r way you wanna look at it, 'tis only helpful to end a fight, not to actually, well... fight. If the battle continues once my Aura's burnt up, I'm done for without any backup."

"Do you need assistance?", one of the approaching officers suddenly interrupted their conversation, "We may be more proficient in treating injuries than students. No offense, though."

"Help yaselves. The more, the merrier.", the still kneeling lion Faunus said with a sigh, "But I need one of ya to return to the airship and call for backup. We need everything necessary to set up a base camp near this tunnel, as well as to guard it: tents, a makeshift gun emplacement, a unit of Knights, et cetera. No idea how long we're gonna stay, but after what we just saw, this may take a while."

"Yessir.", the officer replied dutifully, gave his partner who was carrying the medical supplies a nod, and left the group again to execute his orders. Then the other policeman joined Blake and Weiss in tending to Ash's wounds.

"Make sure they send us leftover stock, though.", Ash yelled after the first guy, "We don't draw any defenses from the mine. Last thing we need is Merlot to overrun the city while we're goin' camping." The last part was mostly spoken to himself... but that didn't make it any less true.

After a couple of minutes, Ash's injuries were healed up and the pain had subsided far enough that he could walk again... a little, and with a bit of help. It would most certainly still take a few hours or even a day or two before he was fully fighting fit, though. After the Checkmate duo had taken the black-haired Huntsman to the aircraft so he could rest more properly, all Team RWBY could do for the time being was wait. Therefore, they started patrolling the area in order to protect the clearing and its current occupants until the second airship would arrive with the necessities to set up a secured camp. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any Grimm roaming around near the expanse and the tunnel entrance stayed void of any mutants as well.

Just before the sun had fully set, their backup showed up. Considering that they probably had to gather a lot of stuff, they had arrived rather fast. Various people immediately began erecting an improvised outpost. In the meantime, a unit consisting of twelve Atlesian Knights swarmed out to take up position around the clearing, as well as at the entrance to the burrow... and Team RWBY could finally take a break.

"Well, sis? Is that as much progress as you were hoping for today?", Yang asked, slurped a couple of instant noodles, and waved her chopsticks around the camp that slowly but surely took shape.

"It's a good start, that's for sure, especially compared to the last couple of days.", the crimsonette responded, "But the hardest part is still ahead of us. By the way, how exhausted are you exactly? I-I mean, I totally understand if you want to call it quits this time. We've already accomplished a lot today and Merlot can't run away anymore either... I hope. But I was thinking that we could maybe make a first small scouting tour through the tunnel – get a first impression on how branchy everything is and stuff."

"I suggest we rest for half an hour to digest and replenish our energy, then we can take a look at it.", Weiss tossed in, "This would also be the best way to detect and fend off a counterattack. I highly doubt that Merlot is simply going to accept his recent defeat."

"Agreed.", Blake seconded, "In those tunnels, it makes no difference anyway whether it's light or dark outside."

"If that's the general consent, I'm in, too.", the blonde added nonchalantly, "I'm way too wired right now to relax anyway. And Ruby's bedtime's still a while away as well."

"Very funny, Yang.", the crimsonette sighed with a roll of her eyes, "You're lucky that I'm in a rather good mood right now."

"Get along, kids... or y'all skippin' dessert.", Ash suddenly grumbled and sat down next to them – an action that caused him to groan in discomfort. He was still wearing his tattered pants and had thrown on his duster coat again. His upper body was unclothed, but not exactly nude... because of the many bandages wrapped around his shoulders, chest, and the bigger part of his waist. His burnt hands were completely covered in gauze as well.

"If you're trying to take my vanilla pudding, you can add a broken nose to your medical record.", Yang said with a challenging grin.

"What are you doing here, Ash?", Weiss asked – again, in a rather scolding manner, "You should rest some more."

"I am.", the black-haired Huntsman shot back, "I'm dented, not dead."

"Those dents won't get any better from running around, though.", Blake mentioned, "The slower you take it now, the sooner you'll recover."

"Thanks, Mom.", Ash chuckled, but then he got serious again, "Listen, I just overheard that you're 'bout to take a look at the tunnel. I'm not gonna talk ya out of it just because I can't be joinin', of course. You're more than capable to take care of yourselves on your own. Just a warning, though: If this one is anything like those at Blackwell's pit, it's probably like a labyrinth... and far worse lit and secured than an actual mine shaft. So don't get lost. Also, look out for any kind of booby traps. We may know where you are, but if something collapses and y'all get trapped down there, 's prolly gonna take a long time to precisely locate and get ya out again – time Merlot likely won't let go to waste. Ya Scrolls won't be workin', either.

"At the risk o' me sounding like your parents now: Take enough food and water with ya in case of emergency, but without overloading yourselves. You'll definitely need to fight again at some point. Not necessarily today, but sometime for sure. Be careful with Dust ammunition and explosives so it won't be you causing a collapse. Same goes for any exploding Grimm: Don't kill 'em at places that look unstable."

He made a pause to think a bit, then he finished: "I guess that's all. Watch out down there and don't cause me any gray hairs, ya hear me? Already have enough of those."

"Thanks for worrying about us.", Ruby said with a smile, "We promise not to do anything stupid and return in one piece."

"Ya better do.", the black-haired Huntsman concluded sternly and stood up again – which caused him to wince and growl in pain once more, "Well then, that's it from my end. Guess I'll give this rest you've been talking about another try now. Who knows... maybe I'll like it. Wouldn't bet on it, though."

With these words, he left Team RWBY be and returned to wherever he had come from.

"What an old softie.", Yang chuckled and finished the rest of her dinner, "He's grown fond of us."

"Which doesn't make is advise any less important.", Blake sighed at her partner's attitude, "Come to think of it: It could've been Merlot's plan all along to use his mutants to lure some Huntsmen or Huntresses into his tunnels, trap them there, and then perform who knows what gruesome experiments on them. Perhaps he has made some progress with the serum he uses on humans."

"Whatever the case, we have to be more vigilant than ever from now on.", Weiss explained, "If Merlot has altered his Grimm virus somehow, maybe the cure the scientists worked up for Ruby back then won't be of use anymore."

"We should definitely retrieve a sample of whatever weird-looking stuff we're gonna find, just in case.", the crimsonette suggested. Needless to say, everybody agreed.

And so, the four girls started to mentally prepare for their first scouting trip through the tunnel. What would await them beneath Blackwell and its mine? Even more different mutants? A new virus? A secret weapon? The members of Team RWBY had no idea... but they knew that they were about to find out.

Chapter Text

Compared to what they had seen from Merlot's lab at Nave – or literally anything else, actually – the path Team RWBY was currently walking down simply looked like an ordinary tunnel. The walls were of dirt and crude stone and the only technology the four girls could spot were some makeshift support beams here and there. And most of the time, those were just raw, debranched logs from the forest. Needless to say, it didn't look very safe... to put it kindly.

The tunnel wasn't exceptionally spacious, either. On average, it was maybe four yards wide and about three yards high at most. Fighting anything here – especially mutants that blew themselves up upon death – would be anything but easy. Another danger to add to their incredibly limited vision – since the only sources of light were a headlamp each young Huntress-in-training wore – and the ever-present risk of collapse.

"What a lovely scenery.", Yang said sarcastically, "Anyone want to share the cost of a nice vacation home down here? Don't worry about the financial risk, though: If we rent this place out over the holidays, we'll be swimming in money in no time."

"My father always warned me about rushing into real estate deals.", Weiss responded nonchalantly, "And since I detest him, count me in."

"Happy to hear that you haven't lost your sense of humor yet.", Ruby mentioned with a small chuckle – although she secretly doubted that this would last very long.

"Has it ever been different, at least in Yang's case?", Blake asked while tapping away at her folded-out Scroll.

"By the way, what are you doing there anyway?", the blonde wanted to know, "Playing 'Dust Crush' or something?"

"Close miss.", the cat Faunus responded dryly, "I'm drawing a map... or at least I'm trying. That way, we hopefully don't get lost in here because if what Ash has said is true, the first fork is probably around the corner."

"Great idea!", Ruby praised her teammate... and inwardly scolded herself a little that she hadn't thought of it on her own. But then again, that's why they were a team – and an amazing one at that.

As fate would have it, the four girls really encountered a bifurcation after the tunnel's next twist. And that was only the first one: From now on, everybody knew that it would most certainly get worse. Hopefully, Blake's map would provide the necessary aid to navigate through this underground labyrinth.

"Well, I guess that was to be expected sooner than later.", the crimsonette sighed, "So what do you suggest? Left or right?"

"I guess either one is as good as the other.", Blake responded and lit up both passages with her headlamp, "At least I don't see any significant difference between the two."

"And what's with your superior vision?", Yang asked slightly teasingly.

"Superior night vision.", the Faunus corrected, "Which hasn't much to do with my overall eyesight. I may need only a fifth or sixth – roughly estimated – of your light level to see something quite clearly, nevertheless, I still need at least some residual light we don't have in these tunnels. And other than that, I don't see any better than any of you. I may be part cat, but I don't have the actual sharpness of vision... at least not to that remarkable extent."

"Umm, guys?", Ruby made herself known again, "I love learning about cat eyes as much as anyone else, but I'm still waiting for an answer."

"Let's go left.", Weiss responded... while Yang simultaneously said, "I'd say right." There was a small pause afterwards.

"You're mocking me, right?", the crimsonette groaned.

"There: right! You said it yourself.", the blonde chuckled.

"I actually don't care.", the heiress added with a shrug, "Maybe both tunnels even run in a circle and lead to the same... whatever it is we're going to find here."

"Then it's settled.", Blake concluded and made a few adjustments on her map, "As I said, I guess it won't make much of a difference according to our present knowledge."

And with that, the team ventured deeper into the tunnels. The scenery didn't change at all, though: The next ten minutes we're simply filled with cold and dark stone walls occasionally interrupted by one or two support beams. Not a single sound could be heard during their whole journey, either, besides the four girls' footsteps and a few inappropriate jokes from Yang from time to time.

However, that suddenly changed at a moment's notice.

Without warning, a faint, deep rumbling sounded in the distance... but it quickly became louder as it approached. Team RWBY immediately drew their weapons in case it turned out to be a horde of Grimm. But the closer the noise got, the less it sounded like stomping paws or scratching claws. More like...

"A collapse!", Ruby shouted the moment she made out the swirling dirt and dust in the distance, "Run!"

Of course, her teammates didn't need to be told twice. The four girls took to their heels and hurried back into the direction they came from. Behind them, earth and debris continued to come crashing down, slowly catching up on them.

"It's collapsing too fast!", Blake yelled panting, "We need another plan! Now!!!"

"I could set a backburn.", Yang suggested, "That either stops the collapse or kills us even sooner."

"Wait a sec. I'll use my Glyphs to accelerate us.", Weiss said and revolved Myrtenaster's chamber to select the correct Dust... although she doubted that she could create proper Time Dilation Glyphs with the little to no time she had to concentrate.

But before the white-haired girl could put her plan into action, she was already swept away by some unknown force. Merely a second later, the same happened to Blake and Yang. Their vision was blurry and the only things they could make out were the rapidly passing tunnel walls and... rose petals? Slowly, the uproar from the collapsing tunnel faded into the distance again until it had died down completely.

Suddenly, Team RWBY's movement came to an abrupt halt as well. Weiss and Blake barely managed to stay on their feet while Yang simply fell over face-first. Thankfully, the blonde was still able to roll off in time to avoid any unpleasant injuries. However, that couldn't be said about Ruby – the youngest Huntress-in-training just flew ahead and connected to the ground, then she slid through the dirt a couple of feet before she finally stopped. The whole spectacle had some resemblance to curling, the (in Yang's opinion) most boring sport in the world... next to chess and ice skating.

Nevertheless, now wasn't the time to think about sports or this situation's similarities to them. Once they were certain that they were out of danger, the other three members of Team RWBY immediately rushed to their leader's side.

"Oh my gosh! Ruby! Are you alright?", Weiss exclaimed worriedly and carefully helped her girlfriend up again.

"Urgh... d-dizzy... hurting...", the crimsonette croaked out while she sat up, then she let the heiress and her sister pull her back to her feet, "But other than that, I guess I'm fine."

"That was amazing, sis.", Yang said, incredibly impressed by what just had happened.

"Since when can you carry so many other people with your Semblance?", Blake wanted to know.

"Since now, apparently.", Ruby explained and stretched herself to ease her sore muscles, "I actually don't know how it happened. We were in danger, something had to be done, and I... I suddenly felt that it would work. Or that it had to work somehow. Does that make sense?"

"As much as any other explanation.", the blonde responded with a grin and appreciatively patted her sister's back, "You really saved our bacon back there."

Before Ruby could respond something to that, her lips were suddenly claimed by Weiss' own, almost ridiculously soft pair. The surprise passed rather quickly, though, and the young scythe-wielder soon relaxed into the kiss. But much to her dismay, Weiss already pulled away before she had a chance to add a little tongue into the exchange of affection.

"Thank you so much, Ruby.", the white-haired girl said softly, "I really don't know if my Glyphs would've gotten us out of that mess."

She had barely finished her sentence before the four girls heard another rumbling from the way back to the bifurcation they had recently passed. However, this time, it sounded differently. It wasn't a low grumble that indicated another collapse. No, it appeared to be the clatter of feet... and soon, a faint growling could be heard as well... Grimm!

"Well, sounds like we're not exactly out of said mess yet.", Blake mentioned and unsheathed Gambol Shroud again, "Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?"

"We didn't avoid being buried alive only to be mauled to death by Grimm moments later.", Yang grumbled and cocked her gauntlets, "And those suckers are about to suffer the full extent of my foul mood."

"They must've come from the other tunnel at the fork since the entrance is well-guarded now.", Weiss explained, "Maybe Merlot has set up this cave-in as a simple trap to test his mutants some more."

"Then let's show him that he still has a lot of improving to do.", Ruby said determinedly and readied her scythe, "Because there's no way these things are gonna stand a chance against us. We have to be careful, though, so we won't cause another collapse."

"Can you already fight again?", the white-haired girl asked concerned, "Your fall looked pretty bad."

"Even if my answer would be No, what choice do I have, Snowflake?", the crimsonette shot back with a grin, "But don't worry about me. Worry about the little space we have and the instability of the tunnel instead."

"If your Huntress career doesn't work out, you should become a motivational speaker, sis.", Yang tossed in, "But think about that later. Here they come!"

And indeed, from behind another twist approximately fifty yards away, a pack of mutant Creeps emerged. Every variant the four girls had encountered so far was represented: purple acid, fire, ice, and lightning. But although it was a familiar enemy they were facing, everybody knew that this fight would be far more dangerous than any previous one. The collapse Team RWBY had just witnessed had already shown this all too clearly.

"Remember what Ash has told us.", Ruby gave some final instructions and already took aim with her sniper-scythe, "Be careful with explosives and don't kill the acid and fire Creeps near unstable looking walls and especially near the support beams." She had barely finished her sentence before the first shot of Crescent Rose rang out and eliminated a lightning mutant.

"Got it!", Blake affirmed and emptied Gambol Shroud's magazine into an ice Creep, "Blue one!"

The heiress immediately got the hint and summoned a few Platform Glyphs to parry off the frozen projectiles the creature emitted after it was slain. In front of her, Yang fired a few shotgun shells at the approaching horde – since using her grenades was most certainly a bad idea. However, the Grimm were gradually gaining ground and it was only a matter of time before they would have to engage in close combat... which would greatly complicate things given their constricted situation. They couldn't even fall back much more than twenty yards due to the collapsed tunnel behind them.

Suddenly, Ruby accidentally hit a fire mutant that unpredictably ran into a bullet meant for another Creep. As always, the creature blew up in a burst of smoldering slag which scorched everything around it. The shock wave also shook the entire tunnel, causing dust and dirt to rain down on the four girls. Fortunately, the underground passage withstood the impact, although a nearby support beam creaked and groaned ominously.

"Watch it, Ruby!", Weiss yelled while trying her best to position her Glyphs to support Yang and Blake. Since she and Ruby had to stand more or less behind their teammates – given the narrow tunnel – she couldn't do much else.

"It was an accident!", the crimsonette responded, "This thing just ran into my line of fire."

"Then be more careful and factor that in.", Blake said, "I don't want to be buried alive on our first day down here."

"Isn't there a saying or something like "A tunnel never collapses at the same place twice"?", Yang asked while punching an approaching Creep back into a group of his brethren.

"That saying is about lightning!", Weiss corrected her in an annoyed tone of voice, "And in reality, lightning can and will strike the same place more than one time. Which doesn't matter anyway because this is a completely different tunnel segment with its very own risk of collapse."

"But in that case, my saying would be correct, right?", the blonde responded with a small grin – which was pretty out of place in their current situation, "Because an already collapsed tunnel can't collapse again."

"Do we really have this conversation right now?", Blake asked irritated while fending off another fire mutant next to Yang, "Less talking, more fighting."

"That's easier said than done.", Ruby explained while occasionally firing a shot through the gap between the Bumblebee duo, "There's just not enough room for more than two people to properly act."

"Then maybe we need some support that utilizes the unused space.", Weiss suggested and quickly started summoning, "Cover me! And hold back on killing any ice Creeps until I'm finished."

"Now that's easier said than done.", Yang grumbled.

The tunnel resembled an incredibly colorful minefield: Purple, red, blue, and yellow explosions went off at second intervals. Especially random chain reactions caught Team RWBY off guard and made it tremendously harder to react to and fend off their opponents' assault. At least this part of the tunnel seemed to be way sturdier than the one they had to escape from mere minutes ago.

Weiss' summons provided another silver lining. The moment the swarm of Lancers emerged from her Glyph, it immediately threw itself into the fray. Admittedly, the insects had a few problems coping with the limited space and low ceiling, but they served as an incredibly useful distraction and delayed the advance of the mutants. Of course, they also took out a few enemies, but considering the sheer mass that attacked, it didn't stand out much.

But then, something odd happened: As soon as the fight had started... just as soon it was over again. Without warning, the tide of Grimm ceased entirely. Blake and Yang took out the last two – simple acid Creeps – and suddenly, they were staring at an empty tunnel. Neither of the four girls had noticed that the enemy had run out of reinforcements... but then again, the battle had been quite hectic and their headlamps didn't exactly illuminate a large portion of the area.

"Was that all of them?", Yang asked panting, "And for once, this isn't a complaint."

"Apparently.", Weiss responded and scanned the tunnel with her headlamp, "And I also wouldn't have minded half of them."

"Come to think of it...", Blake suddenly mentioned, "How does Merlot actually manage to sic so many mutated Grimm on us... and the mine? I mean, even in an environment laden with negative emotions, it still takes who knows how long for a certain amount of Grimm to spawn. And he still has to mutate them, or refine them, or whatever."

"So he'll either run out of them anytime soon, or something weird is going on down here.", Ruby pondered and reloaded Crescent Rose, "I'm assuming the latter, considering we're dealing with a crazy Grimm fanatic."

"I wouldn't bet against that, either.", her sister said with a weak chuckle, "Which begs the question of how he actually accesses an apparently limitless supply of Grimm."

"How about we try to figure that out tomorrow? Or continue to contemplate about this outside?", Weiss suggested, "I can only speak for myself, but I had enough near-death experiences for one day."

"Agreed.", Ruby quickly seconded, much to everyone's surprise, "As much as I want to save Blackwell as soon as possible... I'm beat. Apparently, the little trick I pulled off during the collapse was more exhausting than I thought at first. I definitely need to practice this new ability."

"Then let's head back to the camp, have a little snack, and catch some Z's.", Yang said and started walking towards the exit... since that was the only way left to go.

"Umm, you do know that we already ate our daily ration, right?", the heiress asked and raised an eyebrow at the blonde's snack proposal.

"And I hope you know that whoever put the field rations together certainly never fled from collapsing tunnels and fought mutant Grimm... and both things in less than half an hour.", the brawler shot back with a grin.

"She has a point.", Blake tossed in with a shrug, "I won't mind a couple of cookies and hot chocolate as well. We've earned ourselves that much. And I'm pretty sure our fearless leader agrees with me."

"I won't exactly call the cardboard equivalent from the MRE's cookies or the instant powder hot chocolate, but I guess they'll have to do.", the crimsonette said, "But yes: We definitely earned ourselves an extra treat."

"You're such a glutton sometimes.", Weiss sighed at her girlfriend's antics, but added affectionately, "But you're my little glutton."

"Come on, you two.", Yang exclaimed over her shoulder just before the young couple could lean in for another kiss, "You can do whatever sappy stuff you want to once we've made it out of here alive. And remember: We're most certainly gonna share a tent, so keep it appropriate for children and easily mentally scarred older sisters."

"All I can promise you is Teen-and-Up audiences.", Ruby responded with a sly smile.

"Urgh... Fine, I'll take what I can get.", the blonde grumbled and simply kept walking.

Team RWBY's trip back to the camp passed without any unpleasant incidents. Apparently, Merlot really needed some time to recover again, for whatever reason. Or he held his Grimm back on purpose. Whatever the case, the four girls didn't complain when they finally reached the exit of the tunnel and were met with a starlit, almost clear sky... and a few Atlesian Knights that patrolled the perimeter.

"Thank goodness: Fresh air and some natural light.", Blake sighed once they were fully outside again and turned off her headlamp.

"Don't forget about the elimination of the risk of being crushed by falling debris.", Weiss added.

"How about we eliminate some cookies and hot chocolate now – or a more savory snack in my case – and catch some sleep afterwards?", Yang suggested while they made their way to the cluster of tents, "I'd have loved to take a hot shower as well, but I guess I should just be thankful that we at least have a makeshift outhouse now."

"Until we're finished here, it seems that a bucket of heated-up water and a bar of soap will have to do.", Ruby said with a shrug, "Luckily, my hair is quite low-maintenance."

"Isn't the whole reason of having a completely steady girlfriend that you don't have to worry about your appearance anymore?", the blonde asked, "I'm pretty sure you could stop shaving your legs and armpits and get fat and Weiss would still adore the ground you walk on."

"While I probably won't break up with her if that would be the case, I still like my Ruby well-kempt.", the heiress tossed in, "As for the getting-fat part, I guess I could live with that, too, as long as we're talking about chubby and not obese... not only because of the aesthetics but also because of the health aspects."

"Don't worry, Snowflake. I plan to stay the way I am.", the crimsonette reassured her girlfriend, "If I'd stop shaving, the itchy stubbles would drive me crazy. And if I'd gain too much weight, all the lovely things we do in the bedroom would get unnecessarily harder."

"I could have lived happily without the last statement.", Yang sighed.

"I highly doubt that your metabolism and constant training as a future Huntress allow you to gain excessive weight anyway.", Blake tossed in and added with a chuckle, "After all, we've all seen what you constantly eat. If you actually could get fat, you probably already were."

"I don't eat that unhealthy.", Ruby pouted, "For example, I always finish my veggies before moving on to dessert."

"What a praiseworthy attitude.", Ash's gravelly voice suddenly reached the four girls' ears. He was currently standing at the edge of the tent village, one hand supporting himself on a crudely carved stick, the other typing away on his Scroll. The glow from a cigarette placed in the corner of his mouth dimly illuminated his face whenever he took a drag.

"I thought you wanted to rest.", Weiss said while they approached him, "Why are you still up?" The black-haired Huntsman's answer simply consisted of a shrug.

"Aww... were you so worried about us that you couldn't sleep?", Yang asked teasingly.

"Let's just say I assumed you'd do somethin' stupid.", Ash shot back in his usual, grumpy (but non-offensive) manner, "Anyway... found out anything useful?"

"Quite a few things, actually.", Ruby began explaining, "For example, the tunnels are even more unstable than we thought and that makes fighting down there incredibly dangerous. A part of a branch we inspected even collapsed in front of us. But maybe that was one of Merlot's traps since none of us did anything to cause a cave-in."

"But even if the latter is the case – which isn't that unlikely to assume – he didn't try to kill us the easy way.", Blake added, "While we still had a hard time to escape, he just could've set off his trap right above us. So maybe he wants to be found, but only by people he deems worthy. Either to further test his mutants... or because he wants to infect them with his weird, probably improved virus."

"That kind of contradicts his first attempts to stay hidden entirely.", Weiss remarked, "Given everything we have found out so far, it is more probable that he's looking for suitable candidates to help him studying his Grimm's weaknesses, so to speak. That would also explain why we were attacked by a pack of them immediately after the collapse."

"Which brings us to the fact that Merlot never seems to run out of mutants even though new Grimm usually won't respawn that fast... but only sics them on us or the mine in certain intervals, for whatever reason.", Yang tossed in, "So it's also possible that this network of tunnels is somehow connected to another one – maybe even his main lab – which supplies him with reinforcements. Or he has somehow found a way to create his mutants without a blank."

"As you can see, there's still a lot of maybes and probablies.", Ruby concluded slightly crestfallen.

"So we're pretty much as smart as before, huh?", Ash sighed and received four nods, "Well, 'twas just a first scouting tour, and a rather short one, on top o' that. I'm sure that if any remaining paths don't collapse or are sealed off by Merlot as well, tomorrow'll be goin' better. By the way, ya tent and ya bunks are all set up. I guess you wanna rest a little now, after the whole stress you've been through today."

"Yup, that was the plan.", Yang announced, "But not before we had a little snack. We've earned us that much."

"Do you want to join us?", the crimsonette asked politely.

"No, I think I'm gonna head straight to bed.", the lion Faunus explained, "Now that y'all back in one piece, I hope I can finally catch some sleep."

"Heh, I knew you were worried about us.", the blonde said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't push it, Blondie.", Ash grumbled faintly smiling, flicked his cigarette butt away, and headed for his own tent.

After having another small bite to eat, Team RWBY turned in for the night as well. At least they had a tent for themselves. Blackwell's police officers all shared a big one and Ash – as the official leader of the operation – was housed at the provisional command post.

The four girls' accommodation was tiny, though, and only provided enough room for some kind of shelf (more of a frame than anything else), four ancient-looking folding cots, and a small Dust-powered oven in the very back. Even the walkway in-between those necessities was barely wide enough for a single person.

Team RWBY quickly took care of their stinted evening routine, then they went to bed. Despite the fact that the bunks were already quite narrow for a single person, Ruby and Weiss still insisted on sleeping in the same one. One of their unzipped sleeping bags functioned as a mattress or cushioning, the other one was used as a blanket. Thankfully, both girls were rather short and slim – and after a bit of turning and wriggling around, they managed to fit onto the camp bed's surface.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?", Blake asked the young couple from her own folding cot while she watched them struggle.

"Incredibly so, even.", Ruby shot back with a grin, "But that's a price I'm willing to pay." Then she snuggled up a bit closer to Weiss. This night, she was the big spoon, mostly so Yang was reassured that they won't do anything lewd. But since the crimsonette was taller than her girlfriend – only by an inch or two, though – it probably also came in handy to cope with the limited space.

"Then I hope you two lovebirds don't pull a muscle or something and still get enough sleep.", Yang grumbled, "Tomorrow will be another exhausting day."

"Don't worry about that.", Weiss responded, "Regardless of the external circumstances, I always sleep better with Ruby by my side than without her. Even if we don't exhaust ourselves beforehand."

"Well, the night's still young.", the crimsonette giggled and planted a soft kiss on the back of her girlfriend's neck.

"I simply won't comment on that now.", the blonde sighed, turned around, and pretended to sleep. Of course, she was almost entirely sure that her sister was only joking. As much fun as Ruby and Weiss had by teasing her – it was the same the other way around, after all – they were way too responsible and considerate to actually get frisky.

However, that didn't keep the crimsonette from still trying to exchange at least some affections. Although their last kiss had taken place less than two hours ago, she was already starved for more romantic interaction – especially now that she felt her lover's body so close to her own. In terms of relationships, she chalked that up as a good sign... in terms of independence probably not so much.

Ruby waited for about five minutes – hoping that Yang and Blake would be at least half-asleep by then – before she began to gently kiss the back of her girlfriend's neck. Nevertheless, her lips didn't linger too long at that place. Instead, they slowly traveled upwards until they had reached Weiss' earlobe. A soft nibble was enough to coax a cute moan out of the heiress' throat. In the meantime, the crimsonette's hand that had previously rested on the white-haired girl's stomach had slid up her body as well, its fingers brushing the underside of her breasts.

"Ruby.", Weiss whispered barely audible, "What are you doing?"

"No idea what you're talking about.", the younger girl whispered back before she continued to suck on her lover's earlobe affectionately, "I'ng nog goin' anyhin..."

"Tell that to the thing that's starting to strain my panties.", the heiress shot back... but barely made any effort to stop her girlfriend since her actions were still quite harmless. However, that changed immediately when Ruby suddenly cupped one of her breasts and gave it an affectionate squeeze through the fabric of her dress.

"Alright, now you've overdone it.", Weiss sighed, turned her head to escape her lover's lips, and shoved her hand back onto her stomach, "I wouldn't have minded a bit more intense cuddling, but that's getting way too heated."

"Sorry.", the crimsonette apologized, "But it's actually your fault for being too sexy to resist."

"That's always your excuse when you can't keep your hands to yourself.", the heiress giggled softly, "Come on now. Let's try to get some sleep. I'll even allow you to nibble a bit more... as long as you stay decent."

"Well, better than nothing, I guess.", Ruby said, "G'night, Snowflake."

"Sweet dreams, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl replied.

And with that, the young couple relaxed back into their embrace... but not for long.

The younger girl had no idea why, but today, it was especially tempting to kiss and touch her girlfriend. Maybe it was the adrenaline from earlier still pumping through her veins... or the excitement of finally having made some progress regarding their mission. Maybe it was just the tiny folding cot that forced them to lie closer to each other than ever before.

Whatever the actual reason, after merely another five minutes of keeping a low profile, Ruby's kisses and nibbles got a bit more aggressive again. Her hand also (mostly subconsciously) wandered upwards again until it once more reached the swell of the white-haired girl's breasts. But not just that: The crimsonette also started to wriggle her hips ever so subtly, grinding her crotch into her lover's immaculate butt in search of whatever stimulation it could find. That would probably be more effective if she also had an extra down there like Weiss, she pondered.

But of course, her activities didn't go unnoticed for long.

"Urgh... Ruby. What did we talk about just now?", the heiress scolded her girlfriend softly.

"I'm sorry, okay.", the crimsonette sighed and ceased her actions, "I don't know why, but I can't calm down. I'm still too antsy because... whatever the cause. This mission and its development are exciting, being out here is exciting... you're exciting anyway. Don't tell me all of that leaves you cold."

"It... doesn't.", Weiss admitted sheepishly, "But as much as I want to relieve some stress with you, we can't." Of course, she felt the same as her lover. After all, the younger girl was just as irresistible to her as Ruby always told her she was herself. But right now, they simply couldn't do all the things they wanted... could they?

"Umm, and what if we just don't go all in?", Ruby whispered tenderly and gave her girlfriend's breast a gentle poke, causing her to shiver, "And if we're really, reeeaaally quiet?"

This single touch and the hot breath on her ear were enough for the heiress to immediately reconsider, contrary to her common sense. But maybe they could really get each other off (at least a bit?) without their teammates noticing. And as long as there was only a small chance for that to happen, Weiss obviously didn't want to let it go to waste.

"Well, I guess if we just do a little bit of... stuff... and completely keep the noise down...", she thought it over, "Then maybe we could at least..."

"I promise you, if you don't shut it already, I'm gonna fill the empty cot with snow and put it over you like a lid over a pot.", Yang groaned... which immediately caused both lovers to flinch and blush deeply. Apparently, the blonde had heard every word they'd been saying.

"And I'm gonna help her.", Blake unexpectedly added in an equally disgruntled tone of voice.

"S-sorry! We're going to sleep now.", Ruby and Weiss quickly responded in embarrassment – and perfect unison.

"If only I could believe that.", Yang groaned and tried to bury her head even deeper into her sleeping bag and, in addition, her bunk. Her partner mimicked the action.

"Do you think you could work on some Sound-proofing Glyphs?", the crimsonette asked quietly, but only received a faint huff from her girlfriend.

Sleep didn't come easy to the four girls that night, though, but not because Ruby and Weiss didn't keep their promise. Mostly at fault were the interruptions every few hours when a pack of mutant Grimm attacked the camp without warning. Thankfully, the police officers and Atlesian Knights provided valuable support in fending off the threat that periodically emerged from the tunnel. Of course, that still didn't significantly improve their living conditions.

Team RWBY knew that they had to put an end to Merlot's nefarious schemes here... and soon.

Chapter Text

The next morning, the four girls of Team RWBY decided to sleep in, if only a little. They did so for three reasons: First of all, the many interruptions due to the nightly fights had made it impossible to get proper rest. Second, they could allow themselves to get up a little later than usual because they were already at the investigation site and didn't have to travel there first, unlike the last few days. And last but not least, the four Huntresses-in-training were well-aware of the fact that today's certainly more extensive exploration tour would be indefinitely harder and more dangerous than yesterday's mere dip into the tunnels. The extra bit of recharge could likely mean the difference between life and death.

After they had gotten up and taken care of their respective (and slimmed-down) morning routines, it was time for breakfast. Of course – compared to what they were used to... and especially in Yang's opinion – it could barely be considered as such: canned bread, sausage slices, spread cheese, water, coffee extract, drink powder. But then again, the four girls had come here to stop a mad scientist from eradicating mankind, not to indulge in haute cuisine.

Once the slightly disappointing meal was consumed, Team RWBY started to prepare for the upcoming exploration. They checked their backpacks and organized the necessary supplies, then the four girls made sure that their weapons were in top shape. As always, Ruby overshot at that, almost completely disassembling Crescent Rose and cleaning and greasing every single part before putting her heavily modified scythe back together. Not only that: After she had finished her sweetheart's maintenance – still much faster than her teammates – she supervised the check-ups of Myrtenaster, Gambol Shroud, and Ember Celica as well.

"Gettin' ready, huh?", a gravelly voice suddenly addressed them.

"Hey, Ash.", the crimsonette greeted the Huntsman cheerfully, "Are you gonna accompany us this time?"

"Not straight away.", the black-haired man grumbled, "'bout to get ma last treatment in a bit. Hopefully, the medics'll declare me fit for combat again by noon. Feelin' alright, though, but better safe than sorry."

"That's... unusually reasonable for you.", Blake mentioned with a small grin.

"After what ya've told me yesterday, nobody should get down there with even just an itchin' ass, much less with actual injuries.", the lion Faunus responded, retrieved a pack of smokes from one of his duster's pockets, and quickly lit up a cigarette. In the corner of her eye, Ruby noticed her girlfriend roll with her eyes – likely because of yet another one of Ash's boorish phrasings – however, even the heiress seemed to have gotten used to them by now.

Yang, on the other hand, responded a little differently.

"You totally have to write me some kind of almanac with all those expressions, comparisons, and the like sometime in the future.", the blonde said with a wide grin, "I mean, I'm already quite good at jokes and puns myself, but I'm always willing to learn."

"Neither of that is true.", her partner clarified dryly and shoved the magazine back into Gambol Shroud, finally done with her maintenance.

"Hey, I can be a diligent student if I'm interested in the topic. And my jokes are the bomb.", Yang defended herself... probably for the thousandth time.

"Can't write ma stuff down anyway, Blondie.", Ash remarked, "It's a very intuitive talent o' mine to always say the wrong thing at the wrong place and time."

"Are you really sure you and Yang aren't related somehow?", Weiss asked, "Not even with five degrees of separation or something?"

"Enough chatter. And by the way: Now you are making the same lame jokes about my sister over and over again.", Ruby tossed in, "Anyway, are we good to go?"

She looked her teammates over and received three nods. Then the four girls sheathed their checked weapons and shouldered their backpacks, ready to set out.

"Try to leave some kind of mark at every fork you pass.", Ash suddenly said, "That way, I can catch up with ya once the medics give their okay."

"So what? Do you expect us to lay a trail of bread crumbs?", Yang asked jokingly, reciting a famous fairytale she had read to her sister many times, "But what if the mutant Grimm eat them and you get lost?"

"Very funny.", the lion Faunus sighed, "Just take a piece of chalk 'n draw an arrow on the walls or whatever. Preferably no dick, though. Not only'd that be incredibly immature, but it's also copyrighted by me 'n ma former team." At the last part, he couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"Great, now I have to come up with another vulgar sign that's shaped like a pointer.", the blonde groaned in feigned annoyance.

"You are banned from chalking from now on until further notice.", Weiss simply replied to that. A moment later, Team RWBY bid their goodbye to Ash, got some chalk from the improvised command post, and headed for the tunnels.

Again, the four Huntresses-in-training traveled through the darkness, the only bit of light cutting through it coming from their headlamps. They reached the first bifurcation again without any complications and went left this time... since the other tunnel was a dead end now due to yesterday's collapse. Remembering that Ash wanted to close up on them later, Weiss dutifully chalked up a clearly visible arrow. Blake, for her part, tended to the drawn map on her Scroll again so they had at least a vague idea where they were.

The overall scenery didn't change much on the left way, either: Crude stone walls and ceilings, dry air laden with dust and dirt, a support beam here and there... darkness, tediousness, nothingness. If the risk of collapse or the threat of a mutant Grimm attack weren't ever-present, this investigation would be about as boring as one of Doctor Oobleck's history lessons. The two other forks the girls encountered while they ventured deeper and deeper into the earth's entrails were the somewhat amusing jokes the green-haired professor occasionally incorporated into his lectures, but other than that, it was always the same grind.

The walk became so dull that Team RWBY didn't even know if they should be grateful or rather worried at first when they suddenly heard a familiar growling and claws scraping over the cold stone ground. However, the latter feeling quickly won out since they soon remembered that they were fighting dangerous mutants in an extremely confined space and one wrong move could cause multiple tons of debris to crush them under their wrecking weight. Luckily, the Beacon students were already quite proficient in fighting Merlot's abominations, and as long as they watched out to kill the fire Creeps away from the walls and support beams, to take on the lightning Grimm with ranged attacks, and to shield themselves from the icicles, it would likely be smooth sailing.

Just like yesterday, the creatures' numbers were quite plentiful, but not overwhelmingly so. The biggest problem remained the lack of space and the need for caution where and when to wipe them out to avoid a cave-in. Again, Weiss and Blake proved themselves especially efficient against the mutants in this particular situation. The two sisters had their fair share of trouble, though: Ruby because she couldn't utilize her sniper rifle properly in these winding tunnels and Yang because she couldn't fully unleash the force of her normally devastating attacks since it would be way too risky.

But much to everybody's relief, they had managed to deal with the pack after about fifteen minutes of intense fighting.

"Is everyone alright?", the crimsonette asked immediately once she was sure that the battle was won and no latecomers were still waiting around the next corner.

"Yeah, I'm fine.", Weiss responded and reloaded Mytenaster's Dust chamber.

"Still smokin' hot, even without any fire Creeps around.", Yang chimed in with a grin, earning herself an eye-roll from the heiress.

"I'm not hurt, either.", Blake concluded, "And if our contemplations from yesterday are at least somewhat correct, we won't have to worry about that happening for the next two to four hours."

"That's the time span Merlot usually needs to gather reinforcements?", the heiress asked.

"It's only a rough estimation, though.", the cat Faunus explained, "We can probably assume that Merlot's actions will become more aggressive the closer anyone gets to finding whatever he's trying to hide here."

"Then we definitely need to stay on guard.", Ruby said determined, "Let's head further down this branch and see if there are any hints about his whereabouts. But since there were mutants coming from this tunnel, I'm confident that we're on the right track."

"Let's just hope that we can kill whatever we're gonna find before it kills us.", Yang remarked.

The crimsonette was to be proven correct: After merely another five minutes of walking, the tunnel suddenly started to widen. The support beams began to look sturdier as well. And suddenly, Team RWBY stood what appeared to be some kind of entryway that led to... darkness. At least the light of their headlamps didn't reach any walls or ceiling anymore. There were just about five yards of dusty ground before even that abruptly ended.

"Well, what do we have here?", Ruby asked curiously and carefully approached the ledge.

"Looks like an underground ravine.", Blake pondered and followed her leader with Weiss and Yang closely behind her, "Watch your step and stay away from the edge. Seems like we are not only at risk of being crushed from above now, but also of plummeting down a cliff."

"Umm... not exactly.", the youngest Huntress-in-training responded while looking down the presumed ravine, "You guys probably wanna see that." Then she increased the brightness of her headlamp with a simple turn of the bulb. What was way too glaring for the narrow tunnels was now needed to assure herself that her eyes weren't playing any tricks on her.

Her teammates quickly stood by her side and did the same... but what they suddenly caught sight of left them completely speechless:

It wasn't a cliff or ravine they were looking at, but simply some kind of pit, approximately only four yards deep. But while a fall into it certainly wouldn't kill them, being skewered by a mass of sharp, grey objects that were resting inside likely would. The crater was about thirty yards in diameter, yet it was already half-full of these odd things. They looked crystalline, pretty much like used-up Dust did, yet their form reminded one of...

"Bones?", Weiss gasped in utter disbelief.

"Kinda looks like it, huh?", Ruby said and let the light of her headlamp wander through the whole pit.

"But... but why? I mean, how?", Yang asked and mimicked her sister's action, "Don't Grimm usually evaporate? As in: completely?"

"Maybe this stuff was already buried here before.", the crimsonette responded with a shrug, "Y'know, some weird animal fossils or whatever that got in Merlot's way, so he kinda build a garbage dump for them."

"The way more disturbing – and more likely – alternative would be that whatever Merlot's trying to create down here is not exactly Grimm in nature.", Blake mentioned.

"Is that even possible?", the blonde asked further, doubt apparent in her voice.

"If you know how to refine and use it, Dust can alter pretty much everything.", Weiss grumbled and looked away from her teammates, "Believe me, I know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Oh... right.", Yang replied and an apologetic smile tugged at her lips, "S-sorry I brought that up."

"It's okay.", the white-haired girl said and returned the smile, "After all, my initial misery is one of the reasons why I am no longer miserable... that I'm fantastic now, to be honest. Thanks to someone who doesn't know the word 'boundaries'... or the meaning of a locked bathroom door." As if on cue, or maybe even to verify this statement, her girlfriend pulled her in for a one-armed hug and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"While I'm happy that you're happy – as said many times before – could we focus on the matter at hand again, please?", Blake suddenly piped up, "What we've found here is something incredibly grave: Just look at the size of these remains. Whatever Merlot is researching into, it's something enormous. Maybe he tried to infuse a Sphinx or a Goliath with Dust here, and not just like he did with the Creeps, but on another, even more severe level that alters their whole genetic make-up."

"Well, even if, I don't think he's made much progress with that so far.", Yang explained, "Judging by the amount of bones, there are about twenty failed experiments in this pit."

"Not to mention that it's quite unlikely that Merlot has managed to lead creatures as big as Goliaths down here through these narrow tunnels.", Weiss added, "And in such numbers, on top of that."

"If you have a better explanation, I'm all ears.", the cat Faunus said with a shrug... and quickly added once she noticed her partner drawing a deep breath, "Nobody wants to hear a joke about the fact that I have four of them, Yang." The blonde immediately deflated again.

"Another option would be that Merlot somehow grows his Grimm down here.", Ruby pondered, "Like, with some kind of intubation chamber."

"Incubation.", her girlfriend corrected.

"That too.", the crimsonette responded, trying to simply carry off her slip-up.

"So you mean Merlot's not only experimenting on way bigger Grimm now – who don't seem to be actual Grimm anymore – but that he can also evolve them out of common Creeps or whatever in a matter of weeks... or maybe even days?", Yang asked and raised her eyebrows.

"If it's really true, that is.", Ruby interjected, "But mere assumptions hasn't gotten us anywhere before. I suggest we move on and try to find the place where he actually tries to create whatever ultimately ends up in this pit."

"Agreed.", Weiss seconded her girlfriend's plan, "Considering the many theories we already came up with, there could be a completely different explanation for everything. It's about time we either confirm or disprove some of them instead of speculating. I don't know how you think about it, but I'm getting tired of this whole mission making even less sense with every new bit of information we discover."

"Then let's find the next section of the tunnel or wherever the mutants we just fought has come from.", Yang suggested, "Because I highly doubt they just assembled themselves from these bones."

Of course, no one had any objections. Since the cave they were currently inside of wasn't overly spacious – still spacious enough that the four girls wondered what Merlot had done with all the waste material, though – they quickly found another entry (or exit?) at the opposite side of the pit. It was slightly wider than the other tunnels they had seen so far, most likely to easier transport the bone-like objects from where they accumulated to the dump. Additionally, the walls weren't completely crude and ragged anymore... at least they gave off the vibe that someone didn't just do what was absolutely necessary. Or maybe that was just Team RWBY's imagination.

The tunnel's next segment was rather short, though, and after not even one minute of walking, the four Huntresses-in-training found themselves inside yet another cave. It was a bit smaller than the graveyard they were coming from, but it also featured a pit – more of a small dip than anything else, though. And at the floor of this small depression, a couple of mutant Grimm idly strolled around... as if this place was some kind of waiting room. They could hardly be called a pack, at least compared to what the four girls were used to: There was no more than a dozen of them.

Nevertheless, Team RWBY immediately took their combat stances to fend off the anticipated attack. But, much to their surprise, it never came. Stranger still: The usually bloodthirsty creatures didn't even seem to notice the new arrivals. They simply went about their business... which just consisted of shuffling around, sniffing the ground, and growling at each other.

"Umm, what's exactly going on here?", Yang whispered to her teammates while suspiciously eyeing the mutants, "Did we lose our charm or something?"

"Not likely.", Weiss responded quietly and stayed equally vigilant, "My first guess would be that this area's purpose is that of an assembly point. And once there are enough mutants created and gathered to compose an actual threat, Merlot sends them out. To attack the mine, for example."

"So you're saying they are programmed to just stay idle until a certain number is reached?", Blake asked.

"At least that's the most logical explanation I can come up with for why they don't instantly try to mangle us.", the heiress said with a shrug.

"Well, even though they don't pose a threat at the moment – and as much as I hate unnecessary violence – we should get rid of them.", Ruby mentioned and readied her scythe again, "If we don't, we risk them changing their minds at the most unfortunate moment."

Naturally, the proposition received general approval. The crimsonette then took aim and searched for a good first target – since the Grimm weren't attacking them yet, she had free choice. And that choice fell on a fire Creep amidst the group, in the hopes that its explosion would send other Grimm to their deaths as well. The shot rang out, the creature blew up... and the burst of lava caught two acid mutants and one ice Creep, just as intended. A couple of Glyphs shielded the group from the icicles which, in addition, took out another lightning Grimm.

Now that finally got the creatures' attention. Apparently, they were also programmed to charge at whatever threat that made itself explicitly known. But since there were only seven Creeps left, they didn't stand a chance. Another shot from Ruby's sniper-scythe, a few of the heiress' Dust bolts, a salvo from Gambol Shroud, and a hit-and-run style attack from Yang was all it took to wipe the rest of the small group out. Another blast of ice shards was easily dodged... and the other explosions didn't even reach the four girls.

"Whew... why can't all of our fights be that easy?", the blonde brawler asked and cracked her neck to one side, relieving some tension.

"I really wish you wouldn't have said that out loud.", Blake sighed while checking the remaining bullets in her weapon's clip, "Because I'm sure that whatever we'll come across any minute now is going to make us eat your words."

"That's actually pretty likely.", Ruby suddenly piped up and let the light of her headlamp wander through the cave until it came to rest on a part of the wall almost completely opposite to them (again), "Look! I briefly saw that when we entered, but then the Grimm somehow interrupted me from saying something."

The three other girls' gazes quickly followed the cone of light coming from the young leader's forehead. And there, embedded into the cold stone, they saw a metal gate quite similar to those they had already encountered at the underground lab near Nave. If the mutated Grimm weren't already an indicator that Merlot's operation was near at hand, this door certainly was.

"Looks like we finally found somebody's hiding spot.", Blake mused.

"Either that or someone has beaten us to the punch regarding Yang's real estate idea.", Weiss added, surprising her teammates a bit by making a lame joke at an inappropriate time herself for a change.

"Even if so, we can probably at least ask for directions.", her girlfriend played along with a small grin, but then she got serious again, "Now come on, Team! The evil scientist's plans won't foil themselves."

And with that, the crimsonette rushed to the gate, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake. The other girls followed suit, although a little slower.

"Well, I don't see a buzzer or a doorknocker... and I also don't think anyone will grant us entry if we just call out loud.", Yang said once they stood in front of the tightly sealed portal, "So I guess we'll have to open that thing the old-fashioned way."

"Leave it to me!", Ruby said with a confident grin and unfolded her scythe completely so it would resemble a crowbar, "I already have my fair share of experience with these doors."

She had barely finished her sentence before she slammed the scythe's blade into the small gap of the mechanical door. Then she grabbed the snath about a forearm's length away from the double-bladed end – although she had already reinforced Crescent Rose hundreds of times, she still didn't want to risk bending it – and started pushing. And her success in opening the gate wasn't limited... because it was non-existent, that is.

"Whenever you're ready, sis.", the blonde chuckled as she watched the crimsonette struggle.

"Hrgh...", Ruby croaked out while throwing her whole weight into her make-shift crowbar, her feet slipping on the dusty ground, "C-come on now, stupid door, will ya!"

"Not that easy without virus-enhanced Grimm-strength, is it?", Blake chimed in, trying and failing to suppress a small giggle herself when she saw their fearless leader running on the spot without making any progress at all.

"You don't say?", the crimsonette groaned in an annoyed and exhausted manner – quickly regretting her former over-confidence – and finally ceased her actions, "A little help here, please?"

"Well, if I would have to choose between Grimm-Ruby and having to give you a hand, I would always pick the latter, Rose Petal.", Weiss said softly. Needless to say, Yang and Blake agreed.

Then the three girls got into position, each one grabbing a part of Crescent Rose's shaft, and with combined forces, they managed to finally pry the gate open. As with the doors at the underground lab at Nave, the locking mechanism briefly groaned, then cracked, and was irreparably destroyed shortly after. Once that was accomplished, the two panels could be pushed to their respective sides quite effortlessly.

"See, sis? All you had to do was ask.", Yang said with a shit-eating grin and flexed her biceps. She was the only one of the four that was just a little out of breath.

"I'll keep it in mind.", Ruby panted and checked if her scythe had been damaged in any way. Much to her relief, it didn't even bore a single scratch.

"So now that this thing is open, I guess it's time to foil evil scientists' plans now, as you've put it, right?", Blake remarked while massaging the shoulder she had pushed against Crescent Rose with.

"Exactly.", the crimsonette responded, "Now or never."

She got three determined nods in return, then the team carefully ventured through the broken-up gate. The tunnel that followed behind soon got wider than the door itself, then wider than the passages they had traveled through on their way down here. A few steps later, their surroundings started to slowly become a bit brighter, even the path's parts that the light of their headlamps didn't reach.

And finally, they found themselves in another, even bigger cave... which wasn't anything like the first two... or anything they had seen at Nave.

The only thing this cavern had in common with the others from before was the small depression on the ground. Its walls, however, weren't blank... but laden with weird computers, aggregates, control panels, and whatnot. A few modest-sized tanks, either filled with green or purple serum or with what seemed to be processed Dust, stood in-between, bigger ones were installed in the back. Pipelines zigzagged through the whole facility – some on the floor, but the majority were mounted to the walls or suspended into the air by stilts or various kinds of wires.

The equipment was operated by about a dozen of weaponless androids, apparently mere working drones. Another dozen robots – armed with the already familiar double-bladed glaives or simple assault rifles – were patrolling the cave, for whatever reason. Some other, likely self-operating machinery could be seen as well.

Team Ruby only witnessed all of that in the corner of their eyes, though... because what had immediately caught their whole attention was located in the very middle of the huge hollow. However, they couldn't have imagined what they saw right now even in their wildest dreams. A shiver ran down each girl's spine and their blood ran cold.

"What the...", Yang croaked out.

"I-is this some kind of...", Weiss followed, equally shocked.

"M-Merlot... what have you done?", Ruby finally voiced everybody's thoughts.

Four pairs of eyes stared in terror at the harrowing sight in front of them. One thing was for sure: Nothing even remotely like that should have ever come into being.

Chapter Text

Team RWBY stared completely shell-shocked at the something in front of them. Never, in their entire lives, would they've believed that they were ever going to see an abomination like this. At first, the four girls' minds weren't able to process the visual input. But, thankfully, the consternation soon faded enough that they could comprehend what Merlot had created... at least to some degree:

The monster in front of them was truly massive, there was no other word for it. Three Goliaths stacked over one another probably came close to reach its height, or length, or whatever. However, its main body was rather small – the bigger part of the creature was made up of its giant, rippling, colorfully pulsing abdomen. It was the only segment of the abomination that was (partially) resting on the ground, the rest of it was suspended high into the air by some cables and other retainers.

The Grimm itself faintly resembled a Creep, yet its physique seemed to include parts of other species as well. Its maw resembled a beak more than anything else, it had a mane, and the four girls also believed to recognize two pairs of small (and therefore useless), insect-like wings. Nevertheless, its most prominent feature remained its massively swollen gaster.

But just before any of the Huntresses-in-training wanted to say something, they suddenly heard Merlot's artificial-sounding voice echo through the cave:

"Greetings, dear trespasser... or trespassers.", apparently, it was a pre-recorded message, the playing of which the four girls had somehow triggered, "I see you finally discovered the centerpiece of my little operation. An impressive accomplishment, given the many hardships you had to overcome to do so. As a reward, you are now allowed to witness the next step of evolution... and soon, you will be part of it. If you pass another little test, that is. A mere formality, don't worry – but if it proves to be more than you can handle... this is where I say farewell. Otherwise... welcome to your new life."

Again, Team RWBY didn't have the time to respond anything to that because suddenly, there was a loud rumble behind them. A moment later, the ground started to shake and before the four girls knew it... the tunnel they had come from had collapsed! They were trapped in here with a mutant they had never fought before, a dozen of armed androids, and without any option to communicate with the outside world. To say things looked bad would be the understatement of the century.

But hadn't they heard another, faint voice before the cave-in? Or had it just been their imagination?

However, the four girls didn't dwell on it – simply because they had other things to focus on right now. The dust from the collapse behind them hadn't even fully settled when the androids readied their weapons and set their sights on them. Merely a second later, the giant Grimm in the middle of the cave screeched and writhed (in pain?). It was now that Team RWBY noticed that it wasn't just suspended by various cables, but also connected to some weird tubes. And through those conduits, the creature was suddenly infused with a few different-colored substances – likely Dust and/or serums. The fluids had just drenched to the mutant when the cloaca – if one could call it that – at the end of its gaster opened... and spewed out about a dozen mutant Creeps.

So Merlot really found a way to create Grimm out of nowhere... more or less. Or was this creature not only fueled by Dust but also by its own negative emotions, likely the pain the infusions brought upon it? Did it even have emotions and wasn't a Grimm itself, at least not entirely? Was its brood even Grimm or something else?

Following the apparent motto of this situation, Team RWBY had no time to wonder about all of these questions at the moment. After all, they were faced with a dual-threat now... that quickly charged at them.

"Encounter! Spread out!", Ruby immediately announced and took her combat stance. Of course, her warning wasn't actually necessary: After all, their attackers were hard to overlook.

The four girls had barely drawn their weapons and scattered when a gush of lava from a fire Creep hit right where they had been standing just a second ago. Unfortunately, that was just one of many attacks they had to dodge. For example, Yang and Weiss – who had escaped to the right – hadn't even regained their footing before a barrage of ice shards rained down on them. Blake and Ruby at the left side of the now closed-off entrance were immediately taken under fire by the androids. A moment later, the melee fighters had closed up on them... and things only got worse from that point on.

"Is it already too late to submit a vacation request from all that crap?", Yang yelled and punched an approaching acid Creep away. She was protecting Weiss from the attacks the best she could so the white-haired girl could concentrate on using her Glyphs to prevent them from getting riddled with icicles.

"If you can still make your stupid jokes, it can't be too bad.", the heiress groaned in response while trying to hold up her summoned shields and fend off a melee android simultaneously.

On their side of the battlefield, Ruby and Blake weren't faring much better.

"Take cover behind the Stone Shadows!", the Faunus instructed her leader, "Then try to take out the gunners with your sniper rifle. I'll cover you."

"Thanks, Blake. But stay out of the line of fire yourself.", Ruby shot back, took aim, and eliminated one ranged android with a bullet to the head. Only five more to go... or six? How many had there been in the first place? The crimsonette hadn't been able to pay attention, too busy ogling the giant mutant at first, then avoiding being burned alive.

The fact that they were finally fighting in a more spacious area again was a blessing and a curse alike. At least the four girls could move more freely now and also didn't have to constantly fear a cave-in whenever they executed a more powerful attack or killed a mutant Grimm. On the other hand, now the enemy had the opportunity to engage them from several sides at once, which made warding off the aggressors a lot more difficult.

Another problem arose from the higher diversity of Merlot's troops. The mutants and their special abilities alone – especially their explosive demise – were already troublesome enough, but with the androids' support, their actions got even more unpredictable and harder to counter. The creatures of darkness and the mechanical soldiers worked together with incredible precision: While the glaive-wielders tried to create an opening for the fire-, ice-, and acid-spitting Grimm, the lightning Creeps and normal acid mutants did their utmost to breach Team RWBY's guard for the gunners to land a hit.

Nevertheless, the four girls weren't amateurs... and had proved more than once that they could adapt to new, rather dire situations very quickly. This case wasn't an exception. Instinctively, they had adopted quite effective countermeasures against the foe's strategy and refined them with every move they made. As always, Weiss' Glyphs and Blake's Shadows served as decent protection against the mutants' – and now also the androids' – ranged attacks, especially the heiress was outdoing herself this time. Blake and Yang prioritized keeping any melee fighters away from the white-haired girl and the crimsonette. And while Weiss fully devoted herself to the team's shields, Ruby concentrated on taking out the most dangerous opponents, one perfectly aimed bullet at a time.

"Almost out of Earth Dust.", Blake announced curtly and checked Gambol Shroud's magazine as well as her backup ammo, "Could switch to Ice Dust, but I doubt that the Shadows are even remotely as durable." A moment later, one of the statues she had created – and that Ruby was currently using as a makeshift arrowslit – burst from a spurt of gunfire. The Faunus was about to set up another Stone Shadow for her leader when a Glyph suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Got you two covered, don't worry.", Weiss said confidently and parried off a blow from a fire Creep before a well-aimed shotgun shell knocked the beast away from her.

"You owe me, Weiss-cream... again.", Yang remarked with a small chuckle, swiftly dodged the swing of an android's glaive, and gave the robot the same treatment as the latest mutant.

"Put it on my tab!", the heiress responded dryly and readjusted her Glyphs a bit so she could send a barrage of fire bolts towards an especially annoying ice Creep. Unfortunately, in the heat of battle, only a few projectiles found their target and the creature survived.

"If you can still joke around, then it can't be too bad, huh?", the blonde teasingly recalled her earlier conversation with the white-haired girl.

"May I remind you that we're fighting for our lives here?!", Blake yelled and fended off a glaive-wielding android herself. She just wanted to ask Ruby to help her talk some sense into Weiss and Yang, but just before she could do so, the crimsonette's sniper rifle rang out.

"Bullseye!", the young scythe-wielder cheered while one of Merlot's gunners collapsed, "Is anyone keeping track of my points?"

"You're not helping my point here, Ruby.", the Faunus groaned.

"Oh... s-sorry.", the crimsonette immediately apologized, then she addressed her girlfriend and her sister, "Umm, no stupid jokes, team. The situation is serious."

"You kinda lost your credibility already.", Blake just sighed in response.

Much to Team RWBY's relief, while the enemy's actions were currently somewhat more dangerous, at least the mutants and androids' numbers were manageable. And with each foe eliminated, the threat level decreased significantly, to the point that this harsh fight slowly turned into a mere nuisance. Furthermore – and unlike at the lab under Nave – there were no extra doors and hatches, besides one bigger gate at the very back that remained shut, though. Therefore, Merlot's troops wouldn't suddenly receive worrisome reinforcements... safe for maybe another batch of mutated Creeps the abomination in the middle would give birth to again.

Or so the four girls thought...

However, when Yang destroyed the last android – safe for the unarmed workers who hadn't posed a threat yet - something odd happened. A low rumble echoed through the cave and the humongous monster in the middle of the cave started to thrash around again. In the corner of her eyes, Ruby noticed that the Dust ducts connected to the beast suddenly started to pump another fluid or whatever into it... something purple, but a darker shade than the Creeps had been. Her eyes immediately went wide with terror. Could it be?

The crimsonette quickly fired a few shots at the giant Grimm-incubator's head in order to kill it before what she feared would happen. But when the high-caliber sniper bullets hit it... they simply bounced off! Trying to target the conduits was met with the same results. And so, the young leader could do nothing but to watch the monster's abdomen swell and ripple while it slowly turned the same shade of purple as the infusion it was currently receiving. Soon, Weiss, Blake, and Yang had taken care of the remaining three mutant Creeps and joined their leader's stare.

"What's happening with this guy now?", the blonde asked and swiftly reloaded Ember Celica, "And do I actually want to know it?"

"I take it as a bad sign that even you didn't go for the obvious constipation-joke.", her partner chimed in and emptied the residue of her third from last clip into the creature... with even less success in harming it than Ruby, if that was possible. She – as well as her teammates – also thought about climbing up the beast and cut the ducts with their blades, but the moment they had made up their minds, the infusion stopped... or more likely, it was completed.

"Whatever's gonna come out of this thing now will certainly be a lot harder to kill than mere Creeps.", Weiss pondered, "And depending on how fast this new enemy will approach, I need you to cover me for a moment." And with that, the heiress quickly leaped back as far as possible and created a Summoning Glyph.

"If my concerns are confirmed, we're about to fight mutants that can infect us with the Grimm-plague now.", the crimsonette said in deadly earnest, taking her teammates completely by surprise, "At all cost, avoid getting hit by, well, whatever's gonna await us: Claws, stingers, acid, doesn't matter. It'll likely make short work of your Aura and you'll become what I've been... or worse if the tiniest bit of serum enters your bloodstream. Maybe Merlot has even made some progress on his mind-control stuff."

"As if being trapped down here with a giant Grimm-incubator thing wasn't bad enough already.", Yang sighed, briefly reminding her teammates about the collapsed entrance – another problem they still had to deal with at some point, "This theme park sucks. I want my money back."

"I highly doubt that the manager wants to talk to us, pre-recorded announcements excepted.", Blake shot back, "Oh, and whatever you do, try to leave at least one of each of those weird tanks intact. That goes for all of us, of course. We need a sample of the serums in case Merlot has changed the formula and our scientists have to come up with a new cure."

Much to everyone's dismay, Ruby's dire assumption was proven correct rather quickly. With a grunt from the giant breeder, a pair of mantis-like claws escaped its cloaca. A flat head with ten red eyes, jagged mandibles, and an acid-drooling mouth soon followed, then a torso with way too many legs. And at last, the incubator spat out the Grimm's long tail with a purple-glowing stinger at its end. It was – without any doubt – a mutant Deathstalker-variation similar to the one that had infected the crimsonette with the dangerous Grimm-illness about half a year ago.

At least it looked considerably smaller than the abomination Ruby and Weiss had been faced with at Nave... and even somewhat smaller than the green mutant all four of them had fought at Merlot's first lab. This caused Team RWBY to heave a sigh of relief, if only a little one. However, their mood quickly changed again when another pair of scythes suddenly crawled out of the giant mutant in the middle of the cave. Apparently, Merlot's new creations favored quantity over battle prowess – which was actually a quite smart approach since the creatures needed merely one sting to serve their purpose. And by the time the third pair of claws peeked out of the giant mutant's cloacal cavity, the first Deathstalker already charged at them.

A loud, metallic clank was heard when the Deathstalker's scythes scraped across Ember Celica that Yang held in front of her to protect herself from the blow. Even though the creature wasn't nearly as big as the mutant back at Nave, it still seemed to possess a lot of strength since this single attack was enough to cause the blonde to lose her footing. She was flung through the air for a couple of yards before she managed to roll and get back on her feet. In the meantime, the beast continued its way to the still summoning heiress.

In a flurry of rose petals, Ruby rushed to her girlfriend's side and slammed Crescent Rose's unfolded blade into the Grimm's flank. The Deathstalker let out a pained screech and swung its claws at the crimsonette. Ruby managed to parry the attack but was pushed back again. A cone of acid sprayed from the mutant's mouth shortly after and the young leader had to retreat.

However, the crimsonette's plan to distract the Grimm long enough had worked out as hoped. The moment the Deathstalker turned back to Weiss, a colossal suit of armor with an equally colossal sword emerged from the Summoning Glyph. The mutant immediately attacked the Arma Gigas, but its claws were unable to penetrate the vambrace and gauntlet of the arm the knight used to parry the attack. With its other arm, the summon quickly swung its sword at the Deathstalker who barely managed to dodge the attack and even received a nasty cut on one of its legs in the process.

"Whew... th-that should keep this thing busy for a while.", Weiss announced after she had leaped to her girlfriend's side, noticeably out of breath. Apparently, summoning the Arma Gigas had stressed her Aura in no small measure.

"That's not bad for a start.", Blake responded once she had caught up with Ruby, too, "But there are still two others that demand our attention."

"If the incubator doesn't decide to shit out another one.", Yang said after appearing at her teammates' side as well, "I suggest we take care of the Dust ducts and maybe the remaining androids first. Or does anyone have a better idea?"

"We can't just focus on one thing.", Ruby explained, while the second Deathstalker charged at the Arma Gigas and the third put its sight on them, "Blake cuts the ducts, Yang CAREFULLY distracts the second one so Weiss' knight thingie won't go down too soon. Me 'n Weiss have the most experience with these mutants so we'll concentrate on taking out the third. Once it's dead, we move on to the next. Agreed?"

She received four curt nods in return, then the team already had to scatter again since the third Deathstalker had finally reached them and immediately started to jab its stinger at whatever was in its range. Blake quickly started to climb on the mutant – causing Yang to suppress at least five cat burglar-jokes – in order to sever the Dust conduits. Fortunately, they were currently empty so she wasn't at risk of getting splashed on (and burned or infected) by whatever had previously been flowing through them. In the meantime, Yang rushed to the Arma Gigas' side to lure one of the mutants it was currently fighting away. Hopefully, that would suffice for the suit of armor to hold out for a while and keep one of their opponents busy until Ruby and Weiss had slain their first target. And of course, the young couple was dead set on making this happen.

