Choice: Holiday Special part 2

Ruby Rose

"Ruby, breath, you're cool, you can do this." She was not cool, there was no doing this. The twisting stairwell wasn't as big a deal as she feared. Three steps down and Ruby suddenly realized shoes came off just as easily as they do on. From the foyer, it was only a short walk, heel practice time, looking as suave as she could whenever the occasional guest passed her on the way to the ballroom. All good till she actually stepped through the double wood doors, past the guards and into gathered guests, who were chatting about the festivities within tripling audio intensity once inside. The Christmas stained party flooded the senses. Rapid speech stretched across many tongues, turning to a mushy white noise complemented by music always just a few decibels higher. A wafting heat smelled sweet, tasting of scented wood and just a faint hint of ash, crackling fires warming the room at each corner. Most bombastic of all, the visuals. The ceiling stretched high, stained glass that silently resisted dropping snow was scarred with fluid patterns of snowflakes, each pane held up by flying buttresses, all dark stone fixtures in the moonlight, only lightly colored by the last sight of dusk. Still that input was dwarfed by the mass of mingling of masters and mistresses, fancy, older, wealthier, alien.

"Not your sort of festivities, Ruby?" Mr. Schnee's voice flowed easily between the battling sounds. So practiced, his vocal bass found ways to seep into the cracks of the human audible range. If he wanted to be heard, he would find a way to do so comfortably, even now.

"Oh, uh, hi William," Ruby mumbled out after her initial jump, "I'm from more of a 'combat boots' sort of family, the whole fancy party thing isn't," Ruby added with her patented awkward laugh. The older man smiled, emitting surprising warmth. Matched with the beard he reminded Ruby of a fit Santa in a fine white suit.

"Here, have a drink. It'll calm the nerves and make you feel more confident," Mr. Schnee offered one of his two champagne glasses to her, intricate little thing. They too, like everything else in this place, had etched snowflakes along the inside. "Trust me, even if you don't drink it, everyone looks more mature with one," William added, sensing her hesitation.

"Thanks," Ruby figured it was worth a shot, so long as she didn't drop the probably priceless heirloom of German nobility. Perhaps after downing a few something might happen. After all, last time she got wasted a cute girl asked her out and changed her life in a way neither of them intended.

"Don't worry so much about all this 'fancy party stuff', that was always more Winter and Weiss' deal. I just really like Christmas," Mr. Schnee half-lied sweetly. This is only helping my 'you're Santa' headcanon, William, Ruby joked with herself, happy to see talking getting a little easier with the man. Well for him, still felt like dragging furniture up stairs to call him anything other than sir.

"Where are those two, anyways?" Ruby asked, mostly for her own selfish reasons. The waves of bodies were terrible difficult to sort through. Come on, William, what do you see with your tall people eyes?

"Winter's out on the balcony with a boy from her veteran's association. She thinks I don't know about him," his voice dropped to a playful whisper, pulling a chuckle out of both of them, "Hell, this party might be more to impress that kid than any of our business partners." Picturing Winter pining after anyone was a stretch. "As for Weiss, she's out towards the left, surrounded by vultures. Everyone's trying to get in on her new indie record label since she released her own single and snagged a few up and coming bands here in Germany. Nothing huge, but she's doing fairly well, and you should see their faces. With the SDC invested in her, Weiss gets to say no, a lot. Drives them bloody mad." Ruby knew some of the details; her online focused upstart company, the single, it was also pretty awesome stuff, even if it hadn't made it across the sea yet proper. Didn't keep Ruby from listening to it on repeat after acquiring the goods from an inside man. Or woman. It was Weiss. Made Ruby proud, but from the way William looked at her, eyes near watering with contentment, he was probably more.

"I guess I shouldn't bother her then," Ruby mumbled without thinking. A careful glance judged her, William noting her dismay.

