Author's Note: This is simply chapters 1,3, and 4 of "Senior Year" pulled together and slightly re-ordered for a single (mostly) standalone White Rose short story.663Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTEdEB24xX
Weiss looked at her sleeve, wet and covered in makeup, and whispered to herself "why am I crying?" Curled up on her bed, the lights out, she hoped she was being quiet enough not to wake the rest of the team. It wasn't that she didn't want them to wake up. It was because if they woke up, they'd see her in this state and her pride refused to show that. She was a Schnee...663Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxYbtAQnAM
No, she wasn't. Not anymore. The words rang in her ears, though they had been said hours ago. "You are no longer my daughter." She'd lost everything with those words: no longer an heiress, no longer rich, no longer able to uphold the good Schnee name. That last had been the problem. She wanted that name to mean something good. She wanted to prove to the world that not all of her family cared more about money than ethics.
Her last meeting with her family she had argued the point with her father... her ex-father. It had gotten heated, especially when Blake was brought up. He could insult her, but an insult to her teammates was more than she could take. She didn't even remember doing it, but she remembered the sound. The silence that followed it as a shocked look crossed his face and a hand went to his reddening cheek. Then he said those words, and Weiss didn't care, not at that point. She was too angry. She left without a second thought and went back to her only real home; Beacon academy and her teammates.
It didn't hit her till now what it all meant. Her father may have questionable ethics, but he never went back on anything he said. His twisted sense of honor wouldn't allow it. It wasn't the loss of all her physical goods that hurt right now; it was the reality that she was, once again, alone.
She looked across the dorm room in the moonlit darkness and saw Blake and Yang on their respective bunk-bed, and heard the loud snore of Ruby above her. No, not alone. Not yet anyways.
This hadn't been her first fight with her father, though it certainly was the last. She'd grown up in that environment. She was "the heiress to the Schnee empire" in the public eye, but it was her sister who got her father's attention. When the time came, Weiss fully believed that Winter would become the head of SDC. Her father had been very clear on that point.
A new rush of tears fell, remembering the isolation. She didn't like it, but she started patterning herself after Winter. If that was what he wanted, that was what he'd get. She would do almost anything to get her father's love. She was only six at the time. It was only natural.
The only thing that he had shown any approval of was her singing. She could sing like an angel. He'd have entire auditoriums set up for her performances. She didn't know it was a cover for him to meet with the less savory of his business partners at the time. All she knew was it was the perfect metaphor for her life. She stood alone. Thousands of people watched her, but never got close. Listened to her music, fawned on her beauty and skill, but didn't really care about her.
There was only one thing that had given Weiss any confidence at all. She was a Schnee. By definition she was better than everyone else; everyone who wasn't a Schnee. This was reinforced by all the people who wanted to curry any kind of favor with her, and how her father looked down on them. Even if she wasn't good enough for her own family, she was still worlds above most.
A particularly long and loud snore came from above her. She punched the bottom of the top bunk to get Ruby to stop, more out of anger for her own situation than to stop the snoring. But a shake of the bed indicated Ruby had rolled, and the snoring had at last stopped.
When she realized she would never get her father's love was when everything snapped into perfect clarity. She was alone, and would always be alone. Rather than allowing it to hurt her, to allow people to care only for her money and status and for her father not to care at all she kept her distance and made sure no one would come near her. The more they tried, the more she knew they didn't care about anything but what it meant to them to be seen with her. It made her skin crawl, and it made her angry. An arrogant air seemed to turn people away the fastest. After time had passed she even began to believe the facade.
And then she met Ruby, in the worse way possible. Talk about bad impressions! Despite herself a small chuckle escaped her at the memory. Ruby was a force unto herself, even if Weiss hadn't realized it at the time. After all, she couldn't see beyond her own self importance. She was a Schnee, and for the first time she was the only one. She was the most worthy one there.
Weiss was fairly certain Ruby hadn't realized what kind of force of nature she was either. With her came the rest of the team. Trust was the big thing. It was something completely alien to her, but fighting side by side trust was inevitable. Friendship followed. True friendship, which she'd never had before. She'd become happy without really knowing when.
Her friends had given her the strength to be honest with her father, rather than trying to be his scratched porcelain doll. She told him how disgusted she was with what he was doing to the Schnee name, and their family's company. How did she think that was going to work out? And she called Ruby a dolt!
A small piece of her childhood self must still have been inside her hoping her father would love her.
The muffled crying continued until sleep finally claimed her. The dreams that came after were closer to nightmares.
The morning was bright, Ruby was animated, and Blake and Yang were both still in their bunks. One was reading and the other sleeping. Everything was normal. Three more days on the mid-semester break, and Ruby was being quiet (by her standards), but Weiss knew from experience she had all three days planned out to make the best of them for herself and her team. It was adorable in its own way. Not that Weiss would ever admit it to anyone.
Normal. It all felt wrong to Weiss. She knew it shouldn't. They didn't know what had happened to her, so they were going to just do as they always have. She wasn't going to disillusion them. Weiss couldn't bear to see the pity in their eyes. She may not be a Schnee anymore, but she still had her pride.
"Come on Yang, everyone else is up. Stop being such a sleepy head."
"Dolt. You know that if there are no classes she won't rise before ten for anything short of pulling one of her hairs out." The words left her mouth out of reflex, so ingrained was this routine.
"I wouldn't recommend doing that again," Blake responded in her near monotone voice. It was what passed for sarcasm with her. "I don't want to have to repair our furniture again."
The irrepressible Ruby wasn't thwarted. "It wasn't that bad."
"She punched a hole through my bed!" Blake responded.
That sheepish look crossed her face, her two pointer fingers tapping together. "It wasn't that big of a hole."
"I was in it at the time, and the mattress' stuffing made me look like a chicken."
Weiss began to tune it all out. Everything was normal, except for her.
"Weiss! Weiiiiss!"
"Huh?" Startled back to reality she looked around and realized Yang was awake. Obviously a lot of time had passed.
"You drifted off somewhere in la-la land," Ruby said. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm fine! What kind of dumb question is that?" Ah yes, haughty arrogant princess. That was familiar. It was safe.
All three of her friends took a step back, a bit of shock on their faces. That bitterness wasn't like Weiss, not for two years now. The sarcasm was, of course, but not the icy intent. She knew what was crossing their minds, of course. Even if it had been years the echoes from that past were unmistakable.