"Ever get that feeling of déjà vu, Snowflake?", the crimsonette asked her girlfriend while she and Weiss circled the third Deathstalker the team just had fled from.

"To be honest: Way too often lately.", the heiress responded and quickly equipped her rapier with Ice Dust by a swift rotation of its revolving chamber. The more she managed to slow the beast down, the less likely they would get stung.

Ruby seemed to have the same idea because she quickly announced: "Alright, here's the plan: We try to freeze it to the ground, then you get its attention and use your Glyphs to block... or ideally catch the stinger. I'll do my best to stay behind it and when I see an opening, I'll cut that thing off. Then taking it out completely should be a piece of cake. Are you ready?" Then she quickly replaced Crescent Rose's clip with one that also contained Ice Dust.

"Let's get it done.", Weiss simply replied.

And with that, the two girls approached the Deathstalker and set their plan into action.

A well-timed burst of ice bolts from the heiress managed to immobilize two of the creature's legs. Simultaneously, Ruby fired a few Dust-enhanced bullets at its limbs on the other side and could freeze one of them to the ground. Then Weiss used the Grimm's current sticky situation to get in front of it and harassed it with a few more icicles. All the while, she eyed the beast's waggling stinger suspiciously, prepared to quickly cast a Platform Glyph the moment it would lash out at her. The crimsonette had already taken her position behind the mutant and readied her scythe.

But just when the two girls thought that everything was going according to plan, the Deathstalker suddenly spew a burst of acid at Weiss – who swiftly dodged out of the way – then thrust its stinger backwards and almost hit Ruby if not for her Semblance. A moment later, the creature broke free of its icy prison again. Had it seen through their plan, the young couple wondered. And how could it aim its sting so accurately? Had it somehow sensed the crimsonette's Aura or did Merlot add another pair of eyes to the back of this creation's head?

Whichever way one wanted to look at it, the red-and-white duo needed a different strategy to sever the Grimm's stinger. Or maybe it would be better to ignore this source of danger and go for a clean kill right away. The last time, Ruby had managed to slay one of its conspecifics – a way bigger one, on top of that – alone and by simply using brute force. Of course, she had been freshly infected with Merlot's strength-, speed-, and aggression-increasing Grimm-illness at that point so a repetition of that was out of the question.

Meanwhile, Blake was busy cutting the ducts that supplied the giant mutant in the middle of the cave with the substances it apparently needed to breed more Grimm out of thin air. Unfortunately, the conduits were surprisingly sturdy so she practically needed to chop them instead of simply slicing through the material. Progress was a lot slower than expected and whenever the beast she was clambering on jerked and thrashed around, she was in grave danger of falling off... and it was a long way down, given the size of the creature.

Yang had some trouble with her assigned task as well. Her actions to get the second Deathstalker's attention so it would let up on Weiss' summon seemed to be less effective than she had hoped. Apparently, the Grimm still recognized the giant suit of armor as the bigger threat and not even two well-placed grenades could change that. Her plan to attract the beast's notice by a couple of punches to its back was quickly discarded since she just narrowly managed to avoid getting stung at her first (and only) attempt.

Suddenly, a high-pitched screech echoed through the cave. Much to the relief of everyone who couldn't see what had happened, it was way too distorted to come from a human being. Ruby had succeeded in finding an opening in the defense of her and Weiss' assigned Deathstalker and used this opportunity to cut one of its legs off. Of course, the creature didn't just put up with that and struck at the crimsonette with its claws. The young scythe-wielder could parry the blow, though, then leaped to safety the moment her opponent vomited a spray of acid at her.

Noticing another chance to attack, the heiress used the distraction her girlfriend currently provided to lunge out at an insect-like leg herself. Myrtenaster managed to penetrate the Grimm's chitinous exoskeleton and after that, all it took was a little twist of Weiss' hand to slice right through the remaining tissue. Again, the creature hissed and screeched and jabbed its stinger at the cause of pain. However, Weiss had already dived out of the way to avoid getting splashed with likely infectious blood.

Then everything happened very quickly: Blind with rage and agony, the Deathstalker slashed and stung at whatever appeared to be human in shape and moving around. Of course, the White Rose-duo used the Grimm's disorientation to their advantage and continued their fierce assault. Dodging the first claw, Ruby closed the gap between her and the Grimm and severed the opposite claw with an upward swing that also served as an incredibly efficient evasion maneuver to avoid getting hit by another volley of acid. Weiss deflected the creature's stinger with a Glyph and cut off yet another leg. Now, with barely any means left to protect itself or move around properly, the crimsonette decided it was time (and safe enough) to deliver the killing blow.

"Freeze its tail to the ground, then summon a platform a few yards above its head!", she shouted her plan to drown out the shrills of the Deathstalker.

"Roger that!", Weiss yelled back, immediately understanding what her girlfriend was up to.

A couple of fire bolts got the beast's attention and once more, it jabbed its stinger at the heiress. Anticipating this, the white-haired girl dodged the attack, swiftly equipped her rapier with ice Dust again, and did as Ruby had just told her. Once the Deathstalker's tail was stuck to the ground and the Platform Glyph was in place, the crimsonette fully unfolded Crescent Rose's blade and scattered into rose petals. In the blink of an eye, she had re-materialized headfirst on the Glyph's bottom, pushed herself off, and slammed the blade's tip into the creature's head.

The attack was more than sufficient to immediately extinguish the Grimm's life. With a shot from Crescent Rose, Ruby propelled herself away from the slowly evaporating, acid-like blood-leaking mutant. She then landed gracefully opposite from her girlfriend, the beast's smoldering corpse between them.

But the two girls' joy of victory was short-lived. At almost exactly the same time the first Deathstalker was slain, Weiss' Arma Gigas lost its battle against the two mutants and dissolved as well, despite Yang's attempts to prevent that. Now, the creatures could set their sights on a new target... but much to the blonde's surprise, they chose the heiress!

Still rather exhausted from her recent actions, the white-haired girl felt an ice-cold shiver running down her spine when she heard Yang yell: "Weiss! Watch out!" She quickly turned around, saw a rapidly approaching claw, and dove out of the way in the last nick of time. However, the attack had only been a feint to drive her towards the second enemy... who eventually managed to land a hit that sent the heiress flying.

When Weiss regained her footing, it was already too late. The last thing she saw was a stinger that shot out at her.

Again, it was her who had failed, she thought... just like back in Nave. Was it her turn to become a mindless tool of destruction now? Maybe even worse than Ruby had been? Incurably even? Or would one of her teammates rescue her and become infected instead like it had happened the last time... and she would be at fault once more?

No, she didn't want someone to sacrifice themself just because she was too weak to take care of herself. Maybe Ruby's love would nurse her back to health after she had become a monster. That had worked the last time when the crimsonette had gotten the disease, right?

Funny how time could stretch when one was on the verge of experiencing a horrible, life-threatening event, the heiress pondered. She closed her eyes, knowing that she couldn't escape even if she tried.

The excruciating pain she was expecting never came, though. When Weiss opened her eyes again, she noticed that the stinger had been diverted and struck the ground merely a foot next to her. And enclosed around it were the biggest hands the heiress had ever seen. A second later, a flurry of rose petals rushed past her and a red scythe cleanly cut through the metasoma, severing the Grimm's deadliest weapon. Then the immense, dirt-covered paws let go of the stump and one of them picked up a sword that was lying on the ground while the other grabbed the white-haired girl by the collar and pulled her away from the still very alive and rampaging Deathstalker.

"A-Ash?", Weiss managed to stammer once she had processed everything that had just happened, "Wh-what are you... h-how are you..."

"Do I look like I'm in'e mood for small-talk?", the hunk of a Huntsman growled back, his charcoal Aura flickering vividly over his swollen, musclebound body and trying to fix a few subtle cuts and tears that had appeared on his skin again. Apparently, he hadn't gone all out or he would've been in a much worse condition.

"Weiss! Are you okay?", Ruby announced as she appeared next to her girlfriend, "Thank goodness Ash showed up." She was worrying so much about her girlfriend that she didn't even question the black-haired man's sudden presence.

"I-I'm fine. Thanks for asking.", the heiress responded, her voice still a little shaky.

"The two o' ya can flirt later.", Ash gnarled and set his sword ablaze, "We still got company."

"Ready when you are.", the crimsonette said and cocked her scythe, "What do you want us to do?" She had barely finished her question when the Bumblebee duo suddenly arrived at her side.

"You 'n Blake stall the healthy one.", the black-haired Huntsman said curtly, "Me, Weiss, 'n Yang take care o' Stumpy. Then it's prolly smooth sailin'. But watch the stinger. I won't do the same shit as just now again."

His plan received the approval of the four girls, then the team threw themselves back into the fray. Now a party of five and with one of their three opponents taken out – as well as a second considerably handicapped – the battle was noticeably less dangerous. Of course, everyone knew that they had to keep their guard up and mustn't become reckless now. The heiress' near-infection experience had made that all too clear.

Therefore, Ruby and Yang were especially careful when they distracted the still fully intact mutant. It didn't work too well, though, and more often than not, the creature tried to attack the trio that was busy taking the injured Deathstalker out. Much to everyone's surprise, it mostly targeted Weiss again and only struck at the others when they got in its way. Maybe it had something to do with her summoning ability, maybe it was just a coincidence. Not that the five Huntspeople had much time to thoroughly rack their brains about it. Thankfully, the heiress was always one step ahead of the Grimm this time – having learned from her recent experience – and dodged or parried its claws and stinger with outstanding precision.

Soon, Ash had gotten rid of Stumpy, as he had kindly named the mutilated beast. Thanks to a feint from Blake – well, one of her Shadows, to be precise – he had managed to drive his sword into its maw just when it was about to vomit a gush of acid. An especially sharp turn of the weapon's gear shift made it flare up like a welding flame... though the seasoned Huntsman used it as a cutting torch a mere second later. A swift upward slash split the Deathstalker's skull as if it was made of paper, leaving no doubt about the creature's demise. The obnoxious smell of burnt flesh hung heavily in the air for a short time, then it evaporated along with the rest of the slain Grimm.

The following battle five against one was barely a fight at all. Admittedly, the team still had to watch out for the Deathstalker's stinger and claws, but other than that, the remaining enemy didn't stand a chance for long. It could hardly fend off two of its attackers at a time – three at best – and in the meantime, the two currently not in a defensive position severed its limbs one by one. Once the creature was weakened enough, Ruby and Weiss ended its life pretty much the same way they had taken care of the first Deathstalker... and the crimsonette made a mental note that this Glyph-diving scythe-impalement move definitely needed a cool name. Preferably something with thorn in it since it was a Rose that delivered the actual blow.

"Whew... now that takes care of that.", Yang sighed relieved after the last mutant had evaporated, but then – still being Yang – she got a little cocky, "And our little love birds had trouble with just one of these things the last time?"

"That one was way bigger, sturdier, and we had no idea what it was and had been capable of back then.", the white-haired girl shot back in annoyance, "You just fought the lite version... and it still gave us a run for our money."

"Relax, Weissicle. I was just making a joke.", the blonde explained and held up her hands defensively, "Anyway, what's next?"

"We need to cut the remaining Dust-pipe thingies of the breeder Grimm.", Ruby announced, quickly adopting her leader mode again (the awesome team attack name could wait), "I really don't want it to birth even more enemies, especially infectious ones."

"On it.", the Checkmate duo quickly responded in unison, then they already started to climb the giant incubator, the heiress using her Glyphs and the cat Faunus the ribbon of Gambol Shroud.

"Well, since I don't have a slicey-dicey weapon, I'm gonna recycle the other androids so they won't do any more science-y stuff.", Yang announced, "They may not be fighters, but it's probably safe to assume that they are operating the machines for the breeder mutant, so better get rid of them, too, right?"

"Sounds good.", Ruby agreed, "And I'll get a few samples of the serums in here for analysis or whatever the researchers are gonna do with them."

"And I...", Ash announced and looked around the cave, only to find every necessary task already being assigned, "Guess I'm takin' a well-earned smoking break."

Team RWBY quickly took care of their respective jobs. Weiss and Blake cut the last conduits that linked the huge Grimm to the tanks while Ruby used a few drinking bottles they had brought to gather three different serums – two purple and a green one. Thankfully, they didn't melt or chemically burn the plastic containers. The tanks of other colors likely just contained pulverized Dust, so the crimsonette didn't bother taking a sample. In the meantime, Yang was turning androids into scrap metal.

After a few minutes, the four girls returned to Ash's side, who had just finished his cigarette and stubbed out the butt. In his so-called break, the black-haired Huntsman hadn't been completely idle. Instead, he had walked around the giant mutant a few times, trying to understand the creature, its manner of functioning, and its weaknesses better. Since his companions had already called it a breeder Grimm, its main purpose had already been obvious to him, though.

"Alright, so what are we gonna do about this little fella?", Yang asked and eyed the massive, still suspended incubator suspiciously, "I mean, we can't just let it... hang in there, huh?"

"That's out of the question.", Weiss agreed, trying to pay no mind to her teammate's lame pun, "We may have cut its connection to the substances it apparently needs to create more mutants, but it's still way too dangerous to let it live. What if Merlot salvages it and takes it back into operation? Also, we don't know if it has other capabilities than simply breeding Grimm. Contaminating the earth or groundwater, for example."

"And how do we kill something that massive and armored?", Blake wanted to know, "Even a bullet to the head from Ruby's sniper rifle didn't manage to penetrate its skull, after all. And I doubt a couple of slashes, stabs, or salvos from our weapons will be any more efficient."

"Not to mention that this thing could explode in a giant acid-, fire-, ice-, or whatever-ball that takes us out with it. Or that causes the cave to collapse.", Ruby tossed in and added meekly, "We should've thought of that before we attacked it earlier..."

"If that's gonna happen, we could just cheese it.", Ash remarked, "Since ya haven't asked so far how I'm even here: I used my Semblance to temporar'ly clear the entrance slash exit. Even borrowed a beam from another tunnel so it's probably gonna hold... fo'a couple more minutes."

"That still doesn't solve our problem that our weapons aren't strong enough to damage this thing sufficiently.", Weiss explained.

"Maybe yours aren't.", Yang said with a challenging grin and cocked her gauntlets to switch to her grenades, "But I have these bad boys. Or girls. Or something in between, I don't judge."

"Well, if the explosions won't kill it, then probably the cave-in they will cause.", Blake mentioned.

"Does anyone have a better idea?", the blonde shot back, "I'm all ears."

"It's probably the best option we have.", Ruby responded with a shrug, "Set up the grenades, but before you detonate them, let's head back to the gathering pit in case we really cause a collapse... which isn't too unlikely to assume."

"You got it, sis.", Yang approved and took aim.

She then placed various sticky explosives on the Grimm's body, especially on its head and the section that connected its torso to its massive abdomen. Once she had used up a good portion of her grenades, the team exited the cave through the small entrance Ash had dug up again, passed a few boulders and piles of dirt, and finally passed through the door they had prized open earlier. Now back in the cave the mutant Creeps were supposed to gather, the blonde detonated the explosives.

A roaring rumble was heard a moment later and the tremor even reached the four girls and Ash in their safe distance. Dust and dirt trickled down on them, but otherwise, the ceiling held. And after merely a few seconds, everything was over again.

"I guess that should've done it.", Yang mused aloud.

"Better check on the Grimm to make sure it's really dead... if the tunnel hasn't collapsed a second time, that is.", Weiss remarked, "If the explosion killed it, there are probably a couple of these weird bones lying around now."

"So ya think 'ose things piled up in the other cave I passed are from this giant mutant?", Ash asked and raised his scar-split eyebrow, "Or it's failed predecessors?"

"Either that or they have no connection whatsoever to the Grimm.", Blake explained. After all, neither of them knew for sure.

The five Huntspeople made their way back to make sure Yang's grenades had served their purpose. Much to their surprise, the provisionally cleared and underpinned tunnel had held out. But when they re-entered the cave-lab, they were met with a sight they hadn't expected, too.

"Sonofa!", was all the blonde managed to exclaim.

The rest of the team didn't indulge in self-interrupted cursing – not even Ash – but they were no less astonished... and shocked. The giant mutant wasn't just still alive, but also didn't seem to be considerably injured, maybe a little bruised at best. It merely had some list because the explosion had clipped a few of the cables that were suspending it. But other than that, the attack had been pretty much effectless.

"That can't be.", Blake said aghast, "How durable is this thing?"

"'parently a lot more than ya thought.", Ash remarked.

"Alright: I'm all out of idea.", Yang sighed, deliberately using the singular, "I could try to shove a grenade up into its ass-vagina-thing, but that seems to be closed off, so: So much for that approach. What about you? Someone having a nuke in their pocket or something?"

"Unfortunately not.", Ruby said, "And I don't think we can kill this monster with what we have at hand right now."

She looked at her teammates and found them coming to the same conclusion. Slaying the abomination would have to be done by someone or something else, either with even heavier weaponry or any means to bring down the cave. But just when the crimsonette wanted to give up and suggest their return to the base camp – leaving their mission at just about ninety percent accomplished – her girlfriend's eyes suddenly went wide.

"Wait a minute!", the heiress exclaimed, then she turned to Ruby, "Maybe we won't be able to kill it... but you could be, Rose Petal."

"What?", the younger girl asked, completely flabbergasted. The expressions of the rest of the group didn't differ much from hers.

"Remember when we were in Merlot's lab at Nave? In the huge arena, right before we got to the processing plant with the serum?", Weiss responded, "There was this massive horde of mutant Grimm that charged at us right after you completely broke his mind control. We were about to die, but then you took all of them out with a single strike... or, well, something. There was a blinding light and when I came to again, the Grimm were gone and you were unconscious."

"My baby sis did what exactly?", Yang asked astonished.

Of course, Ruby remembered that event very well. Okay, not exactly, but she remembered the horde of Grimm charging at them, her urge to protect everyone and everything she loved, then she felt fuzzy and everything went white, then dark. And when she had regained consciousness, Merlot's army was destroyed and Weiss had been there and told her that her eyes were glowing.

Her eyes... her silver eyes – a trait she had inherited from her mother. It was the first thing Ozpin had noticed about her. Could it be that she was special in some way?

"Of course, I remember.", Ruby finally answered her girlfriend's question, "I had this weird, hazy feeling when the Grimm attacked us. I don't know what happened exactly, though, but for some reason, I was sure that they wouldn't be able to harm us. That I was able to protect you."

"Do you know what you did to trigger whatever happened back then?", the heiress asked further.

"Not really.", the crimsonette explained with a sigh, "I just thought that I definitely didn't want to end there. I didn't want us to end there. I pictured all the things I would miss otherwise. The happy moments with our team and friends. Fulfilling my dream to become a Huntress and help people. How the two of us love and care for each other. Marrying you and starting a family... Y'know, that kind of stuff. And then I felt some strange power coursing through me as if someone or something else took hold of me... but different from Merlot's obnoxious mind control. It felt... I felt warm and safe. The next thing I remember was some kind of dream of us on Beacon's campus, watching the sunset. And then, well, you woke me up again and the Grimm were gone."

"Why haven't you told us any of that when you recapped your part of this mission?", Blake wanted to know, "You just said you killed a giant army of Grimm after Ruby had reverted back to normal... more or less. Don't you think it would have been worth mentioning that our team leader apparently possesses some kind of Grimm-eradication beam?"

"In our defense: It's kinda hard to explain when you don't even know yourself what exactly went on.", Weiss responded, "Maybe it was even linked to Ruby's illness somehow, although I doubt that. We will know more precisely if she can repeat it now."

"But how should I do this?", the crimsonette asked confused, "I mean, I have no idea how it happened, or why, or even what happened the first time."

"Try to reminisce it somehow.", the heiress urged her girlfriend on, "There's a giant monster in front of you that threatens the peace in all of Remnant. Your friends. Me. Our future together."

Ruby gave her lover a nod, then she closed her eyes and tried to search for that weird feeling she had felt half a year ago. Pictures of Merlot's Grimm attacking them reentered her mind, then pictures of her and her friends fighting them. The dark lab, losing herself more and more, her order to kill Weiss...

No, wrong approach. Happy thoughts, she remembered. The good things that had happened and that would likely happen in the future. Her team graduating from Beacon. Moving in with Weiss afterwards into a nice home on Patch. A proposal, a ring, an altar. A positive pregnancy test. A little child with red-and-white hair playing on a swing in the backyard.

Nothing. As happy and excited as all of these thoughts made her, she didn't feel like she had back in Merlot's underground lab half a year ago. Something was missing. The danger to life, maybe?

As if on cue, the giant breeder suddenly started to thrash around again. Its abdomen pulsed and bloated, and its purplish hue returned. The creature screeched in agony as it obviously prepared to give birth to another batch of mutants, probably Deathstalkers again.

"What the... I thought we had cut it from the Dust supplies.", Yang growled and readied Ember Celica.

"Seems like it still has some residual reserves or something.", Blake pondered and drew her weapon as well. A moment later, a loud roar could be heard when Ash set Scarlet Spike ablaze next to them.

Ruby just wanted to unfold Crescent Rose, but a sudden embrace held her back. From behind, Weiss had wrapped her arms soothingly around her girlfriend and rested her chin on the crimsonette's shoulder. Ruby wanted to shake her off and tell her to prepare for battle, too...

...but then, an oddly familiar shiver went through her body.

"You can do it, Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered tenderly, "I believe in you. Do it for me, for your friends, and your family. Make Remnant a safer place.", and with a soft kiss to her lover's earlobe, she finished, "Create a future you want to see our future children grow up in."

Immediately, a lot of the crimsonette's earlier thoughts returned, randomly, but a lot more intensely and clearly: The little home in Patch where she saw Weiss playing with their child. A party with all of their friends, everyone happy and at ease. Ozpin giving her and her teammates their licenses as full-fletched Huntresses.

And then... she was walking down an aisle, her Dad by her side, the ground covered in red, pink, and white rose petals. Weiss already stood at the altar in a dress as beautiful as her own. Blake was next to the heiress as her best woman, opposite to them stood Yang, obviously the crimsonette's bridesmaid. And through the huge, round window of the chapel – or whatever building they were in – she saw the sunset... and a cliff... and her mother smiling at her from the afterlife.

Ruby had to blink away a tear of emotion these overwhelming feelings she suddenly (and inexplicably) had was causing.

And when she opened her silver eyes again, a flash of light brighter than anything the three other girls and Ash had ever witnessed before shot through the cave. Everything was immediately submerged in the radiant glow. The crimsonette's teammates quickly closed their own eyes so they wouldn't be blinded and Weiss tightened her arms around her lover protectively in case the young leader would faint again. The Grimm let out another loud roar, then complete silence fell over the cave again.

For a few seconds, nothing else happened. But then...

"Whoooaaa... d-did I do that?"

When Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Ash heard the voice of the crimsonette, they opened their eyes again, although they didn't believe them when they saw the giant mutant shortly after.

"It... it turned to stone?", Blake gasped when she saw the beast hanging completely frozen from the ceiling. A single, also petrified mantis-like claw peeked out of its cloaca.

"That didn't happen the last time.", Weiss said, equally surprised as her teammates, and (reluctantly) let go of her girlfriend again.

"And 'ere I thought I'd seen it all.", Ash added.

"Ohmygosh! My little sis is so amazing!", Yang cheered enthusiastically. She ignored the at least one hundred questions in her mind – first and foremost how Ruby was even capable of doing something like that – rushed over to her sister, and swooped her up to give her a bone-crushing hug.

"Urgh... ribs, spine, organs. A-all hurty.", the younger girl croaked out, but thankfully, the blonde let go of her again rather soon.

"Looks like this thing won't cause any trouble anymore.", Ash remarked and examined the creature.

"But is it... dead? Or is this petrification only temporary?", Blake asked, worry apparent in her voice, "You said the mutants evaporated the last time. Maybe Ruby's weird power isn't strong enough to kill a Grimm of that size."

"Then how about we make sure this thing cashed in its chips?", Yang asked and cocked her gauntlets once more, "If it breaks like a flower pot now, then that's the case."

But before she could fire another grenade at the creature, a low rumbling and rain of dirt caught everyone's attention. A moment later, one of the remaining retainers that suspended the Grimm became detached from the ceiling. Then another one. And another one, this time accompanied by some debris. The few lights that were illuminating the cave flickered and went black one by one. And then, all hell broke loose.

"E'ryone outta here! Cave's collapsing!", Ash yelled and turned his headlamp back on. Team RWBY did the same.

Needless to say, the four girls didn't need to be told twice. As fast as they could, they hurried out of the cave again. Behind them, the giant, petrified mutant came crashing down, followed by tons upon tons of rubble. Whether or not the creature had still been alive, it couldn't possibly survive the cave-in.

Followed by a huge cloud of dust and dirt, the five Huntspeople re-arrived in the gathering pit. Ruby and Ash were the last who made it out of the now also collapsing tunnel, taking their duties as leaders seriously and ensuring that the others would make it before caring about their own safety. Thankfully, the hollow they found themselves back in didn't seem to be affected by the cave-in and held out. The rumbling slowly became quieter and finally died away completely.

"Is everyone alright?", the crimsonette quickly asked and let the light of her headlamp wander over her teammates. Much to her relief, the other three girls and Ash were just dusty, dirty, and pretty out of breath – much like herself – but otherwise okay.

"Yeah, still in one piece.", Weiss responded.

"Which likely doesn't apply to the mutant anymore.", Blake added.

"To summarize: No casualties, threat discovered, threat eliminated, serum seized.", Yang listed, "I'd say the mission was a success."

"As long as Merlot hasn't reared yet another one of these abominations in a different cave, that is.", the heiress tossed in.

"Right!", Ruby suddenly perked up, "What about the other door in the back of this lab thing?"

"It's not too unlikely to believe that it was just leading to another exit.", Blake mentioned, "The mine, for example. I still don't believe that this network of tunnels is somehow connected to Merlot's main lab underneath Vytal Island."

"Same goes for a second one of these huge breeder Grimm.", Yang said, "I mean, I can only assume how demanding it is to create something like that, but I'm pretty sure that Merlot can't just mass-produce these things."

"We'll know fo' sure if this was the only one if the attacks on the mine stop now or don't.", Ash explained, "Whatever the case, there's nothin' to do 'ere anymore anyway. Let's head back to base, then to Blackwell. And tomorrow, let's try to request an airship that flies ya back t' Beacon."

"What? But what about...", the crimsonette wanted to ask but was quickly interrupted.

"Ya did what ya came 'ere for.", the black-haired Huntsman explained, "What's left of ya mission is to return to Ozpin and report everything that happened. The new mutants, the breeder, that their creation had somethin' to do with the Dust thefts. And then ya'll be students again. What we just went through shouldn't even be experienced by folks like you yet. Grade A Huntsmen-work you've done, yeah, but it could've turned out differently. Always remember that."

He then started to walk towards the tunnel they had come from. Team RWBY followed suit, not sure if they should feel proud, sulky, or scared about the black-haired man's words. However, they had to admit that he was right: Although they were anything but ordinary, they were still students... and this mission definitely hadn't been student-level. Admittedly, no one could have guessed that, but that didn't change anything in the matter itself.

Unsurprisingly, their journey back was filled with further theories about Merlot's plans and actions. Now that they knew what the mad scientist had been doing around and underneath Blackwell's mine, the four girls could at least verify or discard some of their earlier assumptions. However, a lot of questions were still missing an answer.

"I just don't get why Merlot would experiment with these new Grimm here and not in his main lab.", Yang said, "It had to be hard to dig all these caves and extra tunnels, as well as transport and set up all the necessary equipment, especially unnoticed. And what did he do with all the mining waste?"

"Maybe he just moved it into some abandoned mineshafts.", Blake pondered aloud, "As for this operation's location, I'd say he just considered it more convenient to establish everything near a big Dust deposit instead of carrying the Dust back to Vytal Island... which probably would've been even more suspicious and effortful."

"Not to mention that he could encounter some resistance at Blackwell whenever he felt like showing himself.", Weiss tossed in, "You know, to test his new mutants' fighting capabilities and the capacities of his breeder easier and more frequent."

"Not only that.", Ruby mentioned, a serious look on her face, "Don't you think that he also wanted to see if or how fast he could set up such an operation far away from his lab at Vytal Island?"

When she received three confused looks – Ash tried not to participate in the conversation for whatever reason – she continued: "Think about it: With these breeder things, Merlot can create as many mutants as he wants... wherever he wants. All he needs is a few computers, pipes, and tanks and a big enough Dust deposit.

Even worse, these incubators can also give birth to infectious Grimm, smaller ones than the one at Nave, but still. Okay, none of us know how complex it is to create the necessary serums in sufficient amounts, but he just did it right here in a couple of weeks... or months maybe. Nevertheless, he can repeat it in other places, too. And that means, with some preparation time, he can infect people all over Remnant."

It was now that the other girls fully realized how grave the situation was.

"But doesn't Merlot only infect people he deems worthy, whatever that means?", Weiss asked, "His efforts to stay hidden as well as his little pre-recorded speech showed that much, after all... or implied it at least."

"By the way, why did he record a message anyway instead of installing cameras and observing everything himself?", Yang wanted to know, "Or do you think he didn't have a suitable extension cord available?"

"He probably doesn't want to leave his island... or connect his side operations to his main lab, to be more precise.", Blake assumed, "Otherwise, other people could probably hack into his systems and mess around with everything. Him included since he's pretty much a program now... I think. But I guess he still obtained some important data somehow, even without an actual connection to this side operation."

"Speaking of infection-worthy people: Don't you think it was weird that the mutants primarily attacked Weiss?", Ruby suddenly asked, "It could've been my imagination, but it seemed like she was the main target of the Deathstalkers... and her summon, but maybe that's because it is linked to her Aura."

"To be honest, I was wondering the same thing.", Yang admitted, "After all, it has been my job to lure the Grimm away from it."

"Maybe Merlot has somehow programmed his mutants to let up on Ruby – or her Aura – since he already failed to fully convert her once.", Blake pondered.

"And now he holds a grudge against Weiss because she was mostly to blame that it didn't work the first time.", the blonde added, then she gave her white-haired teammate a warm smile, "By the way, Weiss: Thanks for loving my sis so much. I don't even want to imagine how everything would've turned out at Nave if you didn't."

"You better thank Ruby for being so adorable.", the heiress responded with a smile herself and pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug... not least to forget about the prospect of explicitly being on the mad scientist's hit list.

"Can't argue with that. Good genes, you know.", Yang said and her grin grew a little wider.

"Then how come you turned out... well, like you?", Blake teased.

"Hard work, dedication, and a well-balanced breakfast every morning.", the blonde simply shot back, completely ignoring that her partner's statement was likely meant to be interpreted in a different way.

However, the little relaxing and refreshing banter didn't continue for long and soon, the four girls switched back to arguing about Merlot and whatever what-if scenarios they could come up with... much to Ash's dismay. Of course, the black-haired man knew how important it was to process everything they had just experienced by talking it over, but obsessively speculating about how fucked up the world could become was neither useful nor healthy. As he had already mentioned, it wasn't their job to save the world – not yet at least – but that of him and his fellow Huntspeople.

Thankfully, when the group of five arrived back at the camp, Team RWBY finally ceased their discussion about the mad scientist... and Ash let out a relieved – although barely noticeable – sigh. He then sent the four girls to the command post while looking for the police officer in charge to hold a brief wash-up of the events and their discoveries. And afterwards, they could finally return to Blackwell. As short as their stay next to this cave had been, it felt like an eternity to him... and he wasn't alone with that.

"Whew... yet another adventure survived.", Ruby sighed as she and her teammates made their way through the small camp that would soon be dismantled again.

"Well, that's the life we've chosen.", Blake responded, "It wasn't the first pretty risky mission and it definitely won't be the last."

"Not with all the crazy stuff going on right now, that's for sure.", Yang agreed.

"Well, I can only speak for myself, but the next crazy stuff can take a little time.", Weiss tossed in, "After all that happened these last days, I'm actually looking forward to some tedious lectures and boring essays."

"And spending a peaceful evening at the library.", the cat Faunus said.

"And a decent meal.", the blonde continued.

"And my Weiss-time.", Ruby whispered into her girlfriend's ear which sent a small shiver of arousal down the heiress' spine.

"What was that?", Yang asked.

"I said 'And some ice cream'.", the crimsonette responded with an innocent smile, "Preferably with cookies and chocolate sauce."

"Well saved.", the white-haired girl remarked impressed.

"I'm pretty sure that whatever you really said was a weird code for sex with Weiss.", the blonde quickly saw through her sister's lie, but then caught everybody by surprise by adding, "You know what: After what just went down in that cave, you've earned it. Once we're back at Beacon, you can go nuts. Blake and I will leave you alone for an entire day."

"You do?", Ruby and Weiss asked in disbelief.

"We do?", the black-haired girl chimed in.

"Of course.", Yang responded, "We'll just have a partners' night out. Visiting a spa, window shopping, cinema or arcade, a nice dinner... even fish, if you must."

"Wow. Thank you, Yang.", the heiress said astonished, "I never thought I'd see the day when you would be so casual about Ruby and me... and the things we do from time to time."

"Hey, what are friends for, right?", the blonde asked with a comradely smile, "Oh, umm, before I forget: I'm a little strapped at the moment for a day in Vale, so what's your credit card number again?"

"And here's the catch.", Ruby giggled, "On the other hand, it's probably a cheaper alternative than all those lavish dates you're always planning for me, Snowflake."

"I highly doubt that.", Weiss AND Yang responded in unison, the latter with a shit-eating grin.

And with that, it truly felt like their mission was finally over.

Chapter Text

"I still can't believe it's really over.", Ruby sighed while she and her team stood at Blackwell's airport and waited for the airship to pick them up, "Not that I'm not incredibly happy that we got rid of this breeder mutant and saved the town, but... well, y'know... It's weird to just go back to Beacon now for some reason."

"Feels like a year has passed since we arrived here, right?", Blake mentioned.

"I am SO going to demand extra credit for this mission.", Weiss tossed in, "Like, a free pass for the next three exams... with an A+, of course."

"A plan to cheat our way around studying? Count me in, Weissicle!", Yang immediately seconded with a big grin.

"Huh... schools may be changin', but I guess students never do.", Ash mused, being once again reminded that he hadn't been much different during his time at Beacon.

"You shouldn't have insisted on accompanying us to the airport just to pointlessly stand around with us.", Blake said, "I'm pretty sure you're swamped with paperwork now."

"And ya don't see a connection there?", the lion Faunus replied with roaring laughter, although his voice still sounded a little hoarse from his recent injuries, "Also, I wanna make sure ya guys really take off. Wherever ya are, there's nothin' but trouble, so I wish ya faaar away from me." Of course, it was obvious that he was joking at the last part... well, at least mostly.

"Aww... and here I thought you were growing fond of us.", Yang pouted with feigned sadness, "I already wanted to suggest that we should make this a tradition: At least once half a year, the five of us meet up again and go on another suicide mission together. And one day, our adventures will be made into movies and our bereaved families will finally have enough money to send out a research party to recover our bodies from the middle of nowhere."

"Well, my share'll probably go to some charity in that case.", Ash responded with a shrug, "After all, I'm the last one o' my lineage and even if I add up the time I've spent with various women, it won't magically turn into a long-term relationship."

"My fate won't be much better in such a situation.", Weiss suddenly mentioned, "My family doesn't even need the money, and yet I doubt that they'll send anyone to retrieve my corpse... or even a rescue party if it's still uncertain if I kicked the bucket." Well, maybe Winter would, the heiress thought... and she could likely even pull some strings within the Atlesian military.

"Yes, they would.", Ruby objected firmly to her girlfriend's statement, "Because I don't plan to die before my family becomes yours as well. Officially, I mean." Upon hearing this, the heiress' eyes went wide and a beaming smile appeared on her face.

But of course, someone had to ruin this romantic moment. And of course, it had to be Yang.

"Well, I guess there are worse ways to propose to somebody.", the blonde said with a shrug, "So tell us, Weiss: What's your answer? Can we congratulate you two?"

"My ans... was that really... uhh, what?!", the white-haired girl stammered, her eyes darting back and forth between her girlfriend and the brawler.

"What?! N-no! That wasn't a wedding proposal.", Ruby quickly explained, her face turning beet-red, "I-I mean, I'm just seventeen. That still has a little time. Also, if I really were to propose to Weiss, I wouldn't just slip it into a conversation. It would be way more romantic: There will be flowers, a sunset, an orchestra, and fireworks. No, scratch that – fireworks and sunset don't work together. Maybe a circus? Wait, what if the animals go on a rampage? A parade! That goes well with the orchestra... urgh, there's no way I can afford that. A thousand white doves flying through really cool explosions! Nope, same budget problem... and the birds would likely get broiled. On the other hand, that way I could save on the following buffet. Meh, I don't think anyone would want to eat dove. But what if..."

"Thanks, Yang. You broke her.", the white-haired girl sighed – although she still blushed a little – and quickly silenced her furiously rambling girlfriend with a soft kiss.

"Just because they're easy targets, you don't have to bully them all the time, you know?", Blake scolded her partner with raised eyebrows.

"If ya always hit the little ones, how're they s'pposed to grow?", Ash asked with a grin.

"Hey, if anything, I wanted to do them a favor this time by speeding up the process.", Yang explained, "And save my sister from paying back debts her whole life. I mean: a circus, a parade, and a thousand white doves... seriously? Little Rubes could propose to Weiss in a porta-potty with an onion ring and our Princess would still say Yes in a heartbeat."

"You just don't know anything about romance.", the black-haired girl sighed.

"Your argument is invalid anyway, Yang, because aside from on missions – where our minds are wrapped around other things anyway – I would never use portable toilets.", Weiss, who had just parted from the crimsonette again, added, then she quickly turned back to her lover, "The part with the onion ring may be debatable, though. As long as it's you who proposes, any symbolic value suffices."

"Not for me, Snowflake. You're gonna get the finest, cutest, and costliest ring I can afford... even if I have to sell everything I own.", Ruby immediately clarified, "Well, aside from Zwei and Crescent Rose. Hey, maybe I can pawn Yang."

"Hey! Not cool, sis.", the blonde grumbled.

"You tease us, I tease back.", the crimsonette shot back with a grin, "It's called quit, uhh, erat... something. A little help here, Snowflake?"

"Quid pro quo.", the heiress quickly corrected her girlfriend, "A favor for a favor."

"Yeah, that.", Ruby concluded, trying to look superior.

She had barely finished her sentence before the quiet humming of an approaching airship could be heard. It quickly became louder, though, and soon, the four girls and Ash could see the vehicle... and the Beacon insignia it bore. It was probably safe to assume that this was the ship that would pick them up.

"Guess ya ride's here.", the black-haired Huntsman remarked, "Well, then... till next time. I'd say let's hope we'll run into each other in Vale – preferably near a nice steak house – on that occasion rather than during another mutant Grimm invasion, but knowin' us, it's likely the latter."

"Probably.", Blake responded with a shrug and shouldered her backpack again, "Take care."

"Yeah! You better do, old man.", Yang added with a grin, "You're inofficially part of Team RWBY now. And that means no dying unless our fearless leader says so."

"Hey, maybe we could pay you a visit in Nave on our next semester break when we have a little spare time.", Ruby suggested, "And maybe then you can show us around properly. I mean, on the last two occasions, we didn't really have time for that – y'know, because of all the Grimm, and destruction, and me being patient zero for some mind control illness and stuff."

"As much as I'd like to, I don't think that's gonna happen.", Ash explained, and upon seeing the crimsonette's confused look, he concluded, "If ya wanna do some sight-seein' in Nave, better ask the soon-to-be guard captain there. As a reinstated Huntsman, I've no idea where I'll end up in the future."

"So you're fully back in action now?", Blake wanted to know.

"Apparently, according to Ozpin, I'm now an expert on mutant Grimm, so I guess I'll be high on demand soon.", the black-haired man explained, then added with a grin, "Besides: Someone has to protect this crazy world while you're still graduatin', after all. So hurry the fuck up with that so I can retire again, hehe."

"Will do!", Ruby shouted since the landing airship was starting to drown out their household noise level, "See ya around!"

"Goodbye, Ash.", Weiss bid her farewell, too, "And thanks again for saving me from that mutant Deathstalker."

"Don'tcha start with that, Princess.", Ash simply shot back with a comradely smile, "'Cause I'm definitely not gonna thank you for every time ya Glyphs saved me from turnin' into an icicle shish kebab. Won't be finished with that tomorrow."

"Have fun with your paperwork.", Blake teased and earned herself an eye-roll, "After all the fighting, I'm pretty sure it's a nice change of pace. Oh, and remember to send the serum samples to Atlas." Yang simply gave the black-haired Huntsman the sign of the horns, hoping he would be at least a little familiar with rock and heavy metal culture. Then the four girls approached their designated airship.

"Don't do anythin' stupid when ya're back at Beacon, ya hear me?!", Ash called after them, "Not that someone ends up sayin' I put ya up to it."

"Won't promise anything!", was all Yang responded with a shit-eating grin before the hatch was shut behind her. A moment later, the airship already took off to carry Team RWBY to the academy after a job (hopefully) well done. Ash still stood around the airfield waving after them for a while, then he too decided to return to his duties.

And with that, the four girls' adventure at Blackwell was truly over.

The flight back to Beacon was uneventful and relaxing – as always when Team RWBY had the whole aircraft to themselves... and were returning from a mission instead of being on their way to the hot spot, that is. In the latter case, their thoughts were usually wrapped around the objective, the best strategies to accomplish it, the dangers that would await them, and many other things. But now, the four young Huntresses-in-training could simply put their feet up and unwind.

During their trip home, every girl had her own, personal ritual to de-stress and come to terms with everything that had happened, so to speak. Yang's pastime of choice was as simple as her mind could be at times (lots of times, to be honest): napping. It didn't even matter if she was actually tired or well-rested already. On a flight back to Beacon after an exhausting mission, the blonde preferred to just blank out everything for a bit.

Of course, Blake was reading. Being the pragmatic girl she was, she considered flight time as free time... and in her free time, she was usually found with her nose in a book. That was the main reason the cat Faunus brought at least one novel, magazine, or whatever with her, no matter how unlikely it was that she would unearth it from her backpack on the actual mission even just a single time.

Ruby and Weiss had had their own post-quest traditions as well. The white-haired girl would normally go over her digitalized notes from the last lectures she had attended or browse through some photographed pages of her textbooks on her Scroll to catch up on everything she had missed during her time away from the academy. And Ruby was, well, Ruby... which meant that she tried to busy herself with whatever was necessary to spend at least a fraction of her inexhaustible energy. This could be studying, coming up with new extras for Crescent Rose – or entirely new weapons – playing games on her own Scroll, pestering her teammates with conversation starters, bouncing in her seat, eating whatever sweets she could find in her leftover provisions... the list was basically endless.

But ever since the crimsonette and the heiress had gotten together, cuddling had soon replaced their usual routines or at least interlinked with them. This time wasn't an exception.

Ruby had taken her boots off and was lying on the bench she and Weiss were occupying, with her head resting in her girlfriend's lap. She had a block and pencil in her hands and was writing a summary of the mission and their discoveries for their pending meeting with Headmaster Ozpin. The white-haired girl was – according to customs – browsing through some notes on her Scroll, however, she hadn't folded out the device as per usual so she could operate it single-handedly... although the text was quite small that way. Nevertheless, it was a necessary sacrifice since she needed her other hand to affectionately massage her lover's scalp and caress her silky-soft, black-and-red hair. And from time to time, either of them would give the command "kiss, please" and then the two girls would immediately cease their current doings and lock lips, the intensity of that ranging from quick, simple smooches to heated, minute-long make-out sessions. In the latter case, a powerful throb under the heiress' dress and against the back of Ruby's head always told them when it was time to stop. Not that the young couple wanted to, but they couldn't exactly take it any further at the moment... which would probably be unavoidable if they continued.

Fortunately, the flight didn't take too long, and soon, the landing approach to Beacon began. And hopefully, Ruby and Weiss would be granted some time alone in their dorm room to deepen their current activities a little.

But of course, the red-and-white duo's hopes had to be crushed rather quickly. They had barely made their way from the airship docks to their room and started unpacking when each member of Team RWBY suddenly received a message over their Scrolls. It seemed that the headmaster had already been informed about their return and wanted to talk to them about the mission and their discoveries. But on the other hand: Once they were done with that, nothing would stand in the way of an afternoon and evening full of peace and relaxation (and maybe even other, more exciting things in Ruby and Weiss' case)... until they had to attend classes and do homework again starting tomorrow.

"Urgh... why is Ozpin in such a hurry with our report?", Yang sighed as the four girls headed for the elevator that would take them to the headmaster's office, "Can't that wait until tomorrow? Preferably during Oobleck's history lecture?"

"I'm not overly fond of the fact that the academy staff doesn't even let us arrive properly, but then again, they certainly expect the information we have to share to be incredibly important.", Blake responded, "Hence the rush. And I can only speak for myself, but I think they are right about their assumption. I mean: mutant Grimm that can create mutant Grimm simply out of Dust in a process we haven't even fully understood in normal Grimm so far? That's fucking huge... to put it in your words."

"She's not alone with that, though.", Weiss suddenly tossed in, "Even someone like me, who usually pays close attention to the way she expresses herself, considers the term 'fucking huge' quite appropriate."

"We should still rephrase that a little in our report to Professor Ozpin, don't you think?", Ruby asked and skimmed through her notes again. Hopefully, she hadn't forgotten any important detail, regardless of how small it was.

"How about fucking serious?", Yang suggested with a grin – of course, she knew very well that no one had been bothered with the word huge.

"Why didn't I think of that myself? That's waaay better.", the crimsonette grumbled sarcastically.

"Happy to help.", the blonde simply shot back and gave her sister a thumbs up which caused the younger girl to groan in annoyance.

"Breathe and relax, Rose Petal.", Weiss said and rubbed her girlfriend's back soothingly, "We have a report to concentrate on. And after that, I'll freeze her feet to the ground for you, get you some boxing gloves, and you can blow off some steam."

"Sounds good to me.", Ruby replied with a grin.

"What?", Yang exclaimed, "No fair!"

"I would feel a little sorry for you, but honestly, you brought this on yourself.", Blake mentioned dryly, "Maybe you should really dial your constant teasing down a notch."

"Never!", came the immediate reply and the blonde even adopted some awkward superhero pose, "Whenever there's a bad joke to be made... I'll be there."

As weird as it was, Yang's fooling around quickly caused her teammates to giggle and soon, she joined in. Something about her silly jokes always made the four girls feel a bit more at ease. And with that, Team RWBY entered the elevator that would take them to the headmaster's office.

"Good afternoon, students.", Ozpin greeted the four girls once they had stepped out of the lift, "I'm sorry I have summoned you in such short order, but I could no longer restrain myself from hearing the results of your mission and the discoveries you've made. Please pardon my curiosity."

"Oh, no problem at all, Professor.", Ruby responded respectfully and approached the headmaster, her team in tow. The gray-haired man was sitting behind his desk, scanning some files on a holo screen – just like when he had assigned Team RWBY to the mission. But instead of standing up this time, he simply turned off the screen and gestured towards four chairs that were standing in front of his workspace. Then he slid a plate with pastries towards the end at which his guests would sit.

"Please, have a seat.", Ozpin said politely, "Would you like something to drink? Aside from coffee or tea, I can only offer you a small selection of canned beverages, though."

"I would have a coffee. Thank you very much.", Weiss answered, pretty much like the prim and proper girl she had been raised to be.

"A black tea, please. If it isn't too much of a bother, that is.", Blake replied and simply got a nod and a friendly smile in return.

"Whatever soda you can offer is fine, Professor.", Yang said with a small grin, "I'm low-maintenance."

"Umm, I, well...", Ruby stammered, her annoying social awkwardness returning quickly from seeing how well her friends handled talking to a grown-up person commanding respect, "Cof...te...so... j-just water."

"I'm happy to see that you haven't changed too much over the last one and a half years, Miss Rose.", the headmaster addressed the crimsonette with a small chuckle, "Aside from excelling in school and as a dutiful and responsible team leader, that is."

"Uhh, thank you... I guess?", the young scythe-wielder half-acknowledged and half-asked.

"You're very welcome.", Ozpin replied and got the drinks for the four girls, "But let us focus on the reason I've summoned you. It already came to my attention that the mission was a success... though I doubt that – aside from this – you are about to tell me any good news. Am I correct?"

"Well, you see...", Ruby began and scratched the back of her head, then she pulled her notes out of her pocket.

Over the next twenty minutes, Team RWBY told the headmaster everything they had witnessed at Blackwell: from the new, Dust-infused mutants over the stealth field that had hidden the tunnel network to the giant breeder Grimm. As the leader, the crimsonette did most of the talking, with their teammates adding some information here and there. In that regard, Weiss focused on the facts, Blake on the theories, and Yang on the fights and the Grimm's behavior. And in the end, they had a well-rounded and extensive story about everything that had happened and they had discovered.

"Hmm, I see...", Ozpin mumbled after the four girls were through with their explanations. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"And that's why it's only a matter of time until these mutants show up all over the world.", Ruby stressed again, "With these Dust-powered breeder thingies, Merlot can built armies of them – even infectious ones – basically everywhere out of thin air as long as there's enough Dust."

"And since his androids and other machinery can dig tunnels and caverns quite efficiently and his stealth tech can hide the access to them, it won't be easy to discover his operations.", Blake added.

"Not to mention that fighting the mutants in confined spaces is even more difficult and dangerous than on the surface.", Yang tossed in, "Especially for Huntsmen and Huntresses who haven't dealt with them a lot already."

"Let us not forget that this is only the beginning." Weiss piped up, "If we consider what progress Merlot has made in just about half a year, then it is to be expected that even bigger threats are going to await Remnant in the future if nobody stops him. Maybe the remedy that was used to cure Ruby back then isn't working anymore against this new serum."

"I am well aware of the problems and dangers of these developments.", Ozpin explained and took a sip of his coffee, then he drew up a couple of maps on his holo screen and began setting a few markers, for whatever reasons, "In any case, Merlot has become an even more powerful and influential enemy now that he can synthesize mutant Grimm instead of experimenting on captured specimen alone."

"That's what we've been trying to tell you the whole time.", Ruby said, "So, umm, what are we gonna do about it?"

"It would probably make strategic sense to significantly increase security measures and establish specialized medical care in all regions with major Dust deposits.", Weiss suggested and took a look at the map on the holo screen – indeed, the headmaster was already highlighting various areas rich in the energy propellant.

"We should also focus on countermeasures against any bases Merlot manages to establish.", Blake said, "That would predominantly include technology able to locate them and/or jam his stealth generators somehow for ground teams to discover the networks."

"But that way, we only find the inflamed appendix, but we don't cut it out... if you get the metaphor.", Yang responded, "We would need some kind of task force specifically trained to fight the mutant Grimm all over the world."

"As important as it is to protect the people from any mutants Merlot may create, that stuff is only makeshift solutions.", Ruby exclaimed, "To stop all of this, we need to deal with Merlot himself once and for all. Therefore, we should focus on..."

"Girls, please.", Ozpin suddenly interrupted the rambling students, "As much as I admire your enthusiasm about the matter... WE – as in you – are not going to do anything."

"Huh?", the crimsonette perked up, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I mean that I was already reluctant about sending you to Blackwell in the first place, but dismissed my worries due to your experience in dealing with Merlot's mutant Grimm and your past – especially yours, Miss Rose – with him and his creations.", the headmaster began explaining, "But if I would have known what you've just told me beforehand, I would have never sent a team of second-year students on such a dangerous mission. To say that your discoveries made me realize that I have greatly underestimated the severity of the situation would still be an understatement. And I sincerely apologize for putting you in this danger. In retrospect, I already should have never offered you to travel back to Nave to retrieve the serum that ultimately led to Miss Rose's cure – I should have sent a team... or two... of well-trained Huntsmen and Huntresses from the very beginning. We were incredibly fortunate that everything turned out that well in this regard because it likely could've gone differently. Your latest near-death experience made that much clearer to me again. Once more: Please forgive me for my erroneous... or utter lack of insight. Someone in my position should've known far better."

"N-no, it's okay, Professor. Everything went fine, after all, right?", Ruby quickly said, "So, umm, if there's something we can still help with..."

"Miss Rose, you are a little too young to already have some kind of nemesis.", Ozpin cut her off again, "And – as already said – as much as I admire your and your teammates' ambition, it doesn't change the fact that you are still students. Extraordinary ones – as you've already proven many times – but still. If anything, your potential is a lot more valuable than your expertise in dealing with Merlot's mutants at the moment. In the near future, you're probably one of a few selected teams I could unhesitatingly assign such a mission to. But for now, you should return to concentrating on your training and education."

"But isn't there always a residual risk on any mission, no matter how good you are?", Yang wanted to know, "The so-called job hazard that comes with committing to hunt down giant monsters?"

"That is still highly dependant on skill and threat level of team and task, respectively.", the gray-haired Professor responded, "And in this particular case, the latter is completely unknown and unpredictable. I have already proven my trust in your abilities on more than one occasion when I allowed you to take on missions actually inappropriate for students your grade. But what we are confronted with here cannot be compared to this. As a responsible and empathetic human being, I could never forgive myself if anything happened to the young people in my care because I was unable to assess the situation properly. And as a strategist – if it needs a more practical approach to make you understand further – I would never risk a pawn if it's only one space away from turning into a queen... if it isn't absolutely necessary... which isn't the case here."

"So... that's it?", Ruby asked in disbelief, "We've discovered the likely biggest threat to Remnant as we know it of the century and now you're expecting us to twiddle our thumbs?"

"You won't be twiddling your thumbs, Miss Rose.", Ozpin stated, "You'll... sharpen your blades, so to speak. Hone your craft and gather further knowledge essential for a true Huntress to master every situation. This is your current job – not saving the world, especially not all by yourselves. It should go without saying that I advise you not to unnecessarily endanger yourselves by doing anything inconsiderate on your own. Am I understood?"

"Of course, Professor.", the four girls shot back in unison – although it sounded a bit grudgingly in the crimsonette's case.

"Helpfulness and care for others are excellent qualities, not only for a Huntress but for a person in general. So you should definitely cherish them since they are no given in everybody.", the headmaster appeased and praised Team RWBY, "However, even the very best intentions should not degenerate into careless or even self-destructive behavior. Otherwise, we may do more harm than good in the end." At the last part, he looked especially urgently at the youngest of the four.

"I know, Professor. I can already tell a thing or two about that.", Ruby responded sheepishly, "Sorry for being so rash and defiant. It's just that the last thing I want is for Merlot to do what he did to me... or worse to anybody else."

"This suspension from further Merlot-related missions and my strong advice to refrain from obsessing over his actions are in no way to be understood as a punishment.", Ozpin explained, "Think of it as a necessary measure for your safety until you are truly ready... as well as an opportunity. You can just be teenagers for a little longer – focusing on your studies, dedicating yourself to extracurricular hobbies... spending some more time in peace with your loved ones." He looked at Ruby and Weiss at that part – or was this just the two girls' imagination?

'Who knows how long all of us will be able to do so.', the headmaster worriedly added in thought before continuing, "You will still attend various missions from time to time, though, but ones that are more suited to your current abilities... and those assignments won't necessarily be limited to tasks for second-year students. So you can still make the world a better place – and isn't that what is ultimately most important to you?"

The four girls exchanged a couple of quick glances at each other, then simply nodded at the gray-haired professor's question.

"Thank you very much for understanding.", Ozpin concluded, "It must be hard to be so full of youthful drive at times, but it would be unwise to rush into the tasks that are going to await all of us in the future unprepared. At first, it is advised that you unlock your... full potential first."

Again, he gave Ruby an almost piercing gaze, but the crimsonette didn't turn her eyes away... her silver eyes, she suddenly reminded herself. Did the headmaster know something she didn't? Should she ask him about it? If not now, maybe later?

"I guess that should conclude this meeting. Thank you for your time and the excellent work you did at Blackwell, girls.", the gray-haired man said all of a sudden, shaking the crimsonette out of her thoughts, "You are free to leave. Of course, you can finish your drinks first, or simply take the cans with you. However, I would appreciate it if at least the cups stay at my office."

"Don't worry, Professor. I'm already done.", Blake responded. Next to her, Weiss quickly downed the last gulp of her coffee.

"Splendid.", Ozpin remarked, then he returned his attention to the holo screen in the corner of his desk, "Have a nice afternoon and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow, the torment of lectures, tests, and essays will begin again."

"Oh, boy. Can't wait for that to happen.", Yang sighed sarcastically – but with a small grin, nonetheless – and stood up. The other girls followed suit.

"If there's anything we can still help you with regarding this, umm, Merlot-stuff, please don't hesitate to ask, Professor.", Ruby clarified once more and grabbed her water bottle... as well as her sister's empty soda can the blonde had simply left on the desk, "As long as it isn't too dangerous, everything should be alright, right?"

"I assure you that I will get back to you on that, Miss Rose.", the headmaster promised, "As long as I can securely classify the threat level as reasonable and it won't interfere with your overall studies, that is."

"Thanks, Professor. That's all I can ask for.", the crimsonette replied politely... although it still sounded the tiniest bit grudging.

Then the four girls bid their goodbye and left the office again.

"Urgh... I can't believe that we've gotten kicked out of this whole Merlot-thing just like that.", Ruby grumbled on their way back to their dorm room, "I mean, I get that Professor Ozpin just wants to protect us, and we're still in training, and all of that, but we – and Ash – are still the experts when it comes to mutant Grimm. I even was one of those mutants for some time... well, kinda. Emotionally, or something. You know what I'm trying to say."

"Merlot's mutated Grimm are still just Grimm, in a way.", Blake responded, "We've already gathered a lot of data on them that everybody can access and learn about their behavior, abilities, and the like. So a fully trained Huntsman or Huntress – with years of experience at best – will likely be able to handle them just as well... or even better than we could. Therefore, it isn't actually necessary that the four of us have to deal with any prospective occurrence of those creatures."

"Blake? Not you, too.", the crimsonette sighed.

"Ozpin's right, sis. And our favorite kitty here just summed it up again.", Yang suddenly tossed in, "A giant, worldwide mutant Grimm-invasion is something real Huntspeople should deal with. Not students... no matter how awesome they are. I don't like being sidelined, either, and want to protect everyone from being hurt by these monsters or infected with this weird illness after everything that had happened to you, too. But we have to admit that every time we've encountered Merlot so far, it has always been a really close call. After our graduation... or maybe even just in a year or two, that's probably different – therefore, Ozpin's intervention."

"Really, Yang?", Ruby sighed once more, "Since when did you become reasonable?"

"No idea.", the blonde shot back with a grin, "Maybe my soda was drugged."

"If so, please keep drinking this exact brand.", Weiss said, "Because I totally agree with you... Huh? That still sounds strange to say."

"Are you going to stab my back now, too, Snowflake?", the crimsonette asked, "What happened to honor, cherish, and encourage, through sorrows and joys?"

"First of all, we're not married yet, Rose Petal.", the heiress explained with a small giggle, "And second: We haven't even finished half of our training at this point... well, if you don't take primary combat school into account. Nevertheless, there are still more than two years left until we can be considered full-fledged Huntresses – a lot of time. Our fighting capabilities may be quite extraordinary already but think about all the knowledge and routine we're still missing. I have no idea how much luck played into the outcome of our past encounters with Merlot, but I actually don't want to know it. Ozpin really didn't need to mention it again: Things very likely could've gone differently. Not to mention that we were saved the last two times by an ability of yours you neither exactly know how to control, nor any of us understands aside from its primary function. And don't forget all the things that could've gone wrong in the past if not for Ash."

"I already know all of that, alright?", Ruby sighed again, "And I'm not asking to be sent on another near-suicide mission... at least not overly eagerly. But just doing nothing and simply not thinking about this whole thing feels wrong to me. Isn't there at least something we can do?"

"Training hard and getting better until Ozpin thinks we're ready.", her sister simply responded with a comforting smile, "Which doesn't necessarily have to be until we graduate. How about we aim for the beginning of our fourth year?"

"And just because the headmaster or other teachers won't send us on explicit Merlot-missions, it doesn't mean we won't encounter any mutants anymore.", Blake added, "Depending on how fast he'll be able to establish other side operations, chances aren't too low that we'll run into another one... or at least find a den or two on a regular 'Search and Destroy'. Although I'm not looking particularly forward to that."

"And remember what Professor Ozpin said about being normal teenagers for the time being... well, as normal as you can be if you attend a school meant to train highly skilled warriors.", Weiss said, "Now that the headmaster has explicitly ordered to stop obsessing over Merlot, we should use this as an opportunity to find some time for ourselves. As individuals, as a team and friends... and regarding us, Rose Petal." She then gave her girlfriend a loving smile.

"Urgh, fine...", Ruby finally relented, "But expect me to train and study twice as hard now. I want to be ready – whatever that's gonna mean in Professor Ozpin's opinion – as soon as possible." And upon noticing her teammates' slightly worried expressions, she quickly added: "Without getting self-destructive again, I promise."

"That's a compromise everybody can live with, I guess.", Yang responded and happily ruffled her sister's hair.

"That's easy for you to say.", the heiress grumbled, "And here I thought it would be me trying to run this relationship on a schedule. But as long as Ruby can fit enough togetherness in-between her harder training and studies, I'm probably fine with it as well."

"Don't worry, Snowflake.", the crimsonette reassured her girlfriend, "I'll just make it up to you by loving you twice as hard as well. And yeah, Yang: I meant it exactly the way I said it."

"Always remember to put a sock on the doorknob so Blake and I won't have to walk into you doing the dirty.", the blonde simply responded, "The last thing a normal teenager needs is that kind of trauma."

"Have you forgotten that we already saw...", the black-haired girl began but was quickly interrupted.

"La la la, not lis-te-ning!", Yang started to chant, "Never happened. Wasn't there."

"For someone who teases them all the time, you're surprisingly uncomfortable with the actual subject.", Blake remarked.

"I can't expect an only child to understand this.", was all the blonde shot back.

"Speaking of said subject.", Weiss suddenly mentioned and a faint blush started to cover her cheeks, "Do you think it's possible to leave the dorm room to me and Ruby for a while?"

"Seriously?", Yang sighed, "Didn't you have a whole hotel room – which could've used better soundproofing – all to yourselves yesterday?"

"We were kinda too exhausted to do, well, that after the stuff with the incubator Grimm, and the collapsing cave... and dismantling the camp.", the crimsonette explained, "We barely managed to cuddle... if you want to even call it that. Weiss dragged herself into bed and I simply collapsed sideways on top of her."

"We'll unpack the rest of your stuff for you in exchange.", the heiress offered. And upon seeing the blonde's still skeptical expression, Ruby added: "And do the laundry."

"You have an hour.", was all Yang responded, "I wanted to go to the cafeteria to grab a snack anyway. Are you tagging along, Blake?"

"As long as I can still grab a book from the dorm room before our two lovebirds make the beast with two backs – as you'd put it – I'm in.", the cat Faunus agreed, "I can read pretty much everywhere, after all."

"Thank you.", Weiss said politely.

"Come to think of it: While we were there, we could've asked Professor Ozpin for a room of our own again. Maybe as some kind of reward.", the crimsonette pondered, although she doubted that the headmaster would have given it to them.

"Or we just erect some partition walls around your bed.", Yang suggested, "Soundproof them with egg carton, build in a dog flap, and done."

"I highly doubt that we are allowed to do that.", the heiress mentioned.

"If no one has said anything about our so-called bunk beds yet, I think we can get away with pretty much whatever we want.", Blake simply responded with a small grin, and soon, her teammates started giggling as well.

Of course, Ruby still didn't entirely agree with Ozpin's decision that they would no longer be put on Merlot – though she could understand the headmaster's reasoning. But maybe that wouldn't be too bad, after all: Now that the threat of the mad scientist's doings didn't concern them personally anymore – at least for the time being – she could likely concentrate better on her training and education... and most importantly, on Weiss.

Yang might have just been goofing around prior to their return trip today... but maybe it really was time to slowly start thinking about the next steps in her relationship with the heiress. Admittedly, she was just seventeen and they were a couple for only a little over half a year, yet Ruby already knew that they would stay together for the rest of their lives. By the time she had scraped up enough Lien to buy a ring worthy of Weiss, she was surely old enough anyway to marry without the consent of a legal guardian... not that she assumed that her dad would be against it even now. And the white-haired girl was already of age and could do whatever she wanted without her own parents' approval.

Approval!

Suddenly, Ruby realized that she and Weiss still had to take care of something before they could even think about their wedding: visiting the heiress' family and introducing their relationship to them. If the older teen's rather rare and brief mentions of her relatives were even remotely true, meeting her sister would probably go smoothly – although Winter could be just as over-protective as Yang – and her mother would likely care more about her next glass of wine than her daughter's marriage. But the white-haired girl's father – her domineering, manipulative, unscrupulous, and vengeful father – would be a totally different matter.

Yet, Ruby knew that it had to be done: A good first impression on someone as powerful as him was certainly essential for a happy future with Weiss. Nevertheless, the mere thought of meeting the head of the Schnee family sent a shiver down the crimsonette's spine.

"Something the matter, Ruby?", the white-haired girl suddenly asked the moment she had noticed the slight tremble in her girlfriend's hand she was currently holding.

"Oh, n-nothing.", the younger teen quickly responded, "I was just having a, umm, cold thought. A lot on my mind after this meeting with Ozpin."

"If that's all, don't worry: I'll give you something hot to think about soon enough, Rose Petal.", Weiss said with a seductive smile and squeezed the crimsonette's hand affectionately, which caused Ruby to smile as well.

'Just how many rounds can we manage in an hour if we really try?', both of them wondered simultaneously.

Chapter Text

"H-harder, Snowflake! Gimme more!", Ruby mewled in bliss and did her best to meet every single one of her girlfriend's thrusts with a push of her hips.

"Nothing I would rather do, Rose Petal.", Weiss purred back and sped up her movements even more, pumping her huge cock in and out of her girlfriend's passionately contracting pussy at a rapid pace.

