On the morning of the next day, four girls and a dog were waiting for the time the airship bound to Patch would leave. The girl in white's voice could be heard from afar. "Are you sure you want to go? You could stay here, I'm sure they'll understand."

Yang sighed at the unusual display of affection. "Weiss, we can't let our dog when we're not here, and I'm sure Blake will be happy to not have him around."

"He has the best behavior of you three." Yang rolled her eyes at the heiress words. "Anyway, I hope you'll both have a great time with your dad." Weiss shared one of her rare genuine smile with her friends, happy that at least some of them could spend time with their family without drama.

Blake shared a hug with the sisters, putting an end to it when Yang's hand went a little too low for her liking, and Weiss waved them goodbye, not being the hugging type. Except that Ruby was and wanted to say goodbye to her best friend her way, so the younger girl jumped in Weiss' arms, leaving her slightly annoyed and blushing.

Ruby ran back to her sister and the two girls boarded the airship as it closed its doors, preparing for departure. Blake and Weiss saw Ruby wave at them until she got out of sight.

"Finally some peace and quiet." Weiss was the first one to speak on the way back to their dorm.

"You know you will miss them."

"Of course, but not right now. And don't tell me that you're not happy that Zwei went away. Why do you dislike him so much by the way?"

Blake's expression grew serious as she looked around, trying to see if anyone could hear them. "Not here," she whispered. They got back to their room in silence. Weiss was hoping that she had not upset her friend and Blake was mentally preparing for what she knew was coming.

As they arrived in front of their door, Weiss looked on the opposite side of the corridor and realized that it had been a few days since she had seen –or heard, as was usually the case with Nora– any members of the team living there. "What happened to team JNPR? I haven't seen them recently."

"They went camping into forever fall. Why, are you missing Jaune's attempt at wooing you?" Blake opened the door with her scroll and the two girls entered the room.

"Urgh, please. He tried serenading me. Where did he saw that anyone liked that? In a novel?" Weiss let herself fall on her bed, letting out a sigh of pleasure when she felt herself sink into her soft, beloved bed. They had to wake up early because the only airships to patch ran in the morning and in the evening and Ruby and Yang wanted to see their father as soon as possible. The heiress always had trouble falling asleep and usually slept later than her teammates, and as much as she would like to go back to bed, she knew it would only make things worse.

Blake shrugged. "I would like it. Speaking of novel…" Blake went to one of her bookshelf and took a book that she brought to Weiss. Before handing it to her, she had something to say. "I didn't get to say it earlier, but I'm sorry for yesterday, that we had to cut the photo shoot short because of me."

"It's okay. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you. Do you want to know what it was?" Blake hoped that she wouldn't as she wasn't ready to talk about it with her, but felt she had to explain her behavior.

"Don't force yourself." Weiss had heard in her voice that she didn't want to talk about it. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here, but if you don't, you don't have to."

"Thanks. Here, I said I'd lend it to you. It's the first volume of 'Ninjas of love'."

Weiss stretched an arm to take the book from Blake's hands, but felt some resistance as she tried to move it. She turned her head and saw that the other girl didn't want to let the book go. "Blake, don't worry, I'll take good care of it."

Blake reluctantly let the book go, never removing her eyes from it as Weiss looked at the cover and put it next to her pillow. "I know, just… please promise me you'll be careful." She sounded more desperate than she would have liked, but this book was very important to her.

"Of course, I promise." Weiss sighed internally. What is it with that girl? It's just a book. But I have to admit that she is pretty cute when she is like that. "So, about you and Zwei?" Weiss was determined to find out what her friend had against the cuddly ball of fur. "Is it because you are part cat?" Weiss realized as she said it that it was maybe not the best way to put it.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Blake started screaming at her. "I'm not an animal!" Even knowing it was coming, Weiss couldn't help but be surprised by how vehement Blake's reaction had been.

"I-I'm sorry Blake, that's not what I meant."

Blake sat down next to Weiss, her head in her hands. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just… It hurts a lot hearing that, especially from you."

Weiss, hearing the tears in Blake's voice, sat on her bed and awkwardly put an arm around Blake. "You really do make me think of a cat, and I mean that as a compliment. You're usually very calm but when you get going, you're graceful and silent." Also you like tuna a lot, can't help but go after laser pointers and I'm almost certain you're stopping yourself from hissing when you're scared. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. I'd really like you to teach me about Faunus so something like that doesn't happen again."

Blake touched the cold hand on her shoulder. She was getting used to the heiress' low body temperature and thought that, once she would be able to stop thinking that Weiss was sick, she would get to find it reassuring. She had a little smile when she answered. "I did say I would teach you."