Damage control time. After a deep breath, "I'm sorry. Just didn't sleep well." Another half truth, but at least it wasn't an outright lie. She waved her hand dismissively, as if it wasn't really anything of consequence. "So what did I miss?"
That was the wrong thing to ask. Ruby launched herself into an exciting day that she had planned. She spoke so fast that after a minute Weiss raised her hands up as if to defend herself. "Okay, okay, I get it. Really, you shouldn't use your semblance to talk so fast."
"I didn't." A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"Oh no, I forbid it!"
That brought on a defeated pose, her head and arms hanging down dejectedly. Three, nearly four, years after meeting her and she still had that innocent charm. Weiss didn't think it would ever leave her. It was as part of her as the red cape she wears to this day.
"Oh, alright, but I'm not going to pay attention to it, just to be clear," Weiss said testily. And that was all it took. Everything was right in Ruby's world.
Blake had her own say on the matter "I really don't think her semblance can work like that."
Yang was trying hard not to laugh at all of this, and failing miserably. "She's certainly going to try."
Weiss tried to smile, but it was forced. If anyone had been paying attention to her they would have known. I can be normal still. This will all pass, she lied to herself, and we'll all be laughing about it later.
Why Ruby went to Nora for advice even Ruby couldn't explain in words. Nora wasn't exactly a subtle or tactful person. While Ruby was tactless herself out of a social awkwardness that was with her to this day, Nora's lack of tack came from a level of enthusiasm that made her speak before she fully processed her thoughts. Yet here she was asking Nora advice while the others were off in the library studying, or more likely getting beat by Juane at 'Remnant: The Game' again.
"So you're saying you're worried because Weiss is being cold, grouchy, and snipish lately?" Nora asked with a 'and this is new to you how?' smile on her face. "She's been like that for a month, at least."
"It sounds silly when you say it, but yeah; more so than normal." She shook her head slightly. There was more to it than just that, but she wasn't sure Nora would believe her. Weiss seemed off in another way. If she didn't know better Ruby would say she had no confidence.
"Yesterday she picked a fight with Blake about white fang, calling them degenerates from the day they were formed, not just the final years. Blake walked away from it rather than actually hitting Weiss, but I think it was a near thing. I know Weiss doesn't feel that way. Not anymore. So why?"
"So she's going after her own team now? That is bad. I really did hope it was just my team." Nora leaned back, fully relaxed and unnaturally docile for her. Ruby had timed this conversation perfectly. She valued Nora's input, but she didn't want to get sidetracked as Nora was want to do normally. "Ya think maybe something ha- ha-" Nora let out a big yawn. "happened between her and her folks?" Okay, maybe Nora was a bit too relaxed. "After all, this seemed to start after she got back from her visit with them."
Ruby was a bit surprised. 'folks' meant she didn't know. Did Weiss only tell her? "Her mom died when she was young, so really it's just her dad and her sister, but maybe." Ruby had caught the slight change in Weiss too, but hadn't been sure. She was happy to get a confirmation. "I'm not sure what that could be. She loves them of course, but certainly doesn't like them. She's grouchy every time she gets back. What more could they do to her?" A small idea came to her at those words, but she wasn't sure. She filed it away for future analysis. It would explain a few things she'd seen in her friend lately.
"I could rough her up and force it out of her!" It was classic Nora, in her bloodthirsty yet oddly cheerful and cute voice. A bit of her normal self was starting to show through. Ruby couldn't help but laugh. Then again Ruby laughed at everything, even Weiss's jokes.
And that was when the door opened. Ruby reflexively grabbed at the blanket. Nora just leaned a bit further back and folded her arms to purposely accentuate her breasts and smiled. Weiss's eyes were shocked for one second, if that. Then they became hard, unforgiving, and focused completely on Ruby. It scared her. Those were the eyes she saw the day they first met. Ruby wasn't sure why Weiss was so angry, or why she felt so guilty. She and Nora had been quiet about their affair, but it wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of.
Without a word Weiss turned around and left, closing the door behind her.
"Well that was something," Nora replied sarcastically.
Ruby was near tears, and again she wasn't sure why. "I need to be alone Nora."
A confused look crossed Nora's face, and then a big smile replaced it. "Well if that's what you want then I'll let you have your time, but I'm just across the hall if you need anything. I think I'll just go talk to Ren. I'm sure he's lonely without me, probably just reading. You know how he is." Ruby watched Nora get dressed and listened to her talk now that the afterglow fog was starting to clear and appreciated her beauty. Nora was a great friend and beautiful, but that was all there was to it for her. Well that and Ruby needing help to understand her own sexuality.
Nora was the only open lesbian Ruby knew well enough to even ask. And well, this happened. Nora didn't really care who knew what was going on. She was just as open about her sexual orientation as she was about every other aspect of her life. More or less it was in your face because there was no such thing as a filter between her brain and her lips. It was Ruby that was hiding it. She was embarrassed, confused, and more than a bit guilty.
"Ruby," Nora said as she opened the door, her voice unusually soft. "I know this is for fun and a bit of experimentation, but it's been good hasn't it?"
"Of course!" She faked. It had been fun, and she did learn a lot about sex and herself. But that wasn't what Nora meant about "good" and she knew it.
Got to find her, got to find her, got to find her, Ruby chanted inside her head, while verbally she said "Weiss, where are you. Please, I want to talk to you."
Ruby ran into a wall as she made one turn in the dorm hallways. Well actually it was Yang, but it might as well have been. "Hello sis!" Yang said cheerfully as she reached down to give her sister a hand up. "What's this about Weiss?"
Thinking quickly Ruby grabbed Yang's wrist and pulled. "Not here," she said, pulling her back to their dorm room as fast as she could, which given her semblance was quite fast. A couple of seconds later (she was slowed down by Yang's weight) they were there.
Unphased Yang asked "Well?"
"Well you know how I haven't really dated, even though there have been plenty of cute boys who've been interested and I was always kinda uninterested. And they were cute; did I mention they were cute? I mean I'm quite popular, though I didn't want to be popular just a normal girl, remember, normal girl with normal knees? So really it was only natural that boys would keep hitting on me and..."
"You're gay, you've been sleeping with Nora, I know," Yang interrupted. "Can we move on to Weiss?" Caught off guard, Ruby just stopped and looked blankly at her sister. "You've been sleeping with Nora. How long did you think she could keep her mouth shut? Ren knew the night you approached her, and we all knew by the time you two really, you know, did it."
