#Elderburn Week

[texanredrose]

Countdown (Pt 1 of 2)

Here’s your only warning: angst ahead, but with a happy ending. Promise. For the Free Day.

Day -195 Winter awoke to her alarm much like every other day despite the realization that she'd turned twenty seven while she slept. Her final birthday, a marker she'd seen coming and watched with equal parts dread and grim acceptance. How else should she regard the milestone? Sitting up in bed, she cast her gaze around her military lodging. Per regulation, she would be discharged one hundred and eighty days prior to her death day, which gave her only two more weeks amid familiar surroundings before she would have to move her meager belongings into one of the funeral motels- a distasteful reality, to be sure, but a necessary one. They only existed for people like her, those too stubborn or too far gone to be welcomed back home for their final days. Getting out of bed, she grabbed her scroll and headed for the kitchen area. No doubt Weiss would call, try to arrange for some manner of bonding. Although it had taken them a few years, the sisters had improved their relationship substantially during that time, no longer at odds now that they'd similarly distanced themselves from their father. Without him constantly driving a wedge between them, they got on rather well, and their brief contact with their mother similarly proved much easier without his interference. Then again, it might be her imminent death that moved them to mend bridges rather than remaining silent until the end. That Winter, the eldest daughter, would only live for twenty seven and a half years while her mother and sister had over eighty years each seemed unfair to some extent but... it also made her invincible, in some ways. She didn't fear death. She didn't have to consider the long term health effects of strenuous work or balk at suicide missions. She didn't have to worry about anything. Twenty seven years... in the grand scheme of things, she couldn't do much with that, aside from what the military offered her. She couldn't have a family of her own because leaving them behind would be unfair. So she adopted her soldiers and defended them viciously. It won her more accolades than she could count.

But she would be lying if she said she had no regrets. It lingered in the back of her mind- children, a wife, a family of her own. A dream she wanted to chase but couldn't. Her scroll ringing snapped her out of autopilot, only then registering the bubbling of coffee and the bread toasting, as close to a breakfast as she felt necessary. She picked it up, unsurprised to see who it was calling her. "Good morning, Weiss." "Happy birthday, Winter." She chuckled, pinning the scroll between shoulder and ear as she continued making her meal. "I'm not sure if that's entirely appropriate, given the circumstances." "I don't want to be morbid about it; just because it's your last doesn't mean it can't be a good one." "I suppose you have a point," she replied, grabbing a mug from the cupboard. "How are your cases going?" "Ah, right, I... probably should've informed you already." A pause, anxiety gripping her sister then, almost audible in her concern. "I've opted to stop practicing business law." "Oh?" She raised a brow. "Have you found a different calling?" "Family court." Her other brow joined the first. "I've found that the work suits me a little better." "Really?" She lifted the mug to her lips, needing the bite of black coffee to prepare her for the day. "I would think watching families tear themselves apart would be the furthest thing from what you'd want to pursue." "Actually, I tend to think of it as ensuring the best circumstances for the children," she said, her voice turning to steel. "I'm rather tired of seeing children awarded to the parent with the most money. It's hardly a fitting scale for the child's welfare. It certainly did us no favors." "I'm glad to hear you aren't in it for the money." Her toast popped up, and she grabbed the jam from her fridge to spread across the slices. "Any noteworthy cases?" "None I'd like to discuss at present." Weiss paused, obviously hesitant to voice the next sentence but doing it all the same. "I'd rather talk about your living arrangements." That made her pause. "I already told you-" "Come to Vale. Stay with me instead of one of those wretched death motels. It's no way to spend your last six months." "I only planned to use one for the final two; there's some traveling I'd like to do beforehand," she said, sighing. "But I can make Vale my first stop... and I'll consider returning for the last month. Did you talk this over with your girlfriend?" "Blake's been the one pushing for it." Weiss admitted with a fond little laugh. "If you met her parents, you'd understand. It took her a while to reconnect with them but she's now very adamant about supporting familial bonds. Our friends may or may not be an equally strong influence." Rolling her eyes, she took a bite of toast to mull it over. "Very well. I'll be discharged in fifteen days. I'll book my flight to Vale as soon as I finish breakfast." "Excellent! I think you'll like Vale-" "I've been there before, remember?" "Right, right, but I think there's a few spots you haven't experienced fully..." Winter listened as her sister went on a long speech, expounding all the things she'd yet to see in the kingdom of Vale. She couldn't help but smile; at least she could rest easy knowing Weiss' zest for life wouldn't suffer from her passing. Maybe she could spend a bit more time in Vale than she'd originally planned.

Day -180 Winter stood outside the terminal, bag slung over her shoulder. She'd opted to travel light, having already sold or gifted her worldly possessions while going through the process of leaving the Atlesian military. In the unassuming drab olive bag sat a few changes of clothes and her hygiene kit; she needed nothing more. Well, except a ride. Checking her scroll, a frown touched her lips as she noted the message Weiss had sent her a good two hours ago, warning that her meeting with clients ran long and she'd be sending a friend to pick her up. Really, she wasn't in any hurry, so it didn't truly matter; she had one hundred and eighty days to wait. She'd accepted it. All her affairs were in order, lightly tapped into line over the past few months, and she had nothing left except seeing a few sights and spending time with the only family she cared to claim.  As easy an end as could come. Various vehicles came and went, waving goodbye to loved ones bound for airships or welcoming them back, and she contemplated taking up smoking in her final months- because, really, what harm could it do? Her aura, the life force that sustained her, would give out far before her lungs would. It wouldn't be accurate to say she didn't notice the roar of a motorcycle coming around the bend, seeing as it was rather impossible to miss, but she didn't expect for the rider to make a short stop in front of her, a bit of smoke rising up from the skid marks as she kicked out a leg and lifted her helmet clear of her head. "Wow, when Weiss said 'look for an older version of me, but more pissed off', she meant it literally!" Lilac eyes that sparkled like her smile, an unruly mane of golden locks, and skin tanned and kissed by the sun- Yang Xiao Long, if her memory served, though her sister's description of the woman hardly did her justice. "It's nice to finally meet you! Weiss talks about her big sis all the time!" "And you must be Yang," she replied, offering a hand. "She's mentioned you as well." "All good things I hope!" She laughed, shaking Winter's hand with a strong, firm grip, flexing muscles beneath her skin tight leather jacket. "Sorry I don't have a car; I prefer riding and didn't know you needed a lift until I was already out." "It's no trouble." She shrugged her shoulder to indicate the bag. "I'm traveling light." "Hey, sounds good to me!" Then she turned, digging into a saddle bag attached to the bike and fishing out a helmet. "Here. I really hope it fits alright." Winter smiled, a bit bemused. Weiss mentioned that Yang could be caring bordering on motherly from time to time and took other people's feelings seriously, but she hadn't expected someone quite so... well, genuinely kind. "I'm sure it'll be fine." "Great!" She waved a hand towards the city beyond. "Officially, I'd like to welcome you to Vale! Where do you wanna go first?" And she didn't know why, really, but she felt a smile tug at her lips. "Surprise me." And the expression was mirrored back at her. "I'll do my best."

Day -166 Two weeks later, Winter found herself with a... strangely active social life. She'd never exactly sought out friends or companions- she fell into step with some fellow service members from time to time, sure, but she didn't actively try to come across others or spend time with them. It just seemed like a futile effort, seeing as she would only have a handful of years with them. Why make her loss even more felt? But, as she'd quickly learned, Yang Xiao Long was a very hard woman to turn down. "C'mon!" The blonde laughed, smiling wide enough for a dimple to appear in her cheeks. "How have you never been to a carnival?" "I just never saw the point." She shrugged, finishing off the last bit of her coffee. They'd opted to meet for brunch on a gorgeous Saturday, when Yang's job permit her time off. "Cheap rides and cheaper prizes- I don't see the appeal." "It's about the experience!" She spread her arms wide, voice taking on a rather whimsical quality. "I mean- the music, the screams, the cotton candy, the flashing lights, the pings of the ring toss, all of it's great! And the view of the city from the top of the Ferris Wheel? How can you pass that up?" Raising a hand, she conceded defeat. "I'll at least admit that you make it sound far more interesting than I thought." "Hey, if you're still skeptical, why don't you give me the chance to prove you wrong?" She jerked her head. "There's one down by the docks. I could pick you up around five?" On the one hand, it would at least be cool enough by then to bear, seeing as she hadn't quite acclimated to Vale's warmer climate yet. On the other... "I find it hard to admire the lights you've mentioned with the sun up." "See, that's the beauty of it." She waved a hand. "We go a few rounds on the bumper cars, we play some games, maybe a ride or two, and then we can grab some good, greasy carnival food and catch the Ferris wheel as the sun sets." She smiled again, eyes sparkling. "What do ya say?" "Count me in," she replied, finding herself more and more agreeable with Yang's suggestions. Ever since the woman opted to surprise her with some of the best food- home cooked at that- she'd ever tasted and a trip out to Beacon Falls when she first arrived in Vale, Winter couldn't really fault her self appointed tour guide's tastes. "But at the end of the night, when we're both lamenting how much time we'd wasted, I want you to remember this conversation." "Oh, I will."  Winter didn't know she could enjoy someone's company so much. She'd never really had a best friend before but Yang... she made it impossible not to consider her for the position. An infectious laugh, a kind and caring demeanor, a penchant for joking- a proverbial sun to brighten her day. While she couldn't quite return that- razor sharp her wit might be, but it tended towards the biting sort, not the funny kind- she somehow provided the woman with something, considering how often they met for little talks like this. It made her heart ache a little. With her time so limited, it would've been nice to have known Yang earlier in life. Perhaps they could've been more than friends.

Winter sighed, relaxing back into the seat as the Ferris Wheel began to turn, raising them into the twilight sky. As much as she hadn't admitted it aloud, she'd found their activities at the carnival were a great deal more entertaining than she'd expected. She'd won a cheap teddy bear at the dart toss, and felt more than a little proud of that, and Yang had won a stuffed dog of some sort at the 'test your strength' game, proving the muscles in her arms and core weren't just for show, even if the air had turned a bit cool by a Valen's tastes for the halter top she wore.  "So?" Yang turned towards her, settling an arm across the back of the seat. "How lame are carnivals?" "Very well, I concede defeat." She rolled her eyes at the woman's wide grin. "This was a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Truly an experience worth having." "See, now that's what I'm talking about!" She chuckled, waving a wand in front of them. "And this is the best part! I mean, look at this view!" Blue eyes roved over the cityscape, lights beginning to flicker on as the sun sank beyond the horizon. "Personally, I'm partial to the roller coasters, but this is nice." As they ascended, the wheel stopped to admit new passengers, until they sat at the very top. "Ya know, some people think that Ferris wheels are kinda romantic." She returned her attention to the woman beside her, raising a brow. "And why is that?" Yang had her own gaze trained on the sights below them, a small smile on her lips. "It's kinda intimate? Alone, on top of the world, night falling... seems like the perfect time to sneak in a kiss, yeah?" "That does sound rather romantic." Again, her thoughts turned to her single regret, that she would never indulge in the secret, strong desire for a family of her own. A partner to kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel- how bittersweet that the night would provide her with both a wonderful experience and a daydream that would never be fulfilled. Then she noticed Yang turning, the arm she'd rested on the back of the seat curling around Winter's shoulders, trying to coax her closer as the woman's head tilted. She quickly put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, stopping her advance immediately. "Huh?" Yang leaned back, blinking at her a bit owlishly as a blush began to rise in her cheeks. "Oh, I thought- sorry, I just-" "There's no need to apologize." She offered a small, sad smile. "If I had more time, I'd take you up on that offer. But as it stands, I've less than six months. There are better uses of your time." "Wait, what does that have to do with anything?" Confusion splayed across her expression as the wheel began to turn again. "Just because your time is running out doesn't mean you stop living." "That's a nice sentiment." She chuckled, touched by a bit of dark humor. "But I've lived all I wish to; now, it's just a matter of waiting out my remaining days." "So, what? You're just going to give up?" She withdrew her arm, running her hand across her bicep where a long, golden dragon tattoo wrapped itself around a white rose. "Haven't you ever heard it's better to have loved and lost than to never love at all?" "I've never seen the sense in that," she replied, sighing. "I've lived my life without regrets and without apologies. I've become exactly the sort of person I set out to be. Were I to become involved with someone now, it would just be a blip- nothing meaningful. There's no reason to pursue something I'll not have the chance to finish." "You never 'finish' loving someone." Yang slumped slightly in her seat. "It doesn't work like that." "At any rate, I'm afraid it's one of the many mysteries I'll not have the chance to unravel myself." "You mean, you won't take the chance." "Semantics." As they approached the platform, she glanced back at Yang. "How long do you have? If you don't mind the question." She gave a mirthless chuckle. "In total? One hundred and forty six years. Plus some change." "Oh." She blinked. "That's... quite a long time." "Runs in the family." A sigh left her lips. "Downside is, I'll end up watching a lot of people die. I'll get left behind. But, at least, I can choose who leaves me behind like that now." She shrugged. "And I'd choose you." "Forgive me for sparing you that pain." As the attendant raised the bar so they could exit, she looked back at Yang. "Save it for someone who can give you years, not months." "A month from the right person is worth years from someone else." She said nothing in response even as Yang fell into step beside her, the two heading for the parking lot. A rather sour end to an otherwise pleasant experience but she tried not to dwell on it. In the end, it was for the best.

Day -162 Winter pressed her lips together in a thin line, maintaining her sister's stare for a few moments longer. Then, she relented. "What would you have me do?" "You're more than entitled to conduct your affairs as you see fit," Weiss said, a thread of annoyance in her tone. "But you did lead Yang on; you could've made it very clear from the beginning that you didn't wish to entertain anything romantic." "She knew very well why I'm here. She could've drawn her own conclusions." A bit unfair a claim, perhaps, and maybe she'd noticed that the attention she'd received from Yang wasn't the platonic sort, but it still should've been obvious. "If the circumstances were different-" "The circumstances, as you call them, and entirely within your head." Her sister wagged a finger at her, and she had to be a bit proud that Weiss somehow learned to stand up and buck those whom she admired. "Yang's aware of the situation and still wants to try. If you're turning her down because you feel it's a waste of your time, then tell her that. But don't try to blame her for it." "That's not-" "That's exactly-" "HEY!" They both stopped, turning to look at the Faunus frowning at them from the kitchen. "Stop fighting about it. Weiss, I appreciate you sticking up for Yang, but it is Winter's decision. Winter, you could've turned Yang down in a better way than making it seem like having a shorter countdown is a reason to not consider a relationship. You could've just said you weren't interested." "That would be a lie, though, and I still don't see the error in my logic," she said, not nearly as inclined to quit the field just because Blake had spoken up as her sister. "It's perfectly sound-" "Almost everyone will die before Yang." Feline ears flicked back, a subtle display of her mounting aggravation. "She's known that since she was young. Most people don't have the sort of aura she does, the sort of time, and it puts a lot of people off. They don't want to get involved with someone they know will outlive them by decades and they always say it's for her sake. She's just tired of people making that determination for her." Winter sat back in her chair. She hadn't considered that angle before. "But some don't, correct? Use that excuse, I mean." "I didn't." Blake shrugged, disappearing back into the kitchen for a moment before returning with two mugs of coffee, setting them down on the table for the sisters. "We didn't date for long, but we learned a lot about ourselves from the experience." She bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of Weiss' head. "That's how I found out I need a little more friction from my partner. Someone to challenge me." "Which I certainly do, some days more than others," she replied with a fond smile, tilting her head back for a proper kiss before Blake went back for her tea. "But more to the point, relationships- or dating in general, for that matter, it's not about finding forever right away. It's about the potential." "Except, there is no potential here." She spread her hands. "My time's almost up." "And when it is, are you certain you'll be at peace with never knowing?" Weiss raised a brow. "Perhaps you and Yang aren't meant to last anyway." Blake sat down beside her, wordlessly offering her hand so they could sit, side-by-side, fingers interlaced, their chosen beverages in their other hand. "But perhaps she'll be there at the end." Winter's gaze lingered on their hands before she looked away, busying herself with her coffee. For a woman already slated to die... would a taste of ambrosia really be so terrible an indulgence? And if it turned to poison on her tongue, what could the harm be? Perhaps it wasn't too late to mend one last bridge. She still didn't think pursuing a relationship would be wise but she could at least reach out and apologize for her thoughtless words.