"Ruby, my daughter is destined to be someone important, both in the music world, and the business one. If you want to one day be more than just her girlfriend across the sea, you're going to have to get used to cutting in line." William's expression was firmly joyous as was the spirit of Christmas, but the words danced on Ruby's chest. Mostly because they were true. "But while you're gathering courage, there is someone I'd like you to meet," the German pseudo-Santa immediately folded back into his usual charm.

"Who?" Ruby asked. William returned only a wink.

"Take my arm, it'll help you walk a little steadier, and make me look younger." He may have been joking, but Ruby would take the training wheels either way. With him taking the lead, navigating the social channels was easy. None got in William's way, and by extension Ruby moved through the party like a bullet. "Doctor Autumn, may I borrow you?!"

The arrival shocked both the perceived target and Ruby. For a doctor, she certainly didn't look that old or that emotionally scarred by a recent thesis. The woman stood tall, gifted with tan markless skin, chocolate eyes, and short brown hair. She felt breezy, like a distant fall storm. "Mr. Schnee, merry Christmas and thank you for the invite," the doctor started with a honey tinged English accent.

"Ruby, this is Doctor Autumn. She's a professor of literature for King's College in London and runs the Four Maiden's, a leader in European publishing." Oh lord no, you set me up! "Doctor, this is my friend Ruby Rose. She's Weiss' partner, currently a master's of literature student in the states."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Rose, good to meet a fellow scholar, and as for running Four Maidens, I'm just one of said four," the young doctor was quick to reach out her free hand, "And we're not leaders, so much as a little foundation set up to help young female authors get more exposure, but William here loves to compliment." Ruby was happy to shake her hand, feeling a weird kinship. They both read too much and paid too much for university. What could build thicker bonds? Finally something to connect her to the guest besides their mutual glasses of champagne.

"Speaking of compliments, I thought you two would like to talk. Ruby's just got a few novels of her own published," only the one, "I must say she is certainly a talent, not a word left to waste in all of her works I've read," It helps that you haven't read any of it, William! Ruby tried laughing, maybe that would hide the growing nervous sweating.

"Oh that is a compliment, would I have seen anything, Ms. Rose? No worries if not, I know how difficult it can be to get published overseas," Autumn reassured her, maybe noticing the shuffling awkwardness.

"Nah, my only real published novel never left my home state. I got picked up by a local publisher, Signal Press, but I've mostly been focused on grad school, my next novel is kind of maybe what my master's thesis is going to be. I don't even know anymore," Ruby tried to ignore the shrinking feeling, a tiny thing, trying to be something, anything, in a room full of success, only to be pulled lower no matter how much it struggled against the tar.

"That's incredible. I didn't get any fiction published outside my university until I was finished with my doctor's thesis. I'm happy to hear you're on shelves. Keep putting it out there." Whoever this woman was, whether she was just a gentle soul, tired of the topic, or actually meant it, the words felt like a much needed refreshing breeze. "Tell me Ruby, what drives you to write?"

"Easy, everything," Ruby piped up, not confident in herself, but definitely in this, the foundation built on a firm twenty three years of life, "I mean, I use to say because I loved fairy tales growing up, but it's really just everything in my life. The people I meet, the places I see, things I wished happened and I'm terrified of. Honestly, I can't understand how people don't want to make things, you know?" Autumn's eyes broadened to take in the breath of Ruby's enthusiasm.

"I can't think of a better attitude," Autumn lips crafted a grin as she sipped from her champagne, pleased at the result. "My foundation generally works with girls in the Eurozone, but we'd welcome seeing a submission from you. Get my contact information from Willaim if you're interested in that or maybe taking a semester at King's college."

"I might, thanks," Ruby felt a touch of enthusiasm and latched onto it. Yeah, why not? She could try ASAP.

"Go for it, Ms. Rose, but for now, you'll have to excuse me. Ladies room." Ruby liked her, liked the way she smiled with a maternal glow, the way she walked dripping with confidence and authority. A professor comfortable in a tank full of sharks, businessmen. She was cool, and watching her leave, Ruby felt her lungs finally pull at the air again.

