Today was a weekday, so before heading to Vale, they had to wait for classes to end. Fortunately, neither P.E. nor Combat Training were on the schedule today, so Egrer wasn't particularly tired.
However, a lack of physical exhaustion didn't mean a lack of mental exhaustion. And it wasn't even because the lessons were hard, no. It was all because of Magenta. Or more precisely - because of her childish spontaneity and her loose lips.
Seeing nothing wrong with telling her bestie about the upcoming date, she triggered a chain reaction of rumors, the final link of which got lost far, far away in the icy wastelands of Atlas. Magenta told Nora, Nora told Ruby, Ruby told Yang, Yang told some of her friends, and they told all of Beacon. So everyone knew that today the suspiciously dressed-up SDC heiress was flying somewhere into the city with a suspiciously dressed-up Faunus. Certain conclusions drew themselves, but Egrer and Weiss unanimously insisted it wasn't a date.
When asked, "Then what is it?", there was no longer a unanimous answer.
At the same time, they hadn't exchanged a single word with each other all day. Someone might have thought they'd had a fight, but in reality, both were just too nervous about the upcoming trip to the city.
In short, it was precisely because of Magenta and her blabbering that Egrer was forced to endure the attacks of Weiss's fans. The more modest ones simply followed him from afar, the bolder ones dared to ask questions, and one guy with no brakes even challenged him to a duel, considering him unworthy of her hand and heart.
Yeah, he literally said exactly that.
Egrer bailed on that psycho, reasonably figuring that it might be contagious. They read too much of their student newspaper and then throw themselves at everyone... He was already tired of these pathetic simps before, but now it crossed all boundaries. They were too scared to approach Weiss herself, but that didn't make things any easier for her.
After all, her team included Yang Xiao Long in the flesh, who also never suffered from a surplus of tact.
Fortunately, they'd soon escape Beacon. At least for a while.
Egrer was already waiting for Weiss at the landing pads, leaning against a Bullhead. He kept glancing at his Scroll to check the time, sighing with every ten minutes that passed.
The pilot sighed too, quietly rustling his newspaper in the cockpit, his feet propped up on the control panel.
"We taking off soon?" he asked for the umpteenth time.
"Soon," Egrer replied for the umpteenth time.
"Women, am I right?" Oh, Twins, even a random pilot was up to speed on all the events!..
It was simply unthinkable that Weiss was the kind of girl who liked to be late. Punctuality had always been an inseparable trait of hers, and such behavior was completely out of character. Either she suddenly had some super urgent business pop up, or the Puppeteer was keeping her tied up in a closet somewhere.
The second option sounded more realistic... After all, Weiss could have texted his Scroll that she was running late, but instead, she'd been silent for a whole hour.
"Gonna grab some donuts," the pilot muttered into his mustache. Egrer didn't dare stop him, since he had no idea how much longer they'd have to wait here. It was quite possible they had an extra ten, twenty, or even a full thirty minutes to spare.
All he could do was look around out of boredom.
Another couple that half of Beacon was watching just happened to catch his eye - Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. The four-time champion of the Mistral regional tournament and a weakling who had only recently started showing at least something during Combat Training. One of the best first-year students and a slacker.
No matter how you looked at it, such an unnatural pairing attracted even more attention than the SDC heiress and an orphan Faunus.
Egrer sighed, surrendering to nostalgic memories from just a week ago. No more of those languid glances and quiet "Notice me, Snow Angel" remarks from Jaune. No more of his ridiculous attempts to seem like an alpha male, just as there was no more of his terrible flirting, sounding as if it were read out of magazines for schoolgirls. An era had passed, you could say.
And where did Jaune's boasted assertiveness suddenly go? Where was that blind stubbornness with which he went to besiege Weiss time after time?
It deflated the moment Pyrrha showed her interest.
Well, at least it became clear that it was just a fleeting crush. Pyrrha should be careful, who knows if Jaune might trade her for someone else just as easily. Although, it was more likely because he had finally gotten a response from at least someone. For months he had been banging his head against a brick wall with Weiss, achieving absolutely nothing. And then Pyrrha comes along, takes the initiative herself (and it doesn't matter that Nora and Ren forced her to), responds to his flirting, and, oh Gods, feels sympathy for him.
How could he not fall in love in return? It's nice when you aren't being ignored.
In any case, Jaune and Pyrrha looked quite happy. Their relationship had changed after the ball, it was visible to the naked eye. They hadn't become cloyingly sweet, always holding hands all the time, or kissing even at the slightest parting. No, they just became warmer, which was easy to catch just by seeing them together.