Day -157 If she didn't know any better, Winter would be very hard pressed to think anything could be remiss. Yang seemed in high spirits as they walked through downtown, heading to a little restaurant that didn't get nearly enough attention considering the quality of their cuisine, according to the blonde anyway. In fact, she seemed just as upbeat as ever. But she didn't quite press close like she used to, verging on invading personal space but not quite crossing the line. Her gaze seemed focused elsewhere, rarely on Winter, when it seemed like her attention rarely wandered before. Most obvious of all, however, was the complete absence of teases and jokes, those little flirtations that had fallen from her lips so freely. This could not continue. "We don't have to do this," she said, her voice soft. "We can be cordial without overt acts of friendship." "What?" Lilac eyes snapped to her, then immediately darted away. "I mean- I, uh, I'm not following." "I'm saying that, if I make you uncomfortable, just say so." Yang pressed her lips together, looking down at her feet for a moment. "It's not you; I'm just... I like you, Winter. I wanna get to know you a little better, ya know? But I get it, you don't want that, so it's gonna take some time for me to... get over it." Her brows pinched together. "You mean, you're still interested in me? How?" For a moment, they just blinked at each other, and then Yang started laughing, shaking her head as she walked. "You really don't see it, huh? You're a heartbreaker, Winter." "I beg pardon- what do you mean by that?" She hurried to catch up to the woman, a frown on her lips. "You're just- you're kinda amazing!" She glanced over. "You've got this poised and dignified thing going on, like you're above it all, but then you turn around and you swear under your breath and you get annoyed over things like anyone else. You've got a sweet side that you don't always show and I like coaxing it out. And you're just- you're steady. You're like the ground beneath my feet." She shrugged. "It's hard to put into words but I just... feel good around you. You laugh at my jokes and you listen to what I have to say and it makes me feel invincible." "I don't see how-" "Hold on, lemme finish." Lilac eyes sparkled, though there seemed to be a hint of sadness about them. "See, I know if I see it, others can, too. Have you ever thought of how many people have fallen in love with you without you ever being the wiser?" She hummed. "I suppose I haven't." "Yeah. That's what I meant. You've probably broken a lot of hearts, just being you." Another shrug. "So, yeah. I'm kinda bummed you aren't interested, and it's going to take a while to get over, because I still look at you and see marble over steel, silk over iron, and it still gets me. It just takes time for it to... not. I'll get over it, eventually." They walked a few more steps before Winter spoke up. "I never said I wasn't interested in you." "You aren't interested in a relationship," she said, waving a hand. "Same difference." A shrug. "Perhaps my thoughts on that have changed." That brought Yang to an abrupt halt. "Wait, did I hear that right?" "You did." Winter nodded, clearing her throat. "Now, you must understand that this will only be temporary-" "Hey, don't ruin the fun!" She smiled wide, enough for that dimple to reappear, and linked their arms together. "We both know we're on a clock. That doesn't mean we have to focus on it!" "I suppose you're right." She chuckled, both amazed and a little proud that something so small could make Yang so happy, and that she'd been the one to cause it. "And try to give me some... slack. I don't exactly have much experience dating-" "Then I'll be your teacher." She laughed, a happy and free sound. "Lesson one? I'm gonna be your rock. So lean on me if you need to and don't be afraid to speak up, alright? You can always hit me up just to talk." She tapped the side of her head. "I'm a pretty good listener." "As long as you'll do the same," she replied, tone turning serious. "I do prize honest communication." "I picked up on that." Yang smiled, leaning her head to rest against Winter's shoulder. It felt... words couldn't describe it. Having someone so close, actually touching her, being so... she'd never allowed herself to focus too heavily on what she'd be missing, not pursuing that single daydream she harbored. Now, she could tell with utmost certainty that it would be her only regret. Still, despite the melancholy, she couldn't help but feel warmer and lighter with Yang beside her. Perhaps it would never satisfy her deepest desire but maybe she could still enjoy what she could while it lasted. "Oh, and one more thing. Just for the record." Yang hummed curiously and a smile curled her lips. "I think you're quite amazing as well." A chuckle and a squeeze of her arm were all she received in response.

Day -143 Dating Yang, as it turned out, was akin to breathing air. She fell into it much easier than she expected- or perhaps it only felt like that because the woman seemed patient to a fault. Either way, it became habit to grab her scroll and send a text before even getting out of bed, wishing Yang a good day and hoping she slept well. "Are you sure-" "I'm fine, Snowdrift! I got this!" Talking to her became as easy as before but their conversations turned deeper, more personal. Yang confided in her- her fears, her worries, her weaknesses, her triumphs. How she felt more than a little cocky after showing up some rude customer who'd tried to con her into giving a discount, how she cried for a week when her favorite character in a tv show died, how she had to restrain herself and busy herself with other things to keep from hovering around her little sister, how she worried that, in the end, she would have little to show for her long life span. Winter learned that beneath the cheer and jokes lay a glass heart- golden and true, yes, but pieced back together after being scratched and gouged. "Sundrop. I'm right here." "I'm getting the hang of it!" Yang loved freely and she'd been hurt for it but she threw herself into everything with the same vigor regardless. Perhaps more cautiously, perhaps with more restraint, but with no lack of fire in her soul. Winter admired that, adored it even, and she'd swallowed her pride and admitted Weiss and Blake were right to talk some sense into her. It would break Yang's heart when she passed but, for every minute they had together, they made them count. And she'd emerge all the stronger for it. "Yang." Lilac eyes flashed her way, one of her stubborn streaks possessing her as she clung to the rail for dear life. "I said. I got this." "It's been fifteen minutes and you've moved two meters." Winter raised a brow, nodding towards the little entry door to the indoor rink. "I'm not saying it's an insurmountable task; I'm merely offering a shortcut." Perhaps ice skating, though, wasn't the best suggestion for a date. "Look..." Yang tried closing the distance and standing up straight but nearly lost her balance again and went back to clinging to the rail. "... okay, fine." She puffed a breath up, ruffling the golden bangs peeking out from beneath her cap. "I've never ice skated before." "I surmised that." She chuckled, holding out both hands. "Give me your hands." "But-" "Trust me." Such a simple phrase. Such a powerful one. Without another moment's hesitation, Yang took her hands, awaiting the next set of directions. "Now, just try to focus on your balance." And then she was skating backwards, dragging her girlfriend with her, and bracing as best she could against the jerks and hesitations from the woman as she tried to find her balance. It amused her, how off kilter she seemed, but Yang did her best to not use her superior strength to her advantage and bring them both crashing to the ice.  Which, in itself, was rather telling. "Okay... I'm getting the hang of it." She nodded, tongue poking out in that little way she had as she concentrated. "Indeed." Winter smiled, noticing she could lead them into a gentle turn without a jerking motion to answer her. "It's almost like you've stopped feigning inexperience." Blonde brows climbed high before she barked out a laugh. "Can't get anything past you!" She shrugged, pushing off with her skates and adding to their momentum. "I learned when I was really young but I haven't skated in years." "Then why pretend otherwise?" She didn't really concern herself with the little fib, not until she'd uncovered the reasoning at least. "Isn't it obvious?" She chuckled. "I didn't want to embarrass myself! I'm still trying to impress you!" "Impress me?" Now, she laughed, shaking her head. "You needn't worry about that. You're perhaps the most impressive person I know." "C'mon." She rolled her eyes, using the next turn to turn herself around and skate beside Winter, keeping one hand clasped in hers while the other swung wide. "Your sister is a lawyer, she's dating a community activist, you're practically famous in your own right- that's a lot! And I'm just-" "Hold on now," she said, wanting to correct a few misconceptions immediately. "What makes my sister impressive, in my eyes, is that she broke away from a toxic environment and built a life she can be proud of in doing so. Next, what makes Blake impressive is that she's made mistakes in her life and found a way to not only overcome them but make amends as well. And the only thing I find impressive about myself is how I'm incapable of boiling an egg without step-by-step instructions but can disassemble an Atlas Paladin and put it back together in less than two hours without so much as glancing at a manual." Her expression softened. "And you are not 'just' anything. You started your own business and built it from the ground up, working out of your own garage until you could open a proper shop. You provided for your sister and supported her through university. And you did something only three people can even claim: you changed my mind." She skated a little closer, lowering her voice. "Frankly, you've yet to do something that doesn't impress me." "You really think that highly of lil ole me?" She tried playing it off with a laugh but her cheeks turned a bit redder, and it had nothing to do with the cold of the rink. "Gotta say, I didn't expect that." "Then you probably didn't expect this, either." She smirked, shifting her weight and pulling on Yang's hand as she switched to skating backwards, now in control of their momentum. As her girlfriend struggled to keep her feet, Winter lead them to the middle of the rink, the stopped short, bringing them close together- close enough for her to lean down and steal a firm, deliberate kiss. At first, she stiffened, caught off guard, but then she came roaring back to her senses and held her close, fingers digging into Winter's jacket. When they parted, she wore a dopey grin on her lips. "Well... got me there. Didn't expect that either." "Not as intimate as the top of a Ferris wheel, admittedly," she said, aware of the various eyes upon them, the little awes from adults and either confusion or excitement from children, but ignored them all. "But I do hope that was sufficiently romantic." "Hmmm," Yang replied with that twinkle in her eyes. "I dunno. Might need to try it again for a real comparison." "Where's the next carnival?"  She'd planned on some manner of travel, simply to pass the days. This proved to be a much better use of her time.

Day -139 "What's on your mind?" Winter blinked, turning away from the view outside the airship window to see her girlfriend's expression pinched into concern. "Nothing." Yang watched her for a moment before sitting back in her seat. "Alright." She winced. Fooling the woman turned out to be much harder than she'd anticipated and it just made her feel lousy besides. "It's just... Weiss is keeping secrets from me." "How do you know that?" Something about lilac eyes watching her carefully made her think that perhaps the odd behavior she'd noticed had an explanation- one her girlfriend seemed privy to, for some reason. "Usually, Weiss allows me free roam of the house, whether or not she's there." She frowned. "Lately, I've noticed she tries to... steer me clear of wherever Blake is. Not in overt means, of course, but I've hardly seen her in the past week for some odd reason." "Well, it might not be the solution you're looking for, but why don't you move in with me?" Yang shrugged. "Maybe they just need some space." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You know why Blake's avoiding me, don't you?" "Yeah," she replied instantly, expression twisting. "But it's not my place to tell. I get where they're coming from, even if I disagree with how they're handling it." Winter hummed, slipping an arm around Yang's shoulders, coaxing her girlfriend into leaning her head against her shoulder. "You think that if I moved in with you, it would improve matters?" "Something like that." A short chuckle. "Plus, I just like the idea. Sometimes, I can be an opportunist, ya know." She remained silent for a moment. Frankly, she'd been ill accustomed to roommates, having never shared a room as a child and often finding herself in positions where she had single housing while in the military. Moving in with Weiss and Blake came with challenges, but they'd adjusted well.  Now, however... "I suppose we could move in together," she said, a smile curling her lips. "I don't have much in the way of personal belongings, outside of what you've bought me." "Hey, some of that stuff is hand crafted!" She playfully corrected, then sighed- content. "We could pack up your stuff when we get back. Have you set up in no time." "Would I have my own room?" The airship began to descend, making to land in Vacuo. They'd opted to combine the search for a carnival with Winter's desire to travel, Yang more than capable of turning the shop over to her crew for a week or two. Silence for just a moment too long. "I mean... my bed's big and comfy. I've got room in my closet. The bathroom's attached and it has a killer tub." As always, Yang offered her a choice while making her own thoughts known. Not an outright refusal to utilize her guest bedroom but a tempting sell on sharing the master. "We haven't slept together."  It was both an excuse and not. Winter hadn't wanted to delve into the physical side of a relationship- somehow, she connected sex with the sort of bond that was meant to last, not one under a time limit- and Yang hadn't objected. However, with every kiss, she found herself wondering... would a little more be so wrong? A little more friction, a little more heat, a little more passion- what could they explore together, what could Yang teach her, what could she learn for herself? "Yet." Her girlfriend offered, voice soft. She turned her head and pressed a kiss to golden locks. Yang had a point.

Day -126 Winter lay spent, sweat cooling on her skin and panting, listening to her girlfriend's attempts to catch her breath. Although she'd moved in upon returning to Vale a week ago, they hadn't actually done anything aside from sleep in the same bed until tonight. Not for lack of willingness, from either party; rather, it stemmed from a touch of romanticism on Yang's part, and she'd cooked a full meal that they'd shared by candlelight to build the atmosphere. "Hey... Snowdrift?" She turned to see the wide, lazy grin on the woman's lips. "Anyone ever tell you you're a fast learner?" A laugh burst from her chest, invigorating her for a moment to roll over, laying on her girlfriend for a moment and hovering, staring into those lilac eyes. When they kissed, it wasn't the heat from before- slow, languid, reveling in the feel of their skin pressed together, hearts slowing in tandem. Winter hadn't been a prude before- one in the service would inevitably be exposed to carnal descriptions, either in jokes or just the complete lack of boundaries between soldiers- but she'd always discounted what she'd heard as exaggerations born of boredom and poor prioritization. Better to make it sound like a worthy investment of time than merely an aerobic exercise. Experience, of course, gave her a new perspective. "I have a superior teacher." Yang laughed, wrapping her arms around her, indulging in more kissing and cuddling before her expression turned downright wicked. "Just you wait. There's a lot you don't know." Despite the promise, they both found themselves settling down after that, preparing to turn in for the night. Yet... she found herself not wanting the contact to end, not very keen on returning to their usual opposite sides of the bed sleeping arrangement. "Sundrop?" "Do you really want to go another round?" Her girlfriend teased, lightly pushing at her hip to encourage her to move. Which she did, rolling onto her side and watching the woman settle for bed. "No, I have a different request in mind." "Oh?" Yang stretched her arms above her head, yawning wide and relaxing fully into the mattress. "Wuzzat?" "May I... touch you while we sleep?" A frown touched her lips. "That's perhaps poor wording-" "Are you asking to spoon?" She perked up, excitement replacing the mischief in lilac eyes. "... spoon?" Yang laughed. "C'mere, you." After a bit of shuffling, she found herself being cradled in her girlfriend's arms, Yang's forehead resting against her shoulder blade. "How's that?" Winter breathed in deeply. "... better..." "But?"  Her girlfriend seemed genuinely confused, and she hurried to clarify. "Is there any way... I could hold you like this?" A hand stroked along her hip as Yang laughed. "You wanna be the big spoon, huh?" A kiss pressed to her shoulder. "I'm super okay with that." They switched positions, allowing her to nestle among golden curls. "I'm not on your hair, am I?" "Nah." Her girlfriend yawned, already falling asleep. "Night, Snowdrift." "Good night, Sundrop," she replied, closing her eyes and nearly dropping off but kept awake by two mumbled words. "Love you." The deep breathing that immediately followed proved that the woman hadn't said them consciously, had probably meant to kept them to herself but groggily let them go. Winter's eyes opened, watching the sliver of broken moonlight catching in golden strands as her heart swelled. Just two months of knowing each other and dating for half that... it felt like a whole other lifetime. A new life, one where she'd been able to indulge in every idle fantasy, and in that time, she'd come to believe the words herself. "I love you, Yang." Carefully, she leaned over to press a kiss to her shoulder before settling back down. She would say them again in the morning- as many times as she could. Avoiding love had seemed like the pragmatic answer before but now that she'd allowed herself a taste, she couldn't drink enough, and Yang made it so easy. She loved wholly and freely, let her fall as deep as she wanted, strong and steady enough to catch her but trusting enough to buckle and lean against her as well. It felt... well, like she'd always imagined. Yet, better, because Yang could be as unpredictable as a storm, as passionate as fire, and as quick as lightning. "And I owe you an apology." She whispered into the night. "This is meaningful." To her, at the very least.