It was their third round of this session and they were currently at it doggy-style. Due to the previous two sizable loads, the crimsonette's stomach was already huge, her popped-out belly button merely an inch short of brushing the mattress of the heiress' bed when at the lowest point. But of course, their heated love-making currently caused the fleshy sphere to swing and wobble around, producing lewd sloshing sounds in the process that blended perfectly into the symphony of moans, pants, and declarations of love and adoration.

Over the last two months, the young couple had somehow managed to increase their rate of indulging in intimate activities. Maybe Ozpin's policy to treat them more like normal students had helped with that, causing all members of Team RWBY to be more relaxed so Yang and Blake agreed to give the red-and-white duo some additional time to themselves. Maybe the missing worry about anything Merlot-related had caused Ruby and Weiss to concentrate on their relationship even more than they had already done. Or maybe it had come to it completely coincidentally.

Whatever the case, the two lovers couldn't care less: Three weeks away from their next semester break and the end of their second year at Beacon and the frequency of their love-making had almost reached the same level as when they had had their own room – excluding the night-time activities, though.

But no matter how many times the young couple did it, it always felt at least as amazing as the last one. Ruby, for her part, would never get tired of how Weiss' huge cock scraped along her rippling inner walls with every thrust, how its powerful throbs sent her whole body shivering, and how its constant spurts of pre pooled inside of her sex... until the real filling commenced which was a hundred times more intense. Of course, the heiress' felt the same: the heat and tightness of the crimsonette's insides, the heavenly trembling and contractions, and especially the loving sucking motions of her cervix would never cease to amaze her whenever her lover blessed her with the opportunity to plunge her massive tool into her silky depths.

For quite some time, Ruby had noticed that her girlfriend's cock didn't feel like mere fourteen inches anymore – 13.8 inches as measured last semester break in Patch, to be exact. It was quite difficult to discern correctly, though, since they did it at least once a week... or about three times a week as things had been over the last month. However, if the crimsonette tried to recall their intimate activities from a couple of months ago, it definitely felt like the white-haired girl's perfect pussy-pleaser was reaching somewhat deeper than before. She made a mental note to measure it once more in the near future, hoping that it would linger in her memory. It wasn't the first time she made plans while having sex only for her lover to literally fuck the thought out of her mind again by frying her brain with pleasure.

But before she could further rack the aforementioned organ about it or try to remember some helpful mnemonics, Weiss suddenly sped up her movements even more. The huge invader plowed through her pussy faster and faster, rubbing down her insides affectionately and stirring up the two voluminous loads already sloshing around in her womb. The loud Plaps! that echoed through the dorm room got more frequent as well – and so did both lovers' delighted moans and desperate pants.

"R-ready for another filling, my lovely little Rose Petal?", the heiress asked tenderly as she massaged the crimsonette's jiggling butt cheeks, "I'm pretty close already."

"S-so am I.", Ruby purred back, feeling her lover's massive cock pulse inside of her thoroughly stretched slit, "Pump me as full as you can, okay? I need it sooo bad!"

Without warning, the younger teen was suddenly pulled up by her shoulder until her back was pressed flush against the white-haired girl's front. Immediately, the sensation of Weiss' rock-hard nipples rubbing over her back was added to the vortex of pleasure that swirled around in the crimsonette's mind. A moment later, one of the heiress' hands cupped one of her breasts and needily started to squeeze and caress the bouncing mound. The other hand stayed on her lover's hips and urged her on to slam her rear even more forcefully into every thrust she made... not that the additional motivation was actually necessary.

The two girls had barely gotten accustomed to this new position when they already started to make out passionately over Ruby's shoulder. Their tongues quickly fought another one of their fierce battles, trying to subdue the other's slippery muscle only to release it after succeeding and go for the next round. The crimsonette quickly slung an arm around the heiress' neck – her fingers entangling themselves in the currently free-flowing strands of ivory-white hair – pressing Weiss' face even harder into her own. Ruby's other hand slipped under her bloated belly and darted to her clit to rub and pinch the painfully hard nub erratically...

...which finally sent her over the edge, with the white-haired girl close behind her.

Just like most of the times the enamored teens made love to each other, they simultaneously moaned a loud "C-cumming!" into each other's mouths before the world around them and inside of their minds exploded into whiteness:

In an instant, Ruby's insides clamped down even harder on Weiss' magnificent cock, milking it for all it was worth and basically trying to suck the cum out of her internal testicles – or whatever was responsible for her massive ejaculations. Especially the crimsonette's cervix put the most effort into the loving caresses as if it still deemed the trillions upon trillions of swimmers from the two loads already sloshing around in her womb insufficient. But thankfully, that was about to change. Along with the rippling of her inner muscles, her pussy sprayed copious amounts of its juices outwards, showering her hand, thighs, and the mattress in clear, sticky girlcum.

The fierce contractions of Ruby's velvety tunnel had barely started when the heiress' enormous member bloated to even more ridiculous proportions, stretching the younger teen's puffy petals yet another bit. A moment later, the first huge helping of cum raced up Weiss' urethra before quickly exploding into the crimsonette's deepest depths. The blast was powerful enough that it visibly distended Ruby's already sizable stomach, pushing a bulge to the same height as her bouncing tits and audibly stirring up all the other spunk inside of her baby chamber... which started to swell for the third time of the day. While the crimsonette's belly had already looked like she was heavily pregnant with twins, the first spurt alone pushed her towards triplets. And that was only the beginning.

As always, Weiss simply came and came and Ruby's stomach continued to grow. Unable to withstand the weight of the virility pumped into it, the fleshy sphere extended outwards and drooped down further. Each massive splash of pristine white Schnee-spunk caused it to sag lower and cover more and more of her thighs. However, the crimson-haired girl barely noticed that her belly was now surpassing the size of a beachball – she was too lost in her own pleasure to fully register what her lover's insane load was doing to her body. Not that she wanted even a single drop of the heiress' porridge-thick semen outside of her happily twitching womb.

After about thirty seconds of constantly cumming, both teens' orgasms finally subsided. Simultaneously, their final bit of remaining strength left their bodies and they collapsed forward. With the last bit of consciousness, Ruby stretched out her arms again to catch herself. But before her hands could even make contact with the soaked sheets, her enormous belly had already cushioned her fall. The fleshy orb even pushed her perky breasts up to her chin as it served its new purpose as a make-shift waterbed: soft, warm, and loudly gurgling with many gallons of Weiss' liquid love.

The crimsonette had barely gotten comfortable on her belly when her girlfriend landed on top of her. Not even a second later, Ruby already felt the heiress' lips gently nibbling on her earlobe. She was on whatever came after cloud nine: with her beautiful lover kissing every part of her head and neck she could reach, her stiff nipples sliding over her back with each little movement, and her slowly deflating cock throbbing inside of her well-stretched pussy while still burping up a few residual globs of spunk still in the white-haired girl's cumvein. And needless to say, Weiss felt the same regarding her girlfriend's happy sighs and shivers, the loving aftershocks her pussy blessed her dick with, and the pool of warmth the shrinking appendage was softly floating inside.

The young couple spent a few minutes basking in their sweet afterglow and enjoying the other's closeness. If it were up to them, they could've lain and cuddled like that for hours... but they knew that this was likely a bad idea. With the semester slowly coming to a close, their workload got anything but smaller, after all.

"That was amazing, Snowflake...", Ruby whispered dreamily after she had regained at least some of her composure, "As always."

"There's nothing I can add to that.", Weiss responded lovingly and dragged her lips over the soft skin of her girlfriend's neck.

"Do you think you can do a fourth round?", Ruby asked enticingly and wriggled her shapely butt against her girlfriend's crotch. The tiny part of her mind that hoped Weiss' answer would be No – after all, they were at it for over an hour now and she was starting to become tired – was quickly shut up.

Thankfully (or unfortunately?), the heiress was also pretty exhausted already... and a little sore.

"I don't know about that, Rose Petal.", she whispered tenderly while her lips went back to the younger teen's earlobe, "As much as I love you and the things we do, we should probably wrap this particular session up soon. There's still a lot of stuff we need to do: starting on that term paper for Grimm studies, preparing for our final exams in various classes... washing these sheets."

"And what if I let you do me in the butt again?", the crimsonette suddenly suggested. If she had to choose between getting fucked till she was unconscious and doing chores – academic or otherwise – the correct option was obvious. Admittedly, anal would probably never become her favorite, but she had to admit that it had still been quite pleasant the three times (at Blackwell included) they had done it so far.

Upon hearing her girlfriend's lewd offer, Weiss' semi-hard cock jerked forcefully inside of the crimsonette's velvety pussy and slowly started to fill with blood again. And while she also preferred vaginal sex, she couldn't deny that doing something more adventurous once in a while still excited her immensely. Nevertheless, she knew she had to be the voice of reason here.

"While it sounds quite tempting to give your perfect behind some additional love, we should really stop. Otherwise, I'll likely just pass out on top of you after my next orgasm.", the white-haired girl explained, "Now come on, let's get up before we're going to do something we'll regret later."

"You're supposed to be a buttkill now, not a buzzkill.", the younger teen grumbled, but still giggled at her silly pun a bit. It even caused the heiress to groan and bury her head into the crook of her neck in embarrassment. Yang would've been so proud of her, the crimsonette thought with another chuckle. But much to her dismay, she also felt her lover's cock going limp inside of her again. She quickly made a mental note to refrain from those kinds of jokes in the bedroom in the future.

After sharing another passionate kiss over Ruby's shoulder – even though the angle made it kinda awkward – Weiss slowly pulled out of her girlfriend's silken slit. As always, the slick tunnel protested vehemently and immediately tried to suck the white-haired girl's cock back in. However – and despite the heiress' exhaustion – it wasn't strong enough and soon, the massive member slipped out with a wet pop. A huge glob of pristine white cum quickly followed and splattered onto the already ruined sheets before Ruby's smooth petals closed up again, trapping the rest of Weiss' generous output where it belonged: inside of her insatiable womb.

Once they had fully parted, the young team leader simply let her body collapse to the side... although it was a rather difficult task due to her enormous, spunk-stuffed stomach.

"Do you need some help to get to the bathroom?", Weiss asked, yet she doubted that her wobbly legs could properly support the cum-filled crimsonette. She would likely have trouble walking herself for the next couple of minutes after their intense love-making.

"No, I'm good.", the younger teen simply replied, pulled the pillow that was resting near the headboard close to her, and buried her face into it. Then she took a deep sniff, inhaling her lover's scent like an addict – she barely even noticed that the cushion also smelled like herself since they were sharing it.

"Ruby, stop messing around and be reasonable.", the heiress softly scolded her girlfriend, "We need to freshen up and then go to the library to congregate with Blake and Yang. This quickie had already turned out waaay longer than we've intended."

"Come down here again and cuddle me for five more minutes.", the crimsonette purred, "And maybe I'll think it over after that."

"Urgh... alright, Rose Petal.", Weiss sighed and something mischievous sparkled in her baby blue eyes, "I don't wanna do this, but you leave me no choice."

Without warning, she nonchalantly grabbed one of her girlfriend's legs and pulled her foot close to her – an action that already caused the younger teen's eyes to widen in fear. Then she slowly dragged a single finger over the bottom which coaxed a gasp out of the crimsonette. Ruby tried to get out of Weiss' grip, but the heiress simply scooted closer and put both of her lover's ankles in a sleeper hold. And with that, the white-haired teen started to attack the crimsonette's feet for real, tickling them mercilessly.

The action quickly caused Ruby to giggle uncontrollably. By now, those tickle attacks were a well-established means of Weiss to put a stop to her girlfriend's childish antics and knock some sense back into her. The crimsonette briefly thought about an escape plan but rendered everything she could come up with absolutely useless. Since she was naked, she was pretty much trapped in the dorm room, and using her Semblance with a huge cum-belly was probably a bad idea, out of many reasons. And last but not least: Neither of her plans allowed her to stay in bed and cuddle with the heiress which defeated the whole purpose.

"A-alright, alright!", the younger teen exclaimed between two giggling fits, "I-I give! Stop it, S-Snowflake, I said I surrender."

"Good choice.", Weiss responded with a grin and ceased her actions, then she gave one of her girlfriend's ankles a gentle kiss before letting go of her legs completely.

"Way to ruin the moment, though...", the crimsonette grumbled... but deep down she knew that the white-haired girl was right. If they would lie back down and snuggle now, it would probably lead to a not-so-short afterglow nap, and then they won't get anything done today anymore.

Reluctantly, Ruby sat up again – an almost herculean task, given the many gallons of her treasured Schnee-cum swirling around in her womb – and finally heaved herself to her feet. She then waddled towards the bathroom while Weiss stripped the covers off the bed and threw them in a separate laundry bin – a long since established safety measure to keep anything semen-stained away from Blake and Yang's clothes. The crimsonette's already expected offer to shower together to save some time was immediately turned down by the heiress... as per usual. Every single previous try at that had always ended entirely different from the initial idea behind it.

Fortunately, both girls managed to freshen up again without any further complications. Of course, Ruby needed a little longer than Weiss since she had to drain the cum – and a lot of it – out of her womb. But soon, the two teens were ready to go: They gathered their study material and other necessary stuff, then they left for the library.

And with that, they were normal Beacon students again.

Hand in hand, the young couple approached Beacon's spacious library. On their way, Ruby and Weiss met a couple of friends and acquaintances... and with every single one, the crimsonette's mood became duller. Especially when they ran into Team JNPR who was about to set out for a hike, the younger teen let out an almost pained groan – had neither of them boring and annoying stuff to do like she did?

Thankfully, Weiss quickly caught up on her girlfriend's discontent and had also the perfect plan to motivate her at hand. Of course, it was preceded by a mandatory speech about duties as students, necessities to become amazing Huntresses, and the importance of a sense of responsibility. But just when she noticed that the crimsonette couldn't take much more of it, she quickly added that she would buy her a huge chocolate chip cookie for every thirty minutes Ruby would study or work on their assignments diligently. Admittedly, the scheme was anything but friendly to the younger teen's teeth, but it always showed immaculate results. Though sometimes, the heiress wondered if her girlfriend had already seen through everything and feigned – or at least exaggerated – her reluctance to get herself some tasty treats. After all, the crimsonette was incredibly determined when it came to her dream of becoming a Huntress and no mission, test, or essay, no matter how unpleasant, would deter her.

That the heiress always played the cookie-card rather quickly was probably also a factor here. But then again, she didn't mind spoiling her girlfriend a little. Actually, she loved it... and could already hear the happy hums when the younger teen would eventually munch on the promised sweets – music to her ears.

When they finally arrived at the library, the two girls immediately spotted their teammates sitting at a large table and working on their Grimm studies-essays themselves.

"Hey, guys.", Yang greeted them monotonously, her mood obviously not the best as well.

"Yang, indoor voice.", Blake commented quietly without even looking up from her paper.

"Why, though?", the blonde sighed, "The place's almost empty. Barely anybody is as stupid as us and spends such a lovely afternoon studying."

"Still... this is a library.", her partner concluded.

"Hey there.", Ruby greeted her friends as well, "How's the self-flagellation going?" Of course, she meant the term paper – an ordeal she would have to face in mere minutes, too.

"Shitty.", was all her sister responded, "Grimm migratory behavior sucks. Why can't these bastards just stay where they are so we can whack them easier?"

"Because they still have a complex life... well, kind of?", Weiss remarked with a shrug.

"Whatever.", the blonde groaned, "We're probably going to sit here for another while because we're already through with the stuff we covered in class and it definitely doesn't get any easier from that point on."

"Well then, let's get this show on the road.", Weiss said, settled down, and unpacked her textbooks. The crimsonette quickly did the same.

"I suggest you start with the habitat descriptions for terrestrial, avian, and aquatic Grimm, then go from there.", Blake advised, "As for the outline of the passages for each of the ten Grimm we have to cover, it's probably best to orientate yourselves towards your notes from class."

"Look on the bright side: With the Nautilus, the Nevermore, and the Ursa, you are already thirty percent done.", Yang explained with a grin, "You just need to flesh out the stuff from Port's lectures a bit."

"Umm... if I recall correctly, Professor Port said that aside from covering at least two Grimm of each category, we are also not allowed to write something on those we already approached in the lectures.", the heiress suddenly pondered.

"He did?", the black-and-yellow duo asked in unison... and utter disbelief.

"I, uhh, think so?", Weiss responded and skimmed through a binder she had set up for her paper, "Yup, here it is: two Grimm per category minimum, twenty-five Grimm per team – probably so we won't copy too much from each other – and no species we covered in class."

"Damn it...", Blake grumbled and eyed the couple of pages lying in front of her. Her right eye was twitching in infuriation. Why had she listened to Yang in the first place?

"Are you fucking kidding me?!", the blonde suddenly shouted in exasperation, "I've spent HOURS on this stuff already!" Then she crumpled up her papers and angrily tossed them across the room.

"Umm, you do know that your mandatory habitat descriptions were in there, too, right?", her partner mentioned.

"Nonononono!", Yang immediately yelled, jumped out of her chair, and ran after her report. Well, at least she hadn't ripped it to pieces.

"So, umm... now that you have to start over anyway: How about we decide on the Grimm we all put in our essays first?", Ruby asked soothingly.

"Fine with me.", the black-haired girl simply snarled through clenched teeth and pulled out an empty sheet of paper.

After the little setback Blake and Yang had experienced, the next hour of studying went more or less smoothly. More because now that the four of them were working together, things were processed a lot easier – they could swap ideas and exchange views, split their research more efficiently, and had a little help every now and then whenever they got stuck with something. And less because of the White Rose-couple's antics. Although Weiss always tried to be an ambitious and diligent student, being near the crimsonette was simply too tempting to not exchange some gentle affections from time to time. And Ruby was, well, Ruby: a hyperactive and easily distracted girl always in need to express herself, either verbally or physically. Whenever she actually studied, though, she did it twice as hard, just as promised after their mission at Blackwell.

Of course, the red-and-white duo didn't (or couldn't) do anything lewd at the moment – while they weren't the biggest fans of the concept of public decency at times, they still respected it. Nevertheless, there were still more than enough ways to exchange some caresses: holding hands, playing footsies, and of course, a couple of quick kisses here and there. But as subtle these affectionate actions were, they still managed to annoy Yang... although her already miffed mood from the earlier essay-setback probably played a part in that as well.

"Geez... ever since we've been demoted to normal students, the two of you are even more insufferable as a couple.", she sighed after Ruby and Weiss had parted from a particularly long kiss – a reward for the crimsonette for finishing an especially complicated paragraph, "I mean, I'm trying to be more tolerant here, and give you some space, and dial down my teasing, but you could also accommodate me a little regarding this overly mushy behavior."

"Sounds a bit like the envy of the have-nots to me.", the heiress simply shot back with a provoking grin and gave her girlfriend another kiss to the cheek for good measure.

"Look on the bright side, Yang.", Blake tried to comfort her partner, "Just three more weeks until the semester break, then the four of us are at least not totally packed together anymore... unless everyone plans to stay at Beacon, that is."

"Come to think of it, we haven't even talked about our plans yet.", the blonde pondered, "Of course, I won't mind if we all spend it on Patch again, but if so, Ruby and I should probably give Dad a little heads-up... and come up with some additional rules for our lovey-dovey couple. Like a strict room fixing and a volume limit for their... not-so-decent activities."

"Umm... actually, I already have other plans.", the crimsonette suddenly admitted in a meek tone of voice and shot her girlfriend a glance, "And I guess now is as good a time as any to address it."

Upon hearing this declaration and seeing Ruby's almost apologetic expression, the white-haired girl raised her eyebrows... and even went a little paler than usual because she could already guess what her lover would ask now.

"I think it's time for me and Weiss to visit her family in Atlas and break the news to them, too. That we're a couple, I mean.", the crimsonette explained, "Do you agree, Snowflake? I would've said something sooner, but I couldn't figure out how."

"I guess you also have a little speech prepared if I say No, right?", the heiress simply sighed, "Because that was actually the seventh word that came to my mind when I realized what you were trying to suggest. Right after 'Forget it!' and 'Are you kidding me?'."

"Come on, Snowflake.", Ruby tried to appease her, "Do you think your da... father would be pleased if he gets the info with his wedding invitation?"

"I have another, quite simple solution for that.", Weiss deadpanned.

"I take it that you don't plan to invite him, huh?", Blake asked, mostly to enlighten the crimsonette who didn't seem to have understood.

"It doesn't matter anyway.", the white-haired girl explained, "Even if we would invite him, it would be little short of a miracle if he would actually come. As long as I won't marry a rich and powerful guy, or the son of one – which is quite unlikely even if Ruby wouldn't exist... due to my extra bit of anatomy – he couldn't care less about my love life. Or my existence in general, as long as I don't mess anything up."

"I'd usually go on another hate rant about this asshole, but I'm not even surprised anymore.", Yang grumbled, then she gave Weiss a comforting smile.

"Do you still want to hear the speech I rehearsed for the last couple of weeks now, or are you just going to relent?", the crimsonette asked her girlfriend, "I want to start on good terms with your father so he won't try to break us up, or disinherits you, or something. We have to show him that I can be your perfect spouse in the future and that we are..."

"Relax and save your breath, Ruby.", the heiress sighed, "I also know that we have to get this over with eventually. And we better take care of it sooner than later. But expect things to be incredibly complicated... and probably even degrading."

"Excuse me?", Yang growled and immediately engaged her over-protective big sister mode.

"To put it bluntly: Ruby is a nobody. And a woman.", Weiss explained casually, "Both things are basically worthless in the eyes of Atlas' corporate world... at least concerning the large, old-established businesses. Same-sex relationships are also frowned upon by them, so we'll have it even worse. It is to be expected that even if we can convince my father of Ruby as my partner in life, we'll have to... well, semi-hide our affiliation, and later marriage. At least as long as I don't have complete control over the company. She's likely going to be excluded from any social events, news releases, and whatnot else. And if word gets out eventually, lots of people will probably still pretend that she doesn't exist.

"Of course, it could still go the other way: My father won't accept our relationship and will force me to sever my connection to my family and the company... something I'm gladly going to do in this case. But let's not jinx it from the very beginning. There's still a small chance that he'll approve of us... under at least some, if not all of the conditions just mentioned. Maybe also others I can't think of right now."

"And once more, I'm speechless.", Blake said wide-eyed.

"Ouch...", was all Yang managed to voice.

"Of course, I could just renounce my fortune and my family name and simply live happily-ever-after with Ruby.", the heiress remarked, "But if I do so, many people will continue to suffer under the SDC as it is now. Therefore, I would at least try to reconcile my relationship and my future inheritance. Nevertheless, in the worst-case scenario, it goes without saying that I'll always favor the former over the latter." At the last clarification, she gave her girlfriend a loving look and smile – a gesture that was immediately returned.

"As much as this flatters me – although I already expected it – let's make sure that you won't have to give up anything.", Ruby immediately proposed.

"And as much as I like your enthusiasm, this is going to be harder than you can imagine.", Weiss sighed, yet she tried to keep up her smile.

"Don't worry, Snowflake. I already have the perfect plan at hand to make an immaculate first impression.", the crimsonette explained, "If I appear all prim and proper, then your dad has one less reason to disapprove of me. We just need to show him that I'm no mere peasant, but a nice, smart, and sophisticated girl, on par... or at least close to all the snobs he's met so far and thinks so highly of. But I'll need your help with all of that stuff. Y'know: table manners and cutlery, greetings and curtsies, brainy conversation topics."

"I'm quite certain that my father will see through this bluff and come to know that it's just memorized knowledge and practiced behavior to please him.", the white-haired girl responded, "Which... was pretty much the only way I got his attention – at least a little – as a child, so I guess it's worth a try."

"See?", Ruby said with a grin, "Also, he'll probably appreciate the effort I made for you, or him, or whatever as well and realize how serious I am about our relationship, being a worthy wife, trying to fit in, and so on."

"It's... a start, I guess.", the heiress pondered, "But I doubt that it's going to be enough for him to fully accept our love."

"Then we'll come up with more things along the way that'll leave him no choice but to understand that we're the perfect couple.", the crimsonette declared determined, "I mean, it is SO obvious that we're meant for each other that there HAS to be a way to even get it into his thick skull."

"Certainly.", Weiss agreed with a beaming smile at her incredibly supportive and encouraging girlfriend.

"If you need any help with your preparations, don't hesitate to ask, okay?", Blake offered as well, "As much as you may annoy me from time to time, you know I would do anything for our little... family."

"Same goes for me, obviously.", Yang immediately seconded, "Blake and I have your backs, no matter what."

"Thanks, guys.", Ruby and Weiss responded in unison.

"Which brings me to another important thing.", the blonde suddenly pondered, "If the two of you are away over the semester break, we HAVE to have another girls' night out before that."

Upon hearing this, the other three girls' eyes went wide. After all, they knew that Yang's parties tended to get... out of hand sometimes, to put it kindly.

Therefore, the heiress quickly tried to appease her: "Th-there's no need for that. I don't plan to stay in Atlas for longer than absolutely necessary, which is probably a couple of days, a week tops. Then we'll still have another three weeks to hang out together." She gave Ruby and Blake a desperate look and received two equally desperate nods in return... but to no avail.

"Sorry, guys. But the ship has already sailed.", Yang responded with a grin, "I already have a couple of cool ideas in mind. No stopping that now."

"Well, I guess we just have to yield up to our fate then.", Blake sighed, well-knowing that arguing further with her partner won't be of any use.

"Damn right you have.", the blonde simply said and her grin grew even wider until it looked like it was starting to hurt.

"If these evenings get even just linearly worse, we'll have about three more before we end up in jail.", the white-haired girl groaned.

"Relax, Weiss. It'll be fine.", Ruby assured her, "And now that we're together, we could use this as..."

"Oh no, you don't.", Yang immediately interrupted her sister, "This is a team thing, not a couple thing. Save the sappy stuff for your next date. When it's the four of us, I want you to rock out, I want you to drink, and I want you to get in trouble. Period!"

"Is at least that last part negotiable?", the heiress asked slightly intimidated.

"Nope!", the blonde deadpanned.

"Don't worry, Weiss.", the crimsonette suddenly whispered, "With a little luck – when Yang's already wasted, for example – we can probably find a way to sneak out for a bit and have some fun for ourselves. Maybe even some fun, if you catch my drift."

"I won't have sex with you in a toilet cabin at some shady club.", the white-haired girl whispered back, "As enticing as you are, I still want to preserve us at least some dignity."

"Ohhh, my naive, little Snowflake.", Ruby tsk-ed with a mischievous grin, "When I'm done with making you all hot and bothered, you will be the one who drags me into the stall."

At first, Weiss wanted to strongly disagree with that... but for some reason, she reconsidered. Perhaps it had something to do with the mesmerizing silver eyes she suddenly stared into, the soft-looking lips that were still crinkled up in a seductive smile, and the bit of cleavage she could make out in the lower part of her visual field. Yup: If the younger teen would really be out for it, she would have her doing whatever she wanted in an instant. And weren't a few moments of passion with Ruby always wonderful, regardless of the location?

"Whatever the two of you are whispering, it's not gonna happen on our girls' night.", Yang quickly shook the heiress out of her thoughts.

"We'll see about this.", the crimsonette said quietly before turning her attention to her sister, "We were just discussing what to wear. I'm going with tempting." Once more, she shot her girlfriend a brief but flirtatious glance, causing a small blush to appear on the white-haired girl's cheeks.

"Enough chatter about that.", Blake suddenly tossed in, "Let's try to focus on this essay for another hour, then it's almost time for dinner anyway."

"Agreed.", the other girls nodded.

"Maybe you can already start teaching me about refined table manners at the cafeteria.", Ruby suggested to her girlfriend, "Even though I doubt that we'll find a hundred types of forks, knives, and wine glasses there."

"There aren't that many different types of cutlery, Rose Petal.", Weiss explained, "To appear sophisticated, you probably just need to remember five different knives, forks, and spoons each, and use the right one depending on the course and the dish."

"See: I'm learning already!", the crimsonette said with a beaming smile, "Impressing your dad will be a cakewalk, I'm sure of it."

Of course, the heiress knew that her girlfriend was only joking – the crimsonette wasn't that naive to believe it would be that easy, after all. But for some reason, her happy-go-lucky attitude and confidence in everything rubbed off on Weiss a little and made her feel better about the whole ordeal that lay in front of them. They could make it. They had to make it! For the sake of their relationship, as well as for that of the SDC's future.

But then again, if they wouldn't survive Yang's next girls' night out – which was always possible – it wouldn't matter anymore anyway.

Chapter Text

"Right foot behind your left, not the other way around.", Weiss instructed firmly.

"Oh, r-right. Sorry.", Ruby responded, followed by another try.

"Bend your knees evenly.", the heiress sighed, "You don't want to look like a staggering idiot."

"My bad.", her girlfriend said and tried once more.

"Don't lift your skirt.", the white-haired girl reprimanded her yet again, "Only hold it out a bit to the sides. Actually, you don't even touch it if it ends above your knees... or if it's completely straight, for that matter. But since you'll likely wear a few more, well, elegant dresses around my family in Atlas, it's necessary that we practice it, too. A floor-length dress is a different story, though: You lightly lift those ones but just so you won't trip when you rise back up."

"Urgh... I know, alright?", the crimsonette grumbled, "I just... keep forgetting." Another curtsy followed, but of course, Weiss had to correct her anew.

"Don't look at the floor for too long. It'll just seem like you're embarrassed, or self-conscious, or something along these lines. You're just showing respect, you're not crouching, so confidence is still in order.", she explained, "Your head follows your posture. When you bend your knees, you bow politely, but once you rise, you restore and then maintain eye contact with the person opposite you."

"Grrr... I know high-tech weapons with shorter manuals.", Ruby growled and curtsied for the umpteenth time in the last fifteen minutes... although, to her, it felt like they were at it for hours.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to be trained into the perfect lady – graceful and sophisticated.", Weiss shot back matter-of-factly, "Therefore, I'm giving you a cram course of everything I had to learn as a child... no matter how stupid or useless I render it today."

"Urgh... sorry.", the crimsonette apologized, "I'm well aware that it was me who wanted to practice all of this. And I really do want to so we can eliminate as many flaws your father might wanna find in me as possible. But I also want to complain about it while we're at it. I mean, seriously: Who cares about so many insignificant little details?"

"People who strive perfection in everything, no matter how small the task.", the heiress explained again, "As stupid as it may sound, but how could someone who isn't even able to properly do something as simple as a curtsy possibly provide me with an appropriate life? That's the Atlesian upper class' train of thought to you. Excelling in important things is merely the ticket to the ball, but it won't suffice if you also want to ask the prom queen for a dance. That reminds me: We should probably teach you two or three classical or historical Atlesian dances, too."

"Wha... hmpf, fine.", the younger teen sighed and curtsied yet again, this time making an at least somewhat decent figure, "Everything's better than bowing or some other kind of posture training. The last thing I wanna do again is walking around with a stack of books on my head."

"Oh, we'll return to that tomorrow.", the white-haired girl said curtly.

"What? Whyyy?", Ruby whined, "We just did it for hours two days ago. And you even told me I was doing fine."

"In your clunky boots maybe.", Weiss responded, "But you also need to practice perfect posture in heels as well. And believe me, that's way more difficult, especially considering that you're... well, still a little wobbly in them at times, to put it kindly."

"Maybe we really shouldn't tell your dad about us and just... elope or whatever it's called when you run away with someone to marry in secret.", the crimsonette sighed.

"That would be totally fine with me, Rose Petal.", the heiress joked and gave her girlfriend a loving smile.

"No! I got this.", Ruby immediately objected, "No matter what it takes from me: We're all going to be a big, happy and family, you'll inherit the company someday to make it a better place for everybody, and our kids will visit their grandparents in Atlas from time to time."

"It certainly won't boil down to that kind of happy family – especially the last part sounds quite unlikely.", the white-haired girl responded, "But I see your point. I'm also in favor of avoiding dissension as much as possible and not provoking any further disagreements with my father. By the way, that last curtsy was almost decent already."

"See? Told you I can do it.", the younger teen shot back with a beaming smile, "If it's for you, I can probably move mountains... or at least come up with a plan to burst them somehow."

"Considering your fondness of weapons and explosives, that's not a too farfetched assumption.", Weiss giggled and gave her partner a soft, lingering kiss.

"Well, thank you very much for the praise and this exquisite exchange of affection.", the crimsonette responded affectedly upscale, followed by yet another curtsy.

"What did I tell you about bowing your head too submissively?", the heiress said with a small grin.

"Damn it!", Ruby immediately groaned.

The red-and-white duo spent the next hour or so practicing courteous behavior, aside from curtsies also other expressions of grace and favor, the correct countenance and gesticulation during different types of conversation – they had to come up with a coping mechanism for Ruby to stop her from fidgeting too much – and so on. And only when the crimsonette really couldn't take any more of it, they stopped preparing her for their trip to Atlas... for the time being, that is. Much to the younger teen's dismay, she didn't exactly get a break from learning, though – after all, they still had to study for their upcoming exams and work on a couple of term papers.

Nevertheless, Ruby worked diligently through the entire day... with two things keeping her in line. The first was the prospect of a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant where her girlfriend had booked a table for the evening. And even though that was also part of their efforts to teach the crimsonette sophisticated behavior like the use of the correct cutlery and other table manners, at least the food and the company would be great. The second motivator was a lot more effective, though. Tonight, Yang and Blake would bunk in Team JNPR's dorm room so she and Weiss would have the whole night to themselves. The younger teen might have no idea how or with what the heiress had bribed their teammates and friends, but her deductive powers at least told her that it had to be cheaper – or otherwise more convenient – than renting a hotel room in Vale.

"Aaand done!", Ruby announced with a tired but relieved sigh – and quietly since they were currently sitting in the library – and put the last period for today on her paper, "That makes eight out of ten Grimm finished... and with that also the last required aquatic one. Where did Professor Port even get the idea of making those mandatory for this report? We know far too few species and also way too little about them. You basically have no other choice but to write about the Nautilus, Sea Feilong, Daggerjaw, or Grendel."

"There are a few more well-described Grimm that can be considered aquatic in the swamps of Mistral, but I understand what you're driving at.", Weiss said with a nod and finalized her last paragraph for today as well, "Information about most actually sea-dwelling Grimm are pretty scarce and definitely won't suffice to depict them as detailed as Professor Port requested for this paper... at least if you want a good grade."

"Anyway, we've met the goal we set ourselves for the day and did some quite decent work at that.", the crimsonette shot back and checked her Scroll, "And even half an hour earlier than we would've needed to."

"Well, then: Let's head back to the dorm room and slowly get ready for our little date slash yet another table manner practice.", the heiress suggested, "Admittedly, we still have a lot of time before the airship we need to take leaves for Vale, but better safe than sorry."

"Ooor... we could use these earned thirty minutes to do something better.", the younger teen quickly proposed, "For example... hmm, I dunno... relaxing a bit. Cuddling, kissing... maybe we can also think of something else." She gave her girlfriend a seductive grin at the last part and wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ruby, how many times do I have to tell you?", Weiss sighed, "This never works out as intended, no matter how often we tell ourselves and each other that we'll make it quick. So try to hold off a little longer. We have all the time we want for some... intimacy tonight."

"How do you do this?", the crimsonette asked confused as she packed up her books and papers, "Shouldn't your hormones be a lot worse than mine because you have, well, both down there and all the biochemical stuff that comes with it?"

"It's called composure.", the white-haired girl simply shot back and gathered her stuff as well, then she added with a grin, "You should give it a try from time to time."

"I don't see a point in adopting anything that would keep me from wanting to make love to you twenty-four-seven.", Ruby responded with a giggle.

"You manage to control your horniness on missions and such.", Weiss remarked, "So just think of this whole practicing thing as a looong mission to defeat the most frightening beast I know: my father."

"Hmm, fine. I guess that'll work.", the crimsonette sighed, but declared almost solemnly shortly after, "But you better prepare your little friend down there for a couple of veeery sore days. Because my horniness won't be denied, it can only be delayed. And if it builds up for too long without release, even your extraordinary virility will tremble in fear."

"I'll gladly put up with that.", the heiress said, now giggling herself, "But don't blame me if you ultimately end up with a belly bigger than a beanbag chair."

"What?", the younger teen responded surprised, but before her girlfriend could reassure her that it had been a joke – well, mostly – she added, "And here I was hoping for a real filling for a change."

"You can't be serious.", the white-haired girl immediately exclaimed and shivered slightly worriedly, just as Ruby had promised.

"You better do a really good job tonight, Snowflake.", the crimsonette said with a grin, rounded the table they had been sitting at, and gave Weiss a soft kiss on the cheek, "Always remember: Only a sexually satisfied Ruby is a harmless Ruby."

"I'm starting to doubt that this relationship was a good idea.", the heiress laughed, "I better stock up on protein shakes."

"And I on contraceptives.", the younger teen responded before kissing her girlfriend for real.

The two lovers then returned to their dorm room to get all dressed up for their date. Since they still had some spare time after that, Weiss at least partially fulfilled her girlfriend's wish and they kissed and cuddled for a bit. However, the heiress made sure that she didn't take it too far... which was easier said than done, though, due to a crucial little detail regarding Ruby's wardrobe:

Whenever the crimsonette got dressed for a fancy occasion, she still put on the red dress she had also worn to the Beacon Dance, for lack of alternatives. But over the last year, it had gotten tighter and tighter in the chest area, accentuating her breasts to an almost indecent level. Weiss quickly made a mental note to go clothes shopping with her before they would depart to Atlas. As hot as the younger teen looked in her prom dress, she would definitely need a few more elegant gowns to make a good impression.

The flight to the city was relaxing and uneventful, and so was the walk through the mild spring evening to the elegant restaurant the white-haired girl had chosen... yet again. It was the same place they had visited on their first date – which brought back a few fond memories... and a pretty awful one – and also three other times since then. One of those occasions had been just four days ago when they had already gone for a first round of practicing table manners, wine etiquette, and similar things. That time, they had eaten red meat, but today, fish would be their dish of choice so Ruby would get familiar with the different cutlery and its proper use, as well as with other details concerning the consumption – how to properly de-bone whole fish, for example, in case it would be served at the Schnee Manor. Needless to say, the crimsonette wasn't looking forward to that too much – that's why she always ordered meat with big bones or fillets – but if it was necessary to be accepted by her girlfriend's father, she would learn it or die trying.

"Welcome back, Miss Schnee... and Miss Rose, too. Of course. It is a pleasure to serve you yet again today.", a waiter greeted them overly respectful – to the point that the heiress was almost embarrassed about her family's reputation... as always, "Your table is already prepared, the staff will be notified of your arrival shortly. If you would follow me, please."

"Thank you.", Weiss responded firmly, yet in a polite manner, shooting her girlfriend a glance to prompt her to take note of how to act toward personnel.

The crimsonette merely nodded, then the young couple followed the waiter to their table. It was a nice, cozy booth in the back of the restaurant, decorated with a candle stand and a small bouquet of flowers – also as always. As they had sat down, the waiter bowed politely and excused himself, but a short moment later, another one was already at their side to hand them the menus before leaving as well. The two girls had barely flipped them open when yet another person – a waitress this time – showed up with a carafe of water and two glasses, then poured them one each. When asked about other drinks, specifically wine, the white-haired girl simply said that they didn't know yet and would come back to that once they had decided what they wanted to eat exactly. And with that, the third staff member also left them to their own devices, but not before reassuring them that if they wanted anything, they only had to ask.

"Geez... always the same with them.", Weiss sighed once everyone (besides Ruby, obviously) was out of earshot, "I know they just want to be polite and treat me with respect, but do they really have to be so... servile just because they are afraid of my family name?"

"Well, you could simply tell them to treat you more, umm, normally, couldn't you?", the crimsonette asked and took a sip of her water.

"I'm almost completely certain that this would backfire, although I'm not fully sure how exactly.", the white-haired girl responded matter-of-factly, "Two scenarios are most likely, though... as previous experiences have shown. For example, it could cause them to, well, become completely schizophrenic, for the lack of better phrasing: They are trying to dial it down a notch, then fear that they had done so too much which results in them either getting even more eager to please or to become all jittery and mess things up further. Or they could – ambitious as they are to meet my every need – overdo 'being less polite and considerate' which would likely result in us having an incredibly lousy evening. The most harmless outcome would be them simply declining the request – which is why I don't make it in the first place."

"Wow... nice, powerful people really have it tough.", Ruby giggled.

"Don't get me started.", the heiress simply sighed.

"Anyway, let's get back on track.", the younger teen said and flipped through the menu again, "Since we're ordering fish, we're going with white wine, am I right? At least that stuff is easy to remember: The wine matches the color of the meat, well, more or less."

"Not necessarily.", Weiss quickly objected which immediately caused Ruby to groan, "The assumption that every fish or seafood should be paired with white wine isn't correct. Also, not all white wine is the same. It depends on the flavor and texture of the dish. If you order a lean fish like bass, flounder, or tilapia, you go for a zesty white wine, medium-textured flakey fish – trout or cod, for example – are best accompanied by a medium-bodied white wine. However, firm and meaty fish like salmon, tuna, or swordfish can also be paired with some rosé or red wines since their texture can be compared to red meat. And in case of rather salty, strongly flavored fish like sardine or mackerel, you usually favor red over white wine since they... take on the taste of your food, so to speak."

"Urgh... can I simply order a glass of milk for everything I eat in Atlas?", the crimsonette sighed defeated, "Or just always get what you get and we come up with a believable lie why our tastes match so much?" There was no way she could memorize all of that, not to mention that her knowledge about wine hardly surpassed the little color rule her girlfriend had just obliterated.

"It isn't that hard to remember.", the heiress said reassuringly, "Let's just come up with a mnemotechnic...", upon hearing that word, Ruby just stared at her in utter confusion, "...take-home message for you. Lean fish, zesty white – medium fish, medium white – firm fish, rich red – strong fish, strong red."

"Excellent. Now I just need to write that into my hand whenever we have dinner with your family.", Ruby responded dryly, "And better take fishing lessons, too."

"Let's try another approach.", Weiss suggested, "Just tell me two or three of your favorite fish dishes and I'll recommend a wine for you to remember."

"Well... salmon, I guess. Tuna, maybe. Aaaaand...", the younger teen pondered, "Do you know what kind of fish is inside of fish sticks?"

"Walleye pollock, if I recall correctly.", the heiress groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then that one!", the crimsonette said with a sheepish grin.

'With a little luck, Father wants to brag in front of her – as he does with every guest, no matter how unimportant in his eyes – and orders the staff to come up with a menu for every dinner.', Weiss grumbled internally, 'That way, we can perhaps negotiate the obstacle 'fish and wine'.'

The two girls quickly decided on their dish: both taking whole trout with lemon and dill. That way, Weiss could show her girlfriend better how to properly de-bone it. Much to the heiress' surprise and delight, the crimsonette asked the waiter who was taking their order for a good, medium-bodied white wine that would go well with it – apparently, she had been able to quickly memorize her earlier explanations, after all. The server recommended a Sauvignon Blanc, and after shooting the white-haired teen a glance and receiving a nod, Ruby approved and politely thanked him. Weiss agreed on the same wine, then she handed their menus back, and immediately afterwards, the waiter excused himself to forward the orders to the kitchen and to notify the sommelier.

"Great wine choice, Rose Petal.", the heiress praised her girlfriend, happy that some of her explanations had already stuck, "You'll definitely like it. It has a savory, flowery, and quite herbaceous flavor. Depending on the aging, you may also taste vanilla, pie crust, or cream, so your sweet tooth could also get its money's worth."

"How do you remember all of that?", the crimsonette asked astonished and raised an eyebrow, "I'm still repeating the name of the wine in my head so I won't forget it... or at least its pronunciation."

"Well, Sauvignon Blanc is a pretty common type of grape and one of the most important white quality varieties in all of Remnant.", Weiss explained nonchalantly, "I certainly can't give you as much information about less popular wines, but I know my way around six or seven evergreens."

"Well, since my sense of taste is likely much less refined than yours – sweets are a different matter, though – I'm pretty sure I can't actually be disappointed in the wine department... as long as it doesn't taste too sour or bitter.", the younger teen said with a shrug, "I'm more concerned about de-boning the trout, or if I'll even like it after that."

"Trout has red flesh, pretty much like salmon, it's just a bit more flakey and delicate in texture.", the white-haired girl responded, "As for the flavor, it's a little milder than salmon because of the usually lower fat content. But other than that, the meat itself is kinda similar in taste and most variance depends on the preparation and cooking. As for the de-boning, it's actually easier than most people think. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine."

"Will do. And thanks, Snowflake.", Ruby said sweetly.

"No need to thank me.", Weiss shot back with a loving smile, "I want my father to approve of the love of my life, so you can say that I fairly act out of self-interest here."

"Fine with me, nonetheless.", the crimsonette said and returned the smile.

Soon, they got their wine, and shortly after – likely because of the special treatment the heiress got – their fish as well. Unfortunately, de-boning it wasn't as simple as Weiss had made it sound. Cutting off the head – just behind the gills, according to the white-haired girl's instructions – and slicing the belly open had been the easiest parts, but after that, the younger teen's struggles already started.

"No, not like that, Ruby.", the white-haired girl quickly intervened, "That way, you'll only tatter it. Place the tip of your knife under the spine, then lift it out with the fork."

"Like this?", the crimsonette asked and made another attempt, however, it wasn't working, either.

"No, wait.", Weiss responded, "Haven't you separated the bone layer from the meat as I've shown you?"

"I did... I guess.", Ruby shot back with a sigh, "You showing me again isn't an option, am I right?" Her gaze wandered to her girlfriend's plate and the already neatly filleted trout. Immediately, she was utterly annoyed with herself.

"What makes you think so?", the heiress said with a small, comforting grin, "It's no big deal if you can't properly de-bone a whole fish, though. It doesn't always depend on one's skill to do so, but also on the fish itself. If you can't remove the bones, simply eat around them."

"Well, I guess that's probably the better option for me to go with.", the crimsonette relented, "Anything I need to keep in mind with that?"

"Not much. Just watch out for the small bones so you won't have to pluck them out of your mouth afterwards.", the white-haired girl explained casually, "If you inadvertently ingest one, remove it and place it on the side of your plate. Oh, and once you're done eating the top half, do NOT flip the fish over. That's really bad etiquette. To eat the meat from the other side, lift the bones up with your fork and pull the flesh out from underneath with your knife. Don't worry, it's not rocket science."

"I think I would have fewer problems with learning rocket science than this kind of table manners.", Ruby grumbled quietly and tried the other approach just proposed to her. Thankfully, simply eating around the bones proved to be way easier than to completely remove them. And so, the two girls could finally enjoy their meal. Nevertheless, Weiss still corrected her lover every now and then, like the younger teen's pacing, her hold on the cutlery, or the correct use of a napkin – even though the crimsonette would've never believed that one could wipe their mouth the wrong way.

About halfway through the meal, Ruby had finally gotten the hang of how to eat in a sophisticated, high-class manner – although she considered it incredibly impractical for the actual purposes of eating, namely quenching hunger and enjoying the taste. Therefore, the young couple continued with another aspect of the crimsonette's training: small talk at the table. Since they would likely spend most of their time with Weiss' family during the meals – as it had already been the case during the heiress' childhood – this was utterly important. Of course, the younger teen already knew the basics, for example not monopolizing the conversation (not that she intended to do so in the intimidating presence of the SDC's CEO anyway), never interrupting the person who currently spoke, making eye contact, and so on. But unfortunately, she soon came to know that refined table manners included many, many other things not necessarily a faux pas when dining with normal people. And her girlfriend's family was even more special in that regard.

Unsurprisingly, at the Schnee manor, the world revolved around the patriarch – and dinner conversations were no exception. He was usually the spokesman and conversation starters of other people were quite unwanted as long as they didn't flatter him or his family's accomplishments in some way. When addressed, it would be necessary for the crimsonette to find the perfect balance of confidence (so he wouldn't consider her weak or otherwise unfitting as his daughter's company) and submissiveness (in order to massage his enormous ego). Topics usually avoided during dinner conversations with strangers or mere acquaintances – like policy, money, and one's beliefs – were rather typical coming from the CEO. If she was asked about her opinion, Ruby should definitely moderate herself, try to argue as little as possible, and ideally find some common ground to agree with him, as small as it might be. However, she mustn't remain silent or voice that she didn't know enough about the topic to partake in a discussion – that would only be another opportunity for him to think of her as just an uneducated peasant not worthy of his daughter's company, let alone of a romantic relationship with her.

That information quickly brought the young couple to another important aspect of the crimson-haired teen's training: the history and policy of Atlas and the SDC. In order to properly partake in most conversations and respond to some of Jacques Schnee's presumable questions, Ruby needed to learn the basics about the white-haired girl's homeland and the company her grandfather had founded. Of course, her knowledge didn't have to be on par with a student of history or politics, yet she should definitely know her way around a few historical and economical milestones, as well the council members, their roles, and their overall views and beliefs.

"So tell me, Ruby: When was the city of Atlas founded?", Weiss asked between two bites.

"About 80 years ago, pretty much right after the end of the Great War.", the crimsonette responded.

"And why?", her girlfriend pressed further.

"To, umm, to give guidance to the warriors after the war.", Ruby answered, "It was originally a combat school, but soon became a city due to Mantle's support with new Dust technologies. First, the military moved in, then research facilities, and soon, normal residential areas followed."

"So far, so good.", the heiress acknowledged with a nod, although those bits only covered what they had already learned in Professor Oobleck's history lessons, "And what was the original name of the combat school before it was reopened as Atlas?"

"Oh, umm... wait a minute, I know that one.", the younger teen quickly shot back, put her cutlery aside, and started to tap her chin. Unfortunately, the name just wouldn't come to her. Therefore, after about half a minute of thinking, she admitted sheepishly, "I give up. Tell me again."

"Alsius.", Weiss simply shot back, "Ruby, this is basic information for my people. If you want to fit in – or at least appear sophisticated – you need to remember something like this. Most Atlesian upper-class people know a few special facts about the history of all four kingdoms. And you even attend a special academy that teaches you much more about such things than ordinary schools."

"I know, alright.", the crimsonette sighed crestfallen, "It's just so much... and it's all jumbled up. First, I'm being told how to use a napkin correctly, then I have to list all of the SDC's subsidiaries – by the way, Snow Shoe Shipping is a stupid name – and suddenly, I'm sitting in a history exam. I can't, well, adjust that fast. Urgh... Maybe I'm just too dumb for all of that."

"Stop saying nonsense like that immediately.", the heiress said sternly, "Dumb people don't get accepted into Beacon two years early and stay in the upper third of their class in terms of grades. Additionally, I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with a dumb person, even if they were as cute and caring as you. Do you need any more proof that you're smart? I guess I could still list quite a few examples.

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard and I know that it's a lot to take in at once. But you asked me to make a prim and proper lady out of you so you could impress my father to soften the blow of telling him that we're a couple. And I'm only being so harsh because I know that you can do it. If it was about your dream of becoming a Huntress or our relationship, you've overcome every obstacle so far... and memorizing a few stupid facts won't be an exception."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Snowflake.", Ruby said with a loving smile, "I promise to work even harder to live up to your high expectations."

"You already do.", Weiss quickly responded, "Trying to win my father's blessing is just extra credit. Maybe it's impossible anyway, even if he HAS to consider you perfect in every way you can affect."

"Impossible hasn't stopped me before, has it?", the crimsonette shot back determinedly, "Gimme another couple of questions. I don't care if we sit here all night, but we're not leaving until you think I'm doing okay with this stuff."

"You're incredibly hot when you're all tenacious, you know that.", the white-haired girl said tenderly, "How about I add another motivator to this game: For every... umm, five correct answers, you can demand a kinky thing from me I'll do tonight. Stuff like... thoroughly pleasuring you orally, or a couple of interesting positions you want to try out. If you want to, maybe even blindfold me or tie my hands up. Nothing extreme or borderline dangerous, though. The last thing I need is a broken dick."

"Can dicks even break?", Ruby asked and raised an eyebrow, "Like bones, I mean."

"Well, I guess it's more like a sprain or a small rupture of the cavernous body – the tissue that engorges with blood when it... you know.", Weiss explained, "But it's certainly anything but pleasant... not that I ever want to experience it personally."

"Alright, I won't come up with something crazy.", the younger teen promised and took another bite of her fish, "Now hit me."

"Hmm...", the heiress pondered for a few seconds, "Okay, how about that one: Aside from the kingdom of Atlas, where did one of the biggest Dust mining operations of the SDC..."

"Vacuo. Alongside the Mistral Trading Company.", Ruby answered as quick as a pistol shot, "Which played a major part in Vacuo's ecological degradation... though I guess I shouldn't mention that to your father."

"Correct.", the white-haired girl responded, "Both your answer and your following assumption. Moving on: Aside from producing and distributing Dust, what's the SDC's greatest contribution to the lives of..."

"Fueling and maintaining the heating grids of Atlas and Mantle.", the crimsonette said with a grin.

"Can you at least let me finish the question?", Weiss asked, "Correct as well, though. Alright, let me try a more difficult one."

"Don't hold back, Snowflake.", the younger teen encouraged her, "Now that something's actually on the line, I'm all fired up. Just like it'll be when I have to talk to your dad... hopefully."

Over the next fifteen minutes, the heiress practically bombarded her girlfriend with questions. Yet, much to her surprise – but joy, nonetheless – Ruby could answer most of them correctly, even real brain teasers. There were a couple of topics the heiress had just addressed in passing one or two times, yet, they were suddenly present in the crimsonette's memory again... to the point where Weiss almost believed that her partner had intentionally played dumb at first to get something out of it. Or it was really like the younger teen had said and she needed some kind of incentive or pressure to access her full potential. Lots of missions in the past corroborated that theory.

Whatever the case, it didn't change the results. Ruby knew an incredible amount of facts about Atlas, likely enough for even Jacques to deem her adequately educated. Additionally, the white-haired girl would basically be the crimsonette's sex toy for tonight, given how many points she had earned in their little game... not that Weiss minded that in the slightest, of course.

After the quiz was over – and the crimsonette had passed with flying colors, in the heiress' opinion – the young couple decided to let their date end in a more relaxed manner. They leisurely ate the rest of the main course and then ordered themselves another glass of wine and dessert. In Weiss' case, it was a small piece of lemon cheesecake since it went well with the fish, at least according to her taste. Ruby's decision, however, fell on a big bowl of ice cream with too many flavors to count – after asking her girlfriend if it was okay to swerve from their training now, of course.

"So you basically need to move the barrel for the sniper rifle through the handles of both scythes to have a very long one for accurate shots with more effective range when you combine them into the big scythe.", the crimsonette rambled on about her little twin-scythe project between two spoonfuls of ice cream, "Implementing the mechanisms that put everything together, not only at the connector but also the ones at the joint between handle and snath of each scythe is going to be a real pain, though. After all, everything has to be joined pretty much airtight, as if made from one piece. Can you follow me?"

"Despite my rather limited knowledge in mechanics, specifically guns, I do.", Weiss shot back with a small smile. Every time she heard her girlfriend chattering about the things she was really passionate about, it somehow made her feel at ease with her life. As if it was an indicator that everything was as it was supposed to be.

"I also don't have a satisfying idea for the arrangement of the different clips yet.", the crimsonette sighed, "I was thinking about putting the magazines for the shotgun shells to the side of each individual scythe and the one for the sniper rounds at the bottom of one, but then the whole thing would likely look waaay too clunky. Also, you can probably spin and twirl the combined weapon around rather badly if there's too much sticking out of the snath, in every direction in this case, on top of that."

"If you ever manage to get this thing done and still aren't too old to work as a Huntress by then...", the white-haired girl snickered, "...will it replace Crescent Rose then?"

"What? No!", the younger teen immediately responded, "I will never part with my second-most important sweetheart, just like I will never part with you."

"Then why go through all the hassle and build it?", Weiss asked, "I get that you really love to tinker with weapon stuff, but you're pretty obsessed with that single project."

"It's... complicated.", Ruby admitted, "First of all, it is about the challenge. There are no weapons I know of as complex as that one, so if I manage to make it work, I can call myself one of the best weaponsmiths in all of Remnant. Then there's trying out new stuff on a weapon that's at least somewhat similar to Crescent Rose. So maybe if I tinker with these twin-scythes enough and something works incredibly well, I could upgrade her, too. Not too crazy, of course, but I think there's still some more room for improvements. And then... well..."

Suddenly, she started to blush a bit. And needless to say, the heiress quickly noticed it and raised an eyebrow.

"Y'know... if... when we have a kid someday and she – since you can't father a son as you've explained – also wants to become a Huntress, then maybe she would take a liking to what I've crafted.", the younger teen finally explained, "Work on it on her own and improve it, or finish it. Make it her own. Be even more awesome than we are. I guess, with this in thought... I want to leave her something that's absolutely perfect... just like she will be."

Upon hearing this, Weiss immediately had to blink away a tear of emotion. She quickly put her dessert fork aside and grabbed one of her lover's hands, then she gently pulled Ruby over the table for them to meet in the middle for a tender kiss. It wasn't overly heated, almost chaste even, but it made completely clear how much the white-haired girl loved the younger teen for, well, pretty much everything she added to her life.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you are?", the heiress asked softly after they had parted.

"A little.", the crimsonette said with a cute grin, "But this time, I didn't even aim at that. I just let my heart speak."

"I really like what it has to say.", Weiss responded and gave her lover another quick peck on the lips, then she sat down again.

"Unfortunately, that won't help us with your father.", Ruby suddenly sighed and took her seat as well.

"Stop it, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl quickly demanded, "We said we're through with this crap for today. Let's just be happy and enjoy ourselves for now. And later... each other."

"That's easier said than done when there's always this annoying voice in my head that tells me I have to do more.", the younger teen explained, "I want nothing more than you getting your happy end, after all."

"I already got that when you let me kiss you in that fateful night you found out about my secret.", Weiss said and smiled tenderly at her girlfriend once more.

"Now who of us is adorable here?", Ruby mentioned and returned the smile, "But seriously: I didn't mean just us. I mean you inheriting the SDC despite our relationship, righting your father's wrongs, the name Schnee praised by everyone again someday. Y'know: the full package."

"You still don't need to drive yourself so crazy about it.", the heiress tried to soothe her, "We're doing all we can... as we've always done. And so far, that has always been enough. And even if it doesn't work out this time – because my father is a biased, homophobic, despicable jerk – it's not crucial to my happiness. And as for everyone who would still have to suffer under the SDC's current, awful business strategies: Even though I'm not at fault for my father's many misdeeds, maybe we'll still find a way to correct them and help the people somehow, as Huntresses. Even if the name Schnee will be disreputable for all eternity, the future of the name Schnee-Rose will look bright, I'll make sure of that."

"Okay, now you're really just trying to best me in terms of adorableness.", the crimsonette responded and her smile turned into a beaming grin.

"It's the truth, nonetheless.", the white-haired girl stated matter-of-factly, "I guess I let my heart speak just now."

"Nevertheless, if you think I'm letting you off the hook tonight just because of a bit of flattery, you're mistaken.", Ruby suddenly said and her grin turned challenging, "I scored big time in our little game – that you proposed, I might add – fair and square. And to the victor go the spoils."

"Well, it was worth a try.", Weiss sighed in feigned resentment, however, her own smile told her girlfriend that she wasn't actually complaining.

And with this (more or less) sweet exchange, the two girls' date slash table manner practice came to a close. They finished their dessert, the heiress paid for their meals – and left a generous tip – then they made their way back to Beacon. After all, there was still a whole night full of passion waiting for them... and they were dead set on making the most of it. As far as they were concerned, they had definitely earned it.

Chapter Text

"Thank goodness. It's over!", Yang groaned as the four girls of Team RWBY made their way through the halls of Beacon Academy, "That last exam really packed a punch, figuratively speaking."

"Why figuratively?", Ruby sighed next to her, "Some of the questions physically hurt me. Seriously. I need a headache pill or something."

"Get me one too, while you're at it.", Blake requested, "I would've never expected Professor Peach's exam to be the hardest."

"I don't understand what your problem is.", Weiss tossed in with a shrug, "Admittedly, it was a little harder than a normal test... obviously. But all in all, it wasn't more complicated than I thought."

"Boy, I'm so gonna make you eat these words if you've flunked that thing, Ice Queen.", the blonde feebly threatened her teammate.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm certain that I'll get an A at least.", the heiress responded matter-of-factly, "I might even get a perfect score if I didn't fall for any of the trick questions."

"Trick questions?", Ruby whined and her eyes went wide in shock.

"Umm, yeah.", her girlfriend explained, "For example, the one about the properties of..."

"Please don't!", the crimsonette immediately interrupted her, "Just leave me alone in my little dream world where I can still cling to the hopes of getting a C. All this biology stuff's really complicated."

"What? Ruby, we studied for hours because you knew that's your weakest subject.", Weiss lightly scolded her.

"Yeah, but my brain's working storage is currently full of dresses, and curtsies, and cutlery... and Atlas!", the younger teen responded overly dramatically, "Atlas, Snowflake! That's a whole kingdom inside of my tiny head. Do you really think there's any room for plants, roots, or insect bites?"

"A real shame that Oobleck's history exam mostly covered the Valean-Vacuan Alliance in the Great War.", Yang teased weakly, "You two should've picked another semester break to visit Weissicle's family."

"Are you making fun of my misery?", the crimsonette complained grumpily.

"Wouldn't dream of it, sis.", the blonde chuckled, "In that case, I would've said that while me 'n Blake can simply relax for the next couple of weeks, you and Weiss still have the hardest task in front of you."

"I hate you.", Ruby grumbled nervously. Weiss simply paled a little more at the mention, but due to her already light complexion, it was barely noticeable.

"Relax, you two. I was just joking.", Yang quickly said, "And I wouldn't do that kind of thing if I weren't sure that everything will be going fine. I mean, you trained so hard to impress Weiss' dad, even someone like him has to acknowledge that and will see how serious you are about this relationship and what a great catch Ruby is for his daughter."

"As I've told you many times before, it's not that simple with my family, especially with my father.", the heiress sighed, "There are still so many things that could go wrong. Lots of stuff we can't even influence."

"Y'know what I've noticed? The more you think about this upcoming meeting, the more depressed and hopeless you become.", the brawler mentioned, "If you wanna convince your dad that you're the perfect couple, you need to be more confident."

"Easier said than done.", the crimsonette said, "You likely don't even know about a third of the looming troubles I know. And even I was probably told only half of it because Weiss didn't want to scare me." A glance towards her girlfriend who started to sheepishly tilt her head from side to side a little suggested that her estimate wasn't completely off.

"You still need to relax and recharge a bit so you can tackle this task with full energy.", Yang explained, "But luckily, I'm here and willing to help you. You're not leaving until Monday morning, right?"

"That's what I've told my father two weeks ago.", Weiss confirmed. Of course, during her call, she had just mentioned that the guest that would accompany her was her team leader, even going as far as avoiding the word friend, let alone girlfriend. That should've been told face to face.

"Then tomorrow – and just like promised last month – we're gonna have one of my famous girls' nights out!", the blonde announced cheerily, "That'll take your mind off things and you can focus on the task at hand with newfound confidence, just like when you first came up with your plan. Think of it as some kind of reboot. On Sunday, you can recover from the prospective hangover and spend the whole day napping and cuddling. And when you board the airship the next day, you're gonna feel unleashed and ready to take on the whole world, I promise."

"If they survive tomorrow, that is.", Blake tossed in, "I don't have to come along, right?"

"Of course, you're gonna take part as well.", her partner explained matter-of-factly, "That's as much a team bonding exercise than it is a therapeutic measure for our little Ice Flower. Besides, I need you as backup to lift their spirits."

"Yeah, because I'm so well-known for my cheery attitude.", the cat Faunus responded sarcastically.

"Geez, it's always the same with you guys when I'm trying to do something nice for you.", Yang groaned, obviously crestfallen, "The semester is over and I just want to spend an awesome evening with my bestest friends in all of Remnant. And what do I get for wanting this? Laughed at. Ridiculed. Scorned even. I'm sorry for having the audacity to invite you to a party."

Upon hearing this, the three other girls looked at each other a bit guiltily. Admittedly, the blonde's definition of fun differed greatly from their own, but in the end, she always tried to persuade them to join because she wanted to have them around as often as possible. Her intents were teasing at worst, but never ill in any kind. Needless to say, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake quickly gave each other a nod.

"Fine, we can have one of your infamous girls' nights.", the crimsonette relented, "But nothing too crazy, alright? Weiss and I have to be fit for our trip."

"Yeah! I knew I could count on you.", Yang cheered with a big grin... which indicated that she had likely only feigned her moping, "You're not gonna regret this, I promise. We're gonna have a lot of fun... and probably no injuries at all."

"Probably?", the black-haired girl asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, we're still talking about me here, remember?", the blonde explained and her grin somehow got another bit wider, "You know the clubs I like to check out... and that I can get a little hot-headed after a few drinks. But don't worry: After all, we're the most awesome team of Huntresses-in-training since the invention of teams... in no small measure due to our great leader, of course."

"Are you trying to flatter me so I won't change my mind?", Ruby asked and now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow, "Damn... it's working. Am I that simple, Snowflake?"

"Of course not.", Weiss shot back, "You're smart, and strong, and incredibly cute on top of that."

"Is that... are you trying to flatter me now to get something out of it?", the crimsonette remarked, growing even more insecure.

"Depends.", the heiress explained with a smirk, "While my statement is true in any case, when did you plan to give me another kiss?"

"Always.", the younger teen simply answered and quickly pressed her lips onto those of her girlfriend.

"Alright, guys. Stop making me regret wanting you to come along.", Yang sighed and upon noticing the weird look the couple gave her, she added, "And no, that's not an option anymore now that you've agreed. Anyway, let's head back to the dorm room so you can pack your stuff for Monday... although recalling the ridiculous amount of white suitcases next to Weissicle's bed, I guess she's already done."

"Three isn't that many.", the white-haired girl responded a bit miffed, "And no, I still need to pack a couple of necessities... that I'll still be using until Monday morning, though."

"I guess I don't have to mention how odd Rubes' single duffle bag is going to look next to that array, right?", the blonde asked around.

