#freezerburn hug my beloved

[todds-rwby-liveblog]

excuse me while I screencap all the hugs tonight

[waheelawhisperer]

oh, character ship ask, fun!

Margaret Nearl and Yang.

:)

BOTH OF THEM WITH ME HELLO

Margaret Nearl

NOTP: Nearl x Platinum. I fucking hate it. Platinum should not be allowed on the same floor of the landship as any member of the Nearl family. Every time one of my beloved mutuals reblogs NearlPlat or BlemiPlat content I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that my mutuals are my favorite people in the world and I need to accept them, flaws and all.

BROTP: Nearl x Saria. The Healing Defenders Who Are Actually Better At Beating The Crap Out Of People Sisters. They're also self-sacrificing idiots. So much to bond over.

OTP: Nearl x Doctor. At first this was just self-indulgence, but the more I think about it, the more I think it works as an actual pairing. Nearl Alter's talk lines in particular lay such a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect and regard that I think could easily blossom into romance and it's honestly one of the few Operator x Doctor As Character Within The Narrative Rather Than Player Avatar romances I'm sold on.

Second choice pairing: Nearl x Viviana Droste

Fluffy pairing: Nearl x Doctor, Nearl x Viviana Droste, Nearl x Nightingale. I know @norondor has heard me talk at length about how cute and sweet and fluffy Doc x Nearl is in particular. Honestly, it's super easy to imagine Nearl ships being fluffy because she's just such a kind, compassionate sweetheart.

Angsty pairing: Nearl x Doctor has so much angst potential, as does Nearl x Nightingale, Nearl x Shining, and Nearl x Nightingale x Shining.

Favorite poly ship: Nearl x Shining x Nightingale (with or without Viviana),

Weirdest pairing: Nearl x Siege. A queen needs a knight.

Yang Xiao Long

Oh God this is kind of tough because my answers for pre- and post-Volume 9 are very different, so I'll give answers for both.

NOTP: Whatever the hell Adam x Yang is called. No freaking thank you.

Enabler (Ruby x Yang) is also a huge vomit moment. Incest is not wincest.

Baked Alaska (Neo x Yang) also sucks ass because Neo is an unlikable little cunt who managed to be too horrible for me to have any interest in despite her cute design and sad backstory and I don't want her anywhere near characters I have positive feelings toward.

Post-Volume 9, Bumbleby (Blake x Yang) is rapidly progressing in this direction because I am not remotely satisfied with how the writers handled it.

BROTP: Freezerburn (Yang x Weiss). Love me some Freezerbros (though I actually like them more as a romance). I adore their aesthetic and dynamic and they get some really poignant scenes together.

Sunflowyr (Yang x Ren) comes in second place because I feel like they'd be good friends if the show ever bothered to show us that outside like one hug in Volume 6. They both rely more heavily on martial arts than their fellow protagonists, though they use different styles, and I think they could have a lot of fun sparring and learning from each other. Would love to see them incorporate aspects of each other's styles.

Dragonslayer (Yang x Jaune) is a good pre-Volume 9 BROTP because Yang has always been very supportive of Jaune (despite both a rocky first impression and the FNDM's attempts to paint her as a man-hating lesbian) and they got to showcase a cute dynamic in Volume 8 in particular.

Greek Fire (Yang x Pyrrha) is my last pick here because they're both talented fighters/athletes and would probably have lots of fun working out or sparring together. Also, Pyrrha's skillset incorporates some wrestling techniques, so they'd probably be able to teach each other some cool unarmed combat tricks.

OTP: Pre-Volume 9, it was Bumbleby, but what we got out of Volume 9 was frankly embarrassing, so now it's Freezerburn. Fuck you Eddy Yang and Weiss wouldn't get divorced they'd be one of the healthiest relationships in this fucking show and frankly probably healthier than the mess y'all made of your flagship sapphic romance lmao

Second choice pairing: Pre-Volume 9, Freezerburn, and then Dragonslayer. Post-Volume 9, I don't even fuckin know anymore because Bumbleby leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I can't ship Jaune with anyone after the shitshow that was He-Jaune, Master of the DILFiverse, and I'm left picking between pairings that are decent but not overly compelling. I guess the candidates are Greek Fire, Sunflowyr, and Nuclear Winter (Yang x Winter)? Just pick whichever one pisses off the most people, I guess. Gotta break the tie somehow.

Fluffy pairing: Pre-Volume 9, Dragonslayer. Two sweet, friendly human golden retrievers. They would be so soft and loving with each other, I just know it (also Jaune would get pegged as fuck). Post-Volume 9, I feel like Greek Fire would take it but I don't really think any of the Yang pairings I like at this point would really stand above the rest in terms of fluff.