Blake stood up and started walking around the room. She wanted to give the impression she was thinking, while in reality she was trying to put a little space between her and the heiress, still confused about her feelings. "The thing with Zwei is—"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. The two girls looked at each other, wondering who it could be. Blake opened the door, revealing a girl they both spent a lot of time with recently.

Velvet was there, a smile on her face. "Hi. I hope I'm not waking anyone up?" Weiss found that she had a lot of energy in her voice for someone up so early. Maybe too much. Closer inspection revealed that her eyes were red and puffy, that her clothes had been thrown on hastily and that her hair had barely been taken care of after waking up. She came to the conclusion that Velvet had been crying and had left her room without taking the time to prepare for the day.

As Blake let her in and closed the door behind her, Weiss left her bed and went to see the older girl. "Are you okay?"

Velvet chuckled lightly, trying to appease the worries of the heiress. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Can I just borrow your bathroom for a few moments?" Weiss nodded and Velvet went to freshen up, closing the door behind her.

Waiting for Velvet to finish, Weiss and Blake were whispering to each other, trying to talk without being heard. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know. Maybe something with her team. Or… something with CRDL?" Blake clenched her fists at the idea that team CRDL could have done something to her friend.

"I don't think so. Seeing how Fox reacted to my name, I don't think he'd let something like that pass. Since she came to our room, I'd say it's something with her team."

Before they could speculate further, Velvet came out of the bathroom, her face a little wet but looking better. "Thank you guys. Do you think I could stay a little longer?" Velvet looked embarrassed, not wanting to bother them.

Blake was the one answering her. "Of course, you can stay as long as you like. Ruby and Yang went to see their father so we even have free beds if you want to stay the night."

Velvet nodded, thankful. She saw that Weiss wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do it. "Is there a problem? I can leave if I bother you."

"Don't be stupid." Weiss' answer was a little snappier than she intended, but leaving someone alone when they were like that hit a little too close to home for her. "I just wondered what happened. If you want to talk about it of course."

Velvet thought for a moment about how much she wanted to tell while the three girls sat on Blake's bed, making themselves comfortable. "No matter how cool other people find Coco, I can tell you that she is not like that all the time, and we sometimes have… disagreements on certain things about living together. Long story short, we had an argument this morning, I wanted to get some space, thought 'Hey, I should visit my favorites first year' and here I am." Velvet was talking quicker than usual, eager to change the subject but understanding the curiosity.

Blake was looking concerned. "Was it a big argument? I mean you were…" She trailed off, thinking that Velvet might not want to go into more details.

"Crying?" Velvet had a small smile, trying to show the younger girls that she was all right. "It's a little embarrassing to say, but I cry very easily after things like that. Yatsu almost threw Coco through the window because of that." Velvet had a small chuckle at the memory. "It was only a few days after our team was formed. Coco, Fox and I were in our room while Yatsu was still in the cafeteria. Coco and I started arguing, I don't remember about what. I left the room and was crying in the corridor when Yatsuhashi found me. When I told him it had to do with Coco, he assumed she hit me or said something about me being a Faunus. Yatsu has always been very protective of me, so he ran to the dorm, grabbed Coco and tried to throw her and her things through the window. It took me and Fox to convince him that it wasn't her fault I cried."

"I didn't know things could go that badly between teammates."

Blake looked at her teammate, her expression tinted with annoyance. "Really Weiss? You had no idea someone could butt heads with their teammates and make things difficult for everyone?"

"Like you were any better—"

"Anyway," Velvet interrupted Weiss, not letting her escalate the matter, "That incident actually helped us break the ice and we now get along very well." Velvet smiled at her friends, not intending to let them continue taking jabs at each other. "Sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much. What were you talking about before I came in?"

"We were about to talk about Faunus since Weiss want to know more about us. Maybe you could help?"

"With pleasure." Velvet was happy to have something to take her mind of Coco, and maybe she would have an opportunity to help Blake and Weiss get closer. She would not admit it, but she enjoyed playing matchmaker. Surely the fact that that most of the people she tried to help get together were now on bad terms was just bad luck.

Weiss nodded to Velvet, happy to have someone else willing to teach her, and turned toward Blake. "So, You and Zwei?"

Blake sighed at the Heiress' insistence. "Fine. I'm not a fan of dogs because they usually don't like me. Faunus smells a little like the animals we have attributes of, so real animals tends to treat us as if we really were them and I've had very bad experiences with dogs." Blake clenched her fists at the thought. She knew it was not out of malice, but she had been treated like an animal too many times for it not to hurt.

Weiss frowned. "I never noticed anything like that."

Blake shook her head. "It's very faint, only animals smell it in most case. That's why the great majority of Faunus will use perfume, it's enough to hide it."

"Then Zwei shouldn't have any problem with you, right?"

Blake hung her head. It was not something she wanted to talk about, especially with Weiss. "I… don't have the money to buy perfume."