Day -125 If Yang's reaction to waking up and hearing 'I love you' served as any indication, it was meaningful to her, too. And Winter learned a little bit more that morning.

Day -113 Winter sat across from her sister, noting ever nervous pick at her sleeves and skittish glance. In public, perhaps she'd be so concerned about her appearance, but not in the comfort of her own home- not that she seemed comfortable in the slightest. Weiss and Blake had taken the news about her change in living arrangements well, though a bit of guilt lingered in their expressions, and they'd seemed more at ease for a time. However, a hushed conversation between Yang and Blake the night before during a double date dinner seemed to prompt some sort of change, hence the invitation. But a pot of tea later, Winter couldn't tell what seemed to be preying on the woman. "Weiss-" "We didn't plan it." Their gazes met briefly before she ducked her head, drawing a steadying breath. "We weren't sure whether or not we should tell you. If it might... bother you. It wasn't intentional-" "Weiss, I'm still not sure I know what you're talking about." She raised a brow. "You've yet to mention that part." Her sister winced, though her lips appeared to be at war, caught between smiling and frowning. "Blake's pregnant." Immediately, her expression brightened. "Congratulations!" Of course it stung. Frankly, it might've hurt worse two months ago. But now? She wouldn't want Weiss and Blake putting their lives on hold, waiting for her time to be up. She would never know her niece or nephew or any of her sister's children... but that didn't mean they wouldn't know her. "How far along is she?" "We just got the confirmation a few weeks ago." Now faced with Winter's approval, Weiss glowed with happiness, smiling wide. "We're hoping for a girl. Blake's family is predisposed to them too, so there's a good chance. The morning sickness has caused a bit of an adjustment but..." Winter smiled and listened intently, reveling in her sister's excitement.

She heard Yang come through the front door even as she set up the scroll, leaning it against a book on her desk in Yang's little tinkering room. "Snowdrift?" "In here!" She called, waiting for her girlfriend to find her and greeting her with a smile and a kiss. "Welcome home." "Heh, thanks." Lilac eyes fell to the scroll. "Whatcha up to?" "Weiss told me the happy news." She nodded towards the device and papers laid out in front of it. "I thought I'd record a message for the little one to watch when they're old enough." "Oh." And she saw something, then, the spark of an idea that would no doubt be brought up again later. For now, it got filed away, as Yang instead smiled and nodded. "That's a really nice thought. I'll go get started on dinner while you do that." "I could-" A sharp look silenced that offer; after her last attempt cooking dinner, she'd gotten into the habit of ordering some manner of delivery before her girlfriend got home. She'd just forgotten today. "If there's anything I can do, let me know?" "I will." Yang started heading back towards the kitchen. "Focus on that for now." "Right." She nodded, looking at the camera on her scroll and sighing. "Right." Reaching forward, she started the recording, glancing at the notes she'd made to ensure she covered everything she wanted to say. "Greetings." She paused. She sounded stiff and formal- a realization she'd come to after being around her girlfriend's much more relaxed demeanor. So, she stopped and tried again, restarting the recording. "Hello. I'm your Aunt Winter..."

Two hours later, she emerged to find Yang settled on the couch, watching some show while their dinner stayed warm in a pot on the stove.  Wordlessly, she went to her girlfriend, not bothering to announce her presence until she'd curled up beside her. Yang merely chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "So? How'd it go?"  "I accomplished my mission," she replied with a frown tugging at her lips. "I just hope it conveys what I want it to." "Can I watch it?" She smiled. "I can give you a one hundred percent unbiased opinion." Winter raised a brow. "Okay, ninety-five percent." Even that number seemed too high but she relented, hoping Yang wouldn't inquire as to how many tries it took to get right. She queued up the video and held it out, watching her own countenance fill the screen. "Hello, little one," the recording said, a small smile on her lips. "I'm your Aunt Winter and, by the time you're old enough to understand this, I'll be long passed. However, there are some things I must impart upon you before I go." Her expression turned a bit more somber then. "I'm not sure which surname you will bear when you're born, little one, but Schnee blood will still run through your veins. With that heritage comes certain standards, ways to conduct yourself, and a single rule you must follow." Her shoulders straightened, chin tilted up, eyes piercing as she continued. "As the next scion in a long proud line, you absolutely must pursue your own happiness." Every feature softened as she continued. "We're headstrong and nigh impossible to dissuade, so it's important you remain focused on the right priorities- yours. Don't bend or bow to those without your well being in mind and don't compromise yourself; believe me, you'll be stronger from surviving those who'll try to break you. I have no doubt your moms will fully support you doing so." She sighed. "And try to give your Mother some slack. Her heart's in the right place and, when you're old enough, you'll see that you'll do the same thing; being passionate and being right don't always align. It's a challenge we Schnees face: having patience and respect for others rather than just our own goals." She paused. "Or... perhaps that's just me. It's something I learned perhaps too late. My life hasn't been very long but I've managed to learn my fair share of lessons along the way. I'll pass what wisdom I have to you." Her smile pulled a little wider. "Know that you're loved, little one, even now and it will only grow with time. Know that, sometimes, it's better to ask forgiveness than permission. Know that your Mother Weiss is trying her hardest and doing an excellent job and that your Mommy Blake is much stronger and more brave than you think. Know that they didn’t start out that way, that the challenges they overcame helped them become the people you see before you, and that you will grow like that, too. Know that your Aunt Yang is no doubt going to sneak you cookies before dinner and will always guard your secrets and your Aunt Ruby can literally build anything and will always look out for you. Know that you have before you untold opportunities and untested abilities. Know that the only person who will determine how far you go in life is yourself and, know, even if you stumble and stutter and fall, that your family will be there to help you back up." Her gaze deviated then. "I wish I had the time to know you. No doubt I'd love you just as dearly as the others; I already love you so much now. But if an after life does exists, I'll be your guardian angel; speak to the north wind and I'll hear you. You will never be alone." Tears gathered in her eyes but her voice remainder strong. "Play often and rest when you can. Fight when you must and try not to hold grudges. Above all else, enjoy your time, because no matter how long you have, it's going to feel far too short." Then, she saluted. "March on, little one, and hold your head high. You're a Schnee, and you've already made me so proud. Keep it up." The video ended and Winter looked to her girlfriend holding back tears. "Yang?" "It's good," she said immediately, scrubbing at her eyes and laughing. "It'll mean a lot. They- I think they'll really like it." "Yang, what's wrong?" Worry colored her tone as she set aside her scroll and gathered the woman into her arms, stroking through her hair gently. "Talk to me." After a few minutes to compose herself, she started, turning into the embrace and clinging to Winter. "It's just- my birth mom, she ran out on me, yeah? And I just- she could've done that. Left me a message, done something to let me know that I'm- that I wasn't a mistake or a waste of her time." She drew a steadying breath. "She didn't have to mean it but... it would've been nice to hear." "Oh, Sundrop." She believed that it constituted part of the reason for the reaction, sure, but something about the way Yang wouldn't meet her eyes had her concerned there remained more to it than that. However, best to handle one thing at a time. "You're certainly not a waste of anyone's time. Please don't think that." "I know, I know, I just- it's hard not to think about sometimes." A watery laugh. "And thanks, ya know. For calling me Aunt Yang. I know Blake's gonna ask me to be godmother and all but hearing it... you hit the nail on the head." She smiled. "This kid is gonna be loved. No doubt about it." Winter nodded, waiting for a few moments before gently prodding. "Is there anything else on your mind?" For a moment, she thought Yang might break. But then she just shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, I think the message is great, but I also don't think those two are the kind to stop at just one kid." "A valid point," she replied, opting to set her concerns aside for the moment. "But I think I should eat something before I try making another one." With that, they got up and went to fix their dinner, but Winter kept a close eye on her girlfriend for the rest of the night. Something seemed to be on her mind... but she would have to wait for it to come to bear.

Day -107 Winter made a few more videos over the week, mostly addressed to any subsequent kids Weiss and Blake might have. Her sister seemed genuinely touched she’d made them and Blake all too happy to safeguard them in the meantime, though the couple tried- in vain- to insist they wouldn’t have a big family. Maybe one more, they said, but she could see the way they looked at each other and didn’t doubt for a moment they’d have four or more.

But she found her attention pulled away from making more videos by Yang’s odd behavior. With just a little under half her remaining time spent, perhaps it was the looming deadline beginning to prey on the woman’s mind.

At any rate, it required further investigation.

The moment she heard the door open, she closed the book she’d used to preoccupy her time.��

“Hey!” Yang set her motorcycle helmet down and shook out her hair. “What’s up, Snowdrift? No welcome home kiss?

She offered a small smile and got off the couch. “My apologies. I’m afraid my mind’s been a bit preoccupied.”

“Oh?” After their kiss, Yang kept her close, hands on her hips. “Wanna share?”

“I feel like you’ve been acting a bit odd recently. As if you want to talk with me about something but keep refraining.” She ran her hands up and down the woman’s back, noticing the way her posture changed, eyes looking away, body turning as if she wanted to break contact. Yet, when Winter ducked her head, encouraged her to meet her eyes, her girlfriend didn’t balk. “You can tell me anything, you know. I promise I’ll listen. No judgments.”

“You... really don’t want to hear this.” Yang mumbled, shaking her head. “It’s just a stupid thought-”

“Is it important to you?” Reluctantly, she nodded. “Then it’s not stupid. Regardless of my opinion on it, it’s not a stupid thought. Tell me and let me form my own opinion.”

This time, her girlfriend did pull away, but took one hand in hers and led her to the couch, sitting both of them down. She then took a moment and composed herself, choosing her words with care. “What if I stopped taking my birth control?”

“Why would you do that?” Of all the topics in the world, this happened to be the last one she expected they’d discuss. “Is it... making you sick or-”

“Well, aura pregnancies are pretty rare. We could leave it up to chance-”

Winter jolted, sitting up straighter and incidentally pulling away from her girlfriend. “Aura pregnancy- Yang, what are you talking about?”

She remained silent for a moment, drawing in a steadying breath before taking the plunge. “I want the chance to carry your child.”

“No,” she replied, instantaneous, getting to her feet and pacing. “Do you even realize what you’re talking about; I’ve hardly three months left.”

“I know that.” Yang got to her feet as well, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know there’s a big chance it won’t happen anyway and I know that, even if I do get pregnant... you’ll be gone before the baby’s born... but...”

“There is no ‘but’ here.” She shook her head. “I’m not going to leave behind a child that’ll never know me-”

“They’ll know you, the same as Weiss’ kids.” A frustrated sigh. “Look, I know it isn’t what you want-”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.” Winter looked at her, the pain in her chest nearly crippling as those secret daydreams she’d entertained flashed before her eyes. “You don’t know how badly I want a child, a family- you have no idea what this life has denied me.”

“You mean what you’ve denied yourself.” Yang’s lips twisted, a bit of anger coloring her tone. “I get it, I can’t understand what it’s like having so little time. But you don’t have to give up on everything else. There’s ways around it, to try- it might mean only having a taste but it’s something.”

“Not now.” She shook her head, waved her hand, denied as best she could. “Are you even listening to yourself? It’s- it’s impossible, Yang. I don’t have a chance for a taste of anything- it’s too late for me. I can’t just leave you alone to raise our child by yourself.”

“My dad did it.” Her expression softened slightly. “Being a single parent... yeah, it’s hard. It can be hell. But it’s not impossible and at least, this way, our kid would know they’re wanted, that if you could be here, you would. That- I don’t think you understand how much that means. That could be enough-”

“How could it possibly be enough?” Winter sighed heavily, turning away. “Please understand, in any other life, I’d be with you. I’d- I’d marry you, I’d start a family with you, I’d be completely devoted, every moment of my life, because I would have that time to give to you. In another life, there wouldn’t be any hesitation on my part.”

“But this is the only life we have, Winter,” she replied, crossing the room and putting a hand on her shoulder, turning her gently so their eyes could meet. “This is all the time we have. And when it’s over, if all I have left of you are memories... I won’t regret this, because I love you, so much it hurts and scares me. But... to have a kid, a little bit of you living on- that means something to me, too.”

The words were born of a helpless sort of anger and pain but they left her lips too quickly for her to catch. “Then you’re being selfish, wanting to have a child purely so you can cling to past memories.”

The hand on her shoulder disappeared but Yang didn’t say a word for a long moment. When she did, her voice sounded heavy with tears that wouldn’t fall. “Yeah... maybe you’re right.”

Regret lanced through her heart. “Yang, I didn’t- I’m sorry.”

But her girlfriend had already turned her back, heading towards the bedroom. “I’m gonna change. Get out of these clothes. Call for pizza. I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

“Sundrop, wait-” The closing of the door sounded much louder than it should’ve and Winter stood there, flinching at the sound.

She thought about following Yang into the bedroom- watched the door for half an hour before the pizza arrived while she debated- but ultimately decided to give the woman some space. Plus, she needed the time to properly formulate an apology; her words were harsh and unnecessary, she didn’t want to hurt her girlfriend and she shouldn’t have lashed out at her.

For the remainder of the night, Yang stayed in the bedroom, only leaving to grab some of the pizza. She avoided eye contact but Winter could see her puffy red eyes, the dried tear tracks on her cheeks.

Winter opted to sleep on the couch that night.

Day -106 When morning came, Winter waited in the living room for Yang to come out. She hadn’t slept much, plagued by the argument from the night before, but at least she’d decided on what to say. Provided she had the chance to do so, of course.

The moment the bedroom door cracked open, she shot to her feet. “Yang-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lilac eyes didn’t even glance her way as she made a bee line for the kitchen, ignoring all else. “The conversation’s over, case closed.” A mirthless chuckle. “I told you it was stupid anyway.”

Seeing as words would do her no good for the moment, Winter crossed the room, heading her girlfriend off before she could slip into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, pressing back to front, and rested her chin among golden locks. Her embrace wasn’t so tight as to completely prevent Yang from escaping- any pressure and she’d relent- but it at least made her give pause.

“It isn’t stupid,” she said, her voice soft. “Before I knew how long I had, I had dreams. I wanted a wife and a family, children of my own. I wanted to raise them better than my parents raised me.” Winter paused, closing her eyes and tilting her head so she could rest her forehead against the back of Yang’s head. “But then I became old enough to understand how little time I had left. I wanted to be there for my children and support my wife; bereft of that, knowing I wouldn’t be around to protect them... I couldn’t abide it. So I put those dreams away. Until I met you.” A sigh, heavy and deep. “I’m sorry for accusing you of being selfish. For the longest time, I convinced myself that it would be selfish of me to pursue those dreams, knowing I wouldn’t be around to see them through. It... assuaged the regret of never trying, thinking I’d taken the nobler path... but that doesn’t excuse my behavior last night. I am sorry.”

Yang sighed, not quite encouraging her embrace but not breaking it either. “Apology accepted. We both got a little heated last night.”