That slowed Ruby down, with a humorous and extremely shocked look on her face; for a couple of seconds anyways. "But what about Weiss? I mean she didn't seem to know when she opened the door, and I mean really surprised, and she gave me that angry look. Remember her angry look, when we first met? No, of course you don't cause you ran off with your friends, but it was really scary and..."
"Wait wait wait, Weiss caught you two?" Ruby was fully aware that Yang was using simple questions thrown in to slow her thinking down. Her sister was well accustomed to her going off the handle when she was nervous, upset, or extremely excited, and was good at steering the conversation. The small, non-jabbering, portion of her brain was thankful for it right this moment. She needed help, and she needed to get moving.
Still, her voice was on autopilot. "Yeah, and Nora didn't even try to hide that she was naked, but I completely covered myself, and so you'd think she'd look at Nora first, but she was looking at me with those angry eyes, and you'd think I would be scared, but really I was just feeling guilty..."
"Slow down, what did Weiss do after the angry look?"
"She left, which is why I was out there calling her name, and then I ran into you and... Oh, you know the rest. Can I go find Weiss now?" A short sentence. Well shorter. She was starting to come back down. Good.
"Yes, I'll stay here in case she comes back and I'll call you if she does. You might want to stop calling her name though. If she's trying to hide from you warning her you're coming probably isn't going to work so well."
Getting all of that off her chest, Ruby was visibly calming down. She reached out and gave Yang a hug. "Thank you; you're the best sister ever!" And then she was off in a shower of rose petals.
Watching Ruby leave, Yang couldn't decide if she was upset or happy. Why did Nora get involved with Ruby? It had been clear years ago that Ruby and Weiss were going to end up together to everyone except the expected couple, so why sabotage it? When asked she'd simply shrug and say she was just speeding things along. Yang had nearly gone to blows over it, but she managed to hold her temper in check. Any kind of fight could bring what everyone knew was happening between Ruby and Weiss's out in the open. As shy as Ruby could be she would likely go into her shell, and Weiss was just pig headed enough to push away out of her odd sense of pride.
Of course, both outcomes were only theories, but there were at least five more that spelled them knowing causing more harm than good. Why risk it? They would end up together over time just from their own mutual attraction. It was best if they figure it out naturally than unwanted matchmakers pushing them.
This development though was possibly the perfect storm to bring them together, or tear them apart. Either way she felt sorry for both of them. Weiss must be crushed thinking the one she loved had no chance of returning her feelings, and Yang knew Ruby well enough to know where her guilt was from. She felt like she somehow cheated on Weiss, though it was only on a subconscious level right now.
Then again Weiss had changed lately, setting everyone on edge with her frosty behavior. Yang didn't really believe it but the thought was still naggingly there. What if Weiss was returning to her old self because soon their time at Beacon would be over? If that was the case she could force it all to end before it truly began.
But Yang was happy. Her sister was a force of nature. It will end in their favor. She was certain of that. She stopped to think what day it was on her mental calendar, and smiled And I'm going to win the pool.
Weiss felt a pain unlike anything she knew; one more powerful than her father disowning her. How close was she with the members of JNPR? They'd fled at the first chance. She knew Blake would desert her. In her team she was the one Weiss expected it to happen with first and she'd been proven right. Yang wouldn't leave her so much as simply disappear on some adventure on the other side of Remnant after graduation. But Ruby, she was the one person she'd hoped would stay.
She never suspected, or expected, Nora of all people to get in the way. In the way of what? an unwanted voice asked.
She had to hide. She didn't want to have Ruby catch up with her, or any of them to see her like this. Hiding in an academy wasn't an easy task. The good spots had already been found. She needed someplace gross, smelly, and cramped. Places where the other students wouldn't want to hide for their horizontal gymnastics. A broom closest was the solution. The chemical smell of cleaners hit her in the face as she opened the door. Well, at least if she was caught she could blame the chemicals for her tears.
She sat, smudging her white skirt on the grimy floor. Weiss couldn't define what was running around in her head as thoughts. More like instinctive yearnings and fears chasing each other's tails. Hugging herself tightly, she let them have their way for now. A few minutes later she heard Ruby pass by, quietly calling Weiss's name. It went unanswered.
Dolt. She'll probably spend the rest of the day looking for her, missing dinner if necessary. She wouldn't stop until morning. Weiss knew what would happen when Ruby did find her. She could picture it in her head perfectly. It twisted her guts, feeling the knife that would so gently be pushed into her heart. Ruby would say anything to make Weiss understand it wasn't about her; that she and Nora had just found something. Something she couldn't get from Weiss.
Fine! If she couldn't get it from Weiss, then at least she was getting it somewhere. I'll get her to understand one way or another that I don't need her, and she can go back to what makes her happy without guilt. I'll force her to if needed! The thoughts continued in that cycle and the anger in them built up each rotation. By the time she was ready to face the world she wasn't in the mood for any diplomacy.
She went directly to her dorm room, half expecting to find Ruby waiting for her. She was half right, finding a half sister instead. Yang looked like hell, but Weiss knew she hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours. "Where have you been?" Yang started, a bit of heat and a lot of worry in her voice. "You got Ruby worried sick."
"Ruby should mind her own business," Weiss retorted with a bit of the superior 'I'm better than all of you' tone she used to ooze thrown in. A tone she didn't have any right to anymore, but was good armor to wear in any situation.
"She cares about you," the heat was definitely rising in Yang's voice. Good, no point in waiting till graduation for her desertion.
"No, she doesn't. She may act the cute adorable feather-head, but she's in it all for herself. She made us all into the perfect team so she could look good in front of Headmaster Ozpin, and it worked. She'll get her pick of jobs as long as she can hold us together till the end of semester." Weiss couldn't believe the words left her mouth, and she certainly didn't believe a single one of them. That wasn't the point though. She got a reaction.
Yang was a woman of extremes with few grey areas. Normally cheerful, she had only a couple of buttons to push. Attacking her sister, that was a big button. She was playing with fire; time to stoke the flames. "You're just too thick to notice because she's your sister. I bet she laughs every time she thinks about it."