Egrer and Weiss's relationship, on the other hand, had changed only the slightest bit during this time. Either they had already reached their peak, or hit a wall, or they were expressing their feelings in some extraordinary way, unclear even to themselves. It was hard to figure out right away.
"Hey, Eg," Jaune waved. "Flying to Vale too?"
"Been flying for an hour already, yeah. Let me guess, you guys also got a 'Not a Date' lined up in Vale?"
Pyrrha nodded doomed. Egrer felt slightly ashamed to be glad that he wasn't the only one suffering from this problem, but he couldn't help himself. Simps were a terrifying force.
"What do you mean 'too'?" Jaune didn't get it. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Actually, I'm dating Weiss."
"What?!" This news had such a shocking effect on this blond goofball, it was as if the Twin Gods themselves had appeared before him.
Ah, Jaune being Jaune. The sun would sooner turn black before he became even a tiny bit more observant. Clear proof that the stupidity of blondes was just a sexist myth, because blonds could be just as dumb.
"I mean it. You ditched her at the ball and I had to take responsibility," Egrer couldn't resist a small jab, "and then... things just kinda happened spontaneously."
"The main thing is that you're happy," Pyrrha smiled.
"Well, personally I'm not complaining, though there's plenty to complain about. She seems to be in the same boat, though there's plenty for her to complain about too. In short, we've got parity."
"Alright, we're off," Jaune said his goodbyes, taking Pyrrha by the hand. "Our Bullhead is waiting."
Egrer watched them go, not even knowing what annoyed him more: their punctuality or the ease with which they behaved in public. Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha cared at all about the stares of others, but while the former simply didn't notice them, the latter purposefully ignored them.
Weiss, on the other hand, started hissing every time Egrer even just got too close to her. And that was her definition of too close. Because in Egrer's own opinion, he could get even closer before, but back then they were still just friends. The conclusion was as simple as the late Needle-Pierce - she was shy.
There would even be something charming about this, if it weren't him getting smacked upside the head in those moments. However, at times Egrer himself was no better.
Soon the pilot returned with a box of donuts, immediately assuming his favorite posture - he leaned back in his seat and put his feet on the control panel. And Weiss still hadn't shown up. Maybe she wouldn't come at all? Or did she simply forget?
Egrer decided he'd had enough. He dialed her number, but it was too optimistic to think she would pick up. After listening to the dialing tone for about a minute, Egrer called Ruby, but she didn't answer either. Out of desperation he dialed Blake's number, but, oh horror, she didn't answer either.
He didn't dare call Yang.
As a weapon of last resort, he called Ren. His team lived right across from Team RWBY, so he had to know at least something.
"Hello?"
"Gods, at least someone answered me! Listen, do you know where Weiss is?"
"No, but Nora said she needed to go to Team RWBY's room for some reason. Since she's there, the others must be too." The picture jerked; he got up from either a bed or a chair. "I'll check right now."
"Thanks a ton!"
Ren's journey didn't last long; after just a couple of seconds, he was knocking on Team RWBY's door. Judging by the voice, Yang answered.
"What? We're busy right now."
"Eg is wondering here~" The door slammed shut instantly, but Yang's voice could be heard even through it.
"He's already reached Ren! Pick up the pace, girls, don't slack off!"
Ren remained completely unbothered. He lowered his gaze from the door to the camera lens.
"I did everything in my power."
"Thanks for that, at least," Egrer sighed, ending the call.
He threw his head back and bumped it against the side of the Bullhead with a hollow clang. From the looks of it, he'd be waiting a long time...
***
"Wait long?"
A familiar voice pulled Egrer out of his half-slumber. He silently took out his Scroll and checked the time, not even honoring the speaker with a glance.
"About two hours. Couldn't you be any faster?"
"Ahem." Weiss coughed suggestively, and Egrer remembered there was supposed to be a code phrase for this question. He rolled his eyes; right now, he'd rather not use that specific answer.
"Not that long, compared to last time."
"Do not remind me. I have had enough."
The pilot, who was listening to their conversation, chuckled quietly, not even suspecting that they had just exchanged code phrases. After all, Blake really had managed to come up with very concise and natural expressions.
"Actually, according to the script you were supposed to say, 'Of course not! I've only been standing here for five minutes.'"
Egrer finally turned to Weiss to let her witness his raised eyebrow and displeased look. Judging by her face, she understood her guilt, but refused to accept it without a fight.
"Honestly, I was expecting something more..." he muttered, inspecting her appearance. "Just more. In that amount of time, you could have transformed into another person."