Angsty pairing: The answer to this should be Bumbleby, but this show is too afraid to actually let them address their issues beyond a cursory conversation or two so none of the delicious opportunities for conflict and pain and growth and development ever come to pass. Instead they get forced to confess by a magic fucking thunderstorm, mention surface-level aspects of each other that they like and aren't even correct about them half the time, and then kiss in a field of flowers while everyone else is busy thinking about important shit like how to get home and defeat an immortal omnicidal witch goddess. I guess I'll give it to Sunflowyr because they had actual conflict in Volume 8.

Freezerburn has potential for plenty of angst too, but it comes from external sources. They'd be helping each other through it rather than hurting each other.

Greek Fire has angst opportunities post-Fall of Beacon, I guess?

Gauntlets and Greaves (Yang x Mercury) has a lot of angst potential too, but I don't like either the ship or Mercury, so whatever.

Favorite poly ship: Pre-Volume 9? Bee's Schnees (Blake x Yang x Weiss). It has all the benefits of Bumbleby, Freezerburn, and Monochrome (Blake x Weiss), which are all excellent ships, and the additional bonus of giving Weiss two hot tops who will plow her like a tractor. As she deserves.

Post-Volume 9 I guess it's still Bee's Schnees even though neither Yang nor Blake exist as characters at this point, but this is more because a) I can't think of any other poly Yang ships I particularly care for, especially at this stage of the series, and b) I really do adore Weiss and think she deserves to be stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. As a treat.

Weirdest pairing: Nuclear Winter. I'm not sure if the two have even directly interacted in the series outside of a scene or two in Volume 8, but they're both big sisters and self-sacrificing idiots who are hella ready to fight at a moment's notice, so that's gotta count for something, right?

[ladydevoir]

For the ship ask: ladybug, freezerburn, and monochrome

Well I've already done Ladybug, so let's do the other two~

Freezerburn:

who’s the cuddler: Weiss, without a doubt. This girl needs all the hugs in the world and you can bet Yang is more than happy to give them~

who makes the bed: Weiss, Yang doesn't see the point of it since its just gonna get messy again the next morning.

who wakes up first: It depends, if they have a mission or an appointment the next day then Weiss will be the first one up to make sure they are prepared and not late. Any other day, Yang is up first for a morning jog.

who has the weird taste in music: Yang. Weiss's taste was hammered into her at a young age and is very classical. Yang doesn't so much as have a taste in music as she does a general "oh this sounds cool". As such it's all over the place.

who is more protective: Yang. Now don't misunderstand, Weiss will, without hesitation, throw you across town with her glyphs if you so much as looked at her GF the wrong way, but Yang will not hesitate to give her life to protect Weiss.

who sings in the shower: Weiss, and Yang will happily wait outside the bathroom and just listen to her singing. Weiss's voice is angelic and Yang never tires of hearing her sing.

who cries during movies: Weiss, unless the movie involves "found family" or animals, then they're both a sobbing mess by the end.

who spends the most while out shopping: Weiss. Usually buying expensive gifts for Yang. The girl is rich and her GF deserves nothing less than the very best.

who kisses more roughly: Surprisingly, Weiss. Yang is Weiss's first proper (as in not set up by her father) relationship and there are years or repressed urges that need to be let out.

who is more dominate: They switch.

my rating of the ship from 1-10: 100/10 this is a beloved ship and will always be rent-free in my heart~

Monochrome:

who’s the cuddler: Both. Both of these girls are extremely touch-starved, but are more subdued about it in public.

who makes the bed: Weiss. They came to an agreement that Blake makes breakfast (so Weiss doesn't burn down the kitchen again) and Weiss will make the bed.

who wakes up first: Weiss usually wakes up first. Years of a strict regiment have built her internal clock a set way and its hard to break. And Blake is usually up late reading.

who has the weird taste in music: Blake. Weiss tends to stick to classical while Blake adores indie artists.

who is more protective: Weiss is more protective of Blake in public (she threw a man into a trashbin just for insulting Blake), while Blake is more protective during missions.

who sings in the shower: Weiss. Very often Blake will wake up to Weiss's voice in the shower. It's much better than any alarm clock.

who cries during movies: Weiss. Blake doesn't really get very emotional during movies, unlike Weiss.

who spends the most while out shopping: Weiss. Again, girl is rich and believes her GF deserves the very best in life.

who kisses more roughly: Both. They've both got repressed urges and a simple kiss cam quickly become more passionate.

who is more dominate: Both.

my rating of the ship from 1-10: 7/10. My least favourite of the Team RWBY ships (not counting enabler which is fucking disgusting.) But still one I do enjoy. Now when you add Ilia to this.....