"So," William waited for Autumn to clear out of earshot before starting again, "not the best at networking, but I think your sincerity impressed her."

"Ha, it's my good trait. Couldn't really do that whole, you know—"

"Lying with a completely straight face?"

"Yeah, that."

"Well, it's why we make a good team," William chucked, not completely lacking in self awareness, "plus, I didn't lie. I have faith you're excellent, Weiss doesn't lie either." Ruby knew that for sure.

"So did you invite her just to pimp me out to a publisher?" Ruby questioned, no malice hot on her breath. She just wanted to know if there was some side motive for being ferried to the east. Maybe Winter's plan to make sure she would be a good investment?

"No," William whined his words with a pleasant tune, "There are multiple publishers here, Autumn's just also a personal friend, and it wasn't my idea."

"Winter?" Ruby aired her suspicion. Apparently that was funny, because William coughed up a small chuckle.

"No, Weiss. She didn't want you to know, but she's confident in your skill, so am I. We invite a few publishers and you can sell your books, networking. It's kind of fun," maybe for you, Ruby noted to herself, unable to muster a response. She didn't feel pains of betrayal, more just guilt. Ruby hated owing the Schnee family, especially Weiss. "Speaking of which, you have a girl to see."

"Now?" Ruby asked, delaying her fate momentarily, crowd around her was just as large, now composed of entirely different people. Weiss was a conveyor belt of business.

"God be with you. Good luck, Ruby Rose." The older Schnee patted his guest's shoulder and abandoned her to the wolves. Leaving her to watch Weiss, still surrounded by buzzing men and women. Hell, this was the time. She had a mission, right from the Schnee head. Ruby downed her glass of champagne, nearly spit it out from the nasty, burning sour flavor literally bubbling in her mouth, and went.

Probably from how she pushed through mostly by fumbles, Weiss was already looking at her before Ruby cleaved fully through the crowd. As if it wasn't dreadfully awkward enough. "Hi Weiss, uh—"

"Excuse me, Flynt, we'll have to discuss your options later. My partner's here and I've been waiting for a dance," Weiss, taking after her father's utter control of any conversation, just walked away from her solicitors. Which one Flynt was, Ruby had no idea, and Weiss apparently did not care. "I've been waiting for you."

"Does fashionably late count as an excuse?" Weiss snatched her arm, apparently deciding no on that one. "Seriously though, I'm just kind of a mess out there, and your dad started trying to, like, network for me. Really this has all been weird, is this weird for you?" Weiss stopped being phased by word vomit about three years prior. Not slowed in the least, Ruby could barely keep from tripping on herself as her girlfriend literally dragged her to the ballroom dance floor. "Oh, did I mention I can't even walk in heels, much less dance, and this is going to definitely kill me?"

"Shut up, it's Christmas. Dance with me." Weiss' words came out a demand, not a request. Her expression needy, tired, weary of endless talking, jaw finally put to rest. All Ruby could do now was try.

"Okay," she mumbled, trying to match Weiss' steps, thrilled they started on a slow song. Every step for the heiress was perfect, angled, practiced. Ruby, her's amounted to sideways walking. "The dress is beautiful by the way." Weiss let a light laugh escape her weakened jaws, one coated in a layer of exhaustion.

"This night was definitely more enjoyable to plan than be a part of. It's this moment, this is what I've been waiting for." Weiss lowered her head, letting it rest against her partner's collar, a taller frame supporting her easily.

"Ditto," Ruby whispered, slowing so she did not trip. Dancing seemed more like a gentle locked rotation now, but she didn't mind. The rocking motion suited the evening, more like the gentle drifting snow than the rest of the quickening party. "Except for the planning bit, that would just suck, too. How do you even set this up?"

"A lot of caterers, for one. The system's actually superbly designed. This yearly charity Christmas party is a masterwork."