Sure, Weiss looked stylish and harmonious, but what the whole two hours had been spent on was decidedly unclear. Unless she personally sewed that shirt and blue skirt, because Egrer simply saw no other options. She almost never used makeup anyway, except to cover up the scar on her eye, and her hairstyle remained the same.
They climbed into the Bullhead and sat down on the seats. Soon the ramp closed, and the engines shifted into a horizontal position, humming as they lifted the machine off the ground.
"So, what's the reason for the delay?" Egrer asked. "If you're a follower of the 'Guys should wait' philosophy, then I'll just start showing up an hour late on purpose."
"Yang." There was so much pain in that word... "As soon as she found out I was flying to the city with you today, it was as if she were possessed. I honestly tried to resist, but she roped the others into preparing me for the 'Date'."
Egrer laughed and said in a deliberately confident voice:
"Hah, it's obviously not a date."
"Exactly! If only they would listen... I was nearly tied to a chair, and my entire wardrobe was turned inside out. Otherwise, I surely would have arrived even earlier than you."
"They always make up these tall tales."
"Tell me about it."
A brief silence hung in the air. Weiss simply looked at the clouds out the window, and Egrer looked at the ceiling. Both of them were thinking about the exact same thing.
"So, is this a date or not?" Egrer was the first to crack.
"I do not know myself. One has to consider what fits the definition. After all, if a simple trip to the city is a date, then how is a walk from one classroom to another any different?"
"Good point. Never really thought about that."
Silence again, but this time even shorter, and Weiss broke it.
"I believe a date should be considered an intentionally planned event away from a place of study and/or work, with minimal contact with familiar faces, the goal of which is simply to be alone with each other. Going to the cinema, a cafe, or a park are clichés, and are not the only types of dates. Simply a day for two, put simply."
Egrer thoughtfully ran a hand through his slicked-back hair. The goal of their trip was by no means to be alone, but to buy him a new suit jacket. So what did that mean?
"Ah, I get it. You specifically chose that description so that our trip to the tailor would classify as a date on all points except one. And like, if I come to the conclusion that it is a date after all, then you've supposedly got nothing to do with it, but if not, then a couple more hints and I'll definitely arrive at that thought."
Weiss stuck her nose up at the ceiling and distinctly clicked her tongue.
"You know, it is better not to voice some of your guesses aloud. God forbid I might actually take offense. Could you not simply play along?"
"Thanks, but you're better off giving that role to Jaune. Pretty sure he wouldn't even have to play along."
"Are you going to hold him over my head forever?" Weiss grumbled.
Egrer laughed without malice.
"I'm just curious how your relationship would've developed if he had asked you to the ball instead of Pyrrha. Admit it, there's so much room for imagination there. Maybe he would've become your loyal knight? Or maybe you would've crushed his free will, and he would've turned into an obedient little puppy?"
"It would not have developed in any way. I would have rejected him."
"Seriously?" Egrer hadn't expected to hear such a categorical answer at all.
"The whole point of the ball is to spend it with those you like. I do not like Jaune. Draw the perfectly logical conclusions."
So that was how it was. Even if the matchmaking plan hadn't failed, it would have failed anyway. Then again, that was the logical outcome of any of Egrer's ideas, so there was nothing to be surprised about. But even so, he had been sure that Jaune had achieved something. After all, so many attempts had been made!
Apparently, Weiss was literally an impregnable fortress, and no matter how much you banged against her walls, there would be no result. She would only let in those she wanted to. This made Egrer proud that he was the chosen one. Pretty solid boost to the ego.
"I do not like your smile, Egrer Peleni."
He didn't answer, only smiled wider.
For a second, the shadow of a towering skyscraper covered the Bullhead - they had arrived in Vale. Slowly maneuvering between the high-rises, the pilot began approaching a massive ten-pointed star-shaped airport near the city center, which was situated at roughly the same height as the surrounding buildings. It stayed that high thanks to a Gravity Dust engine and a single massive pillar, which simultaneously served as an elevator from the ground.
In Egrer's opinion, it was way too much showing off, since this entire structure could have been built ten times cheaper if it were placed on the ground. But then it wouldn't be so majestic, and Egrer wouldn't be staring at it right now with his mouth hanging open.
On top were landing pads, not for small Bullheads, but for massive airships, of which up to five could fit here. Lower down in the airport's hull were numerous openings around which Bullheads swarmed like bees. And even lower, taking up several floors, were suspended train stations, releasing a rail from each corner of the star. They hooked onto neighboring buildings and went far, far away, getting lost in the labyrinth of high-rises.