“But you were right. I did give up on those dreams.” She held her girlfriend a little tighter. “What does it mean to you? Having a child?”

She turned in her arms, encouraging Winter to open her eyes. “It’s an expression of love. Finding someone I love enough... that I want to see a part of me and a part of them, together. I mean- you’re not entirely wrong. It is a way to hold onto the past, onto you. But it’s not just you- it’s both of us. Every time I look at them, I’m going to be reminded of this.” Slowly, Yang drew her into a kiss- soft, sweet, and slow. “I want this part of you to live on and, in my heart, you always will. But there’s a chance another part of you could live on- a part of you that’s also a part of me.”

“Very well.” She swallowed thickly, trying to hold her emotions in check. “Make me a promise.”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me they’ll know.” Winter did her best to keep her voice steady but it broke anyway as tears slipped. “They’ll know how much I wanted to be there for them. That I love them even though I’ll never know them. Promise me they’ll never think otherwise.”

Yang gave her a small, sad smile. “That’s a promise I look forward to keeping.” 

A nod as Winter leaned forward, burying her face in her girlfriend’s hair. And she sobbed, clinging to Yang, because in her mind, she could clearly picture it- the blonde laughing and playing with a small child with lilac eyes and white hair, both happy and content, and she so badly wished to be part of the picture.

But she never would be. As much as it hurt, it also brought a smile to her lips, because there stood a chance she could see it from whatever afterlife she’d earned for herself. And maybe, in time, before her end came, she could take solace in knowing they would carry on even after she fell.

That would be her legacy and she could ask for nothing better.

“Did you mean what you said last night? In another life, you’d marry me?”

“I’d marry you in this one if you’d let me,” she replied softly between sobs.

“You still have to ask.” A small chuckle and a kiss pressed against her jaw. “Even if you know I’m going to say yes.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of asking someone to marry me?” Winter confessed, stifling her tears long enough to draw back and look at the woman properly. “I hope you’re ready.”

“Hit me with your best shot, Snowdrift.” Yang smiled, wider than she had in weeks. “Blow me away.”

Part 2 is coming shortly.

[chained-prometheus]

Coffee Shop AU

Author’s Note: Hey guys! Wanted to celebrate Elderburn Week with at least one ficlet! I don’t know if I’ll squeeze anything else out this week, but I’m glad that I was at least able to pitch this in for @texanredrose‘s Elderburn Week plan! 

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY. It is the creative property of the late, great Monty Oum, as well as Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross and the rest of Rooster Teeth.

Coffee Shop

I.

Winter Schnee sat down into her usual leather chair over in the corner of the cafe and began her morning rituals. It was all there at her disposal. Today’s newspaper? Check. Her breakfast? Check. A glass of ice water? Check.

Winter quite liked the From Dust till Dawn Cafe. Not only was the food delicious, but the shop was comfortably quiet and private. While it had been long enough since she abdicated her family inheritance and joined the military, Winter still preferred to keep to herself. She was a soldier now, not a socialite.

As she buttered her brötchen roll, Winter felt a pair of eyes staring at her. Well, no, not at her… it was at her cup. She turned to see another woman clad in brown leather and golden hair before her.

“Is… something wrong?” Winter asked slowly. The younger woman coughed awkwardly and pointed at the cup. Winter raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but I’m quite sure that one of the baristas would be happy to give you a free cup of water if you need it.”

“No, it’s not that!” she replied finally, though perhaps a touch too loudly. The blonde paused and then continued in a whisper, “Isn’t this a coffee shop?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Then water you doing not drinking coffee?”

Winter blinked.

What an odd question to ask. Even before going into the pun mixed into it. Was it really so shocking that someone would not drink coffee at a cafe? Surely there were more peculiar customers out there in the world. Perhaps an astonishingly picky eater going to an exotic restaurant and only eating a few crackers, for example. Finally she replied, “I just prefer water. I find that coffee is too bitter most of the time.”

“I mean, that’s perfectly fine. But what about the caffeine?”

“Water doesn’t have any caf-”

“Exactly!” The blonde pulled up a chair and sat beside Winter. “There’s no caffeine in water! So why drink water at Six O’Clock in the morning?”

Winter shrugged, “I’m fine without caffeine most of the time.”

She looked closer at the other woman. While this stranger was cutting into her ‘Read the Newspaper’ time, Winter had to admit… she was attractive. Quite attractive. Finally she added, “May I ask what your name is?”

The younger woman grinned with some satisfaction at the question. “I’m Yang. Yang Xiao Long.”

“Yang, hmm?” Winter hummed softly as she thought over the name and then took a quick bite out of her brötchen roll. No need for the food to get cold, after all. “It’s a pleasure to meet you then, Yang. I am Winter Schnee.”

“Winter, eh? That’s a nice name,” Yang replied as if the full name was devoid of any special recognition. There was a twinkle in her violet eyes that said otherwise though. “I still can’t get over the idea of not having any caffeine in the morning. Especially for a military officer like yourself. I’d imagine the hours are hell for you over there.”

So Yang did know who she really was then, Winter thought to herself. The blonde had to know, as she wasn’t wearing her uniform at the moment nor any sort of shirt or jacket with the Atlesian military logo embedded on it.

“It’s all ‘mind over matter’ to me,” Winter replied with a smile. She twirled a few strands of her white hair around her fingers as she added, “Yoga does wonders for that.”

“Yoga, huh? Maybe I should look into trying that out for myself sometime.”

“If you’d like, I could introduce you to the group I’m in?”

Yang pursed her lips for a moment. Her eyes looked over Winter once again, before giving into a smile as she said, “I’d like that. A lot.”

[keena-kapu]

Frayed Strings - Elderburn week ficlet

Pairing: Yang/Winter (Elderburn/Snowdragon) Words: 1492 AU: Soulmate AU Summary: The timing is being wrong was one thing, but a bad first impression leaves Yang thinking maybe the person she’s tethered to is also wrong.

This is a continuation from ‘Red String of Fate’, make sure you read it first! Apologies that this is short and somewhat rushed too, stressful day.

After an unsuccessful search, Yang and Ruby decided to give up for the day and headed back to their college dorm room. They’d tried to look around the city, just as Yang promised Ruby she would, but the string seemed to be outstretched beyond their reach. A sure sign that whoever she was tethered to was across the world.

Still, it was worth a shot to try. It meant a good lunch and a movie afterward. Hours spent ignoring the string, not checking if it had moved. Something Yang didn’t think she needed to worry about just yet.

Both of them headed up the stairs of the dorm. She and Ruby were blessed with their rooms being within the same building, just a floor’s difference between one another. It made it very easy to check on her each other and hang out whenever they wanted. Speaking of checking up, there was a lot of hustle and bustle happening on the floor above.

“Oh, that’ll be the new roomie.” Just like Yang, Ruby was also nervous about making new friends down to her own anxieties. Instinctively she walked closer to her older sister, sighing in resignment. “Figured it’d be one day soon. Hope they’ll be ok.”

“Can’t be any worse than that Arc guy,” Yang joked. “Didn’t you say he got kicked out for faking his certificates?”

“Yep. Surprised it took so long for him to get thrown out.” Taking a small breath in, Ruby continued up the stairs. “Well… here goes. You wanna stick around? Meet them too?”

“Of course I do-”

They were cut off when the door opened once again. Two women stepped out of the room. One appeared around Yang’s age, short with white hair tied into a side ponytail. The other, much taller, with equally white hair tied up into a bun, and bangs covering her eyes. The two were clearly related, judging by how the elder of the two kept looking back to the room.

“The room appears to be adequate.” The younger stated, closing the door behind her. “Now, I’m starving. You and I should probably get some-

She stopped when she saw both Ruby and Yang on the stairwell, raising an eyebrow. “Oh… Hello.”

“Hi,” Ruby spoke up. As nervous as she was, she had to make an effort to get to know her. “I’m guessing you’re my new roomie? I live in this room too.”

“Ah! So it’s you. I apologize if things are moved, I tried to clear my side of the room so I could unpack my things.” She had been about to lock up, but since put the keys away in her pocket. Instead, she held her hand out. “I’m Weiss, Weiss Schnee.”

“Ruby. Ruby Rose.” She leaned forward to shake the hand. Though right away she then gestured to her sister. “And this is Yang! My older sib, she’s on the floor above us and two years ahead of us.”

“Charmed. And this is my older sister, Winter. She just helped me unpack.” She looked around to her older sister, expecting something to be said. But nothing was.

In fact, both Yang and Winter were oddly quiet. Both looked at one another intently, unable to speak. Both felt their hearts beating even faster, without explanation. It was only when Yang really concentrated she saw a reason. A small red string was tied to Winter’s finger, the string leading down the stairs, and then up again. To Yang’s own. In the time it took her and Ruby to see a movie and get lunch, her string had moved right here.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The first words between them were spoken by Winter. While this was certainly a shock for both parties, the older Schnee didn’t seem all too happy to be facing her string right here and now.

Masking said concerns, she cleared her throat for a moment, looking to her younger sister. “Um, Weiss; seeing as your roommate is here, why don’t miss Yang and I leave you both to get acquainted? You’ll get along far better if we’re not here making it awkward.”

“But I-”

While Weiss hesitated, Winter was already heading down the stairs, brushing closely against Yang to encourage her to follow rather awkwardly. “No no, you need to make new friends! And miss Yang can… uh…”

It was awkward, but from the look she was giving Yang, it looked as though she wanted her to help her out with an excuse. One Yang eventually provided.

“... Give her a tour of the campus!”

“Right! Exactly. Give me a tour of the campus. Okay then, Yang, please show me around.”

It took little more than a few minutes for them both to head down the stairs, rather quickly heading out of the building and away from the younger girls.

One that lead them to the same conclusion.

“That was really weird…”

“No, no, no, no!” Winter was muttering to herself already as she stomped ahead of the path. As desperate as she was to get her and Yang alone, she didn’t exactly wait for her as she walked ahead. She ran a hand through her bangs, growling out in frustration. “This is not happening. Not right now, this is ridiculous.”

“The string thing?” Yang had to confirm, wearing an equally frustrated expression when she stomped toward her. “This ain’t exactly convenient for me either, you know! There’s no need to freak the fuck out like that!”

“This is so much more than a matter of timing.” Once sure they were far enough from the building, Winter finally turned around to face her. Even though they had been staring before, she didn’t take a chance to truly look at her string just yet. So far, she just took in the most obvious of details.

“There is so much wrong with this. The timing, that you’re… y’know…”

Seeming to take that the wrong way, Yang’s frustration turned into a glare. She held her hand on her hip, leaving the other to hand. “What? That I’m an amputee, you mean?”

“No, what on earth are you-” Now it was mentioned, her eye fell straight to the nub of her right arm, where it poked out of her shirt. Instantly the woman felt her heart be tugged, and guilt flood through her.

“Oh… I hadn’t… Okay, I’m so sorry, I truly hadn’t noticed that at first. I really didn’t mean to imply that was a reason.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. I get it, don’t worry.” Rolling her eyes, Yang instead looked off. “For the record, I wasn’t exactly wanting to find my string. I mean sure, I wouldn’t have minded looking in five years or so, but right now, I have college starting up. I don’t have time for this.”

“And I don’t have the time to express to my family that I might be gay.”

The comment was heard by Yang. It instantly softened her angry expression and made her look slightly more concerned. Perhaps she really had been a little too quick to assume her reasoning after all. But who could blame her when it was right most of the time?

After a moment’s silence, she sighed outwardly. “Look, neither of us has time for a relationship. We’re in agreement on that. But the string must have become visible now for a reason. So… We can’t exactly ignore it.”

Running a hand through her hair, Winter nodded. Fate was a very strange thing indeed, but one knew all too well it wasn’t to be messed with. Especially when strings were involved. It could lead to too much heartbreak, and one or the other making reckless decisions. “You’re right. There must be some reason it was now rather than five or so years down the line.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t be worrying about the lack of time and just… focus on getting to know one another?” When Winter looked confused, Yang shrugged. “No pressure, no dates, nothing. Just the occasional message, that sorta stuff.”

“To become friends before we become soulmates?” Winter couldn’t help but scoff at the idea, letting out a small laugh. “You say this as if I have time to form friendships right now.”

“C’mon. Who doesn’t have time for friends?” Yang joked. For a moment she glimpsed back at the building, before looking back at Winter. “We need to at least use some time now, right? Else they’re gonna think you’re really weird for suddenly rushing us off like that.”

Winter found herself chuckling. She had to admire Yang’s optimism, even in the face of everything. For some reason, the woman put her at ease like no one ever could before, and she found herself wanting to smile with her. Maybe this was what fate had planned after all.

In the end, all Winter could do was shrug her shoulders.

“Alright, I’ll give you that. So, where do you want to start?”

[rosesonapond]

Ship Week and Day Date and Prompt suggestions:

Rose Lotus Week

Tauradonna Week

Elderburn Week

Iceberg (Neiss) Week

Ironwitch Week

Thunder Thighs (Mercury x Nora) Day

Crosshares Week

Orange Sherbet Week

Black Lotus Week

White Knight Week

Snowbird Week

Neo x Ren week

Ladybug Week

Weiss x Pilot Day

Black Sun Week

Catmeleon Week

Sunflowyr Week

White Sun Week

Knightshade Week

Wild Rose Week

Broken Machines Week

Data Farms week

Metronome (Ciel x Flynn) Day

Combat Goggles Week

If you want a week for any of the ones that say days, please suggest

If you have any (rare or uncommon) ship week or days please suggest!

I will most likely hold a poll for each week for the prompts that are suggested or come to mind on a separate post for each

Some weeks and or days may be held at the same time, since I will become busy with life stuff, I will get the official prompts to you as soon as possible

I will add more weeks or days as suggested to me

Here are some prompt suggestions I have in mind for some of them:

Rose Lotus:

First sight (not really love first sight, but they knew about each other since they were nearby each other in the first volume), Admiration, Skills or Hobbies, Future AU, What If (insert scenario)

Tauradonna:

Past (can be childhood friends au or relationship history, just past in general), Meeting again, Alternate Timeline (changing any event that happened and creating a new one), Accepting the others differences, What If (insert scenario)

Elderburn:

Bonding over siblings, Sparring, Proposal,

Iceberg:

Romeo x Juliet,

Ironwitch:

School Days (when they attend their academies (which I’m guessing is this world’s college equivalent)), Domestic Life,

Crosshares:

Teammate bonding,

Orange Sherbet:

Partners in crime,

Black Lotus:

Ninjas in Love,

White Knight:

Rom Com, Misunderstanding,

Snowbird:

First Battle,

Neo x Ren:

Silent love language,

Ladybug:

Shared Interest, Teammate bonding,

Black Sun:

First Sight,

Catmeleon:

Mutual Understanding

Sunflowyr:

Sunflowers, Food fight,

White Sun:

???

Knightshade:

Opposites Attract,

Wild Rose:

First meeting, mutual respect,

Broken Machines:

Past Burdens,

Data Farms:

Kindness,

Combat Goggles:

First Meeting, Mission Partners, Dance,

[laulink]

My contribution to the first day of Nuts and Dolts week : Childhood Friends !

 “C’mon, let’s get to the park, it’s not far now,” Daddy said.

    He was right : Ruby could already see the trees from her perch on Daddy’s shoulders. In just a couple of minutes, they arrived in front of the playground Ruby and Yang liked so much and noticed that there was already another family there, but not from the neighbourhood. They would have remembered them.