That did it. Yang's eyes going red was the only warning, but it was all Weiss needed. She cleanly bent backwards avoiding the fist that would have connected otherwise, and continued the motion into a perfect back flip. The punch was no joke. If it had connected it would have probably knocked Weiss out, Aura or no Aura. It was fortunate that Yang's eyes were such an obvious tell.
"Hmmph!" was all Weiss said in reply to the attack, with a roll of the head and eyes. Then with a superior sniff she turned and left.
A muffled "Weiss..." was heard behind her through the door, but Yang didn't chase after her. As quickly as Yang's temper had flared, Weiss knew it had cooled just as fast. It didn't matter. Her only regret, or the only one she was allowing herself to acknowledge, was that she didn't get to change out of her grimy skirt first.
Ruby's scroll rang, and seeing Yang's face on the ID she paused her headlong run to answer it; hoping that Weiss had shown up at their room. "I messed up," Yang said before Ruby had a chance to say anything. "She bated me, and I bit."
No need to ask who 'she' was. "What did she get you to do?" Ruby had only one guess off the top of her head, and she was afraid the answer was going to prove her right.
"I took a swing at her, and I wasn't holding back." Ruby stopped breathing, her fears confirmed. Yang continued, oblivious of Ruby's reaction. "She knew it was coming of course, and she ducked it." Breathing started back up again. "Then she got all superior like she has been lately and left. I called you as soon as I calmed down. It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes. What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." The voice was steady and determined, like she got when in a battle. It was going to be a fight, but one of emotion and words and Ruby had no intention of losing. She felt the importance of this moment on her shoulders; as if it would dictate the direction of her entire life. She couldn't lose!
She knew Yang would recognize that tone, and she hoped it would reassure her sister. Ruby wasn't sure if Yang realized how much she had helped her. She had gotten so upset that she hadn't really thinking. Before Yang's intervention she'd been reacting and going into her nervous circular chatting patterns. If Yang hadn't come along and calmed her she'd still be in that state and completely helpless against the challenge before her.
Hanging up the scroll she charged towards the dorms. She was on the other side of the grounds, and the longer she took the further away Weiss would be from them. She couldn't let loose with the full power of her semblance, the vacuum of her passing would cause too much damage, but she pushed just below that level.
Her semblance had limits; the biggest was she had to travel in nearly a straight line. The faster she went the more momentum she gained, and her power didn't negate that momentum. It also had one advantage: her endurance was superhuman even when she wasn't using it.
Her need to slow down for turns caused her to take a bit longer than she wanted, but when she did get there her breathing was perfectly calm. She got there in time to see Weiss go around the corner of the dorms towards the gardens. Quietly Ruby followed not wanting to spook her friend.
Weiss wasn't sure where she was going. She didn't really have a place to go: no home, no friends, no nothing. She had herself to blame, and deep down she knew it. She found herself outside, in the garden next to the dorms. It was a beautiful spot with the smell of flowers everywhere. It didn't fit with Weiss's mood at all.
"There you are!" The voice behind her was unexpected, mainly because Weiss assumed Ruby would still be calling her name, not giving her a chance to prepare herself. Unguarded, Ruby got a split second to see the hurt behind the facade. She hadn't needed to see it though. She knew. Weiss could be a real pain, but she wasn't purposely hurtful normally.
"What do you want?" Weiss snapped, while in her head Go away, please, just leave me alone. Of course that wasn't what happened.
"I want to know what's wrong! This isn't like you, not anymore!" The desperate look in Ruby's eyes could not be faked, so Weiss ignored it instead.
"Nothing's wrong, you dunce, so why don't you go where you're wanted." Anger rose in her fueled by her own self-doubt, and by a sense of jealousy she knew she had no right to. It was coloring a voice with what had been intended to be bitterly cold ice with a forge-like heat. She turned her back towards Ruby, trying to show just how little she cared, and doing the exact opposite.
Weiss froze when the arms circled her, holding her from behind. Ruby rested her chin on Weiss's shoulder. "Please, stop pushing us away," she whispered in her ear. "We know something's wrong, and we are here to help."
"Just what a good team leader should say, now isn't it? Well stop. Its last semester and we'll all go our own way after. You don't need to pretend anymore to care about the 'ice queen,' and I don't need to worry about my promise to be the best teammate ever." Those words had hurt more than any she had said in her life. She could physically feel her heart squeeze at her chest. It was hard to breath, but she had to endure. Better to cut it off now than later. The longer the farce went on, the more painful it would be when it ended.
"Nope. I don't believe you. And you don't believe your own words. I can feel it, right here." The emotional pain grew worse when she felt Ruby's hand over her own heart. She felt her knees start to collapse under her, but Ruby's arms tightened and held her upright. "I will never let you fall Weiss. Never, you hear me?"
"Why? Why do you care? I'm not worth it..." A vision of Nora and Ruby together crossed in her mind. "Besides, you have others to hold close. You don't need me. Everyone loves you."
"And I care for everyone, and that includes you."
Weiss couldn't stand it anymore. She wanted to lean into the embrace so much. Instead she shrugged out of it and turned back around to face her before Ruby could hold her again. "You insufferable little brat!" she lashed out, determined to get Ruby to leave. "How much clearer can I be? I don't want you. You're holding me down, and frankly you're suffocating me. You're better off without me, and I'm going to be just fine without you. Now go."
"Nope."
"What do you mean nope?" Weiss asked incredulously.
"Nope. I'm not leaving you behind, and I won't let you leave me behind. Tell me already, what happened? It was your father, wasn't it?"
Weiss did collapse this time, but Ruby was there halfway through the fall, catching her. "I told you already, I'll never let you fall." How could she know? She wasn't that bright, frankly.
"How..?"
"Oh come on Weiss, I'm not the naive girl you met. I do notice things, like my best friend becoming bitchy right after coming back from your last visit."
And she thought she had hid it so well. Who's the dolt? Then she noticed the two missing words that should have been in that last sentence. Not 'one of my best friends,' but 'my best friend.' She couldn't stop it from happening. She leaned in, and began making the front of Ruby's shirt wet with her own tears. It wasn't all she had ever wanted to hear, but it was closer than she deserved.
"I'm not a Schnee anymore. You don't need to treat me like some kind of princess, because I'm not. I'm not anything." She felt naked with that admission with her defenses down and ready for a strike she hoped wasn't coming, but couldn't rule out.