"You're a nerd." Weiss didn't bother countering that. They just sort of stayed a twisting merging of bodies, like two trees curling around each other. Neither really bothered to stop, even as the song changed. No one stared, likely knew better. This home, this Castle, had its own authority. It was a kingdom unto themselves, and for once, in this stupid party, in heels that dug into the backs of her feet, people alien to her in every corner, and even a Winter after her with a lover outside, Ruby felt perfectly safe. Belonging. This was Weiss' castle, and even if she wasn't the princess type, here, for Christmas, Weiss could be her knight in shining armor.

"Yo, how are my favorite pair of beautiful lesbians tonight!?" Well, no one could protect anyone from Yang.

"What is it now you—we were having a moment!" Weiss shouted as soon as the golden girl jumped the pair, wrapping her arms around them, an uncomfortably slapped on third wheel.

"Hey, don't be too mad, me and Blake will happily leave you alone, but," Yang lowered her voice to a hushed whisper, just under the radar of white noise honed party guests, "but me and Blake, in the spirit of revenge, have embarked on a new game of taking Winter's stuff and hiding it around the Castle, since you know, stealing would kind of be rude. You two in?" That was just getting into childish territory—

"You don't even know the best spots. Castle White has a full dungeon if you really want to piss her off." No Weiss, we are adults!

"Damn Weiss, I like this new dark kick. Let's do it," Yang replied, happily accepting the nefarious help.

"I don't know if that's a good idea guys," Ruby tried. A girl's gotta at least try.

"Hey, Santa's not real, why worry about being naughty?" Weiss asked, saying three things in one sentence, "After all I got my Christmas wish."

Weiss Schnee

William Schnee had a devout appreciation for Christmas like no atheist man Weiss had ever crossed. When Christmas morn struck, despite the sickening poisons from last night still circulating violently in their blood, despite the late hours of their activities, despite how Winter spent a good two hours trashing the place in a beautiful nightmare Weiss would forever remember as the "mystery of the hidden condoms", their father was up, dressed in his disgustingly bright Santa outfit, hot chocolate in both hands and German Christmas carols spilling from his mouth. The guests hated it, Weiss hated it, but no one could hate him. Not with the type of tribute a man like him could muster.

"How do you like it, Ruby?" The redheaded, dream idled sweetheart was reasonably dumbstruck. Inside her red velvet wrapped box awaited a treasure anyone with a passion for literature would find divine. The gift, three simple books. Two volumes of a well maintained, but still stained and marked with personal touches, copy of the Kinder- und Hausmärchen. The book was dated 1857, a re-release, better known in English as Grimms' Fairy Tales. The original 1812 German text a prized possession of their culture, and Ruby held it with the touch of a midwife. She loved it.

"Thank you so much, it's incredible!" The third book was simply an ordered translation of the former. New of course, special requested pamphlet, simply meant to allow Ruby to understand her gift as well as any German national. The glow of pride spread gently from Weiss, though she did not mention it, this gift awaited under their great tree at her suggestion.

"No problem, can't have you part of this family without understanding our culture's classics. Now for the Long family. I know I've caused some grief, I'm hoping this can help undo some of it." Yang and Envida's gift came with much more expenses than size, contained in a simple folder beside the heftier boxes that piled on top of eachother, mostly silly trinkets for Winter and Weiss.

"These are tickets?" Yang mumbled, pulling out a bunch of receipts and paperwork more akin to an expense report than a Christmas gift.

"It's a trip, planned and paid for, and it's not as expensive as it looks. I just thought the two of you might appreciate seeing Mr. Long, getting a look at what old Taiyang does, and I know you love travel, Yang." William Schnee, despite his tendency to play up this rich man routine, often lived a frugal existence. Weiss knew he would patch up clothing for years before replacing it. He never bothered paying anyone a dime to do work he could manage, cut corners on every personal expense he could, rode coach when no business partners were with him, and, aside from his expensive taste in cars, reserved his only absurd expenses for his favorite holiday. The man loved being Santa.