[archdukecaleb]

Freezerburn Week 2020 — Day 4: Arranged Marriage

Word Count: 1369

The masses cheered and celebrated loudly as they marched through the streets. The day drew nearer when the princess would marry her betrothed and continue the royal bloodline for another generation.

There were children who played games in the crowds, vendors who sold sweet treats and all sorts of food, and dancers with ribbons fluttering about. Truly, the celebration was a light-hearted one.

Yet, from her perch high atop the castle, it seemed the only person unhappy with the upcoming marriage was herself, Princess Weiss: daughter of King Jacques and Queen Willow and heiress to the throne of the Kingdom of Atlas.

She watched her people laughing and rejoicing below, but she had no idea why. Why were these people so happy to see her handed off in an arranged marriage to a prince that would only care about the crown and its power? Surely, they must realize a great change is coming to the kingdom, and there was a marginal chance it could be a deplorable one.

And what about herself? Did the princess have a say in whom she would marry? No.

The king had heard from Princess Weiss time and time again how she longed to have any sort of choice in who she married, but he would always say she must do what is best for the kingdom.

She failed to see how marrying a foreign prince helped the situation at all. All she could do was sit in her chambers turned prison under the close watch of the king until she was swept away by some stranger she never cared for.

Princess Weiss had spent every day of her life living in the palace learning how to be a proper princess. As the seasons changed, she found herself loathing this life more and more. She was a princess, yet she barely had any freedom to have what she always wanted. Whom she always wanted.

She considered herself to be a fair princess. She would walk the streets of the kingdom often, and even made good friends with some of the peasants, much to the king’s chagrin.

“A princess belongs in the castle among the elite, not rolling around in the muck with the common folk!” he would always say.

Still, Princess Weiss visited the peasants and eventually found a particular liking in a girl with messy, golden hair and lilac eyes.

Ever since they were young, Princess Weiss and that peasant girl longed to be in each other’s shoes. Surprisingly, it was what brought them together so closely. For years, they would meet and rant on about the hardships of their lives and reminisce about how the other made life bearable.

As the seasons came and went, Princess Weiss began to notice how her heart swelled every time she looked into those lilac eyes. How calm she felt when wrapped in the strong arms that worked the fields and fed the kingdom. How desperate she felt when their lips touched, and how the fiery passion she had for her burst in her chest.

The princess had fallen in love with a peasant, and she knew the king would never approve.

She realized that, even if the king had allowed her to pick a suitor, she never would have been able to. All because her heart already belonged to someone she could never truly be with. All because of the crown and the cursed blood that flowed through her veins.

Princess Weiss looked down on the joy that flooded the kingdom. And like the rushing water of the mighty river, her tears broke the dam that had been carefully constructed to hide her emotions.

Her hands curled into fists atop the railing and her pristine, creamy face was stained with tears that traced the scar over her eye. She could not bear to watch the crowds any longer. It hurt too much.

She wept as she turned on her heel and entered the main room of her chambers; locked away from anyone else in the castle. Wiping at her eyes in frustration, she found herself lying with her face buried in her arms on her bed in an attempt to quieten her sobs.

Princess Weiss was doomed to live the rest of her life in sadness and sorrow. She would always dream of the life she wanted so desperately to have, only to crush herself when the tragic reality settled in.

A tap on her window made her jump. She snapped her attention to the sound and gasped as she rushed to open it.

“Yang!?” Princess Weiss nearly shouted as her one true love climbed into her chambers, “What are you doing here? If anyone sees you, you’ll be executed!”

“I had to see you,” Yang breathed, desperately, as she embraced Weiss.

Princess Weiss nearly started crying again as she graciously welcomed the hug and allowed herself to find comfort in it.

Yang pulled away too soon and tilted Princes Weiss’ chin up with her thumb and forefinger, “Look at you… I can feel the pain in your eyes.”

The princess frowned and held onto Yang’s hand as it shifted to cup her cheek, “My pain is because of you. I long to be with you, but it can never be.”

“Oh, Weiss…” Yang groaned as she briefly rested her forehead against the princess’, “You can’t marry that prince. You just can’t! I won’t be able to live without you! Just the thought of you being with someone else makes my heart ache with pain!”

“You don’t understand,” whined the princess as she shook her head, “I don’t have a say in the matter. My father has decreed that I marry the prince. In the Kingdom of Atlas, his word is the law.”

Yang frowned and looked down at her feet. She held on, tightly, to Weiss’ hands and pulled herself closer, “Then let’s go somewhere else! Run away with me to a place he’ll never find us! You can be mine, and I can be yours until death makes it otherwise!”