The pilot drastically reduced speed and slowly flew into an opening for Bullheads, coming in for a landing. An outlined circle with blinking lights along its perimeter winked at them welcomingly. A barely noticeable jolt, or rather an up-and-down sway, marked the touchdown.
"So-o-o..." Egrer drawled, stepping outside. "Are we going straight to the tailor, or...?"
"Straight there. I see no reason to linger."
Weiss brushed off her skirt and fixed her hair. Having restored her perfect appearance, she briskly marched toward the escalator leading down.
"It's just that, if we decided that this is a date after all, it'd be nice to go somewhere. A tailor shop is cool, no arguing that, but how about something more classic?"
"You should have thought about that in advance."
"I thought you thought about it."
"Why would I think about that?"
"Are you the active one here or what?" Egrer rightfully pointed out. "Need I remind you that I'm the one who sold out to you for food, not the other way around? Speaking of food, by the way... I smell something tasty."
They stepped onto the escalator and rode down. The smell grew stronger with every second, and when the suspended train station opened up before them, its source became visible. Egrer sniffed the air in different directions and verified once again that the smell of spices and roasted meat was coming from a cross between a stall and a shawarma stand. After all, a train station is a train station, even in the center of Vale. The only difference was that it was a bit cleaner here and there were no destitute beggars.
Weiss squinted in displeasure, looking in the same direction.
"Do not tell me you are hungry."
"I stood on the landing pad for two whole hours waiting for you. Plus, hunger is my body's default state."
"Perhaps you should get dewormed?" Weiss asked with caustic concern.
"All the living things inside me died from your venom a long time ago. Thanks for saving me trips to the doctor."
Egrer didn't wait for them to ride all the way to the bottom naturally and started walking down himself. The escalator was quite wide, so he easily maneuvered between the people in no hurry.
Weiss sighed in resignation and followed after him.
The stall was situated between two other food shops, amusingly bulging forward and upward. It was as if its two competitors had decided to crush the poor shawarma guy and started literally squeezing him out of his spot.
As usual, food in such places cost much more than anywhere else. It was as if jacking up prices at train stations and airports was an ancient tradition of all merchants, without which they weren't merchants at all. However, Egrer was no longer afraid of high prices, at least as long as food was concerned.
Naturally, he would stick to certain limits. But for starters, it would be nice to know what they were, right?
"Spirits of the desert..." the shopkeeper muttered with a Vacuan accent when Egrer and Weiss approached him. He wiped his tanned face with a rag, not believing his own eyes. "Weiss Schnee?"
"No, just an imitator."
The man let out a breath, whether out of disappointment or relief, not even catching the irony and outright mockery in her voice.
Pyrrha was the one ready to turn into practically a different person when going out: she'd put on glasses, a big beanie, and more modest clothing. Weiss, on the other hand, charged straight ahead, not even trying to hide who she was.
"What's smelling so tasty over there?" Egrer got straight to business.
The counter was a large glass display case, behind which pastries lay on two trays stacked one above the other. There were buns with all sorts of fillings, from chocolate to chicken fillet.
"Right out the oven - beef samosas!"
"I'll take two."
"I do not want any," Weiss immediately backed out.
"That's just for me. But actually, it wouldn't hurt for you to partake in the joys of mere mortals either, so we're buying three."
Obviously, she wasn't tempted by the prospect of dining on peasant food. She should've at least said thanks that he didn't offer her pasta with cheap sausage.
"I have the money, so I am the one placing the order," Weiss dug her heels in, pulling out her card. A gold card bearing the Schnee family crest, as well as the inscription "Schnee Dust Company". This gave the shopkeeper a lot to think about. "Give me two of whatever he wanted."
Egrer listened to his feelings, trying to gauge how crushed his male ego was by the fact that a girl was paying for him. Surprisingly, hardly at all. Sure, he felt a slight discomfort, but it was unlikely he'd even feel that next time. In the end, this was food that he was getting for free. How could anyone possibly feel anything but joy?
Besides, to Weiss, money was like dust under her feet. She wouldn't even notice the amount spent.
The shopkeeper took a large pair of tongs and slipped two golden, triangular pastries into a paper bag.
"Thanks," Egrer nodded, immediately sticking his nose in and inhaling the divine smell of spices. "Vacuan cooking is the best in the world."
"Thank you, young man!"
"So, are we in a hurry?" Egrer asked as they walked away.
"Our train will arrive in eight minutes," Weiss replied, glancing only for a second at the huge display board high up near the ceiling.