"Mr. Schnee, we cannot possibly accept!" Envida tried to start, but even Winter shook her head. After over 30 years of this, the siblings did not bother complaining about his excess. At least, for as little as they were a family, Christmas was a warm affair. That, and despite how costly each component of the plans might have seemed, William likely paid a minor penance compared to the standard price, pulling on contacts like the wires of a puppet. Weiss thought it sweet, despite their gaping emotional distance, that father tried, at least for Christmas, to endear himself to Ruby's family.

"It's non-refundable. Please, let an old man be childish," Envida was defended by his uncharacteristic givings. Weiss wondered how the Long-Rose family would react knowing how much he donated to children's hospitals on Christmas. Grandfather Schnee cried from the grave yearly and the moral scales tipped, however meekly, a little more in William Schnee's favour. "Blake, I don't really know you well, to be honest, but I have heard of your ambitions. For Christmas, I got you a small investment. 600 Euros. It won't be much, even for a city council campaign, but it'll pay for flyers."

"Please, Mr. Schnee, I would rather not." Blake seemed a little more offended than the others, arms crossed, amber eyes searching for some motive outside of Christmas spirit. Good luck, Weiss thought to mumble, but did not.

"I don't say no. Consider me Mr. Clause."

"With the beard, not gonna lie, I kind of already did." Ruby's comment got a hearty chuckle from Weiss' father. They were getting along near criminally well.

"Thank you, Ruby, now that I've gotten the first road of gift giving, who would like to go next?" William's eyes first looked towards Weiss. Of course they did. It was all part of the plan, wasn't it? Soften everyone up by letting him go first. Buy Weiss some time before the curtain call and the final act could commence. Stage right required an unsightly skittish Schnee. Despite the machinations, despite the practice, Weiss really would rather just throw up over the gifts, drink down her hot chocolate, and be done with the season.

"Weiss?" Winter asked, irritated. In on the scheme, which was a mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake.

"Actually," William cut in, his years of finely tuned damage control skills acting up, Weiss bet he could smell her stage fright. "I have one last thing to show you all! Mrs. Long, and well Ms. Long, why don't you come with me. Blake too, since you'll be riding with them." Father, despite the graveness of their inter family sins, despite the many fuck ups that were never truly resolved, Weiss could find him a truly virtuous person sometimes.

"Want me to come?" Ruby asked, restarting the whole dread cycle.

"No," Winter stated, intolerance of incompetence weighing the words down. "You sit here, share your presents, and do it quick." No one questioned that. Maybe because Winter was always pissy, but damn it made this way easier. No audience.

"Um, Weiss, why is your family acting weird? Am I supposed to pretend you're not setting something up?" Ruby asked, defaulting to a whisper. Weiss froze, finding that while parting the Red Sea was definitely easier than the Atlantic, both required a miracle from God, "if you wanted to like, you know, don't you think it would have just made more sense to stay in your room? Like getting your family to kick everyone out, I mean, that's not hot, that's just weird."

"Ruby, no!" Weiss shouted, fighting the urge to drown her before she said something that embarrassing ever again. "Just, give me your present already, Jesus, do you really think I'd would trust my family with anything involving that?"

"Okay," Ruby let go, dropping the leaded subject, the awkward metaphorical clunk almost audible. Well, Weiss thought, at least I can't seem more disturbed. "It's not that amazing, but you kind of have more money than God, so you're really hard to buy for."

Ruby handed her a simple gift box, wrapped in snow ribbons and crimson foil, unassuming paper and cardboard, split in a swift hand motion, freeing the inside. Beneath the exterior waited a notebook, false leather bound, a used writer's journal. The value however, was not in the material of its construction, but what was etched inside. "Ruby?"

"It's a Weiss journal, been kind of a year long project. Whenever you're on my mind and I'm writing, or drawing, I put it in there. Some of it is happy, some of it's sad. I won't lie sometimes it gets a bit angry when I'm moody, but it's all real, it all means a lot to me. A sum of feelings over a year. You don't have to read it," but she did. Already Weiss' hands were hungry, flipping the lock and touching every page, pulling the ink into her heart. Handwritten prose, poetry, lot of silly sketches, even writer's notes on its quality. Each bit had outstanding humanity, much of its depth to be discovered step by step.