"I have you known that I got a real suitcase for adults myself now.", the crimsonette explained, "After all, I needed something crumple-free to transport the three very elegant dresses Weiss picked out for me... and a new pair of my despised arch-enemies."

"Heels?", Blake whispered to Yang who simply gave a curt nod.

"I'm sure you got them beat now.", Weiss reassured her girlfriend, "Our training really paid off. I even think you would be able to fight in heels now, just like me."

"I'm also able to drink chocolate milk with a straw without blowing bubbles, but that's not gonna happen, either.", Ruby simply shot back.

"You are hereby banned from laying your hands on any straws for as long as we are in Atlas... its air space included.", Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her statement quickly caused Yang to start laughing wholeheartedly, then the crimsonette joined in... and soon, Blake and Weiss did so as well. It was truly fascinating how such a simple comment could relieve so much tension all at once.

Before Team RBWY knew it, it was Saturday evening, eight o'clock, and they were sitting in an airship heading to Vale, all dressed up and ready to paint the town in whatever color they preferred. As always, Yang's outfit was pretty skimpy, consisting of a yellow crop top and tight, black booty shorts. Blake's attire was a bit more modest, yet her white, short-sleeved, and tapered dress shirt and black skinny jeans still accentuated her curves incredibly well. Of course, Weiss wore a dress: pale blue, strapless, knee-length, and slightly frilly. However, it wasn't overly elegant and would (probably) still fit into the atmosphere of a nightclub. Ruby had just gone with a red blouse and black skirt combo. At first, she had thought about wearing one of the cute dresses – the least noble-looking one – the heiress had bought her, but decided against it eventually. She would likely need all of them during her stay in Atlas and if they got dirty (or tattered, scorched, or otherwise damaged since this was still a night planned by Yang), there wouldn't be enough time to fix this. Nevertheless, the crimsonette didn't refrain from wearing her cloak.

A short flight later, the four girls arrived at the main airport of the kingdom's capital, exited their shuttle, and took in a big breath of the late spring (or early summer?) evening air. Of course, it was pretty much the same as the air at Beacon, however, it smelled differently. More romantic souls like Ruby and Yang would probably describe it as adventurous... more rational minds like Weiss and Blake simply called it traffic fumes.

"Alright!", the blonde announced as they strolled through the streets, "First task of the day: getting some grub. Since we wanna drink, we should lay a solid foundation. And that means greasy burgers."

"I thought that's just a myth and fats and proteins only delay the alcohol absorption into the bloodstream because they bind it.", Blake said.

"Well, umm, that might be true, but at least we can keep it up a bit longer that way.", Yang explained.

"Does it have to be burgers, though?", Weiss sighed, "Let's at least get something a little more balanced, stir-fried noodles or the like."

"Nope.", Yang simply responded, "Because we really need something messy. Y'know, where the first bite sends half of the sauce into the carton and the other smears all across your face."

"Couldn't you've mentioned this before I put on a nearly white dress?", the heiress groaned and gestured at her attire which's color hardly contained any touch of blue.

"Just cover yourself with napkins or whatever.", the brawler shot back, "But for my plan to work, it has to be burgers. Or spare ribs. Or something else you eat with your fingers and dirty yourself up. Especially you and Ruby."

"Aaand that's because... why exactly?", the crimsonette asked confused.

"I told you that I made it my mission tonight to make you forget about your Atlas trip so you can relax and recharge for the upcoming challenge.", the blonde reminded the couple, "And what would be a better start than eating like a slob in a run-of-the-mill fast food joint? This is the furthest thing from a fancy-schmancy upper-class snob dinner under a crystal chandelier I could think of. Well, the furthest thing that could still be considered normal dining, at least."

"I really can't follow your logic.", Weiss sighed, "But I guess I agreed to this whole ordeal, so I'm just gonna pull through. Arguing with you won't be of any use anyway, am I right?"

"You know me so well, future sister-in-law.", Yang giggled, "Now come on. I know just the place!"

"Do I get a say in this matter?", Blake asked meekly but her partner was already moving on.

Interestingly enough, not only did the burgers taste surprisingly good, but the atmosphere in the fast-food restaurant was incredibly refreshing as well. Fine, maybe the former had something to do with the latter, but Weiss didn't really care. In here, she and Ruby didn't have to be the prim couple they've practiced to be over the last few weeks. They were just two normal teenagers having a good time with their best friends.

Of course, they had to be somewhat careful how they ate the greasy and sauce-oozing sandwiches so they wouldn't ruin their clothes, but other than that, it felt great to simply wolf them down and dirty their hands and corners of their mouths. There was no burger fork and no complementary wine, just nature's tools and a soda which likely only consisted of water, flavor enhancer, colorant, and a ton of sugar. If her father could see her and the crimsonette now – in an underclass fast food joint eating garbage like savages, happily chatting about nonsense and licking icky relish off of each other's fingers – he would disinherit her immediately. But he would only be a temporary threat over a few days and if he wasn't around, he couldn't rob them of this simple but delightful freedom. The thought brought a smile to the white-haired girl's face.

And it was now that she realized that exactly this had been Yang's intention... probably.

After the four members of Team RWBY had quenched their hunger and thirst, it was already half past nine. Time to set out for whatever club the blonde had in mind. It wasn't too farfetched to assume that it would be the same one Yang had dragged them to at the start of their second year at Beacon... about eleven months ago. Time sure did fly.

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake's assumption was proven correct a short, fifteen-minute walk later. They immediately recognized the huge, classy-looking building with the neon signs on the front wall. The bouncer let them in without giving them a second glance... well, aside from Yang who he eyed suspiciously. It seemed that nobody here had forgotten about the little incident the blonde had gotten herself into before she had become a Beacon student.

With a small sigh, the crimsonette put her fake ID back into her pocket, robbed of the opportunity to use it once again. It might have been her last chance to do so (now that she had a parental permit for her birth control prescription): In a little over four months – by the end of October – she would finally turn eighteen, after all.

The club's interior was pretty much unaltered as well: A huge dance floor in the middle circumscribed by four glass pillars and decorated with a few holo-projectors fitted into the ground. Opposite the entrance was the DJ's stage, bathrooms and stairs to other floors to the right, and the long bar to the left. And just like the last time they had come here, Yang quickly headed for the latter, giving her teammates a simple wave since the loud electronic dance music would've made it necessary to shout. Thankfully, the majority of the speakers were turned away from the bar, so there, a normal conversation was (probably) possible.

"Blondie! Long time no see.", Junior greeted her with a deadpan expression, "I was actually hoping it would stay that way."

"C'mon, you love me.", Yang shot back with a big grin and sat down on a barstool. Her teammates followed suit.

"Right. Like walking over broken bottles barefoot.", the barman simply responded, "So... what business do you and your little friends have here this time?"

"We just want to have some fun.", the blonde explained, "Finished our second-year finals at Beacon yesterday and thought it would be a good idea to cut loose a little. Don't worry, we'll leave your club intact. We've been good last time, too, remember?"

"Hmpf... that might be true.", Junior admitted and scratched his beard, "Although for a second, I was worried little Snow White over there would puke all over my bar."

"Hey, I wasn't that drunk.", Weiss grumbled.

"But today, you'll be.", Yang said determinedly and slammed a few Lien cards onto the counter, "Four shots of the in-house brand. And make 'em double. My treat."

"Eww... pure liquor?", Ruby grumbled, "Can't I have one of the strawberry things again? Those were pretty tasty. Or another kind of cocktail?"

"Not for the jump-start of this evening.", her sister explained nonchalantly while Junior poured them four glasses of weird, off-brown booze, "This time, we're all gonna suffer together. Think of this as another team bonding exercise to make clear that we always have each other's back... or something."

"If any of you makes a mess tonight – of whatever kind – you'll clean it up, Blondie.", the barman clarified sternly.

"That won't happen, you buzzkill.", the brawler responded, "Have a little faith in me. I know what I'm doing."

"That's exactly the problem.", Junior mumbled to himself as the four girls downed their shots... which resulted in them grimacing to different degrees, from discontent (Yang) over disgusted (Weiss and Blake) to disfigured (poor little Ruby). Thankfully, the taste didn't settle for too long in their mouths. And after that, they were allowed to order what they actually wanted to drink.

Over the next hour or so, Team RWBY stayed at the bar, had another couple of drinks (thanks to Yang's frequent incitement), and chatted happily about trivia while the club was slowly filling up with people. Around eleven, the dance floor was jam-packed and the music had gotten considerably louder, making it harder and harder to hold a proper conversation. Therefore, the four girls decided it was time to bust a couple of moves themselves.

"Takes me all the way back to almost a year ago!", the blonde shouted at her teammates as she swayed her body to the booming basses and sharp synth sounds.

"Yeah!", Blake seconded, "Remember the silly prank we pulled on Weiss to get her to loosen up?!"

"Sure thing!", Yang answered, "And now that I think about it: Could it be that you left us so abruptly because your little friend down there gave you some trouble when Rubes was rubbing her butt over your crotch, Weiss?!"

"Where did you get that idea?!", the heiress responded sarcastically, "Why do you think I got so drunk afterwards?! It was the only thing I could think of to calm it down again!"

"Well, thankfully, that's not necessary anymore!", Ruby said with a cheery grin as she danced at her friends' side. But then, she had another idea.

Before Weiss could react, the crimsonette grabbed one of her hands and put another one on her waist. The younger teen then pressed their bodies close together and began to lead her partner around a bit in a dance she was just coming up with on the fly. At first, the white-haired girl was a bit surprised, but she soon let her girlfriend do as she pleased and moved along with her, reveling in the warmth and closeness they shared... as well as in the soft gropes and caresses whenever Ruby urged them to change directions.

"Whoa, what's gotten into you, Rose Petal?", she asked with a smile as the crimsonette gently pushed and pulled her over the dance floor.

"Well, maybe it's the alcohol encouraging me a little, but I suddenly wanted to be close to you.", Ruby simply shot back and leaned her forehead against Weiss'.

"You're quite a decent dancer, you know.", the heiress explained, "Do you improvise or are you following some kind of system?"

"There's a bit of these Atlesian dances you taught me in this, some footwork from fighting with my scythe...", the younger teen explained, "...but the rest is just doing what feels nice and gets me to grind against you."

"Well, as much as I appreciate this grinding, could you at least turn it down a little bit?", Weiss requested, "I might be already somewhat tipsy myself, but the alcohol only dampens my libido that much." As if to further affirm her statement, the crimsonette suddenly felt a faint throb against one of her thighs.

"But why should I do this?", Ruby suddenly shot back with a seductive grin, "As said, you holding back isn't necessary anymore. We're a couple now, we know pretty much everything about the other, and we also indulge in intimate activities frequently. So... why should we hold back anymore?"

Weiss' intended reply was immediately shoved back into her throat when the younger teen kissed her passionately without warning. The first nibble on her bottom lip only lasted two seconds at most before the crimsonette pried her lover's mouth open with her tongue and shoved it inside. The heiress quickly met it with her own and they started to make out tenderly. In the meantime, Ruby's dancing slowly turned into little more than rubbing her body against her girlfriend... paying special attention to her groin area. They even managed to ignore the cheers from a group of annoying guys next to them who had noticed the spectacle of two hot girls kissing.

"Remember when I told you that I'd seduce you on this girls' night around three weeks ago?", the crimsonette asked sensually after they had pulled away from each other (only half an inch, though), "Well, guess what time it is?"

"R-ruby, I'm not sure if this is a good idea.", Weiss responded while reason and lust – the latter aided by the alcohol – fought a fierce battle inside of her mind, "I mean, of course, you look absolutely stunning in your outfit, and the way you grind against me feels pretty amazing already, and your kisses taste as sweet as ever... gosh, you're so hot."

She didn't even reach the but-part of her argument. Instead, she simply went for another kiss which the younger teen gladly returned. And this time, some real groping and caressing soon accompanied the tongue-fencing and the dry-humping. Two gin and tonic (plus the shot of the indefinable in-house brand) drowned out the heiress' thoughts about their plans being unbecoming and pervy, and two Strawberry Sunrises encouraged Ruby to push her girlfriend's buttons even harder. And before the young couple knew it, their gazes shot to the door of the ladies' room simultaneously.

"A-are we really gonna do this?", Weiss asked one last time, although she had long since made up her mind.

"That's completely up to you.", the crimsonette responded, "I'm totally in... and already a little wet." She had barely finished the last sentence when she was suddenly hurried over the dance floor and towards the restrooms.

"Then let's go before my panties get ripped to shreds.", the white-haired girl exclaimed, "I don't have spare pair with me."

'And here it's really her who drags me into a bathroom stall and not the other way around.', Ruby noted inwardly with a huge grin, 'Mission accomplished.'

From a few feet away, Blake and Yang gazed after the leaving couple, well-knowing what they were about to do now. Surprisingly enough to the black-haired girl, her partner neither intervened, nor made one of her tacky comments.

"You do know that they're probably gonna bang now, don't you?", the cat Faunus asked as they watched their teammates enter the bathroom.

"Yup.", Yang simply responded, "But while I certainly don't wanna picture what'll go on in there now, I'm happy if they're happy. After all, the main purpose of this girls' night is for them to cut loose and have a good time, so they can deal with the stuff in Atlas with cleared minds and encouraged hearts... or whatever a supporting character in a movie would say about the protagonists in a situation like this."

"You're totally happy about them being a couple now, huh?", Blake asked with a smile, "That would be a little clearer sometimes if you would dial down your constant teasing a bit, though."

"Not gonna happen.", the blonde shot back grinning, "I just have my own way of loving them. They know that anyway."

Once they had made sure that the ladies' room was completely empty – which was close to a miracle, given how packed the club was – Weiss quickly shoved Ruby into one of the stalls and locked the door. Apparently, the crimsonette's latest antics had flipped some switch inside of her brain. The thankfully pretty clean booth was barely bolted before the heiress was already all over her girlfriend, kissing her passionately. The hand that didn't start massaging one of the younger teen's full breasts slipped under the hem of her dress and pulled her cock through one of the leg holes of her panties to prevent the rapidly swelling organ from tearing them. Of course, Ruby wasn't one to just let herself be pleasured and immediately returned the favor, wantonly groping the white-haired girl's chest and butt. However, her hands' focus swiftly shifted once she felt something very hard poking her leg.

"You're way too irresistible, Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered sensually between two kisses, "That's definitely going to get me into trouble someday, I'm sure of it."

"Do you really think I have it any easier?", the crimsonette shot back with a seductive smile, "I'm not trying to seduce you all the time just because I'm bored, y'know."

To emphasize her point, she gave her girlfriend's now fully erect cock a gentle squeeze. The huge organ immediately responded by spewing out a big glob of precum. Thankfully, Ruby managed to catch it before it would stain the floor and used it to lubricate the heiress' magnificent member.

"Looks like you're raring to go, huh?", she said, and upon noticing the almost uncomfortable dampness between her legs, she added, "That's good, because I am, too."

"So... we're gonna do it already?", the white-haired girl asked, "Just like that?"

"We're in a more or less public restroom, Weiss.", Ruby reminded her, "Of course, I'd like some more cuddling and foreplay as well, but since our quality time in here could get cut short at any moment, I guess we better skip right to the main event."

"But that feels kinda weird to me.", the heiress explained, "I mean, there's nothing I'd rather do than have sex with you right now, but just... going for it is kinda undeserving of you. I'm a little torn here, even though my almost painfully erect dick might tell a different story."

"Well, then how about I help you get untorn about that?", the younger teen asked with a sensual smirk. A moment later, she wriggled herself out of their embrace, turned around, and steadied herself on the toilet tank with one hand. The other nonchalantly brushed her cape away, hoisted her skirt up, and pulled her panties to the side, presenting her dripping flower to Weiss.

"See anything you like?", Ruby purred seductively and swayed her shapely rear from side to side, "As said, I'm as ready as can... whoa!"

Her explanation was cut short when she suddenly felt a hand on her hip... and the fat crown of the heiress' cock giving her smooth, puffy petals a wet kiss. A moment later, her pussy-lips already parted and eagerly swallowed the tip with a lewd slurping sound. A short thrust followed and Weiss' thick, throbbing tool was buried about five inches inside of her velvety tunnel, causing both girls to moan passionately.

"Finally... back where it belongs.", Ruby sighed happily... before reconsidering, "Well, almost." She then pushed her hips back, sinking another two or three inches of precum-drooling girl-cock into her moist slit until the tip bumped into her cervix.

"H-hey, gimme a second to adjust, okay?", Weiss requested between two shaky breaths, "Or do you want me to blow my load in a couple of seconds? Rhetorical question, Rose Petal." She quickly added the last part upon seeing her girlfriend's sly grin she gave her over her shoulder.

"Fine, do as you please.", the crimsonette shot back, "My little pussy is just happy to be stretched around your massive dick and able to guzzle down your cum again... even if it's just plenty of pre at the moment."

"Don't worry, you'll get your real filling soon enough.", the heiress promised.

"We can't... in here, I mean.", Ruby pouted, "You have to pull out and cum into the toilet, even though it's a real waste. But you can't bloat me in a nightclub."

"I guess you're right.", Weiss agreed equally disappointed, "I'll make it up to you by fucking you twice as hard, okay?"

"Deal.", the younger teen chirped giddily and wriggled her hips, stirring her lover's cock around inside of her, "Now show me that you're not just all talk and no action!"

She had barely finished her sentence when the heiress had already pulled her cock halfway out and immediately slammed back in. The crimsonette felt her belly bulge ever so slightly under her blouse, but when she reached out to fondle the protrusion, it had disappeared again. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for a comeback as Weiss quickly delivered the next thrust, and another one, then another one. And soon, she had established a steady rhythm.

"That's it. Give it to me, Snowflake.", Ruby mewled in bliss, "Harder. And deeper! My womb feels so empty without your cock wearing it as a cozy little condom."

"And my cock misses the warmth and tightness of your cute little baby chamber.", the heiress responded, "G-get ready then. If my lover wants my whole length, I'll gladly stuff her with all I've got."

But just when she pulled back until only the tip remained between Ruby's trembling petals to deliver the thrust that would finally breach the younger teen's innermost sanctum... the door to the bathroom suddenly creaked open. In an instant, the couple froze in their stall and didn't even dare to move another millimeter. They also clasped a hand over their respective mouths so their by now heavy breathing (and possible involuntary moans) wouldn't be heard. Luckily, the music from the dance floor was loud enough to fill the bathroom to some degree as well, so there was probably no risk on that front.

"Oh em gee. You gotta tell me everything about this guy.", some party girl – obviously not alone – announced while two pairs of heels clattered over the tiled floor.

"There's not much to tell... yet.", her friend announced which caused the first woman to giggle.

"Now that's a little unfortunate... even though I almost expected something like this to happen.", Ruby whispered barely audible to Weiss, "What're we gonna do now?"

"M-maybe we should stop.", the white-haired girl shot back in a whisper as well, "But that doesn't solve the problem with my hard-on... or that we're in this stall together."

"We should just keep quiet and wait until they leave again, then finish off quickly and get out of here, too.", the crimsonette suggested, "I really don't wanna stop now."

"Me, neither.", Weiss agreed, "But what if they're gonna see that there are two people in here?"

"Don't worry, I got this.", the younger teen responded. Then she started to climb onto the toilet, carefully, so her girlfriend's cock wouldn't slip out of her pussy. Admittedly, that didn't make the task any easier, but Ruby simply didn't want to part with the heiress for even one second now that they were connected. Also, that way, Weiss could probably just keep fucking her (slowly) until the coast was clear and they could settle for a more comfortable position again.

However – due to a few coordination problems stemming from three drinks and a lust-addled mind – Ruby misplaced her second step which caused her to slip. Thankfully, she remembered not to yelp in surprise, yet that didn't change much of her and Weiss' sudden situation. Even though the white-haired girl managed to catch her to prevent them from tumbling over, the jolt backwards pressed the crimsonette's body flush against her girlfriend's front. And with that, the heiress' cock slammed into her delicate pussy in its entirety, barreling through her cervix effortlessly and stretching her womb up to her ribs. In an instant, her usually flat stomach bulged obscenely around the massive intrusion, the shape of Weiss' member easily visible even through her blouse.

Needless to say, the events caused both girls to let out loud moans – even though they tried their best to stifle them somehow – that could definitely be heard from outside. And almost immediately, the young couple's assumption was proven correct.

"Umm, everything alright in there?", one of the women suddenly addressed them – or at least the single person she expected to occupy the stall.

Once more, Ruby and Weiss froze completely and even ceased breathing for a moment. The only body parts that didn't stop moving were their rapidly beating hearts... and their genitals. The crimsonette had almost forgotten that her girlfriend got even more aroused in risky situations and at the prospect of getting caught doing naughty things – and it showed: Quickly, the heiress' already sizable cock bloated even bigger inside of her, spreading her poor pussy-lips even wider and shoving her uterus right under her sternum. Now the crimsonette was absolutely sure that these weren't a mere 14 inches anymore. She definitely had to measure it again when she got the chance.

"Y-yeah, totally fine.", the nervous wreck named Weiss croaked out after a few seconds, "Just... uhh, c-cramps. Y'know. Really bad ones. I guess it was a stupid idea to go out partying during my, well, days."

"Oh, I feel ya, sister.", the other woman said, "Mine are pretty awful sometimes, too. You need a tampon or something? Maybe a pain killer?"

"N-no, it's okay.", the heiress quickly shot back, "I have all the stuff I need with me. I just wanted a place where I could suffer in peace until everything passes, hehe."

"Oh, I see.", the first woman announced, "Well then: speedy recovery or whatever. Come on, Sable. Let's go somewhere else to talk."

And with that, the two strangers simply exited the bathroom again, much to the White Rose couple's relief.

"Phew... that was close.", Ruby half-sighed and half-moaned as she regained her footing, "But pretty exciting, don't you... hngh!"

Again, she was interrupted by her lover who suddenly started to thrust again, and fast. But whatever had suddenly gotten into Weiss, it was anything but unwelcome, so the crimsonette didn't question it. Instead, she simply started to rock her hips as well and met every thrust of the heiress the best she could, trying to drive this impossible slab of dick-meat even deeper into her comparatively small body. And as she felt her womb getting filled up with precum, she noticed a tingling sensation slowly spreading through her entire body. Something wet and silky-soft suddenly grazed the helix of her ear and when she turned her head to the side, her lips were immediately captured by the white-haired girl's own.

With machine-like precision, Weiss undid two buttons on Ruby's blouse and slid her hand under the fabric. A moment later, she shoved the younger teen's bra up and eagerly fondled one of her breasts. The divine feeling of her fingers sinking into the supple flesh and how the hard, pointy nipple pressed into her palm spurred her on to pick up the pace even more. The slapping sounds whenever her groin collided with the crimsonette's shapely backside quickly got more frequent... and considerably louder. Even though the young couple greedily swallowed each other's moans as their tongues performed a sensual partner dance, everyone outside who'd hear these noises would get a crystal clear picture of what was going on in this particular booth.

Ruby was in bliss, reveling in the heavenly sensations of her lover's cock sliding through her insides and scraping along her wet, hot, trembling inner walls. Her pussy was constantly dripping its juices onto the ground while sucking on the massive invader as if it was a straw, milking a constant stream of pre out of it. The hand that wasn't steadying herself against the toilet tank was resting on her belly, giving the huge bulge a loving squeeze whenever the heiress drove her tremendous tool to the hilt into her tiny slit. Her climax was rapidly approaching... but so was Weiss', she could feel it.

"R-ruby, I... c-close.", the white-haired girl suddenly announced shakily between two kisses as if she had read her thoughts and wanted to confirm her assumption.

"M-me, too.", the crimsonette whispered back tenderly – not even questioning anymore how they always managed to hit their peaks together, "J-just a little more. A-almost..."

She didn't even manage to finish her sentence... not even in thought, because the moment she felt her girlfriend's lips on her own again, her tongue brushing against hers, an especially deep thrust from Weiss, and a throb from the heiress' cock that was powerful enough to lift her from her heels... she immediately lost it. Moaning her lover's pet name into the white-haired girl's mouth, Ruby came so hard that she saw stars for a moment. Her velvety pussy contracted powerfully around the cock currently stretching it to its limits and performed a lasting sucking motion – especially her cervix – to slurp the cum it craved right out of Weiss' body. Barely a second later, she felt the massive appendage bloat to even bigger proportions, twitching erratically, almost vibrating.

Wait, hadn't they forgotten something?

Ruby instantly remembered when the first blast of boiling-hot, hyper-virile spunk crashed into her baby chamber and her blouse suddenly felt rather tight. She quickly broke their kiss while the hand that had jerked the heiress off through her stomach helplessly fumbled for the lid of the toilet. The crimsonette had barely managed to flip it open when a second, even bigger gush of porridge-like semen splashed audibly into her and inflated her belly to a size that already resembled the second trimester of pregnancy. By now, the button of her top right below the two the white-haired girl had undone before threatened to pop off.

"W-weiss, pull out.", the crimsonette quickly reminded her partner, "I-I don't want you to, but you have to."

Immediately, the heiress' eyes shot wide open again. Accompanied by a startled "Oh fuck! S-sorry!" and another loud moan, she wrenched her spewing cock out of her lover's silken slit – but not before pumping a third, ridiculously voluminous shot into the younger teen's welcoming womb. Thankfully, she had already withdrawn about half of her length by then, so there was enough room again for Ruby's belly to grow without damaging her blouse. And once the heiress' massive member popped free with a wet squelch, both girls quickly pushed it down between the crimsonette's thighs to aim it at the toilet bowl. And from that point on, nature took its course and Weiss just came and came... and continued cumming.

While the white-haired girl's output didn't seem to be overly more copious than all the other times they had had sex (when the heiress was a little pent-up, though), the young couple quickly encountered another problem: The stupid toilet didn't drain, for whatever fucked-up reason! And since Ruby and Weiss both knew how much the latter could cum – the former's hugely swollen belly usually a sloshing testimony afterwards – they were also well aware that this won't end well. Unfortunately, there weren't any other options available, so all they could do was sit it out. And of course, it happened as it had to happen. When the heiress' orgasm slowly started to peter out, the bowl was already overflowing.

"Nonononono...", Weiss groaned in exasperation while Ruby milked the last droplets out of her dick with skilled fingers and the pristine-white, gooey mess continued to spill over the rim of the toilet and splattered onto the ground, "T-tell me that didn't just happen, Rose Petal."

"Relax, Snowflake. It's fine... I guess.", the younger teen tenderly comforted her girlfriend, "Nobody has seen us. We should get out of here soon, though. Maybe even leave the club, just in case."

"S-sorry.", the heiress sighed in shame.

"Don't be.", Ruby chirped, turned around, and gave her a soft kiss, "It's a compliment that you always want to flood me with so much cum, after all. And it was still absolutely amazing. And quite thrilling to do something so disreputable, on top of that, don't you think?"

"Do you need any other proof of that than the overflowing toilet bowl?", the white-haired girl shot back and a small smile tugged at her lips.

They wiped a few cum-splatters off of their shins, ankles, and shoes the best they could, threw the toilet paper onto the ground (they couldn't flush it down, after all, and it didn't matter anymore anyway), and exited the stall. Ruby then quickly slipped into another one to drain the cum out of her womb... and despite the fact that only three shots had found their way inside, it was still a lot. The crimsonette even swore that she felt the sticky essence seep into her fallopian tubes. Thankfully, she was always incredibly diligent about taking her contraceptives.

Once the deed was done, Ruby fixed her clothes, met up with Weiss again, and finally, they left the restroom... and just in time, because a group of four women walked past them and into it once the White Rose duo was outside. However, the two girls still heard the disgusted "Ewww!" through the slowly closing door. Damn it! Getting out of here was probably the best course of action to take, after all, although it wasn't too likely that they'd be associated with the ruined stall. But better safe than sorry. Therefore, back on the dance floor, the young couple immediately made a beeline for their teammates to urge them to flee.

"Hey there, love birds.", Yang said with a shit-eating grin once they were within earshot, "Had some fun in the bathroom, huh? Respect."

"We need to leave.", Weiss stammered, "Now!"

"What? Why?", the blonde asked confused, "It's not even midnight."

"We, umm... m-made a mess.", the crimsonette explained and blushed furiously, "Like... a really, really big one. In one of the toilet stalls."

"What kind of filthy stuff did you do in there?", Blake asked astonished and a repelled look appeared on her face.

"N-nothing filthy!", the heiress immediately clarified, "J-just... umm, n-normal sex, I promise!"

"It's just that... well, Weiss kinda cums lots. I mean, you've seen how big her thingie is that one time.", the crimsonette continued to explain, "I-I'm not gonna go into any details, but the upshot is that the stall – the toilet and the ground – looks really messy now with her... s-stuff. And we really don't wanna be here when the staff finds out or whatever. A few people saw us leaving the restroom just now."

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that you overfilled a...", Yang began with wide eyes but was cut off quickly.

"Th-that's not important.", the white-haired girl said and now it was her turn to blush as red as her girlfriend's namesake, "L-let's just leave, okay? Pleeeaaase?"

Upon seeing Weiss and Ruby's distressed expressions, the Bumblebee duo knew that there was no room for objections. After all, Yang had said that the whole point of this evening was to make their friends feel at ease – and Blake wanted them to have a good time as well, considering what they had to face on Monday. Therefore, they just nodded and made their way to the exit as unsuspiciously as possible.

"Well, I'm just gonna try to think positive here.", the blonde suddenly addressed the heiress, "If you're really that productive, you and Rubes are gonna give me a niece or a nephew in no time once you actually start trying, am I right?"

"Umm, p-probably.", the white-haired girl responded embarrassedly.

"Hey, Weissicle. Cheer up!", Yang insisted, "You had sex in a nightclub and vandalized a bathroom stall. Just think about how much you hated your former, stuck-up self and then realize what a long way you've come. Even I'm proud of you, in case that wasn't already obvious since I refrained from making an inappropriate comment."

"Well, I-I guess you're right.", the heiress admitted and then even smiled a bit. She had really changed a lot for the better already. And even though this bathroom incident definitely wasn't a very proud moment for her and Ruby, it only showed that they were completely at ease with the other. And their friends even supported the stupid and embarrassing decisions they made. A glance towards the crimsonette who was currently reassured by Blake cemented this thought.

"Well, so this is where it ends.", Yang sighed and took a sip of her drink as the four girls sat in a rather quiet pub near the airport, "I didn't imagine our girls' night to go down like that, but at least we left the club for a good and pretty funny reason, so you two are forgiven."

"Thanks for being so understanding.", Weiss responded, "I have no idea what's gotten into us back there."

"Well, I know exactly what's gotten into me back there.", Ruby added with a cheeky grin which caused her girlfriend to blush again.

"R-ruby! That's not funny.", the heiress pouted, "And just for the record: It was you who seduced me, not the other way around."

"Nevertheless, you gave in, so that makes you complicitous.", Blake tossed in, "I'm pretty sure that simply declining her offer had been an option."

"If you'd know how she looks naked and what incredible stuff she's capable of in the bedroom, then you'd realize how ridiculous you just sounded.", Weiss responded dryly, "Also, my decision-making abilities were a little impaired, thanks to Yang's insistence on drinking whatever moonshine this club's in-house brand has been."

"And the two gin and tonic you downed afterwards had nothing to do with it, huh?", the blonde asked with a grin.

"Those were your doing, too. You were riling everybody up to drink.", the white-haired girl explained, "Even your underaged sister." She added the last part in a whisper so the bar staff wouldn't hear it.

"Hey, I'm old enough to drink.", Ruby grumbled.

"No liquor, though.", Blake reminded her.

"Well, it is what it is now.", Weiss sighed, "At least Ruby and I got a nice last meal before we have to face the music in Atlas."

"Oh no! No Atlas-thoughts.", Yang immediately objected, "I thought I made myself clear: This evening is for you to forget about all of this crap at least for one freaking day and relax. As said, overthinking everything won't do you any good. Instead, bethink yourselves of all the happy times you and we share. You're in dire need of a more positive mind."

"I'm sorry, but I can't simply suppress all of this.", the white-haired girl explained, "This is one of the most important things Ruby and I will ever have to do in our relationship. And chances are that it's not gonna go the way we..."

"Urgh... did I stutter?", the brawler groaned, "Take a page from Ruby's book, Princess: She just wants to have a good time tonight for a change, and she wants you to have one, too. Don't you think that's at least one of the reasons she seduced you at the club?"

"Well, that and because I'm constantly horny around her.", the crimsonette admitted with a lop-sided smirk, "The booze probably played some part in it, too."

"See?", Yang continued her explanations, "Your girlfriend's trying to improve her mindset. Your call, Weissicle."

"As said, I can't just shut my brain off.", the white-haired girl repeated herself but quickly regretted her phrasing.

"But I know what may help you with that.", the blonde said with a grin, "Maybe it's time for some drinking games. I mean, we have to busy ourselves somehow... now that we had to leave the club, thanks to you. And just sitting around and talking likely doesn't cut it."

"There's no way this is gonna end well for Weiss.", Blake whispered to Ruby.

"Probably.", the young leader shot back, "But I'm starting to think Yang's right: If we just keep thinking about this Atlas-stuff, we'll only continue to tell ourselves how much of a fuck-up it could turn out to be. But when we were... umm, i-in the bathroom stall, I just thought about how happy I am with her and that nothing could ever change that. It gave me confidence that no matter what, everything's gonna be fine."

"Well, I also think Yang has a point, as weird as it might be.", the cat Faunus agreed, "If you start to believe yourselves that Weiss' father won't approve of your relationship regardless of your efforts, then how can you convince him of the contrary? Maybe this girls' night really is a good idea to give you guys some reorientation."

"Drinking games?", Weiss asked doubtingly as her conversation with Yang continued, "Something like beer pong or what?" Of course, she hardly knew her way around the topic aside from what she had seen in movies.

"Kinda, but we'd need something for tighter spaces and preferably without too many complicated rules.", the blonde explained, "Ahh, I think I got something... at least for starters." Then, without further explanation, she suddenly left the table and approached the bar.

"I have a bad feeling about this.", the heiress sighed and exchanged a worried look with Ruby and Blake.

"Don't worry, Snowflake.", her girlfriend reassured her, "Maybe it's really good for us to switch off our brains for one night. I mean, we've done all we could to prepare for meeting your father and tell him about our relationship. Now we just need to recharge and improve our mood again so we can hit him with full energy and confidence."

"And you really think mindless boozing is gonna help us with that.", Weiss asked, still skeptical.

"Well, I guess partying a little is a decent way for us to take our minds off things for a change.", the crimsonette said, "We kinda suffer from some bleak kind of tunnel vision lately which surely is pretty counter-productive."

"Huh... you're probably right.", the white-haired girl admitted, "Although I'm certain there are better ways to distract ourselves than ingesting unhealthy amounts of alcohol."

"I know, but we can't just have sex twenty-four-seven.", Ruby stated matter-of-factly, "I may have a pretty strong Aura, but even I get sore eventually."

"Th-that's not exactly what I was driv...", Weiss began blushing but was suddenly interrupted by Yang who sat down at their table again with a bottle of liquor, four shot glasses, and an empty beer mug.

"Hey, look what I found.", she announced with a huge grin. Then she gave everybody a glass and placed the mug right in the middle of the table. And after that, she fished a single coin out of her wallet.

"Rules are simple.", the blonde explained, "We bounce the coin off of the tabletop and when it makes it into the mug, we can order someone to drink a shot. If you hit the rim and still fail, you can try again one more time, but otherwise, the person to your left is next. Y'know, clock-wise. The game ends when this bottle is empty or one of us is too drunk to make her toss."

"I am absolutely sure that there will be no winner in this game.", Blake mentioned.

"Yup.", her partner seconded with a grin, "But depending on your skill, you might not lose as hard as the others."

"But you're visiting bars way more often than we do.", Weiss remarked, "So don't you have an unfair advantage?"

"What? No.", Yang objected, "I hardly play those games. Also, I'm too aggressive and can't control my strength appropriately. So what? Is everybody in?"

"Well, I guess it's better than just sitting around while drinking.", Blake said with a shrug.

"Yeah, and it can even be considered training... of some sort.", Ruby agreed, "Eye-hand coordination stuff or something like that."

"Alright, I'm participating, too.", the heiress yielded to the will of the crowd, "It's probably fair if we all..."

She hadn't even finished her sentence when Yang made the first toss... and a clink announced that she had managed to dunk the coin.

"And that's a shot for Weissicle.", she declared grinning.

"Wh-what?!", the white-haired girl exclaimed astonished, "Hey! You lied to me!"

"Lucky hit, I promise.", the blonde shot back, although the fact that her grin turned even wider made the rest of Team RWBY doubt that statement.

"Urgh... fine, whatever.", Weiss gnarled, poured herself a drink, and downed it in one go. It burned and tasted anything but delicious, but she tried to endure it straightfaced. She didn't want to give Yang any more satisfaction.

"Okay, I'm next.", she quickly said after suppressing a cough, and fished the coin out of the beer mug, "Can't be too hard, right? I mean, it's just physics. Incidence angle, emergent angle. And vengeance will be mine."

However, when she made her own attempt, the coin simply bounced into the air and came down shortly after. It didn't even reach the glass.

"Seriously?", the white-haired girl groaned in annoyance.

"Don't worry, Snowflake. I'm gonna avenge you!", Ruby promised and grabbed the coin herself. Her face crinkled up in concentration, she bounced the tiny piece of metal... Plink!

"Bullseye!", the crimsonette cheered, "Hope you're thirsty, Yang."

"Sure thing, sis.", the blonde responded and drank a shot herself.

Then it was Blake's turn and – much to her own surprise – she hit right away as well.

"Hmm... who's it gonna be?", the black-haired girl pondered and let her gaze wander over her teammates... before it came to rest on the person right opposite her, "Sorry, Weiss. But I guess you need it most at the moment."

"Are you kidding me?", the heiress sighed but obediently filled her glass again. However, she hadn't even put it to her lips when she already heard another ching, followed by Yang's gloating voice: "You're right, Blakey. I guess Weiss could even use another one."

"Wait. Did you just...", the white-haired girl asked astonished (again), "At least let me finish the first one before you continue, will you?" She then downed two shots in a row before it was her turn. However, fortune didn't seem to favor her tonight and the coin bounced far over the mug. Shortly after, Ruby nailed her next attempt and this time, it was Blake who had to take a drink.

"Alright, Weiss.", the cat Faunus announced when it was her turn again, "If I hit now, I promise that I won't choose you." Then she took aim, bounced the coin, and managed to dunk it. Again, her amber eyes scanned her teammates: To her left was Yang, who was just grinning smugly. To her right sat Ruby who gave her an anxious look. But then, her gaze came to rest on the heiress again.

"I lied to you.", Blake simply deadpanned which earned her a loud cackle from the blonde, "Bottoms up, Weiss."

"I hate you, y'know zat?", the white-haired girl sighed, already with a slight slur in her voice, and downed her next drink, "Hey, can't we at leasht bring in the rule that it's only one shot per person 'n per round?"

"Urgh... fine.", Yang sighed, but then her attitude changed immediately, "Alright, new round starts with me!" She grabbed the coin and – who would've guessed it? – hit right away again. Then she simply turned to the heiress and gave her a shit-eating grin.

"I'm so gonna die t'night.", Weiss wheezed and grabbed the liquor bottle again.

"Well, at least you won't have to tell your Dad about us that way.", Ruby chuckled... obviously just joking, of course. However, her sister didn't seem to find it funny because she suddenly grabbed the heiress' wrist and held her back from pouring herself the next drink.

"You know what, Weiss? I guess my dear sister should have this one.", she said challenging, "Maybe that way, she'll learn what topics not to address tonight anymore. Or simply forget about them for the time being."

"What topicsh?", the white-haired girl asked in feigned confusion.

"Exactly. I'm proud o' ya, Weissicle.", Yang chuckled and patted her teammate's back which even earned her a small smile in return.

"What? Seriously?", the crimsonette pouted.

"Rules are rules, Rose Petal.", Weiss simply said, apparently just happy that she didn't have to drink for a change, "When Yang shaysh you have to have a shot now because you mentioned whatever stuff doesn't exist for tonight, you comply."

"Fine, I get it.", the crimsonette relented, poured herself a drink, downed it, and immediately grimaced at the taste, "*Cough*... is that this awful in-house brand again?"

"Nope.", her sister announced, "This one's two Lien cheaper per bottle."

"Tastes like it.", Ruby grumbled which caused the other members of her team to laugh wholeheartedly.

From that point on, the game continued in a more relaxed manner and even the liquor was distributed at least a bit more evenly. But when the bottle was almost empty, Yang – fueled by the many shots she had to drink herself – came up with another funny pastime... which naturally required a new bottle of whatever booze she had ordered before. It was about to be a looong, looong night.

Sunlight: Next to water in liquid form, it was the source of all life. It spent energy, warmth, comfort... and a lot of other pretty important things. However, to a very hungover Weiss Schnee, sunlight was the enemy... and a life-threatening one at that. Even the single ray that fell through the window of Team RWBY's dorm room and right onto her face felt like a dagger that was trying to pierce right through her skull.

Instinctively – to avoid the excruciating pain – the heiress tried to bury her face into whatever was within reach to escape the detested light. And upon doing so, something slightly pointy – albeit still soft – bumped against her forehead. Given that the air around her smelled like strawberries and roses (and booze), it wasn't too farfetched to assume that it was Ruby's nose. The pained groan the white-haired girl heard shortly after the impact confirmed that thought. Apparently, her deductive skills were still somewhat intact and yesterday's drinking spree hadn't killed all of her brain cells.

"N-never... again.", Weiss rasped, "It feels like there's a pack of Boarbatusks rampaging inside of my head."

"Not overly surprising.", Ruby chuckled and gently pulled her girlfriend a little closer, "Thanks to Yang's little games, you probably drank as much as me 'n Blake combined. And even a bit more than Yang herself."

"Then how come I'm still alive?", the heiress asked, "If you can call it like that, given how I feel. The last thing I remember is that we were playing this weird eye-locking game."

"Well, that was almost at the end of the night.", the crimsonette said, "After we finished off that bottle, we staggered to the airship docks and took a shuttle home."

"I didn't do something embarrassing, right?", the white-haired girl wanted to know.

"That depends on how you define embarrassing.", Yang suddenly said as she exited the bathroom... or so the heiress assumed since she didn't want to look up. If the blonde was hungover as well, it hardly showed in her tone of voice, though.

"Yang, be nice.", Ruby insisted.

"No, I wanna hear what I did, Rose Petal.", Weiss said, "If you still wanted to sleep in the same bed with me, I guess it couldn't be that bad... r-right?"

"You pretty much passed out once you took your seat in the airship.", Yang began explaining, "When we landed, you woke up again, but you were hardly in any condition to walk yourself. And when Ruby tried to help you out of the shuttle, you didn't recognize her and told her to keep her pervert-hands away from you because you were a happily taken woman."

"That was actually kind of cute.", Blake tossed in from her bunk... assumingly from her bunk since Weiss kept her face buried into her girlfriend's chest.

"Well, at least even my drunk self is faithful to Ruby.", the heiress sighed, "Although I never doubted this in the first place."

"It gets even better.", Yang continued with a chuckle, "After you escaped the supposed pervert, you stumbled out of the airship and yelled for Ruby to help you because you were being molested. You barely made it down the ramp before you fell down, though. Then you accused me to "have put the ground into your face", as you've put it."

"Wh-what?", Weiss asked in utter disbelief.

"Yup.", the blonde responded, "I told you it was an accident. You believed me and told me to be more careful with it next time. Then Blake and Ruby carried you to the dorm room while I simply laughed at your misery. Umm, sorry about that, by the way. If it makes you feel better, I face-planted shortly after, too. Karma's a bitch."

"That's... not as embarrassing as I've feared.", the white-haired girl pondered.

"You also said that you love us over and over.", Ruby suddenly explained, "And apologized almost guiltily to Blake and Yang that you don't love them as much as me since they are, and I quote, "the mostest awesomest friends ever". That was pretty cute, too." Then she gently kissed her girlfriend on the forehead.

"Aside from the terrible grammar, I'd also sign that last statement soberly.", Weiss explained, "I would've never expected me to be the sentimental type of drunk, though, given how the rest of my family behaves inebriated."

"Speaking of family...", Yang carefully mentioned, "How are you feeling about tomorrow now? Did this girls' night help you in any way? I tried my best to psych you up somehow, but maybe my approach was wrong, after all."

"Well, I guess it really was a good thing that Ruby and I allowed ourselves to cut loose for a day.", the white-haired girl explained, "I even learned a couple of things about myself and the world thanks to yesterday's excesses."

"And these are?", Blake wanted to know, "Because I believe I've forgotten a couple of things due to the alcohol."

"Ditto.", her partner seconded with a grin, "Mostly unimportances like lecture stuff, though."

"First of all, I realized that always overthinking or worrying about matters I can't really change or influence otherwise doesn't serve any purpose but to bring me down and doubt myself.", the heiress started explaining, "Ruby and I did all the things we could to prepare ourselves for meeting my family. We must have confidence. I mean, if we don't believe ourselves that we're a couple perfect enough that even a stuck-up, ignorant, and despicable jerk has to realize this, then how could we possibly convince said jerk of it, right?"

"That's the spirit, Snowflake.", Ruby cheered – albeit quietly, so she wouldn't cause the severely hungover white-haired girl any pain from the noise. Her lover's realization was pretty much the same thing Blake had told her at the pub.

"Secondly, I also realized that I have a great life with a girlfriend who loves me more than I could ever wish for, amazing friends I can count on no matter what, and so much fun and freedom I didn't even dare to dream of two years ago.", Weiss continued, "I was so fixated on the things I still want – namely inheriting the company to right my father's wrongs, whitewashing my family name, and all that stuff – that I completely forgot to be grateful for everything I have already accomplished. Of course, I don't plan to simply rest on my laurels, but I see them as a motivator for what I can achieve. Not only due to the development and improvements I went through myself, but also thanks to the support of all the people I allowed to enter my life."

"Whatever happens, we'll always have your back, Weiss.", Blake tossed in comradely, "Ruby's, too, of course."

"And last but not least...", the white-haired girl concluded and a small smile appeared on her face – although the others couldn't see it, "If I managed to survive a night out drinking with Yang, then dealing with my father will be a piece of cake in comparison."

"You're welcome.", the blonde responded, "But seriously: I would be worried about the Weiss of the past, but present-Weiss – especially with my sister by her side – is pretty much unstoppable. Always remember that."

"That's probably the only thing even excessive drinking can't erase from my mind, specifically that part with Ruby.", the heiress said, "Well then: If you excuse me now, I wanna catch another few hours of sleep. You can wake me up once the world has stopped spinning. G'night."

And with that, Weiss snuggled up as close as physically possible to her girlfriend – holding tightly onto the crimsonette's pajamas – and immediately drifted off into the field of dreams. She was out so fast that she didn't even hear Ruby's meek "Umm, Weiss? Can I get up for a sec? I gotta pee. Weiss? Damn it..." anymore.

Tomorrow, they would travel to Atlas and finally break the news to the heiress' father that they were a couple. And whatever would happen from that point on... happened. They had practiced, they prepared everything they could... and they were ready to deal with whatever life would throw at them next.

Chapter Text

Her father hadn't only just disapproved of her and Ruby's relationship. He hadn't just disinherited her, either. No, Jacques Schnee had immediately put a stop to this degeneracy, as he had called it. Weiss was kept in Atlas, Ruby thrown out of the mansion the moment their secret was revealed. The crimsonette hadn't even fully left the premises when the CEO already began to initiate his daughter's de-registration from Beacon Academy. Of course, Ruby promised her girlfriend that she would do everything in and beyond her power to get her out of there again, to ensure that they could continue to be happy together and that everything would end well.

That was the last thing Weiss ever heard from her.

From that day on, she was held captive in Schnee Manor. Occasionally, her father let her out of her cage to sing at some company galas, or charity events, or whatever else... but that was it. She was a cute, little songbird he could command whenever he pleased and otherwise lock away again. The windows of her room were nailed shut and barred, her door exchanged for some high-security one. Conveniently, she had her own, adjacent bathroom so Jacques didn't have to take care of this matter in another way. Weiss' food arrived through a hatch in the door, always pre-chopped and with a simple wooden spoon. Although it was a quite foolish safety measure: If the ex-heiress would want to commit suicide, she could simply hang herself with a bedsheet or the like... an option that became more and more appealing with each passing day.

But then again, she was sure that her heartbreak would take care of this soon anyway. The pain in her chest was getting worse and worse with each minute that passed without the love of her life by her side. Weiss would sacrifice everything she had left only to hear Ruby's voice again... if only for a single time.

Wait... wasn't there something that faintly sounded like her beloved girlfriend?

"Hello? Remnant to Weiss? Anybody in there?"

A finger that gently poked her temple caused the white-haired girl's eyes to refocus. Her translucent reflection appeared in front of her, and behind it, sea and sky. Weiss needed a moment to fully regain her consciousness... but did so immediately when she felt a hand softly taking hold of one of her own. She then turned away from the porthole and towards her girlfriend.

"You were shivering.", Ruby cooed comfortingly, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine.", the still-heiress sighed, wiped a bit of cold sweat from her forehead, and relaxed back into her airship seat, "Just... thinking. Worst-case scenarios, our lives in ruins, my suicide that would inevitably follow. Y'know, the usual."

"Snowflake, stop!", the crimsonette immediately and sternly demanded and squeezed her girlfriend's hand a little firmer, "Nothing like that is gonna happen. No matter how things will go down over the next few days, I'll always stay by your side. And I'll also fight by your side if your father tries to disinherit you just because you're dating a girl or whatever stupid reason he might come up with to justify it to the media and public. I won't even care if I'm not officially part of the Schnee family. Your father can draw up as many contracts or the like as he wants that exclude me from money, and ownerships, and all that other stuff. I don't give a damn about your fortune. I just want you and I'll make sure I'm gonna get that as much as I'll make sure you'll get what you deserve, too."

"I already don't deserve such a wonderful girlfriend.", Weiss responded with a beaming smile and a slight emotional sob in her voice.

"Yes, you do.", Ruby stayed firm, "And much more than that. And in a few hours, we're gonna do whatever's necessary so no arrogant, self-absorbed, biased, homophobic prick won't take it away from you."

"What a colorful description of my father's overall character.", the heiress said with a small giggle, "But as accurate as it might be, please try to address him in a different manner once we're in Atlas."

"Of course.", the crimsonette confirmed matter-of-factly, "I may be a bit doltish sometimes, but I'm not that stupid. I'm gonna play the perfect little suck-up to reach our goals, even if pretending to agree with his likely awful opinions will make me wanna vomit. Nevertheless, I can already promise that I'm done acting all nice the second he hurts you in any way. And that's non-negotiable."

"I'm really sorry to ask you to do all of this.", Weiss apologized... although it had been Ruby who had brought up breaking the news to her family in the first place, "But Father is going to find out about us sooner or later anyway. And it's probably best if we tell him ourselves rather than some rumor or accident investigated by him. That way, we can also affect the outcome a little easier... even though I still doubt that he's going to accept our relationship without at least some reprisals. Disinheriting me won't be the best result, yet it probably won't be the worst, either."

"You're doing it again, Snowflake.", the younger teen sighed, "Confidence, remember? You've survived a night out drinking with Yang, after all. Therefore, you can do anything you set your mind to."

"I was clearly still drunk when I said that.", the white-haired girl grumbled.

"Maybe there's something I can do to... psych you up again.", Ruby purred and gave her girlfriend a loving smile.

At the suggestion, the heiress quickly looked around the row of seats surrounding them before she answered: "Well, I guess no one of importance to our... situation takes a regular airship. So it's probably still fine if w-hmpf..."

Having received permission, there was no need to let her girlfriend finish. Instead, the crimsonette simply cut her off by pressing their lips together. But of course, she didn't stop at that. Hardly two seconds into the kiss, the younger teen's tongue slipped into Weiss' mouth, seeking a partner to dance. It quickly found the white-haired girl's own slippery muscle and practically snuggled up to it. A moment later, a soft moan escaped the heiress' throat.

Spurred on by that beautiful sound, Ruby decided to step up her game another bit... and before Weiss knew it, her girlfriend had straddled her lap. Not only that, though: The crimsonette's hand that wasn't currently busy caressing the back of her lover's neck also slid down the side of the heiress' body until it came to rest at the swell of her breasts. She gently prodded the soft, supple flesh through the dress and bra and received a very welcome reaction rather quickly – namely a distinct throb of something swelling against her shapely butt.

However, this sensory input (since it worked both ways) quickly caused the white-haired girl to break their kiss. Thankfully, even if the other passengers around them had noticed their antics, they didn't seem to care.

"R-ruby, what do you think you're doing?", Weiss quietly scolded her girlfriend.

"I don't know.", the younger teen replied innocently and with a heart-melting smile that made the heiress' cock instantly grow another inch, "What do you want me to do, Snowflake? I'm very open to suggestions... and other things, if you catch my drift."

"Don't be ridiculous.", the white-haired girl responded and tried to restrain her swelling erection by willpower alone, "We can't have sex in an airship... especially considering the tasks ahead of us. I'm certain that we'd look anything but presentable afterwards, and I doubt we can fix our clothes and makeup properly in here, or at the airport... or pretty much everywhere between this place and our destination. Not to mention the, well, other mess I'll be making... which might overcharge the bathroom installations of the airship." The memory of the nightclub entered her mind again and immediately caused her blush to intensify.

"Urgh... why do you always have to be the voice of reason?", Ruby grumbled and reluctantly took her own seat again while Weiss subtly covered the small bulge in her dress with a red scarf she intended to wear upon arrival, "I just wanted to show you a good time to motivate you. And I wanted to have one myself, of course. I mean, until we've broken the news to your father, we'll have to sleep in separate rooms, after all. And that means not only no sex but also no cuddles and stuff for who knows how long."

"A couple of days with fewer chances to exchange affections won't kill you.", Weiss explained, although she knew that she would miss their romantic and intimate activities just as much, "As I've told you before: Think of this as a mission out in the field. During those, we also can't do naughty things."

"But the mission hasn't even started yet.", the crimsonette pouted, "And we can still do a lot of stuff right now without damaging our necessary working equipment, in this case our clothes and cosmetics."

"How come you're so incredibly horny all of a sudden?", the white-haired girl asked, "Even hornier than usual, that is. You're like this ever since we left Beacon this morning."

"I dunno. I guess I just want another fix of Weiss before I have to go cold turkey until we tell your father about us.", Ruby explained, "Also, this exquisite dress, the heels, and the makeup kinda make me feel a little out of my element. Like I'm some kind of seductress or something. A high-class escort, as stupid as it sounds."

At this comparison, the heiress only raised an eyebrow. Admittedly, her girlfriend looked stunningly beautiful – the perfect mix of elegance and sex appeal – in her deep red, knee-length dress with the minimalistic scarlet flower print and the thin, black sash around her waist; her shining, black stiletto heels; and with a bit of black eyeliner, faint blusher, and light peach lipstick... yet Weiss wouldn't consider her appearance that of a sex worker, even a high-class one. But then again, she had no idea how deluxe prostitutes actually looked like, so maybe she was doing them – or Ruby – injustice.

"I seriously can't imagine any parallel universe where you would pursue that kind of profession.", she said, nonetheless.

"Yeah, I guess that would be really weird.", the crimsonette agreed, but then she reconsidered, "But maybe some tragic past or awful decisions would've forced this parallel Ruby into this kind of work. And she actually hates it and wants to break free. Then, someday, a charming, beautiful, and selfless hero shows up, probably as a client at first – that part would be played by you, obviously – falls in love with her, and eventually saves her from her misery. Then they live happily ever after. It would be just like in a fairy tale. Well, probably one for adults, given that she's a prostitute and all... but still."

"That is still an incredibly odd and unlikely premise for a romance to develop.", the heiress responded.

"Huh... I guess you're right.", Ruby answered with a shrug, "If I were an escort, though, I'm pretty sure that I'd totally rock this job."

"What do you mean by that?", Weiss asked baffled... and fell into her girlfriend's trap.

"Want me to show you?", the younger teen asked back with a lewd smirk.

"I should've expected something like that.", the white-haired girl simply sighed and relaxed into her seat.

"Is that a No?", the crimsonette wanted to make sure.

"I want to make an ironic comment, but I'm afraid that you'll try to take some kind of advantage out of it.", Weiss shot back.

"You know me so well, Snowflake.", Ruby said with a loving smile. Then she took her girlfriend's hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and got comfortable in her own seat for the remaining flight. She actually didn't want to since she absolutely hated doing nothing, but in order to prevent stressing the heiress even more, she tried to stay calm and idle. If it was for Weiss, she could endure it. Probably... hopefully. Subconsciously, her fingers started to rhythmically twitch and prod the white-haired girl's palm, an action that – obviously – didn't pass without notice from Weiss.

"Do you want to play cards or something, Ruby?", she quickly asked with a roll of her eyes, but giggled a bit at her lover's antics, nonetheless.

"Yes, please!", the younger teen answered quick like a shot.

Ruby may have already seen Atlas on TV, but witnessing the giant, floating metropolis with her own eyes was something entirely different. The island itself; the skyscrapers; the residential, commercial, and industrial areas; the farmland and other green areas surrounding the built-up zones... EVERYTHING was just sooo much bigger than she could've ever imagined. How in the name of whatever divine power, or science, or triple peanut butter and chocolate chip monster cookies could this colossal thing stay afloat, the crimsonette wondered. And how much Gravity Dust was necessary to make this borderline impossible circumstance happen? Her girlfriend grew up here, right? Seventeen years of her life spent in this city. She couldn't have possibly seen all of it, even if she would've tried her hardest.

The fact that the heiress' austere upbringing hadn't exactly provided many opportunities to go sightseeing had completely slipped the younger teen's mind.

Atlas' Central Airport was just as huge, fitting the rest of the metropolis perfectly. It was also flooded with people, pretty much everyone rushing around, pushing, shoving, and making an almost deafening racket. In a small fit of panic, Ruby immediately held onto the hem of her girlfriend's dress the moment they left the airship. If she got lost here, she was sure that she would never be able to leave this place again: She would have to feed on the leftovers from the snack stalls, build a little cottage out of lost or misplaced suitcases, wash herself in the public restrooms, and sew clothes for herself out of the paper towels – if she didn't find anything useful in the looted suitcases, that is. Then, after years of living at the airport, she would've become an urban legend and crazy people would hunt her down. And without Crescent Rose, she wouldn't stand a chance – so she had to at least make it to the baggage carousel now or her beloved sniper scythe would be lost forever as well.

"It's just an airport, Ruby.", Weiss said soothingly, "Only a little bigger than the ones you've seen so far. Nothing to worry about."

"If I ever let go of you, I'll end up spending the rest of my life here.", the crimsonette shot back in a whisper.

"You survived a night out drinking with Yang. You'll be fine.", the heiress shot back with a grin. Maybe the blonde's health hazard of a party had been good for something after all... if only to provide them with some kind of mantra that helped the other to calm back down.

Unsurprisingly, the young couple retrieved their luggage and made it out of the airport without much difficulty. But upon exiting the facility, Weiss was met with a sight she didn't expect... at least not this soon, namely an all-too-familiar short man with balding brown hair and a mustache holding a sign that read "Schnee & Friends".

"Klein!", Weiss exclaimed happily when she spotted him, immediately rushed to his side, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Welcome back, Miss Schnee.", the brown-haired man responded and returned the embrace, "I hope you don't mind that I specifically requested to take on the duty of picking you up myself."

"Are you kidding?", the heiress shot back, "It's so good to see you again."

"Likewise, my little Snowflake.", Klein simply said.

'What did he call her?', Ruby grumbled internally but tried to pay no mind to the fact that whoever this guy was used the same nickname for her girlfriend. But then again, the crimsonette had to admit that it wasn't overly original. Maybe she should come up with something better and more unique.

"Oh, and you must be Miss Rose.", the balding man said after letting go of the heiress and bowed politely, "Klein Sieben, butler at Schnee Manor. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person after I've read so much of you whenever Weiss wrote home."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir.", the younger teen responded equally politely and topped her greeting off with a perfect curtsy.

"Please, no need to be so formal with a simple servant like me.", Klein requested... but then his eye color suddenly changed to red, "Save it for the top dog of the Schnee's, 'cause he can't take it if his inflated ego isn't massaged every three seconds.", before his eyes turned pink and he added timidly, "B-but I humbly ask you not to tell him I said that. Obviously. This bit of mockery of her father is just for Weiss to cheer her up."

"Oookay? I guess?", the crimsonette promised confused.

"Oh, umm... Klein's personality shifts a little sometimes, and with that his eye color.", the white-haired girl explained, then she addressed the butler again which's eyes had returned to brown in color, "And, well, while we're already talking about things we keep from Father: I may have excluded some quite important information about Ruby in my letters."

"And that may be?", the brown-haired man asked curiously.

"She's not only the leader of my team, or my partner, or a good friend of mine.", Weiss concluded, "Ever since our second year at Beacon, we are in a romantic relationship. And I can assure you that this is the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

At first, the crimsonette was a bit shocked about the fact that her girlfriend simply told this man their secret so nonchalantly. After all, he was an employee of her father. But on the other hand, he seemed oddly trustworthy, even though he hadn't even spoken ten sentences to her.

"Ahh, I see...", Klein responded, deep in thought, but then his eyes suddenly turned yellow, "Oh my! This is wonderful. I'm sincerely happy for both of you. In that case, you must be an even more admirable person than I've already assumed you to be, Miss Rose."

"Oh, please stop.", Ruby said bashfully, but with a smile, nonetheless, and a small, pink blush spread over her cheeks.

"Then I'll take it that the reason for your visit is to tell Jacques about your relationship, isn't it?", the butler asked, his eyes brown again.

"He'll find out sooner or later anyway.", Weiss confirmed, "So we figured it would be best to tell him ourselves and try to... contain the damage somehow."

"That will be a hard piece of work.", Klein sighed seriously, "But I am confident that the two of you will manage to sort everything out appropriately. So how about we head for the car? After all, we are on a tight schedule."

"We are?", the white-haired girl asked and checked the time on her Scroll, "I don't recall giving Father any notice of an estimated time of arrival at the manor. I simply stated that we will join the family for dinner as the first meeting of the day. And there's still plenty of time before that."

"But not when we also have to make a little halt in between.", the brown-haired man explained mysteriously.

"Huh? What do you mean?", the heiress asked further, her confusion growing.

"This is all I am saying for now.", Klein responded with a small chuckle, "But rest assured that it'll certainly be a pleasant surprise. Now come on. And please let me take your luggage."

He then grabbed the two girls' rolling suitcases – carefully since they carried another, smaller one from Weiss on top each – and made his way to the parking lot. Ruby and Weiss followed suit, both equally confused at the mention of a weird intermediate stop nobody had told them about until now.

"Wow! What a luxurious car.", Ruby exclaimed as she plopped onto the backseat of the pristine white limousine, "Is this a normal thing for rich people or is your dad already trying to show off?"

"The former.", Weiss explained as she took the seat next to her girlfriend, "This vehicle is rather standard in terms of sightliness. If Father wants to impress some business partners or the like, he has them chauffeured around in even bigger and more expensive cars. Some even have a bar and TV screens inside and the passenger compartment is completely cut off from the driver's cab, not just separated by a retractable glass panel."

"So should I feel offended that he only sends a regular car for me?", the crimsonette asked confused.

"I actually take this as a good sign.", the heiress said, "It means that he still believes it is just a mere classmate or friend – although he likely won't use that term – accompanying me. An overly luxurious car would've just made me suspicious. No car at all would've been crappy in a completely different way."

"Then I guess I should simply consider us lucky.", the younger teen mentioned.

The couple had barely fastened their seat belts when they heard the driver's door fall shut, and a moment later, the vehicle was set into motion. Weiss then used a button on the ceiling to lower the shaded glass barrier separating them from Klein.

"Is something the matter, Miss Schnee?", the butler asked dutifully when he noticed this but kept his eyes on the road.

"Not at all.", the heiress explained, "Unless you finally want to tell me what this unexpected stopover is all about. Other than that, I simply don't like this disparaging separation of employee and employer."

"I am immensely sorry, but I was ordered to keep this upcoming stop a secret.", Klein apologized, and Ruby saw his eyes turning pink in the rearview mirror, "The only thing I can tell you is that there is certainly no need to worry."

"In this case, I guess we have no choice but to allow ourselves to be surprised.", the white-haired girl sighed.

"I'm not too fond of surprises in our current situation.", the crimsonette whispered to her girlfriend, "If we really think of this as a mission, then we've already entered enemy territory."

"If Klein says there's nothing to be concerned about, then I believe him.", Weiss shot back matter-of-factly, "If this additional stop would've been set up by my father – for whatever reason – he would definitely warn us. I wouldn't have told him about our relationship right away if I wasn't absolutely sure that we can trust him, don't you think?"

The younger teen only nodded at the heiress' explanation. Even she somehow knew that Klein was completely on their side, even though she only knew him for less than half an hour.

"Aww, your trust in me really warms my heart, my little Snowflake.", the butler exclaimed genially (and with yellow eyes), "And of course, I would NEVER do something to betray it."

"The feeling is mutual, Klein.", Weiss responded with a smile herself.

"Okay... I guess I need to come up with another pet name.", the crimsonette sighed barely audible... but the white-haired girl heard it anyway.

"What? Just because Klein also calls me 'Snowflake'?", she asked.

"Well, umm... yeah.", Ruby stated firmly, "I mean, this stuff is meant to express our special feelings for the other. The fact that we love each other more than anything and anybody else in this world. So my pet name for you has to be cute, romantic, and most importantly: unique. So now I know that he uses 'Snowflake' as well – and certainly has done so before I did – I need something else. Something better. How else should you know that I consider you way more important to me than other people do?"

"A new nickname won't be necessary, Rose Petal.", Weiss giggled at her girlfriend's honest determination regarding such a triviality, "You already do uncountable other things that leave no doubt about your feelings for me. Additionally, I really like 'Snowflake', partially even because Klein also calls me the same. I associate the name with the few fond memories I have of my childhood, therefore, I really like hearing it from anybody... as long as they don't use it sarcastically, that is."