    Almost all of the children had white hair and blue eyes, just like the lady sitting on the bench Mommy and Daddy usually sat on to watch Ruby and Yang play. Next to the lady was a man with greying brown hair, chocolate skin and warm, hazel eyes. But the one Ruby couldn’t take her eyes off of was the girl who looked nothing like the other three children : orange hair reminding her of the dancing fire in the chimney and eyes so green they outshined the trees around them. Then the girl noticed Ruby, Yang, Mommy and Daddy and she smiled, so blinding Ruby wondered if she was a little sun, or a star fallen on Remnant to brighten it up.

@nuts-and-dolts-week

[rampantlytyping]

RWBY Rarepair Week Part 4: Elderburn

Archive of Out Own Link:

Fanfiction.net link:

At Weiss and Ruby's wedding, Winter comes to a realization regarding herself and Yang, with the help of some prodding from Willow and a bottle of Jack. Winter/Yang. Part four of a series of stories I'm doing for RWBY Rarepair Week.

[indecisive-hermit]

Winter(+Elderburn) doodles

Been excited about the new season of RWBY for a few weeks now and decided to share some fanart I ended up making while waiting for the next episodes. 

The first one was before the season started. Let’s just say I get distracted quite easily so it ended up a bit messy here and there. I could point out about 25 mistakes I realize I made with this so.. meh for being too critical about myself >_<

The glyph I made with vectors was okay, got lazy with the details towards the end but that’s barely just own preferences. 

This one was minimum effort vectors. Like. Really, really minimum. It’s from the opening and doesn’t have much original touch to it. It’s a direct cutoff and I just wanted something like this as my background for my phone so that was the reason I made this. 

This is another nice example of how I get excited about an idea, then too lazy to actually execute it as I originally planned. I might add more details and finish my original idea with this some day.. who knows. 

[maburito]

it's the previous anon again, and i feel bad for making u have to scroll through all that! to take ur mind off of that, how about u talk about ur fave writers instead? aww, i didn't mean for u to be so upset...

Oh nonononono anon this isn’t your fault! Honestly it’s always bound to happen I probably shouldn’t be surprised at this point but I’m just more annoyed that people are writing things like that and not realising why it’s so terrible zkdnsl

But this is a great idea, even if I don’t really have that much fav writers that are active in the RWBY department recently but well. For starters, my favorite fanfic writer whom I trust the most when it comes to RWBY fics is me great buddy @texanredrose. Whether it be Elderburn, Monochrome, Freezerburn, or any Yang + hot people they’re truly the best at writing interesting/awesome AUs or Canon divergent stories. They always handle the characters really well and give them justice in my eyes. Also I just love their writing

@ladyvallhalla is also a big fav of mine for her sweet/funny gays being oblivious or ridiculous gays stories, in canon or in cute AU’s (the détective and the mind meddling AU are still big favs) . It’s always a pleasure to read or re-read her fanfics and it leaves my with good feels ^^

I also really like @ravedragon who have also made some very fluffy very cute heartwarming monos with some of my favs like “The Cat and the Bat” or “Catching you Under the Mistletoe”

And little shout out at @dedicatedseeker! They have wrote 2 fics on Ao3 currently, but their previous one shots for monos week were really cute and their fic Dignified Deceit had me pretty intrigued ^^

[dedicatedseeker]

Monochrome Week 2019 Days 6 + 7: Wings AU

A/N: This is a combination of the day 6 and 7 prompts because I couldn’t think of anything for Wings. Includes Elderburn mention

“Winter, I’m heading to class!” exclaimed Weiss as she hurriedly put on her shoes and rushed out the mansion’s door. She cursed the existence of the snooze button for the umpteenth time that day. She didn’t want to be tardy, as it was the beginning of a new semester of her sophomore year in college.

She passed by the familiar sight of her sister’s girlfriend walking up the driveway, the blonde’s golden wings stretching out behind her. Weiss gave a small wave before dashing to her car. Closing her eyes, she allowed her vision to recover from the brightness of Yang’s wings.

Ever since she discovered that she had the sole ability to see the wings of everyone she met, she learned to adjust her lifestyle accordingly with tiny changes and new habits. She opened her eyes and started her car, heading to school. In her haste, she forgot to check for traffic.

Even though Beacon University wasn’t very far from the mansion, she decided that going a little over the speed limit wouldn’t be too terrible of a decision. She tried her best to avoid staring at anyone else in their vehicles, another habit she had to quickly add following her revelation. Unfortunately, this gave her limited visibility to the surroundings of her own vehicle.

As she neared the school, she thought she caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar presence in her peripheral vision. She immediately dismissed the thought, knowing that everybody had wings even if they weren’t aware of it. Brief as the distraction was, it still prevented her from seeing the car headed straight for her, causing both drivers to quickly swerve away from each other and stop several feet apart.

Fortunately for them, the street was empty. Trying to calm her racing heart, Weiss took the chance to analyze her surroundings and spotted the other driver hastily jogging over to check on her. She blinked. Blinked again. She wasn’t imagining this; the Faunus woman truly did not have-

“Are you okay?” Weiss looked up into concerned amber eyes, and her breath caught for multiple reasons. Stubbornly ignoring the blush threatening to overtake her face, she refused to meet the woman’s gaze and looked behind her instead.

Expecting to see the familiar sight of wings, she was shocked to find a set of discolored stumps instead. She only realized that she was staring when the Faunus shifted slightly, unsure of whether she should move closer or not. Weiss tore her gaze away and cleared her throat.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking. I assume you are as well…?” Weiss trailed off hesitantly, unsure of how to process the turn of events and her own internal shock. The other woman gave a small smile and nodded.

“I think we were both in a rush to get to class. I didn’t get enough sleep last night, so-”

“Wait, what time is it?!” Weiss questioned. Her punctuality was something she prided herself in, and she would be quite upset if-

Beep.

Weiss’ watch, set to the time that her class began, signaled the end of her record of arriving to class early. The ex-heiress groaned and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Of all the ways to start the semester, she thought.

Not wanting to humiliate herself any further, she looked back at the perplexed Faunus staring back at her. The woman’s ears flicked nervously in a way that Weiss could only describe as adorable. Weiss’ mind finally caught up to what was said before her interruption.

Seeing as she couldn’t change anything about her tardiness now, Weiss decided to make the most of her situation. After all, she was always taught that first impressions mattered. Weiss extended her hand.

“I’m Weiss. Do you also attend Beacon University?” She hoped that the question would prevent the woman from thinking further on her name, especially with how the Schnees were portrayed in the media.

Shaking herself out of her surprise, the woman took her hand and gave a smirk. “I’m Blake. To answer your pop quiz, I am a student there too and pleased to make your acquaintance.” Weiss blinked as Blake gave a small bow, that infuriating smirk remaining on her face.

She knows something, Weiss thought, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve seen what the papers have had to say of me, but I’m sure there are ways that I can still surprise you.” Not anticipating that response, Blake leaned against Weiss’ car to bide herself time for her reply. “Is this your way of asking me-” her question was cut short as a car passed by and honked at them, the driver offering an obscene gesture at the women.

The two glared after the car, and Weiss took the lull in conversation to calm her racing heart again. She wondered what the end of Blake’s question was and quickly pushed the thought of a date out of her mind. They had just met, and surely she wouldn’t be that lucky.

However, she was still curious about Blake, the impressions that the other woman had of her, and the stumps in place of wings on her. She pondered how to continue speaking to her without seeming invasive but couldn’t come up with anything. Sighing, she pulled out her schedule and saw that she had several hours until her next class.

Blake glanced at Weiss’ schedule and saw that they shared a class that started in several hours. Blake inwardly smirked at the opportunity this gave her. Time to see if anything that Yang has said about her is true, she thought.

“We should probably get out of the street before anyone else starts cursing us out,” Blake offered, quickly turning her head to hide her smile at Weiss’ scoff. Before parting ways, they exchanged numbers and promised to meet up again before class.

This was certain to be an interesting semester.

A/N: I would’ve tagged the blog, but this is late. Hopefully anyone who reads this will still enjoy though.  

[softly-speaking-valkyrie]

Yeah, you know what fuck it, I’m gonna try and do Elderburn Week right now.

[fallwritesfiction]

Content Shift

For the next few days, my queue will have segments from my original world, The Named. I’ll still be writing and publishing fanfiction - notably, I’m participating in Elderburn Week - but for a bit here, my focus will be original fiction.

If you’re just here for the fanfiction, I’ll be tagging everything with ‘original fiction’ and ‘the named’. If you’re curious about my original fiction, read on.

For those of you wondering if you’ll want to read it at all, the Named is a world of superhumans. The divergence point is just before WWI, and most of the segments I have written so far take place decades later. Ideally I’ll be able to make it feel familiar enough to not require tons of explanation, but different enough to feel realistic.

The goal with the Named segments is to reveal everything organically, rather than stopping to explain. That results in a lot of work on my end, but should flow easily on yours. I still welcome any questions, comments, or concerns, but they’ll all be marked ‘Named spoilers’, as the intended experience shouldn’t need any author intervention to be understood.

I’m hoping you’ll enjoy it; let me know what you think!

[texanredrose]

Countdown (Pt 2 of 2)

I’d like to thank @keena-kapu for their help with this as well. They’ve been my sounding board while writing much of this second part. 

Day -92 Winter bided her time. It would be all too easy to rush ahead and propose within the next few days but she opted to pace herself, sift through a hundred daydreams to find the aspects she liked most and thread them together carefully. Yang was the sort of person who would appreciate any gesture she made, so long as she made it honestly, but she had her preferences. Despite the brevity of their relationship, Winter had dedicated her time to learning those predilections rather well.

So she spent her time perfecting a single recipe. No kitchen mishaps this time, no, she could at least cook one meal, which she loaded up in a basket. Then, she coaxed Yang into taking them out to a park, because nothing put the woman in a better mood than riding her bike. She led them to a secluded spot with a beautiful view of the sunset, when the orange tinged clouds made the world look aflame with gentle fire, and they had a picnic.

Because Yang didn’t prize an ostentatious proposal nearly as much as a heartfelt one. Writing it in the sky, spelling it out in petals, nothing could compare to hearing the words straight from Winter’s lips.

And when she did ask- when she looked into lilac eyes and told Yang that she meant the world to her, that she wanted nothing more than to be there for the woman and have her by her side in return, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life, what little time that might be, together... Winter could tell she’d provided exactly the sort of proposal Yang wanted to hear.

That the woman tackled her to the ground while giving her answer provided some of the clues for that deduction.

The moment they got back to the bedroom provided an abundance of confirmation.

Day -82 Winter sat at the table, staring at her scroll. This time, she’d written down notes, because she had so much she wanted to say in the video and suspected she’d get off topic if she didn’t have some measure of keeping herself in line. However, getting it started proved a bit... tricky.

“Snowdrift?” Yang poked her head in, a frown on her lips. “You alright?”

“Of course,” she replied, passing a hand over her face. “What makes you ask?”

“Well, you’ve been sitting here for about three hours, I haven’t heard you actually talk, lunch is getting cold-”

“Ah. Right.” She leaned back in her chair.

“Having second thoughts?” Yang entered the room properly, leaning down to drape her arms over Winter’s shoulders and the back of the chair. “Wedding’s tomorrow and all.”

“No, nothing like that.” She indicated the notes. “I just... I have so much to say... but no idea where to begin.”

“Speak from the heart.” A kiss pressed just below her ear. “It’ll come together. Don’t worry about how long it is- just open the gate and let the flood go.”

“Would it be silly to say that I would prefer a bit more structure?”

“Yeah.” A chuckle. “But it’s the sort of silliness I expect from you.” Another kiss before she retreated, heading back out of the room. “I’ll keep your lunch warm but, after an hour, I’m dragging you out of here.”

“Thank you, Sundrop. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Winter waited until she’d left the room before returning her attention to the scroll.

Reaching out, she hit the button to start the recording.

“Hello, Sweetheart.” Her breath caught in her throat, tears springing to her eyes. “I wonder what your name is. Yang and I haven’t properly talked about it yet but I’m sure it’ll be fitting and beautiful. I wouldn’t want to decide it right now anyway; it should be something she chooses... when she sees you.” A brief pause. “I wish I could know you, I wish I had that much time, but I don’t. I’ll never hear your first word or see your first steps. I’ll never even see you born. But please, please, believe me when I say: I love you with all my heart.” She blinked, trying to hold back the tears. “Please, Sweetheart, don’t make my mistakes. Dream- dream as big and as often as you want, and never give up on them. Let them die as your interests change, let them sift and shift and evolve, but don’t throw them aside because you feel like you haven’t the time or the skill or the energy- don’t give up. You never know what opportunities lie around every bend, what could lie in wait for you. Take those chances. And if you face failure, if you face rejection, know that you’ve made me so proud for simply trying. It’s a courage I didn’t posses until far too late.” She reached forward, blinking and imagining a tiny child in front of her rather than her scroll. “I know you’re going to do amazing things. And I don’t mean anything that’s going to be recorded in a history book or broadcasted on the news- perhaps you will, perhaps you won’t be known the world over for one thing or another. The amazing things you’ll do... is to simply live. To live facing fear, facing failure, facing all the terrible things that come with this world, and continuing on anyway. Your Momma will be there for you, I know, and your Aunts as well. And I wish with all my heart I could be there, too.” She sniffled, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to lean on others. It’s okay to be hurt and to make mistakes. I’ll love you no matter what. Just live your life, pursuing whatever catches your fancy.” A watery smile curled her lips. “I hope you discover all this world has to offer. I hope you find love, if that’s your dream. A family of your own, if you choose it. Those were my dreams, and though I didn’t have long to enjoy them, I can honestly say I’m happy for what time I’ve had. I just wish I had more.” She drew back, straightening her shoulders and clearing her throat. “In your veins runs the blood of a Schnee, my blood. Pursue your happiness and you will be all that’s best in me and so much more. I love you, Sweetheart.”

She turned off the recording and sat, crying as she couldn’t help but picture a small child watching that, only knowing of her from that recording and Yang’s stories. Weiss’ and Blake’s too.

Eventually, her fiance entered the room and pulled her into her arms, quietly making promises that their child would know just how much Winter wanted them.

“Who knows.” She spoke quietly, pushing aside white bangs to try and catch the woman’s eyes. “I might not even get pregnant.”

“I might never know,” she replied, sniffling again. “But how much time did I waste, giving up when I ought to try?”

“We can’t undo that.” Yang slipped a finger under her chin, tilting it so their eyes could meet. “All we can do is make every moment count while we can.” She drew them into a soft kiss. “C’mon. Let’s go eat.”

“Okay.” Winter allowed herself to be led from the room and she couldn’t help but hover around whatever room her fiance happened to be occupying after they’d finished their lunch. At least, until they had to start getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. “I... suppose I should’ve waited until after the wedding to make that video.”

“Eh, I don’t think waiting’s done you any good in the past.” A soft smile, tinged with sadness. “And I know you’re happy about this. I don’t need to hear you say it.”

“Yes you do.” She went over and wrapped her arms around her fiance, hold her tightly. “I am happy for this. To be with you, to marry you, to stand up in front of everyone and say I love you and only you. I’m ecstatic about it, truly.” The more she spoke, the more she focused on the present, not the future, and a smile came to her lips. “I’m not looking forward to being separated tonight but I am looking forward to making it up to you tomorrow.”

That brought out a laugh, arms encircling her as the embrace was returned. “Oh, has the student surpassed the master?”

“I’d like to think I found some tricks you might enjoy.” She bent down, nipping at Yang’s ear and eliciting a little squeal.

But she pushed lightly at Winter’s shoulders. “We have a dinner to get to, and damn you for finding the one instance I don’t want to go a few rounds first.”

“The anticipation will make it sweeter.” Yet, she relented, settling for a chaste kiss before heading towards the closet. “But you’re right. We should get ready.”