He too tried to find their train in the tangled lines of text, but quickly abandoned this ungrateful task. There were too many lines, and besides, they sometimes swapped places if a train was delayed or, conversely, running ahead of schedule.
"So, we've got time to grab a bite like bearers of modern cultural traditions, instead of choking on our food on the go."
Egrer looked around in search of a place to sit.
All the few benches were occupied, but the station had special spots for thrill-seekers, and those were empty. They were glass hemispheres with a flat floor that jutted outward, serving as an extra reminder of just how high up the station was. There were also soft armchairs with small tables out there.
Not a dinner in a restaurant, of course, but it'd do for a first time.
Neither of them was afraid of heights, of course, so that's exactly where they sat. Even if they fell down, they would only get away with a bruise and a few percent off their Aura.
Egrer hesitantly took a samosa in his hands and started turning it this way and that, occasionally glancing at Weiss. She, having nothing else to do, looked through the glass floor, straight down at the busy streets.
During his hesitant attempts to take a bite, two trains managed to arrive and leave. They pulled into the station with a quiet electrical crackle, let passengers out and in, and then moved on. Somewhere a child cried and calmed down, somewhere a joke was told, in the distance someone managed to make a call and hang up. But the samosa remained unchanged, representing the embodiment of eternity itself.
"I can't eat while sitting at the same table with someone who isn't eating."
This revelation came as a complete surprise even to himself.
"How terrible," Weiss tore herself away from contemplating the pathetic bugs under her feet. "An unbelievable nightmare. Unfathomable."
Egrer silently offered her the second samosa. The greatest act of trust, by the way, because in his entire life he had never once shared food with anyone. Anything edible that fell into his hands disappeared irrevocably and permanently. Even if someone were dying of hunger right in front of him, he wouldn't give the poor bastard a single crumb.
"No, thank you, I am not hungry."
"At least give it a try."
"I do not like greasy food."
"At least pretend you're eating! So I don't walk away hungry."
Weiss glanced at the display board. Judging by her deadpan face, they still had plenty of time, but absolutely no desire to argue. She sighed and took a napkin out of her purse.
"Give that thing here. Very well, I will hold it for show."
However, that was also not enough. Egrer still couldn't bring himself to take even a tiny bite, as he felt the utter wrongness of what was happening. If there are multiple mouths sitting at a table, every single one of them must eat!
"Take a bite."
Weiss raised her gaze from the floor again. She pressed the sharp tip of the samosa practically flush against her lips, but didn't actually open her mouth. She sat like that, looking testingly into Egrer's eyes until he repeated his request.
"Come on, take a bite."
Still looking unblinkingly at Egrer, but now slightly irritated, Weiss finally opened her mouth and touched the dough with her teeth. Lightly, as if afraid that one careless movement would break her jaw.
"Come on already, take a bite, take a bite."
Weiss wiggled her teeth, scraping together pathetic atoms of dough with them, after which she pulled the samosa away and began to deliberately and actively chew the empty space.
"Very delicious," she said without a shadow of emotion, after which she went back to observing the pathetic plebs below.
"Come on, We-e-eiss. I can't eat like this. Am I supposed to treat this as a famine? As if your family's stigma as Faunus enslavers wasn't enough, now there'll be a famine of Mistralians too. Talk about career growth."
"I dined at Beacon."
"That was like three hours ago!" a horrified Egrer pointed out. Did she really not feel hunger, even after THREE whole hours had passed? He himself started looking for a snack after just an hour.
"Unfortunately, I do not have a ravenous Dust engine in my stomach like the Amity Colosseum... or you."
"Please! For me!"
"You are impossible," Weiss sighed doomed. "Just a small piece."
She opened her mouth slightly and stuck the very tip of the samosa inside, biting off so little dough that she couldn't even reach the filling. But that was enough for Egrer. In two bites he finished his portion and took some wet wipes out of his pocket, in order to wipe his mouth and fingers like a cultured individual. He wasn't some kind of savage, after all.
Weiss watched this with indifference. She had stopped being surprised by such a speed of food consumption on the very day their teams first sat at the same table in the cafeteria. Back then, Egrer stuck a whole chicken leg in his mouth, and pulled back out a bare bone. There wasn't even cartilage or bone marrow left.
"Well then, I suppose this can be thrown away now." Weiss brought her hand with the samosa toward a nearby trash can.
"NO!" Egrer snatched the food from her in the blink of an eye and all but clutched it to his chest. "I'll finish it, no point in wasting good stuff."
"But I already took a bite of it!"