"Hmm... I'll think it over.", the crimsonette responded, "Admittedly, 'Snowflake' really fits you. But maybe I'll come up with something else that's just as good or even better later on. A Ruby-original and Ruby-exclusive, so to speak. As I already said many times, you only deserve the best, minor stuff like an awesome pet name included."

"Well, maybe then I should try to think of something better than 'Rose Petal', too.", the heiress pondered.

"Nope. That one's already perfect.", the younger teen shot back, and added tenderly, "Just like you."

"Okay, now you're really overdoing it.", Weiss said with a deep red blush, yet she couldn't help but smile at her in her opinion similarly perfect girlfriend.

"Ahh, young love is such a beautiful thing.", Klein whispered to himself with a small chuckle.

Surprisingly, the drive to the mentioned stopover wasn't overly long – and Ruby was even a little disappointed since she had expected the metropolis to be a lot more extensive. Nevertheless, what astonished her (and Weiss) even more was the fact that the limousine came to a halt in front of a small, yet nice-looking café.

"Your surprise is inviting us for coffee?", the white-haired girl asked confused, "That's all this secrecy was about?"

"Certainly not, Miss Schnee.", Klein responded, "I am merely dropping you off, but I won't be participating in this little get-together. Somebody else asked to see you and Miss Rose before you would leave for Schnee Manor."

"Somebody else?", Weiss wondered, "But who in Atlas other than my family..." But then it hit her and her eyes went wide... something the brown-haired man immediately noticed.

"She misses you, little Snowflake.", he said fatherly, "Ever since you departed to attend Beacon Academy. Although she is not very adept at showing it."

"W-winter's here?", the heiress managed to croak out, a weird mixture of many emotions in her voice.

"How about you deliver the good news of your relationship to her?", Klein continued, "I am certain that she will be immensely happy for you. And other than that, just relax, catch up on each other's lives, and enjoy the other's company. Simply give me a call when you are ready to move on."

"Don't you really want to join us?", Weiss asked while the information that her sister was waiting for her inside of this coffeehouse slowly sank in.

"I do not want to disturb this sisterly reunion.", the butler politely rejected the white-haired girl's invitation, "I'm sure the three of you have a lot to talk about, especially considering the latest interpersonal developments in your and Miss Rose's lives. And some of those topics you young folks might be discussing are certainly not meant for the ears of an old geezer like me. Furthermore, I have the opportunity to see your sister far more often than you."

"I... guess you have a point.", Weiss admitted, "Well, until later then."

"Enjoy your stay.", Klein concluded, "And give Winter my best regards."

And with that, the young couple exited the limousine.

"What's the matter, Snow... umm... flake... yeah, sorry. Haven't gotten anything better so far.", the crimsonette asked her girlfriend the moment she noticed her tense mood, "Are you not on good terms with your sister?"

"What? No! Yes? I mean, I am on good terms with her.", Weiss quickly explained, "Although we show it in a rather different manner than you and Yang, we do care deeply about each other as well."

"Oh! Th-then it's about me, isn't it?", the younger teen asked further and was starting to get a bit nervous herself as they approached the café's entrance, "But, uhh, didn't Klein say that she'll be happy to hear about us? As in us?"

"She'll likely digest the news a lot better than my father and she certainly won't mind a thing about your sex and your social status.", the heiress continued to explain, "But she is... She can... Y-you know how your sister can be pretty overprotective, right?"

"Well, duh!", Ruby responded matter of factly.

"You see... Winter is worse. Probably way worse.", Weiss stated dryly, "And contrary to Yang and I, you two haven't spent a year in the same team already when she'll find out about our relationship."

"Ooooohhh...", was all the crimsonette managed to respond as she and Weiss finally entered the coffeehouse.

Chapter Text

A little bell chimed merrily when Ruby and Weiss entered the small coffeehouse. Contrary to the rather plain and unitary exterior of most of Atlas' buildings in this district, the inside looked pretty cozy and – much to the crimsonette's surprise – hardly any different than cafés in Vale or Patch. Small, wooden tables; rustic, darkly stained chairs with yellow padding; a few booths in the back; a large counter right opposite the entrance. The whole place smelled heavenly of coffee, chocolate, and baked goods – the younger teen even made out a few fruity scents: apples, peaches, and blueberries, if she had to guess. All in all, everything made for a warm and relaxing atmosphere...

...which was quite welcome since the young couple was about to meet the first one of the heiress' family members, completely unexpected, on top of that: Weiss' older sister Winter. Admittedly, she would certainly be a lot more affable than the Schnee patriarch, didn't share his outdated and despicable worldviews, and couldn't threaten Weiss' inheritance and with that her chance to right their father's wrongs. However, if the Atlas Military Specialist was even remotely as overprotective as Yang – and her girlfriend insisted that this was the case – Ruby knew that convincing her of the fact that she and Weiss were perfect for each other wouldn't exactly be a cakewalk. Combine that with the younger Schnee's need of Winter's approval – given that she was the only one of her relatives that mattered to her – and you had gotten yourself a major situation.

The café was pretty empty so it was easy to make out the heiress' sister in one of the booths in the very back. Nevertheless, the place also could've been crowded and the crimsonette would've still been able to spot her immediately: The same white hair like her girlfriend; the same icy-blue eyes; the same sharp and noble facial features... the same aura of pride and confidence, oddly attractive, yet still intimidating at the same time. In all objectivity, Ruby had to admit that Winter was an incredibly beautiful woman – no surprise, though, given that she looked just like an older version of the girl the crimsonette had actually fallen in love with. Would Weiss' boobs also get this big in a few years, she wondered, then quickly scolded herself inwardly for the thought. Now wasn't the right time to daydream about anyone's breasts, damn it! She liked another part of her girlfriend much better anyway... double damn it!

As always when she was nervous but couldn't do anything about her current situation, the crimsonette couldn't prevent her mind from wandering to the strangest places. And if it wasn't for a few still intact filters between her brain and her tongue, that would've been her downfall many times in the past. Unfortunately, that it caused her to space out a little sometimes was unavoidable. Therefore, she suddenly found herself already standing at Winter's table.

"Winter. What a pleasant surprise. It's so good to see you.", Weiss greeted the military specialist with a warm smile, yet her salute sounded weirdly polite in Ruby's opinion.

"The pleasure is all mine, dear sister.", the elder Schnee responded almost flatly and stood up, then she turned to the crimsonette, followed by the hint at a small bow, "And you must be Miss Ruby Rose, correct?"

"Umm, yeah. Nice to meet you.", the younger teen confirmed and curtsied as well. Nevertheless, her attempt was a little awkward since she didn't expect this meeting to be that formal. Weren't this woman and Weiss siblings? If this would be just the tiniest bit less easygoing, Ruby was sure that the sisters would address each other as 'Miss Schnee'.

"Please, take a seat.", Winter half-offered... and half-commanded and sat back down herself, "Feel free to order anything you desire. It will be my treat."

"How come you knew I was visiting Atlas today?", Weiss asked as she and Ruby made themselves (somewhat) comfortable as well, "Did Klein mention anything?"

"Do you really believe that it would pass my notice if my own sister came back to Atlas?", the elder Schnee asked back, "You are talking to a high-ranking member of the kingdom's military forces, after all."

"Of course. Please pardon my curiosity.", the heiress said and took a look at the coffeehouse's menu.

'What the fudge is going on between these two?', Ruby wondered in disbelief, 'I had more emotional conversations with the kitchen appliances I tinkered with as a kid.' But of course, the crimsonette knew better than to address it.

Thankfully, service in the café went quick... because it seemed that Winter didn't intend to continue with the conversation before the two teens had ordered and gotten their desired refreshments. The silence was almost painful, but neither of the siblings attempted to break it and Ruby would rather jump from this floating island than try to do so herself. Therefore, she let out a monumental internal sigh of relief when her and Weiss' drinks finally arrived – a Flat White in the heiress' case and a simple coffee with milk in the crimsonette's. Ruby had briefly considered ordering a hot chocolate but decided against it since she wanted to appear at least a little more mature in front of her girlfriend's sister. She even forwent asking for a slice of cake or the like, even though everything she had seen while entering the café had looked absolutely delicious and Winter had told them they could get whatever they wanted.

"Well, Weiss.", the elder Schnee began after the waitress had left again, "How have you been? I have come to know that you and Miss Rose had a quite... eventful second year at Beacon Academy, to put it kindly."

"Are you... r-referring to the mutant Grimm?", Weiss asked and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Winter couldn't know about... or could she?

"What else could I possibly refer to?", the military specialist asked almost scoldingly, "I was worried about you. Especially when I heard what happened to your leader. How did you end up getting infected with this peculiar disease anyway, Miss Rose? I was told it was caused by a sting from a mutant Deathstalker. Was the foe really too unpredictable for you?" The last part sounded a little flouting.

"Umm, yeah... y-you see...", Ruby began nervously.

"She took the hit that was meant for me.", the heiress quickly interrupted her girlfriend and shot her sister a stern glance, "We were ambushed by a pack of mutants and I was unable to look out for myself. Ruby protected me out of the pure goodness of her heart. She risked her life to keep me safe without even remotely fearing the possible consequences. And I won't tolerate any barbs against her, even if it's merely a mocking undertone."

Upon hearing this declaration, both Ruby's and Winter's eyes went wide.

"I see. Obviously, I wasn't familiar with the details of your mission.", the elder Schnee said slightly ruefully, "I apologize for jumping to conclusions that belittled you, Miss Rose. And have my sincerest gratitude for looking out for my sister."

"Nah, it was nothing.", the crimsonette said with a smile, "I hold your sister in high regard, so it was a given for me to ensure her, umm, physical integrity. Also, regardless of my personal relationship with her, I consider it my most important duty as a leader to keep my teammates safe."

"A noble attitude.", Winter remarked and Ruby even believed that she could see the faintest bit of a smile tugging at her lips, "Consider me impressed. And my sister can consider herself fortunate to have found such a selfless and reliable partner and friend."

"She deserves it, though. I mean, Weiss is pretty amazing as well.", the youngest of the trio mentioned, "After all, she was looking out for me when this weird Grimm illness was messing with my mind. And without her, my team and the forces at Nave would've never been able to retrieve the serum from Merlot's lab so Atlas' scientists could find a cure. So I guess we're pretty much even in terms of owing the other our life."

"Your modesty becomes you as well.", the military specialist commended the crimsonette again, "I have to admit I expected to meet someone very different today. Somebody underwhelming, to put it bluntly, especially after I reviewed your background. But it seems that I was mistaken."

"Umm, th-thank you, I guess?", Ruby replied self-consciously, not even upset about the fact that her girlfriend's sister had searched into her personal data. Weiss only looked a tad annoyed but kept her mouth shut as well.

"You're very welcome.", Winter said nonchalantly, "But do not think too ill of me. I merely set very high standards for those I allow in good conscience to associate with my sister. Though I assume someone completely incompetent wouldn't have been chosen to attend Beacon Academy two years earlier than the school's regulations mandate. Neither would they have been entrusted with the investigation of the Grimm sightings at Blackwell."

"You know about that, too?", Weiss asked surprised.

"Of course, I do.", the elder Schnee shot back, sounding almost offended, "I may not express it as openly as some other siblings, but I take great interest in your life and your well-being. As soon as I was informed that you would partake in that mission, I personally took on the administration of reinforcements and supplies. I have done so as well when your team was investigating Dr. Merlot's underground laboratory in sector G-four-seven. I mean, in Nave's perimeter. I may have also allocated a slightly more generous budget for Blackwell than I was supposed to, but on the other hand, at least this way the funds were not wasted on other, less important departments." She added the last part in a somewhat quieter tone.

'Wow... she is as overprotective as Yang... n-no, probably even worse.', the crimsonette thought astonished.

"I have also read all the reports on your recent missions.", Winter continued, "Well, if you want to refer to them that way. This Ash Ivory who has been in command at Nave and Blackwell does not seem to be the most professional character."

"That... might be true.", Ruby admitted sheepishly, "But he is an incredibly skillful Huntsman and a reliable ally on the battlefield."

"I take your word for it.", the military specialist responded, yet it still didn't sound overly appreciative, "But we have gotten a little sidetracked. It wasn't my intention to thoroughly discuss your previous encounters with Dr. Merlot's mutant Grimm, after all. I have invited you so I could learn about my sister's time at Beacon Academy. From what I have gotten to know, your practical training seems to be progressing appropriately. Does the same apply to your academic performance?"

"Of course.", Weiss quickly confirmed, "I excel in all subjects and rank at the very top of my class in terms of grades the majority of the time. I rarely drop to second place – and no further than that, of course – because a student from another team by the name of Pyrrha Nikos is very proficient and diligent as well. You may have heard of her."

"The name doesn't sound entirely unfamiliar.", Winter explained, "But I am not interested in the performance and accomplishments of other students."

"I understand. I'll try to work even harder to stay at the very top from now on.", the heiress replied almost shamefully.

"This is not what I meant by my statement.", the elder Schnee sighed, "It is far more important that you are content with yourself and your achievements. Of course, by this, I do not imply that you should neglect your studies and rest on our oars, as it is known in common parlance. But nothing is gained from getting overly worked up about small failures or overstraining yourself and falling even further behind in the process. Just strive to be the best you can: nothing more, but nothing less."

"Oookay?", was all Weiss managed to reply. By now, she was also starting to consider this meeting the tiniest bit weird. This was... slightly different from the sister she was used to.

"Which leads to the next topic on my agenda.", Winter continued, "How have you been personally? I assume your social life isn't lacking concerningly anymore, given the fact that you even invited one of your teammates to accompany you on your... vacation. But other than that: Are you eating properly? Or have you picked up any new hobbies or other interests?"

"Well, I guess I am doing fine in Vale.", the younger Schnee explained, trying to answer the questions honestly, "The cafeteria food at Beacon could be better, but it is passable. I'm probably a bit more spoiled in this respect than the common folk anyway, considering my upbringing. My friends and I are occasionally eating out in the city, and I must admit that the local cuisine is actually quite delicious... though not too different from Atlas'.

"As for any new interests, I assume that constantly spending so much time with other students, especially with my team, has broadened my horizons in many aspects. For example, Ruby is very passionate about weapons and mechanics, and I have to admit that the topic is quite fascinating. Other than that, I'm also trying to get more proficient in rather mundane skills I didn't deem useful in the past. And while I won't consider cooking or the like any real hobbies of mine, they do make for an interesting pastime."

"So you would describe your life at Beacon as well-balanced and... satisfactory, am I correct?", the military specialist asked contemplatively.

"I, umm, c-certainly do.", the heiress answered honestly and shot Ruby a quick glance. The crimsonette just gave her a subtle, yet loving smile, and of course, Weiss immediately returned it.

"Is there any specific information you may want to add to that?", Winter suddenly pressed and looked at her sister with a scrutinizing gaze, "Something that might be troubling you? Something you're not comfortable to address in your partner's presence?"

That comment finally did it for Weiss: Something was definitely wrong here.

"Alright, seriously – a-and with all due respect, of course: What's the matter with you all of a sudden?", she asked, her tone of voice tethering between annoyance and concern.

"Excuse me?", her sister shot back sternly.

"It seems to me that there's something specific you want to discuss.", the heiress explained, "First this not exactly subtle interrogation of Ruby, then these oddly mothering worries about my well-being at Beacon, and now it seems that you are expecting some kind of confession from me. If there is anything in particular you want to talk over, or maybe have a premonition about already, then please address it yourself instead of persisting on this awkward Q&A session. Again, with all due respect."

By now, Weiss was absolutely sure that whatever Winter was driving at had nothing to do with her and Ruby as a couple. If her sister already knew about their relationship, she certainly wouldn't have asked if there was anything the matter that shouldn't be discussed in front of the crimsonette. Wait... maybe this was about a certain aspect of her anatomy that the military specialist believed to still be a well-hidden secret?

"I understand.", Winter sighed, "I simply deemed it appropriate to conduct a little bit of small talk before I went to discuss the reason for why I have summoned you. Additionally, I am genuinely interested in the details of your everyday life as a student of Beacon Academy. But perhaps we really should handle the important matters first before a more relaxed conversation may be possible. Nevertheless, there is certain... personal information about your past involved, so you might ask your partner to leave us alone for a few minutes, nonetheless."

"There is nothing about my life that I need to hide from Ruby.", Weiss stated firmly, "She undoubtedly knows me better than anybody else by now – including you – and is already in the know about everything that has happened in my truly dreadful childhood. That... a-also contains any information about the experiment I was forced to go through as a baby, as well as every effect on my anatomy."

Upon hearing this, Winter's eyes went wide for a second time during this meeting.

"And since not even the most gruesome reveals of my past has stopped Ruby from being the understanding, immensely supportive, and unbelievably kind-hearted girl I came to know over the last two years ('And ultimately fell in love with.', she added in thought) so far, I have no reason to believe that whatever you have to say is going to change even a single thing about that.", the heiress concluded, "So feel free to speak frankly."

"Very well, then...", the elder Schnee said, "I hope that you have been as honest with your partner as you just make it seem."

Then she took a sip of her coffee, a deep breath afterwards, and finally stated her true business.

"What are you doing here, you complete dunce?!", Winter suddenly scolded her sister, taking both teens completely by surprise, "I assumed you to be so much smarter than that, yet here you are, proving that I was gravely mistaken."

"Wh-what?", was all the heiress managed to croak out.

"This despicable man in his mansion has made our entire lives indescribably miserable – yours so much more than mine.", the military specialist continued, "Do you have any idea how relieved I was when I heard that you were attending Beacon instead of Atlas Academy? Just as I did before, you have finally gotten out of this toxic family, too. And I hoped you would stay far away from Father's influence forever, for the sake of your emotional... as well as your physical well-being. So why, by all what's sacred, have you decided to return? Explain yourself!"

"Th-this... I-I... y-you see...", Weiss stammered, trying to think of a good response that wouldn't eliminate the possibility to introduce her and Ruby's relationship to her sister in a cautious manner.

"While you order your thoughts, let me make a few assumptions.", Winter interrupted the younger Schnee's stuttering, "You either want some substantial favor from him you didn't deem appropriate to ask for via long-distance communication... or you have done something he will certainly and furiously disapprove of and now seek a personal conversation to explain your mistakes and smooth everything out. I would advise you against both, by the way... although I assume the latter is the case, given that Miss Rose is likely accompanying you as some kind of backup if things might take a really unfortunate turn. But of course, please correct me if I am mistaken."

"Umm, y-you're not entirely wrong.", the heiress admitted sheepishly, "Well, actually, you're not too far off with your guesses. To be honest, it is a little bit of both... and something completely different, on top of that."

"Don't pussyfoot around.", the military specialist demanded, taking Weiss by surprise once more since she didn't expect her disciplined sister to use such colloquial expressions, "What have you done and why does Father have to know about it? Because I personally cannot think of anything that anyone should confess to this rotter if they don't wish for their lives to be destroyed."

"We should just tell her, Weiss.", Ruby suddenly said and took her girlfriend's hand under the table, "We've planned to do so anyway. Now is as good a time as any."

"Yeah, I guess you're right.", the heiress responded... and added softly, "Rose Petal."

Then she turned back to her sister who had raised her eyebrows at the mention of the pet name.

"You see, Winter: Ruby isn't merely my partner or friend... anymore.", Weiss began explaining, "Ever since our second year at Beacon, we are... romantically involved with each other. She already had feelings for me during our first year. I, well, likely reciprocated them rather quickly, but didn't acknowledge them to myself for a long time because of my... quite unique anatomy and the belief that this kind of relationship to another person is simply impossible for someone like me. Along came a fateful night that changed my whole life. And from that point on, or after a few initial insecurities and worries on my part, to be more precise, I felt truly... accepted for the first time in my life."

She then made a small pause to allow her sister to digest the news. Much to her concern, though, the elder Schnee's face was either void of any emotion or there were simply too many at once to even somewhat define her expression. At least the young couple couldn't make out any nuances of aversion or disgust. Yet, it was also safe to doubt that Winter would exult over the reveal of their relationship.

"Would you mind telling me your story in a little more detail?", the military specialist suddenly requested after maybe ten seconds of silence, "Whatever you consider important to your history and are willing to share with me, I would like to hear it. That also includes the reasons for your visit to Atlas, naturally."

"Of course.", Weiss said, "But it's a bit of a long story."

"I don't have any other appointments scheduled today.", the elder Schnee simply responded.

And so, Ruby and Weiss told Winter everything: from their first meeting over slowly warming up to each other to the events of the day when they had ultimately gotten together – the heiress' intention to mutilate herself beforehand included. When they came to the part where the white-haired teen had used experimental medication to suppress her libido and mentioned what the pills had ultimately done to her, the young couple could basically feel the military specialist's urge to give her sister yet another scolding, yet she kept silent and let the two girls continue. The whole mess with Ruby's Grimm illness followed during which the two lovers emphasized that it had been their feelings for each other that kept the crimsonette's transformation at bay and ensured that everything turned out well in the end. And lastly, they told Winter about their trip to Patch and how Ruby's dad had been overwhelmingly accepting and supportive – even after hearing about Weiss' condition – then concluded their summary with their decision to introduce their relationship to the heiress' father as well, why they deemed it necessary to tell him, and how they had prepared themselves (mostly the crimsonette) over the last few weeks.

"And that's why we're here.", Weiss wrapped up their explanation, "Call it wishful thinking, but maybe there's really a way or chance – no matter how minuscule it might be – to make Father realize that Ruby and I are the perfect couple. I don't expect him to be supportive, not even to approve of Ruby as my girlfriend, or whatsoever. But if we try to reason with him and to appease him somehow, perhaps he will be... at least indifferent towards our relationship. Willing to ignore it, so to speak, without taking reprisals. He will find out about us sooner or later anyway, so we thought it would be better that he hears it from us – and we can perform damage control – rather than over some rumors or gossip from the media or other people whose opinion he values... or at least believes."

"I see.", Winter said, deep in thought, "Well, thank you very much for being honest with me. I have a few things to remark on, though."

"Of course.", the heiress quickly consented, "I guess there's a lot to digest for you right now." But what she heard next caught her off guard.

"First of all, I am deeply offended that you didn't even consider confiding in me.", the elder Schnee began annoyedly, "I am well aware that I am not the very sisterly type, but did I ever give you the impression that I didn't want the best for you at any given time? The relationship with Miss Rose seems to have affected you favorably, so I will value this above any flaws I might see in that partner personally. No offense, Miss Rose."

"None taken... I think.", the crimsonette responded, "Oh, and just Ruby will do."

"Duly noted.", Winter confirmed before turning her attention back to Weiss, "Besides, I am in no place to dictate with whom you get romantically involved anyway... as long as I don't consider the relationship a major threat to your well-being... which obviously isn't the case here. You are an adult now, Weiss, and you can make your own decisions. You already proved that when choosing Beacon over Atlas."

"Thank you. And I deeply apologize for not telling you about Ruby and me any sooner.", Weiss said, "When we decided on this Atlas trip, we only focused on the biggest hardship in front of us. You don't have to believe me, but I actually did plan to introduce our relationship to you once we had taken care of everything with Father, regardless of how that would've turned out."

"The past is in the past.", the military specialist replied curtly, "Nevertheless, what I am trying to say is that I have no objections to your relationship if this is what you were hoping for. And be assured that I am impressed by your compatibility, especially by the fact that Miss Rose... Ruby places your character over any anatomical anomalies."

"To be honest, by now, Weiss', umm, extra has become yet another reason I love her.", the crimsonette said with a small blush, "Of course, it wasn't important at the very beginning of our relationship, but as everything got a bit more... well, intimate, it provided some sort of deeper connection. Oh, uhh, i-if this came off as some sort of lame pun, it definitely wasn't intended."

"Ruby!", her girlfriend exclaimed and immediately blushed as well.

"There is no need to be embarrassed.", Winter reassured the young couple, "I am well aware that sex is an essential part of most amorous attachments. If I were to get romantically involved with someone, his performance in the bedroom should be at least sufficient for the relationship to be fulfilling. Of course, carnal pleasures do not account for that alone – as many promiscuous people prove every day – yet they have an undeniable impact on one's partner's contentment and commitment to the overall bond."

"So, in short: You like Ruby? Us, I mean? As in she's the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with?", Weiss asked one final time.

"I can't promise you that we will get along well, considering that I hardly know her personally but already assume that we don't have much in common.", the elder Schnee answered honestly, "But the fact that I am willing to entrust your happiness to her mostly unworriedly after everything I have heard could be considered an indicator that I approve of her as your companion. Even if your situation was normal, you could have done much worse."

"Thank you.", the heiress said yet again, "You can't imagine how much that means to me. To both of us, right?" She turned to Ruby and quickly received a nod and a smile.

"My opinion on your relationship is not of importance, though.", Winter suddenly said, "And even if I were to disapprove of it, it wouldn't change a single thing about your lives for as I wield no power over you. However, this is vastly different with Father since it is entirely for him to decide if you will retain your current ties to the SDC."

"Then what should we do to deal with him?", Ruby asked bluntly, "Can you give us any advice or help us otherwise so Weiss will remain heiress?"

"It goes without saying that it is also in my interest that my sister will inherit the company someday.", the elder Schnee explained, "If only to redeem our family name from the atrocities of this greedy, conceited, and unscrupulous man. Not to mention that I am certain that the poor treatment of the SDC's workforces – especially of the Faunus – would eventually end under her lead. But... unfortunately, I neither have any influence on this matter nor can I provide you with any kind of guidance that might aid you in your upcoming struggle.

"To be completely honest: I don't believe that you will succeed in your endeavor, regardless of your actions. I even doubt that Father intended to bequeath the company to Weiss in the first place. Your relationship has nothing to do with that, but I assume he could utilize it as an excuse to install our younger brother Whitley as the heir sooner than ultimately necessary. Of course, he will justify his decision to the press and public in a different manner. On the other hand, maybe he is going to depict the two of you as some kind of debauched perverts to explain why he didn't deem Weiss appropriate for leading the SDC someday anymore. I apologize for putting it so bluntly, but it is highly unlikely that anything you will do – individually or as a couple – is going to change a single thing about my sister eventually being disinherited."

"What?!", was all both teens could exclaim at this dreadful reveal.

"Weiss, you knew that the Atlesian upper class is patriarchic, narrow-minded, malicious, resentful, and many other despicable things I neither have the time nor nerve to list here.", Winter said flatly, "Did you really believe things would play out differently? That is the kind of story... or rather ending you might read in a fairy tale: cheerful, just, but most importantly imaginable. The real, cruel world simply doesn't work that way."

"B-but there must be something we can do!", Ruby pressed, "Aside from putting up with the idea that Weiss will be unfairly robbed of her biggest contribution to a better world. If she doesn't take over the SDC someday, things for the workers will stay awful. And all the questionable business methods under Jacques or another successor similar to him will continue to trouble a lot of other people, too. Please, Winter: We need to find a way to prevent this."

"I don't remember giving you permission to address me by my first name.", the military specialist responded.

"Oh, r-right. I'm immensely sorry, Miss Schnee. M-military specialist. Ma'am.", the crimsonette immediately stammered.

"You are forgiven.", the elder Schnee said, "And you may call me Winter in a private environment."

"Alright, fine. I-I mean, thank you very much. But could we get back to the real issue at hand?", Ruby demanded, "Anything you can tell us about how to properly deal with your dad will be of help. Right, Weiss? Umm, W-weiss?"

When she turned back to her partner, she was met with a crushing sight. It was safe to say that the heiress looked devastated, eyeing her cup of by now cold coffee with a blank expression. Apparently, contemplating her sister's words had made her realize a lot of things... things she might have known all along but had tried to push to the back of her mind in order to revel in the illusion of a possible happy end a little longer.

"Winter has a point, Ruby.", Weiss sighed, "In Father's opinion... no, in the general opinion of the corporate world, Whitley is the better heir in pretty much every aspect. It is only logical for the company's sake – well, in terms of reputation and profit – to replace me with him at some point. It is almost exclusively up to the CEO to choose his successor. And the bit of approval he'll need from the board of executives will come easily – he won't even be needing a very good excuse for his change of mind. He will satisfy the public with a manipulative, half-exaggerated and half-fabricated story; a contrary interpretation, on the other hand, will hardly be heeded. His power and influence are simply too big compared to the truth."

"So you mean... everything we did and still plan to do will be futile in the end?", the crimsonette asked and also started to become depressed.

"So it seems. A little late for me to realize it, though, huh?", Weiss grumbled, "But whatever happens, we still have each other, right? And there are still other ways for me to redeem the Schnee name... or at least the name Schnee-Rose later on. As a Huntress. By your side, Rose Petal." However, even though she truly meant what she had just said, it hardly managed to diminish her grief, Ruby noticed.

And of course, Winter noticed it as well... and seeing her sister like this hurt her deeply. Therefore, she did something she had never done before: Saying something she didn't exactly believe in herself.

"Please do not allow yourself to fall in despair even before the battle has truly begun.", she quickly requested, hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I neither expected that my statement would dishearten you so much nor was it my intent. I merely wanted to point out the gravity of your task and did so by expounding the likeliest outcome. Yet... it isn't definite. That will only be the case if you lose hope. And if there is anything you two – of all people – should have learned by now, it is that hope, courage, and determination are the magic that can turn fairy tales into reality."

This last statement finally struck a nerve, especially with Ruby. Her entire life, she had admired the heroes in those ancient stories that kept their chin up and held their ground, no matter how dire the situation. And due to their many virtues, with the help of their friends and loved ones, and with justness on their side, they eventually always managed to subdue the evil that threatened the land. She always wanted to be exactly like those heroes... like her mom. That was one of the most important reasons why she wanted to become a Huntress, after all. A hero didn't give up. A hero fought for what was right, no matter the odds.

Of course, Weiss knew all of that, too... and her girlfriend likely had rubbed off on her in that regard. Obviously, her idea of the whole matter was less romanticized, though. Nevertheless, if Ruby had proven one thing to her countless times over the last year, it was the fact that dreams could really become true – you just had to let them and don't get discouraged on the way.

"I do not know how much good it will do, but there might be a way to sway Father's opinion on the whole inheritance matter in your favor.", Winter continued almost meditatively, "It is the only advantage you have I can think of, though."

"Then tell us.", the white-haired teen pleaded, "After all, it was you who made us realize that all the preparations we have gone through certainly won't suffice."

"This won't necessarily have been in vain.", the military specialist explained, "Convincing Father that you have found yourself a sophisticated partner will aid you in your efforts. However, there is one thing Jacques Schnee values even more than reputation: Strength!"

"Huh?", Ruby simply replied, "Should we fight him, or slay a giant monster to win his favor, or what?"

"Urgh... Try to avoid making such statements in his presence.", Winter sighed, "No, I am not talking about battle prowess here. I was referring to your tenacity, perseverance, resourcefulness, this kind of abilities. Guts, spunk, if you prefer these terms. Your profession and the many hardships linked to it, as well as your relationship in itself, has prepared you for life in a way no simple education or private tutoring ever could. Furthermore, unlike Whitley, you have chosen to cut your own path, embrace new experiences – positive and negative ones alike – and brave whatever dared to stand in your way to be where you are today. You are so much stronger than any other successor Father could take into consideration... and I even think he knows that. You are probably much stronger than you know yourself as well. Additionally – considering your... ability to procreate together – you will certainly produce an equally strong bloodline to ensure the SDC's lasting superiority. Especially the last part may sound selfish, stupid even, but those are the kinds of arguments Father might be willing to listen to and that possibly make him reevaluate his plans.

"I stand by my opinion that you still have a poor chance of convincing him of your relationship and its benefits rather than misfortunes for the company's future... nevertheless, it is simply incorrect to say that the possibility is non-existent from the outset. I hope this managed to... cheer you up again."

When the two teens were sure that Winter had nothing else to add, they turned to look the other in the eye. For a moment, their expressions were unreadable... but then, they gave each other a determined smile and an equally tenacious nod.

"I think we're good again.", Weiss addressed her sister, yet without looking away from these mesmerizing silver orbs she found so much comfort and confidence in, "It might be borderline impossible to achieve our goal... but, as you've said, that hasn't stopped us before."

"Not to mention that we thrive when faced with a near hopeless task.", Ruby added, then she (and her girlfriend) turned back to the elder Schnee, "Thank you for reminding us of that. And for the additional advice, of course. Oh, and for being so incredibly accepting of our relationship yourself, and all that."

"I am glad that I could be of help.", Winter said nonchalantly, "But I guess it was the least I could do after inadvertently undermining your morale."

"Our confidence has never been particularly high at any point.", the heiress confessed, "But now, as weird as it may sound, after confronting us with the unforgiving truth, then reminding us of our best qualities, we are more spirited than ever before."

"Splendid.", the military specialist responded and even smiled a bit as well, "Well, then: Now that we have taken care of the important matters, how about we continue where we have left of when this conversation has still been a bit more casual? Certainly, there still remain plenty of interesting anecdotes from your time at Beacon that you can share with me."

It wasn't too hard to figure out that she just wanted to change the subject to prevent the two teens from getting overly worked up again. Nevertheless, the couple decided to take her up on that offer.

"Gladly.", Weiss confirmed, grinning brightly now.

"Umm, before we get to that...", Ruby suddenly mentioned a little self-consciously, "Does your offer about ordering whatever we want still stand?"

"Of course.", Winter simply stated.

"Awesome!", the crimsonette cheered, "Hey, Weiss? Want to share a big piece of blueberry cake with me?"

"You had me at 'Awesome!', Rose Petal.", her girlfriend giggled.

The odd trio's afternoon continued in a substantially more relaxed manner. Ruby and Weiss told Winter a few more stories of their time together at Beacon, the little tales ranging from their sometimes horrendous workload in various subjects over the dates they had already attended to incredibly mundane leisure time activities they indulged in whenever there was really nothing else to do. The military specialist listened with interest, even chuckling the faintest bit occasionally, or scolding her sister lightly upon hearing about the more childish things they had done. Nevertheless, the mood had soon gotten incredibly refreshing, to the point neither Huntress-in-training actually wanted to leave anymore.

But unfortunately, time refused to stand still, and the young couple had to depart for Schnee Manor eventually.

"I guess it is time for our meeting to come to a close.", Winter addressed the matter after a glance at her Scroll, "You certainly don't want to arrive in the nick of time, not only because it may leave a bad impression with Father, but also because the mansion definitely requires some familiarization if you are visiting for the first time. So it is probably for the best to ensure a little time buffer so you can show Ruby around before you need to attend dinner."

"I guess you're right.", Weiss seconded and took the last sip of her second coffee, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Winter. Seriously. It made me immensely happy."

"Likewise.", the military specialist responded, "I am proud of your personal developments and hope they will advance in a similar manner. Best of luck to you." Then she stood up to properly bid her goodbye. The young couple followed suit.

"Thanks for everything.", Ruby said with a beaming smile, "I guess it is pretty clear now why Weiss admires you so much."

"She does?", Winter asked and shot a glance at her sister. Weiss, for her part, simply blushed and gave her girlfriend a slightly scolding look.

"Oh, umm... I, well, only assumed that much because she always speaks of you in high regard.", the crimsonette quickly added, "But I guess after getting to know you myself, she was just describing you accurately. You are a really impressive person, after all."

"I appreciate the compliment.", the elder Schnee responded with a nod, "And I would like to ask you for a favor."

"Uhh... s-sure. What is it?", Ruby asked back, getting the tiniest bit nervous.

"Please continue to take good care of my sister, whatever may happen.", Winter requested, "After everything she had to go through in the past, she deserves a loving and devoted partner. And I believe that you are able to measure up to the task."

"No problem.", the crimsonette promised and her smile returned, "I'll be the best girlfriend anyone could ever wish for. Not that I need any further motivation for that, though: Weiss is the most important person in my life and I'll make sure every day that she never forgets it."

"The feeling is mutual, Rose Petal.", the heiress cooed softly, leaned in, and gave the younger teen a soft kiss on the cheek, not even bothered by her sister's presence anymore.

"It seems there is no doubt about that.", Winter mentioned, "Have a safe trip. Maybe we can repeat this little get-together before you return to Vale. I highly doubt that I will pay Father a visit myself during your stay, though, not only because I really don't want to, but also since I am uncertain if I will even be welcome. Apart from business necessity, I no longer maintain any close contact with him."

"Understandable.", Weiss said with a small grin, "And I would love to see you again during our time in Atlas after we have dealt with Father. Again, thank you very much for inviting us, for being so accepting after learning about our relationship, and of course, for the advice. I would like to hug you, but I know that you are not fond of displaying affection in public."

"Well, I think I can make an exception.", the military specialist pondered, "The café is quite empty anyway." Then she simply held out her arms.

And so it came that Ruby witnessed the likely strangest hug she had ever seen: Both Schnees apparently had no idea what the other was comfortable with and carefully and awkwardly wrapped their arms around each other. Weiss kept her chin at level with her sister's shoulder joint, maintaining some sort of respectful distance to her face. As for Winter, she barely touched her younger sibling at all, merely brushing her fingers over her back as if she was afraid that any more pressure would either hurt her or weird her out. But despite the quite ridiculous display – that gave the crimsonette a hard time to suppress a chuckle – it still somehow managed to convey that the sisters deeply cared about each other. A clear indicator for that was that they both were obviously somewhat uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, but pulled through to show the other their fondness, nonetheless.

However, after merely five seconds, it was already over.

"That was... nice, I assume.", Winter said, "But now off with you. I'll take care of the bill. Oh, and give Klein my regards."

"Of course.", Weiss promised, "Take care, Winter. I'll contact you when the... dust has settled if you know what I mean." She only received a curt nod in return.

"Yeah, goodbye.", Ruby seconded, "It was very nice to finally meet you in person."

"The pleasure was all mine.", the elder Schnee concluded, "Please take good care of my sister."

"Will do.", the crimsonette said determinedly.

And with that, the two teens turned around and approached the exit. Meanwhile, Winter retook her seat, downed the rest of her coffee, and signaled the waiter that she wanted to pay. As she watched the two girls leave, she couldn't help but smile, a full-fledged one this time.

'Well, dearest sister. You certainly know that I don't believe in fairy tales.', she thought, 'Now you better show me that I am mistaken.'

When the young couple exited the coffeehouse, they immediately spotted the pristine white limousine again. Apparently, Klein had waited dutifully for their return the whole time. Instantly, Ruby felt a little bad about it. They should have at least brought him a coffee and a piece of cake, she pondered.

"Well, then: Time to face the music.", Weiss sighed as they walked the approximately thirty yards to the parking spot, "I mean, we certainly won't break the news to Father today already, but I guess you'll still get a good first impression of what we're going to deal with even during a normal family dinner with the Schnees."

"Don't worry. I feel more confident than ever that I'll be able to handle your dad.", Ruby responded, "Now that I've met your sister and promised her to make you happy, there's yet another person I can't let down."

"You're too sweet, you know that?", the heiress giggled and gently took her girlfriend's hand.

"I had a hunch.", the crimsonette said with a chuckle as well, "But seriously: We'll get our happy end. No matter who won't let us."

"I believe you.", the white-haired girl replied, smiling brightly.

"Just leave it to me, Snow... umm, ...cone?", Ruby finished sheepishly, apparently still looking for a new pet name, much to Weiss' surprise, "You know, because you're sweet as well."

"No.", the heiress simply responded, "I don't know why, but that name makes me feel flimsy... and chubby. And before you ask: That won't become the nickname of my... y-you-know-what, either."

"Urgh, fine.", the younger teen groaned, "But I'll keep trying for as long as I have to until I have found something worthy of my beautiful girlfriend."

"If anyone could, it's you.", Weiss purred softly and gave Ruby's hand a reassuring squeeze.

When they entered the limo, another wave of nervousness tried to take hold of them... but this time, they managed to shake it off almost immediately. Whatever would ultimately await them at Schnee Manor, they won't go down without a fight. And now, thanks to Winter, they had at least some kind of a battle plan.

Chapter Text

When the limousine finally turned into what was most likely the last street on their journey - after leaving the densely packed city behind and climbing up some sort of hill - Ruby's jaw almost fell into her lap. On the horizon, she saw... a castle? A temple? What would be the best comparison for these three linked buildings and the four imposing towers in each corner of the central one? She had no idea while her brain tried and failed to process too much white, ornate frontage; navy blue roofing tiles; uncountable arched windows; pillars; and whatnot. She only knew one thing: Simply calling Schnee Manor huge would be like calling a severed head unpleasant. All of that space couldn't possibly be for residential use alone... right?

Had Weiss even seen every room in this palace in her seventeen years of living here? The crimsonette kinda doubted it.

"While you already knew that I didn't grow up, well, normal, I guess you probably didn't expect this, nonetheless, huh?", the heiress asked her girlfriend softly as Klein drove the vehicle towards a large, lavish entrance gate surrounded by sturdy-looking walls, "I understand it's a lot to take in."

"That's still an understatement.", the younger teen answered, "I mean, I don't even know how many times my house would fit in there. Fifty? One hundred? What is your da... umm, father doing with all this space anyway?" She quickly reminded herself that she had to adopt a more refined style of speech now.

"Impressing people who don't care with stuff nobody needs.", Weiss answered dryly, "Even the rooms you'd consider essential – bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms – are way too big. The only exception is the accommodation of the personnel. Of course, we're still talking about more or less regular rooms – comparable to your bedroom in Patch – but given the size and the flamboyance of everything else, paired with the fact that they could've easily been built a bit more luxurious as well, it still highlights that Father thinks of the staff as second-class people. Yet another thing I need to correct in the future."

"I can assure you that I am quite content with my housing situation, Snowflake.", Klein quickly explained to soothe the heiress, "And my colleagues' opinion doesn't differ much. It's like living in a student hostel. And don't forget that our jobs finance us nice apartments in the city we can relax at after our respective workweeks... or for the families of those who have one."

"Hmm...", was the only response from the white-haired girl.

"But you can't tell me that all of the space your family doesn't need for personal use is just to house the staff.", Ruby continued, "What else is in there? An ice rink? A sports stadium? Five indoor swimming pools?"

"Not quite.", Weiss giggled a bit at her girlfriend's amazement, "There are various bedrooms – for my family, as well as for guests – studies, hobby rooms, a ballroom, a small concert hall, an art gallery, a quite extensive library, a..."

"O-okay, I get it. You basically stuffed every public institution and service of a small town into this manor.", the crimsonette sighed, "Please tell me there are differently-colored lines on the ground for orientation – just like at the mall – or this will be the airport all over again."

"Don't worry, Rose Petal.", the heiress comforted her lover, "If you get lost, I'll find you. Just, umm... make sure your Scroll's battery doesn't run out."

"That's not helping with my worries.", the younger teen groaned.

The limousine passed the gate and once again, Ruby could marvel. The driveway and entrance were at least as impressive as the overall building(s). The pavement was lined with trees and beautifully crafted streetlights, and in the middle was some kind of long-drawn plaza with three imposing pillars (two small ones in the front and back and a huge one in the middle) that all bore the Schnee crest at their top. But before the crimsonette could ogle at every detail of the front courtyard, their car suddenly came to a halt in front of a large double door surrounded by many pillars.

They had arrived.

"Well then: Time to face the music.", the white-haired girl sighed, "I guess we won't meet Father right away, nevertheless, from now on, every single thing we do or say counts."

"It'll be fine, Snowf... I mean, Weiss.", the crimsonette promised, "Don't forget: You're here with Ruby Rose: the prodigy of Beacon Academy, surprisingly sophisticated for her simple upbringing, Atlas expert, gourmet, acceptable in high society."

"Then nothing can go wrong, I guess.", the heiress said softly, looked around to make sure nobody else was watching from the outside of the car and gave her girlfriend a short but affectionate kiss. A moment later, they and Klein exited the vehicle and the butler swiftly retrieved their luggage from the trunk.

"Oh, and one more thing, Miss Schnee... although I guess I don't have to remind you.", the mustached man suddenly said as he tried to balance the four suitcases somehow – of course, as the dutiful servant he was, he would never allow the two ladies to carry them themselves if not specifically asked for it, "Restrict any more personal interaction – may it be verbal or... of other nature – exclusively to your private chambers. Even when nobody else seems to be around, some of the walls in this building have eyes and ears."

"I know. But thank you very much for worrying about us, Klein.", the white-haired girl responded politely, "And please let us take care of our luggage ourselves. At least of a piece each in case you don't want to appear indolent in front of your co-workers."

"That won't be necessary, Miss Schnee.", the butler explained politely – but of course, Weiss already knew how to play this game.

"I insist.", she said firmly.

"Understood, Miss Schnee.", Klein finally agreed and handed over the two lightest of the suitcases, then his eyes turned pink, "And please forgive me for questioning your orders."

"There's no need to apologize.", the heiress sighed, "And it wasn't my intention to order you around."

"I know.", the butler replied, his eyes turning yellow, "But don't forget that it is my duty to make your life as pleasant as possible. Regardless of my employment situation. After all, you deserve as much after everything you've been through."

"Thanks, Klein. That means a lot to me.", Weiss said with a warm smile, then she turned to her girlfriend, "I hope you're ready, Ruby."

"As ready as can be.", the younger teen confirmed determinedly.

And with that, the trio entered Schnee Manor.

"I'm starting to think that if I focus too much on every single wow-moment, I won't get anything done during my stay here.", Ruby mentioned while she took in the massive entrance hall. The centerpiece of her attention was the large stairway made of marble and partially covered with a navy blue rug right in the middle of the room, framed by two colossal white suits of armor that looked almost exactly like her girlfriend's Arma Gigas summon. The top of the stairs merged into curved balconies that were supported by elaborately crafted pillars and likely led to other parts of the building. On the floor and ceiling, the crimsonette spotted a large circular pattern decorated with the Schnee emblem. Here and there stood some expensive-looking vases... that didn't hold anything, though. The giant room was predominantly illuminated by an equally giant chandelier hanging from the roof, however, there were also a couple of wall lamps. But no matter how bright the lights shone... the room felt incredibly cold, nonetheless. That pretty much everything was white and blue didn't help with that, either.

"Home, Sweet Home.", Weiss grumbled sarcastically and let her gaze wander through the empty hall, "Not that I expected a warm welcome, anyway. But I guess the other staff members are busy otherwise. And my family... just doesn't care. Not that I would've been overly happy to see Father or Whitley anyway."

"In their defense, you weren't very specific regarding your time of arrival.", Klein said conciliatorily, then he checked his pocket watch, "Speaking of time, it is still a little over half an hour until dinner will be ready. How about we take Miss Rose to her room so she can store away her luggage?"

"My ro... oh, right.", Ruby attempted to ask but quickly remembered one very important detail. Officially, she and Weiss were simply teammates at the moment, so of course, they wouldn't spend the night in the same room. It had been obvious from the very beginning of their decision to visit the heiress' family, it had been addressed several times during their preparations (the last time even by herself on their flight to Atlas)... but now that it was about to become reality, the crimsonette detested it even more. Why had she given up on claiming some sexy time on the airship so easily?

"I don't want to be separated from you as well, but it can't be helped.", the heiress sighed, "Consider it an additional motivator to successfully accomplish our goals. But of course, we mustn't rush things and have to approach Father cautiously. Regarding... pretty much everything."

"Yeah, I know.", the crimsonette responded, "I'll bear with it. But only if you promise that we make it up to each other once we're done with it."

"That goes without saying.", Weiss assured her with a loving smile.

After this tender exchange, the young couple and Klein wandered through a labyrinth of hallways – at least it felt like that to Ruby. It had taken her weeks to somewhat find her way around Beacon, and over half a year before she really knew the Academy... however, Schnee Manor was worse. Pretty much everything looked the same and there weren't even signposts or maps with the helpful red "You are here"-dot. She definitely had to stick to her girlfriend whenever possible or she would inevitably get lost in here and make an utter fool of herself. And the path between her and Weiss' room had to be memorized meticulously.

While taking in the corridors to obtain at least some basic orientation, the crimsonette had to admit that the manor was beautifully decorated everywhere. No passage was barren, and in regular intervals, she spotted couches and armchairs with elegant glass tables; little statues, busts, and other ornaments; floor clocks; wall-mounted mirrors; landscape paintings; empty as well as flower-bearing vases; a fireplace here and there... the list went on. The hallways were lit with sconce lights and chandeliers – though the latter obviously weren't as impressive as the one in the foyer. On the floors lay long blue rugs with white floral designs. And on the wall over many doors, the Schnee emblem was painted.

Nevertheless, despite the obviously huge effort the interior designers had put into making this place appear lively, the cold and distant atmosphere persisted. Maybe that would be different if the lights shone a bit brighter and the hallways weren't depressingly silent and completely void of any other souls. Involuntarily, Ruby's mind drifted back to a few horror movies Yang had talked her into watching as a kid. Dim light, empty corridors... the ambiance in Schnee Manor was quite similar to them.

But before she decided to precautionarily retrieve Crescent Rose from her suitcase, she finally saw another human being – a young woman wearing a courtly maid uniform and carrying some cleaning equipment – coming out of one of the many doors lining the walls. And apparently, this certain entrance also seemed to be their destination.

"Oh, Miss Schnee. Welcome back home.", the maid said politely and made a deep, servile bow, "I just assured one final time that the room Miss Rose will be staying at is in immaculate condition. I hope you'll be enjoying your vacation, and if anything may displease you, please do not hesitate to forward it to the personnel."

"Duly noted. And thank you for the hospitality.", Ruby responded, although she was a bit surprised that the woman knew her name. But then again, it was probably safe to assume that Jacques had already informed the staff about her.

Upon receiving the crimsonette's kind reply, the maid nodded humbly – it kinda seemed that she wasn't used to somebody thanking her – bowed again, turned around, and left the couple and her co-worker to their own devices. Then the two teens and Klein entered the guest room to drop off the first part of their luggage.

Again, Ruby was fairly impressed by the interior: At the far end of the room stood a huge canopy bed with some kind of bench at its foot – had it also a name like these long couch-seat-thingies, the crimsonette wondered, recam... chaise... something? The bed even stood on some kind of platform, three steps bridging the elevations difference. To its left, next to a nightstand, was another door, probably leading to a bathroom. The right wall of the chamber sported a huge arched window with silky drapes, at its sides were two arch-shaped bookshelves embedded into the wall. In front of one of them stood an ornate desk with an equally fancy chair. The far left corner housed a large wardrobe, with a full-length mirror next to it. In the middle of the left wall, a lit fireplace provided a cozy light that drove away the cold and distant atmosphere the crimsonette had felt ever since she had set foot into the mansion. In front of it stood a glass-topped coffee table surrounded by two comfy-looking seats. And in the left corner close to the entrance, Ruby spotted a grand piano... for whatever reason.

"I hope you are pleased with your accommodation, Miss Rose.", Klein said and gently sat the younger girl's suitcase down, "If you would like another setup, regarding the furniture, for example, my colleagues and I can make a few rearrangements."

"What? No. Are you kidding me? This place is amazing.", the crimsonette quickly said while marveling at the room, "Do I get special treatment to be exceptionally impressed or do the other guest rooms also look like this?"

"They hardly differ in terms of size and furnishing.", Weiss explained, "Although I guess you can consider this room one of the... nicer ones. But you likely just got it due to the lack of – in my father's opinion – more important guests over the time of our stay."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm not complaining.", Ruby said with a shrug.

"Miss Schnee, how about you assist Miss Rose in getting settled in a bit? In the meantime, I will take your baggage to your chambers and inform your family and the rest of the staff of your arrival afterwards.", Klein suggested, "You will be summoned when it is time to gather for dinner."

"Alright. But you can just leave my luggage behind.", the heiress responded, "Ruby and I will take care of it after we've unpacked her belongings. We don't want to hold you up with another unnecessary detour."

"Then I may take my leave.", the butler announced politely and carefully set two suitcases he was still carrying on the ground, "Have a nice stay." And with that, he bowed one more time and exited the room.

"So, umm, does this count as privacy now?", Ruby asked after the door had fallen shut, "Not that I'm planning anything over-the-top, but I thought..."

"Wait a moment, please.", Weiss interrupted her girlfriend and suddenly started looking around the room. She scanned the walls, the ceiling, then she rummaged through the bookshelves, the desk and nightstand drawers, and even the piano. She also checked inside the chimney and under the bed. The crimsonette only raised an eyebrow at her partner's actions.

"Okay, I think we're safe.", the white-haired girl announced after she had finished her inspection.

"Do you really think your dad had even this place bugged?", Ruby asked confused.

"Believe me when I tell you that it wouldn't have been too surprising if we've found a camera or a microphone in here.", the heiress retorted flatly, "After all, sometimes, some of Father's business partners sleep in these rooms – people from abroad, for example – and it's not the first time he gathered convenient information that way. But it's also not too farfetched to assume that he's trying to find some dirt on us he could use to justify whatever twisted goals he might pursue. Not necessarily disinheriting me already, but maybe pulling me out of Beacon and forcing me to continue my studies at Atlas Academy so he can control me more easily again."

"Ouch...", the crimsonette said softly, "Then I guess you need this one even more than I've thought."

And before Weiss knew it, she was already pulled into a tender embrace and Remnant's silkiest pair of lips was pressed against her own. Needless to say – and like many times before – she instantly melted into the kiss. Her mouth opened almost automatically to welcome her lover's eager tongue and she quickly used her own slippery muscle to greet it appropriately. It hardly took the crimsonette four seconds to coax a happy moan out of her girlfriend's throat.

However, the moment the heiress felt an in her opinion a bit too adventurous hand creeping up her bare thigh and under her dress, she broke the kiss and gently halted the younger teen's advances by entwining their fingers.

"Whoops... sorry. Force of habit.", Ruby apologized with a lopsided smirk, "You're just too tempting, Snow... umm... damn it."

"Still struggling with the new nickname?", Weiss asked and took half a step back, yet she kept holding hands with her girlfriend, "I told you that 'Snowflake' is perfectly fine."

"And I told you that you deserve something better and original from the person that loves you most.", the crimsonette insisted, "Wait, how about Snowfinch? That's a bird if I'm not mistaken. And you like to sing."

"As cute as it may sound coming from you, I really don't like being compared to a songbird.", the white-haired girl explained, "It just reminds me of the cage I've spent most of my life in."

"Okay. Then it's unacceptable.", Ruby quickly clarified, "The Weiss I love will always be free. Maybe I should start thinking outside of this whole snow theme."

"Whatever you consider best for your endeavor.", the heiress giggled and parted fully from her girlfriend, "But maybe you can ponder over this new, original pet name while unpacking. I want us to be done with both of our stuff when it's time to meet my family."

"Sure thing, Snow... urgh, come on brain! Get out of these old patterns already.", the crimsonette grumbled.

"Dolt...", Weiss whispered to herself with yet another giggle, the former cuss long since laden with love whenever it passed her lips towards Ruby.

After they had taken care of the younger teen's luggage, the two girls left for the white-haired girl's room to do the same with her belongings. As they once again walked through the labyrinth of hallways, Ruby made sure to meticulously memorize the path in case she needed her girlfriend's assistance with something and didn't want to rely on her Scroll. Much to the younger teen's relief, it only took them three turns until they had arrived.

Weiss' room was similarly equipped as the guest room, though everything was arranged a little differently. Here, only the entrance area was three steps lower than the rest of the floor, leading to a seating area in front of a fireplace embedded into the right wall. At the far end of the room, Ruby spotted the same window-bookshelf-desk arrangement she had already seen in her own chambers. In the far left corner stood a conductor's stand. The king-size four-poster canopy bed was positioned somewhere in the middle of the left wall, a nightstand with a mirror stood next to it, and in front of that lay a fluffy rug. At the bed's foot stood a glass bench. Left of the nightstand, there was another door, likely leading to the heiress' personal bathroom. And left of the entrance (up the three steps) stood a huge wardrobe. However, the crimsonette also noticed that her girlfriend's room featured a bit more decoration than her own accommodation – probably so it would feel homier. There was a vase with white flowers next to the wardrobe; over the fireplace, another much more embroidered mirror than the one attached to the nightstand was mounted to the wall; here and there stood an additional chair; and in the corners of the wall the entrance was located at, some ornamental curtains hung from the arched ceiling.

So that was the room Weiss grew up in, Ruby mused. She could almost picture her girlfriend as a little kid in here, living through a few happier episodes of her childhood: training her beautiful voice over at the music stand; roasting marshmallows with her siblings at the fireplace; writing a diary on her bed while laying on her stomach, feet in the air and her cute, little head full of dreams. This was certainly also the place where the heiress had explored her body for the first time, presumably in her early teens... and probably accompanied by a fair amount of awkwardness, given her peculiar anatomy. But in the end, it had likely still been a pleasurable experience. And who knew, maybe she had already been daydreaming about a lover somewhat similar to a certain crimson-haired girl that would better her life later on. Quite improbable, of course, but Ruby also wanted to dream a bit herself.

After the door had fallen shut, the heiress repeated her earlier ritual, namely searching the whole place for whatever eavesdropping devices she suspected to be installed in this room. But much to both girls' relief, a second thorough investigation didn't bring anything to light, providing the young couple with yet another safe haven for them to act out their relationship. And the crimsonette intended to do so again... after taking care of stowing away her girlfriend's belongings, of course. Why did Weiss have to bring three suitcases anyway, for fudge's sake?!

But with combined efforts, the two girls eventually managed to take care of this task as well.

"Whew... finally.", Ruby sighed as she closed the door to the heiress' wardrobe – after imagining her in a few sets of underwear she hadn't seen yet, "I thought we'd never get done. By the way: Why did you even bring Beacon stuff? Do you plan to study here?"

"If time allows.", Weiss responded with a shrug, "And it's just two binders and the corresponding textbooks related to the projects we still need to get done over the semester break. Also, studying helps me take my mind off things. If I can somehow remind myself that I'm still a Beacon student, I hope to retain a feeling of... normalcy. Y'know, despite the fact that we're here to deal with likely the biggest threat to either our relationship or my future as the savior of the SDC and my family name."

"Oh... I didn't think of it that way.", the crimsonette quickly said, then she added softly, "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine somehow. We'll manage to convince your father that we're awesome... and that our relationship made us even awesomer. So there'll be no doubt that you're the best choice to lead the company someday."

"For whatever weird, completely incomprehensible reason... I believe you.", the white-haired replied with a loving smile.

"I know. Because I'm awesome, as already mentioned.", the younger teen chirped happily, "Anyway, now that we're done with unpacking your stuff, how about we continue where we left off in my room? Nothing crazy, of course, but I think I've earned myself another few kisses and cuddles... and whatever else you may deem appropriate."

"You're expecting some more loving just because you stowed away a few pieces of clothes and toiletries?", Weiss asked and raised an eyebrow.

"If you should've learned one thing by now, it's that I'm most successfully trained with some sort of reward system.", Ruby shot back with a grin.

"Since when did my girlfriend turn into a puppy?", the heiress sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, roleplay? Kinky.", the crimsonette giggled, "Wanna collar me the next time we get intimate?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it.", Weiss pouted.

"Then how about you find an effective way to shut me up?", Ruby asked and approached her girlfriend, eyes half-lidded and a sensual smirk on her lips.

"I already have an idea.", the white-haired girl shot back and came to meet the younger teen.

But just before the two lovers could lock lips again, there was a knock on the door. It even startled Weiss enough that she quickly took a step back from her partner.

"Urgh, and what's the matter now?", she groaned.

"Maybe someone calling us for dinner.", the crimsonette pondered, "I mean, it's taken quite some time to unpack your stuff."

"Huh, you're probably right.", the heiress agreed and approached the door, "In that case, I hope you have your best table manners ready. And don't get too intimidated by whatever topics Father may want to discuss with you. Witty replies, but not too cocky."

"Understood, Milady.", Ruby assured dutifully.

Then Weiss opened the door, expecting some maid or butler to call them into the dining hall. However, much to both girls' surprise, the action revealed a teenage boy probably about Ruby's age. He had the same white hair and blue eyes as the heiress and was dressed in a white dress shirt with a black tie under a light blue vest, and navy blue trousers. Ruby was sure that this had to be her girlfriend's younger brother... a thought that was quickly confirmed.

"Greetings, dear sister.", the boy said politely.

"Hello, Whitley.", Weiss retorted flatly – and the crimsonette noticed that she was trying not to sound annoyed, "To what do I owe the honor?" Okay, that last part came off a bit too sarcastic in Ruby's opinion.

"Well, I was just informed about your arrival and I thought it would be appropriate to pay you a visit to welcome you.", the heiress' brother explained, "After all, we haven't seen each other for quite a while."

"That's... certainly true.", the white-haired girl admitted, her tone of voice a bit friendlier now, "I appreciate your kind attention." Now that sounded a bit more like a talk between siblings should go, the crimsonette thought... although it was still too formal to actually be affectionate.

"You're welcome.", Whitley simply responded, then he turned his attention to Ruby, "And you must be Miss Ruby Rose. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Have my sincerest gratitude for looking out for my sister at Beacon Academy." His thanks were topped off with a polite bow.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mister Schnee.", Ruby replied and curtsied charmingly.

"Please just call me Whitley.", the boy insisted.

"Then you may simply refer to me as Ruby as well.", the crimson-haired girl offered... and was even a bit surprised about how easily she managed to sound that courtly.

"As much as I acknowledge this warm welcome, is there anything else of importance you want to discuss?", Weiss suddenly asked, "I was about to show my partner around the manor so she could familiarize herself with it a little. Of course, you are free to accompany us if you want."

"Actually, there is indeed another reason for my visit.", Whitley admitted, "I was informed that dinner will be ready shortly and agreed to tell you to proceed to the dining hall. Father will meet you there to welcome you as well. As far as I understood, he especially anticipates finally getting to know Miss Ro... Ruby, I mean."

Upon hearing this announcement, the crimsonette tensed up a bit. Of course, she already expected that the dinner conversation's focus would be on her as the representative of Weiss' new social environment in Vale. Part of her even looked forward to this because it would give her the opportunity to show the heiress' father that she was appropriate company for his daughter... which would eventually be the foundation to convince him that she was also an appropriate romantic partner and later wife. However, another part of the crimsonette was still worried that she would say or do something wrong, that even her best efforts wouldn't be enough, or that it was simply impossible for her to get accepted by the Schnee patriarch because he would always consider her a poor commoner from a hicksville on some Valean island nobody had ever heard of.

But as quickly as these thoughts tried to drag her down, just as swiftly Ruby managed to shake them off again. Her girlfriend's future depended on this! If she were to screw this up, then Weiss would get disinherited... or worse. Therefore, failure was not an option!

"And I really anticipate meeting the man who raised such an impeccable person as my partner.", the crimsonette responded and forced herself to smile as genuinely as possible.

"Please tell Father we'll be there in a few minutes.", Weiss requested, "We'll quickly freshen up a bit, then we'll be on our way."

"As you wish.", Whitley said, "But don't take too long. You know that it is most unwise to... keep Father waiting." Much to Ruby's astonishment, his last statement almost sounded... scared? Apparently, the boy didn't have it easy under the CEO, either. But while Weiss reacted to their father's actions at least somewhat rebellious, her brother appeared to be rather... groveling, for the lack of a better word.

"Don't worry. It is not in our interest to upset him, especially after he generously allowed me to bring an acquaintance along on my vacation.", the white-haired girl clarified, "I promise that we will congregate with the rest of the family shortly."

"Alright. Then I will inform Father and the staff of your timely arrival.", the younger Schnee concluded, "Again, I advise you to not show up later than necessary. Until soon." Then he attempted to leave.

"Umm... i-is Mother going to join us?", Weiss asked hesitantly... and the question caused Whitley to stop dead in his tracks. However, his answer certainly wasn't what the heiress had hoped for.

"I won't expect it.", he retorted flatly. And without another word, he exited his sister's room.

"Just as I thought...", the white-haired girl sighed gloomily (mostly to herself) after the door had fallen shut.

"I'm sorry to hear that your mom won't be attending dinner with us.", Ruby tried to comfort her girlfriend, "Maybe she'll manage tomorrow." Of course, the crimsonette probably knew why Weiss' mother won't be dining with them – the heiress had already mentioned the Schnee matriarch's isolation accompanied by a drinking problem due to her sham marriage – but knew better than to explicitly address it in whatever way.

"Oh, no. It's fine.", the older teen quickly responded, "I didn't actually believe that we would get to see her today... despite the fact that I've returned home for the first time after almost two years. Anyway, we should freshen up a bit and head for the dining hall. After all, my mother isn't the one to worry about on this vacation."

"Right.", the crimsonette agreed, "It's finally time for my first impression on your father. I promise that I won't let you down. I'll be the most elegant, sophisticated, and charming person anyone has ever met."

"To me, you always are, Rose Petal.", Weiss whispered softly and gave her lover a soft kiss on the cheek.

After the two girls had reapplied a bit of makeup and made sure that their clothes fit properly, they left for the dining hall as well. Once again, Ruby tried her best to commit the way – or at least a few landmarks – to her memory to decrease the risk of getting lost in this maze of halls and rooms. But unfortunately, since Weiss urged them to hurry, that didn't work out as well as hoped. At least the crimsonette didn't break her ankles while nearly jogging in heels. That was still a victory in her opinion.

Thanks to their rather fast pace, the young couple swiftly arrived at their destination – of course, the heiress had told Ruby to slow down before they turned the last corner. Two servants were already waiting at a large, dark double door that led into the dining room and dutifully held the wings open for them to enter. And – for the umpteenth time today – Ruby could marvel at the impressive interior:

Of course, the centerpiece of the room was a massive table with a white and blue marble top. It stood on top of a blue rug and was surrounded by sixteen dark chairs with blue upholstery. Above it hung two ornate chandeliers. In the corners stood a few empty vases and next to two doors leading out to the right were some pedestals with weird modern art displays (one looked a bit like some kind of seashell... probably, Ruby had no real idea). To her left, three surprisingly non-arched windows lined by blue curtains allowed the light of the slowly setting sun to illuminate the room. The other walls were decorated by a few paintings showing landscapes, but also some parts of the manor itself – for whatever reason. But what caught the crimsonette's eye the most in terms of decorations was a massive family portrait in the middle of the wall to her right. On it, younger versions of Weiss and her siblings were sitting on some kind of bench, their parents stood behind them. Ruby also immediately noticed... that none of them looked happy. Winter and Weiss even seemed to be sad, or frightened, and their mother appeared kind of disappointed.