"So he finally disowned you?" Weiss nodded her head into Ruby's shoulder. "Good. He wasn't good for you anyways. Who cares if you aren't a Schnee anymore? You are still part of the best team Beacon has seen in a generation, and you're going to be one of the most sought after Huntresses in Vale. You know how that happened? It wasn't because of a name. It was because of you. You are a good person, a good friend, and one of the smartest most capable people I know."
"You and your speeches." Damn if it didn't feel good hearing that. She meant something. She wasn't certain she really believed it, but that Ruby did meant more than all the worldly goods she no longer had.
"You make it easy." Were those tears dripping on her? Weiss looked up, and indeed Ruby was crying. It didn't look natural. Ruby always looked on the bright side, was eternally cheerful even in the heat of battle. So why?
Ruby looked down and saw the questioning look on Weiss's face. "Do you think you're the only person whose felt abandoned? My mom died when I was a baby. Dad fell apart after that. I was alone, but I had Yang. Without her I would have been completely lost. I can only guess at how you feel. You have no one left in your family who cares about you, and you never really had any friends until Beacon." The tears were coming down harder now. Weiss reached up and brushed a few off Ruby's face.
Weiss had already known most of that, but it never really registered how much that must have hurt Ruby. It was easy to forget because of how naturally cheerful she was. It struck Weiss just how well Ruby understood. Without conscious thought Weiss reached around, pulling Ruby in closer. "Stop the speeches already, Dolt."
When Weiss settled in the gardens, Ruby moved in. In the conversation that followed she let her desperation show and pleaded. Ruby kept her temper down, ignoring every verbal attack. Instead she concentrated only on helping her friend and getting to the truth. Ruby marveled that her nearly nonexistent temper was flaring at all, but it was from the little slights that Weiss was making towards herself. Ones she was possibly not even aware she was making.
It actually went easier than Ruby had expected. When the truth was revealed she'd never seen Weiss so vulnerable. She just held her as Weiss cried, yearning to do more. Weiss had lost nearly everything, and her fear to lose what she had left had led her to make it the truth. What would Weiss call it? A forced prophecy? No that wasn't it. People can be so stupid, especially the smart ones.
"I will never let you fall," she whispered encouragingly, sitting down on the grass with Weiss's head in her lap, "and I will never leave you." She repeated these words which Ruby now knew were what Weiss needed more than anything else on Remnant. It lasted hours, and during that time Ruby wondered at her own words. "I will never leave you." It was the truth, but it was deeper. It wasn't for Weiss that she wouldn't leave. It was for herself. After their time at Beacon, and their time in team RWBY, Weiss had become an integral part of her life. She didn't just want to stay in her life; she never wanted to leave Weiss's side.
It was a revelation. Thanks to Nora she knew what she was, and she had more or less grown comfortable with it. She could think in terms of relationships with other women without wanting to shy away from her own desires. Am I in love with Weiss? she asked herself. The speeding up of her heart said yes. What are the odds of Weiss feeling the same? Approaching another woman and asking her out hadn't been in Nora's teachings. I'm not sure how to find out. She felt her thoughts trying to go into a circular tail spin, and resolutely pulled out. Don't worry about it right now, she told herself. It's not the time. She needs a shoulder more than she needs a lover, so that's what she'll get.
By the time Weiss looked up the sun had gone down. "Dolt. We're going to get sick if you let us stay here all night." Ruby smiled down, glad to see some of her Weiss showing through again.
"I'm not tying you down," Ruby replied.
"No, you're holding me down. Besides, as leader isn't it your job to make sure your team takes care of themselves? I mean really, you're just failing at your duties." The tone was sarcastic, but it wasn't biting anymore. Maybe a bit forced, Ruby could tell the pain was still there and would be for a long time. This was a good step though.
"Well then, I'm ordering you to get back to our room."
"Don't get power mad," but she got up, gently pulling out of Ruby's arms. Part of her wanted to grab at Weiss and pull her back in, but that time was past. It was going to be a cold night and she really didn't want to get sick, but she couldn't stop herself from hovering protectively over her friend when they headed back to their room. She hoped it felt comforting to Weiss, not creepy.
Entering their room, Weiss visibly shrank into herself as she saw Blake and Yang waiting for them. Their gazes weren't exactly hostile. They were wary, as if they weren't sure if they should be preparing for another fight or not.
The distance between Weiss and Ruby, already closer than it should be, suddenly shrank to nothing as Ruby moved in to hold Weiss. A part of her red cape slid over Weiss's shoulders like a dove's wing. She led Weiss's passive body to her bottom bunk and sat her down, a sudden protectiveness she wasn't familiar with enveloping her.
Yang had already relaxed, seeing the difference in both of her friend and her sister. Blake was a bit less trusting of the situation, but her guard was definitely starting to lower. "It's okay guys," Ruby started, her voice a bit more chipper than she felt.
Weiss held up a hand to indicate Ruby should stop, though she didn't leave Ruby's arms. Yang obviously noticed this too. Her eyes stared at the embrace, and then she smiled victoriously. Knowing that every one of her close friends knew her inclinations it was easy to guess what was going through her sister's head, and she was right. "This is my responsibility Ruby. I need to make amends for my transgressions."
"Trans-what?" Ruby asked confusedly.
"What I've done wrong, Dolt. Do I need to buy you a dictionary?" Again her Weiss showed through, though the pain was obvious as well. Was it wrong that every time she heard 'Dolt' her heart heard "My Love?" Was it wrong that she kept thinking of Weiss as her Weiss?
Blake finished dropping her guard at those words; looking expectant and hopeful that her friend was back. "I've been horrible to both of you," Weiss said softly, each word seeming to pain her. "I'm sorry. You both deserve explanations why."
Blake spoke up. "It's unnecessary. When you found out about my involvement with the White Fang, you told me the whys didn't matter. Well, this is the same thing as far as I'm concerned. I can't speak for Yang, but for me I don't need to know more." Yang was nodding her head in agreement.
A wan smile crossed Weiss's already strained expression, making her look even more like she was seconds from crying. "Thank you. I need to tell you though, for me. Give me that." Blake and Yang both nodded with understanding and found spots to sit. Blake took her bunk, while Yang took one of the chairs and straddled it backwards. When they were ready, Weiss began telling her story. At one point Yang got up and hugged Weiss, forcing Ruby to move out of the way for the duration. She possessively returned to her spot as soon as it was over.