The princess looked up into Yang’s eyes with disbelief. How brash and bold of this peasant to suggest she leave behind her duty as the princess of the kingdom. How tempting, too…

“I… I don’t know… What about the dangers that lurk outside the kingdom’s walls? How can we be safe on our own? Where would we go?”

“Anywhere you would like, my love,” cooed Yang as she stroked Princess Weiss’ cheek with her knuckle, “In the meantime, I have family on the island of Patch, just off the western coast of the Kingdom of Vale. We can find refuge there! I already have a friend who is willing to sail us there. All I need is for you to come with me.”

Princess Weiss looked out the balcony of her chambers. The sounds of the crowds rejoicing raged on and loomed over her like a dark cloud.

Could she really leave everything she had ever know behind? Especially now?

At the news of her absence, the kingdom would surely be outraged, and the search for her would begin almost immediately. But at last, she was presented with a chance to have the happiness she always dreamed of. The princess would taste the freedom she longed for her whole life: the freedom to choose.

Now, for once in her life, she felt like her life was in her own hands.

Princess Weiss smiled and pulled Yang down by her tattered shirt; pressing a long, loving kiss onto her lips. She couldn’t help but laugh as they parted.

“Let’s do this! Let’s run away together and be in love for the rest of our lives!” cried Princess Weiss.

And so, when darkness fell that night, the princess of the Kingdom of Atlas, clad in a dark cloak and a sack of her dearest belongings, met with her beloved at the docks. The voyage was long, but it was worth it when she was greeted by her new family with open arms.

Princess Weiss, doomed to wedlock with a prince she never cared for, changed her fate, and she found true happiness at last; all because of a peasant she met named Yang.

The End~

[thundercracer]

“Touch”

Freezerburn week day 2! Hand Holding

Also available on my AO3 Account

Weiss was very unused to physical contact. Even less used to physical forms of affection. She was actually rather lost on most forms of affection… Always had been, really.

So, when she and Yang started dating, the sudden influx of attention from her girlfriend was almost overwhelming. The two of them had very different upbringings and very different opinions on how one displays their fondness to a person. Weiss understood that, in this department, she had no idea what she was doing. No Idea what she’d been missing out on for years.

She discussed this with Yang, certainly. And, while her brawler teammate understood and respected Weiss’s boundaries, she tended to fall back into habit regularly. She didn’t know how to breach Weiss’s comfort zones and get the smaller girl to open up in any way other than hugs and clasped hands. She also never really dealt with people like Weiss before meeting the girl.

Yang was always aware of how closed off Weiss was from the rest of them. From people in general. There was no reason to let anyone in, especially if they were bound to simply hurt you once they were there. Hold little to no expectations from people and you’ll never be disappointed. That was the kind of environment Weiss was reared in. That was the kind of world she’d become so used to and why she’d treated her current friends as poorly as she had.

While Yang fiercely disagreed with and hated this part of her girlfriend’s life and upbringing, there was little she could actually do about it. Other than getting her to slowly get used to her physical touches. To show her what love was like. To cherish her and adore her.

And by the gods would Yang Xiao Long love Weiss Schnee. She would show her how wonderful she was and how kind and beloved she was. She would shoo her insecurities and self doubt just like she knew Weiss would for her. Yang would whisper her tacky poetry and love songs to her girlfriend after a rough day, knowing it would just make her smile.

She would rest her head against the smaller girl’s shoulder; something that was certainly amusing to witness. Yang would pepper Weiss’s delicate hands with kisses, knowing that she was in no way prepared for her cheeks to be assaulted with them quite yet. Though, Weiss would always cut her off once Yang started trying for her wrists… they were sensitive, apparently. Even more so, Yang almost always made a point to hold Weiss’s hand.

Just like that time in her mother’s camp, where Weiss reached out to her. To stabilize her. To keep her grounded. To keep her there, with Weiss. To let her know that she didn’t need to be quite so upset.

Whenever Yang’s unbearable anger would rear its head and she feared she would lose her temper… Weiss’s smaller, more delicate hand would appear in hers. Giving a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Letting her know she was there… and that it was okay for Yang to not use her anger as a defense mechanism anymore. That it was unnecessary.

Whenever Weiss felt small and unimportant, feeling the weight of her upbringing on her shoulders and the expectations of the entire world casting its shadow on her, Yang would be there. Interlacing their fingers, rubbing Weiss’s palm with her thumb, trailing gentle circles. Circles were slowly becoming her life line. Yang being her rock that she never knew she could be allowed to have.