To the crimsonette, that didn't feel right. Her own dad also had one bigger framed picture of the family, but the atmosphere on it was completely different. It showed them on the beach when she and Yang were very young. Tai and Yang were play-wrestling on it, with the blond man currently being in a headlock from his eldest daughter. A three-year-old Ruby was holding a large ice cream cone and had her entire face smudged with the tasty treat. Summer sat next to her, scooping up a bit of the strawberry-flavored goop from her cheek and treating herself to a taste while patting the tiny crimsonette's head affectionately. All of them were laughing whole-heartedly... and even though Ruby faintly remembered that whoever they had asked to take a picture had made several photographs, her parents had decided to print and frame that quite imperfect one because all of them looked so happy.

So why would one willingly allow their family to be displayed that... miserable? Was this a rich people's thing she wasn't getting? Or was this simply the happiest the Schnee family managed to look at that time? Probably the latter...

The crimsonette's contemplations passed quickly, though, and she returned her attention to the table. On the far left side, she spotted two place settings, probably for herself and Weiss. On the far right, Whitley sat. Next to him was another setting – likely for the missing person that certainly wouldn't show up. But the most important presence in this room was seated at the table's very end, wearing an elegant white suit and emanating an intimidating aura.

"Weiss, dearest. Welcome back home.", Jacques Schnee said excessively friendly – although it didn't sound overly honest – and stood up, "It is so good to see my little girl again. You look well. It appears that the time abroad has not taken as much of a toll on you as I feared."

"Greetings, Father. It is... good to see you again as well.", the heiress lied, but at least managed to adopt a neutral tone of voice.

"And you must be Miss Ruby Rose.", the CEO continued and shifted his focus to the crimsonette, his cold gaze piercing right through her very soul... or so it felt to the crimsonette, "I was looking forward to finally meeting you in person. Especially after everything... I've already heard about you."

At his last words, his icy blue eyes narrowed and a menacing smirk appeared on his face. Ruby only gulped as she and Weiss felt a bit of color leaving their faces. Whatever this man thought to know about her (or them?)... was certainly anything but good.

Chapter Text

"And you must be Miss Ruby Rose. I was looking forward to finally meeting you in person. Especially after everything I've already heard about you."

It was a simple greeting, and even quite kindly formulated... but the way Jacques said it sent a shiver of fear down Ruby's spine. However, given the circumstances, her reaction was quite understandable. After all, this wasn't just an ordinary get-together with the ordinary dad of her ordinary teammate. With this dinner, she would lay the cornerstone for what was probably the most difficult thing she and Weiss had to accomplish in their relationship: convincing the heiress' controlling, resentful, unforgiving, sexist, and homophobic (of course, the list still went on) father that they were the perfect couple and that them being together – as Huntresses, friends, and lovers – had caused the white-haired girl to grow even more suited to be the future CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, not less.

So from this point on, Ruby had to appear immaculate. She had to show Jacques that she was no uncouth hayseed but a smart and polite woman who could effortlessly blend into high society if needed. Agreeable company for his daughter, an acceptable girlfriend, and at least a sufferable future daughter-in-law. Yet, a single slip-up could ruin everything... since there was no second chance for first impressions.

Therefore, the crimsonette knew that she mustn't be intimidated. Weiss' future depended on her performance to a considerable degree. And she would make absolutely sure that her wonderful girlfriend would get her happy ending.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir.", Ruby responded charmingly, topped off by a perfect curtsy, "And have my sincerest gratitude for allowing me to stay in your beautiful home during Weiss and my vacation."

Hopefully, that reply wasn't too excessive. She just wanted to massage Jacques' ego a bit, not make a fool out of herself. Thankfully, in the corner of her eye, she saw the hint of a smile on her girlfriend's face, which told her that, apparently, her answer had been correct.

"Please, Miss Rose. There is no need to thank me.", the CEO said, "It is the least I can do after your family selflessly took such great care of my daughter over your last semester break in... Patch, if I recall correctly. So it is only fair that I try to be a generous host as well."

Ruby resented how condescendingly he pronounced the name of her home, but knew better than to let it show. Instead, she replied: "You're too kind. But really, my family accommodating Weiss back then isn't worth the mention. After all, I insisted on her accompanying me. And my invitation wasn't exactly without any ulterior motives. In my opinion, every day our team can spend together is another day we can further work on becoming excellent Huntresses. Just because there are no classes doesn't mean we should laze off, don't you agree?"

"Naturally. And what an honorable attitude.", Jacques agreed, then he gestured towards the chairs to his right, subtly telling the two teens to take their seats now. Of course, Ruby and Weiss swiftly complied, with the white-haired girl sitting down next to her father to grant her girlfriend some additional buffer zone.

"Speaking of 'working on becoming capable Huntresses'...", the CEO continued, "Weiss, dear. How has Beacon Academy been treating you so far? You hardly mention any details regarding your professional or personal life on the rare occasions you write home." A normal father certainly would've sounded concerned for his daughter's well-being. Jacques' tone of voice, however, was chillingly emotionless... with a small hint of reproach.

"Do not worry about me, Father.", the white-haired girl said politely, "As long as I don't inform you of anything to the contrary, you can expect me to do fine – befitting for a Schnee. My studies and combat training are going well and the missions we attend are carried out to the full satisfaction of our professors, even surpassing their expectations of us more often than not. Ever since our second semester, Team RWBY has been leading the class ranking most of the time and has finished the term in first place for the third time in a row now, thanks to every single member always working their hardest to be exceptional, even during the breaks.", then she shot Ruby a small smile and added, "But in all fairness, I should mention that an additional part of the credit for that goes to our leader. After a few... initial difficulties concerning her adjustment to the new responsibility, Ruby quickly became a competent, reliable, and commendable team captain."

"Ahh, stop it. You're making me blush.", the crimsonette giggled, but quickly returned the smile.

"Right... it is you who has been chosen to be the leader of your team.", Jacques mused towards the younger student, "That must be quite the burden for someone who is so much younger than everybody else at Beacon, am I right?"

Of course, Ruby wasn't surprised by any details her girlfriend's father knew about her life. He had probably checked her background at least as thoroughly as Winter had done: family, upbringing, career progression, grades, attended missions, likely even other stuff that should be confidential, her dental records, for example. Thankfully, there were no official reports of what she and Weiss did whenever they were away from any prying eyes.

"Well, I guess you can say that it is indeed challenging at times to be an apt team leader, even a little more so due to my age.", the crimsonette agreed humbly, "However, it only spurs me on to work even harder on myself since I know that my teammates rely on me. Additionally, just because I was appointed leader doesn't mean my team's success is entirely my responsibility... or any accomplishment is completely my merit, for that matter. After all, I have three immensely smart and supportive companions who help me with fulfilling my duties and constantly contribute to my improvement. Especially in terms of organizational matters, Weiss is a real lifesaver because she is a far more rigorous and orderly student than I am. In Team RWBY, everyone does their part to the impressive overall picture... and I mean, a good boss must also be able to delegate tasks to concentrate on their most important obligations, right?"

"That is certainly a favorable quality.", the CEO admitted... and it seemed that he was almost annoyed by the teen's acceptable answer. Apparently, Ruby was doing everything right so far.

But before the young couple could revel in this first minor victory, a few butlers suddenly entered the room, carrying the first course of the meal the two girls had almost forgotten about: the salad. And the small plates of greens quickly reminded the crimsonette that this battle about leaving a superb first impression had only just begun. There were still a lot of different situations to master and blunders to avoid. And now, it seemed that it was time to shine in terms of table manners.

Luckily, Ruby was well-prepared for the task at hand. She and Weiss hadn't practiced that stuff ad nauseam for nothing, after all. While everyone at the table got their dish, she quickly inspected her silverware and found the respective knife and fork where she had memorized it – always use the cutlery from the outside in. The lettuce and vegetables weren't cut into bite-sized pieces, so she would need both.

Soon, the four plates were served, but as delicious as the salad looked, Ruby didn't dig right in. As Weiss had told her, her father was in command regarding literally everything, starting off every course of every meal included. Therefore, the crimsonette politely waited until the dinner party received a curt nod from the Schnee patriarch and he himself had taken the first bite.

The moment she picked up her cutlery, she immediately felt Jacques' eyes on her again. As already expected, he was really looking for some kind of mistake in her behavior, as trivial as it might be. Nevertheless, Ruby didn't intend to give him the satisfaction to find anything to criticize – she was a salad-eating professional now... as stupid as the title sounded the moment it passed her mind.

Cutting and picking up a piece of lettuce, the crimsonette brought it to her mouth. No slicing up the entire dish but going for one bite at a time, as well as no leaning in to eat it, then bringing her fork down again immediately the moment she was finished, she remembered. It wasn't rocket science, but it still felt incredibly weird to her to heed so many little details. Yet, she made sure to carry out any advice she had gotten from her girlfriend to the point. Once this dinner was over, Jacques would be asking her to marry his daughter himself, Ruby thought with an inward grin and took another bite, this time a piece of tomato.

"Is everything to your satisfaction, Miss Rose?", the CEO suddenly asked the moment she had finished chewing her second piece, "Do you want some salt, pepper, cheese maybe?" With a snap of his fingers, three butlers who hadn't carried any plates but entered the room regardless and still stood by the door made a step forward.

"While it already tastes delicious, especially the vinaigrette, a bit of extra pepper would be nice.", Ruby replied politely, "Unless the food has a distinguishable sweeter note, in a salad's case maybe with a fruity orange dressing, I prefer my dishes a little spicier than most people. But if I ever ask you for hot sauce for the entree, please call me a psychiatrist."

And with that single sentence, the crimsonette was able to tick off three more points from the qualities needed to impress Jacques: She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, she possessed culinary expertise, and she was able to weave a bit of humor into a dinner conversation. Admittedly, the joke was at her expense, but her girlfriend's father certainly knew that she wasn't being serious... and she didn't have to belittle anybody else to be what the CEO would consider funny.

"You heard our guest.", Jacques said to one of his servants without turning around, and immediately, the fine-dressed man with the black grinder rushed to the young girl's side and started to spice up her food without a word. And after a few turns of the mill, Ruby told him to stop and thanked him cordially afterwards. She took another bite, then smiled and nodded to herself.

"I must admit that I am surprised by your immaculate table manners.", the CEO explained, "Please do not take offense at that, but I was expecting... something else."

Upon being addressed again, the crimsonette put her cutlery down, making sure to criss-cross the tips of her knife and fork across the top of her plate to indicate that she was only taking a break. Then she used her napkin to wipe her mouth clean in a ladylike manner and put it aside as well.

"This is no coincidence, Sir.", she answered honestly, "When Weiss informed me of your consent for me to stay at Schnee Manor during my time in Atlas, I asked her to tutor me a bit in that regard. As you may know, I am from a more... humble background and my table manners were merely average. So in order to not appear disrespectful or embarrass me, I considered it a necessity to improve my dining etiquette. After all, I know the importance of behaving sophisticated and well-mannered among upscale society. As the saying goes: When in Atlas, do as the Atlesians do."

At first, Weiss was taken aback a bit by her girlfriend's frank statement. Was it really a good idea to confirm that Ruby was just run-off-the-mill common folk who simply studied and practiced to create a façade of adequacy? However, the heiress quickly reconsidered this thought. Her father certainly already knew what kind of environment the crimsonette had grown up in, so he probably would've considered it an attempt to fool him if they were trying to present the Valean girl as a classy lady by default. But the path Ruby took – humble and honest – showed that she was well-aware of what was expected from her and effortlessly able to adapt and that she calculated her steps in order to dispel any disadvantages and reach her goals... which was yet another quality the CEO would likely approve of. So in retrospect, Weiss had to admit that her lover's approach was probably leaps and bounds better than her initial plan. What a lucky girl she was to have such a brilliant partner.

"How considerate of you.", Jacques replied to his guest's explanation, "This is indeed wise management of unfamiliar situations. And it seems that my daughter has taught you well."

"Well, it wasn't too much work. Although I grew up on a small island near Vale, I wasn't raised to be a savage.", Ruby said with a small chuckle, "Nevertheless, Weiss' instructions regarding some specific details were of immense support."

"Thankfully, I had a diligent student.", the heiress returned the compliment, "Yet, as you have already mentioned, there weren't many aspects to improve."

Of course, that wasn't entirely true, considering how many insignificant and annoying trifles the Atlesian upper class placed importance on. But the white-haired girl still wanted to convince her father that her leader was above average in many regards from the very beginning. Concerning character traits that actually mattered to compose an amazing person – benignity, compassion, ambitiousness, and thoughtfulness, to name a few – that was perfectly accurate in Ruby's case anyway... although the CEO didn't place much value in those attributes.

"Regardless, every improvement, however small, is a necessary one if you strive for perfection.", the crimsonette countered, "So in case I haven't mentioned it often enough, thank you very much for your help."

"And as I've told you before many times, there is no need to thank me.", Weiss replied, "It is certainly in my interest as well to have a partner who is able to behave appropriately around sophisticated company."

At the comradely exchange, Jacques only raised an eyebrow, something the young couple noticed in the corner of their eyes. His expression showed a weird mixture of approval... and disdain, probably for how well the two teammates harmonized. Another hurdle taken.

At the other side of the table, Whitley simply ate his salad and kept his mouth shut, trying not to draw any attention to himself. This conversation seemed to revolve around their guest anyway... and he knew better than to butt in and anger his father.

The dining party ate their salad mostly in silence afterwards... something Ruby and Weiss were rather thankful for. Jacques only asked the crimsonette a few more or less trivial questions about her childhood every now and then, how it had been to grow up in Patch, or what had motivated her to become a Huntress, for example. Under normal circumstances, it even could've been considered ordinary small talk... yet, the Valean girl was cautious to keep her guard up. Despite the lighter topics the CEO addressed now, his tone of voice still carried something... interrogating.

Of course, Ruby tried to answer Jacques' questions as truthfully as possible to appear credible. Nevertheless, she paid heed to avoid telling him about any embarrassing situations or at least played them down if it was unpreventable to mention them. The same went for emotionally sensitive matters, first and foremost Summer Rose. The crimsonette briefly explained that she had been a great mother and certainly her primary inspiration for wanting to become a Huntress herself, that she died while attending a mission when Ruby and her sister still had been little, and that the whole family still missed her dearly sometimes. Thankfully, Jacques didn't dwell on it... and even his condolences didn't sound as indifferent as both Beacon students had expected.

Soon, the Schnee family and their guest had finished the entree of the meal and it was time for the main dish: roast venison with potato dumplings and red cabbage. The reveal caused Weiss to let out an internal sigh of relief. She had actually apprehended that her father had ordered the staff to prepare something complicated to eat, like whole fish or even lobster, for her girlfriend to embarrass herself while trying to properly disassemble her food. But it seemed that the CEO had decided to go for the bragging route instead of attempting to make a fool of his guest: Venison was highly popular in Vale... and – for obvious reasons – highly expensive in Solitas, especially in Atlas.

The heiress was actually so glad about this easy dish that she completely forgot that she herself was no fan of such rich and heavy food. But then again, she had long since learned not to disagree with her father's preferences in terms of dining.

"Oh my... this looks and smells marvelous.", Ruby said in awe once a butler had helped herself to meat, sides, and sauce, "My family – and I assume pretty much every middle-class family as well – only feasts like this on a holiday or a special occasion. Well, maybe on a few Sundays as well, but still." Again, it was a balancing act to flatter Jacques and don't make herself and her family appear like poor plebs at the same time, but the crimsonette slowly got the hang of it.

"I am glad to hear that the meal appeals to you.", the CEO said patronizingly, "May I ask what wine you would prefer? Our cellar offers a wide selection, so please do not hesitate to voice any specific desires."

"Hmm...", the Valean teen pondered and returned his expectant (and somewhat intimidating) look with a small smile, "Since I don't feel overly adventurous today, I guess I'll go with a basic.", but before Jacques could deem her a lowbrow, she added triumphantly, "Something slightly fruity and boldly flavored to complement the gamey edge to the meat. So perhaps a Burgundy or a Bordeaux. Which one do you recommend, Sir, since I don't know how your cooks prefer to season?"

From Jacques' astonished look, the young couple instantly recognized that he hadn't expected such an answer. He had probably awaited to hear a simple color or one of the three to five wines everybody knew the names off... but not such an on-point analysis. Knowing one's way around a bit of cutlery was one thing, but enology was an entirely different matter. The girl his daughter had dragged into his house was either full of surprises or had taken her preparations quite seriously. Either point was in her favor, nonetheless.

"Personally, I would prefer a Burgundy.", the CEO admitted, but then he added, "Although now I am quite curious about the adventurous choice you have mentioned."

"Considering the gentle roast, maybe a mellow, full-bodied wine like a Rioja would be adequate, too.", the crimsonette shot back, already having expected the follow-up question, "But since I want to leave a good first impression as the representative of Weiss' social environment at Beacon, I better refrain from any experiments. So I'll take a Burgundy as well, and thank you very much for your advice."

"You are very welcome, Miss Rose.", Jacques replied, his eyes narrowing a bit while the butlers poured the wine (Weiss and Whitley apparently went for the same), "Now please, indulge."

Once more, the group of four started eating, and unsurprisingly to Ruby, it was absolutely delicious. The meat was incredibly tender, the red cabbage perfectly seasoned, and the sauce pleasantly spicy. Additionally, and much to the crimsonette's delight, she didn't have to deal with weird and complicated procedures but could simply focus on enjoying her meal. Of course, she still made sure to dine like a lady: proper use of cutlery, small bites, napkin, a sip of wine here and there, and so on.

But just when the young couple was about to relax a bit, Jacques continued his subtle interrogation.

"Miss Rose, since it is obvious that you are the person closest to my daughter at Beacon Academy, do you mind telling me how the two of you have met and become acquainted?", he asked without warning, "As I have already mentioned, Weiss hardly goes into any details whenever she writes home, especially regarding her personal life. So I only know you and your association with her from the brief mentions in her letters and by inferring what a cursory research of some school records revealed. I hope you pardon my curiosity when I would like to hear how she made her first... friend abroad."

'Another course, another topic. How surprising, Father...', Weiss sighed inwardly. Her gaze drifted towards her right and quickly met the questioning one from her girlfriend. She knew exactly what Ruby was worried about – their first meeting was anything but pleasant, after all. Yet, she truly detested seeing concern and insecurity in these beautiful silver orbs she just needed to glance at to fall in love with the younger teen all over again. Therefore, she just gave the crimsonette a subtle smile that was meant to tell her: "Do as you please, Rose Petal. I trust you." And immediately, Ruby's eyes regained their mesmerizing sparkle and the heiress was rewarded with a reassuring smile as well.

"That is actually a quite amusing story.", the crimsonette began after she had swallowed a piece of potato dumpling and wiped her mouth clean, "Our first meeting didn't exactly take place under a lucky star, so to speak. In short, when I arrived at Beacon on our first day, I was a bit lost, didn't watch where I was going, and accidentally tripped over her luggage. I also spilled some Dust in the process. You can certainly guess that your daughter was anything but fond of me for the first few days."

Much like with the tales about her childhood, Ruby decided to stick to the truth as close as possible regarding her and Weiss' origin story as well. Nevertheless, she also knew that she should probably leave out yet another few embarrassing details. For example, mentioning her explosive sneeze wouldn't add anything important to the depiction of her and the heiress' first meeting, not even in terms of credibility. It would only worsen Jacques' currently not too terrible opinion of her again.

"A comprehensible reaction.", the CEO said and raised an eyebrow, "Nevertheless, the two of you still became teammates, partners, even. How did that happen after such a... misfortunate start?"

"Well, at first, I naturally wanted to make up for my mistake, apologized, and so on.", the crimsonette explained, "But of course, that didn't really work with a woman as prideful as your daughter. Thankfully, Beacon's allocation system kind of worked in my favor so I didn't have to miss out on her companionship."

"How come?", Jacques asked further.

"Before our initiation in the Emerald Forest, we were told that partners would be decided by the first person a student makes eye contact with after arriving.", Ruby continued, "And as fate would have it, Weiss and I quickly happened to run into each other. Of course, neither of us was very happy about that at first. But over time – as you can see – we managed to patch things up between us."

"Pardon my bluntness, but in my opinion, that seems to be an incredibly irresponsible way to designate at least four-year-long partnerships of warriors who regularly have to jeopardize their lives.", the heiress' father grumbled.

"Quite the contrary, if you ask me.", the crimsonette shot back confidently, "And your daughter and I are actually a very good example for that. If you were to be paired with somebody who is quite different from you – as it was the case with us – it offers you a lot of opportunities to grow in various aspects. It was Weiss who helped me to become a more disciplined and diligent student since she is one herself. She also urged me to take my position as team leader adequately seriously and encouraged me many times when I doubted myself. In return, I helped her to become more sociable and work properly in a team to achieve the best possible results, academically or on missions. Additionally, I assist her with multifarious other tasks: improving her weapon, motivating the rest of our team for projects under her supervision, watching out that she doesn't overwork herself – that's still quite a problem sometimes – and so on. We may have been off to a bad start, but now – and also partly because we had to adapt and evolve – we harmonize better than we ever could have with a partner who was compatible from the start.

"You see, Sir: By forcing a likely suboptimal situation on their students, Beacon prepares them for the harsh realities of life. After all, one doesn't always have a choice in numerous matters, and then it is important to have the necessary skills at one's disposal to properly deal with whatever hardship. Also, not being able to choose your partner yourself and then be paired with somebody who doesn't share every one of your opinions gives you a chance at new perspectives and experiences you wouldn't have made otherwise. My companionship with Weiss definitely broadened my horizon – as you can currently see for yourself – and I want to believe that I encouraged some positive developments in her character as well."

"You certainly did.", Weiss agreed with a small grin, "And enduring the few quirks I haven't been able to cure you of yet will also be of advantage later on."

"Very funny.", her girlfriend shot back dryly, yet smiled a bit as well, then she turned her attention back to Jacques, "But seriously, compared to our selves from two years ago, both of us have made immense progress in pretty much every aspect: socially, academically, tactically, and... umm, martially. Admittedly, you don't have to take my word for the effectiveness of Beacon's way of doing things, but I would say Team RWBY's overall success over the last semesters is a clear indicator. By now, we're even internationally renowned, and that's still as second... okay, soon to be third-year students."

"I guess I can't argue with that logic.", Jacques admitted, sounding almost disappointed, "And it seems that my daughter can consider herself lucky that she happened to find such an... interesting partner."

'You have no idea how lucky exactly, Father.', Weiss thought with a beaming smile – mostly inwardly, though, 'Although that will change in a few days.'

"Your praise honors me, Sir.", Ruby said courtly and with a polite bow of her head, "I promise that I won't disappoint you in the future."

"I do hope so, Miss Rose.", the CEO replied... and both Beacon students could practically hear the unspoken "Or else..." afterwards.

The main course, too, progressed without any unpleasant incidents. And after Ruby's reasoned commendations to Beacon, her team, and Weiss in particular, Jacques also seemed to hold back on his interrogating questions again. He merely insisted on them – mostly his daughter this time – telling him a bit of basic information on how classes and missions proceeded, how competent their teachers were, and what honorable tasks their team had already accomplished to establish their high-ranking status. Much to the young couple's surprise, he didn't particularly mention the disaster-turned-victory at Nave and the crimsonette's infection with this new, alarming Grimm illness, although the two teens were sure that he must have heard about it, maybe not in such detail as Winter, but still. Nevertheless, if he didn't inquire into it further himself, Ruby and Weiss didn't consider it necessary to tell him the whole, drawn-out story on their own and only gave him a brief summary of the events, mostly focusing on how well they had been working together and on their success in the end. The same went for their investigations at Blackwell.

The CEO only hummed and nodded at their explanations – apparently, he really wasn't overly interested in hearing about the specifics, for whatever reason. Maybe he just didn't know enough about the work as a Huntress(-in-training) to use whatever he deemed flawed against them. But no matter the reason, it worked in the students' favor.

Nevertheless, Ruby and Weiss stayed cautious. Just because they were doing surprisingly well until now didn't mean that the heiress' father still couldn't have something up his sleeve. That he continued to focus on them and had hardly recognized Whitley's existence so far reinforced their belief that something troublesome was yet to come. However, they still didn't know what exactly the CEO was aiming at with all his questions... but he certainly wasn't just interested in his daughter's life.

Eventually, the dinner party had taken care of the venison roast and side dishes – of course, there were a lot of leftovers – and more servants than actually needed cleared the table again. Then it was time for dessert: white chocolate parfait with raspberry and red wine sauce. And of course, Jacques used this change of course for another change of topic once more.

"So tell me, Weiss.", he addressed his daughter once the butlers had served the parfait and left again, "What interesting activities did you plan for yourself and your partner during this vacation? I highly doubt that you intend to stay inside the mansion most of the time. Not that you won't be welcome in the latter case, however, I would like to believe that young and enterprising people like you – especially Miss Rose – are anticipating a bit more... entertainment."

"Naturally, we don't plan to waste away our vacation now that I have the opportunity to show Ruby my beautiful hometown.", the white-haired girl replied matter-of-factly, "Therefore, I was thinking it would be best to start with an extensive sight-seeing tour."

"A sound idea.", the CEO agreed, "I will instruct a driver to be at your free disposal whenever you decide to depart."

"That won't be necessary, Father.", Weiss quickly explained, already having feared such an offer, "Ruby and I are content to travel on our own. We do not want to cause unnecessary inconvenience to you and the staff."

"Please, Weiss. I insist.", Jacques replied, his tone of voice a weird mixture of generosity and sternness, "Traveling by foot or with public transportation is not befitting a Schnee in Atlas. Not to mention that it would be a great relief for me to know that you are safely sheltered during your trips. You might be a skillful Huntress now, yet a father never stops worrying about his children."

"In this case, I gratefully accept your offer.", the heiress said, repressing a sigh. Obviously, she knew that this was less about safety but more about surveillance. Nevertheless, she also doubted that it would be of any use to argue any further without appearing suspicious.

"You are very welcome.", her father responded, "And of course, I encourage you to take advantage of this offer for other ventures throughout the city as well. I assume you still have other agenda apart from showing Miss Rose the multifarious sights of Atlas, correct?"

"As Ruby has already mentioned, we won't indulge in leisure activities alone during our stay.", Weiss continued, "Working on improving yourself never stops as a Huntress, still in training or already graduated. Therefore, I intend to spend at least a day, maybe two, visiting Atlas Academy with her. While there is still more than enough time to take care of the assignments we have to finish over our semester break, I would rather start working on them sooner than later. And while our own library is already quite extensive, it likely lacks some of the textbooks we need. Additionally, while at the academy, we can also use the breaks on our essays for some combat training with Atlas' highly modern equipment. Given our Beacon IDs, Team RWBY's reputation, and my family name, there should be no problem with that. Maybe we'll even find some suitable sparring partners who share our mentality that we shouldn't slack off just because the semester is over."

"I see. And what a fortunate coincidence.", Jacques mentioned... and before a concerned shiver could even fully travel down both girls' spines, he continued, "I need to discuss certain matters with General Ironwood someday during the next week. If you also intend to head to the academy, it would only make sense for us to travel together. Additionally, it would be a splendid opportunity for me to watch my little girl in her element, even if it is only training exercises. However, I doubt that I will ever find myself in a combat zone, so I... take what I can get, like it is known in common parlance."

"Uhhh, Father, while I am glad that you take such an interest in me and my progress, I presume you would be bored watching Ruby and me practicing.", the white-haired girl replied, "Also, we haven't even decided when... or even if we were going to train. Maybe we'll just leave it at studying."

"Please, dear. I only insist on a brief demonstration of your skills.", the CEO asked... although it sounded more like an order, "Or are you worried that my presence will be distracting you and your partner?"

"Of course not.", Weiss immediately replied, "If it doesn't interfere with your schedule and General Ironwood also agrees, we'll be happy to demonstrate our cooperation in a combat situation. Right, Ruby?"

"Fine with me.", the crimsonette seconded, "Actually, perhaps important spectators will even spur us on to new peak performances."

"Then it is settled.", Jacques concluded, "But do not fear that I will pursue you your entire vacation. After all, I have serious work to do myself."

"In that case, we especially appreciate that you want to spend your sparse free time with us, Sir.", Ruby said politely.

"It is not worth the mention.", the CEO responded nonchalantly, "If you cherish your family, you create your own time to share with them. Speaking of which: How full – or flexible, for that matter – is your overall schedule?"

Once again, both teens knew that it wasn't actually a question. Or, to be more precise, there was only one correct answer to it, for that matter. However, what new difficulties would it get the young couple into?

"I guess we're pretty untethered regarding sightseeing and studying.", Weiss said carefully, "Why do you ask?"

"You see, there is a little... gala of some sorts on Friday.", Jacques explained, "And of course, our family is invited to attend as guests of honor – courtesy of one of my business partners who is hosting the event. I would like you and Miss Rose to accompany me and Whitley... and maybe your mother, depending on her constitution."

Upon the invite, Ruby and Weiss only raised an eyebrow each.

"I am certain that you will enjoy yourselves: delicious refreshments, music, dancing, engaging conversations... even with people around your age, don't worry. New experiences, if nothing else.", Jacques continued and eyed the crimsonette ominously at that comment, "You should certainly still be accustomed to how an upscale soiree proceeds, I hope. And given what a genteel lady Miss Rose actually is – contrary to my expectations, if she'll pardon the remark – I have no doubts that she will blend in perfectly as well. So, what do you say? May I inform my acquaintance of your attendance? Of course, I would understand if you have better things to do."

Needless to say, his last statement sounded anything but sincere... or like an actual option at all, again. Therefore, the young couple exchanged yet another glance, subtly nodded at each other, then the white-haired girl answered:

"We would love to accompany you, Father. Thank you very much for your invitation."

"I concur with that.", Ruby seconded, "I mean, when will I ever get another opportunity to attend such a noble happening?"

"Fantastic." the CEO concluded, "Yet another evening I can spend with my youngest daughter... and her remarkable partner. I am looking forward to celebrating this elegant event with you. Nevertheless, I hope it goes without saying that you should conduct yourselves in the best possible manner."

"Of course.", Weiss replied matter-of-factly.

"Nothing would be further from my mind than to embarrass my partner's family and betray your generosity, Sir.", the crimsonette quickly added.

"I expect nothing less from you, Miss Rose.", Jacques stated, "And I sincerely hope that you will translate your words into corresponding actions. Your... immaculate behavior this evening might have lessened my concerns in that regard, but a man in my position has learned to be cautious."

"I fully understand, Sir.", Ruby reassured her girlfriend's father, "But already for Weiss alone, I would never do anything to harm her or your reputation, not even accidentally."

"That is... relieving to hear.", the Schnee patriarch replied, then he gave his daughter a suspicious glance. The heiress, however, only returned a faint, yet still somewhat smug grin that was meant to tell her father that her partner always had her back, no matter what... and that even if the CEO considered friends of any sort unnecessary, she had found herself an outstanding one.

The Schnees and Ruby finished their dessert and their last sip of wine, then Jacques dismissed the kids without another attempt to pry into both Beacon students' personal lives. It almost seemed like he was discouraged to do so since he certainly hadn't expected the crimsonette to be so well-mannered. Whatever effort to unsettle her with his questions had been fruitless as well. He had to admit that Weiss really had made an acquaintance befitting her status... or just a very good actress. Even the younger teen's farewell and curtsy before the two girls left the dining room again to relax a bit (it had been a long flight, they stated) had been immaculate.

Back in the hallways, both lovers breathed a huge sigh of relief. That dinner certainly went better than expected.

"Seems like we've taken the first hurdle.", Weiss said as she and her girlfriend made their way to their respective rooms, "Although I have no idea what Father is planning by watching us practice our fighting techniques or inviting us to this weird gala he hadn't told me a thing about beforehand."

"Beats me, too.", Ruby seconded, "Apparently, while we're trying to slowly warm him up to the idea of us, he plays his own, mysterious game. Maybe he's already looking for some flaws in your choice of company or overall development at Beacon to have a reason to disinherit you in the future, as Winter has told us."

"Or he is at least trying to find something wrong with me studying abroad to force me back to Atlas so he'll regain some control over my life.", the heiress pondered, "Which would be just as undesirable. But he can wait until doomsday before we'll allow ourselves even the tiniest mistake."

"Now that you mention it: Did I do good?", the crimsonette asked worriedly, "I tried really hard to be as courtly as you, but was it enough? There's no second chance for first impressions, after all. And despite your dad's praise, I'm not sure if he actually meant it or was just being polite... or calculating of some sort... or sarcastic, maybe?"

"You were wonderful, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded affectionally, "A perfect lady, really. And for the time being, my father certainly can't say a single bad thing about you."

"Whew... if you think so, too, then I'm relieved.", the younger teen sighed happily.

"But, unfortunately, that only applies to you as an acquaintance of mine he can bear to have around every now and then.", the white-haired girl continued glumly, "Not to a woman I intend to... no, will spend the rest of my life with. And making this idea palatable to my father will require quite a different and certainly a lot more arduous effort. As of yet, I don't even know how we should approach that topic."

"For now, I guess we should simply stick to showing your dad that I'm an enrichment for your life of whatever kind – personally and professionally.", Ruby pondered with a warm smile, trying to cheer her girlfriend up again, "Revealing what specific sort of enrichment comes later. Maybe after this weird gala he likely expects me to screw up somehow. But I definitely won't do him this favor."

"I have no doubts about that, Rose Petal.", Weiss responded and a smile found its way back into her expression as well.

"How about we take things step by step and just revel in our first little victory for the time being?", the crimsonette suggested, "As your sister has told us, as long as we don't lose hope and stay motivated, we can pull off everything."

"Your plans are always the best, my fearless leader.", the heiress replied softly... before correcting herself, "Well, almost always."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?", Ruby asked, pouting cutely.

"That means you can't deny a few exceptions.", Weiss explained, "The food fight comes to mind, for example. Smuggling Zwei on a mission, too. Oh, and let's not forget about the... things the two of us did during our latest team bonding exercise in the dance club."

"Hey, you always enjoyed yourself in the end.", the younger teen responded.

"That's a secret I'll take to the grave.", the white-haired girl shot back with a grin, "Anyway, let's get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll spend the day visiting a few impressive tourist attractions in Atlas. And with a little luck, we might even have a bit of time just for ourselves away from prying eyes."

"Your plans are not half-bad, either, Snow... umm, no, wait... Ice Flowe... Nah, that's our team attack. Urgh, come on, brain! Be useful for a change.", Ruby grumbled.

"One day, you'll succeed with the new nickname, I'm sure.", Weiss giggled as a wave of comfort spread through her entire body. As long as this adorable dolt was by her side, she knew that she could accomplish anything.

Chapter Text

Of course, Ruby didn't like the long hallways of Schnee Manor at all. It took way too long to get to your destination; everything looked pretty much the same; and if one didn't look out, it was incredibly easy to get lost in this damn labyrinth posing as a house. And then, there was the overall atmosphere: still cold and distant – although a certain white-haired girl next to her radiated warmth and comfort – too dimly lit... and not a single soul around as if to specifically underline the subtle horror movie vibe.

However, right now, the younger teen actually wished for the corridors to stretch, to wind, and to make proper orientation even harder. That way, she could spend a bit more time by her girlfriend's side, even though they couldn't exchange affections at the moment. Nevertheless, just being near Weiss while navigating this annoying maze was still better than what was awaiting them: Eventually, they had to part to pass the night in separate rooms.

Admittedly, it was only close to ten o'clock, nevertheless, both girls were pretty exhausted and had decided that it was best to get some rest now. Their weariness wasn't too surprising, though, given how much they already had to deal with today: the long flight, the unexpected meeting with Winter, the crimsonette's first impression of the manor, and last but not least the dinner slash interrogation with Jacques. And after mastering all of these ordeals, a snatch of sleep sounded quite tempting... if only that wouldn't involve them having to leave each other.

Subtly, Ruby tried to slow down her walking speed a little to delay the inevitable. Yet, she knew that this won't help much. Best would be if they still got lost on the last few yards somehow. But much to her dismay, that wasn't very likely since Weiss seemed to know the manor by heart... probably because she had spent the greater part of her childhood just inside of this cage, as she addressed it.

Therefore – and long before either of them actually wanted it – they reached the fork that was meant to separate them. Admittedly, only for a few hours... but still.

"Well, then: As much as I would like things to be different, I guess this is where we have to part ways.", Weiss announced reluctantly. She kept her voice down, though, in case there was a staff member around that might eavesdrop on them – as unlikely as the empty corridors made that seem.

"As unusual as it is for us by now, I'm sure time will just fly by until we're reunited... especially since we'll spend most of it sleeping.", Ruby replied with a comforting smile.

"Says the clingier one of us.", the heiress chuckled, "While I've also come to hate being alone ever since we've become a couple, I'm a lot more used to it. You can hardly stand it when someone's in the bathroom at the dorm for too long because you start missing them. And given our particular relationship, I think you'll have the harder time here... especially while knowing that I'm technically available for company."

"Hey, I'm not that crazily fixated on you.", the crimsonette pouted cutely, "I mean, it's only natural that I prefer to be around the woman I love... or my friends in general, for that matter, instead of being alone. But I'm no weird pet or plant that withers and dies in a couple of hours without any attention."

"That's not what I was driving at, Rose Petal, don't worry.", Weiss said conciliatorily, "And of course, I also want to spend as much time as possible with the people I hold dear. Needless to say, you're on top of that list by a long shot. I was just trying to say that I can probably bear it better – not easier, though – if we're separated for some time."

"Urgh... you're probably right.", the younger teen grumbled, "I guess my social needs have increased immensely ever since I've found real friends at Beacon... and even more drastically after we've gotten together. Which is kinda weird, given how socially awkward I was before.

"But then let's consider the separate rooms now a good exercise to correct that again. Oh, and also good training for later. I mean, in the future, I'll have to get by on my own for days when I'm out on a mission and you can't accompany me because you need to take care of CEO stuff for the SDC."

She deliberately added the last part to clarify that they would definitely make their dreams come true – especially Weiss' ones as the savior of the Schnee Dust Company, her family's reputation, and thousands of Faunus workers.

"Well, if it helps, feel free to think of it that way.", the white-haired girl giggled, "And now let's head to our respective rooms. The longer we wait, the harder it'll become to part eventually."

"Is it okay if I hug you?", Ruby asked all of a sudden, "Or do you think that's too risky because someone passing by could see us exchanging affections?"

"I was told that even normal friends hug each other from time to time. So I guess we should be fine.", Weiss replied with a small smirk, but then she added out of caution, "But try to keep your hands at... appropriate places. As you may know, things tend to escalate rather quickly between us."

"I'll just leave the good parts to my imagination.", the crimsonette promised and returned the grin.

"Luckily for you, I can't look into your head.", the heiress responded, "And luckily for me, you can't in mine, either."

"Ohhh, and what would I find if I could?", Ruby inquired teasingly.

"I'll leave that to your imagination as well.", the white-haired girl simply concluded.

A moment later, Weiss found herself in a firm, yet affectionate hug. Nevertheless, the crimsonette stuck to her promise and aborted her usual signature moves in time. Her left hand which normally slid down her lover's back to give her shapely behind a tender squeeze stopped about an inch shy of reaching her tailbone. And her right came to rest right below the heiress' shoulderblade instead of venturing further upward to tenderly caress her neck. Deeming this an appropriate degree of intimacy, the Atlesian quickly mimicked her girlfriend's actions and put her hands in pretty much the same positions.

"Good night, Weiss.", Ruby whispered tenderly and repressed the urge to kiss the white-haired girl's neck, "I'll definitely dream of you tonight."

"Likewise.", the heiress replied equally lovingly, "See you tomorrow."

She then wanted to let go of the younger teen, but... couldn't. Apparently, the crimsonette had some trouble with forcing her muscles to let their catch go. Understandable, given what would have to happen next, yet incredibly inconvenient.

"Umm, Ruby? Not that I don't appreciate the cuddles, but the longer we stay like this, the riskier it gets.", Weiss remarked and gently tried to push her girlfriend away. Unsurprisingly, her own muscles resisted a bit at first but eventually had to submit to her will.

"R-right. Sorry.", the crimsonette said, pressed the heiress' body close to her own one last time – almost firm enough to be uncomfortable – and finally broke the embrace.

"Good night, Ruby.", Weiss stated firmly... not only to prevent her girlfriend from yet another clingy action but also to shut the irrational part of her mind up that tried to tell her to take the younger teen to her room, regardless of the risks, "If you need anything, feel free to send me a message or give me a call. Although I think your room should have everything necessary for you to survive the night."

'Except you, though...', the younger teen grumbled inwardly, but she quickly shook her sadness off and replied, "I'll most likely be fine. By the way, when and where do we meet up tomorrow morning? I guess it's best not to simply sleep in after telling your father how ambitious and productive we are, right?"

"Glad that you brought it up. I was planning to start my day around seven, take care of my morning routine, and then go wake you about half an hour later.", the white-haired girl explained, "After you've showered and gotten dressed, I thought about giving you a little tour through the manor so you can navigate the halls a bit more easily on your own. Breakfast will probably be served around nine. And afterwards, it's sightseeing... and refining our other plans for this vacation."

"Then I'll set an alarm to seven in the morning as well, so we can start with the manor tour a little earlier.", Ruby proposed, "And you won't have to kill half an hour while I'm in the bathroom getting ready... unless you wanted to hop into the shower with me." Of course, she added the last part just in a barely audible whisper... but she added it, nonetheless.

"Good night, Ruby.", the heiress repeated herself even firmer than before, but even while rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Night, Weiss.", the crimsonette replied, then both teens went their separate ways, although still quite reluctantly. Spending nearly every night in the same bed for almost an entire year had really impacted them... especially the younger teen.

Back in her room, Ruby quickly breezed through her bedtime routine, namely doing her business on the toilet, changing into her pajamas, brushing her teeth, and washing and moisturizing her face and hands. Admittedly, she wasn't overly diligent about skincare and didn't keep up with any beauty trends or whatever – she was naturally cute, after all – but it still felt refreshing and, in all honesty, made her feel a bit more grown-up since she wasn't very lady-like to begin with. Also, handling her huge scythe certainly didn't do her palms any favors and she wanted to prevent her hands from becoming too coarse. Thankfully, it seemed to work so far.

Once she was done in the adjacent bathroom of her chambers, she connected her Scroll to its charger, put the device on the nightstand, and went to bed. She briefly considered reading something or playing a game for another hour or so since it was still pretty early, but eventually decided against it as weariness slowly began to mess with her concentration. Therefore, she got as comfortable as she could on the silky sheets and under the cuddly blanket, settled into her favored solo sleeping position (she barely remembered it anymore, though), and tried to get some shuteye.

However, sleep didn't come easy, much to Ruby's confusion. She was pretty tired, that was out of the question, and her bed was warm and soft. But despite that, the crimsonette still felt restless. Was it because of the various recent events her body and mind still needed to process? Was it because of possible worries about the many hardships that still lay in front of her and Weiss? Or was simply something missing that was necessary for her to fully relax... or someone, to be more precise?

For the next fifteen minutes (give and take), the Valean girl tossed and turned around in her spacious bed, way too spacious for one person alone. Nevertheless, whatever position she adopted, there was always some weird tension remaining. Even experimental approaches like lying the wrong way around, dangling halfway from the edge of the bed, or elevating her legs with the spare pillow and blanket didn't offer any improvements. Not to mention that the crimsonette felt kinda stupid doing most of it.

Another half an hour was spent trying to let herself be lulled to sleep with the aid of various relaxation sound loops she found on her Scroll. In ten-minute intervals, she heard soft drizzle, the gentle murmur of ocean waves, and crickets chirping... only to eventually get annoyed by the noises or find them distracting in some way. With a defeated sigh, an exhausted yet still wide-awake Ruby silenced the device and stared at the ceiling.

But then, another idea hit her. There was still something she could do that usually helped her relax. Something that also worked better with Weiss involved, but it wasn't like she had forgotten how to do it on her own.

Gingerly, one of her hands wandered towards her crotch and soon slipped under the waistband of her pajama pants and panties. The soft, cleanly shaven skin of her pubic mound trembled under her touch, her body already anticipating what was about to happen. Her other hand slowly crept under her tank top to play with one of her supple breasts. Would be a shame if her pussy hogged all the fun to itself, right?

But when her fingertips brushed her nether lips and the swell of her chest, respectively, Ruby suddenly remembered an important detail. It would definitely leave a pretty bad (and embarrassing) impression if she made a mess in a foreign bed where other people would change the sheets for her. So it was necessary to keep her liquid arousal contained somehow... considering that her pussy tended to drool a rather copious amount of juices if things really got going. Therefore, the crimsonette briefly interrupted her actions to find a suitable underlay in the bathroom, namely a towel. While she was at it, she also got rid of her pajamas entirely – thankfully, her chambers were adequately heated. And once the towel was in place and all the beddings had gotten out of the way, she settled back into a comfortable position and continued where she had left off.

This time, though, she got to work a little faster instead of basking in the feeling of sweet anticipation. This was only partly about pleasure, after all. Predominantly, she just wanted to sleep. There was no reason to unnecessarily drag things out... probably.

A soft hum escaped Ruby's throat when two of her fingers slid through the cleft of her moist, puffy lower lips. At first, the slender digits stroked and prodded the tiny entrance at the bottom a bit, then they wandered back up to tease her clit that was slowly peaking out of its hood. In the meantime, her other hand returned to her chest to grab and massage one of her perky boobs. The soft flesh tingled pleasantly under her own touch, especially when her thumb brushed over the hardening nub on top of her C-cup mound.

Of course, no enjoyable self-pleasuring session was complete without the perfect mental picture. And thanks to her wonderful girlfriend, the crimsonette had many to choose from. So many actually that choosing a favorite was a near-impossible task: Should she go with something more traditional like making sweet love on their bed at Beacon? Or maybe take a bit more adventurous approach and recall a couple of scenes where they had done it at more interesting and riskier places, the communal shower, a restaurant restroom, that one time in the forest after a nice picnic? Maybe she could even come up with her own, crazy scenario that hadn't happened... yet. Places, positions, number of rounds. For example, what would it be like to have sex in a pool or the ocean? Or how would it possibly feel if Weiss came inside of her ten times in a row? Or twenty, perhaps? Was there a limit on how much sperm-riddled Schnee-spunk her little womb could take? Or her stomach, for that matter, whichever side it was ultimately filled from? Hopefully not – for some weird, probably very fetish-y reason, the idea of having a belly multiple sizes of the rest of her body and brimming with only her lover's hot, bubbling essence alone really appealed to her. But then again, her Aura had always grown with its tasks so far.

Before Ruby even consciously realized it, two of her fingers had slipped into her tight, moist pussy as deep as they would go, the narrow passage trembling and suckling happily around the invaders. It also started to drool a decent amount of juices – thankfully, the crimsonette was lying on a towel. Then her focus shifted to the hand that was busy groping the left of her shapely tits. That one had predominantly taken to rubbing and squeezing her by now rock-hard nipple. Apparently, fantasizing about all of those kinky things had caused her body to act on its own without any specific order from her brain. Nevertheless, Ruby was quite content with the outcome as the rising pleasure made her naked form shiver.

And so, she wriggled her fingers around inside of her dripping honeypot while picturing that it was Weiss' massive cock that stretched her out and constantly spurted generous globs of precum into the silky tunnel. Admittedly, that was no easy task given the ridiculous difference between her own ability to fill her greedy pussy and the stuffing the heiress was capable of, but Ruby somehow made do. At least a few details could be reenacted. So whenever her fingers paid special attention to her g-spot, it was quite easy for her to imagine that it was her girlfriend's huge glans that scraped across the spongy tissue during a few gentle and shallow movements. The womb-breaching thrust that usually followed soon after was a little harder – as in impossible – to imitate, though. That kind of stuff had to be left fully to her imagination.

As for the exact mental picture, Ruby settled for a classic pounding from behind: she and Weiss were on their knees on a bed, the white-haired girl held her close and played with her bouncy tits, and they eagerly made out over her shoulder. The crimsonette's own hands weren't idle, either: While one of them caressed the back of her lover's neck and urged her to even more passionate kisses, the other fondled the prominent bulge on her belly that almost nudged the underside of her boobs when the heiress' cock was at its deepest. With long, strong thrusts, Weiss pushed and pulled her womb through her entire lower abdomen and gradually filled the tiny organ with copious amounts of rich precum. The crimsonette's puny pussy-petals were stretched widely around the girthy invader, her inner walls slurping on it like a straw. And with every impact of the heiress' hips, her shapely ass cheeks jiggled oh-so-invitingly, maybe even asking for a turn for the tiny hole between them once the playground in the front was sufficiently flooded with a few buckets' worth of thick, hot spunk.

With her fantasies running wild, the crimsonette soon sped up her actions, fingering her quim and squeezing her breasts in earnest. The Weiss in her mind quickly blew her first load, bloating her stomach to a size that resembled an overdue pregnancy, maybe even with twins. But of course, that wasn't nearly enough to sate either girl's sexual appetite and she quickly resumed thrusting, making Ruby's inflated belly wobble gently and causing the cum-tank that was her womb to slosh audibly with its heavy contents. All the while, the imaginary pair continued to make out and moan sweet nothings to each other, approaching another high in next to no time.

In reality, however, things weren't going that great. Admittedly, masturbating on her own was still quite pleasurable, but no matter how enthusiastically Ruby wriggled her fingers around in her tight pussy, she couldn't convince herself that it was really Weiss plowing her into blissful ecstasy... obviously. That she eventually pushed a third, then (briefly) a fourth digit into her narrow slit didn't change much about that. And of course, the heavenly sensation of being filled with the vast liquid product of the heiress' love for her stayed absent.

Maybe she had approached the matter all wrong in the first place. Instead of focusing too much on her girlfriend and all the wonderful things they usually did, she should've thought more about herself and how she had handled this stuff before she had met Weiss. Now, her plan had actually backfired spectacularly: She had just reminded herself of what she couldn't have at the moment – although it was so incredibly near her – and this whole idea of calming herself down and forgetting about her annoying situation was causing her to miss the white-haired girl even more. That certainly won't make falling asleep alone any easier...

But then, yet another idea struck her. Maybe she could get Weiss to come to her, after all. Not physically, though – that was probably too risky since some staff members, security people, or whoever else still roaming the halls at this hour could see the heiress sneak into her room at night and not leave for at least an hour or two. Yet, there was something else the crimsonette could still do. And trying that out would also serve as some kind of training for the future they were hoping for when they had to spend a few days apart due to Weiss' business trips as the SDC's boss, any solo missions Ruby took up, and whatnot else.

Hopefully, the white-haired girl wouldn't be too cross with her if she woke her up now. But then again, she had said that the crimsonette could give her a call in case she needed anything.

With this in mind, the Valean teen ceased her breast-fondling (but only slowed fingering herself), reached over to her nightstand, and grabbed her Scroll.

In her own room, Weiss also had some trouble falling asleep. So much for considering herself oh-so-independent and still being easily able to cope with a bit of loneliness. Of course, her current situation wasn't causing her any emotional pain, yet the lack of a soft, warm body to hold (or of being held by one, depending on the arrangement); the absence of Ruby's soft, cute snoring; and the shortage of the smell of roses was quite upsetting. Was she really already so attuned to having the crimsonette around almost all the time? On the one hand, it made her happy that she felt so deeply for her girlfriend, but on the other, it certainly brought some problems with it.

Sighing for the umpteenth time over the last... well, at least half an hour, probably even longer, she wasn't sure... Weiss continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, hoping for exhaustion to finally take her to the land of dreams. She needed to be well-rested for tomorrow. Or all the time as long as she and Ruby were here, to be more precise. Tiredness and with that inattentiveness could lead to slip-ups, and even the most minor ones of those could end in a disaster if someone as cruel and unforgiving as Jacques Schnee was involved.

But no matter how much she wanted it, how often she turned around, or how many relaxation exercises she tried out, the sweet rest she was craving wasn't granted to her. While the various events of today had definitely tired her out, they – and possible future ones – were still ever-present in her mind, preventing her from fully calming down. Would that really be different if Ruby was by her side, she wondered. Probably... Regardless of how excited, worried, angry, devastated, or whatnot else she was, the moment she found herself in the crimsonette's arms and breathed in a lungful of delicious, rose-scented air, she was completely at ease again in an instant. Which was actually kind of weird since her girlfriend was anything but calm and quiet – always full of go, as Yang put it. Maybe Ruby somehow absorbed all the stressful and troublesome emotions and processed them for her, leaving only serenity in their place.

The sudden beeping of her Scroll shook the white-haired girl out of her contemplations. Who in their right mind would call her at this hour. However, Weiss quickly recognized the ringtone and had her answer... and a look at the caller ID confirmed her thoughts one final time. What did her girlfriend want this late at night?

"Hey, Ruby. What's the matter?", she sighed tiredly, yet she tried to sound amicable. And in all honesty, she was actually quite happy to hear her lover's voice.

"Hey, Weiss. Sorry to bother you this late.", the crimsonette replied apologetically, "Umm, did I wake you up?"

"In fact, you didn't.", the heiress reassured her, "It appears that I have bigger troubles falling asleep without you than I thought. And I assume you're facing similar problems, correct? And that this is the reason for your call."

"Hmm... Right on the money.", Ruby confirmed.

'Wait, did that hum sound oddly sensual, or was this just my imagination?', Weiss thought... and immediately felt a faint tingle between her legs. A certain part of her body seemed to have enjoyed that noise very much.

"I know that it sounds a little weird, given that we've just seen each other about an hour ago... but I miss you.", the crimsonette continued in a tender tone of voice, "It doesn't feel right to sleep alone, especially because I could just swing by in a minute or two. But not really because we still need to keep our relationship a secret. It's kinda confusing and annoying."

"I totally get what you mean. I feel the same.", the white-haired girl seconded, "It would be one thing if you were miles away – and likely way easier to bear. But with the way how things are, it's incredibly unnerving. That stupid saying "So close and yet so far away" comes to mind. But it's only temporary, regardless of how things turn out after we've told Father about us. So simply remember that our current forced separation will pass soon and that I'm already waiting to snuggle up to you again. And now, let's try to sleep and this night's gonna be over quickly."

Hopefully, this bit of reassurance would be enough to soothe her girlfriend a little. And saying it out loud already bettered the heiress' own mood to a great degree. Yet, the longer they would hold the line, the worse it would probably get again.

But what Weiss heard next made her almost drop her Scroll.

"Y'know... At the moment, I'm completely naked.", Ruby cooed sweetly, "And I'm touching myself thinking of you... and all the wonderful things we usually do when we're in bed together and don't wanna sleep just yet."

If life would've been even remotely like one of these weird Mistrali cartoons or comics her teammates liked to watch or read (the latter in Blake's case), the heiress was sure that a fountain of blood would've shot out of her nose now. And immediately, various pictures flooded her mind – predominantly ones of her naked girlfriend pleasuring herself, but also a few of the 'wonderful things they usually did' the crimsonette had mentioned. Needless to say, the weak tingle she had felt in her cock instantly turned into a blazing fire and the normally tiny organ exploded in size in a matter of seconds.

"Y-you what?", was all the white-haired girl managed to stammer.

"Right now, I have three fingers buried in my tight, little pussy, almost all the way in... and wished that they would be your massive dick instead, stretching me out oh-so-nicely.", Ruby explained as if this was the most normal thing in the world, "I also need to talk to you hands-free because my other hand is busy groping my soft, full tits. Of course, that, too, would be way better if you were doing it for me."

And when the other end of the line stayed silent for a few seconds, she concluded: "Well, Snowflake: What are you gonna do now?" She decided to go with her girlfriend's established nickname for the moment – now wasn't a good time to come up with the promised new one.

"What do you expect me to do, you dolt?", Weiss grumbled, "You know that I can't just come over and, umm, h-help you out. And thanks for making me stupidly horny now, by the way."

"I know that you can't swing by at the moment, dummy.", the crimsonette said softly, "I want to try out phone sex stuff here. That's the reason for all the colorful descriptions, y'know. To fuel your imagination."

"Ohhh... I see.", the heiress responded and quickly pondered the proposition, "Well, I... I guess we could give it a try if you want to." Admittedly, she wasn't overly fond of the idea – mostly because it was completely unfamiliar terrain for her – but if Ruby was keen on it, she would participate. And who knew: Maybe she would actually consider it quite enjoyable in the end. She did have some sort of thing for dirty talk, after all. Additionally, a bit of extra exhaustion – the pleasant kind this time – would likely help both of them with their sleeping problems. That was probably yet another reason for the crimsonette's surprising suggestion.

So this meant she had to touch herself now, too, and then tell her girlfriend about it in an erotic way, Weiss assumed. That was how phone sex worked, right? She shot a glance down her body, only to be greeted with a sizable tent under her blanket that still grew slowly, but steadily. By now, her cock had probably passed the ten-inch mark already, yet there were still at least four left to be added. Thankfully, it had slipped through the waistband of her panties at some point, otherwise, the garment would've likely been put in a pretty bad shape.

'Alright, here goes nothing.', Weiss sighed inwardly as her hand wandered under the blanket, 'Come to think of it, it's been a while since I did this stuff myself the last time.'

"So, uhh... I grab my cock now.", she verbalized insecurely and did as she explained, "And I give it a slow stroke. Thinking of you, o-obviously."

"Hey, Snowflake. Umm, if you're uncomfortable with this, we don't need to do it.", Ruby quickly said, "I'm sorry I kinda forced that onto you. That was pretty selfish of me."

"No, it's fine.", the heiress replied, got rid of her blanket, and pulled her nightgown up to get better access to her huge (and still growing) member, "I just... need to get the hang of this. You really caught me off guard with your proposition, after all."

"Okay, but if you don't want to continue anymore at some point, please tell me.", the crimsonette requested, "Nothing's gained from this if one of us can't enjoy it."

"Right.", the white-haired girl seconded.

"Great. And now... just relax and let me take the lead for the time being to help you ease into this.", Ruby purred seductively.

"Mmm... the size of your cock never ceases to amaze me, Snowflake.", the younger teen began with her kinky recital, "It's so absurdly large, yet it always fits perfectly inside of me. Let me caress it for you. Oh my... my fingers can't even fully reach around. But I guess I should focus on the tip first. Coax out a lot of precum to lube it up so I can stroke it easier later."

Of course, the heiress quickly understood what her lover was driving at: This wasn't her own hand on her cock at the moment, but Ruby's, worshipping the massive slab of throbbing flesh. Therefore, Weiss quickly moved her fingers to the glans and gave it a few gentle squeezes, imagining that it was really the crimsonette doing this.

"Well, am I doing a good job?", Ruby asked sweetly, "Are you already as productive as I hope? Spewing big globs of hot, thick, delicious pre?"

And indeed, the white-haired girl's now fully erect member – around fourteen inches of rock-hard girl-cock – quickly started to dribble pearly-white cream from its tip in sizable portions.

"I am.", Weiss quickly answered her lover's question, "There's a lot... just for you."

"Then I should better coat your entire cock with it.", the crimsonette continued, "I mean, my pussy's practically dripping just thinking about it, but the more thorough I lubricate this towering appendage, the easier you can cram it into me in a bit."

Again, the white-haired girl did as Ruby had described it, and soon, her dick was glistening with its slippery discharge. But of course, it relentlessly produced more. It was now that Weiss was reminded of the actual sizes of her loads... and that she would make an utter mess of her whole bed – and likely also parts of the floor – if she were to cum here without a condom or something else to catch her vast output. Thankfully, she already had a backup plan.

"Umm, Ruby? Wait a minute, please.", she requested, "I need to move this to the shower. Otherwise, I'll definitely ruin the bigger part of my room when I reach my peak."

"Good point.", the younger girl seconded, "I guess I can keep my hands to myself a little bit. But hurry up. Your cock's just too tempting for me to resist it very long."

Of course, Weiss didn't need to be told twice. In record time, she got rid of her nightgown and panties, rushed into her private bathroom, and stepped into the shower. Having to stand during this whole verbal act would probably be a little uncomfortable, though, but she was rather sure that she wouldn't pay lots of attention to her legs anymore anyway in a bit.

"Alright. All set, Rose Petal.", she announced as she steadied herself.

"Awesome.", the crimsonette shot back happily, "Now, where were we?" But what she heard next caught her off guard for a change.

"I think we've just reached the point where I was going to pay attention to your cute, little pussy.", Weiss explained while beginning to slowly stroke herself again, "Such a delicate, innocent-looking flower, yet always so hungry for my cock. I just have to touch it."

It still felt quite weird to her to say all of this without actually being able to do it – or seeing how her girlfriend put her words into practice. But when she suddenly heard a sensual moan from the other end of the line, it immediately motivated her to continue even more ambitiously... and kinkily. She was sure that, after all these times of being intimate with Ruby, she had picked up quite a few things when it came to dirty talk.

"Tell me, Rose Petal...", the heiress asked seductively, "How many fingers do you want for your greedy, little honeypot to suckle on before the main event? One?" She made a little pause, only to hear a needy whimper barely a second later. "Two?" Another moan, this time a little louder... and Weiss could clearly picture her beautiful girlfriend sliding one digit after another into her perfect pussy. "Three... Just like you lubing me up, I better pre-stretch this oh-so-tight hole a bit so when I finally shove my enormous dick into it, I can go right for your womb. It's hardly been two days since I last felt it wrapped around me like the coziest condom imaginable, but I already miss how it begs for my cum with its eager quivers."

Well, that wasn't half-bad, Weiss mused inwardly. And it definitely showed the desired results shortly after.

"Yes! Pre-stretch me as good as you can.", the crimsonette mewled happily, "Push your fingers as deep as they'll go. I'll take good care of your massive cock in the meantime. Stroking it, squeezing it... taking it into my tiny mouth and swirling my tongue around the tip, slurping up all the tasty precum you're willing to give me. I hope for a few pints at least. Gulp after gulp sliding down my throat and settling heavily in my belly."

Almost automatically, the white-haired girl's hand slid up to her glans and her thumb quickly reenacted the tongue movements her lover had just described. A moment later, a huge spurt of pre forced itself through her urethra and hit the shower wall with a loud splattering sound. Admittedly, it didn't come close to a pint, but it was still incredibly voluminous and not a single drop short of what would've been ejected if the crimsonette's silky lips were actually wrapped around her cock. Interesting what a bit of imagination and verbal encouragement was capable of.

In her own room, Ruby was fingering her tiny quim furiously. This was definitely already going better than expected. Although it was her own hands that brought her pleasure, the crimsonette was almost sure that she could feel her lover's touch, nonetheless. Hopefully, that would still be the case when they were moving on to the main event... despite the actual (and tremendous) difference between her fingers and Weiss' wonderful womb-wrecker in size and reach. However, with a few detailed comments from the heiress, the younger teen was sure that it would still be immensely enjoyable. In-between the bliss she currently felt, she made a mental note to also describe the heat, the wetness, and the tightness of her pussy as voluptuous as possible.

For a couple of minutes, the two girls simply continued to tend to their carnal desires and listened to the other's beautiful moans. Of course, they still added a few kinky lines here and there, for example, how Weiss would curl and twist her fingers inside of Ruby's dripping honeypot to provoke some needy contractions, or how the crimsonette would tenderly make out with the heiress' urethra to coax even more delicious pre out of the constantly spewing tube. While the colorful descriptions obviously couldn't compare to the actual activities, they still sufficed to heighten the couple's arousal to a great degree. And much like when they really – as in physically – got intimate, they soon weren't satisfied with mere teasing and foreplay alone. This fantasy had to take a more heated turn now... and Ruby was the first one to address it.

"Hngh, Weiss. I-I'm done waiting.", she moaned sensually as she plunged her fingers in and out of her trembling slit and massaged her stiff love button with her palm, "I need your big, fat, throbbing, precum-oozing cock inside of me now. Let me get onto my back and spread my tight pussy for you. Then you just shove your dick right in. Should be no problem at all since I'm basically dripping."

"Oh my gosh, I was hoping you'd say that.", Weiss moaned back while her hand rapidly slid up and down her cum-coated shaft, "I can't wait to stretch you out real good. All the way to your cozy, little womb. I have such a huge load in store for you, so I hope you're ready to be turned into a sloshing cum-balloon."

"Readier than ever.", the crimsonette shot back needily, "My baby room thirsts for a pool's worth of your hot, sticky spunk. You better ensure that I won't be able to walk anymore when you're done making me your personal sperm bank."

"Oh, I will.", the white-haired girl reassured her lover, "Can you feel how your delicate petals stretch around my fat glans? Mmm, you're so tight." To simulate the sensations she could clearly imagine, she squeezed the crown of her massive member a little harder than before – as if she was really entering the younger teen's silky depths right now.

"Y-yeah, I feel it.", Ruby replied and spread her fingers inside of her pussy to at least come a little closer to what her girlfriend's enormous cock would actually do to her undersized hole, "Gosh, I love how big you are. Almost as much as I love you. Push deeper. Much deeper. Stuff me full of your wonderful cock until my fallopian tubes can taste your delicious pre."

"Your wish is my command, Rose Petal.", the heiress announced, "Slowly and steadily, I feed your greedy quim inch after inch of my thick, hard, fleshy pole. Right until it can give your cervix a sweet, little kiss. But no further for the time being."

She had barely finished her sentence when the crimsonette noticed something odd... yet welcome. Even though the entrance to her womb was untouched at the moment (for obvious reasons), it still tingled all of a sudden and relaxed, as if it really expected Weiss' cock to slip into her womb now. And needless to say, the sensations the younger teen surprisingly experienced caused even greater pleasure to spread through her quivering body.

"Hngh... y-you're such a tease.", Ruby whimpered as she pushed her fingers as deep into her narrow slit as they would go, trying but failing to actually tickle her cervix, "But fine, these two can make out for a little while. But only if you promise me to fuck my womb extra hard afterwards. And with every minute it has to wait, it wants an additional pint of cum. So better tell your internal balls or whatever to brew up a reeeaaally big backup supply."

"Don't you worry, my insatiable sweetheart.", the white-haired girl declared, "You're gonna get the pounding and filling of your life. And now let me kiss you and nibble on your bottom lip. Your beautiful breasts could use some tender attention, too. I'll caress them for you." And with an inward grin, Weiss mused that she slowly got a pretty good hang of phone sex. She quickly pictured how her stunning lover bit said bottom lip now in a sensual manner and also either started playing with her breasts again or – if she hadn't stopped in the first place – upped her game on that front a bit, kneading the supple mounds in earnest and pinching the rock-hard nub on top of each. Still unbeknownst to her, that was exactly what was happening in the crimsonette's room in an instant.