When Weiss finished, visibly tired from the admissions and her insecurities, her teammates gathered up on her bunk for a group hug. "I probably will be all over Remnant after graduation," Yang said truthfully, speaking to Weiss's fears, "but Vale is my home. I'll always return here and when I do you'll find me at your door."
Blake followed suit. "Why would I leave? I know where your fears originate from, but they're dead wrong. I never forget who my friends are, and you're one of my best, even when you're being a brat."
Ruby didn't say anything. Their words had already been exchanged back in the garden, but Ruby played them again in her head, feeling warmed by her promise.
Blake was the first to break off the hug. "We have classes in the morning. We should get some sleep." She fixed her gaze on Weiss, "And I really do need my friend's help, and she gets angry when I don't ask for it. Perhaps we can talk about it after classes?"
Weiss smiled and nodded. Ruby couldn't pick out all the reasons for the smile, but the biggest piece was Blake not only forgiving her but truly accepting her.
Yang was next, though she didn't have anything more to add. She was all smiles though. It helped dispel the remaining tension in the room.
Blake and Yang went directly to bed while Weiss and Ruby changed silently into their pajamas, Weiss making a sour face at the grass stains and grime on her skirt. When Weiss crawled into her bottom bunk, Ruby started to follow her. She stopped half on, half off, fear running down her spine. The action had seemed so natural to her, like she'd always done it. She started to back out, fearing she had crossed a line. A line she very much wanted to cross, but what would Weiss think?
Before her weight had even started to shift into reverse Weiss said "Where do you think you're going?"
"Um, well this isn't my bed. I'm not even sure why I started to get in. I guess I'm too tired, you know?" She grabbed the back of her head and laughed nervously.
"Did that sound like a complaint? You didn't feel me pulling out of your arms all night, did you?"
Ruby was getting more and more confused by the second as she tried to tell if what she heard was real or just what she wanted to hear. "Well, you felt like you needed the comfort is all."
"Of course I did, dolt. I'm a mess. Get in here and finish what you started."
Still unsure of herself, she did what she was told and came in behind Weiss. Laying behind her friend her arms came around and held her close. In the lightest of whispers Ruby heard "thank you."
Across the room in the other bed, she could hear much more clearly; "'Comforting,'" followed by Yang's chuckle "I win," and Blake's low, pained, groan.
Weiss opened her eyes. They hurt and felt swollen and red. They probably were. Memories of yesterday came to her slowly, and she mentally shied away from them. She remembered talking to Yang and Blake about being disowned. What had possessed her? Then she felt her mattress shift under her. Someone else was in her bed? The last memory fell into place. It wasn't a what that had possessed her, it was a who. How did she get people to open up? What Ruby said should be laughable, but yet it worked. She seemed to know exactly what to say and when to say it to get Weiss to open up. It unnerved her.
Moving as slowly as she could she tried to look behind her and see how her friend was laying. If she was lucky perhaps she could get out of bed without waking Ruby and pretend last night hadn't happened. She really didn't think the latter was going to happen, but at least the first?
As her head made it half way around, and her eyes covered the remaining distance, her hopes were instantly dashed. Ruby had her head propped up on one arm looking down and smiling like an idiot. Weiss turned back to her original position with a groan. This isn't happening. she moaned to herself. I'm still dreaming, or is it a nightmare when you're getting everything you want only to lose it when you truly wake up?
Fingers touched her back, and she stiffened. They felt hesitant, nervous. "Weiss?" That wasn't the smiling voice that matched the face she had just seen. "I'm sorry... I- I'll go."
"NO!" Was that her voice? It was! I did ask her to hold me all night. It would be rude to kick her out of bed now, she reasoned. More calmly, "no, you're okay."
The wind was knocked out of her as Ruby quickly moved in and grabbed Weiss, hugging her closely. "I'm glad cause I was afraid you'd wake up angry with me for taking advantage of you, or perhaps just regretting letting me hold you, and I really liked holding you..." The Ruby express derailed before it really got going, as if the steam had just left her engines. Weiss could sense the nervousness radiating off her.
Being honest with anyone, even your friends, was nearly impossible when you were lying to yourself. Self delusion was something Weiss excelled at. She let those denials go though, for the moment at least. "I liked it too. Don't let go."
"I will never let you go." It was spoken with that same sincerity as last night in the garden. Suppressed feelings rose up at Weiss. Ones she hadn't even admitted to herself existed.
Reaching slowly up, she put her hand over Ruby's, and squeezed. "Dork."
"Your dork, if you'll have me." That was very forward for the socially awkward Ruby. It was also very smoothly said. She detected another woman's help, and she had a suspicion of whom. She'd seen all the proof of it she needed yesterday. Jealousy sprang up, and she clutched Ruby's hand possessively. She was so close to having it all, and Ruby seemed so ready. She couldn't risk losing it.
In a motion that felt practiced, though really it was just luck it went right, she pulled ruby's hand bringing her arm over her, pulling Ruby's body. At the same time Weiss rolled in the opposite direction so she ended up on her back. The end result was Weiss on her back with Ruby on top looking into each other's eyes. "My dork, hmmm?" A smile curled the right corner of her lip. If this is a dream, I don't want to ever wake up. Weiss realized. "Mine," she whispered.
Then suddenly the feelings of wonder left, and her head turned away as a tear traced its way down the scar over her left eye. "I don't deserve you." She was nothing now. Ruby deserved more.
"Nope."
"Why me?" She knew Ruby's answer; she just couldn't get herself to believe it.
She wasn't proven wrong. "Cause you're special."
"No, I'm not. You're the special one." In any other context those words could have sounded romantic. In this one it was heartbreaking to everyone who could hear the once proud woman be reduced to depressed self-doubt.
"Would you two shut up and kiss each other already?" Yang growled good naturedly. Both girls jumped and froze; surprised that Yang was awake this early. A second later their accusing gaze shifted to the other bunk-bed. "What? Did you think I was going to miss out on you two finally getting together? I know this will be the most important morning in my little sister's life, so don't fuck it up Weiss." There was a slight edge of sisterly protection in her voice that Weiss couldn't miss. 'Break her heart, and I'll break you' it promised.
Blake shifted slightly, and blinked. "I thought you were going to wake me Yang."
"I couldn't without alerting them, but you haven't missed much. Just them admitting their feelings by denying those feelings exist and making it all way too complicated."