While Weiss had been much more open with the group, smiling a bit more freely, she was still… reserved. She certainly wasn’t that Ice Queen they’d all originally met those first few weeks at Beacon. No longer the spoiled, snotty rich girl she’d pretended to be. Kindness and warmth that had been hidden, tucked away, were allowed to come to light. She’d initiated that hug with her upon the two of them being reunited, after all. Dropping her weapon, her knight, and her defenses, just to throw herself into Yang’s arms.

A lot could be told about each girl’s hands alone.

Yang’s hands were rough; calloused and big. She’d always had working hands, so said her father. She spent her childhood roughing it up with the neighborhood kids, throwing dirt just as often as she threw punches. But they were warm… and enveloping. They were sturdy and they felt like home.

Weiss had such a big personality, but her hands were so small. Her heart so warm but her fingers so chilled. Yang took it upon herself to clasp her girlfriend’s hands in hers and breathe on them obnoxiously in order to warm them up. Whether it worked or not was lost on her as whatever annoyance her girlfriend feigned was overcome by laughter at Yang’s antics.

Yang was aware that Weiss always situated herself to Yang’s left. While she had the prosthetic and it helped tremendously, Weiss knew that Yang couldn’t feel her if she were to hold her right “hand”. So she stayed to the left, ensuring she’d always be there when Yang needed. And Yang appreciated that. Whenever she felt her hand shaking, PTSD flaring through her senses, it was dulled by the sudden feeling of another hand stabilizing her own.

Yang didn’t know how long it would take to get Weiss used to the idea of kissing or anything like that. But that wasn’t important, really. Yang felt she could settle with hand holding forever, if that was all Weiss was willing to give her. If that was all Weiss could ever offer to give her, that would be okay.

Though, based on several conversations, Yang knew this was only the first step. Weiss needed time and needed to be shown what positive attention was. What affection felt like, after being neglected for as long as she apparently had been. But, for now, Yang was satisfied with laced fingertips and featherlight brushing of their hands against each other.

She would kiss her hands and trail shapes across the palms of Weiss’ hands and she could be content - oh would she be content - for the rest of her life.

[texanredrose]

Everyone’s A Critic

Am I doing Freezerburn Week? Probably not, because I’m not feeling well, but this prompt I couldn’t resist. Soulmate AU based on this post.

Weiss’ brow furrowed as she quickly walked towards the exit, absolutely livid beyond measure. Thankfully, her companion for the showing happened to be just as vexed as her, though they’d made a promise not to voice any grievances until after they’d exited the theater. Hence her desire to be out of it sooner rather than later.

“I can’t believe-”

“Blake,” she said, tone sharp not because of her friend’s frustrations but because of their shared annoyance. “We have a deal.”

“That was before actually watching that trainwreck.” The Faunus’ ears laid back against her skull as she grimaced. “But the books were so good, we couldn’t have expected this disgusting catastrophe.”

However, for all Weiss’ desire to keep true to her word... oh did she have some rather pointed Opinions(tm) about this particular attempt to do justice to a well beloved series.

“It’s not just that.” They pushed out of the studio and into the florescent light of the theater’s hallways, following the throng of moviegoers who faced similar disappointment. “We can get to the myriad of ways they completely missed the point of the books later, because that in itself is a long enough list, but don’t you think we should start with how abysmal that was from the standpoint of just being a movie?” Frustration colored her tone as she quickened her pace, as if she could put physical distance between herself and the mere memory of that disgrace. “They cut so much material out, the plot is completely incomprehensible to one not familiar with the books, and even then is terribly disjointed in trying to be faithful to that. The pacing is god awful, likely because the directors merely googled which passages were most popular and poured all their effort into those scenes, which would make sense if they had all the other events leading up to them to build the tension and significance! As it stands, they’re just isolated moments when the story actually takes time to show itself, but all that is buried under layers of cinematic tomfoolery for the obvious intention of nabbing some manner of award and merely hoping every other scene can support themselves, which they can’t...”

Now that she’d gotten on a roll, the words didn’t stop, flowing from her mouth as she allowed every ill thought she’d kept locked behind her teeth go forth, with Blake nodding on occasion, knowing better than to try stymieing her diatribes once they got started. Thankfully, they usually agreed when it came to books and movies, seeking similar qualities, even if the Faunus tended towards media with a romantic streak. Once Weiss finished, it would be her turn to critique the awful, forced romantic subplot- a subplot, mind, that wasn’t resolved until the third book, and had no place being emphasized this much in the first movie- but that would be Blake’s terf.

“FUCKING HELL!”