Thoughts of their child faded to the background as they got prepared for the dinner.

Day -81 The wedding itself was a small affair. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and a few of Yang’s other friends- not much of a guest list but everyone she wanted to bear witness. Winter stood at the altar, awaiting her bride, and briefly tuned out the master of the ceremony to reflect.

She had less than three months to live; she couldn’t change that. But in the three months since she met Yang, she’d lived more than she had in the twenty-seven years prior. Going forward, she would have a wife- someone she would shower with every manner of affection she could- and she might even have the promise of a child before her end came.

And she really, truly, couldn’t ask for more.

Her chest ached, tears springing to her eyes again even as a wide, bright smile claimed her lips. She couldn’t imagine never knowing what this felt like, the sense of overflowing joy and happiness pouring from her heart as she looked out and the small group they’d gathered around them.

After all, was this not a family?

And then Yang came striding down the aisle, in a white dress that fluttered around her ankles with every step, wearing a smile just as big as her heart that could easily be seen from beneath the veil.

Even in imperfect circumstances, it was the wedding of her dreams, because when they each said ‘I do’, there could be no doubt they meant it from the bottom of their hearts.

The rest? Honestly, a blur; for all the trouble of picking out specific decorations and themes and the like, Winter could honestly say that she didn’t remember seeing anything other than her new bride for the remainder of the day. Even at the reception, when they had their first dance, she could barely focus on the music long enough to deliver one of the little surprises she’d planned for the day.

Because she hadn’t done it in so long, had given up the practice, that Yang didn’t know she could sing- and rather well at that. Until she started singing along to the music for their first dance.

“Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go.” She could see the surprise light up Yang’s expression as they moved to the music. “You have made my life complete, and I love you so.” Winter leaned their foreheads together, looking into her wife’s eyes. “Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darling I love you, and I always will.”

Yet, even now, Yang found ways of surprising her, joining in with her own voice, and picking up the verse Winter herself was hesitant to sing. “Love me tender, love me long, take me to your heart. For it's there that I belong, and we'll never part.�� The last, they sang together, swirling around the dance floor while their friends, their family watched. “Love me tender, love me dear, tell me you are mine. I'll be yours through all the years, till the end of time.”

If asked, she’d be hard pressed to recite any other details about the whole affair. But she would never forget- never- just how happy she felt in that moment, with the music dying down, when they leaned in to kiss amidst the cheers.

How foolish she was to think that avoiding this could possibly be the better alternative.

Day -75 Winter laid on the couch, Yang cuddled up next to her, the two lightly dozing in the afternoon sun streaming in through the windows. On a whim, she asked a question that had nagged at her since their wedding.

“Sundrop?”

“Hmmm?”

“What are you going to do when I’m gone?” She could feel the way Yang shifted against her and decided to immediately clarify. “You don’t have to make any promises or set anything in stone... but I wonder. What do you see in your future?”

“What do I see?” Her hand drifted down to her belly. They still didn’t know if she managed to get pregnant- not that they’d stopped trying, of course- but the action brought a smile to her lips. “A little girl with white hair and blue eyes. Maybe moving to Mistral for a bit, just for a change of pace- you’ve always talked about it so fondly. Holidays spent with Weiss and Blake and Ruby and too many kids running around for any of us to keep track of but we do our best.” She shrugged. “I dunno. I... the future’s always been a weird thought for me. I try to focus on the now.”

“Obviously.” Winter chuckled, though she sobered herself to address the topic that had her concerned. “What I mean is... when I’m gone, will you look for someone else?”

“What?” Her brows furrowed. “Is this really an appropriate conversation to have with your new bride?”

“By the time you’re not my new bride, I’ll be dead.”

“Okay, that was morbid.” Yang chuckled and then sighed. “I don’t think I’ll go looking but... if I see someone I like, I’ll talk to them.”

“Good.” She wrapped an arm around her wife’s waist, pressing against her back. “I just want you to be happy, Sundrop. Don’t let happiness pass you by on my account.”

“Now that is irony.”

“How so?”

“Because that was literally your plan when we first met.” She turned her head, looking back at Winter over her shoulder. “Better to never try, right?”

“I’ve since learned the error in my reasoning.” A small smile. “I just don’t want you to adopt my mistake.”

“If I see a chance, I’ll take it. But... for what it’s worth?” She turned, raising a hand to thread through white locks and pull her into a kiss. “I’ll still love you. That won’t go away.”

“You’re a better woman than I deserve, Yang Xiao Long.”

“Yang Xiao Long-Schnee.”

They both laughed before settling down again, relaxing together.

Day -69 Winter frowned, only slightly annoyed by the proposition. “Are you twelve?”

“C’mon, Snowdrift! We can’t pass this chance up!”

“We’re not spending all day in bed.”

Yang got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes then. “We’re not?”

Winter had, somehow, forgotten just how weak she was to her wife’s particular methods.

Day -54 The rain poured down, nearly soaking her in the brief time between putting down her umbrella and stepping into the restaurant, Yang laughing the whole while. It didn’t often come down so hard in Vale but, when it did, it was a sight to behold, the lightning streaking across the sky in shades of blue and even orange. The gutters were already overflowing with water and waves of it were sent into the air whenever a vehicle passed; they’d barely avoided a few waves making their way from the bus stop to the restaurant.

“Well, perfect weather for a romantic date, yeah?” Yang smirked, rolling her eyes as a crash of thunder shook the window glass. They’d both dressed up, and she’d even gone to the trouble of wrangling her bountiful blonde locks into a nice up-do for the occasion to go with her dress. Thankfully, neither were harmed by their brief bout of rain seeing as Winter had ensured her wife went in before lowering the umbrella.

“I’ll admit it does have some appeal.” She glanced back out at the storm outside while shaking the umbrella and straightening out her own dress. “A dark, stormy night with my beloved- quite a few tales include such imagery.”

“You gotta stop borrowing Blake’s books.” As they were shown to their table, she hummed. “Although... if you managed to grab some from her private collection-”

“It worries me that you know about those.”

“Oh, so you do know what I’m talking about.”

“I lived with them for a few months; it was entirely unintentional.” They were both smiling throughout their teasing, taking their seats and glancing at the menus. “I didn’t read... more than a few pages.”

“Pages?”

“Fine, chapters.”

“Oh, now we’re getting juicy.” Yang leaned across the table with a smirk. “Anything you wanna try?”

Winter raised a brow. While the woman could be a bit over-the-top from time to time, there seemed to be something a bit... off tonight. “Is this really the conversation you want to have over dinner?” And then she matched her wife’s expression, effectively calling her bluff. “It’s not like I can make good on any suggestions at present.”

“And here I was hoping you’d be a bit of an exhibitionist.” A smile and a shrug. “I... guess it’s just a nicer way to look at the topic.”

Her brows drew together. “Sex? You’ve never had a problem talking about it before.”

“What? No. Not that.” Yang paused to glance out the window as lightning streaked across the sky. “I mean... is there anything you want to do before... ya know?” Her smile faltered. “I don’t... really... wanna call it a ‘bucket list’ but... I guess that’s what I’m talking about.” A helpless shrug. “Is there anything you wanna do?”

“Huh.” She sat back in her chair, mulling over the thought. “Now that you mention it, a few things come to mind.”

“Care to share?”

“Well... I did want to stroll through Forever Fall at least once.” Her head tilted to the side. “I’ve always heard it’s a spectacular view.”

“It really is; I went on a field trip there during my Academy days.” The waiter came and they ordered- their usual, having frequented the establishment enough times to have that routine. “Anything else?”

Winter smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises.”

After they’d finished their dinner, the storm still raged, so Winter held the umbrella aloft as they left the restaurant. But, before they reached the bus stop, she lightly grabbed Yang’s arm and brought them to a halt.

“Are you really keen on indulging my whims?”

Her wife raised a quizzical brow. “Your whims?”

“It’s better than ‘bucket list’.”

“Heh.” She chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Alright, I’ll give you that. What’s on your mind?”

“This.” With that, she pulled the umbrella away, allowing them to be drenched by the falling rain. What sound of shock and surprise Yang might’ve made was quickly silenced when she darted in for a kiss, holding it for a few seconds before putting the umbrella back up. By that point, they were pretty well drenched. “Thank you.”

“What?” Yang laughed, running a hand through her rain slicked bangs. “What was that?”

“I’ve... read before that kissing in the rain is rather romantic.” She reached up and pushed her own bangs out of the way. “I thought it would just be ridiculous but, as it turns out, I see the appeal now.”

“You wanna explain it to me?”

“When we walked in, I had the most gorgeous woman on my arm. Now?” She offered her arm. “That’s still true.”

“I feel like a dog that jumped into a lake.”

“A very gorgeous dog in a lake.”

With a smirk, Yang reached up and pulled out a few bobby pins, allowing her hair to fall down around her shoulders while her other hand lightly pushed on Winter’s arm, the one holding the umbrella. “Well... might as well get the full effect.”

As it turned out, running with her wife through the rain also counted as something she wanted to do, even if it meant they almost missed their bus home.

Day -43 Interestingly enough, when they arrived at Forever Fall, Winter could hardly be bothered with the scenery.

“Oh, hold on, I think that’s the tree!” Yang drug her by the hand, heading off the walking trail. “I swear, it was one of these.”

“My question is why you carved your name into one in the first place.”

They’d seen the place Yang’s class stopped to gather their own jars of sap, where they’d stood to observe the wildlife- they’d basically re-walked Yang’s entire trip, and the whole time, all she could do was watch the expressions on her wife’s face. Reliving memories... something she hadn’t considered before.

“It was a spur of the moment thing!” A laugh, bright and cheery. “I had a pocket knife, there was a tree, they left me alone for five minutes- it was an impulse thing.” They ducked around a bush. “Ah! There it is!”

And, sure enough, ‘Yang Xiao Long was here’ stood out against the bark.

“Well. I suppose there’s only one thing to do.”

“Take a picture?” Yang offered, starting to pat herself down for her scroll.

Winter reached into her pocket and pulled out a little knife she managed to buy at a gift shop before they started their trip through the forest. “I have a slightly different idea.”

She’d never tried carving anything into a tree before but, about five minutes later, she’d made her own addition.

“There.” She stood back and admired her handiwork. “How’s that?”

“Winter and Yang Xiao Long-Schnee was here.” Yang laughed. “Perfect, bad grammar and all.” Wrapping an arm around her wife’s waist, they admired the memento for a moment longer. “I think I’ll come back here in a few years. Make it... like a tradition.”

“Only if the memory remains a fond one,” she said. “I doubt you’d want to bring any future lovers here.”

“I dunno. Maybe they’d make this the ‘Yang Xiao Long and spouses’ orchard.” She waved a hand around. “Can you imagine? All these trees with different names? It’d be like something out of a myth. Like, I dunno, Maidens or something.”

Despite the joke, she could see the slight downturn in her wife’s mood and gently chuckled. “Is there anything else you’d like to revisit?”

Yang leaned her head against her shoulder and sighed. “... I don’t want you to become just a memory.”

“If it was in my power, I wouldn’t leave you.” She pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Sundrop.”

“Don’t apologize. We both knew what would happen going into this and I don’t regret a second of it.”

She held the woman a little tighter amid the red leaves falling down around them and tried to steer the conversation towards happier topics, suggesting they go visit Patch, where Yang was born and raised. She’d never so much as heard of the place before meeting her wife but, now, she wanted to know more about it, purely to listen to Yang gush about all her childhood memories.

Day -31 Winter steeled her nerves, glancing out of the airship at the scenery below. Frankly, she hadn’t really entertained the idea of sky diving before, and she didn’t necessarily possess a fear of heights... she just wasn’t sure she trusted her life to anyone except the woman beside her, who happened to not be one of their instructors. In the end, a bout of shortsightedness on her part.

“Hey, Snowdrift!” Yang called out over the roar of the engines. “You havin’ second thoughts?”

“A few, truth be told!” She slipped her hand into her wife’s. “But I think we’ll be fine!”

“Of course we will be!” A wide smile that reached her eyes. “This is gonna be great!”

“I’m glad one of us thinks so,” she said, though not loud enough to be heard as the airship door opened and the instructors waved them over. Yang tethered to one while Winter had another- a policy she couldn’t decide if she liked or loathed. On the one hand, it did provide a safer alternative... but on the other, it meant they wouldn’t be jumping together.

“You wanna go first?” Yang looked at her then while settling goggles over her eyes.

“Yes.” She nodded to her instructor, proceeding to the door and keeping in mind the tips they’d given her prior to boarding the airship.

And then, they were free, falling through the sky and turning, because the view below didn’t matter to her nearly as much as watching her wife follow suit, mouth open in a loud, victorious cry. In the minutes they were tumbling through the air, Yang managed to catch up to her, laughing and smiling, thoroughly enjoying herself while Winter watched, amazed.

When they finally found themselves with firm earth beneath their feet, they unbuckled not only from the parachutes but from the instructors as well.

“Wow, that was awesome!” Yang laughed, taking off the goggles and running a hand through her hair. “How long have you been wanting to do this?”

“A couple weeks, I suppose?”

“Weeks?”

Winter shrugged. “Honestly, I only wanted to do it because I thought you’d enjoy it.” Then she smiled. “And it seems I was right.”

“C’mere, you.” Her wife reached up and pulled her into a kiss, chuckling when they pulled away. “You’re something else, ya know that?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied, tucking a few blonde bangs behind her ear.

“Would you two like a picture?” One of the instructors offered, pantomiming holding a scroll.

“Absolutely!” Yang fished out hers and handed it over.

They posed together, Winter’s arm around her shoulders, her wife’s arm around her waist, smiling bright with Yang’s windswept hair catching the sunlight.

The only downside to the picture she could see, after they’d returned the equipment and had a moment to really admire it, had to be that it didn’t really capture the look of unbridled joy on Yang’s face when she jumped.

But, Winter surmised, the moment it captured instead would probably mean more to her wife in the long run. They truly looked happy.

“You think I could become a sky diving instructor?” Yang toyed with her helmet for a moment before putting it on, already astride her motorcycle. “Or at least certified to jump by myself? I’d need, like, four more, right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t sell the shop, but I could see you doing it, if you so chose.” Slipping on her helmet, she settled behind the woman and pressed a kiss just beneath her ear. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“Oh, right, about that.” Looking over her shoulder, lilac eyes gleamed with a hint of concern. “You do realize the whole ‘whims’ thing is supposed to be about you, right?”

“Sundrop, the only unfulfilled dream I had left was finding someone I could spoil to my heart’s content, and now I have you.” She wrapped her arms around Yang’s waist and squeezed her tight. “All I want is to see you happy.”

An arm laid over hers. “Snowdrift... what am I going to do without you?”

“You’ll mourn. You’ll heal. And, then, you’ll be stronger than before, even with the scars on your heart.” She sighed. “I only hope I can give you enough happiness now to make the coming heartache worth it.”

“You already did that.” Yang turned, pressing a kiss to the side of her helmet and blinking away the unshed tears. “Let’s get back home.”

Day -23 Winter laid on the couch, listening to Yang humming in the kitchen with her eyes closed. She could almost name the song but the title eluded her.

“Dinner’s almost ready!”

“Sounds great,” she said, trying to put as much strength into her voice as she could.

“What’s the matter, Snowdrift? Headache?”

She tried not to wince. “A little one. It should pass.”

Truthfully, she merely didn’t want to admit that her strength was waning. She’d gone downtown that morning looking for a few birthday presents because she’d miss Yang’s by a few months, so she thought having a present already wrapped for her to open on the day would be a nice gesture, and maybe she could get a few more, and maybe some toys and such for her niece, and it just turned into a ridiculous shopping spree.

But it drained her more than she wanted to admit.