"You- you- You planned this!" Ruby accused. A second later Ruby flew across the room and the two sisters started brawling as they often did, Yang laughing the entire time.
Blake looked over at Weiss. "You know we couldn't have planned this," she said, answering Ruby's accusation. It was a shame Ruby was too distracted to hear it. "Feelings are feelings. No one has the power to plan them, the heart just knows." A rare bright smile crossed Blake's face. The romantic in her somber friend was showing through. "It was fun watching you two circle around each other, I have to admit, but we deliberately stayed out of it. What happened yesterday, and is happening this morning, is your doing; yours and Ruby's."
Over the sounds of their fighting Ruby yelled "you made a bet with the others on when we were going to start dating didn't you Yang?" Ruby actually was mad Weiss realized. Weiss remembered the last words spoken before they all fell asleep. 'I win.' Yeah, there was a bet somewhere in there. "Don't deny it! You only make that face when you're fighting or when you just won money!"
"When you slept with each other, actually, and I think last night counts," Yang laughed.
Ruby was deadly with a scythe, but she was nearly worthless hand to hand by Huntress standards. Yang on the other hand was the best brawler in the school. She was in no danger of getting hurt, but Ruby was certainly making an obvious attempt at it now. "My Dolt, get over here already," Weiss called, hoping adding the 'my' would distract her enough to stop fighting.
And it did. With the attention span of a cocker spaniel Ruby jumped off Yang's bed and directly into Weiss's arms, barely touching the ground. "You mean it?"
"I'm not sure it'll work, but I want to try," Weiss said honestly, though her doubts were clear. Her confidence was still crushed. Her biggest fear wasn't that Ruby would leave her because of a loss of her name and worldly possessions. She was afraid she'd push Ruby away, as she'd been trying to do for the last month.
Ruby kissed her with an emphatic exuberance eclipsing the most excited Weiss had ever seen her girlfriend. The word caught her by surprise. It really was happening. She was dating Ruby. She was pretty sure she heard Yang laughing and she wanted to be upset about it but she couldn't. Ruby was too distracting at the moment to concentrate on anything else.
The kiss had to end though. She had one concern that wasn't tangled into her own splintered ego. It took Weiss physically grabbing the hair on the back of Ruby's head and pulling to get her to stop. "What about Nora?"
"She's a friend; we had sex, that's it." Ruby was struggling to get back to making out with Weiss with single minded determination. Weiss was guessing her short and direct answer was simply to speed up that process. She looked at the only help available, her eyes pleading, but both patently ignored her as they got dressed and left. It was as if it was a lazy Saturday morning to them.
Yang even started whistling a happy tune. "I'll let Professor Peach know you two aren't feeling well," she smiled back at them with a wink.
After they left, Ruby stopped holding back, which almost frightened Weiss even more. She's got a higher gear? I'm doomed! She wasn't a virgin by any stretch. Her and Neptune had quite the love affair back in the day, and there had been others after. She'd thought she was ready for anything. She was wrong. In her night time fantasies she'd assumed that she would have to be the aggressive one if her and Ruby ever got together because Ruby was too innocent.
Ruby was not innocent as she showed the same aggression that was her hallmark when fighting Grimm. It only took Ruby minutes to reduce Weiss to the point where thoughts of her own worth couldn't enter her head. The only thing that existed was Ruby and it was useless to fight it. I need to remember to thank Nora, was the last coherent thought to enter her head for several hours.
Internally Ruby was overjoyed. She'd just spent the night with Weiss. Her Weiss. Externally she was busy trying to beat the tar out of Yang. Damn matchmaker! Who cared if that was exactly what she'd wanted? And then making a bet about it? Oh, she was so dead!
Damned if Yang didn't make it even more frustrating by laughing and easily avoiding every punch, headlock, and armbar. She was frustrated enough that she was tempted to cross the unspoken rule about Yang's hair when from the other side of the room she heard "My Dolt, get over here already."
Yang who? Ruby was suddenly being held by Weiss, having flung herself from one side of the room to the other. "You mean it?"
Looking into Weiss's eyes, she could see the self doubt, and the fear. It was enough to cut through every other emotion, good or bad, to focus completely on the one before her. "I'm not sure it'll work, but I want to try," Weiss said.
That depression just wouldn't do! She dove in for their first kiss as girlfriends, trying to drive the very breath out of Weiss to have it replaced with the love Ruby couldn't express enough of. Well, maybe not love she had to admit, but damn if this emotion didn't fill her to overflowing with joy! She had never been shy about showing her emotions, and she'd never been known to be subtle, and right now she wanted to be sure Weiss had no doubts.
Her exuberance was leaving her a bit breathless, which was a new sensation for the usually tireless speedster. Yang nearly ruined it with her laughter. Ruby filed it away for another reason to beat up her sister later. She'd have to resort to dirty tricks, but one way or another her sister was going to pay.
Ruby's body reacted in a familiar way as Weiss pulled her hair, though her mind knew Weiss had to have other intentions with two people watching. Well, lust was to be expected, wasn't it? "What about Nora?" Weiss asked, which confirmed her suspicion.
Annoyed by the distraction Ruby said shortly "She's a friend; we had sex, that's it," and then did everything she could to start making out again. She wasn't fully aware of what the other two were doing, except that they were still there. Yang started to whistle which was a bit annoying as it only reinforced that she had to restrain herself. Her sister redeemed herself though by explaining "I'll let Professor Peach know you two aren't feeling well." That was followed immediately by the opening and closing of their door.
Alone at last Ruby was ready to fully claim Weiss as her girlfriend in the most carnal way possible. She was over eager, and she knew it. "Do you mean it? Am I really yours Weiss?" she asked. She knew she was, but she wanted to hear it again, and again... and probably a few hundred more times after that. At least for today. They could start the count all over again tomorrow. How long had she wanted this? Longer than she could admit even to herself. It took a lot of long talks with Nora to understand that just because Yang was randy as a rabbit with the guys and they were sisters didn't equate to her being oriented the same way.
Weiss didn't disappoint. "Yes, You're mine, and I'm yours." The depression was still evident, but a sigh of contentment was also heard leaving her love's lips. It was a good start.
Why did it take so long to admit my feelings? was Ruby's last chaste thought for several hours.
