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“I…I can do this,” Maria said, her face dripping with sweat as Weiss merely raised an eyebrow her way, barely looking up from the work she was doing.
“I’m sure, eighty seventh time is the charm,” Weiss agreed with zero conviction.
“Chica, can you just believe in me?” Maria begged as she took the towel, and dabbed her face as Weiss finally stopped working to raise an eyebrow at her, and then looked at the clock.
“I believed in you four hours ago, weeks ago even,” Weiss began as she cracked her back and straightened up. “Have you given me reason to believe in you recently?”
“I need your help. I can. I can do this. I have to,” Maria defended herself.
“Uh, huh. If you can’t do something as simple as this, then I fail to see how you can manage, or handle anything further,” Weiss explained.
“You’re not any better than I am!” Maria declared with a crooked finger pointing her direction.
“Is that so?” Weiss asked in amusement.
“Aye, you’re just as bad, if not worse! I know it!”
“Mhm.”
“Why else would you have this…program thing if not because you needed help too?” Maria demanded.
“Team attack training of course,” Weiss lied straight through her teeth although her poker face remained intact. Damnably cute poker face too.
“Bah. Computer Level One Reset, the Rose Protocol!” Maria called out as nothing happened.
“Unauthorized User detected, unable to process request,” a very unhelpful voice responded. Maria was fairly sure it defaulted to the older sister specifically just to deny Maria. She couldn't prove it, but she was almost sure it was set up that way despite Weiss assuring her it was random.
“Why don’t I have access to this?” Maria asked in frustration.
“Because you’d never leave," Weiss answered with a shrug. "So it’s best if we protect you from yourself, and help moderate for you,” Weiss returned as she pushed the paperwork to the side, looking horrifically amused.
“Please, this is probably where you vanish off too on breaks,” Maria grumbled, clearly upset she couldn’t do that.
“What was it you said?” Weiss feigned asking as she leaned back in her chair, and used a pointer finger to tap her lips, smile across her face. “Ah, yes, that anything worth having, and that woman was definitely worth it, was worth working for?”
“Something like that,” Maria admitted with a grumble, sounding none too pleased to have to do so.
Weiss smiled in amusement at that before she called out. “Level one Reset of the Rose Protocol, subject is Maria Calavera. Rose homestead.”
“Acknowledged. Resetting simulation. Beginning in T-minus ten seconds.” If a neutral computer voice could sound reluctant, and full of distaste then it absolutely did, but it did what was asked so Maria let it go.
Maria smiled as the area around her morphed to a scene that resembled Patch. Sure Weiss’s desk being there, or at least she knew it was there, even if she couldn’t see it at present, was in the back of her mind, but it really, truly did look, and feel like she was at Patch.
She was sure she could even smell the enticing smells from the nearby homes. Although whether that was her imagination, or Weiss’s technology truly was that impressive she didn’t know, and wasn’t willing to bet one way, or another.
“Maria, decide to visit?” a wonderful voice spoke from behind her as Maria turned to look her in the eyes.
“Aye,” she returned as she took in the sight of her classmate, friend, and one of her crushes. Ruby Rose was everything that mattered in a partner to Maria.
Smart, fun, loved to kill Grimm, sweet as a button, but capable of kicking ass on a moments notice. She just…made live worth living with her ability to remind her there was more to it than work, a sentiment she knew Weiss shared, and that was its own set of worms considering the two knew each other before Maria even came into the picture.
But if Weiss was willing to help her then…thoughts for later.
“Awesome, I was just making some lunch, want something?” Ruby offered as she gestured for Maria to come inside.
“Only if it’s not an inconvenience.”
Maria by habit removed her boots as she came in, and hung up her robe, leaving her in just a simple tshirt, and shorts she wore underneath.
“Nah, I always make plenty. Never know who will stop by, or leftovers!” Ruby spoke sincerely, and damn if Weiss didn’t manage to capture the essence of Ruby entirely.