"Then let me nibble back, Snowflake.", the younger teen responded, "And also suck on your tongue a little bit now that your cock is occupied. Oh, and your own perky tits should know that I love them as well. Their softness, their shapeliness, the rosy nipples I could suckle on all day: Your chest just fits perfectly into my hands – like they were made for each other. A single squeeze is already enough to make me the happiest girl on Remnant."

Of course, Weiss quickly reacted to the crimsonette's new scope of actions. She put her Scroll on speaker and stuffed it into the shower caddy, watching out that she could still easily hear and talk to her girlfriend. Then her now free hand wandered to her chest and started to grope one of her modestly sized but still incredibly alluring breasts – pretty much as Ruby did in her own room. She didn't neglect to stroke her huge, almost painfully hard cock: If anything, the new stimulus urged her to speed up her movements even more. By now, the overly productive organ had oozed enough precum that nearly the entire shower floor was covered in a thin layer, and due to the hot essence's viscosity, it hardly drained off.

Her actual spunk would likely pose a problem in that regard since it was even thicker. It would definitely back up until she had a chance to water it down... but nothing could be farther from her mind to turn on the shower now and miss even a single one of Ruby's sweet moans due to the noise. Hopefully, the quite low (but luckily fairly wide) shower tray would be able to contain the mess.

Well, there was only one way to find out – a way the crimsonette apparently wanted them to pursue rather quickly. Because after merely another two minutes, she decided to take this imaginary romp to the next – and certainly final – level.

"Alright, Snowflake. You've stalled long enough.", she announced, her tone of voice a mixture of yearning and demanding, "My womb wants your cock, and it wants it now. So let me pull you in. Just enjoy how my cervix slowly dilates for you as it swallows your tip. Millimeter by millimeter, caressing the spongy head of your wonderful pole with loving suckles and squeezes... until you finally pop into my precious baby chamber."

On the other end of the line, she heard a blissful moan, and she could only imagine what her girlfriend was doing at the moment to relive this sensation she had already felt so many times. And spurred on by the beautiful sound, she continued: "Do you like it how my cervix slides down your shaft? How it ripples and trembles around your huge girth as you sink into my cozy womb further and further? Oh my... see how crazily you're bulging my stomach out! I can clearly see the rim of your glans through my distended skin as the protrusion creeps past my belly button and approaches my heaving tits. And then there are these incredibly distinct throbs that make my whole body shudder. I have to fondle this bulge. I need to rub and caress your amazing cock while it's already inside of me. Jerk you off through my body so you're gonna bloat me with an ungodly amount of your hyper-virile swimmers as soon as possible. I can even feel myself getting filled up on loads of precum already."

That last statement couldn't have been truer if Weiss' cock would've actually been inside of her at the moment. All the specific dirty talk combined with the heiress' rapid and extensive strokes caused the massive slab of meat to spew the sticky essence onto the shower floor by the ounce now. Especially the mention of Ruby massaging her cock through her own skin – one of her signature moves when they were getting intimate for real – pushed the white-haired girl a great deal closer to the edge. The younger teen knew exactly how to push her buttons.

Nevertheless, Weiss definitely didn't want to be bested by her lover that easily, for two reasons. Of course, there was her ambitiousness and competitive nature. While Ruby certainly was the franker one of the two regarding anything sexual and also quite more expressive, the heiress didn't consider herself a prude or a wallflower anymore, either. She was long since completely comfortable around the crimsonette and could be just as seductive and kinky if she wanted.

But most importantly, she wanted to give something back to her wonderful girlfriend. It would be unfair if she was only receiving pleasure from all the delightfully dirty details Ruby provided her with. Weiss also had to up her efforts to paint clear mental pictures for the younger girl so both of them could get off in a metaphorical firework of thrill and bliss. Preferably simultaneously. Luckily, they had quite the knack for that.

But first things first: Right now, it was her duty to deliver a lascivious speech that would send the crimsonette's nethers ablaze... well, even more than they probably already were since there was always room for improvement. For example, what would be necessary to spark such immense arousal that Ruby had to stuff her entire hand into her pussy to quench it? Thankfully, the heiress quickly got a few ideas.

"And it'll get even better.", she therefore announced, "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I'd leave all the work to you? So let me give you all the cock you desire now and shove that bulge right between your beautiful breasts. In one. Single. Thrust."

Hardly a second after the last word had passed her lips, Weiss heard a loud gasp from the other end of the line, followed by a trembling moan. She could only guess how Ruby had put her words into action, but apparently, she had found a sufficient way to do so. Unbeknownst to her, though, it hadn't been exactly the younger teen herself that had suddenly squeezed her pinky finger into her small slit as well to join the other three already in there. With her announcement, Weiss had somehow bypassed the crimsonette's brain and ordered her body to act accordingly.

Ruby had no idea how it had come to this, but she suddenly found her pussy stuffed with four of her fingers... all the way to the last knuckle. Actually, her thoroughly stretched petals had already passed those a little as her palm started to enter the silky tunnel beneath. Now that was a filling that came quite close to her lover's cock. And it only got more intense from that point on.

"Mmm, regardless of how often I fuck you, your pussy and womb always return to their original, ridiculously tight states in a matter of days, maybe even just hours.", Weiss moaned sensually, "Not that I'm complaining, though. I love how your undersized tunnel always struggles to take my massive member. And I also love to reshape your insides every time anew to mold you to a perfect sheathe for it with long, hard strokes. What I love most, however, is to feel how fast your heart is beating right above my glans whenever I'm at my deepest. A whole fourteen inches and change of thick, throbbing, precum-spewing girl-cock buried in your beautiful, bulging body."

While the heiress told her girlfriend all of this, Ruby's thumb had found its way to her clit and rubbed the tiny, painfully hard pearl at a rapid pace. All the while, the crimsonette had never once stopped or even slowed pumping the rest of her hand in and out of her sopping wet slit, her palm sinking into the narrow (but adaptable) canal to the halfway point by now. And every time she pulled out again, her fingers curled to apply just the right amount of pressure to her g-spot, causing colorful spots to dance behind her tightly shut eyes.

"Hngh, that's it, Snowflake!", the younger teen shouted happily, "Plow my puny pussy as wild as you can. Stretch my womb through my entire body. Mark every square inch of my inner walls with your essence. Make me yours all over again."

With every kinky statement and expression of affection, every stroke from the heiress at her cock, and every wriggle from Ruby's fingers inside of her honeypot, the distance between the two lovers seemed to melt away further and further. And eventually, they could convince their minds that they were actually getting intimate with their girlfriend at the moment quite effortlessly. Suddenly, it wasn't Weiss' own hand wrapped around her enormous member anymore, but really the crimsonette's silky tunnel that eagerly hugged and squeezed the oversized invader. It wasn't the younger teen's hand that pumped her own slit furiously right now, but the white-haired girl's massive pole that scraped along her inner walls and stuffed her full of hot, sticky pre. They weren't groping their own bodies and biting their respective bottom lips, but actually caressed each other and passionately made out. Although only connected through their Scrolls, voices, and fantasies, they were one again.

And of course, this welcome development caused them to approach their respective peaks at a rapid pace. Both girls quickly noticed all the all-too-familiar signs that the metaphorical fireworks the heiress had just thought about were about to be set off. In Weiss' case, the indicators included that her cock bloated even bigger, began to throb way more intensely than before, and also oozed more (and thicker) precum. And as for the crimsonette, there was this blazing heat pooling in her lower abdomen, the increasingly forceful convulsions of her inner walls, and the almost electric buzz she felt in her needy little clit.

As much as both teens wanted to continue and feel this always so addictive pleasure for a little longer, it was time for the grand finale. And it hit them like a bolt from the sky.

"G-gosh, Ruby...", Weiss panted as she sped up her strokes even more, her hand becoming a blur around her enormous member, "I think I'm close to..." But she was beaten to it.

"Cumming!", the crimsonette finished the sentence for her as the burning knot in her belly finally became undone. Her inner walls clamped down hard on her hand, almost hard enough to be uncomfortable. Yet, the younger teen was so absorbed in her pleasure that she hardly noticed it. Somehow, her pussy managed to suck her fingers even deeper into it... and with that, the tip of the middle one actually grazed the tight ring of her twitching cervix. And at its surface, the tiny slit gushed a big spray of clear, sticky girlcum. Thankfully, Ruby had thought about the towel.

However, despite the brain-frying bliss she currently experienced, the crimsonette didn't forget about her girlfriend.

"Hngh, Weiss! My pussy spasms and contracts so hard right now!", she mewled in her orgasmic daze, "It wants to slurp the cum right out of your cock. Please fill my baby room with a bathtub's worth of steaming, sticky, super-virile Snowflake-semen. Blow me up to crazy proportions. Turn my fallopian tubes into bloated, sloshing spunk-bubbles wobbling on top of my beanbag chair of a womb. I even want my ovaries stuffed to near-bursting with your thick, creamy love. Cum for me. Cum with me. Cum as much as you want and I'll keep every drop safe and warm in my insatiable sperm-tank of a belly."

Unsurprisingly, all of these lewd declarations made Weiss join her girlfriend in climax in an instant.

The sudden splattering noise was definitely loud enough for even Ruby to hear when the first of many cumshots splattered onto the shower floor. Over and over again, the heiress' urethra dilated and forced ridiculous amounts of spunk through her dick as her lithe body shuddered in an intense orgasm that almost caused her legs to give out. All the while, she continued to stroke the twitching member and also to squeeze one of her shapely breasts, trying to prolong her peak to fulfill Ruby's every wish. The mental picture of the younger teen's formerly cock-bulging belly bloating rapidly through the stages of pregnancy, twins, triplets, quadruplets, and then leaving the realms of carrying a humanly appropriate number of children greatly helped with that.

Weiss had no idea how long she actually came – and neither did Ruby – but when the forceful spurts turned into dribbles and eventually subsided completely, she was standing in an ankle-deep pool of porridge-thick semen. If all of that would've actually ended up in the crimsonette's womb, it was safe to assume she'd look like she was at least overdue with twins.

And then... all that was left to do for the young couple was to bask in the sweet afterglow of their respective climaxes – as always. Properly talking to each other again was unthinkable anyway until their brains had processed the overload of happiness hormones.

"Whew...", Ruby sighed as she slowly came down from her high, "That was intense. Different, sure, but... still pretty great."

"You don't say.", Weiss panted back, "From all the times I... well, did this stuff myself, this was definitely the best one. By a long shot. I feel pretty drained, and that's just after one load."

"Aww, already?", the crimsonette moped cutely, "I was hoping for a second round. Maybe you could try out my ass next. We may not be as familiar with anal sex as we are with normal stuff, but if it's just imaginary anyway, I'm sure we would be able to come up with really kinky stuff to talk about, nonetheless. Like, I dunno, you filling me up so much that I can taste your cum from the other end as it travels all the way through me. Come to think of it, I guess you would likely even manage to do this to me in real life with about three loads in a row or something."

"As tempting as another round sounds, I think I'll pass... at least for tonight.", the heiress replied apologetically, "But we should really try to get some sleep now to be well-rested for whatever twisted games Father plans to play over the next few days. Thanks to our latest activities, though, I believe that I can finally fall asleep now. What about you, Rose Petal? Did I manage to tire you out at least a little bit?"

"Urgh... I guess I'll be fine now, too.", the younger teen sighed, "Even though I definitely won't mind seconds. Your imagined cock wasn't half-bad. Far from the real thing, of course, but still. If we can keep this up, I can probably bear being separated from you for a couple of days."

"That's reassuring to hear.", Weiss giggled, although she was still a little out of breath, "I enjoyed myself immensely as well if that wasn't obvious already. I would describe how the shower tray looks like now, but I'm worried that this would cause things to take an unwanted turn again."

"Oh, that's pretty much a given.", Ruby giggled back, "I'm sure I can picture it pretty accurately myself anyway, though. But you're right: We should be reasonable and get some shuteye now. And tomorrow, with renewed energy, we'll continue to show your father that we're the perfect couple and you're the perfect future boss of the SDC. I'll still see you at half past seven, right?"

"That's the plan.", the white-haired girl confirmed.

"Alright.", the crimsonette concluded, "Well, then: Good night, Weiss. I love you. And thanks for... well, putting up with my clinginess and horniness."

"Don't mention it. I actually needed this as much as you did.", the heiress replied, "Sweet dreams, Rose Petal. Love you, too."

And after this sweet exchange, the young couple ended their call and finally went to sleep for real. Of course, Weiss had to flush out the shower first, and while she was at it, she also rinsed off her privates. Ruby had it a little easier: She only needed to throw the towel into the laundry bin in her bathroom (and precautionary spray it with a bit of deodorant) and wash her hands. Then the two teens got comfortable in their respective beds and – much to their relief – fell asleep rather quickly. Needless to say, they dreamt about each other.

Tomorrow, their vacation would start for real... and with that also the fight for Weiss' future.

Chapter Text

An annoyed groan escaped Weiss' lips when the beeping of her Scroll shook her out of her sweet slumber. Not only did she already miss out on some sleep due to her troubles getting to rest last night... but she just realized how blissfully comfortable her huge bed was. The latter was likely because she had never seen it (or any bed, for that matter) as the cozy resting place it actually was until recently, but more as just a docking station where she recharged for the next day. However, with Ruby as her girlfriend, she now looked at it in a different light. The soft mattress and the silky sheets definitely had a great love nest potential. And if just the thought – and prior dream – of sharing this bed with the crimsonette already felt this pleasant, how amazing would it be to really spend a night snuggled up to her here?

These contemplations quickly reminded the white-haired girl of a rather important aspect, though. Before a nightly cuddling session – and likely other things as well – were possible in this bed, she and Ruby still had a massive hurdle to overcome: revealing their relationship to her father. This thought finally managed to erase the last bit of drowsiness from Weiss' mind. She silenced her Scroll, sat up, and stretched thoroughly, then she was already on her feet. It was time to start the day... which meant using sightseeing as an excuse to get away from the manor's eyes and ears to refine her plan. Additionally, she and the crimsonette should probably also ponder over Jacques' weird actions – namely his wish to oversee their training and this unexpected invitation to whatever gala was coming up – and figure out the meaning behind all of it... although the heiress already had a hunch.

As swiftly as always, Weiss took care of her morning routine. In the shower, the reminiscence of last night's phone conversation with her girlfriend almost put a spoke in that wheel, but she was able to repress any lewd thoughts and managed to clean herself without her member acting up. She had to support her willpower with a gush of ice-cold water, though... but it was the result that counted. After tending to her hair, brushing her teeth, and applying a bit of makeup, she quickly got dressed, choosing her casual (although still quite elegant by default) outfit for today. And once she was satisfied with her appearance, she left her room to check on Ruby. Knowing her girlfriend, there was still a one-in-five chance that the younger teen was sleeping in, contrary to what she had declared yesterday... but only because the tour through the manor couldn't be regarded as overly important. If something actually crucial would've been up right in the morning, Weiss was absolutely certain that the crimsonette would leap out of bed five seconds before her alarm went off. Or she simply wouldn't sleep at all.

Navigating the labyrinth of hallways with ease, the heiress soon arrived at the guest room assigned to her girlfriend. She briefly considered just entering without knocking – mostly because she had never done this in this manor before... safe for her own room, which didn't count – but ultimately managed to keep her rebellious side in check. And a moment later, her dainty knuckles met the dark wood of the elegant door three times in quick succession.

"Guch a ngohent, pheash.", came a mumbled reply from far away, followed by a spitting sound, a gush of water, and a question, "Is this you, Weiss?"

"Yeah, it's me.", the white-haired girl announced, "Can I come in, or are you busy?"

Barely two seconds later, the door swung open and revealed the crimsonette. Behind her, Weiss saw a few rose petals dancing around, but she barely paid any attention to them... because of the sight suddenly right in front of her. Ruby was just wrapped in a rather small towel, and tightly enough that it clearly showed off her beautiful curves. Her hair was wet and a few droplets of water still glistened on her smooth, pale skin, so it was safe to assume that she had only recently gotten out of the shower. The heiress also spotted a small, cyan speck of toothpaste foam in the left corner of her mouth. Yet, her eyes didn't linger too long on her lover's face.

Upon seeing the older teen's gaze wander over her body, the crimsonette's cheerful smile quickly turned into a smug grin. She briefly peeked out of her room and shot a glance down both sides of the hallway, only to find it completely empty. Then she simply grabbed the heiress by the collar of her dress, pulled her into her room, and shoved the door shut with her other hand.

The latch bolt had barely snapped back into the strike plate when Weiss already found her lips pressed to those of her girlfriend. The tad of surprise the not entirely unexpected action had caused passed quickly, and soon, she returned the kiss in earnest. Strangely enough, the usual sweetness of Ruby's saliva was hardly discernible this time. In its place, the white-haired girl predominantly tasted something fresh and minty. Oh, right: The crimsonette had been brushing her teeth just before she showed up. How the hell did Ruby being cute always manage to turn her brain into a happy mush in an instant?

However, the white-haired girl decided not to dwell on it and simply enjoyed the moment... even more so when the crimsonette's tongue suddenly found its way into her mouth. And of course, she immediately contributed to the already well-practiced dance their oral muscles soon performed. The next thing Weiss noticed was that her body was pressed into Ruby's, and thanks to the rather thin towel, she clearly felt the softness of her lover's supple breasts which threatened to bounce out of their confines when the young couple instinctively tightened their embrace. A pleasant tingle made itself known in the heiress' panties as her currently tiny cock began to swell towards the monstrous proportions it was capable of, slowly but surely.

But just when her undergarments started to feel a little tight, Ruby broke the kiss and pulled away again.

"Whew, now that was just what I needed.", the crimsonette sighed contentedly, but then added a bit apologetically, "Sorry that I basically pounced on you, but I wanted a little something in advance since we likely have to pretend that we're no couple for the whole day. But I made sure that nobody was arou..."

She was cut off by Weiss pulling her close again and silencing her with yet another kiss. Their mouths had barely reestablished contact when the younger teen already felt the heiress' tongue caressing her upper lip. And in next to no time, the two lovers found themselves back where they had been mere moments ago. Much to Ruby's dismay, though, the exchange of affection didn't even last half as long as before.

"Did I somehow give you the impression that I minded your forwardness one bit?", the white-haired girl asked with a grin after they had parted once again, "A part of me was already expecting you to do something like this. And to be honest, an even bigger actually hoped for it."

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it, I might have yet another idea.", Ruby purred seductively...

...and a moment later, she simply dropped her towel. Now that was a little more unexpected for Weiss, and at first, all she could do was stare. And stare was what she did, thoroughly: From her girlfriend's well-rounded breasts with the rosy nipple on top of each, over her trim stomach and slender waist, to her shapely hips and, finally, her inviting womanhood. She had seen this beautiful body hundreds of times already, yet she would certainly wait for even the smallest decline in amazement forever. The heiress couldn't explain it herself, but whenever she was blessed with this view, some weird sort of switch was flipped in her brain... and it quickly suggested her to kiss every single square inch of this alabaster skin. Of course, there were a few parts she would pay a bit more attention to than others in that case.

"Since we both have gotten up early, how about we use this extra time not included in your original plan for some more pleasant activities?", the younger teen suggested with a sensual smile, "And with pleasant I mean that I turn around and bend over now and you shove your cock into my tiny pussy. Then you fuck me to your heart's content until you pump a huge load into my womb. Huge in the sense of: When I fall over afterwards, happily exhausted, I want my belly to effortlessly cushion my fall."

She had barely finished her sentence when she already made half of the promised turn, giving her lover an excellent view of her curvy profile. In an instant, the heiress' panties progressed from 'uncomfortably tight' to 'about to be ripped apart' as her member suddenly surged in size.

'Do it!', Weiss' lewd conscience – if one wanted to call it that – piped up in her mind, 'Give this sexy, little minx just what she wants. Grab this perfect ass of hers and feed her slick honeypot your entire length. And once you've rung her bell and are done making her cheeks jiggle with the pounding they deserve, you bloat her womb to a size that puts every pregnancy to shame. Everybody wins: Your dick will be calmed down and you can better focus on the day and Ruby can spend a few minutes as the happy cum-balloon she asked you to make her. What a lousy girlfriend would you be if you denied her this wish?'

As always, the white-haired girl quickly thought her girlfriend's suggestion – and the persuasion attempt of the voice in her head – over. And at first, the various pros made sense to her: Even if it was just a quickie, engaging in intimate activities with Ruby would certainly feel wonderful for both of them. It would also help them bear with the fact that they had to act all distant over (most of) the rest of the day. And getting some of this bothering arousal out of her system would likely help her to better concentrate on the tasks in front of them.

But then she reconsidered... out of many reasons. First of all, she highly doubted that they would just leave it at a quickie. On more than one occasion, she had lost control once she had felt Ruby's hot, wet, velvety insides trembling around her cock – with the crimsonette having no intention to stop her – and a planned speedy relief had turned into at least half an hour of thorough love-making, usually even longer. And even if they somehow managed to keep it brief, it likely wouldn't help with their needs. If anything, a half-assed satisfaction of their carnal desires would probably worsen matters in the long run. And last but not least: There was still a tiny risk that they might get caught by one of the manor's staff members. Of course, none of them would enter the room without permission, but even if somebody decided to pay their guest an early visit for whatever reason and knocked while she and Ruby were at it, it would make for a pretty awkward (and risky) situation. Not to mention that even high-quality soundproofing might still lose against their most passionate moans.

Therefore, Weiss decided to be reasonable... although it took her quite a bit of effort to push various pictures of her lover's naked body getting very familiar with her cock out of her mind.

"As enticing as your suggestion sounds, I think we should probably refrain from something like this for the time being.", she explained with a small, disappointed sigh, "Knowing us, we probably won't be able to stop anytime soon once we've started to, well, love each other. Or forcing ourselves to cut our intimate activities short at some point will leave us in an even fouler mood than before we actually began. Also, what if someone of the personnel passes by in the worst moment imaginable – not too likely, though, but still possible."

"But... it's so incredibly convenient right now.", Ruby pouted cutely, "We have a lockable room all to ourselves, I'm already naked... and you're already hard, more or less."

At the mention, the heiress shot a glance downward, and indeed, there was a quite prominent tent under her dress. Thankfully, her sizable member had slipped through one of the leg holes of her panties at some point... otherwise, the undergarment would likely be in a pretty poor condition right now.

"C-convenience isn't the crucial factor here, Rose Petal.", the white-haired girl stammered and pushed her erection down while also trying not to lift her gaze again to avoid being met with a still very naked, very hot, and very tempting Ruby, "You know how much I love the things we do when... it's just the two of us. But we're on a mission here. So, umm, could you please put some clothes on? Otherwise, I'll likely get some troubles with my own here." As if on cue, her cock spit out a dollop of precum, but since the throbbing appendage was pointed to the ground at the moment, the sticky essence didn't stain her dress.

"Hmpf, fine.", the crimsonette grumbled and made her way back to the bathroom... but not without swaying her hips seductively with every step. And of course, Weiss couldn't help but take a few glimpses at the magnificent butt sauntering away from her until the smooth, jiggly cheeks disappeared into the spacious lavatory's depths. Again, she had to tell herself that it was for the better, although her cock strongly disagreed.

About a minute later, Ruby reentered the bedroom, wearing a rather modest set of black underwear, much to the white-haired girl's relief. Admittedly, she looked still almost ridiculously sexy, but the bit of fabric covering the most interesting parts of the younger teen's body improved Weiss' situation at least a little. Oh-so-slowly, her member shrank again... and the heiress was confident that she could stuff it back into her panties in another few minutes if she could keep herself from staring too intensely at her girlfriend – an ambitious, but achievable goal.

"Satisfied?", Ruby asked with a grin and – just to tease her lover the tiniest bit more – struck a playful, yet alluring pose.

"Not in the slightest.", Weiss shot back, "A part of me needs you to cover yourself properly... while another one wants you to get rid of these annoying bra and panties again. Right now, it's like I lost on both fronts."

"I guess given your earlier explanations, I should probably comply with your first suggestion.", the crimsonette pondered, then she added in a sing-song voice, "Unless..."

"Wardrobe, Ruby.", the white-haired girl sighed desperately.

"Relax, I was just kidding. Well, mostly...", the younger teen giggled, then she approached the dresser she had used to stow away her clothes, "Alright, what do you think should I choose for today? Do I have to wear a fancy dress again or can I slip into something more casual? I would try to guess it from your outfit, but even your standard attire looks pretty classy."

"Since we're just going sightseeing – officially, that is – your everyday clothes will suffice.", Weiss responded.

"Thank goodness.", Ruby said relieved, and shot the heels that stood at the footboard of her bed a contemptuous glance, "You have no power over me anymore, stupid lady stilts."

"Don't get your hopes up too soon, Rose Petal.", the heiress mentioned, trying to sound comforting, "We'll definitely fancy up again for today's dinner."

"Seriously?", the crimsonette groaned, "Urgh... but I guess that was to be expected. By the way, is this kind of mandatory in your family? Another crazy rich people thing? I actually thought it was just a sitcom joke or something that the high society has a separate suit or dress for every period of the day."

"That's nonsense. At least I don't know anybody who changes their attire that frequently.", the white-haired girl explained, "My family also doesn't dress up specially for a meal... but maybe that's not overly noticeable because we wear rather upscale clothes by default. Nevertheless, our visit here is anything but ordinary, so we're going to put a bit of extra effort into every meeting with my father. He may not actually appreciate it but will recognize it, nonetheless... which already works in our favor. Additionally, that way, we'll give him one less aspect to criticize."

At the mention, Ruby only nodded understandingly and gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. Then her gaze wandered back to her heels and she grumbled quietly: "Fine, you win. But by no means does this make us friends."

'Huh... that sounds oddly familiar.', the heiress mused in thought, but couldn't remember where she had heard it before.

After the crimsonette had gotten dressed in her usual attire, it was time for the announced tour through Schnee Manor. To be honest, Ruby didn't pitch her hopes for memorizing much of this maze of hallways and rooms too high, but she was still willing to give it her best shot. Even if she would manage to find her way to her room, Weiss' room, the entrance, the dining hall, and maybe the library by herself, she would already consider it a huge success. Maybe she could also create some subtle hints in secrecy, like crooking a portrait or turning a bust a bit at important crossings. There was no way the staff would control and correct something like that regularly, right?

The first ten or so minutes went rather smoothly. During those, Weiss only showed her girlfriend what the crimsonette internally dubbed the residential and the entertainment wing. The former featured the Schnee children's rooms – with Winter's abandoned, but apparently, nobody cared to repurpose it – and various guest rooms, the latter a few hobby rooms, music rooms, a small concert hall, a ballroom, a gym, an indoor pool, and the already mentioned library at its far end. But from that point on, it got a lot worse in Ruby's opinion: studies, lounges where nobody needed them, rooms simply containing decoration (at least three only holding massive stone statues, a King Taijitu, for example), rooms simply existing, Jacques and Willow's rooms (separate, for likely obvious reasons) the personnel's quarters (no admittance), the kitchens (yeah, plural... and also no admittance), a smaller dining hall near them, the large dining hall the younger teen already knew, and eventually, the entrance. Now that was waaay too much input in waaay too little time, Ruby quickly realized. And the cherry on top of her misery-cake: Everything was connected by hallways and staircases that pretty much looked identical.

By the time the heiress was finished giving her the tour of the house, the crimsonette didn't even remember on which floor her own room was. Maybe she should've taken notes, or drawn a map, or both. She was definitely going to get lost in this labyrinth at least once... a day.

"You look... a little overwhelmed.", Weiss mentioned after noticing her girlfriend's bewildered expression, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely.", the younger teen shot back and gave her an awkward thumbs-up, "Totally not devastated at the prospect of never finding my way around here at all."

"I know it's a lot to take in.", the heiress admitted, "But don't worry. I don't plan to leave your side during our stay. And it's not like we're going to visit many places in here. Do you at least remember the paths between the rooms that matter to us?"

"Suuuuure.", Ruby replied even more awkwardly and started to point in various directions, "The residential wing is that way, dining hall the other, and, umm, somewhere in between, but further to the back, is the library... probably."

"You're kidding me, right?", Weiss sighed.

"I really wish I would.", the crimsonette said, but then her memory meant it well with her, "Th-the room with the King Taijitu thingie is on the second floor, main stairway up, then right, then immediately left again, and down the hall."

"Great. You remembered the most useless information of the whole tour.", the white-haired girl dead-panned, but then she added with a soft smile, "You're lucky you're cute."

"Funny.", Ruby dead-panned back, but couldn't help but smirk a bit herself, "But seriously, what did you expect? This place is ridiculously oversized for... well, anything but small villages and up."

"I know.", Weiss admitted, "The biggest, most luxurious cage anyone could wish for."

"Well, if your childhood would've been less strict and stuff, I guess this place would've been awesome for playing hide and seek.", Ruby remarked, "Or did you, Winter, and Whitley actually do so when you were little?"

"We didn't.", the heiress explained, "And I am rather certain that if we would've done so, those who had to hide would've starved to death before they would've been found. But... we did play a bit in the courtyard on, well, nicer days. We've been very young back then, though. It was a time before Father decided to drill us into his perfect little tools."

Immediately, the crimsonette noticed her girlfriend's mood turning glum – and she knew she had to prevent this. Therefore, she quickly changed the subject... with the first conversational bridge that came to her mind.

"Hey, umm, speaking of starving.", she began, "I can only speak for myself, but my sense of time tells me it's around breakfast o'clock. Or do we have to wait again until someone picks us up?"

"No, we don't.", Weiss said, "We just visit the smaller dining room you've seen – in case you remember – and order whatever tickles our fancy. It may be a rather shocking reveal to you, but in this household, we don't care much about breakfast."

"But... that's insane.", Ruby stated astonishedly, "It's the most important meal of the day, after all."

"Not for people who have to run a multi-billion Lien company, apparently.", the white-haired girl shot back as she and her partner slowly made their way to the aforementioned dining room, "They just drink a coffee, maybe eat a buttered toast or a croissant, and start working. Lunch is only more extensive if there's a business meeting accompanying it. The only thing most normal people would consider an actual meal is dinner."

"Alright, that's the last bit of evidence I needed.", the crimsonette concluded, "Rich people are crazy. Pleeeaaase don't become like that once you're in charge of the company. I'll even make you pancakes every morning."

"In that case, I'll definitely try my hardest to stay sane.", Weiss promised with an affectionate smile.

Upon entering the smaller dining room – that wouldn't even seem too out of place in a regular (rather large middle-class) household – the young couple met Whitley and Klein. The former was munching on a slice of toast with jam and reading something on his folded-out Scroll, the latter was refilling the boy's coffee mug.

"Top of the morning to you, Miss Schnee and Miss Rose!", the butler greeted them gushingly, his eyes a sunny yellow, "How may I be of assistance on this lovely day? I assume you want a cup of freshly brewed coffee each, right? And whatever it is you desire to eat, consider it cooked up in a jiffy. Miss Rose, I don't want to brag, but my crepes are especially delicious. But of course, you are free to order anything else you want."

"And a good morning to you, too, Klein.", Weiss replied with a small giggle at the balding man's enthusiasm, "A cup of coffee sounds great. And I'll just take two slices of toast with butter and an apple. You don't have to put yourself out because of me."

"Nonsense, Miss Schnee. Preparing a decent meal for you and your guest is no trouble at all.", the butler clarified dutifully, then he turned his attention to Ruby, "What about you, Miss Rose? Don't you agree that a hearty breakfast is the best way to start into a productive day?"

"Well, if it's really not too much to ask, I would like some crepes.", the crimsonette replied hesitantly, but after receiving a nod and a warm smile from Klein, she continued a bit more confidently, "And maybe a glass of apple or orange juice or something instead of a coffee. I'm not much of a caffeine enthusiast, to be honest."

"Your wish is my command.", the butler replied with another smile and a hint at a bow, then he excused himself back to the kitchen.

"Good morning to you as well, dear brother.", Weiss suddenly addressed Whitley as she took a seat at the other end of the modest-sized table, "Anything interesting you are reading?" From the tone of her girlfriend's voice, Ruby quickly noticed that she only asked out of politeness, not out of actual curiosity.

"Just some material for my tuition later today.", the boy shot back flatly, apparently equally indifferent to holding a conversation.

"I assume Father already left for work?", the heiress asked, now sounding a bit more interested.

"He did.", came the monotonous response, "Actually, I was informed that he took his leave quite a bit earlier than usual, for whatever reason. But maybe he is just especially busy today."

Upon hearing this, Weiss' eyes widened a bit. Jacques Schnee was a creature of habit that normally didn't change his way of doing things. If anything, other people had to conform to his schedule, not the other way around. If he willingly overturned his routine, it was safe to assume that something was cooking. And the only variable that had recently been altered was her and Ruby's arrival.

"I see.", the white-haired girl simply replied, "Too bad. I was hoping to spend a little more time with him. After all, I don't have the opportunity to do so very often anymore." Needless to say, it was obvious to the crimsonette that her partner was lying.

"Well, Father is a hardworking man.", Whitley shot back dryly without even looking up from his Scroll, "But he will probably manage to spare some time for you and your guest on Friday during the gala we are invited to."

"Right. Probably.", Weiss concluded with a subtle roll of her eyes. If 'sparing some time' meant to surveil her and Ruby and try to find any flaws in their behavior among the snobby guests, then Jacques certainly would manage.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Klein who suddenly reentered the room, a cup of coffee in his right and a glass of orange juice in his left hand.

"By the way, Miss Schnee.", he announced while placing the beverages on the table (by now, Ruby had taken the seat next to her girlfriend), "Your father wanted me to tell you that a limousine with a chauffeur is available for your planned sightseeing tour today. The driver is instructed to wait near the entrance and will take you wherever you desire once you are ready to leave."

"Oh! Then the crepes were probably a bad idea.", Ruby said apologetically.

"How come?", Weiss asked and even Whitley looked up from his Scroll and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if somebody is already waiting for us, then maybe we should hurry up a bit.", the crimsonette explained, before adding insecurely, "Right?"

"Don't worry. We can take all the time we need.", Weiss simply replied, "While it's a noble and considerate attitude that you don't want to keep them waiting unnecessarily: If Father told them to stay in attendance, they will. For as long as needed."

"Really?", Ruby asked.

"Really.", the white-haired girl confirmed, "They got an order, they carry it out. As stupid as it might be."

"And, umm... just hypothetically: If we decide to change our plans and don't inform them...", the younger teen began.

"Then our driver will wait in front of the manor for the entire day.", the heiress explained, "Until it's quitting time... or until they get another directive from a superior."

At the mention, it was Ruby's turn to raise an eyebrow. What she deduced from her girlfriend's words was basically that, if you had enough money and personal servants, you could just tell various people to stay put at certain places... even if it was unsure if you actually needed them or not. And in the latter case, you would simply let them waste away their day without any use. Just out of convenience.

"Rich people are crazy.", she once again muttered under her breath, but audible only to Weiss. In return, the white-haired girl only gave her shrug, her expression showing a bit of pity, likely for the concerned employees.

Much to Ruby's relief, her crepes were made rather quickly so she and Weiss wouldn't have to keep their driver waiting for too long. The treat was absolutely delicious, yet the crimsonette tried to eat them as fast as possible... without forsaking proper table manners, of course. The heiress also seemed to hurry up with her own food, but since she just had to take care of two slices of toast and a few apple wedges, it wasn't really necessary.

And so, the young couple finished their breakfast in a timely manner, thanked Klein for everything (quickly causing his bashful personality to take over), bid goodbye to him and Whitley, and eventually made their way to the manor's entrance.

"Alright: Sightseeing in Atlas.", Ruby announced a bit excitedly, "Have you prepared some kind of tour, or are we just going to improvise?"

"I've already picked out a few points of interest.", Weiss explained, "Landmarks, historical buildings, museums... that kind of stuff. But remember that we're not just doing this to have a good time."

"Yeah, I know.", the crimsonette shot back, "Us vacationing is only to keep up appearances while we try to come up with a plan to carefully introduce our relationship to your dad."

"Correct.", the heiress confirmed, "But with his weird announcements from yesterday, everything has gotten even more complicated. He has either seen through the fact that we are up to something, or he's playing his very own game with whatever twisted goal. And to make matters worse, I have no idea which option is likelier."

"Me, neither. But does it really matter?", the younger teen asked confidently, "Whatever he's gonna throw at us, we will... what's a fancy word for it... prevail!" Then she struck the weird Ruby-equivalent (in her girlfriend's opinion) of a sovereign pose.

"With that attitude, I guess we've already won half the battle.", Weiss giggled at her girlfriend's antics.

"Awesome. In that case, I'm sure nothing speaks against us also having a bit of fun on our sightseeing tour today, right?", the crimsonette shot back with a grin.

"Depends on your definition of fun.", the heiress remarked, "But I guess we can try to enjoy ourselves at least a little... as long as we don't lose track of our true objective."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Snowfl... no, wait. Urgh, damn it.", Ruby grumbled.

"How about labor division: You concentrate on figuring out a new nickname, I'll come up with a strategy on how to deal with Father.", the white-haired girl suggested, "And in-between, I'll show you the beauty of Atlas. Just because I spent some rather depressing years here doesn't mean the city isn't beautiful."

"Sounds like a plan.", the younger teen agreed and gave her girlfriend a happy smile, which Weiss quickly returned.

'That should keep her mind from getting any weird ideas for at least a few hours.', the heiress mused as they finally arrived at the main entrance of the manor, 'Not that I don't appreciate her energy and creativity... but we can't be careful enough. With someone like Father involved, even a plain sightseeing tour could turn into a trap. He left early today, after all.'

Unbeknownst to her, a similar thought passed the crimsonette's mind simultaneously: 'Alright, Ruby: You're released to the public again. Best behavior at all times! You can't be sure who might be watching.'

Chapter Text

When Ruby and Weiss exited the mansion, there was really a pristine white limousine already standing in the driveway and obviously waiting for them, maybe even for an hour or two depending on when Jacques had instructed their chauffeur. Again, the crimsonette felt a little bad for letting whoever would be driving them around today sit pointlessly in this vehicle for quite some time... although she know that she wasn't actually at fault here. Nevertheless, she still decided to make it up to them – by buying them a cup of coffee and a pastry or something along these lines. Her girlfriend, however, still seemed completely unfazed by the situation while they approached the vehicle and eventually entered the back.

"Good morning, Miss Schnee, Miss Rose.", the driver – a middle-aged man with short, black hair and dressed in a typical chauffeur's uniform – greeted them politely, yet cheerfully, "Slater Hargrave's the name, just Slater is fine, though. I'll be in charge of getting you around the city today, wherever you desire to go."

"Good morning, Slater, and we apologize for keeping you waiting.", Weiss responded, "Klein informed us about the fact that you are already in attendance just recently."

"No trouble at all. Your father just wanted to ensure that everything is taken care of once you decide to set out. And I don't mind the wait one bit – it's also part of the job.", the chauffeur said, then he grabbed a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to the heiress, "Speaking of your father: He took the liberty to compile a list of a few of Atlas' most interesting sights for you and Miss Rose to visit. Of course, he stressed that these are only suggestions and that he doesn't want to interfere with your own plans. You are free to spend the day however you like."

"I see. That's very... considerate of him.", the white-haired girl mentioned suspiciously, unfolded the paper, and scanned its contents. Then she shot Ruby a slightly worried glance and received a confused one in return.

"Alright, ladies: Where to first?", Slater asked, "Or do you still need a moment?"

"No, we're alright.", the heiress announced, "Let's start with a classic: the Historical Museum of Atlas. Not only is the building a sight for itself, but we – well, mostly Ruby – can also deepen or refresh our knowledge of the kingdom's thriving. Which might be convenient for future history classes at Beacon, considering that our professor is quite ambitious and challenging. Also, it's on both mine and Father's agenda, so it's probably the best first destination to pick."

"As you wish.", the driver confirmed, "Should I take you there as fast as possible or do you prefer a more scenic route through the city?"

"That is up to Ruby to decide.", Weiss said, "After all, I already know Atlas quite well."

At the mention, it was the crimsonette's turn to give her girlfriend a questioning look. However, the heiress simply shrugged, announcing that either option would be fine.

"Well, since we're kind of on a schedule here, it's probably the best to get there sooner than later.", the younger teen concluded, "We can still take a more scenic tour through the city after we've visited all the interesting places Weiss and Mister Schnee have planned for me to see. As long as it's not too late by then, of course."

"Very well.", Slater simply replied and finally set the vehicle into motion.

"Sooo, your father made a list for us with Atlas' best sights?", Ruby asked, trying to sound nonchalant, "Anything interesting you haven't thought about yet?"

"Oh, certainly. It's pretty informative.", Weiss responded flatly, "But that's all I'm saying for now. I don't want to ruin any surprises." However, she quickly pulled her Scroll out of her pocket and started tapping away at the screen. A moment later, the crimsonette felt her own Scroll buzz and – after a prompting glance from the white-haired girl – she checked it, noticing a message that read: "It's not safe to talk openly in here." And when she looked back at her girlfriend, the heiress subtly tilted her head towards their driver who was, thankfully, focused on the road at the moment as he maneuvered the limousine out of the estate.

At the mention, Ruby only nodded and sent a message on her own: "Understood. Talk at the museum, right?" She quickly received a nod from Weiss, then both girls put their Scrolls away again.

"Alright, I'll just let myself be surprised.", the crimsonette said, "But first: the Historical Museum of Atlas. By the way, that's also a good opportunity to test how educational Doctor Oobleck's history classes really are. But considering his borderline terrifying demands, I won't be surprised if there actually isn't anything new to learn for us anymore."

"Don't exaggerate, Ruby.", the white-haired girl shot back with a sigh, yet she subtly smiled at her girlfriend since she immediately understood that the younger teen just tried to delicately imply their excellent education at Beacon Academy for Slater – and with that maybe also Jacques – to hear, "We still have two years of learning ahead of us. There's no way you or even I already know every important detail of Atlas' complex history."

"Well, then let's use this vacation in general, and these museum visits in particular, to get a head start so we stay at the very top of our class.", the crimsonette proposed, grinning, "I'm not sure what your take on this is, but I like it up there. Although the air is a little bit thin."

"Funny.", Weiss sighed once more but still chuckled a bit, "If you're so eager to learn, then we could rearrange our initial plans a little bit."

"Whatever you think works best, my proficient partner.", Ruby replied, "After all, you are the mastermind of this team. I'm just the one who motivates the people."

"First of all, don't hide your light under a bushel.", the heiress said, "And second: Don't try to butter me up. I won't let you copy off anything on the essays we have to finish over the semester break."

"It was worth a try... but I guess I have to use my spare free time to further tinker with my weapon then.", the younger teen sighed, "Anything you can tell me about the workshops for that at Atlas Academy?"

"Not much in detail. But we'll likely visit the academy at the end of today's tour anyway so you can check it out yourself.", the white-haired girl explained.

"And with that, the day suddenly got a lot more exciting.", Ruby responded, grinning the tiniest bit wider. Of course, she knew that this vacation wasn't meant for them to focus on improving their knowledge, fighting skills, and equipment... but maybe she would still get a chance to give Crescent Rose a bit of love during the periods they were just busy keeping up appearances.

Despite Atlas' horrible traffic – especially in the inner districts – the limousine arrived rather fast at the young couple's first destination. Slater dropped the girls off right in front of the museum's entrance and told them he would wait at a nearby parking lot. Of course, he also emphasized once more that they could take all the time they wanted. And with that, he just wished them lots of fun and drove off to park the vehicle while Weiss and Ruby entered the large, classy-looking building.

At first, the young Huntresses-in-training spent a few minutes taking a look at the many information boards, statues, and models that explained and illustrated Solitas' colonization, the establishment of the kingdom of Atlas, and various cities' developments. However – and although some facts were really interesting, especially everything Dust-related – there was only so much meaningless sauntering and small talk the crimsonette could take. After all, they had a mission... and as long as there was something left to be talked about, she couldn't focus on anything else anyway. That her girlfriend was specially reserved all of a sudden didn't help her emotional well-being, either.

"And here's a great visualization of the migration movements from various minor settlements to the city of Mantle during the Great War.", Weiss explained at yet another information board, "As you can see, only a few of them were reclaimed after..."

"Alright, what is going on with this weird list?", Ruby interrupted her all of a sudden, unable to keep her curiosity at bay any longer, "You're acting pretty strange – back in the limousine already – and I guess you think or know that something might be up. Sooo, enlighten me please so I can help you."

"Urgh... Well, now's probably as good a time as any to start discussing the latest developments.", the heiress sighed. But much to the younger teen's surprise, she didn't continue immediately. Instead, she started to look around, surveying the other visitors suspiciously. And once she was done, she took her girlfriend by the arm and gently pulled her to a somewhat quieter area of the large hall (one of many) they were currently staying in.

"I assume I don't have to tell you that Father certainly didn't compile this list out of pure goodwill.", the white-haired girl explained after she had made sure that nobody was eavesdropping on them.

"Well, duh.", Ruby simply replied, "But what do you think does he try to achieve with this?"

"There are two things I have in mind... which likely go hand in hand.", Weiss continued, "First of all, it's presumably part of just another test to evaluate how ambitious and cultured we – mostly you – really are since pretty much everything on his list disregards what could be considered normal fun as hard as possible. We have historical and natural museums, landmarks, memorials, and so on. He didn't even list Atlas' most popular shopping promenade, and that one honestly appears in every tourist guidebook, even in the most sophisticated ones. So it's safe to assume that he silently demands us to only visit his recommendations – and by the sheer number of them, there won't be much time for anything else anyway. I was actually planning to incorporate Atlas' famous Pancake Museum into our little tour – with a thorough tasting, of course – but I guess we can kiss that goodbye now... although it already teetered on the brink when Father announced he would provide us with a driver slash overseer for today."

"There's a pancake museum and we can't go there?", the crimsonette whined and her expression turned so devastated that it effortlessly sufficed to break the heiress' heart.

"Maybe another day when we can spend some time without supervision. And then I'll buy you the biggest pancake tower they offer, with all the toppings that will possibly fit.", Weiss tried to comfort her poor girlfriend, "But moving on: If we want to retain this tiny bit of his favor that we've ground out yesterday, we should definitely comply with his implicit demands. He will either ask Slater about the places we've visited or simply check the records of the limousine's tracking device to uncover how we spent the day. And the results better please him or he has yet another reason to think ill of me and all the horrible influences I'm subjected to at Beacon. Unfortunately, following his list entails yet another potential problem we won't be able to avoid."

"And that may be?", Ruby asked.

"By setting our tour himself, he knows about our exact whereabouts.", the white-haired girl continued to explain, "And that means he also knows exactly where he can surveil us. May it be through someone hired to follow us around all day – a private investigator or something along those lines – or numerous people stationed at various locations and waiting for our arrival. And if we still attract whatever kind of negative attention – behaving inappropriately in public, joking around, lazing off... not to mention doing certain things that may hint at the fact that we're anything but ordinary friends and teammates – he will hold it against us to achieve whatever twisted goals he pursues and still needs justification for. May it be taking me back to Atlas or concocting a reason to disinherit me – admittedly, he would need a pretty good one for that, but any kind of misbehavior would be a start – or something entirely different."

"Whoa...", was all the younger teen managed to respond to that at first, but after a little pause, she added, "Don't you think that's a little... overdramatic? I mean, I know that your dad is kinda, umm, crazy, for the lack of a better word, but would he really go through all that hassle just to have a reason to mess with you?"

"He would, believe me.", Weiss said flatly, "With him, you always have to expect the unexpected, as the saying goes. Why do you think did I sweep our rooms for eavesdropping devices yesterday? Something I'll definitely repeat once we're back at the manor. Admittedly, hiring a PI involves a little more effort, but that doesn't bother Father one bit."

"You do realize that we somehow got from 'We're here to tell your father about our relationship and convince him not to make your life miserable because of it.' to 'We just try not to mess up whatever so he won't have a reason to do it already before we've even come close to our original goal.', don't you?", the crimsonette remarked, "It kinda feels like the hunter has become the hunted or something. And I'm slowly starting to believe that it was a terrible idea to come here in the first place."

"Not necessarily.", the heiress responded, "Thinking about it in another way, we could even use this situation to our advantage. If Father really tries to spy on us somehow, that is – even I am only about eighty percent sure. Nevertheless, in case he does, let's just consider it another opportunity to convince him of our grandness. Always remember: While Father tries to find any flaws to substantiate his belief that I'm not suited to run the company or live my own life, we're here to show him that his entire premise is wrong."

"Right. And whatever it takes, we will succeed.", Ruby seconded confidently, "Then what are we gonna do now in case we're being surveilled? Aside from obviously not enjoying our vacation, that is."

"There really isn't much we can... or better have to do.", Weiss explained, "We simply continue with our educational trip, show or feign interest in whatever we visit – as said, mostly museums and memorials – and behave maturely and professionally. And we better refrain from exchanging any affections, even just platonic ones. That's also the reason I'm coming off a bit distant right now, in case you were wondering."

"Great.", the crimsonette grumbled.

"Hey, don't be glum.", the heiress appeased her girlfriend, "I promise that I'll make all of these sacrifices up to you eventually. And look on the bright side: If we use today to diligently learn about various topics – history, nature studies, and so on – we don't have to do so back at Beacon when we get to this stuff in our classes. That will earn us a lot of free time which we are then going to use for very pleasant activities... and many of them certainly won't require any clothing."

"Alright, you are forgiven.", Ruby joked – of course, she knew very well that her partner's every demand was necessary for them to prevail, as she herself had put it earlier, "Then let's get back to Atlas' history during the Great War. Nothing we haven't gone over a hundred times at Doctor Oobleck's lessons already, but whatever."

"Good girl.", Weiss praised the younger teen with a loving smile... and it took her a lot of willpower not to pet her head like she usually did when she referred to her as a cute puppy.

And so, the couple went on with their sightseeing tour, although the heiress still couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched all the time.

Unfortunately, it seemed that simply concentrating on their vacation again was way easier said than done, at least in Weiss' case. Of course, the heiress tried her hardest to just enjoy their visits to various museums and memorials, yet Ruby quickly noticed that her girlfriend's behavior had turned quite... paranoid, for the lack of a better description – as if actually verbalizing all of their new, possible problems had flipped some kind of switch in her brain. Wherever the young couple went, the white-haired girl focused less on the exhibits and more on the people around them. And needless to say, she spotted many potential spies and conspirators over the course of the forenoon.

"Wow... I knew Atlas had some huge troubles with Razorwings back in time. Still, I didn't believe that their colonies could get so big.", the crimsonette mused while viewing a large exhibition piece and the accompanying information in Atlas' natural science museum about Grimm (featuring only replicas of the creatures, naturally), "Even our textbooks don't mention this."

"There: See that guy with the dark-blue coat and the flat cap?", Weiss whispered warily, "I think he is following us around."

"Of course, he does.", the younger teen sighed with a roll of her eyes, "Just like the woman with the black fur shrug at the last museum. Or the frolicking couple with the little kid at the one before."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Ruby.", the heiress grumbled, "Fine, I probably overreacted a bit regarding that last example, but I'm telling you: Something is wrong with this guy. I mean, that's the fourth room he's entering shortly after us."

"And you don't think that this could be because we take the most convenient route through this museum and he's a tourist that does the same... like about fifty other people around us?", the crimsonette asked.

"And why does he do it at the exact same pace as we do?", the white-haired girl asked back.

"Right, that's totally suspicious. From the fifty people taking the same route as we do, only thirty are about as fast as we are.", Ruby shot back with yet another sigh.

"Stop making fun of me.", Weiss pouted, "This is a serious situation."

"No, it isn't. You're just ridiculously paranoid.", the younger teen explained, then continued in a much softer tone of voice, "Relax, Weiss. We don't do anything your father might take offense in or whatever anyway. We're just two friends on a sightseeing trip through the city and nothing has even just hinted at the contrary so far. By the way, even if anyone around us is a detective or the like and we figure it out somehow, what are you going to do about it?"

"I... we... urgh, I don't know.", the heiress grumbled, "Maybe we could confront them or something. Ask them why they are so focused on us. And maybe letting them know that we saw through their game would already be enough to get them off our backs."

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea.", the crimsonette mentioned, "I mean, if your dad knows that we're on to him, he might try to come up with even more annoying means to give us a hard time. On the other hand, you can count me in as long as it helps you to turn off this irrational suspicion and to concentrate on our original objective again. Because I thought the main reason we wanted to get away from the manor's prying ears – aside from keeping up the appearance that we're just on vacation here for the time being – was to come up with a plan on how to tell your father about our relationship. But we hardly got the basics down so far."

"You're right. Sorry.", was it the white-haired girl's turn to sigh now, "Let's keep refining our plan. Umm, a little summary of what we've got as of yet, please? I was a little distracted."

"You don't say.", Ruby said with a small chuckle, "At least we already kinda agreed on the best moment to tell him, namely after some kind of milestone when he's impressed with us – or, well, the Jacques-equivalent of that – so he'll take the news a little better."

"Yeah, correct. It's essential that he's somewhat well-disposed towards us when we try to get our points across.", Weiss seconded, "Also, after we've done so, we probably shouldn't stay at Schnee Manor for much longer, but preferably depart the very next day already. Even if Father won't be completely against our relationship, he'll certainly need some time to process everything, and he better does so alone, without the people responsible for the whole situation still right under his nose. And in case our efforts still end in a disaster despite the best possible preparation, at least he can't vent the bigger part of his anger on us if we leave as soon as possible."

"Don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure we can convince him somehow that our relationship is a good thing for your family, as well as the company. Just like Winter told us.", the crimsonette explained, "So, when do you think is the best time to break the news to your father?"

"I actually would've preferred to do so rather soon, but with this weird gala he invited us to on Friday, I guess we have no other option but to wait until then.", the heiress mentioned, "Which is pretty annoying since it gives him even more time to mess with us to prove whatever point he's trying to verify with his suspicious actions. But if we tell him about our relationship sooner and then leave before the festivities now that we've already promised to attend them, it'll significantly worsen his opinion of us again... to put it mildly. And – as said – staying too long after revealing the truth about us is likely a bad idea as well."

"Then we just stick out these few days until the gala and tell him afterwards.", the younger teen said, "It'll be the milestone we need and your father will probably be pleased with us once we've shown him that we can behave all sophisticated, or are able to network amazingly, or whatever this strange test is all about. Well, in your case, it's mostly showing him that you've chosen good company at Beacon when I don't embarrass myself, but you get the point."

"Yeah, I guess that's the best course of action to take.", the white-haired girl admitted.

"Great. Now let's discuss how we should break the news to him appropriately.", Ruby suggested, "Do you think we should approach the topic slowly and carefully, just hinting at it at first? Maybe letting him find out himself during the conversation? Or would a more straightforward approach..."

"Hey, this guy with the green parka just took a picture of us.", Weiss suddenly hissed and turned away a bit.

"Really?", her girlfriend asked – although she didn't sound overly convinced – and looked around to spot him.

"Well, n-not of us per se. I mean, that would be way too obvious, right?", the heiress explained, "But of the exhibit next to us. However, we're still in the picture. And it certainly looks like we're discussing something serious, maybe even conspiratorial. What if he really is somebody hired by Father, and if he shows this photo to him, then..."

"Weiss, stop catastrophizing.", Ruby groaned as he watched the obvious tourist quickly turning towards another display and taking more pictures, "I'm pretty sure that we aren't being watched by anyone here. And even if, you freaking out about it isn't doing us any favor. If we worry, we are more likely to screw up, behave oddly, do something embarrassing, whatever. But if we just ignore what your father might have come up with to surveil us, be ourselves, and enjoy ourselves, it's not only way less suspicious, but we're also always at our best. So no more paranoia, alright?"

"Understood. Sorry. I'll try harder not to let all of this get to me.", Weiss promised.

"Great.", the crimsonette concluded, "I really want to hug you right now to soothe you, but let's better save this for later when we're alone again."

"I just consider myself mentally cuddled for the time being.", the white-haired girl replied with a soft smile, "But I'll definitely take you up on your offer in the evening."

"And I'm gonna give you all the hugs you need – and more, if you want to.", Ruby declared, "But before we get all lovey-dovey, let's return our focus to either one of the most important tasks necessary for us to live a happy life or to learning stuff about a bunch of deadly creatures and the suffering they've brought to this continent a few decades ago."

"Agreed... although I probably would've phrased it a little differently.", Weiss simply seconded... yet she couldn't help but once more let her gaze wander warily through the museum.

Nevertheless, from that point on, the young couple's day continued in a slightly more relaxed, but also more productive manner. They were able to refine their own plans a little further and also learned a lot about Atlas' extensive history, culture, and art – mostly Ruby since Weiss was already well-acquainted with those topics. Not that the heiress didn't make her own kind of progress, though: During their lunch break, she almost forgot about the possible spies her father might have hired, and even at the museums, memorials, and other sights the two girls visited afterwards, she was a lot calmer and less suspicious. On a few occasions, she even joked around with her girlfriend (within reason, of course), much to the younger teen's relief and contentment.

In the late afternoon, Ruby and Weiss finally arrived at the last destination of today's tour: Atlas Academy. However, before they entered the actual institution to familiarize themselves with the similarities and, most importantly, differences to Beacon, they decided to visit the Cross Continental Transmit Tower with its own adjacent museum. After all, it had been the northernmost kingdom that had invented this likely most influential technological innovation of mankind (so far) before gifting it to the rest of the world after the Great War.

Despite the fact that the crimsonette had already been inside a few CCT centers – with the most impressive one being the CCT tower in Vale, obviously – Atlas' communication citadel was a totally different ball game. It was gigantic, but still not unnecessarily so; it was equipped with what appeared to be the newest inventions in terms of IT; it was beautifully furnished; and most of all, it was brimming with people. And then there was the museum that provided a vast amount of information about the history of the CCTS, the operating principle, technical and architectural facts, and much more.

However, halfway through the halls, something besides the info boards caught the couple's attention. Weiss noticed it first – and even though she was really trying not to be overly wary anymore, she couldn't help but recognize an oddity.

"Ruby, I know I promised to stop jumping to conclusions.", she began carefully, "But doesn't the man near the tower model at the far left look oddly familiar? The guy with the glasses, black topcoat, and red and brown checkered scarf. Didn't we already see him today?"

"Weiss, you're being too...", the crimson-haired girl began but quickly interrupted herself when she took a subtle look at the mentioned person, "Wait, you're right. Even I remember him from the contemporary art gallery."

"See?", the heiress stressed, "He was already quite focused on us back there – otherwise, I wouldn't have noticed him before. And now he's doing it again. Don't you think that's... questionable?"

"Maybe.", Ruby admitted, "But maybe he's just a tourist like us and checks out the most interesting sights. And it's just a coincidence that he happens to be at the same one with us for a second time."

"I don't know.", Weiss replied doubtfully, "As I've said before, you always need to expect the unexpected when my father might be involved. Furthermore, it's the second time the same guy seems to be oddly fixated on the two of us instead of on the information boards."

"Well, in his defense, you are kinda famous.", the younger teen explained.

"Infamous.", the white-haired girl corrected, "And that's the reason other people usually don't pester my family in public."

The two lovers shot the potential spy another glance... and this time, their gazes met for a brief moment. Interestingly enough, the man with the checkered scarf quickly turned away afterwards, took a few steps to the side, and dedicated his attention to a nearby information board.

"Okay, now that was a little suspicious.", the crimsonette acknowledged, "But what are we gonna do now?"

"I don't know.", Weiss grumbled, "I mean, so far, we haven't done anything Father might take offense in. And I plan to keep it that way. Maybe confronting this guy is a bad idea, after all. I guess we should probably just pretend he isn't there."

"Wait, I have a better idea.", Ruby suddenly said, "Let's turn the tables. If he makes us feel uncomfortable, we should return the favor."

"Huh?", was all the heiress managed to respond.

"I know how we may get rid of him without giving away that we're on to you father or whatever.", the younger teen explained, "I mean, what's a normal reaction for a girl when she notices that a guy is following them around? Just trust me, okay? And I'll make sure that he'll stop pestering us."

"Alright. I trust you.", Weiss agreed, "But don't do anything impudent."

"Wouldn't dream of it.", Ruby promised, "We just have to wait until we notice him staring at us again and I'll take care of it. So even if anything weird happens, it's on me, not on you. You'll remain the perfect heiress and I'm just someone who sticks up for her friend."

"I really hope you know what you're doing.", the white-haired girl simply sighed.

They didn't have to wait for long before their admirer began to focus on them anew. And this time, it even looked like he was trying to snap a picture of them in secret. That was the moment when Ruby's trap snapped shut.

The potential spy didn't even know what was happening when the crimson-haired girl suddenly appeared right in front of him, apparently out of thin air and with a few rose petals dancing around her. He was so surprised that he even dropped the Scroll he had been holding at waist level.

"Hey.", Ruby greeted him sweetly, "I'm really sorry to bother you, but my friend and I have noticed that you seem quite... interested in us. And while it's also a little bit flattering, I'm here to politely ask you to drop this odd fixation. We're not even twenty, so we're likely too young for you. Also, having people following us around makes my friend even more uncomfortable than the ordinary girl since she's rather famous... in case you didn't know already. Or maybe you do and are a paparazzi or something. In that particular case, I want to stress even harder that you should stop whatever you're doing here. Are we clear? No offense, of course."

"Umm, I-I'm just a tourist.", the man explained nervously and quickly picked up his Scroll again, "And I definitely didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, miss. I can assure you that whatever you think you've noticed was purely coincidental."

"Oh. Great. Then – again – sorry for bothering you.", the crimsonette said, "But, umm, could you still try to keep a bit more distance? For my friend? She's a little sensitive about stuff like that. Please?" She then gave him her trademark puppy-dog eyes.

"Uhh, o-of course.", the guy replied, a bit flustered, "And please tell your acquaintance that I meant no harm whatsoever. I'm just visiting Atlas' museums and certainly don't have any ulterior motives."

"I will. Thank you for being so accommodating.", Ruby concluded, "Have a nice day, Sir."

"Y-yeah. You, too.", the man shot back, then the younger teen simply strolled back to her girlfriend.

"Well, that was an... interesting way of handling things.", Weiss said once the crimson-haired girl was within earshot while watching the guy with the checkered scarf leave the hall, "So, what did he say?"

"He told me that he's just an ordinary tourist and that everything we might have noticed was pure coincidence.", Ruby explained, "On the other hand, he dropped a Scroll when I confronted him, so he could've been lying. Maybe he really was some kind of PI hired by your father. Who knows. He's gone now. You're welcome."

"Thank you, Rose Petal.", the heiress replied softly.

"Nah, it was nothing.", the crimsonette assured her girlfriend, "And the embarrassed look on his face when I asked him to stop stalking teenage girls was totally worth it. Hey, could it be that this guy wasn't a spy, but actually some kind of pervert?"

"I don't think so.", Weiss pondered, "Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore. We finally have some peace and quiet again... although it was probably a little pointless to get it that late since we're almost done with the last public place. But if that guy was really a PI or the like, maybe we managed to send some sort of message and won't be pestered for the next few days."

"Let's hope so.", Ruby said, "And even if some people continue to bother us, I'll gladly scare them away for you again. If I can't be an overly attached girlfriend at the moment, then I just settle for being overly protective."

"Fine with me. But always mind your manners.", the white-haired girl emphasized, "While I understand that you just used your Semblance to prevent this guy from getting away, it was still a pretty sketchy action."

"Yeah, sorry.", the younger teen apologized, "I'll try to come up with something less daring next time."

"Let's just hope that there won't be a next time.", the heiress concluded, "But moving on: How about we continue with our tour? I think there should be only one room left to visit anyway. And afterwards, I'll show you around Atlas Academy. I'm pretty curious myself how much has changed since I was there the last time."

"Sounds like a good plan.", the crimsonette agreed, and once again, the two girls went back to minding their own business.

Once they were done viewing everything the CCTS museum had to offer, Ruby and Weiss finally entered Atlas Academy. Thanks to their Beacon IDs – and likely also partly due to the white-haired girl's family name – they even got advanced visitor passes, meaning that they were allowed to inspect places normal people couldn't. And so, they checked out pretty much everything the prestigious institution formerly known as Alsius had to offer.

Similar to Beacon, Atlas Academy's long hallways were quite repetitive and easy to get lost in. What differed most here was the design: cold white and gray walls and floors with blue torches providing a pale light. It reminded the crimsonette a bit of Schnee Manor, however, it didn't feel quite as unwelcoming, more emotionless, for the lack of a better description. The cafeteria wasn't much different, yet the large glass windows that allowed an excellent view of the surrounding city were quite imposing. The dorm rooms – referred to as barracks here – were designed for functionality: four bunk beds built into the wall with a ladder in the middle; four desks and chairs for doing paperwork on; two large, in-built shelves for storing away whatever personal belongings; and an adjacent bathroom offering a sink, a shower, and a toilet.

In stark contrast to that stood the academy's massive library. Ornate, pristine white pillars adorned the many hallways and racks containing countless books and other study material. In the broad corridors, various tables were set up, a Hard-Light Dust projector sitting on top of each of them. And in front of every other pillar lining the hallways, there was a pedestal with an elaborate statue on top: some sort of knight carrying a sword and wearing a hooded cloak.

Of course, the two Huntresses-in-training also peeked into various empty lecture halls and briefing rooms where Ruby could marvel at the modern technology and stylish furnishing. Pretty much everything was digital – even the desks were equipped with a socket for one's Scroll that could project a holographic keyboard.

And then, there was the training room. It was a giant, empty hall with a grid made of Hard-Light Dust on the floor, certainly allowing to simulate pretty much every terrain the user could think of. It was probably also safe to assume that the technology used here could create training dummies and maybe even AI enemies to fight against. Of course, next to the chamber was an extensive gym with weights, punching bags, various other sports equipment, a climbing wall, a pool, and much, much more.