“Oh, well, I’ll get you some aspirin and- what the-” Yang came around the couch, kneeling down and frowning. “Winter? This... isn’t just a ‘little headache’, is it?”

“Do I really look that bad?” She tried to sound appropriately miffed at her wife’s reaction but couldn’t quite summon the proper tone for it.

“You look like you ran sixteen miles with one leg tied behind your back.” Strong arms scooped underneath her as she was pulled into Yang’s chest.

Part of her wanted to object- she wasn’t entirely invalid- but the rest of her was too filled with gratitude to care. “Thank you. I... perhaps overdid it today. I’ll keep my limits in mind, next time.”

“I’m not sure if I believe that.”

“I just need to eat. Recover my strength.”

“Okay.” The subdued response spoke volumes. They both knew it to be a lie- perhaps she’d be better, for a time, but her time was running out- yet they accepted it anyway.

It seemed... easier, if nothing else.

Day -14 Winter sat down on the couch, setting the bag of popcorn she’d prepared down on the table and queuing up the movie. One of Yang’s favorites; she must’ve seen it at least a hundred times in the past six months, but one more time wouldn’t hurt. It seemed like a nice way to cap off the night.

However, her wife had disappeared to the bathroom and yet to return.

“Sundrop?” She called out, trying to hide how breathless the simple act of going to the kitchen had caused her to become. “Everything alright?”

“I have no idea!”

... not the response she was expecting but she supposed it beat a flat out ‘no’.

“Do you need help?” The bathroom door opened and Yang appeared, heading towards the couch and plopping down, setting a little box down in front of her and pressing back, as if putting as much distance between her and it as she could. A quick glance rather effectively explained her wife’s reaction but she gently prodded anyway. “Are the results not to your liking?”

“I haven’t checked it yet.” Yang admitted, glancing away from the box containing the pregnancy test- which had already been opened and, presumably, used. “I mean, I know I’m late. I just... don’t know why, because it could be stress but it might not be and I just- I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s just stress.”

“So, you’re not having second thoughts?” Winter scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around her wife’s shoulders, trying to comfort her. “You’re worried about a negative result more than a positive one?”

“Of course I am!” For a moment, she hid her face in her hands, trying to hide the slight crack in her voice. “It’s... it’s too late to try again. This is- make or break. And... I just don’t-” She leaned into Winter’s side, closing her eyes tight and gritting her teeth. “I’m already losing you. I don’t want to lose a dream, too... and that’s not even thinking about everything that might go wrong-”

“Hush, don’t stress yourself out over ill fated possibilities.” Carefully, she reached forward and grabbed the box, tilting it so she could see the pregnancy test hastily jammed back inside. With only a moment’s hesitation, she drew it out and looked at the indicator. “I can tell you're sure about this decision.”

A brief chuckle. “What was your first clue?”

“You’re positive.”

“Yeah, I’m positive, I- wait.” Brows furrowed, Yang drew back enough to look at her. “When you say ‘you’re positive’ you mean...”

“That you are positive.” She turned the test to display the little plus sign. “You’re pregnant, Sundrop.”

“It- it worked?” Winter had considered, more than once, that her wife might indeed be very attached to the idea of having a child. Frankly, she thought Yang would make a wonderful mother. But the look that came over her then, wonder and happiness and so much hope- she suddenly felt a bit ashamed about her initial refusal. How could she deny the woman this? “It worked!”

“It did. We beat the odds.” She couldn’t help but leave the test with the box so she could put a hand on her wife’s lower belly. “There’s a little one in your future.”

A hand covered hers. “A piece of you and a piece of me.” Yang sniffled. “Guess I couldn’t ask for more.”

Tears came to her eyes as she drew her wife into a kiss. “Make sure they know how happy I am. Please. Please.”

“They’ll know.” A solemn promise, despite the smile, because for as happy as the news made them, it also brought with it a painful dose of reality. “They’ll know.”

The movie and popcorn were left, forgotten, as they celebrated the news- though ‘celebrate’ might... not entirely encompass the enormity of the emotions rolling through them. Because for all the joy, there also lingered a crushing dark cloud.

Winter put on a brave face, though, and waited until they’d gone to bed, after Yang had fallen asleep, to weep for the child she would never know.

Day -7 Standing for too long had started to make her lightheaded and she found herself suffering from lethargy more often than not but Winter summoned her strength for a few more visits.

However, she hadn’t accounted for the emotional toll they took, even as she tried her hardest to keep herself in check. “Weiss-”

“I’m sorry.” She quickly retrieved a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, sniffling slightly. “It’s just- there’s a difference between knowing something’s coming and actually confronting it and I- perhaps I didn’t truly give that enough credit before, enough consideration.”

“That’s alright,” she replied, because she could very well picture what her sister saw. Gone was the soldier who marched through countless missions with grim determination; she’d gotten softer in the past six months, yes, but she’d also grown weaker in the past few weeks, and it showed. Soon, her eyes would be dull as the last of her aura petered out. “How’s Blake? I’m surprised you didn’t accompany her to Menagerie.”

“I offered but she assured me this particular tradition is best attended alone.” A sigh and a nervous shifting of some papers left on the table. “I don’t like it, mind, but I know it’s important to her. She’ll be back tomorrow, though. She wants to be here when...”

“When I die...” A hum. “That’s thoughtful of her. I’m sure you’ll need the support.”

A few beats of silence. “There was a point in time when I would’ve assured you I’d be alright. I never wanted you to see me as weak.” She swallowed thickly. “But honestly... I’m going to miss my big sister.”

Winter sat forward, reaching across the table to put a hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “There was a point in time when I would’ve been quite scathing and told you to grow up. But, truthfully, I think I’ve been looking up to you for longer than you’ve been looking up to me.” A gentle smile. “You’re so strong, Weiss. But strength doesn’t mean never faltering, never failing. It means getting back up after you’ve been knocked down and courage is taking chances even when you run the chance of getting hurt. You possess both.” She wasn’t surprised when her sister got up out of her chair and threw her arms around her, returning the embrace. “I’m very proud of you, Weiss. You’ve grown into an exceptional person. I hope I’ve lived up to your example.”

“I wish we had more time.” She pulled back, wiping at her eyes again.

“I do, too.” In the back of her mind, she recalled all those ancient stories, cautionary tales about what a person might be willing to forsake to achieve their desires. She’d always thought them fools but, now, she could think of very few thinks she wouldn’t give up to barter for more time. “But I need to beg a favor of you.”

“Anything,” Weiss replied.

“Watch over Yang for me.” A frown tugged at her lips. “I know Ruby will be there for her, and your other friends, but all too soon, our baby will enter this world. And I won’t be there to do it myself.” It still hurt, the truth in that, but she couldn’t avoid it. “Please, look after them for me.”

“Of course.” A small smile, a fragile thing, but sincere all the same. “I know Blake will be just as concerned.” And then she voiced a doubt that had lurked since they’d broke the news. “But... are you sure Yang can handle it? Being a single parent- I know she helped raised Ruby but... it’s going to be a lot.”

“I know she won’t run away; I know she won’t abandon the child. And I believe she’ll throw her whole heart into the endeavor, and that’s more than some parents ever do.” A sigh. “But I do worry, and that’s why I ask. You know she’s just as stubborn as I am when it comes to accepting help. I’m quite certain you’ll have to bully her a little- gently, of course.”

“We’ll do our best... but I think you’re right in many ways.” Her smile turned more sure, more certain. “Yang will be an excellent mother and we will have to bully her a bit to convince her she can lean on us when things get too tough.”

“Thank you, Weiss.” Winter sighed, finding a bit of peace creeping into her soul. “And thank you, for providing me this opportunity in the first place.” At the quizzical look she received, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come, now. I never would’ve met Yang had I pursued my initial plan. Without your intervention... I honestly don’t know where I’d be, but I’m happy I’ll never know.”

“Well, you’ve very welcome.”

After that, Weiss regaled her with the exploits of some of her more amusing cases- ones where the side she opted to not represent had entirely laughable reasonings for their disputes or just bizarre ones- and Winter listened intently, glad her sister had found work she could be so passionate about.

Day -6 Winter reached out and hit the button to record, certain this would be the last video she made.

“I do apologize for my appearance. I haven’t much time left but it occurs to me that there’s a subject matter that I am a relative expert on, though I hope none of you need this wisdom for that exact reason. Everyone in your life will either have decades or maybe even a century left, but I’ll be long gone. Having a short countdown... it’s a shock nothing on Remnant can prepare you for, so I offer you this: something that will remain true if you have twenty years or two hundred.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Your life has meaning. No matter it’s length or brevity, what you choose to do with your life is powerful, and it’s a power only you can wield. For far too long, I closed myself off from others, to make my passing easier. I thought it the nobler choice. But now, I realize that every life you touch- every person you meet, you have a chance to affect them in some way. For good or for ill. So I implore you to experience this world to the fullest, to chase your dreams, even if you know that you can never achieve them. You have no idea the impact it can have on those around you- it could inspire them, it could bring them together, it could make your bonds even stronger. The loss of any life is a painful thing, yes, and the more people you know and befriend, the more people whom you love and who love you, the more people will be saddened by your passing. But from that sadness can come strength and happiness, inspiration and courage, because the memories you leave behind are not entirely lost.” She paused, chuckling softly. “I believe I’m rambling. I just- I want you to understand that it does not matter how much time you have to live. All that matters is that you live. Your name will be etched into the hearts of those you meet and you can do so much in just a handful of minutes. You could brighten someone’s day, you could make their week, you could inspire them to feats of their own greatness. Just live, and try not to focus on the clock. No matter how hard you watch it, it will never be in your favor, and it’ll just try to trick you into thinking it’s worthless to try. But, try anyway. Every ounce of happiness gained is worth it, even when it comes with heartbreak as well.” A smile, as wide as she could muster. “I love you, little ones. So go, live, and be happy.”

She stopped the recording and allowed herself a few tears, because she couldn’t imagine what it would look like when they finally watched it. Her countenance reflected her exhaustion, dark circles under her eyes and her skin looked paler than usual, but the extended time spent resting gave her mind plenty of time to wander.

When Yang came in, drawn to the sound of her sniffling, another thought occurred to her. “Sundrop? If it’s not too much to ask...”

“Go for it.” Her declining state had worn on her wife as well, making her look frazzled and haggard. Worry had started etching lines around her eyes, which always looked on the verge of tears.

“Show these videos to your children, too.” Even though the thought hurt a bit, she couldn’t help but smile. “Provided you find someone, of course. I think you’d be rather fond of a big family, wouldn’t you?”

“You want me to show these to kids that aren’t yours?” Confusion showed plain in her tone. “Why?”

“Because they’ll be yours.” A chuckle, broken up by a cough. She couldn’t seem to get enough air these days. “I’d love them just as dearly, because they’d be a part of you.”

Yang swallowed down a sob and nodded, pulling her into a gentle hug. “Yeah... okay, Snowdrift. I will.”

“Good.” In her mind’s eye, she imagined that far future- her own child with half siblings, Yang and some shadowy figure laughing and chasing after them, and it made her smile. “Live, my love, and be happy. Even when I’m gone.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will.”

Day -1 She’d read, several times, about what to expect when one died of natural causes like this. How she’d have a surprising surge of energy, the last roar of her aura before it extinguished for good, and she’d spent the past two weeks planning what to do with that energy. Unfortunately, the surge wouldn’t last for long- twelve hours at best, by most accounts she’d read- but she could still do a few things with that time.

And Winter planned to start the moment she woke up, rolling over to kiss her wife awake, much to the woman’s surprise.

“Wha- Snowdrift?” Yang scrubbed at her eyes and trying to blink the world into focus. “What’s going-”

“Hush, Sundrop,” she said, leaving a litany of kisses wherever she could reach. “You’ll catch on soon enough.”

“I don’t- hah- okay, I do- hmmm- yeah, I see where you’re- ah!- going with this but... oh, but... you’re making this really hard, Snowdrift.”

“I think that’s part of the goal.”

Yang laughed, though it morphed into a moan as Winter continued her carefully planned assault. “Oh, don’t- aren’t there, hmmm, better uses of time?”

“Don’t worry about the clock. And, by my estimations, this is the best use of my time,” she replied before doubling down on her chosen path and effectively derailing her wife’s attempts to dissuade her.

Eventually, they made it out of bed- Yang sporting a few new marks, love bites and scratches that drew a pleased little hiss from her lips when she stretched- and went to their favorite little cafe, walking through a park afterwards. Lunch, Winter cooked, and spent every moment in between doting on her beloved as much as she could.

“Hey, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” She groused goodnaturedly from the couch, remaining seated per Winter’s instructions, laid back and relaxing while one of her shows played on the screen. “Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to be getting pampered?”

“I spent my childhood being waited on hand-and-foot; I’ll not go out that way,” she replied, carrying two plates into the living room and setting them down, stooping down for a kiss before heading back to fetch silverware. “Besides, nothing makes me happier than seeing you smile. Why endeavor to do anything else?”

Yang laughed, shaking her head fondly.

They watched the sun set from astride Yang’s bike, at an outlook that gave them a stellar view of the city. She’d hoped to watch it from beside the guard rail... but her strength had started to wane. Besides, with her arms wrapped around her wife, she had the best view already. Why move?

However, it did make it rather noticeable when Yang began trying to hold back her sobs. “Sundrop?”

“This is it. Our last sunset.” She shut her eyes tight, trying to hold back the tears. “I wish I could make it stop.”

“Oh, Yang.” She squeezed a bit tighter, and hated that it wasn’t nearly enough. “I know it hurts right now. One day, it won’t.”

“I don’t want to forget you.” A choked sob as she curled in on herself, and Winter pressed firmly against her back.

“You won’t. I’ll live forever in your heart,” she said, trying not to betray how tired she felt. “With time, the pain will fade, but my love won’t. You’ll see.” Shifting her arm, she brushed a hand against her wife’s belly. “Every time you look at them, you’ll remember how much I love you. How, if it was in my power, I wouldn’t leave you. And you’ll remember that all I want, all I can ask for, is that you find a way to be happy again. And you will. I’m sure of it.”

For a long moment, Yang didn’t speak, doing everything in her power to hold herself together. And when she did finally break her silence, it was to sing.

“Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go.” The words came out thick, tainted by tears and grief. “You have made my life complete, and I love you so.”

Without missing a beat, Winter picked up the next verse, though her voice didn’t carry the way it once did. “Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darling I love you, and I always will.”

Neither had the strength to sing the next verse. They left it unfinished, the roar of the motorcycle filling the silence on the ride home.

Day 0 Winter thought she understood the meaning of the word ‘exhausted’, had pushed herself to the brink multiple times through her military career. But never had she felt like this, as if opening her eyes would be too great a challenge to overcome.

She tried moving or vocalizing but both were weak attempts and she opted to stop, conserve her strength, and wait for the sun to rise and filter in through the windows.

Eventually, she became aware of the shifting in Yang’s breathing, the beginnings of a gentle rise to consciousness before she snapped awake and gasped.

“Snow-Snowdrift?”

“I’m... still here...” With a supreme force of will, she forced her eyes open, enough to see as her wife coaxed her onto her back.

She could imagine what the woman saw. By now, the shine to her eyes had completely dulled. Just focusing seemed too difficult. Her breathing, ragged and uneven, sounded hoarse.

It wouldn’t be long.

“Should I... call Weiss?” Yang ventured, tentatively, obviously terrified of the implications.

As much as she wanted to reassure her wife... Winter had to face the truth. “Yes.”

“Okay.” She could feel the press of lips against her forehead, wished she could return the affectionate gesture.

But all she could manage was a soft voice. “Sundrop... Yang... I love... you.”