Apparently, according to her she’d spent forever getting her hair to work right in the simulation. Maria had no idea how it could be that complicated, but did concede the end product was well worth it, perfect even.
“I’ll take a plate then,” Maria agreed as Ruby hummed happily, and turned back to the counter.
“Where’s Zwei?” she asked as Ruby shrugged.
“Who knows? Chasing a squirrel, a nap, or maybe a Grimm,” Ruby answered glibly.
“Best damned dog there is,” Maria complimented as Ruby agreed with a proud sounding grunt.
“Not that I’m not pleased to see you, but why did you come over?” Ruby asked as she turned around.
Damn the simulation was not fooling around.
“I…”
She felt herself heat up as Ruby leaned into her personal space, and put a hand on her forehead. “You feel a little hot…”
The crease in her forehead, the way her eyes crinkled, it was truly like Ruby was there. She could even feel the warmth of her hand on her forehead. No wonder Weiss spent all her free time here.
With a herculean effort she gently straightened up, and took Ruby’s hand. “Listen, Ruby, can I…tell you something?”
“Sure,” Ruby agreed easily, her smile never fading at seeing Maria appeared to be healthy.
“I’ve known you for some time now. You, and Weiss-”
“You even transferred schools so we could hang out,” Ruby pointed out. “And it was awesome!”
“Aye, and you were both worth it of course, but-”
“Right interrupted, sorry,” Ruby apologized with a quick hug, one that set her nerve endings aflame as it almost felt like her skin heated up where it had made contact before she leaned away, and separated.
“Temperature reading exceeding allowed range, simulation pausing.”
“What the shit? How am I supposed to talk to her if you keep stopping me?” Maria growled.
“Just shut up,” Weiss commanded as she walked into view, appearing to step through a door that appeared from the air. She walked over to Maria, and laid a hand on her brow.
“Daaaamn,” Maria said dreamily as she leaned into the touch. “You run cold?”
“My family tends to, but this?” Weiss said, pulling her hand back a moment to reveal a small ring with a tiny dust crystal in it. “I made myself. Thinking of patenting the Calavera Useless Failure line for failing lesbians.”
Maria was in far too good of a mood feeling the cold to worry too much so she just opened a single eye. “This works, and I’ll let you put my face on it.”
“Really?” Weiss asked in amusement.
“Please. I’ll be too happy telling everyone I got my wife out of it, plus you can swap out crystals for a small heater to melt something, or even lightning for a small shock, or sleep alarm? Damned useful.”
“Didn’t you tell me you were a master at seducing girls?” Weiss asked, changing tracks.
“Yeah, when it doesn’t matter, or I don’t really care,” Maria said with a sigh. “I can get a good one rolling, but as soon as some girl I actually like turns it on me even remotely I fall apart.”
“I want to study that,” Weiss said. “So I’m going to back the simulation back a few steps to when she was talking about Zwei, alright? Try to flirt with her, and do your best there.”
“Just a second,” Maria requested when Weiss went to remove her hand. “A little more,” she requested as Weiss smirked, and allowed it before she removed her hand, and winked at Maria causing a small splotch of color on her cheeks.
She stepped back into the door that vanished into the ether as the computer began to speak once more.
“Resuming simulation…”
“Who knows? Chasing a squirrel, a Grimm, or maybe a nap,” Ruby answered glibly.
“Ruby,” Maria interrupted as the woman turned to look at her, silver eyes raised in silent question.
“What’s up?”
“You’re one of the most attractive women I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, really?” Ruby asked with a small pink on her cheeks, appearing to be happy to hear it.
“Absolutely,” Maria said as she slowly put a hand to her cheek, the other woman leaned into. “When I’m near, or with you I think of nothing more than wanting to claim those lips for my own.”
“Wow!”
“Now what’s say we go ahead, and-”
“Which one?”
Maria felt her brain freeze at the impact, and derail, jump three tracks, do a barrel roll mid air, and somehow hit a flock of seagulls before exploding.
“What?”