"I'm not disgusted by you, please, like that's a problem." In an instant, the samosa disappeared forever into the depths of his stomach. "Kids in Vacuo are starving, miners are eating soup with sawdust, and here you are throwing away slightly bitten food. You should be ashamed, ashamed."
"Me eating that samosa wouldn't have added to any of their food supplies. The distribution of goods works in favor of those who can pay, not those who are in need."
Perhaps, it was exactly these kinds of simple conversations about meaningless things that they had been lacking lately. Otherwise, every meeting was either a relationship talk, the revelation of terrible secrets, or a verbal duel.
Lights blinked above the third platform, and a series of squeaky beeps rang out from there. A couple of seconds later, a beautiful white locomotive of the suspended train silently appeared, followed by a neat row of a dozen cars. All of them were covered by one massive advertisement graphic that jumped from one car to another. Egrer had never seen such a large-scale ad for Pumpkin Pete's flakes or such a huge Pyrrha Nikos on the packaging.
The glass doors on the platform opened simultaneously with the train doors.
"Well, this was a lovely sit-down," Weiss said, getting up from the table.
They boarded the train and took single seats opposite each other. A few seconds later, the train started almost silently and pulled out of the station.
Egrer leaned his forehead against the window and tried to gauge the distance to the ground, but his head unexpectedly spun, and he had to look away. He felt like he was on a roller coaster, except the wind wasn't blowing in his face, and if he suddenly screamed with joy, no one would join in. The similarity to an amusement park ride increased when the train began curving around a glass skyscraper and tilted slightly sideways under the effect of centrifugal force.
Nearby sat a similar young couple. The girl was sitting on the guy's lap, and together they were watching something on a Scroll, sharing a single pair of headphones. Involuntarily, Egrer let his gaze linger on them a little longer.
"Do not even think about it," Weiss snapped, realizing where he was looking.
"I don't know what I'm not supposed to be thinking about. But since you told me that, it means you thought about it yourself, otherwise you wouldn't have come to the conclusion that I shouldn't be thinking about it."
"I see my company is having a positive effect on your mental faculties."
"And I'm sincerely grateful to you for that. My mind is tempered daily under truly extreme conditions."
"And they could become even more extreme if you do not stop testing my patience."
"I surrender, I surrender," Egrer jokingly raised his hands.
But he honestly didn't understand what he wasn't supposed to think about. No specific thoughts had even managed to form in his head before Weiss had already managed to think everything through and come to her own conclusions.
At that very moment, the cute couple quietly laughed.
"Do you think we have a normal relationship?" Weiss asked, now looking at them with scientific interest. As if she were comparing them to something. Though, it was obvious to what.
"No," Egrer admitted honestly. "Let's start with the fact that you're the heiress to a company that profits from the exploitation of Faunus, and I'm a Faunus myself. You're the daughter of the richest man in the world, and I'm an orphan from a favela."
"Pfft, that is all empty. Titles, wealth, lineage, there is not the slightest meaning in any of it. I meant something else."
"Heh, sometimes I forget that you're actually quite the rebel. Otherwise you wouldn't have gone to Beacon, but to Atlas Academy."
"But seriously. The SDC profits from Faunus? I intend to put a stop to that. You are an orphan, and I am an heiress? We are not in the Middle Ages for that to actually play any role. Yes, the rest of the golden youth will look at me askance, but I have never cared about their opinion."
"And won't there be problems with your dad?" That was a very slippery question that Egrer had been wanting to ask for a long time. He didn't want Weiss to have problems because of him. "I doubt he's gonna be thrilled when he finds out about this."
"Do not worry," she leaned in slightly closer and whispered, "according to my plan, in seven years he will end up in a psych ward, and I will take the place as head of the SDC."
Egrer blinked in surprise.
"Uh... I seem to recall you mentioning that despite all his flaws, you still love him... Just popped into my head."
"Which is exactly why he will spend the rest of his life in peace and comfort, rather than being, for example, poisoned."
Egrer blinked again.
"Best not to cross you, I see." Weiss shrugged, as if she had no other choice. "But seven years... don't you think we'll have time to break up a hundred times by then? And your problems are gonna start real soon."
"Hey, sometimes even I want to commit thoughtless but pleasant follies. If you only live by rules and logic, then it is no longer a life. Only robots behave like that."
"Remind me, why don't you like rock with such a craving for rebellion? You'd make a great vocalist. Listen, come join my musical gang!"
"I am forced to decline. If you haven't forgotten, someone has to prepare a coup in the SDC, so I certainly will not have time to go on tours."
"Well it's not forever, just while we're studying. When the music club is reborn, I'm gonna need a deputy."