Several hours and a long hot shower later, Ruby watched Weiss getting dressed. The dazed look on Weiss's face was a point of pride to Ruby. Maybe I should have taken it a bit easier on her, she thought with a lop-sided grin. I just couldn't help myself though, once I got started. I feel bad for doing it, but how often have I pretended to myself that Nora had been her? Too many to count.
As if someone else was moving her body Weiss found her garments and put them on, one at a time. That stopped when she got to her coat, her eyes focused on its back. She gently moved her fingers over the snow flake that was her family's emblem. It was perhaps the most well known one on all of Remnant because it was also used for her father's company. Ruby knew she literally had no right to wear it any longer, well beyond the emotional reasons.
Every huntsman and huntress had an emblem. If they were part of a line of huntsmen, like Ruby herself, then often they took their parent's for their own. Ruby wore her mother's, Yang their father's. Those who didn't made one. Weiss was unusual because she didn't have any direct family to use, but she had a family business's insignia to fall back on instead. It had been her need to give a good public face to SDC that she'd used that insignia.
Legally her father could sue her for using it once the paperwork went through and she wasn't his daughter on paper as well as well as word. She would need to come up with an alternative. It was the final tie to cut in a life she had never enjoyed, yet had been all she'd ever known.
Ruby walked up to her and kneeled so she could look up at Weiss, a hand stilling the one Weiss had over her jacket. "I'll miss it too," she whispered tenderly.
Bitterly Weiss threw the jacket into a corner. "Stop it or you're going to get me to start crying again. I've had quite enough of that," there was anger, but it wasn't directed at Weiss, and it wasn't at her. Both were improvements. "Let's go. We've already missed one class. I don't want my grades to suffer because of this."
They left, Weiss's jacket forgotten in the corner. Ruby decided she was going to replace it, and do it soon. Weiss's shoulders were enjoyable to see, but she just didn't look right. Walking down the halls Ruby had trouble deciding if the looks they were getting were more related to that lack, or the fact they were walking hand in hand.
Ruby had been shy about people knowing her and Nora were anything more than just friends. With Weiss she was proud, and she wanted to make it clear to everyone Weiss was hers. They'd missed their first class, and had made it to their second class with seconds to spare. It wasn't until the two hour break between their second and third class that the rest of their team, and team NJPR, descended on them. They all seemed to sense that Weiss wasn't ready for the ribbing and left her alone, but Ruby was fair game. Nora and Yang led the charge with Jaune coming in right behind. The fact Nora was joining, and nearly leading, the fray eased Ruby's one fear that she might have hurt her friend. When Nora asked if Ruby had put her 'training' to good use Ruby blushed, and everyone else laughed.
Everyone except Weiss and Blake. They'd gone off to a corner and started talking, sometimes very animatedly. It was animated with excitement though, not anger. Ruby would have loved to know what it was about, but let them have their space. It was just good to see Weiss seem to be happy.
On the way to their last class for the day Weiss came up to Ruby and whispered "me and Blake are going into town this weekend. She's going to let me give her a makeover." Ruby nearly tripped over absolutely nothing. "It isn't that what she wears doesn't look good. It's alright for some people, but she needs to look more professional if she wants to move up."
Ruby tried to make sense of this, but couldn't. Why would Blake need to look professional? Most Huntresses wore street gear designed for ease of motion; some wore armor; a few even high fashion; but no one dressed professionally. Why would they? Ruby shunted her thoughts away, and asked something else entirely. "What about me? Should I get a makeover too?"
Weiss took a seat in the lecture hall, and Ruby sat next to her. "No, I couldn't picture you any other way than you are right now." Ruby knew for sure now that her fashion forward girlfriend was biased, but that fact only made her feel even better. "However you can come along, if you want."
The last was meant to sound like it wasn't any big deal one way or another, but it failed miserably. Ruby was eager to go to town anyways. She had a gift to get.
Weiss was showing more life, but Ruby was positively buzzing during class. She couldn't pay any attention. Her mind was working on exactly what she wanted to have made; making small changes here and there in the design. She hoped Weiss would like it. She'd have to find the basic item and have it altered to make it match her mental image. The hardest part would be getting away from Weiss long enough to get it made.
A jab in the ribs from Weiss brought her out of her daydream, her eyes showing disapproval. "Pay attention, this is important," she said in hushed tones. Ruby couldn't help smiling at it, but she got her thinking cap on and listened to the droning of their teacher.
That night Ruby crawled into bed with Weiss without hesitation. Was it only yesterday that Ruby was preparing for a battle with Weiss that would determine the destiny of RWBY? It felt like years already. We need to get a bigger bed though. A twin mattress is a bit of a tight fit. Not that Ruby minded. It gave a good excuse to cuddle closely.
Two days later, Sunday, Weiss was in the eighth store they'd visited so far. She was searching through the racks for the perfect shirt for Blake to go with the rest of the suit. Blake was a woman transformed, yet it fit well with her personality.
Ruby had disappeared hours earlier, called off by Yang, again. Yesterday she'd been gone for three hours, and Weiss wasn't entirely sure why Yang had needed her. Weiss was annoyed, not wanting to be separated. She was feeling better today, but Ruby had become a bit of an emotional security blanket. She was itchy that the depression would come back without her.
Never hearing Ruby approach, she was shocked to feel something settle over her shoulders. It was heavier than her coat had been, particularly on the left shoulder. Looking it over, she realized it was a cloak, white on the exterior, and red on the interior. The flow was perfect. It was not as long as Ruby's, and much more formal feeling. It none the less instantly reminded her of the red cloak her lover wore. Looking at her left shoulder she noticed the weight was a spaulder painted red with black along the outer edge of each plate; Ruby's colors.
Before turning around she reached up and buckled the straps that secured the shoulder in place as her hands shook with emotion. When she was done she turned around to face Ruby, unsurprised at the expectant expression. It was filled with equal parts hope and fear. It turned instantly to joy seeing Weiss's expression. I think of her as a security blanket, and what does she do? Gifts me with a real one. She's a dolt, and at times a complete nit-wit, but she's my dolt and someone I will never regret having in my life.
She saw Ruby getting ready to launch into a confusing monologue about why she decided to get it, and to make sure Weiss was okay with her gift. She cut it off by kissing her and putting all of her emotions into it. "It's perfect," she told Ruby.
Things would never return to normal as she had once known it. They transformed to a totally new definition of normal on that day; a better normal. It was a memory she cherished all the way through the dark days that were to come.663Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWa4JC0N4ga
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