“Upper, or lower lip?”
Maria went so red she began coughing as the simulation paused, and she stumbled back into the wall before sliding down it.
She didn’t even hear the pause command, but it must have happened because she felt Weiss’s hands on her brow once more.
“You know I might have to start using my time dilation glyphs to start helping,” Weiss remarked casually.
“How am I supposed to react to such a proposition?” Maria asked as she flung a hand toward the paused Ruby construct.
Weiss gave her a look at that. “It’s Ruby, you idiot. She's a dolt,” she chided. “Her fingers are pointing to her top, and bottom lip. She was flirting back normally, not like a degenerate,” she teased.
Maria groaned as she put her head into her knees which she’d draw up. “Let’s not pretend this didn’t happen to you shall we?”
“The difference being that even if it did, which I’m not admitting to, then no one saw it,” Weiss said smugly.
“Hijo de puta,” Maria swore until Weiss flicked her forehead.
“Don’t be crass,” Weiss reminded her.
“What would your glyphs even do?” Maria asked curiously noticing they were currently alone in the simulation of Ruby’s home.
“Alter your perception of time, make you appear to move somewhat close to how Ruby can see things in her semblance, the idea would be to give you time to cool off, or think of ways to counter what she says between verbal jousts, or in her case a simple question,” Weiss snarked.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” Maria asked.
“I’m admittedly not sure, but it will probably be funny,” Weiss admitted.
Maria forced herself to stand as Weiss walked away, what a view, to reset things.
This time would be different!
“So what’s say you, and I we get to know each other better?” Maria tried.
“Ok, sure!” Ruby agreed. “Back when I was a kid, I skinned my knee when-
“RESET IT!”
“So now that we’re in your room, what did you want to show me?” Maria asked breathlessly, sure that the twenty fourth time was the charm.
“You won’t laugh at my toys?” Ruby asked as she affected an embarrassed look.
“Chica, I promise I would never,”
“Well ok,” Ruby said shyly as she took a small box out from under the bed to open. “So the lore of Grimmonicle is surprisingly deep.”
“OH SCREW YOU SCHNEE YOU ADDED THAT ON PURPOSE! RESET!”
“It’s nice being here with you,” Maria said as they sat on her simulated front porch. “In this, and every life.”
“Yeah, it’s been fun,” Ruby agreed as she looked up at Maria, and began to lean in.
“I NEED A TIME OUT.”
“I was so sure the time dilation glyphs would have helped,” Weiss muttered.
“Too much time to think, and psyche myself out,” Maria mumbled.
“I’m surprised you haven’t just kissed the construct to get it over with,” Weiss admitted, the raised eyebrow asking for an explanation.
“Without her consent? Even as a construct? Bah,” Maria waved it off. “I have to earn it.”
“Well said,” Weiss said with a fond smile. “Ready to go again?”
“Absolutely!”
“You know what melts in your mouth, and not in your hand?” Maria tried to flirt.
“Oh, is it me?”
“Yes, wait, what?”
“Because you have some secret fire semblance that comes outta your mouth right?”
“Reset.”
“Of course then unless you mean like in the bedr-”
“RESET RESET RESET!”
“Ok direct it is. Ruby, I want to kiss you.”
“Well you should!”
“Ok, here I go,” Maria said leaning in.
“What if I do it first?” Ruby asked as she leaned in to peck Maria on the cheek looking bashful.
“PAUSE RESET AIR!”
“What if we just silenced the simulation?” Weiss asked in amusement. “Or would you fail at that too?”
Maria just huffed. “I don’t even know. I just want to get with one of the girls I like. Why is this so hard?”
“Oh, there’s more than one?” Weiss asked in amusement.
Maria just grunted, clearly not in the mood.
“Is it Yang? Should I run a simulation for that?”
“I’d rather die,” Maria said flatly, which brought a chuckle from Weiss.
“On that we’re agreed. Did you ever actually ask if Ruby was seeing anyone?”