"Do you think I don't realize that you just want to drag a star into your group to siphon off a piece of my popularity for yourself?" Egrer froze for a second. That idea hadn't crossed his mind before, he just thought it would be more fun together. But now he had another reason to lure her into his gang. "I do not like your smile, Egrer Peleni..."
"Why's that? Just a simple smile."
"Let us return to the topic. When I asked if our relationship was normal, I did not mean differences in social status at all."
"Are you unhappy with something?"
"Nothing. Just comparing us to others."
"Then everything's fine."
"Logical," Weiss nodded. "In any case, all this sugary vanilla is not for me. It makes me sick."
"You're the one who said you wanted more romance. To be kidnapped by a noble rogue and all that stuff."
Weiss frowned slightly, and Egrer realized that she was about to spit facts.
"First of all, I was in a state of shock from the unexpectedness of your proposal. Secondly, the atmosphere of the ball inherently implied a certain... romanticization, let us say. Thirdly, the words about the rogue were merely an exaggeration; in reality, of course, I have no such desires. And fourthly, I am not going to perform all these courtship rituals just because the status of a 'Taken' girl obliges me to. If I want to hold hands with you or sit on your lap, rest assured, you will be the first to know about it."
"With a hint?"
"Naturally. I shouldn't have to state my desires directly; there is no pleasure in that."
"Women," Egrer rolled his eyes.
"Is it really so difficult to please a lady and understand her with half a word?" Weiss grumbled.
"I won't do it out of principle. Feel like a servant who has to guess what the master demands of him from a single wave of the hand. You need something - say it straight."
"So that is what it is. It hurts your disproportionately inflated Ego."
"Spot on," Egrer nodded, snapping his fingers.
"But would you really not make an exception for my sake?" Weiss asked in an ingratiating tone. She moved even closer and smiled charmingly. "Would you?"
"Nope. You wanna date me - treat me the way you treat your beloved self. And you're a pretty lousy seductress, just so you know."
"How hard-hearted of you." Weiss sat up straight again, but the sly smile didn't leave her face. "And it wouldn't hurt you to treat me better, either. It seems to me you do not understand a banal fact of life: a girl always has a choice, and it is the guys who have to fight for us. So do not set conditions for me here."
"You don't have a choice. Is there anywhere in all of Remnant a guy as wonderful as Egrer Peleni? And I have an undivided monopoly on this handsome devil, by the way. Irreplaceable and one of a kind. You ain't getting away from me."
"And I have a monopoly on Weiss Schnee. Beautiful, elegant, and very smart. And what, are we going to sit in our respective corners with our goods, or make a mutually beneficial trade deal?"
Egrer deliberated with deliberate seriousness. He rubbed his chin and raised his gaze to the ceiling.
"Weiss Schnee in exchange for Egrer Peleni..."
"And Egrer Peleni in exchange for Weiss Schnee. Accept the deal."
"Well then... it's a deal." They shook hands. Egrer smiled broadly. "You're mine now."
"And you are mine," Weiss answered him with the same smile.
Perhaps this was the best trade deal in the history of trade deals. At least, it was unlikely that either of them would regret this minute in the future.
"Since you're mine now," Egrer began in an ingratiating tone, "does that mean I can do all sorts of things with you?"
"If you want me to arrange a famine for specific Mistralians, then certainly, why not?" she replied with a sweet smile.
"Got it, not an idiot. An idiot wouldn't have gotten it."
"Besides, you completely forgot about the second rule."
"Treat you as usual in public?" Egrer asked uncomprehendingly. "I wasn't planning on harassing you right here. I wasn't planning to at all, it was a joke, a joke."
"I meant this." Weiss raised her right hand, which he was still holding in his own. "You can let go now, the contract is signed."
Egrer looked at their hands indifferently, as if he didn't understand the essence of the complaint. He tilted his head to the side and replied in an even voice:
"Hands must be kept warm. And yours are very cold."
"So, you are caring for me that much?" Weiss asked skeptically.
"I didn't buy you cheap, so I'm gonna take care of you. I'd lock you in a comfortable and safe golden cage..."
"Someone is about to talk himself into a collar and a personal doghouse."
"...but you've already done your time back home in Atlas, so that'd be too cruel to you."
"How sweet of you." Weiss finally broke free, prying Egrer's fingers open with her free hand. "Thank you, but I will warm my hands in my pockets, since you are so worried about my health. I don't want people staring at us."
Involuntarily, Egrer looked around.