"Oh." Weiss didn't know what to say. She was afraid anything she would say could be misinterpreted given that she had more money than most people made in their lifetime.

"I offered her to lend her some of mine or Coco's but she refused. I guess she did not want to make friend with the cute little doggie." Velvet, affecting deep sadness, was trying to lighten the mood. I guess I better be prepared, I'm sure it won't be the last awkward moment of the day.

"First, It's not against Zwei but dogs in general and two, I don't want to be seen as one of yours or Coco's conquest." Blake saw the questioning look Weiss was throwing at her. "When people who are not on the same team have a similar smell, Faunus will assume they have been… getting very close."

"H-how close?" Weiss had a good idea of the answer, but she wanted to be sure. If she was going to learn about Faunus, she was going to do it well and make sure she didn't make bad assumptions.

"That they have been having sex." Velvet answered the heiress question, keeping a straight face while the other two girls blushed.

"Thanks for your… straightforwardness Velvet." Blake was still blushing while trying to continue her explanation. "That and the fact it's these two, there would be lots of rumors and I'd rather not deal with this."

"I can understand that." Weiss was very familiar with rumors, their births and the effects they could have on people. "But what do you mean about Velvet and Coco?"

Blake looked at Velvet, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

Velvet shrugged. "It's okay, it's something we choose to do knowing the consequences."

Blake turned toward Weiss, who was starting to get annoyed to be kept out of the loop. "About them… maybe you heard some rumors?"

Weiss scoffed. "The ones were Velvet is a saint sent by the gods or the ones were her and Coco sleeps with people for money to pay for their drugs addiction?" Weiss shook her head. "Seriously, who came up with that?"

Velvet looked at her wide-eyed. "That's a little excessive. And I think the first one as more to do with fetishists than anything else." Velvet sighed. She had heard some of those rumors herself but she didn't know it went that far. "First, we don't do drugs. Coco might have a little problem with clothes, but it's mostly under control. And I don't get paid for sex." Velvet thought for a few moments about the best way to explain the situation. "What I'm about to tell you is very personal for Coco and I, so if you could avoid spreading it around…"

Blake and Weiss nodded immediately, curious about what she wanted to talk about.

"Coco and I are actually together. We don't act like it in public because I don't want her to deal with all the crap people will throw at her for dating a Faunus. I… like sex and I don't like limiting myself to one person, so we talked about it and agreed that I could go see other peoples if I wanted as long as it wasn't serious, just a one-time thing. I think that's what started some of those rumors."

Weiss was the first one to break the silence that met the end of Velvet's speech. "That's… an interesting way of doing things. I don't think I would be able to."

"I was afraid she wouldn't either, but she was okay with it. She doesn't do it herself, but I'm really glad that she accept that."

"Would you still say you love each other?"

Velvet thought for an instant, trying to find the best way to answer. "Yes. I suppose some would disagree, saying that it's not love if I sleep with other peoples and that I am a cheating whore who doesn't deserve her. More reasons to keep our relationship private."

"People aren't allowed to tell you how do things like that!" Weiss' exclamation was met by surprised look from her friends. "Sorry. I just mean that if it's the way you like it, then other people should just shut up and leave you alone."

"Thank you Weiss. Most people find it weird."

Weiss blushed a little and avoided Velvet's gaze. "I actually do find it a little weird, I wouldn't be able to have a relationship like that, but it doesn't mean I have the right to tell you you're doing it wrong and certainly not to tell you don't deserve her." Weiss stood up and started walking in circle in the room. "You two are the only ones who get to make decisions about your couple. Maybe close friends could give you their opinion, but total strangers should mind their own damn business." She sat down next to Blake, still angry.

Blake looked at her teammate. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to react like that."

Weiss looked at the ground, anger leaving place to sadness. "I… know a lot about other people trying to tell you how to be, who to like and trying to control you." Velvet was getting ready to try and lighten the mood again, but Weiss was the one changing the subject this time, as she didn't want to dwell on her problems. Velvet's were more important right now. "I also heard things about you wanting to... you know… due to being a rabbit Faunus? Are your tastes and personality influenced by your…" Weiss stooped, thinking. "Is there a better way to say it than 'animal part'?"

Velvet shrugged. "I don't mind, but I think some Faunus would. Thing is, whatever you come up with, you'll piss someone off, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Does it influence us? Yes and no. It does on average but when you look at the individual, it doesn't. Most Rabbit Faunus would tell you that they don't have a higher than usual sex drive, but I do. Is it because I'm a Faunus? I don't know and honestly, I don't care. It's a part of me, that's all that matters. And being a 'cute' Faunus doesn't hurt my chances either." She winked at the two younger girls, who immediately turned red, before continuing her explanation. "Another example, cat Faunus tend to like fish more than the average, but there are some that hate it. Not that Blake is a good example." Velvet threw a grin at Blake, who blushed slightly as her… predilection to eat tuna was pointed out.