Maria opened her mouth, and closed it. “Mierda.”
Weiss gently gave her knee a pat. “It’s ok. I already know the answer for you.”
“Well don’t keep me in suspense,” Maria all but begged.
“She is dating someone, has been for a while.”
“Damn it all,” Maria groused as Weiss continued.
“But they’re amenable to a third, a specific person really,” Weiss said as Maria’s focus was laser sharp as she looked back at Weiss.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. They both agreed on the type of person they wanted, and even settled on the same person.”
“Do I know them, either of them?”
“Both I think,” Weiss agreed pleasantly. “They just were waiting on their pick to ask them normally, but…”
“Yeah it’s getting kind of bad,” Ruby agreed as she came over to sit next to them.
“You forget to reset the simulation?” Maria asked in amusement as she turned to Ruby who leaned over to quickly kiss her on the mouth savoring the scent of strawberries.
“Damn, if I never get it in real life that’ll keep me company,” Maria mused. “Wish I could tell them in person, real life I guess what they mean to me.”
Weiss only looked amused. “End simulation.”
The world faded back into view as Maria stood up, and stretched as she went to get her cloak, and boots only for Ruby to hand them over.
“Did you…” Maria’s face paled.
“Recreating people that closely, really?” Weiss asked in amusement.
“You utter bitch,” Maria squeaked out.
“Oh please, we just wanted you to actually come clean.”
“YOU’RE THE GIRLFRIEND!” Maria declared loudly.
“I mean, yeah?” Ruby said. “We share the same bed at school, and go on dates all the time. Thought you’d noticed. I can't believe you trashed my Grimmonicle collection though.”
“You just pretended to be a hologram for hours?” Maria asked incredulously.
“Duh. We wanted to see if you’d crack. You came close a few times,” Ruby said with an amused grin. “Semblance means I can just ‘vanish’ for a few seconds when I needed to to stretch, yawn, or Weiss covered for me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Maria whined.
“Weiss just told you we were looking for a third. A specific third.”
“And?”
“Oh for crying-” Weiss mumbled. “Why would I let you spend the day hitting on my girlfriend if you weren’t the target?”
Maria blinked, and pointed to herself stupidly.
“Yes, you idiot!” Weiss said, throwing her hands into the air as Ruby wiggled her eyebrows from behind her.
“Oh…OH! I’ll allow you to date me,” Maria said magnanimously, her attitude sliding into place as Ruby giggled, and Weiss slapped the back of both of their heads. “So level with me, why do this?” she asked as she gestured to the area around them.
“Weiss got tricked the same way if it makes you feel better,” Ruby said simply as Weiss hissed as her face became drenched in color. “Way worse if you can believe it.”
“Shut up. It didn’t happen, and there’s no evidence it did!” Weiss seethed before Ruby kissed her cheek, and she calmed down before rolling her eyes, and letting Maria kiss her on the other cheek.
“We can worry about things that didn’t happen later, or we can go be girlfriends,” Weiss said with crossed arms.
“TO ADVENTURE!” Maria declared before they vanished in a petal of roses.
Hours later the dead of night
Two shadowy figures meet on a balcony.
“You have it?” the shorter one asks as the taller holds out a data stick, and scroll.
“The only copies in the world.”
“No backups?”
“None,” they reply as they move their hands backward when the first figure moves towards it.
“My payments?”
“Here, the only copy. You are not to make anymore.”
“A pleasure doing business with you, Weiss,” Winter says as she takes the data stick with ‘Maria’s attempts to hit on Ruby, and Weiss’ on it into her hands. “This will be most amusing.”
Weiss looks at her own recordings of her failing to seduce Ruby with a shudder, sure she needs to find a way to destroy them that can’t be fixed as she nods, and hops on a glyph to go back to her own room even as Winter cackled behind her.
“It’s like two in the morning,” Cinder called out from the bedroom. “Are you coming, or not?”
“Yes, of course,” Winter said giddily as she went back inside. All was right with the world. For now at least.