There were few people in the train car, but everyone aroused some kind of suspicion. By the exit, leaning against the handrail, stood a mysterious figure in a blue coat and a hood. A little further from him sat a girl wrapped entirely in black, who was constantly twitching and would have run away long ago if she wasn't being held down by another mysterious passenger, who, due to his tall height and large bulging muscles, occupied two seats at once. They were both pretending to read a newspaper.
Egrer felt his eye twitch. Weiss understood him without words.
"Ruby and Yang are here too."
He had to do some quick breathing exercises to prevent a murder. To be honest, this was to be expected. But if they thought there would be no consequences for this invasion of privacy, they were dead wrong. They were going to hate the day, the hour, and the minute they were born into this world.
"It's strange that Nora is nowhere to be seen," Weiss remarked melancholically. "She prepared me with almost more enthusiasm than Yang."
From the outside, it might seem that she was indifferent to this whole situation, but Egrer saw a dangerous glint in her eyes. She had already started pondering exactly what she would write on the tombstones of these wannabe spies. And it clearly wouldn't be a beautiful farewell phrase, but profanity-laced graffiti.
Egrer shrugged.
"Nora's spying on Jaune and Pyrrha's date." It wasn't even an assumption, that was exactly how it was. It simply couldn't be otherwise.
"When we return to Beacon, I am going to draw and quarter them."
"Don't touch mine, I'll deal with them myself." Weiss nodded majestically, acknowledging his right to personally punish his teammates. "You think they can hear us?"
"Oh, I am sure they would very much like to hear us. But judging by their calm demeanor, they haven't even realized that they gave themselves away a long time ago."
The train began to stop, and a very devious idea came to Egrer's mind.
He took out his Scroll and called Magenta. A melody from some cartoon rang out from the dark figure with the newspaper, and immediately the giant in a wide-brimmed hat and the skinny guy in a hood turned toward her.
Both looked at her questioningly and seemingly pleaded with her to reject the call, but she ignored their silent request. Yort, sitting next to her, slapped his forehead, while Illmond, standing by the handrail, sighed and took a step to the side, still hoping to maintain his incognito.
"Hi, Eg," Magenta at least had the sense to limit it to an audio call and speak in a whisper. "How are things?"
"Did you guys turn off the kettle?" Egrer immediately asked with feigned concern.
"What?"
"Before I went to the Bullheads, we were all drinking tea, remember? Did you turn off the kettle? Because I didn't."
"T-the kettle?" Magenta hiccuped, looking at the opening doors of the train car. "N-no, I didn't turn it off."
"Ah, well, turn it off then. You're in Beacon, right?"
"Of course I'm in Beacon!" She said it so loudly that Egrer heard her both from his Scroll and in person simultaneously. Yort slapped his forehead again.
"Well, then I'm calm. Otherwise, you know, I really wouldn't wanna set our floor's lounge on fire a second time. Doubt we'll manage to pin it all on Cardin again, and this time they'll probably just expel us. I mean, you still wanna become a Huntress, right? It'd be a shame if you got kicked out."
The train doors had already started closing, but before they could touch, Magenta squeezed between them. She dashed off somewhere like a bullet, leaving Yort and Illmond with their hands reaching out toward her. They had tried to catch and stop her, but failed. All they could do now was pretend that everything was fine and that it was meant to be that way.
The other two dark figures, most likely Yang and Ruby, covered themselves more tightly with their newspaper.
"What unprecedented cruelty," Weiss commented on his antic. "The next stop is ours, by the way."
"Just for the record - we didn't drink any tea. I went to the Bullheads almost immediately after classes."
"What a pity that there is no one on my own team with an IQ of a bowl of grapes. I might have pulled off something similar too."
"Hey, don't you badmouth Madge," Egrer protested. "I might be mad at her right now, but that bowl of grapes is gonna catch up to you in grades soon. So a little more respect for the future best first-year student."
Weiss smirked confidently.
"She won't be able to push me off my pedestal. Yes, she might manage to take second place in the academic rankings, but she definitely will not surpass me. She's unlikely to even surpass Ren; he won't be able to pull her up higher than his own level. So her absolute maximum is third place."
"Such overconfidence." Egrer shook his head. "Villains in movies always lose exactly after phrases like that."
"Am I the villain here?!"
The train began to slow down again. A minute later, it smoothly pulled into the station and stopped. The doors opened.
They stepped onto the platform. This time, the station was located much closer to the ground, and it wasn't as technologically advanced. Take, for instance, the absence of an airport right above them.
Four mysterious figures in dark clothes moved after them at a respectful distance.
"Wanna lose the tail?" Egrer asked with a sly smirk.
"You even have to ask?"
And they bolted.