"I'll have you know that fish is very good for you and that a balanced diet should contain fish every day."

"As you can see, there are also those that like it a lot more than usual."

Blake frowned at being the butt of a joke, but soon started to smile when she saw her two friends laugh. She knew they meant well and she was glad to be able to talk so freely. The White Fang was not the best place to make jokes about Faunus.

"So Blake, what are your thoughts about 'animal part'?" Weiss was curious about her friend opinion on the matter, and even if Velvet said not to worry, she wanted to know what Blake thought of it.

Blake thought about it. She wasn't a big fan of the term, but they needed something simple for the sake of discussion. "I wouldn't say I like it, but I now you're not trying to insult us, so I'd say it's okay if it's you."

Hearing that, Velvet used Blake's pillow to avoid making too much noise due to her uncontrollable laughter. Weiss and Blake looked at each other, not understanding what she found so funny.

"Is this some Faunus thing?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I think she just has gone mad."

"N-No…" Velvet was finally starting to calm down. She was trying to explain herself, being out of breath made it a little difficult. "I-It's… You just… You just quoted 'Ninjas of love'."

Hearing that, Weiss decided to tease Blake a little. Maybe it would give her an opportunity to know more about her tastes. She got closer to Blake and looked at her in the eyes with a little smirk. "Quoting your favorite romance novel. Are you flirting with me kitty?"

Blake felt her stomach drop as her fear of Weiss thinking she was trying to seduce her was becoming reality in front of her and averted her gaze, unable to look Weiss in the eyes. "N-No… I didn't mean to…" Her voice was barely audible for Weiss' human hearing. Blake suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom, mumbling a quick "Coming back".

Weiss felt a little sad has she saw her teammate lock herself in the bathroom. "Blake, not again."

Velvet saw Weiss' face betray her sadness. She did not like the way things were between the two girls and decided to try and help fix it. She turned toward Weiss. "I know we're in your room and I don't like asking you that, but do you think you could leave me and Blake alone for a few minutes?"

Weiss didn't even try to discuss and left the room, asking for Velvet to message her when it was okay for her to come back. I hope she'll manage to get to Blake. I wonder what her problem is. Weiss walked through the empty halls of Beacon, her footsteps echoing in the silence left by the absence of the students. Maybe it's something I said? I tried to avoid offending her, but I guess I still hurt her. I guess 'kitty' was too much. I thought it would be fine, but clearly I was wrong.She was now at Beacon's entrance and sat down on a bench, under the shade of a tree. She allowed herself to relax, as there was no one around to see her, and decided to lay down on the bench, putting an arm over her eyes. Why am I always hurting her? I know we see some things differently, but if she just stopped running away… No, I shouldn't blame her. It's me. The cold, unfeeling Weiss Schnee, unable to talk with her teammate without hurting her. After a few minutes, Weiss heard a message notification from her scroll. It was a message from Velvet asking her to come back.

She stood up from the bench and went back to her dorm, half-walking half-running, wanting to see if the girl that refused to leave her mind felt better. When arrived, she saw that Velvet was waiting for her in front of the door. "Blake is inside, she has something to tell you." Weiss moved to open the door but Velvet stopped her. "I… have something that I'd like to ask you before you enter. Come with me." The two girls moved a little further in the corridor, in a place where it was easy to see if someone was coming. "What do you think of Blake?"

Weiss frowned. "She's my teammate—"

"That's not what I asked and you know it. What is she to you?" Velvet as getting a little agitated. She understood that it was not an easy question, but she did not want to make Blake wait more than she needed.

"I… I'm not sure. She's pretty, smart, she's usually calm and aloof but she get super excited when talking about things she's passionate about and it's super cute and—" She Velvet's smirk and cleared her throat, her face a little red. "Anyway, I like her. But I don't know if it's just as a friend or more. Is that all?" Weiss' tone was a little harsher than she intended, but she was very embarrassed to talk about her feelings with Velvet.

The Faunus understood that and decided to not hold it against her. "Thank you, and don't worry, I won't tell her. Now go, she's waiting for you." Weiss turned back and was going toward her room when she heard Velvet. "Ah wait. Could you please message me when you're finished? I don't want to go back just yet." Weiss laughed internally at the change in behavior and nodded.

A bit of news about the releases of the chapters. Until now, I published a chapter a week but I have now reached the point where I am currently writing the next chapter. I don't have a lot of time to write each day and I don't want the quality to go down, so there will be a longer wait between chapters. I will post them as soon as I am satisfied with them and will work on getting faster.

Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and will keep enjoying the story.

If you have any comments, suggestions or anything you want to say, reviews are always welcomed.

Have a nice day and until next time.