To say that Ruby was impressed would've been an understatement. This academy was nothing short of totally awesome, at least in the majority of aspects. A part of the Valean girl was even a little jealous of the students and wished that she could train here as well. But on the other hand, there was one highly important detail that didn't sit well with her. Atlas Academy felt almost crushingly strict and sterile and hardly offered any individuality. So even if she were to attend it, it wasn't too unlikely that she would either go crazy or become completely apathetic in just a few months... or that she would be kicked out eventually because she was way too free-spirited.

Admittedly, Beacon wasn't the most modern school and training facility, yet even from the very first day, it felt much homier. The teachers were incredibly eccentric, nevertheless, it was obvious that they cared deeply for their students. And of course, the Valean academy always allowed its attendees to just be themselves... something the crimsonette doubted would apply to this place.

All things considered, Ruby was still incredibly happy that she was studying at Beacon. But then again, she would still love the opportunity to use such state-of-the-art training equipment, at least once in a while.

"A lot to take in, huh?", Weiss asked on their way out, "Although the accouterment probably isn't too surprising, given the fact that Atlas is leading in terms of technological advance by a long shot."

"True that. But it's pretty amazing how much everything differs from Beacon, nonetheless.", the crimsonette explained, "No wonder no small part of the Atlesian society thinks they're better than Vale... or pretty much every other kingdom."

"Unfortunately. But I still favor Beacon over Atlas... by a long shot.", the heiress explained.

"Me, too.", her girlfriend agreed, "It feels a lot more, well, welcoming than this place. Warmer, too, both in terms of temperature and overall atmosphere. Atlas Academy somehow gives off the vibe that it's more of a military boot camp than a university."

"That's one way to look at it.", the white-haired girl admitted, "But I also have two other reasons for choosing Beacon over Atlas at any given time. First of all, it puts an appropriate distance between me and my father."

"I already thought as much.", the younger teen giggled, "And second?"

"Isn't that obvious?", Weiss asked with a loving smile, "Beacon has you, my adorable dolt."

"Aww...", Ruby cooed happily, "But if it's just about these two aspects, we both could also transfer to Haven or Shade. That would put even more distance between you and your father."

"Meh, I've grown fond of Beacon.", the heiress shot back, "Also, if we would consider switching academies, we would need to convince Blake and Yang to do so as well since I definitely don't want to part with them. And Team JNPR. They're our best friends, after all... and admitting that out loud only feels a little weird to me by now, so it must be true."

"Then let's just keep things as they are.", the Valean girl concluded, "Although we might want to borrow some of the equipment here and take it to Beacon."

"Good luck with that.", Weiss chuckled, "This academy is guarded more tightly than your average maximum security prison. The only place even more secure is probably the city's command center.

"But enough of that. We're done with our tour and it's starting to get late. So I suggest we return to the manor, relax a little bit, and then prepare for the next family dinner slash interrogation. I'm certain that Father has already come up with an extensive question catalog about our sightseeing tour."

"Well, whatever he wants to know, we can just tell him the truth: a tale about two diligent students who learned a lot about Atlas' history, technology, art, and whatnot.", Ruby remarked, "Maybe we should keep the episode with the stalker to ourselves, though. If that guy was really working for your father, he'll tell him anyway."

"Good point.", the heiress agreed, "But this unpleasant event aside, it was a pretty successful day. We were behaving immaculately, we gained new knowledge, and we also managed to partially refine our strategy for ultimately telling my father about our relationship. All things considered, we made at least some progress in all aspects."

"Because we're awesome.", the crimson-haired girl explained with a wide grin, "And just like I told you, there really was nothing to worry about. Maybe that one guy was tasked with surveilling us, but even if, he definitely couldn't find out a single thing that could cause us any trouble. And I also haven't noticed any other traps, schemes, or shenanigans stemming from your father. So perhaps we didn't even have to expect the unexpected at all."

"Perhaps...", Weiss pondered as they turned the final corner leading to the foyer of the academy...

...only to run into two people. One of them was General James Ironwood, headmaster of the institution and also the commander of the kingdom's entire military. And the second person was none other than Jacques Schnee himself. Needless to say, it took both girls completely by surprise. That the CEO immediately spotted and recognized them didn't help their situation in the slightest.

"Weiss, dear. And Miss Rose. What a coincidence.", Jacques greeted them, "The general and I were just talking about you."

"G-greetings, Father.", the white-haired girl replied – still a little shocked – as she and Ruby approached him, "What are you doing here... if you'll allow the question?"

"Well, after you have mentioned yesterday that you wanted to visit Atlas Academy for some combat training during your stay, I thought that I might as well prepone my meeting with James – which is why I left early today, in case you were wondering – and also use it to discuss the possibility of allowing you to partake in a few... special exercises. These are usually only available to high-ranking military members, but I was able to convince my old friend here to make an exception for the two of you. And I want to believe that this would benefit all of us. You'll have the opportunity to practice in the best possible manner outside of real, dangerous operations, and I can get even better insight into your combative skills. Please excuse my importunity, dear, but as your father, I just want to make sure that Beacon Academy is teaching you well. Yet, considering all the praising reports I have heard about the famous Team RWBY so far – even including a few recent ones from General Ironwood – I assume a little more difficult training won't pose a problem for you, would it?"

"Umm, I... guess it won't.", the heiress said, "Right, Ruby?"

"Of course not.", the crimsonette quickly seconded, trying to sound confident, "As long as we won't bother the general, that is." She didn't even know why she added the last part. Maybe because she felt a little uncomfortable with Jacques pestering Atlas' headmaster on their behalf. Or maybe she was subconsciously hoping for a way out of this certainly troublesome situation. Probably a bit of both. However, it was of no use anyway.

"Oh, I don't mind at all, Miss Rose.", Ironwood reassured her, "Admittedly, the simulations intended for our specialists clearly require more material and technical effort than those to which ordinary students have access. Yet, Mister Schnee agreed to compensate us appropriately for that. And if I am completely honest, I myself am quite curious about your level of fighting prowess after studying all the reports of your recent missions concerning Doctor Merlot and his mutant Grimm. We even tried to simulate a few of these specimens based on the information you've gathered so the Atlesian military can prepare more effectively against this type of threat.

"And if you are concerned about any risk of injury: I can assure you that our artificial training exercises are completely safe. Despite us using Hard-Light Dust, we don't replicate the actual or assumed force of a certain attack but work with a specially developed scoring system. It's... comparable to those video games that are popular with your generation: If you receive a certain amount of hits, the simulation will shut itself down and you've lost."

"That's... reassuring to hear.", Ruby mentioned, "Not that we plan to lose, though. Obviously."

"Splendid. I admire your confidence, Miss Rose.", Jacques said, "I actually wanted to discuss the details with you over dinner, but now that we've already crossed paths, we might as well do so now. If it is not too short of notice for you, I would like to schedule this demonstration of your skills for tomorrow evening already. If I recall correctly, you wanted to study at Atlas Academy for various assignments anyway, so in my opinion, it would be convenient for you to combine both tasks. You could spend the morning and afternoon in the library, and afterwards – once I can allow myself to leave work – you could train at the simulator and I could spectate. But of course, I fully understand if you want to take a little more time to relax or prepare. Personally, I always want to get important tasks done as quickly as I can, but I don't want to pose as the measure of all things here."

Of course, the young couple didn't believe this last part one bit. Therefore, unfortunately, they knew that there was only one correct reply to this proposal. They wanted to impress the heiress' father, after all.

Sharing one last glance with her girlfriend and receiving a nod, Weiss quickly spoke up: "Tomorrow evening is fine. Ruby and I don't like putting something off for too long, either, so we probably would've started working on our essays tomorrow anyway. And linking this together with some combat training afterwards is undoubtedly the most reasonable course of action."

"Then it is settled.", the CEO replied, "While you are studying, I will send you a text message to let you know when exactly I can join you at the academy. If you excuse us now, there are still a few matters left that James and I have to discuss. I will see you in approximately two hours at the manor. Have a safe trip home."

"Until tomorrow, Miss Schnee, Miss Rose.", the general bid his goodbye and hinted at a bow, then he and the white-haired girl's father left Ruby and Weiss to their own devices to be wherever else. Apparently, they had just been passing through the foyer when the young couple had shown up. Talk about bad timing... but then again, another outcome likely wouldn't have changed a thing about this situation.

Yet, the heiress still deemed it necessary to address one certain aspect.

"Ruby, you know that I am anything but superstitious...", she sighed, "But did you really have to mention that there was no need for us to 'expect the unexpected' right before we could've left the academy? Because if I didn't know better, I would say that you jinxed it."

"Let's just agree that you always carry a big cookie with you from now on.", the crimsonette suggested apologetically, "And whenever you think I'm about to say something stupid, you just stuff it in my mouth. Problem solved."

And upon seeing her girlfriend's questioning expression, she added meekly: "You might need more than one a day."

Chapter Text

"Brain... hurty.", Ruby groaned and put her forehead onto the desk she was sitting at, "Blood sugar levels... dangerously low. Need a snack... and encouraging head pats. Otherwise... shutdown imminent."

"Don't be so overdramatic.", Weiss said dryly and turned a page of one of the eight books in front of them, "We're hardly three and a half hours at it."

"Three and a half hours straight.", the crimson-haired girl whined back, "And it's always the same. Nothing against learning about the Valean and Vacuan alliance during the Great War and its developments after the Vytal Peace Accord, but I need a bit of variation. Or diversion. Or a break. It's almost lunchtime anyway."

"And we will have a decent meal in the cafeteria in maybe half an hour, then proceed with working on a different assignment so it won't get too dull and repetitive.", the heiress promised, "So just try to concentrate for a little longer, okay? We're making some great progress here."

"Urgh... more learning and writing.", the younger teen pouted and sat back up properly, "I wish this day would go by a little faster so we can finally hit the simulator and practice a few cool, new moves and strategies."

"Umm, you do know that this isn't going to be a simple training exercise, right?", Weiss reminded her girlfriend, "My father will be watching and judging our every action and even the smallest mistake likely makes him consider Beacon's teaching methods in general and our partnership in particular a total failure. Aside from the battles where we truly fought for survival, this is going to be one of the most important fights of our lives. Not to mention that Father certainly won't shy away from using whatever dirty tricks he might come up with to make us look bad."

"But at least fighting's something I excel at and consider... well, fun might be the wrong word, but you get what I mean.", Ruby mentioned and reluctantly returned her attention to her essay, "You know that I'm no brainy person, at least when it comes to book-learning and stuff. And I also don't like to sit still and keep quiet for too long a stretch."

"Unfortunately for you, that's also part of becoming a Huntress.", the white-haired girl shot back while her pen flew over her paper, "If it helps, don't only think of this whole ordeal as a task to gain important knowledge for your dream career, but also as an exercise in patience and persistence. And now stop dilly-dallying and try to finish your part on Vale and Vacuo's collaboration in military training. I'm almost done with the economic relations, then we can exchange our findings and help each other write the respective missing topics."

"Urgh... on it.", the crimsonette groaned with a roll of her eyes... but still gave her girlfriend a soft smile afterwards.

And with that, both teens continued to work on their term papers for Doctor Oobleck's history class. Since eight-thirty this morning, they had been sitting in the library of Atlas Academy, primarily to get lots of studying done, but also because they had wanted to flee Schnee Manor (and probable espionage activities) as early as possible. And even though they had barely needed half an hour to figure out each other's game and knew that the other had, too, they still kept playing it:

While the crimson-haired girl really wasn't overly fond of turning pages and writing essays, she had long since gotten used to it – unsurprisingly, after four semesters of studying at Beacon. Yet, she deliberately behaved all hyper and annoyingly pouty, more like a Ruby from the past Weiss still remembered very well... and had loved to scold. The heiress herself also played an older role of hers, namely the overly strict and demanding Ice Queen who reacted accordingly to the younger teen's unbecoming antics... and gave her even more to pout about.

Of course, there was a reason for this weird little teasing cycle: It emulated normalcy and banality and prevented their minds from wandering off to unpleasant places. Otherwise, both girls likely wouldn't be able to focus on anything but the upcoming demonstration of their fighting prowess to dissuade Jacques from... well, whatever he wanted to believe or prove. It had already given them no peace last night, and while Weiss had gone through all the possible scenarios the simulator might have to offer (she had no clue about the machine's actual capabilities, though), Ruby had disassembled and reassembled both their weapons about five times – at least as much as her small travel tool bag had allowed – to check that Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster were in top condition.

Nevertheless, the young couple knew that there wasn't much they could do to make an actual impact on today's events. Therefore, they played a few teasing games and joked around to delude themselves into thinking that it was just a normal study session at the library right now. That way, they would at least make a bit of progress on their essays.

And it worked: Around quarter to one, Ruby and Weiss had finished the first part of their history term paper. Considering the magnitude of the whole assignment, it was only a fraction, though. But it was good enough in the heiress' opinion to ultimately allow them their lunch break, much to the crimsonette's delight.

"Finally.", the younger teen sighed contentedly as she and her girlfriend left the bookshelves behind them, "I was starting to fear that we'd never get this done and you'd keep me hostage until we both starved to death. For my inevitable passing, I want either something way cooler or more placid. In the first case, 'World-renowned Huntress killed in action or died of wounds after slaying a mountain-sized Grimm and saving a whole kingdom' sounds nice. On the other hand, I guess I'd prefer 'Global heroine passed away peacefully in bed at age ninety, surrounded by her many children and grandchildren'."

"And where would I be in either of those scenarios?", Weiss wanted to know. As always when they were talking about their relationship in public, both girls lowered their voices. Admittedly, compared to Schnee Manor, Atlas Academy was pretty much a safe haven, but even here it would be unwise to shout from the rooftops that they were a couple... or to get all touchy-feely in plain sight.

"Well, in the one where we prevent some kind of apocalypse, we'd either save the world and die together... or you'd survive, mourn my death for a while, but eventually move on and continue to run the SDC, raise our kids – if they aren't already adults by then – and so on.", Ruby explained, "In the latter turn of events, you would've passed away almost two years earlier, though. We'd both have had the exact same, super-fulfilling life together... but you're older than me." She then gave the white-haired girl a goofy grin.

"I guess I don't have to mention that lifespans don't work that simple, right?", the heiress asked and raised an eyebrow, "I eat healthier than you, for example. I pay more attention to avoiding germs and other biohazards. I get medical check-ups more regu..."

"Exact same life.", the crimsonette interrupted her girlfriend's ramblings with a giggle, but then she added, "Although I should probably try to take a little better care of myself so we can really be together for as long as possible."

"You can call me selfish, but I would consider this a desirable outcome for our relationship.", Weiss joked back.

"Fine, I won't take the unhealthiest meal at the cafeteria today... and I promise to eat all of my greens.", Ruby declared, "But speaking of cafeteria: Are we there anytime soon? Or did we get lost?" She had barely finished her sentence when the entrance to the lunchroom already came into view.

"Unlike you, Rosebud, I have no trouble with directions, even if every corridor looks pretty much the same.", the white-haired girl explained, "However, I do have the unfair advantage of having been able to practice all my childhood."

"The more I think about it... and the more academies I get to see, the more I come to the conclusion that this is an extremely beneficial talent.", the crimson-haired teen pondered, "In the future, when we have our own house or apartment, we should take this into account when decorating the hallways, so that our children will get this skill, too."

"I don't think that this is gonna work for an accommodation that can still be considered cozy-sized – and I definitely don't want our future family to occupy anything uselessly spacious – but I'll keep it in mind.", Weiss chuckled quietly, "And now let's hold off on the relationship talk for a bit because there are lots of people here."

And indeed, even though it was semester break, the cafeteria of Atlas Academy was bustling with students, teachers, and also with many military members and freelance Huntspeople. Thankfully, it was also quite roomy (even more so than Beacon's dining hall) and equipped with a large number of tables and chairs, so the young couple would still easily find a place to eat at... after they had managed to order, that is. It was lunchtime, after all, and there was a pretty long queue in front of the serving counter. But on the other hand, maybe a slightly longer wait even came in handy to properly choose a dish since Atlas also seemed to offer a wider selection of dishes than Beacon.

However, despite the length of the queue, after merely a few minutes, it was the White Rose duo's turn to get their food. And while the crimson-haired girl actually fancied a big burger with fries, she chose a chicken curry with vegetables and rice – a little less tasty in her opinion, but definitely a lot healthier. However, she couldn't resist ordering a chocolate pudding as a dessert as well. Weiss, for her part, went with a few fish wraps and a cup of fruit salad.

Since they were no actual Atlas students, they had to pay for their food, even though their Beacon IDs were still good for a discount. Nevertheless, the heiress' credit card quickly took care of the bill. Then the two teens took their trays to a quieter corner of the cafeteria to enjoy their meals in silence... more or less, given the loud chatter and the clattering of cutlery on plates that constantly echoed through the hall.

Unfortunately, the peaceful lunch they were hoping for wasn't granted to them because, after just a few bites, five people were coming their way. But when Weiss recognized who was approaching them, her eyes went wide in surprise. Ruby, on the other hand, had no idea that she and the heiress were suddenly receiving important visitors, although she had to admit that the nearing Huntspeople had a quite impressive presence... and not just because they were all wearing Atlesian Specialist uniforms.

"So the rumors are true.", a man with short brown hair who was walking in front of the group addressed the two girls, "Here's half of Beacon's famous Team RWBY."

"Uhh, yes?", Ruby replied and raised an eyebrow in confusion, "And you are... S-sir?"

"Those are Atlas' Ace Operatives – an elite group of Huntspeople under the direct command of General Ironwood.", Weiss explained.

"Wooow.", the crimsonette said in awe, "And people like them know who we are?"

"We sure do, Miss Rose.", the brown-haired man responded, "Pretty much every Atlas Specialist knows at least the names and faces of the exemplary students from Vale who uncovered the grave danger posed by Doctor Merlot, his modified Grimm, and this strange disease they can cause. And as the most excellent Huntsmen and Huntresses of this academy, we thoroughly studied every report on your missions tied to those mutants. Overall excellent work you did there, especially considering that you've just been second-years."

"Thank you very much for the praise, Mister... umm, Specialist... well...", Ruby began sheepishly.

"Oh, apologies. I guess individual introductions are in order.", the Huntsman chuckled in a comradely manner, "I am Clover Ebi, humble leader of the Ace-Ops." He then gave the rest of his team a nod over his shoulder.

"Elm Ederne.", a tall, muscular woman with medium-length, brown hair tied into a ponytail said gushingly and with a big, almost Yang-like grin on her face.

"Vine Zeki.", came an entirely different – as in calm and modest – introduction from an equally tall, but slim man with short-shaved gray hair and a third eye tattoo along the center of his forehead and chin.

"Harriet Bree.", a young woman with a mohawk of platinum blonde and brown hair added curtly.

"Marrow Amin.", the last Ace Operative – a man with dark green hair styled in a bun – introduced himself. A gray canine tail wagging behind him showed his Faunus heritage.

"Well, again, thanks a lot for the compliments, Mister Ebi, sir.", Ruby repeated politely, "Me and... I mean, my teammates and I train our hardest to become outstanding Huntresses ourselves someday."

"Based on what I've read and heard about your team so far, it seems that you already are.", Clover remarked, "In just two years as students, you've accomplished more than some graduated teams I've come to know."

"If I were you, I would ask the headmaster of Beacon to prepone your graduation.", the woman who had introduced herself as Harriet suggested, "I mean, if you already have what it takes to be real Huntresses, why wait and still bother with lectures and essays?"

"Rushing into this profession just because one shows above-average fighting prowess would be an incredibly rash and unwise decision.", Vine objected, "It takes a lot more than excellent combat skills to succeed as Huntsmen or Huntresses – besides knowledge from books also a sense for strategy, mental resilience and balance, and..."

"Nonsense.", Marrow interrupted his teammate, "All you need is the right motivation and an iron will to follow through with your plans. Of course, learning and training are important, too, but still secondary, so to speak."

"The headmasters of the academies have a good reason for wanting students to be trained for four years.", Elm added for consideration, "In my opinion, we should neither question nor mess with that. Instead, more skilled teams should seek out more challenging tasks within their education."

"I have no idea if it's soothing or worrisome to see that the bickering between teammates continues even among full-fledged Huntspeople.", Ruby whispered to Weiss.

"Well, I myself don't mind an animated exchange of opinions every now and then.", the heiress replied with a shrug, "And it's not like we, Blake, and Yang actually quarrel."

"Neither do we... although my teammates' views on certain topics differ quite considerably.", Clover – who had heard the young couple's conversation – explained, "But at least we all agree that Team RWBY performs way above average and we look forward to seeing how its leader and her partner do in the simulator today."

Needless to say, the Ace-Op's last statement caught both teens completely off guard.

"Y-you know about that?", the crimson-haired girl asked confused.

"And you want to observe us?", Weiss added in surprise.

"Well, you don't get the opportunity to watch some prodigies from another academy every day.", Clover continued, "With full access to the most modern combat simulator in existence AND a training program compiled under the supervision of General Ironwood himself, on top of that."

"Exactly. Most of the current office gossip is about you guys.", Elm said with a chuckle, "Pretty much like when Ruby was infected with this weird Grimm illness."

"Miss Rose.", Vine corrected his teammate.

"O-oh, right. Sorry.", the buff woman quickly apologized.

"No, it's fine: Just Ruby is okay.", the crimson-haired girl replied, "I've never been a big fan of formalities."

"How about we all just stick with the first names?", Clover suggested, "I mean, we are all Huntspeople here... although two of us are still missing a few exams." He then looked around and received a nod from everybody.

"Well, getting back to the actual topic: You are already small celebrities at Atlas Academy.", Marrow explained to the Beacon students, "Admittedly, B-listers, but still. Many military specialists are interested in watching your training session... or at least the recording afterwards. We Ace-Ops are lucky enough to have a bit of free time today and snagged us some front-row seats."

"But don't feel pressured by a couple of important spectators. We'll only watch and judge every single move you make, then evaluate if you have chances to become an exceptional team... or just an average one.", Harriet teased with a challenging, but not actually mean grin. It was obvious that she was (mostly) joking. But unfortunately, her mention of any observers criticizing their performance once again reminded Ruby and Weiss of the huge problem they had tried to block out: Jacques Schnee.

However, an idea suddenly struck the crimson-haired teen. Maybe she and the heiress could use this coincidental meeting with the Ace Operatives to their advantage. To convince Jacques that Beacon had taught them well so far and their partnership had made them grow stronger than anyone could have imagined, they needed to show him that they were the best Huntresses-in-training Remnant had ever seen. So why not get a bit of advice from Atlas Academy's best team? The Ace-Ops could certainly give them some useful tips on improving their combat performance in general and for the upcoming training session in the simulator in particular.

"Umm, speaking of people judging our performance...", Ruby began and exchanged a worried look with her girlfriend. Thankfully, the heiress simply gave her a small smile and a nod after barely two seconds, so the crimsonette continued: "You've probably also heard that Weiss' father will be observing us as well. This whole advanced training session in the simulator was his idea to assess how well Beacon has taught us. And we kinda, well, need to impress him... for various, mostly personal reasons. Sooo, do you guys have any advice for us on how to cut a really amazing figure this afternoon? Like, is there anything we should heed in particular in the simulator? Or can you tell us something about the programs General Ironwood chose so we can come up with a plan to beat them in advance?"

"Whoa, sounds pretty serious.", Elm remarked, "May I ask you how personal your reasons are for wanting to impress Jacques Schnee? Or is this already too personal?"

"It is... partly about me choosing Beacon over Atlas.", Weiss explained, "Which I did because I, well, wanted to live my own life. Away from my family's influence. Carving a path that's truly mine: my decisions, my personal efforts, aided only by my team, and so on. And I need to show my father that I'm doing fine in that regard so he won't consider it necessary anymore to... interfere in my life. I may sound like a typical, stubborn teenager here, but believe me when I tell you that Jacques Schnee can be quite... commanding, for the lack of a better description."

"To be honest: It's not very hard to imagine that.", Marrow said slightly snarky – likely due to him being a Faunus and knowing what the Schnee patriarch thought of his kind – before adding somewhat apologetically, "With all due respect to the SDC's CEO, of course."

"And the other reason?", Elm pressed on, "You said partly, after all. Or is this where it gets really personal?"

At the mention, Ruby and Weiss exchanged yet another glance. However, almost immediately, the crimson-haired teen just gave her girlfriend a shrug and a gentle smile, which was pretty much her consent for the heiress to tell the Ace-Ops everything about them she wanted. Weiss likely didn't plan to reveal their romantic relationship anyway – not that Ruby herself would've minded, but she knew that they needed to be careful. But maybe unveiling that their overall bond was on the line here would convince Atlas' most skillful team of Huntspeople to help them a little bit.

"Well, the primary reason we need to perform exceptionally well this afternoon concerns my... companionship with Ruby.", the white-haired girl continued, "Because if anything goes wrong – even the most insignificant matter – my father will likely deem her unsuitable company for me. Which will lead him to try and meddle with my social environment, maybe even force me to cut ties with her and the rest of my team eventually, after graduation or the like... or face some form of consequences that'll likely affect my future at the SDC. But I can't let this happen. My friends mean too much to me – especially Ruby since she's the first real one I've ever made and certainly the best one I'll ever find."

"Just so you know: Pretty much everything she said applies to me all the same.", the crimsonette added with a small blush, "So, yeah: Every bit of help for this simulator fight is appreciated."

"Aww, super-besties trying to convince an overly controlling father that they're meant to be friends forever.", Elm cheered with a big, almost goofy smile. Marrow and Harriet just rolled their eyes at their teammate's antics, but given their thoughtful expressions, they seemed to at least understand Ruby and Weiss' trouble to some degree. Vine stayed completely calm, yet the two Beacon students noticed that he gave them a subtle nod.

Clover, however, suddenly had an unreadable expression on his face, as if he thoroughly pondered the white-haired girl's explanation... and tried to decrypt any possible implications. But just before the two teens could start to worry, a determined grin appeared on his face.

"Alright, that's good enough a reason to throw some support your way, even though it would be more interesting to see you be plunged in at the deep end.", he chuckled, "However, we can't tell you much about the programs that'll be chosen in the simulator. Expect some kind of warm-up with a few small, basic Grimm – Beowolves, Razorwings, those fellas – then it'll get serious. I'm almost certain that you'll also face a few of Merlot's mutants, mostly because the general wants your opinion on our techies' simulation of them and likely some improvement suggestions as well. We only know these creatures from a few reports – mostly yours – and a bit of data some of our reinforcement troops recorded around Nave, Blackwell, and a couple of other hotspots near Vytal. Nevertheless, the bigger part of the exercises is always randomized for training purposes, like enemy positions, fighting behavior – aggressive or defensive – terrain, weather, and so on. After all, it doesn't make sense to practice the exact same situations over and over again, am I right?"

"Certainly.", Weiss agreed, "But, umm, maybe you have a few recommendations regarding our strategy in the simulator? Something special we should pay attention to and what might be different from the normal field operations we're used to?"

"Well, it is always important to have a strategy for various situations at hand, but with some room to improvise in case of emergency.", Vine explained calmly, "Act level-headedly and adjust to your opponents to exploit their weaknesses, then you can overcome pretty much every obstacle."

"I suggest you strike fast and precise.", Harriet added, "You can't get caught in a nasty surprise if you are always one step ahead of your enemy."

"Be brave and bold," Elm stated, "While computer programs obviously can't be intimidated, a confident demeanor does wonders for one's morale... which ultimately affects your performance in a combat situation."

"Trust your instinct. That's a Huntsman's most powerful weapon.", Marrow remarked, "If your gut tells you a bold assault is the best choice, go with it. Whereas if it reckons you should take cover first and plan a cautious counterattack, then that's probably the best way to handle the current situation."

At the many mentions, Ruby and Weiss only raised an eyebrow each. Not only were those nuggets of information anything but innovative, but some of them were even conflicting with each other. So much about the game-changing and potentially life-saving advice the young couple had been hoping for.

But then, Clover said something that made them reconsider: "Well, as you can see, pretty much everybody has their own formula for success, hehe. But I guess that is what makes for a good team. Every small piece – prudence, courage, passion, circumspection, evaluation, intuition, openness to risk, and many other qualities – is important to varying degrees to master the many different situations in the life of a Huntsman or Huntress. It may sound strange, but the more dissimilar you are and the worse you seem to get along, the better you ultimately complement each other. And in the end, pretty much every success always includes a little pinch of luck. Interestingly enough, whether you feel lucky is much more often a matter of attitude than you think. Does this make sense?"

"Actually... yes.", the heiress replied as she turned the Ace Operatives' words back and forth in her mind.

"Many thanks for all your advice and the reassurance.", Ruby added, "I think we feel a bit readier now for our upcoming training slash demonstration in the afternoon."

You are very welcome.", the Ace-Ops' leader said comradely.

"Yeah, always happy to help the fledglings.", Marrow said with a chuckle, only to be subtly (more or less) elbowed by Elm in the ribs a moment later, "Hngh... r-relax, I was just joking. And they are still students."

"Then why do you always act less mature than they've done so far?", Harriet asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Guys, please.", Clover sighed, "As some of the most prestigious representatives of Atlas Academy, we should strive to make a good impression here."

"Oh, umm, you totally did already, being all polite and supportive to us despite your high rank.", the crimson-haired teen quickly clarified, "Weiss and I would invite you all for a round of coffee... but you probably get everything for free in here anyway, right?"

"It is one of the few perks of being part of Atlas' military.", Vine simply replied.

"Nevertheless, we didn't actually plan to have a lunch break.", Clover explained, "We were just passing by, spotted you by coincidence, and decided to introduce ourselves. But now, we should probably return to our duties... which – unfortunately – means just boring paperwork today. However, we might be able to chat some more this afternoon after you are done training in the simulator."

"Sounds great.", Ruby responded, "Well, until later then, I guess."

"Until later.", the brown-haired man concluded, "And I wish you the best of luck with showing Jacques Schnee that you two are outstanding... partners."

"Thank you.", Weiss said politely... however, she couldn't help but suspect that Clover managed to figure out a little bit more about their relationship than they had actually revealed through their explanations and behavior.

Then the rest of the Ace Operatives bid their goodbyes as well and the group left the cafeteria again. And once they were gone, the two Beacon students returned their attention to their now cold lunch. However, Ruby and Weiss didn't mind this one bit. If anything, this interruption – especially Clover's summary of his team's advice – had helped them calm back down way better than any weird teasing and repressing games probably ever could. It had also reminded the young couple of the fact that they had what it took to ace whatever simulator fight together.

"Now that I think about it more thoroughly: If all the talk about differences and complements is true, then we are pretty much the perfect team.", Weiss mused... and quickly blushed when her girlfriend took her hand beneath the table to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"Have you ever doubted that?", the younger teen asked with a confident smile, "You're the brain, I'm the heart... and together, we're unstoppable."

"Sounds about right.", the heiress agreed and returned the determined smirk, "By the way, what do you think are Blake and Yang in this metaphor?"

"Hmmm... good question.", the crimsonette pondered, let go of the white-haired girl's hand, and took a spoonful of her curry, "I think Blake would be, umm, the senses maybe? Eyes, ears, nose, and so on. She's a pretty observant person and always notices even the smallest details."

"Yeah, that checks out.", Weiss nodded, "And your sister?"

"I'd say she's the liver. For various reasons.", Ruby explained, "I mean, she helps us to digest stuff by playing dire situations down with her weird but soothing humor, and she protects you, me, and Blake from any toxicity and bad outside influences, even if she has to utilize brute force." And when her girlfriend raised her eyebrows in a meaningful manner, she added: "Oh, and partly because of all the drinking she forces upon us."

"I thought so.", the white-haired girl giggled... but of course, she also agreed with the crimsonette's first two nicer statements about the blonde.

After Ruby and Weiss had finished their lunch, they went back to the library to continue working on their many term papers. And to keep things a little more diverse – just like the heiress had promised her girlfriend earlier – they put history on the back burner now and engaged themselves in Grimm studies, much to the crimsonette's contentment since she considered this subject much more interesting. But unfortunately for her, before they could actually read something about the dangerous creatures and how to kill them, they had to start with the basics of academic work, which meant coming up with a decent structure for their essays, amassing literature, and the like. Well, at least it was something different than the stuff they had been doing all morning.

The two Beacon students spent the entire afternoon between books, writing cramps, and the mandatory jokes and teases here and there. And before they knew it, it was almost five o'clock. Not that they actually became aware of that – they were too immersed in their research. However, a sudden buzz from Weiss' Scroll which was currently resting on the table in between the ton of tomes broke their concentration.

"Huh? What's the matter now?", Ruby asked confused... before realization hit her, "Oh, do you think it's time for us to meet your father at the training rooms?"

"Most likely.", the white-haired girl replied and grabbed the device to check the text message she had received, "I mean, it's certainly quite late in the afternoon already and I have no idea who else could be trying to contact me right now."

"Well, then I guess we should put all the books back where we found them and gather our belongings.", the younger teen suggested.

"Correct.", Weiss agreed, "Letting Father wait is definitely..." But all of a sudden, she trailed off, her eyes fixated on the screen of her now unfolded Scroll.

"Is something wrong?", Ruby asked and began to worry a bit.

"My sister wants to meet up with us before our training session starts.", the heiress explained confused, "She has summoned us to the arsenal near the docking bay."

"Really? But why?", the crimsonette questioned the situation further.

"I have no idea. And neither did Winter mention any reason.", the white-haired girl said, "But knowing her, it is about something important. So let's just drop our books off on a return cart and hurry to the arms depot. Father could also contact us at any given moment."

And so, the young couple swiftly cleaned up their workplace, then made their way to the meeting point specified by the heiress' sister. It wasn't an overly long walk, though, and they moved at a fast pace, so it only took them a few minutes to arrive. Winter was already waiting outside the facility, her expression and posture stoic as ever. Nevertheless, Ruby almost believed that her eyes lit up the tiniest bit when she spotted the younger Schnee.

"Greetings, dear sister.", the heiress addressed the military specialist politely once she and her girlfriend were within earshot, "A pleasure to..."

"Drop the formalities, Weiss.", Winter interrupted her curtly, "We both don't know how much time we have to talk, so we shouldn't waste any second with courtesies neither of us actually cares about. Or did our father already tell you when he will arrive at the academy?"

"Umm, n-no, he hasn't.", Weiss replied, a little surprised about her sister's attitude... and the fact that she also knew about Jacques' plans for today, "Sooo, why did you call us here?"

"Isn't that obvious?", the specialist asked, "I want to talk to you and Ruby again before you two have to prove your skills in front of him in the simulator. And of course, I also want to give you a bit of advice for the upcoming trial. You definitely need to perform immaculately in order to ultimately convince him to approve of your relationship... although I still recommend you to further gain his respect before you reveal that you are a couple."

"Ruby and I agreed that we will tell him after some fancy gala on Friday to which he invited us on our first evening at the manor.", the younger Schnee explained.

"Alright, that sounds like a proper plan.", Winter agreed, "But I hope I don't have to mention that you need to be on high alert during that entire social event. Father certainly did not invite you simply out of pure kindness."

"Of course.", Weiss assured her, "But let's focus on the task at hand first. You said you have some advice for us to ace the fights in the simulator?"

"I do. After all, I am a high-ranking officer in the Atlesian military and have trained with pretty much every program the training room has to offer.", the elder Schnee responded, "Additionally, I would also say that I know our father better than you do: what to expect from him, what he expects of others, those kinds of things. And you and Ruby will need to attune yourselves to all of this if you truly want to show Jacques that you are excellent prospective Huntresses."

At the second mention of the CEO, the young couple only looked at the specialist in confusion. Wouldn't it be enough to clear the most likely very difficult – as in too difficult for normal second-year students – programs General Ironwood and his staff would choose for them?

"I gather from your questioning expressions that you haven't yet thought about how to impress Father exactly.", Winter continued, "But let me tell you that it is safe to assume that you won't win his favor by simply battling your way through a horde of simulated enemies, regardless of the actual difficulty chosen by the operators."

"What? But how else should we prove our exceptional talent and teamwork to him?", Ruby asked.

"By showing him what he really wants to see.", the military specialist answered, "While he will expect you to have outstanding fighting prowess – since this is one of the most fundamental skills taught at the Huntsman academies – he actually cares very little about the profession itself. So this is hardly about your overall ability to handle the situation. What matters most is how you are going to handle it."

"So you mean that we don't just need to wipe out all enemies, but also have to do so in a really flashy way?", the crimson-haired teen asked further.

"Not exactly.", Weiss tossed in pensively, "It is more a matter of displaying qualities Father considers important... something we already should've thought about ourselves."

"Correct.", Winter agreed, "Considering your principal plans, you won't be training per se. You will be putting up a show to convey a message, for the lack of a better description. And this show has to cover various aspects. Father certainly wants to see elaborate strategies and not just physical, but also mental superiority. You need to outwit the simulator itself, as well as every summoned enemy, by utilizing their flaws and weaknesses. However, while doing so, you still shouldn't act all cautious and reserved. Father also values confidence, boldness, and willingness to take chances when they arise. Similar to the way it works in the corporate world."

"But how should we come up with decent strategies if we don't even know what will await us?", the younger Schnee sighed, "Even when attending missions, you have at least a few bits of input: location and surroundings, Grimm sightings, weather and visibility conditions, and the like."

"Well, that is the challenge in the simulator: You need to adapt to new situations incredibly quickly.", her sister said, "Maybe you will get a brief summary of the prospective enemies before a new round starts, but that's about it."

"At least the Ace-Ops already told us about a few possibilities, so we're not completely unprepared.", Ruby mentioned, "And even just a little information about our foes from the operators should be enough that we won't be totally blindsided."

"You've met the Ace Operatives?", Winter asked surprised.

"Yeah, they approached us at the cafeteria and we talked a few minutes about various topics.", Weiss explained, "Mostly about our upcoming training session in the simulator and that some specialists are looking forward to either watching us or seeing a recording of our performance later. It appears that Team RWBY is quite popular among certain military members."

"That's... one way to put it.", the elder Schnee mused with a nod, "However, this fact should give you even more reason not to rest on your laurels. Even worse, because of your previous successes in the field, expectations of you are exceedingly high. Nevertheless, at least you've managed to gather a bit of information from the Ace-Ops. And as little as it might be, it will likely still be of use."

"Well, they mainly just told us about the structure of particular rounds.", the crimsonette clarified, "Y'know: the first ones being more of a warm-up, and that we'll definitely encounter some mutant Grimm simulations along the training session. That kind of stuff."

"I see.", Winter pondered, "Well, it will have to suffice. I don't know much about the routine General Ironwood had the technicians compose for you, either, nor do I have any valuable assumptions. And even if, many aspects of the exercise will be randomized anyway, so whatever I could tell you likely won't be very reliable. And then, there's the problem with the simulator itself."

At the mention, both Beacon students perked up.

"I assume that you have already been told how the combat simulations actually work, am I right?", the military specialist asked, "The Hard-Light Dust won't mimic the true intensity of any attacks – instead, you'll have some artificial health points that will be reduced with any registered hit. You lose when they drop to zero."

"Yeah, the general explained the concept to us yesterday when we ran into him and Father by coincidence.", Weiss said.

"There is more to it, though. Aside from the fact that there won't be any regeneration and your personal constitution doesn't matter to the programs.", Winter continued, "The simulator also offers an exceptional level of difficulty, which is usually only used for high-ranking military personnel, the Ace Operatives, for example. In this mode, a single hit from an enemy already means defeat. Of course, I believe the vast majority of your training will feature the normal settings, but with Father involved and set on making you fail somehow, you can expect to pass at least one round with this instant loss feature."

"Seriously?", Ruby grumbled, "As if everything wasn't difficult enough already."

"Do you have any advice on how to handle this mode then?", the heiress asked her sister, "Or how to act in this simulator in general? The Ace Operatives weren't overly specific about it and only told us to take a balanced approach similar to the recommended behavior on regular missions."

"Well, the combat simulations don't differ much from actual encounters in the field. I mean, replicating those situations is their main purpose.", the elder Schnee explained, "However, you may be able to work better with the terrain. After all, the training room is a secluded area, so you could use this to your advantage by entrenching yourselves near walls... although you need to be cautious not to get kettled in or this strategy might backfire. Conversely, you could also force your enemies into the corners. Area-covering attacks work better in the simulator as well since there is less space to hide.

"Additionally – and especially when they activate the one-hit mode – you shouldn't stay clustered together. That will only get you eliminated jointly... and Jacques won't care about you being all cuddly anyway. You can fight more efficiently if you split up. Nevertheless, you mustn't act completely independently but still need to convey the fact that you are working as a team. After all, one of your primary objectives is to show that it is your partnership that makes you such outstanding Huntresses.

"Operate cautiously and prioritize survival, but try to fight confident and turn chances into accomplishments as well. Show self-reliance and individual strength, but also clarify that part of your extraordinary skill stems from your mutual support and encouragement. And if it is somehow possible... it's also not necessarily wrong if you stand out against textbook Huntspeople by executing some extravagant maneuvers. A flashy performance – as Ruby has put it – will certainly help you attract positive attention... as long as it still results in a victory, that is."

Then Winter made a little pause - a pensive expression on her face - before she eventually concluded: "That is about all the specific advice I can give you for your impending ordeal."

As if on cue, Weiss' Scroll suddenly buzzed again right after her sister had finished her sentence. And this time, it was really Jacques who had contacted his youngest daughter. In a curt text message, the CEO announced his upcoming arrival at Atlas Academy and requested both teens to meet him at the simulator in fifteen minutes. Needless to say, Ruby and Weiss knew that they mustn't arrive a single second after him.

"It appears that we finished this conversation just in time.", Winter mused with a small smile, "Although I wish I could have been more helpful to you."

"You were incredibly helpful.", Weiss reassured her sister, "And Ruby and I are certain that your advice will be of great use for us to fight at our very best."

"Yeah, thank you very much, Winter.", the crimsonette added, "While talking to the Ace-Ops mostly boosted our morale, you actually provided us with some pretty important fighting tips."

"You are very welcome.", the military specialist replied politely, "After all, I want you both to succeed in your plan. And now you should get going. It would be counterproductive if you arrive late and create a bad impression from the start."

"Won't you come with us and watch our training session, too?", Ruby asked, "Or do you still have work left to do or something along those lines?"

"I was able to get off work half an hour ago – which is also the reason why I couldn't contact you any sooner, even though I already heard about your fight in the simulator this morning.", the elder Schnee sibling explained, "However, I won't accompany you and observe you from the control room. I deeply apologize, but I simply can't stand being near my father if it isn't actually required of me by my duties.... or I might say or do something unreasonable which could even complicate things for you two. But be assured that I am rooting for you and your relationship and that I am certain that you are strong enough to overcome whatever nefarious plan he might use against you."

And with that, she took a step towards Weiss and pulled her into a gentle hug. Interestingly enough, Ruby noticed that it was far less awkward than the one the sisters had shared at the coffee shop a few days ago. It almost looked... well, normal, like it was supposed to be between emotionally healthy people from kind and loving families.

"Best of luck, dear sister.", Winter said softly when she pulled away again after a couple of seconds, "At the risk of sounding awfully sappy... but show our father that love and companionship are much more powerful than... whatever atrocities he polluted our childhoods with."

"We will, don't worry.", the heiress announced and shared a confident look with her partner. And this glance caused the military specialist to turn her attention towards the younger teen as well.

"Ruby, two days ago, you promised me to be the best girlfriend my sister could ever wish for.", she reminded the crimsonette sternly, "And against my better judgment, I believed you. So you are not allowed to fail. I expect... no, I demand you do whatever it takes to make her happy. Am I understood?"

"U-umm, yes, Ma'am.", Ruby immediately replied and almost saluted out of reflex, "I'll make sure that she gets all the happily ever afters she wants. And even those she doesn't. You can totally count on me."

"Very well.", Winter concluded... and then, something happened that the younger teen would've never expected:

Not just Ruby's, but also Weiss' eyes went wide when the elder Schnee suddenly hugged the crimson-haired girl as well. Of course, it wasn't comparable to Yang's trademark bear hugs, but it was an honest, amicable, maybe even sisterly embrace, nonetheless. And despite the strict and aloof demeanor that Winter usually displayed outwardly, Ruby could feel the concern the military specialist had for her sister, as well as the trust she placed in the crimsonette herself. It was obvious that she would never show such emotions to just anyone, only to someone she deemed truly worthy of Weiss... or at least hoped they would be.

As expected, though, the hug was over rather quickly. Nevertheless, it had still managed to set Ruby's Aura ablaze even brighter, its owner now more determined than ever to protect Weiss and their relationship. Her future sister-in-law – likely the most important person in her girlfriend's life outside of Team RWBY – also relied on her now.

"Fight smart and brave and trust in each other, and you will surely deliver a great performance that not even Jacques can belittle in any way.", Winter clarified one last time, "We will certainly see each other again before you'll return to Vale. Until then, take good care of yourselves."

She received a nod each from the young couple, then the military specialist simply (and curtly) bowed a little and left towards the barracks. Ruby and Weiss, for their part, turned around and made their way to Atlas Academy's training section. The whole walk, both lovers didn't say a single word and barely exchanged any glances at each other. However, this wasn't necessary because they knew exactly what their soulmate was thinking.

Winter was right, and so had been the Ace Operatives: If the White Rose duo stuck together, trusted in their own and the other's strengths, and remained confident that their exceptional bond could let them overcome whatever hardships might arise, they couldn't possibly fail.

And if they had to tear down the entire simulator to convince Jacques that they were unstoppable as a couple... then Ironwood better had some damn good insurance for that thing.

Chapter Text

Much to Ruby and Weiss' relief, Jacques still seemed to be absent when they arrived at the training grounds – which wasn't overly surprising, though, since they had barely needed five minutes to reach their destination after his text message. General Ironwood wasn't present yet, either, but then again, there was still some time left until the CEO's appointed (or estimated) deadline. However, the young couple quickly spotted a few familiar faces, nonetheless: In front of the entrance to the training facilities, the Ace-Ops were lounging around. And when the elite group noticed the Beacon students, they gave them a friendly wave.

"Hey, look who's eager to kick some simulated butt.", Marrow greeted the two teens jovially when they were within earshot, "Yeah, I know you're not really doing this for fun, considering what you've told us."

"Not to mention the especially hard training routine the general composed for them.", Clover reminded his teammate.

"Right... that, too.", the dog Faunus agreed.

"To be honest, after the tedious studying I had to endure today, pretty much everything is better than poring over even one more book.", Ruby explained with a small smirk, "Even a rel... u-umm, friendship-threatening ordeal."

She quickly shot her girlfriend an apologetic look for her 'near slip of the tongue', but only received a soothing smile in return. Apparently, Weiss understood that the younger girl's mind was currently focused on other things and also not really alarmed by the Ace-Ops. The heiress felt the same, after all.

"Yeah, that's the spirit.", Elm tossed in with a big grin, before adding a bit more level-headed, "I guess... I mean, studying is still important."

"Well, as long as the heart is free of doubt, it doesn't matter where the motivation stems from.", Vine added, "Even if it is the avoidance.. or postponement of laborious studies or paperwork."

"Although I personally wouldn't have had any problems with continuing to study for a little longer, I must admit that I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate the later it got.", the white-haired girl remarked.

"I have a foolproof system for this exact problem.", Harriet mentioned, "If I've read something three times and still don't grasp it, then I know I need to do something entirely different to clear my mind."

"Which is why you always need forever to get your paperwork done.", Clover sighed, then he turned to Ruby and Weiss and got serious, "But all the nice chit-chat aside: How are you feeling? Confident? Nervous? This fight and your performance are going to be important, after all."

"Actually, we're in pretty high spirits, I'd say.", the crimson-haired teen replied, "We can trust in our skills, in our weapons, and – most importantly – in each other. That's all we can ask for to get through this, am I right?"

"Additionally, we also had an instructive and inspirational talk with my sister Winter.", Weiss added, "She gave us some very useful advice on how to fight and what to heed in the simulator."

"Ahh, Specialist Schnee.", the Ace-Ops' leader mused, "A quite talented combatant and strategian, although a bit too... stoic from time to time, in my humble opinion. No offense, though, Weiss. I can assure you that I have a great deal of respect for your sister."

"None taken.", the heiress simply shot back, "And I share your opinion that she could be at least a little more... relaxed at times."

"Well, regardless of her demeanor, if Specialist Schnee gave you some advice, then be sure to follow it.", Clover said, "And if she also explained how fighting works in the simulator in more detail, then you already know that you can also manage your Aura a little differently, correct?"

At the mention, Ruby and Weiss only raised an eyebrow each.

"You're actually not advised to do so since the training exercises are meant to prepare the user for real enemy encounters where budgeting one's Aura is essential for survival.", the brown-haired man explained quietly and looked around to ensure nobody besides his team and the two teens could hear him, "But since you need a win – so to speak – for different reasons, you could try to ignore what you've learned and practiced ever since combat school.

"In the simulator, you don't need your Aura to withstand any blows or cuts. There's a separate system for that. Therefore, it isn't overly dramatic if you put a bit more energy into your attacks, your movements, and especially into your Semblance. And if you see yourselves confronted with a hopeless situation, you can burn through your reserves entirely because you are at no point at any actual risk of injury. But on the other hand, I guess any Huntsman or Huntress would go for an all-out strategy in such a situation in the field as well when it's literally do or die."

'As Ash did back at Blackwell or in the underground lab.', briefly crossed Ruby's mind.

"Anyway, regardless of how exactly you're going to handle things in the simulator, I wish you the best of luck.", Clover eventually concluded, "And I'm pretty sure that goes for all of us.", he shot his teammates a glance and received four curt nods (and a thumbs-up from Elm), before adding with a small grin, "Not only do we hope for you to stay partners and friends by answering Jacques Schnee's expectations... but the longer you survive, the more intense fights we can watch. Maybe General Ironwood will even have you try out a simulation for military specialists – one of those we train with – after you have finished your personal training routine."

"That remains to be seen.", a deep voice suddenly addressed the group. Without them noticing, Ironwood had arrived, and with him two other officers in uniform. He had barely come to a halt next to them when the Ace-Ops already stood at attention. Ruby was about to follow suit, but her girlfriend held her back with a simple glance and a subtle shake of her head. The two teens weren't members of the Atlesian military, after all.

"Stand at ease.", the general said calmly and the Ace-Ops quickly complied. He then gave his two companions a nod and the two officers entered the training facilities, approaching the simulator.

"The two technicians for your upcoming training.", Ironwood explained to Ruby and Weiss, "While simple terrain configuration and the like can be handled by students or soldiers themselves, high-intensity combat simulations with AI enemies made from Hard-Light Dust require some more professional supervision. Admittedly, I could do it myself, but as already mentioned yesterday, I would like to focus on watching your performance instead. And I'm intrigued to see how Ozpin and the professors at Beacon have taught you."

At the mention, at least a bit of nervousness returned to the two girls' mindsets. Thankfully, the general's overall tone of voice sounded merely interested... not threatening, unlike Jacques'.

"Well, whatever you are planning to throw at us, Sir, we're ready to fight it.", Ruby replied confidently, "Buuut... what exactly are we about to face in the simulator? You know: So we have at least a rough idea of what to expect and how we should pace ourselves."

'Smart transition, Rose Petal.', Weiss mused in thought next to her girlfriend.

"Well, I won't go into much detail because adjusting to unexpected threats is part of the... fun.", Ironwood said, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips, "But, naturally, your training routine will start with a rather easy green flag lap, so to speak, so you two can limber up. We usually simulate minor Grimm for that, Creeps, Beowolves, Razorwings, or Lancers. The main exercise will comprise three rounds of combat including various enemies utilizing melee and ranged attacks alike. You will also face some of Merlot's mutant Grimm, predominantly for our technicians to obtain your opinion and improvement suggestions on their simulation of them. The routine will be concluded with a major threat to see how you handle fighting greater enemies. If you think about it, it is the most logical composition, so you probably could have guessed it yourselves already, am I right? It also isn't overly different from those modern video games, as some of the younger staff members informed me: a tutorial of some sort, the main part, and a boss fight in the very end."

"Right, but without the awful grind in-between for level-ups, skill points, and better gear.", Ruby agreed with a grin.

"Excuse me?", the general asked, confused by the teen's explanation and obviously not familiar with some of the terms she had been using.

"Oh, umm... nothing.", the crimsonette quickly replied, "My sister and I play some games on our Scrolls from time to time and I was just referring to a few common mechanics."

"I see.", Ironwood said, "Having an engaging leisure activity to provide some counterbalance to one's stressful duties is important. I used to carve back when I was still a military specialist, but once I became general and headmaster of the academy, I simply lacked time to focus on it as much as I wanted to and eventually lost interest completely."

"You should try golfing from time to time.", another voice suddenly mentioned from the other side of the corridor, "One round across the course after a hard working week and I feel like a new man."

In an instant, Ruby and Weiss spun around... only to spot Jacques approaching them. And despite his jovial comment, he looked anything but happy... well, even more disgruntled than usual in his case.

"Greetings, James. Children. Spectators, I assume?", the CEO addressed the general, Ruby and Weiss, and the Ace-Ops, respectively, "Glad to see everyone arrived on time. I hope you haven't been waiting for long. I would have gotten here a little earlier, but I was held up by security. Seriously, James: By now, the desk clerks should know me and just let me pass."

"Every single person without an academy or military ID will be registered upon arrival.", General Ironwood replied curtly, "No exceptions. We are doing this for everyone's safety – yours included."

"Of course.", Jacques said grumpily, "Well, then let us proceed to the training exercises, shall we? I am intrigued to see how much my little girl has improved since her battle against the possessed suit of armor... when she requested to attend Beacon Academy instead of Atlas. And naturally, I am also immensely curious about Miss Rose's fighting capabilities. After all, a leader must always set a good example and inspire their subordinates to peak performances, don't you think?"

"I fully agree, Sir.", Ruby answered, although she would never think of her teammates as actual underlings or the like, "I hope that I will live up to your high expectations."

"I do hope so, too.", the Schnee patriarch replied ominously, a menacing twinkle in his eyes, "I assume you two are ready or do you need to make some more... preparations of whatever kind?"

"We are all set, Father.", Weiss explained dutifully, "And after a whole day of studying hard in the library, we really look forward to a bit of variation." Of course, the crimson-haired girl quickly understood that her girlfriend was deliberately emphasizing this detail so Jacques would be pleased with their hard-working attitude.

"Okay, if there is nothing else to discuss anymore, let us head to the training room.", Ironwood concluded the conversation, "My technicians should also be done configuring the simulator by now. Which means... it is time to try your mettle, students."

"It is, indeed.", Jacques confirmed... and even though both teens were highly motivated to ace the upcoming ordeal, the way the CEO said these three words sent an anxious shiver down their spines, nonetheless.

And so, the group of nine entered Atlas' training facilities, and with them a few other military officers who had waited a little by the side – apparently more curious people who wanted to watch Beacon's prodigies fight. Not that Ruby and Weiss cared in the slightest. At the moment, their minds were focused on way more important things anyway.

A short walk later, everybody arrived at the simulator's control room slash observation deck. However, the two teens only spent a few minutes there. They received another quick briefing and a headset each so they could communicate with the operators in case some questions or issues came up or if they needed to interrupt their training. To activate the microphone, the devices had a button at the right earpiece – after all, there was no need for the technicians or any spectators to hear every bit of strategy talk... or yelling when the battle got more intense.

Once they had gotten these last bits of instruction, Ruby and Weiss were also equipped with some kind of bracelet that tracked their health in the simulator. Since the hits from their Hard-Light Dust enemies wouldn't actually hurt them (much), it was the only way to monitor any damage they took. Then the two students finally entered an elevator and descended to the training room.

"Well, then: Here goes nothing.", the crimson-haired girl said quietly as they stepped into the arena, "How are you feeling, Snowflake?"

"Weird.", Weiss replied monotonously, "A part of me is incredibly anxious and just wants everything to be over. Another one, however, can't wait to rub it into my father's face that choosing Beacon over Atlas, living my own life, and meeting my awesome teammates – especially you, obviously – has made me become one of the best Huntresses-in-training in all of Remnant."

"Same here.", the younger teen agreed, "Although the part that wants to kick some butt predominates. Partly also because I promised your sister that I would make sure we ace this test. After you, I want to let her down the least."

"Don't worry, you won't.", the heiress said determinedly, "Because we will overcome whatever this simulator is about to throw at us."

"Couldn't agree more.", the crimsonette concluded, and not a second too soon.

"Initiating combat protocol, phase one.", one of the technicians suddenly announced over the arena's speakers, followed by Ironwood's voice, "Good luck, students."

Upon this announcement, Ruby and Weiss immediately drew their weapons. A moment later, the training routine started.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a slightly sloping, somewhat angular terrain emerged from the light blue grid on the ground. Here and there, a few odder shapes rose which likely could be used for cover. With a little bit of fantasy, some of the structures could resemble boulders, some others stumps, and very few were actually quite long cylinders that were certainly meant to represent trees. All in all, this arena should likely simulate some plains or a forest clearing – a rather common battleground out on a mission looking to weed out a Grimm nest.

However, the scenery caught both girls' attention only briefly. Immediately after the terrain had formed, a small square section near the opposite wall of the large training room started to glow even brighter than the rest of the grid. And a moment later, a pack of light blue Creeps materialized. Behind them, a couple of Beowolves followed. In the corner of their vision, Ruby and Weiss also noticed that another two sections in the hindmost corners began to glimmer, not as radiant as the first spawn point, but still. It was probably safe to assume that new enemies would emerge from these positions once they had dealt with the first wave.

"Seems like this is the warmup everybody mentioned.", Ruby mused and shared a quick glance with her girlfriend before she refocused on the enemy, "So, what do you say? Are we handling this one hundred percent professionally, or do you think we should show off a little bit? After all, Winter said that your dad wants to see a couple of flashy maneuvers. And right now – while the battle still seems to be easy – is the best opportunity to execute some, I guess."

"That might be true...", Weiss admitted, "But on the other hand, we still shouldn't act all carelessly. These are hardly serious enemies for students of a Primary Combat School. If we – as Academy attendees about to start their third year – take even a single hit, it'll cast an incredibly poor light on us."

"Then we simply steer a middle course.", the younger teen suggested, "That's our best quality anyway. I'm dashing, you're cautious – and when we balance each other out, we have the best of both worlds."

"I totally agree.", the white-haired girl replied, "Then how do you think should we tackle these foes?"

"I'd say we throw ourselves into the fray and quickly take care of the first batch.", Ruby explained, "And once more enemies arrive from both sides, we show everybody what a great team we are, if you catch my drift."

"Unmistakably.", the heiress assured with a determined grin.

The conversation had just ended when both Huntresses-in-training rushed forward simultaneously... and the first round began.

Slaying the first wave of Grimm was incredibly easy, so much actually that barely anyone in the observation deck paid any attention to the two girls' actions. Only Jacques was scanning and evaluating every move his daughter and her partner made, already trying to find some kind of flaw, regardless of what it might look like. However, what he – and everybody else upon sparse glances – witnessed was skill personified... which wasn't saying much considering the weak enemies, but still.

However, the mostly indifferent mood of most spectators changed when the second wave of Grimm was simulated, in the back corners of the training room, just like both students had expected. Trapped in the middle of the two approaching hordes consisting of Beowolves, Creeps, and even some Razorwings, Ruby and Weiss appeared to be at a disadvantage. The situation quickly caught everyone's interest... and Jacques even raised one of his bushy eyebrows...

...but the moment the first Grimm reached the young couple and pretty much instantly met their doom, it became apparent that both teens had intentionally put themselves into this position, back to back in the danger zone. And it also got clear very quickly why they had done so:

Although each student technically had their own horde to take care of, they didn't split the work that way. Instead, they used their blind understanding of one another to fight way more efficiently. While Weiss was fending off three Beowolves, she noticed a whole pack of small Creeps approaching her girlfriend in the corner of her eye. And even though Ruby could likely handle this herself with ease, her clunky sniper-scythe still wasn't the handiest weapon to deal with many small enemies in a fast manner. Therefore, after having eliminated just one Beowolf, the heiress turned around halfway and leaned to the side, loaded Myrtenaster with Fire Dust, and sent an extensive blaze towards the Creeps, snuffing them out in short order. In the meantime, the Grimm behind her were ready to strike. But the white-haired girl was neither afraid, nor did she make an attempt to turn back again to parry any approaching attacks, or to dodge out of the way. She didn't even feel a gust from any movement when both Beowolves lunged at her... and were immediately impaled by Crescent Rose, the curved blade swinging around Weiss' body and shielding her like it was the arm of a loved one.

Needless to say, the moment the heiress had turned around to incinerate the Hard-Light Creeps, Ruby had felt what had to be done behind her own back and acted accordingly... and with almost unreal precision. A murmur even went through the spectators at the observation desk when they witnessed the deadly blow from the crimsonette who seemed to swing her scythe behind her without even looking. Had this hit been luck, training, a Semblance, or something entirely different, pretty much everybody wondered.

The fight against the second, considerably larger wave went on in the same manner. Ruby and Weiss vigorously dealt with their own enemies until they noticed that they could help each other or needed to dodge into the safety their girlfriend provided. And in between the intense Grimm slaying, it almost looked like the two students were dancing around – and even with – each other. If not for their weapons still swishing through the air and eliminating simulated Grimm with astonishing efficiency, one could've assumed that they hardly cared about the fact that they were currently in a combat situation.

Every military specialist watching the spectacle in the training room was surprised by how well these two girls harmonized regarding their attacks, their parries, their dodges, yeah, even their most mundane steps. It was hard to believe that they had achieved this level of trust, understanding, and cooperation in just two years of studying and training together. What didn't surprise anyone, though, was the fact that the Beacon attendees finished the first phase of their exercise rather quickly. The last three simulated Razorwings smashed into a swiftly summoned Platform Glyph in an attempt to attack the two teens simultaneously, only to be dissected by a mighty swing from Crescent Rose just a split-second after Weiss had dissipated her and Ruby's shield. A moment later, a horn blared through the arena, announcing that the young couple had passed the round... without having taken a single hit, of course.

Only with great difficulty was the crimsonette able to suppress the urge to hug her girlfriend. And upon looking at her, the younger teen noticed that Weiss was feeling the same. They settled for a low five instead so they wouldn't appear improper in the eyes of Jacques but could still enjoy at least some physical contact.

"Impressive.", General Ironwood mused in the observation deck, "Admittedly, their foes didn't pose much of a threat, but the way they eradicated them was a testimony to talent and good teamwork."

"Excuse me, James... but what exactly was impressive about that?", Jacques asked almost reproachfully next to him, "They just eliminated a couple of Creeps and Beowolves... no, mere simulations of them. This fight was way too easy. I could've probably won this with a respectable assault rifle."

"It was merely a warmup exercise.", the general asserted his acquaintance, "You will get to see how far your daughter and her partner have come soon enough. I personally ensured that the combat situations they eventually have to face will be very challenging. To be more precise, they exceed the capabilities of normal second-year students considerably. It won't even be too surprising if they fail the last round. But after Team RWBY's achievements against Doctor Merlot, I thought it would be... interesting to see how much they are already ahead of common Huntsmen- and Huntresses-in-training. Or even graduated ones."

"That sounds... promising.", Jacques replied spitefully and turned his attention back to the arena where the two teens prepared themselves for the second phase.

Much to the CEO's dismay, though, the young couple also passed the next two rounds without much difficulty. The second one – or the first of the actual training exercise, as Ironwood had put it – still consisted of normal Grimm... yet far more dangerous ones. The two Beacon students fought mainly Sabyrs and Griffons, but near the end of the routine, even a few Manticores and Teryxes appeared, which were already formidable foes compared to Beowolves and Razorwings.

However, Ruby and Weiss were no amateurs. They knew their enemies were fast, so they had to be faster. Their strategy of choice was a simple, yet effective combination of dodging, parrying, and counterattacking while predominantly relying on their Semblances. The heiress utilized her Glyphs to keep the throng of Grimm at a distance, then picked her enemies out one by one and struck hard and fast with her rapier. The crimson-haired girl acted a little bolder. She taunted her foes and dodged any incoming attack with her Petal Burst, then used it to close the gap between her and the Grimm again before burying her scythe into the opening pretty much every lunge of the creatures briefly created.

Of course, both Huntresses-in-training kept an eye out for each other the entire time, killing or at least distracting any Grimm simulations when their partner was at risk of being overrun. And once only a few of the bigger foes were remaining, they also tried to incorporate some more spectacular moves into their performance again. For example, one of the Teryxes was lured to a nearby tree-resembling cylinder by Weiss and provoked to attack. When it did so, the white-haired girl dodged out of the way using a Time Dilation Glyph, and the creature slammed into the trunk. A moment later, Ruby hooked the blade of Crescent Rose behind its long neck and – accelerated by a shot – pulled her weapon towards the tree, effectively decapitating the creature. It was like the two girls' victory over the Nevermore at their initiation all over again... but less spectacular, they had to admit.

Interestingly enough, Ruby and Weiss quickly realized that General Ironwood had deliberately chosen Grimm that weren't native to or at least not very common on Sanus – safe for the Griffon maybe. The reason for that was likely that he wanted to see how well they could adapt to rather unfamiliar enemies. But when the last one of the creatures was slain – its head impaled on Myrtenaster – this issue was definitely settled.

The third round was a little more surprising, though. Instead of Grimm, various humanoid foes spawned in the arena. Their appearance was obviously modeled after the Atlesian Knight-200, however, they weren't just equipped with their usual rifles. Some of them carried glaive-like weapons instead – similar to Merlot's androids – to engage in close combat. This made this routine significantly more complicated since both girls not only had to take cover from the ranged attacks but also needed to parry the strikes from the melee robots.

Nevertheless, the Beacon students quickly came up with a plan for this situation as well. After gaining some distance from the enemy, Weiss focused on taking out the glaive-wielding androids while shielding herself and Ruby from any bullet hail with Platform Glyphs. In the meantime, the crimsonette took care of the gunners with her sniper-scythe. The people in the observation deck were quite astonished when they saw how calm the leader stayed even in the heat of the battle surrounding her. One by one, she eliminated her targets with clean headshots, as if this wasn't a serious combat situation but some weird shooting range at a funfair and she wanted to win a stuffed animal. And unbeknownst to everybody, it was this exact thought that spurred Ruby to peak performance, only that she didn't want to win the big prize for herself, but for her girlfriend... and that it wasn't about a stuffed animal, but Weiss' happy future.