“I love you, too, Snowdrift.” The gentle break in her wife’s voice nearly broke her heart. “I’ll be right here.”

Her eyes closed, unable to fight the impulse any further, but she listened- to the urgency in Yang’s voice, to the soft platitudes she offered, to the doorbell as Weiss and Blake arrived, Ruby not far behind. To the hushed agreement to take her to the Comfort Care facility.

“I’m right here,” Yang said, even as she pulled back the covers and scooped Winter into her arms. “I’m right here with you.”

Her perception of the world around her ebbed and flowed, allowing her to be aware of mere snatches amidst the tapestry. Riding in the backseat of a car with Yang curled around her, being laid down in an unfamiliar bed, the hushed tones of voices she didn’t recognize, the prick of needles and cold press of some manner of scope- and, all too suddenly, Winter became keenly aware of the two sounds whose cessation would herald her departure from the world: the beeping of her heart monitor and the low drone of her aura reader. Somewhere between the flatline and the drone petering out into nothingness, her brain would cease all function, and she would be gone.

“Sssssssunndro-” She grimaced at the dryness in her throat, which seemed quickly remedied by a straw being held up to her lips.

“I’m right here.”

Winter forced her eyes open and looked at her wife, lips twitching into a small smile. “Love... you...”

“Snowdrift... Winter.” She felt a hand take hold of hers- strong, warm, gentle- and another enclose it. And, in the smallest voice she’d ever heard, three little words. “Please don’t go.”

And, she tried. She tried to hold on, but she could feel herself growing weaker. “Sssorry...”

“No no, I know, it’s unfair, and I chose you- I chose you to leave me behind but now I don’t want to lose you.” She could hear the tears but she couldn’t open her eyes to see them. “I love you so much, please, stay with me.”

I’m trying.

“I know I told you I could do this but I’m so scared.” It tore at her heart, the pleading her wife’s voice. “I know it’s not fair, but I just can’t- I can’t lose you.”

You won’t. I’ll always be in your heart.

“Ma’am, she doesn’t have long left-”

“Winter...” She could feel Yang lean over her, until their foreheads touched, and tears dripped onto her cheeks to join her own. “You’re... my soulmate... I love you so much... please...”

She summoned all her remaining strength and forced her eyes open, seeing lilac shining with tears as a warmth bloomed in her chest. “You’re... mine... too... Yang... I... l-love...”

“Winter? No, please, stay with me-”

But she couldn’t. She’d fought as hard as she could, tried to beat back the clock for just a little more time, but it was a futile effort.

In that moment, Winter Xiao Long-Schnee... died.

Day +2,043 Yang wiped the sweat from her brow, sitting back on her heels and looking around the garden. After Ruby went off to school and she moved to Vale, their childhood home had sat neglected in the little clearing, their father’s garden left to be overrun with weeds. Clearing it and replanting everything took the better part of a year but it... soothed her. On the days when the shop back in Vale didn’t bombard her with calls and she could focus on the things most important to her, especially.

“Momma! Momma!” A smile curled her lips as she looked up to find her favorite little helper running around the corner of the house, a little seed packet in her hands. “This one! This one!”

“Oh? And which one is that?” She held out her hand, taking a moment to just... take in how absolutely ecstatic her daughter was regarding her choice. Brilliant blue eyes that sparkled like the ocean surrounding the island, white hair that fluffed up like a cloud, and a mile wide smile- Zephyr Xiao Long-Schnee was going to grow up to be a heart breaker, just like her mom.

“The picture looks really pretty,” Zephyr said, handing over the packet and beaming with pride at her selection.

Yang glanced at it and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you know what kind of flower this is?”

“No.”

“They’re called snowdrops.” She wrapped an arm around her five year old daughter, hoisting her onto her hip as she stood up. “Unfortunately, we can’t plant them just yet.”

“Aw.” Zephyr pouted. “Why?”

“‘Cause it’s not the right season!” Yang laughed, heading into the house and setting her down once inside. “But, as soon as the season comes around, we’ll plant them. Okay, my little Snowdrop?”

“Can it hurry up and get here?” Her daughter crossed her arms over her chest. “I wanna plant ‘em!”

For a moment, she remained silent. Then, she knelt down so she could be on eye level with Zephyr- a gesture the little girl understood to mean that she was about to say something very serious and she wanted to be sure Zephyr could understand her. “Sweetheart... I know it’s hard to wait for things to come but... trust me. There’ll be a time when you just want time to stop. It’s okay to take things slow and wait for now. Okay?”

“Yes, Momma.”

The discouraged tone in her daughter’s voice made her expression soften. “Come here, Zeph.” She pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You remind me of myself when I was young. A regular chip of the ol’ block.”

“Does that mean I get to be big and strong like you?” Instantly, the little girl perked up, curling her arms to try and show off her nonexistent biceps.

“Maybe!” Yang mirrored the posture, though she had far more muscle to show off. “But, the only way you’ll be big and strong like me is if you finish all your vegetables!” Her arms dropped and she lightly tapped the tip of her daughter’s nose, causing those blue eyes to go cross before she giggled. “Which reminds me; it’s lunch time.”

Zephyr cheered, following her into the kitchen and offering to help, however she could. However, before they could get properly started, they both heard a car door slam, which got the little one excited all over again.

“Mom’s home!”

“Yeah she is.” Yang bent down and scooped her daughter up. “Let’s go meet her.”

By the time she’d gotten to the front door and opened it, her wife had started up the little path from the driveway to the house.

“There’s two of my favorite girls.” Winter smiled wide, shifting the infant nestled in the crook of one arm so she could kneel down as Yang allowed Zephyr to regain her feet.

“Mom! You’re back!” Without hesitation, their daughter ran down the path and barreled into Winter’s shoulder, allowing herself to be scooped up. “And Zise’s back, too!”

“Yes, yes, we’re both back.” The woman chuckled, pausing long enough for Zephyr to shift and pat at Zise’s little hand, not wanting to risk either child squirming while she walked.

Yang merely watched with a smile on her lips, leaning against the door frame. She rightly couldn’t believe, even after five years, that she still had the woman by her side.

In those old myths and stories, going back as far as the tales of Maidens and such silly legends, there existed cautionary tales about giving away one’s aura. That it could be done, years given from one to another, but it could come at a terrible cost. Sometimes, it meant trading away all the years a person had left to give them to another and, others, the one who received those extra years became... someone else entirely. So, no one had tried in millennia to do it.

Until that day, when Yang held Winter in her arms and could feel the woman slipping away. Her heart had stopped for three minutes, according to official records, and Yang couldn’t bear to pry herself away, not as long as she could hear the low, barely there hum of the aura monitor. Somehow, that was all it took, because one moment she was bawling her eyes out and begging a silent room for Winter to come back... and then she did, carding her fingers through blonde strands and offering a weak smile, sweetly telling her she didn’t have to cry anymore.

In the end, it didn’t come without a price. Winter had thirty years... and she had less than that. From the moment she gave some of her aura to save Winter, Yang had twenty seven years, six months, two weeks, and three days remaining.

The exact amount Winter was born with. The irony didn’t escape her.

And, sometimes, in the quiet hours when she laid in bed, she worried if she made the right choice. Sacrificing her abnormally long life span meant she wouldn’t be there for Zephyr quite as long... but then Winter would hold her tighter in her sleep or Zise would cry, and she realized that trying to weigh such things would forever be a futile effort. She couldn’t trade one for another and she didn’t regret her decision in the slightest.

After all, who would object to a few more decades with their soulmate?

“Sundrop?” She blinked, suddenly realizing that Winter had arrived in front of her, carrying their daughters, with a puzzled expression on her face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m perfect, Snowdrift,” she replied, and she meant it, meeting her wife halfway for a kiss that drug on perhaps a touch too long, if Zephyr’s light complaining was any indication. “I was about to make lunch.”

Blue eyes positively lit up. “May I help?”

“Yeah, c’mon.” She nodded, all four of them heading inside, Zise tucked into her high chair while Zephyr grabbed a coloring book from the living room and used it to keep her baby sister’s attention. Meanwhile, Yang and Winter stepped into the kitchen and spoke in hushed tones. “What did the doctor say?”

“She’s the picture of health,” her wife replied, pride clear in her tone. “And the reading’s holding steady. One hundred and two.”

“That’s two for two over the century mark.” Some part of her worried that their children would be affected by her giving up so much aura, but Yang felt relief settle across her shoulders as that seemed to not be the case. It seemed they’d bear the same curse as she had and her mother before her. “I’d say we’re doing pretty good.”

“Good enough to try for three out of three?” Winter lightly bumped their shoulders together. “Perhaps in a year or two, I mean.”

She chuckled, tilting her head to the side. “Well, you might have to sweet talk me a bit. And not necessarily with words.”

Her wife seemed eager to rise to the challenge, coming up behind her and pressing a kiss beneath her ear, pausing long enough to lightly nip at her earlobe. “I look forward to our debates on the subject.”

Yang laughed, leaning back into the embrace. As much as she’d always done her best to focus on the present, she had to admit... she looked forward to it, too.

But for now, they’d take things one day at a time.

[fallintolife]

I hear you're handing out garbage... care to share?

Soul of Fire, Forged Anew: Elderburn, really good character study. the sex in this is absolutely worth waiting for

Ten Months of Drought: Bumbleby, angst, smut, and a little bit of sweet. WhiteRose sidecar

with souls made of flames: Naruto fandom, Mikoto/Kushina, so fucking good jesus christ

everything on this tumblr is RWBY trash by yours truly (watch this tag in particular if you’re about the smutty smut; over the next week or so it’s gonna blow up as I work through my queue)

and of course I can’t get away without reccing Enter The Dragon, my own little V3 continuation baby. this fic is a fucking monster already and it’s not done. heavy angst at the beginning, fades more into family feels and fluff toward the middle, and now it’s gearing back towards resolving the canon plot. updates every other day!

[keena-kapu]

Red String of Fate - Elderburn week Ficlet

Pairing: Yang/Winter (Elderburn/Snowdragon) Words: 725 AU: Soulmate AU Summary: There comes a time in everyone’s life when the string appears, but sometimes it’s just not convenient.

Small something for @texanredrose‘s Elderburn week! Today’s prompt is Holding Hands/Soulmate AU. This is gonna be something to lead into tomorrow’s Argument/Super AU. Enjoy!

“So... You gonna follow it?”

This morning, Yang had woken up to a particular surprise. When she looked down at her hand, she found a small look of ghostly string around her finger, reaching off into the distance. When she tried to touch it, there was no matter to hold. This was a special string. The Red String of Fate.

Yang giggled at her sister’s question. “God, you’re more excited about this than me. Anyone would think your string appeared not mine.”

Returning to getting dressed, she thought on that as she slid her shirt over her head. There had been many stories of those traveling the world to find their string, some even getting killed along the way by being reckless. But there were also tragic tales of those who never found their string, and lived out their life alone in sadness. Yang didn’t want to be alone forever, but the timing right now to rush off to find it was... pretty bad.

“I don’t know. I mean, I want to. I really want to just go chasing them, but school’s just started! Dad’s gonna be pissed if he finds out I ran off.”

“I guess that’s kinda true,” Ruby admitted, but was still grinning with glee. “But this is so cool, though! I mean, you don’t know if it will be across the world, it could even be right here in the city. We could at least have a quick look?”

“Ruby...”

In truth, there was more stopping Yang than simple convenience. The string may not be able to be touched, but it could easily be torn if one partner rejected the other. While the possibility of having a soul mate was exciting, reality hit Yang every day when she looked in the mirror.

She’d lost her arm years ago in another reckless incident. A motorbike crash, caused when she took a risk to show off in front of some friends. She was unable to afford a prosthetic while in college, so had to bare it during her studies. But it made making friends difficult.

If her soul mate was the same, this would be hard indeed.

“Alright. One quick look before we head in, but if they’re across the world then drop it ok?”

“Woo! We’ll have you set up in no time!” Ruby was all too eager to start. She could see at times the appearance of her arm did get her down, especially at night when she was left to her thoughts. If she could help her sister find someone who loved her unconditionally, she’d do just that.

Across the world, Winter Schnee was preparing herself for a long flight. She’d agreed not only to escort her sister to her new college, but to take up a small job there under her general’s command. It helped her see her sister off and also explore a new city; it was a win-win, right?

“Hurry up, we’re going to be late!” Weiss was eager to get going. She and Winter were in a similar boat, getting as far away from their father as possible. Another benefit of the huge journey.

“Alright, just let me finish packing up.”

As Winter called out to her sister, she’d just started to zip up her case. That was mostly everything sorted, just her hand luggage to prepare to go. But when she looked down to her hand, something was on her mind.

The red string looped around her finger.

Winter’s appeared far later than she’d expected, leading her to the conclusion she’d never form one. She’d gotten used to that fact, practically shaped her life around it. But now those plans could be sent askew.

In truth, she just didn’t have time for any kind of partner. She couldn’t devote the time to form a relationship, nor even to make more friends outside her job. Flying around the world to find some sort of fabled “perfect partner” seemed preposterous, and an immense waste of time.

“Winter, our Taxi is here!”

The calling of her younger sister pulled her out of the thoughts. These were things they could worry about after her journey. Whoever this partner could be, it wasn’t going to matter where in the world they were. She had no time to make for them.

But little did she know she’d be making time soon.

[rosesonapond]

Check out and share my ship weeks post, to help me plan mostly rare pair ship events.

https://rosesonapond.tumblr.com/post/689114267802337280/ship-week-and-day-date-and-prompt-suggestions

[cass-burger]

Elderburn :3c

Oh thank you Marion, whatever could have made you ask with this ship :3c :P

notp / not really / meh / I could / sometimes / maker, yes / [[my otp babbies]]

Who is the most affectionate?Yang is probably the most affectionate in daily life but as soon as Yang is feeling even slightly down or in need of affection, Winter will be by her side (even if she is on the other side of the world that’s her special power)

Big spoon/Little spoon?Winter is the big spoon and she will not argue that point. Which Yang does indeed try to argue on a regular basis. Yang is always insisting on big spooning Winter but Winter just will not have it. She keeps saying soppy stuff like she’s protecting Yang from the world. Yang always responds with a scoff and a flex of her arms.

Most common argument?I mean apart from the topping and carrying arguments it’s probably something stupid like who can lift more.

Favorite non-sexual activity?Tbh they seem like they would enjoy just working out and being all fit and stuff. Like fuckin buff nerds. God they should just get a life.

Who is most likely to carry the other?Oh Yang definitely carries Winter. Winter tried one time and somehow from within Winter’s arms Yang managed to not only break free, but take down Winter wrestler-style, and then proceed to pick up Winter into her own arms.

Nicknames?Yang would definitely call Winter ‘babe’. But for specific nicknames she calls her ice queen or something along the lines of that. Winter seems like the type to call Yang ‘honey’ or ‘hun’, but she has on certain occasions been known to call her 'baby’ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Who worries the most?They both probably worry about the same but Winter is probably the one who is most worrying about Yang’s recklessness and tendency to get herself into trouble.

Who tops?God Yang tries, but inevitably it is always Winter. Except on like one special occasion a year were Winter will allow Yang to top.

Who initiates kisses?Yang. Winter is too Busy being Serious and not having Time for kisses but as soon as it starts you never hear her complain.

Who wakes up first?Winter. She gotta get to that Gym before she goes to Work. Yang is a chronic sleep-iner.

Who says I love you first?Yang. She’s always the first to fall and she falls hard so it’s like a week after she realises. It’s emotional and all but Yang isn’t one to keep that stuff to herself. Winter of course knew Yang liked her for the 5 days prior to her telling her. She jumped Yang nevertheless. They start dating immediately. That first night is… interesting.