Weiss came to a sudden stop, eyes widening as a voice she’d never heard before grabbed her attention with two little words. Ever since she learned to read, she’d become intimately familiar with those two words, seeing as they were tattooed across her left forearm in big, bold, yellow font. Her soulmate mark- and she’d especially attuned her hearing for those two words specifically, and this happened to be the first time she heard them in her life, which could only mean-

“You!” She whirled around, scanning until her gaze landed on the blonde marching towards her, and...

Okay, she’d fully intended to be more than a little cross with the foul mouthed heathen who’d permanently marked her with those very words. However, Weiss was also a mere mortal and currently being approached by a veritable goddess. Tall, with the early evening breeze sending wild blonde locks flying, lilac eyes that shone like gemstones, in a beat up leather jacket that ended at the elbows, showing off remarkably sculpted forearms that certainly looked like they’d give good hugs- crass her soulmate might be, true, but she also happened to be gorgeous, making Weiss a little more inclined to give the whole ‘soulmate mark’ concept more than her annoyance and contempt.

However, aside from being taken off guard by the woman’s looks, Weiss still had to bone to pick with her supposed soulmate, grabbing at her sleeve and pulling it back to show the mark that had essentially mandated she never wear anything other than long sleeves around polite company. “Do you have any idea what it’s like walking around with a mark like this?”

“Oh, you think that’s bad? Check this out.” Without wasting another second, the woman stopped in front of Weiss and reached up, grabbing the collar of her yellow shirt and ripping it.

Right.

Down.

The.

Middle.

And that brought to light three very important things.

One, her soulmate had decent tastes in undergarments. Two, she had the sort of abs that cosmically demanded to have something grinding against them. Three...

... the very, very long wall of neat white script curling across her chest and halfway down her abdomen, the words much smaller than what Weiss had on her arm to accommodate the sheer amount of space required, because apparently her soulmate had been within earshot since she’d started her tirade regarding the movie.

Blake elbowed her side under the guise of pulling out her scroll, stepping away to give Weiss a modicum of privacy with her soulmate- not that she needed the prompt, of course, she wasn’t uncivilized, but still- and pretended to be engrossed in checking her messages.

"You are really hard to stop when you get rollin’, anyone ever tell you that?” The blonde quirked a brow, completely nonplussed standing there with the tattered remnants of her shirt and jacket providing minimum modesty.

“It’s... been mentioned before,” she replied, scrounging for something to say. “So you’ve-”

“Had a novella tattooed across my chest my whole life? Now that you mention it, yeah, I have.” She set her hands on her hips. “And I’ve gone to every book adaptation movie released in the past ten years, thinkin’ I might meet you at one, and, I gotta tell ya- I liked most of them.” A shrug. “Yeah, sure, they aren’t masterpieces, but some of ‘em were quirky, or did one thing really well, or were just entertaining for their own sake, and I kept thinkin’ I was gonna run into you at one I liked and we’d get into this whole fight and, for all they say about soulmates being destined and all that, I have literally no desire to be shackled to someone who’s just gonna tear down the things I like, nuh uh, destiny can bite me, I don’t give a shit.” And even though they hardly knew each other- didn’t at all, really- Weiss found herself holding her breath and hoping her verbal evisceration hadn’t entirely ruined her chances of at least getting to know the woman. “But, the first time I saw this one, I knew- I thought to myself ‘oh, fuck me, this is it, this is the piece of shit my soulmate’s gonna go bonkers over, I’ve found it’, and so I- like an idiot- bought tickets to, and sat through, that piece of hot garbage forty-seven times, just to make sure I didn’t miss you.” Apparently out of steam, lilac eyes darted away for a moment as she reached up to run a hand through her hair, tongue darting out to wet her lips. “So, uh... I guess what I’m getting at is... hi, my name’s Yang, that movie was awful, so do you... want to talk about how bad it sucked some more? Maybe over dinner or a milkshake or...”

Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, head tilting in incredulity. “You saw this how many times?” Then she waved a hand. “No matter; clearly, you’re dedicated, you have good enough sense to recognize terrible when it presents itself to you, and you’re strong enough to endure torture for sustained periods of time.” 

Turning, she prepared to excuse herself from the rest of the evening but found her best friend to be... nowhere in sight, and her scroll buzzing in her purse likely provided the answer to the question of where she went.

If you don’t know how her abs feel by the end of the night, I am renouncing our friendship. Have fun. <3 -B

“Cheek little-” Rolling her eyes, she dropped the device back into her bag and offered a hand. “I’m Weiss. It’s nice to finally meet the foul mouthed heathen I’ve been looking for.”

Yang’s lips quirked up into a smirk. “Yeah, kinda glad I found the critic with a set of iron lungs, too.”