"It's beautiful." More importantly, it was courageous. To etch vulnerability on paper and give it away. It mocked Weiss' cowardice, stirring a mixture of determination and positive guilt. How could Weiss back down, now most of all? Holding a book of emotions, least she could do was express her feelings with crystalline clarity.

"Thanks, I'm just glad you like it." Breathe, now act.

"I love it. I love you." Weiss' efforts to stay calm proved fruitful for now. She had her own box, much smaller, softer, no ribbons, just back cloth like exterior. Not as romantic as a dinner, the two of them in their PJs, but what else was more Ruby? Resting happily on her knees, Ruby probably forgot she was owed a gift at all. Like this their heights near matched, but Weiss took the proper position, one knee as custom, an odd shape, one even Ruby noticed. Weiss could see it in those widening silver eyes. "Ruby Rose, for Christmas, I got you something I've been waiting to give for a long time now," the redhead squealed at the sight of one of Weiss' twin boxes, crafted with one of two rings, silver sisters. Ruby's crested with a sapphire snowflake, Weiss' with a ruby cut in the shape of a Rose. "Ruby Rose will you marry me," Ruby made a muffled scream into her palm, silence somehow would have been preferable, "And because of German law be civil partners, too? As I understand it we would apply for both since our homelands have different systems, but it's essentially the same thing, just differently titled I think. Okay, let me resummerize, will you marry me, please?" Weiss shuttered as she watched herself perform a Ruby, losing control of her tongue mid sentence. Her partner, however, just remained a squealing mess, her hands practically glued to her mouth. Good squeal, bad squeal, impossible to tell. This was hell. "Ruby, god damn it, use your words!"

"I can't," she mumbled into her hands, a near incomprehensible mess. This was not helping.

"Why?! Just shake your head yes or no, something?!" Ruby snapped into a repetitive nod, she was crying now. Weiss almost joined in before realizing, was that a yes I will nod or yes I will marry you!? "Okay, what was that a yes to? I need to be clear!"

"Yes, I will marry you, damn it!" Ruby's shout was the most relieving scream Weiss had ever experienced. Never had a shriek relaxed tense shoulders, and let her features release and become a content smile. Finally, peace from the two minute eternity of hell, made all the better when Ruby crawled over and collapsed on her, wet tears on Weiss' neck had never been so wanted. "Oh my god, Weiss."

"Do you like the ring?" Weiss asked, pulling out of the embrace to let Ruby take the silver band out of its case. She fit it well, the one bit of blue she'd probably ever wear. The sight of it on her, the jeweled wedding ring on Ruby's finger, Weiss adored it.

"Yes, I love it," Ruby blubbered, wiping her runny nose and irritated eyes, better than that, she had her stupid, goofy grin on her face, completely unmarred by how much of a disgusting mess she was. "We have to tell the others."

"I think my father knows," Weiss mumbled, pulling Ruby to her again, no intention of letting her go, at least for a little while. "You can hear him shouting in the distance. You did say it very vigorously."

"Still, I'ma bet Yang's confused."

"We could mess with them for a while, pretend you said no. Get a laugh." Weiss didn't think she could, suggesting it just to hear Ruby giggle. That free form laugh, butterfly flaps in the air playing the sound of contentment, so sweet to the senses.

"We have been a terrible influence on you."

No, Weiss denied inside, You've been a needed revolution.

**** Well part two is done and terribly terribly late! This is the second to last choice extra, last being released the day before Valentine's day as a Valentine's day special I HOPE (which ironically, will not be about valentine's day, but will be about love and stuff!) I'm starting this in January so I should manage that if not, kill me.

Thanks so much to Lazy Katze for the edits she is a godsend I love her to death, and all of you for being so painfully patient! To too many lesbian Anons, you're review is right only about one thing, best thing to do is to ignore you. Don't review again.