Slipping her arm into the crook of the blonde’s elbow, she turned them both towards the other side of the parking lot where a restaurant sat- not nearly as high class as she’d normally choose, but the proximity and ease with which they could reach it trumped her personal scale at present. That, and a table between them would help keep her from getting distracted. “How about I start making it up to you for suffering through all those showings?”

Much to her surprise, Yang fully meant it when she invited the woman to continue trashing the movie, and had a couple of thoughtful points of her own to address. For being just about the last thing she’d expected from her soulmate, Weiss had to admit... she actually rather liked it.

[texanredrose]

"No I'm not wearing that. I will kill you if you put that anywhere near me." Freezerburn my bud! (Cuz I'm a predictable hoe ahah)

*ding* Order up. (Late… but still fresh.)

Weiss scrunched up her nose, reaching into the box to touch a knit wool sweater, the garish yellow fabric visible amid the light blue tissue paper. While she expected her girlfriend of several years to go a bit overboard with the gifts this Christmas- she’d been far too much of a bouncing ball of energy in the preceding weeks for subtlety- she hadn’t expected it to this degree. A few material things- a new office chair for the home study, a heating blanket for when the woman was gone on missions, the latest scroll update chip- and the customary handmade gifts, like a new coffee cup with ‘World’s Coolest Ray of Sunshine’ printed in Yang’s distinct handwriting and a set of bracelet gauntlets in the same vein as Ember Celica, except cast in white and fitted to her slender wrists.

But here, she had to draw the line.

“Yang. What in Remnant is this disaster?” She didn’t even pull it fully out of the box; she absolutely detested wool sweaters, the sort of picture perfection they seemed to reflect. Matching family sweaters for a matching family- she’d grown up in that sort of dishonest illusion and the agony it brought. She’d never told Yang the full story, of course, never wanted to dive too deep in the eternal disappointment that was her upbringing, but she’d thought her tastes tending towards silk and satin would discourage anything in the realm of wool.

“It’s a sweater!” The blonde cheerily replied, a huge present sitting in her lap and her crossed arms resting atop it, light blue sleeves of her own sweater visible with the same garish yellow breaking up the solid color with little designs. “I made us matching ones. Try it on, Snowfall.”

“Absolutely not,” she replied, removing the box from her lap and setting it aside. “I’m not wearing that and I will kill you if you put it anywhere near me.”

Yang frowned, shoulders slumping. “But-”

“Look, I appreciate the sentiment, truly I do, but I can’t stand wool sweaters.” She got to her feet, wading through the sea of ripped wrapping paper so she could lean over and press a kiss to her girlfriend’s forehead. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart, but there’s no way you’re getting me into that thing, but yours fits you rather well. The colors are… certainly eye catching.”

“Well, yeah, I…” she paused, then shook her head. “So, there’s nothing I can do to get you to wear it to the party tonight?”

“You’d need a deal with the Devil, Maidens, and every deity from here to Mistral before I’d even consider it.” Weiss slipped a hand beneath the blonde’s chin and directed her into a kiss. “I’m sure you worked hard on it and I am impressed. I absolutely adore the time and care you put into these sorts of things.” She sighed. “But I can’t and won’t be wearing it.”

Yang looked absolutely crestfallen, with her shoulders slumped, and it pained her to be the cause, but certain lines wouldn’t be crossed. “Oh, okay. Well. I mean. I’m-”

“Don’t apologize,” she said, rubbing her thumbs along her girlfriend’s cheeks. “It’s a heartfelt gift, time consuming and thoughtful, but I absolutely refuse to touch wool again. It’s something to be mindful in the future, my little Sunspot, and I truly love that you did this for me.”

Her lips quirked up into a small grin, seemingly soothed for the moment. “Yeah, well… I’m gonna go check on the bird. It, uh, should be ready for basting, and I don’t wanna dry it out.”

“You’ve still a present to open though.” She gestured to the one in Yang’s lap.

“Oh, uh, I’ll get it when I get back.” The blonde stood, still holding the present in her arms and turning around to put it in her seat before heading towards the kitchen. “It’ll just take a few minutes.”

“Very well.” Weiss put her hands on her hips. “And while you’re gone, take your sweater off. I’d like to give you a hug when you get back.”

For a moment, Yang went stock still, turning back towards her with a question on her lips, but it went unvoiced. Instead, she merely nodded with a weak smile and slipped out.

But Weiss had caught a glimpse of something on the front of the sweater- letters in that garish yellow spelling out words- and her brows furrowed. She could’ve sworn she’d seen “I finally asked” written on the front of the sweater, which she hadn’t had a proper look at now that she thought of it; her girlfriend had slipped it on after they’d sat down to open presents and Yang had kept the big present- the latest gaming system bundle, something she’d expressed a significant amount of interest in- in her lap the whole while.

With a furrow to her brows, her gaze fell on the yellow sweater still inside the box and, though loathe as she was to touch the blasted fabric, found her curiosity winning out. Using the tissue paper as a buffer, she pulled the sweater out to find blue letters along the front of it.

“I said yes?”

And then she saw the little pouch just beneath the words, bulging a bit with something contained within it.

Weiss blinked, shoulders falling a little as the pieces fell together. Forgetting the paper for the moment, she dug into the pouch and pulled out a little velvet box, prying it open to find a gorgeous engagement ring inside.

The air fled from her lungs as tears came to her eyes, other hand dropping the sweater and going to cover her mouth.

“There, it should be finished cooking… by the… time… oh.” She looked up, gaze landing on Yang as she entered the room, bereft of the sweater and with a blush rising in her cheeks. “I… uh. Wow, this didn’t go like I planned. At all.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to make a liar of you,” she said, voice watery as she offered a smile. “You can’t say you ‘finally’ asked if you haven’t yet.”

“… alright.” Smiling, the blonde came around to kneel down in front of her, using both of her hands to cup Weiss’ holding the ring box. “Weiss Schnee, these last few years have been the best of my life. For all the hardships we’ve faced, you’ve been by my side for every step of the way, and I absolutely love you with every little part of me. Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she replied, launching herself forward and bowling Yang over in the process, pressing their lips together in a kiss that quickly became heated. “Yes, yes, yes.”

“Okay, I get it.” The blonde chuckled, looking up at her with all the adoration in the world. “And here I thought I was gonna have to come up with something else.”

“Oh, perish the thought.” Weiss smiled, glancing down at the ring box. “It’s a beautiful ring. Did you pick it out yourself?”

“I had a little help.” Yang took it from her hand. “Lemme just slip it- wait, what happened to your hand?”

She glanced down, noting the red rash appearing on her pale skin, a prelude to the horrible itching that would surely follow. “I’m allergic to wool. Have I really never mentioned that before?”

Horror passed over the blonde’s face. “No! No you didn’t! Weiss, I wouldn’t have made you a wool sweater if I knew you were allergic!”

“People forget things sometimes, Love; I just assumed I’d mentioned it at some point and you’d forgotten.”

“Well, you didn’t!” Yang slapped a hand to her face and groaned. “Damnit. No wonder you don’t want to wear the damn thing. I thought you somehow knew I was proposing!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Reaching over for the sweater, she quickly slipped her arms through it. “Really, Yang, as sweet as this is, a little warning might’ve been nice. I wouldn’t have dismissed anything outright if I’d suspected you’d be proposing on Christmas morning.”

“C’mon, it was supposed to be a surprise- wait, what are you doing, Weiss stop that.”

Too late; she’d already slipped it over her head, the sweat fitting rather snugly around her torso. “You wanted me to wear it to the party. I’m still a little critical of the color choices, I’ll admit, but it certainly will ensure everyone is aware that we’re now happily engaged.”

“You’re allergic to wool, you can’t wear that!”

“I can and I will.” Despite her rising discomfort, she leaned down for another kiss. “I’m truly sorry I never told you before. I… suppose it just never came up? My father used to force us to wear matching wool sweaters for Christmas parties at the company; it was absolute hell for me every year and it took weeks for the rashes to go away.”

Sighing, Yang laid her head back with a thud against the floorboards before looking at her. “Okay, here’s the new plan. Take off the sweater, I’m going to slather you in calimine lotion, and we’ll find a turtleneck for you to wear under the sweater for the party.”

“I’m only taking the sweater off if I can wear the ring.”

“Both of your hands are swelling.” The blonde reached up, taking off a plain gold chain she’d taken to wearing- a birthday present from Blake a few months back. Slipping the ring onto the chain, she reached up and put it around Weiss’ neck. “There. Does that meet the standards of our agreement?”

“Yes, I will accept this.” Weiss quickly pulled the sweater off, resisting the urge to begin scratching at the rising redness on her pale skin. “I’m lucky, you know.”

“How do you figure?”

She smiled, leaning down for another kiss. “I have a very thoughtful and sweet fiance. Tell me; what better Christmas present could I ever possibly receive?”

The twinkle she saw in lilac eyes at that… she didn’t know when or even how, but she realized all too late that she’d just set a goal for her beloved, and Yang Xiao Long, her future wife, would do everything in her power to attain it.

She rather looked forward to what the woman would come up with… as long as it didn’t involve fucking wool.