Initiation had been a tiresome ordeal. Weiss had been forced to work with Ruby Rose, the most irresponsible and reckless human being she had ever met. Not even her brash older sister, Yang Xiao Long, could be compared to Ruby and her foolishness. The two had barely made it out of the Emerald Forest alive, and Ruby simply blamed Weiss for their mistakes, so sure that things would have gone differently if she had been left to her own devices. At times, Weiss had half a mind to leave the younger girl there, but she was no monster. She knew Ruby would most likely die without help, and she'd offer that help, no matter how much she wished she hadn't. What made things worse was that teams of four had been assigned, and while Weiss knew she and Ruby were going to be on the same team, she at least hoped to get some competent and tolerable people to work with. Unfortunately, she was stuck with Yang, who didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'teamwork,' and the black-haired girl who had insulted Weiss' family name and made her look like a fool. She had thought that no one could annoy her any more than Ruby Rose, but while Ruby only annoyed her, Blake Belladonna simultaneously annoyed her while used her wit and some flawless logic to further berate Weiss and her family name. She knew her family made shady deals and weren't exactly warm and friendly, but they weren't cold-hearted and miserly tyrants concerned with only their own self-gain, as Blake seemed to believe. But despite Weiss' assurance of this, she knew the mysterious bookworm made sense. More sense than she'd have liked to admit. If it wasn't for their antagonistic relationship, she would have been glad to have Blake as a team member. She was the only one besides Weiss who understood and took seriously the 'team' part of 'teammates,' and was also one of the smartest people at Beacon.

One thing Weiss was happy with was that there were only two people in a room, so she wouldn't have to deal with all three of her teammates. Unfortunately, she got stuck with Blake, who she couldn't intimidate as she did Ruby, not to mention that Blake wouldn't grow bored after five minutes of arguing as Yang would. She could talk eloquently and go on for a long time, although she chose not to. She was quiet, and that silence was something Weiss appreciated. But Blake was also cunning and playful, and she knew how to use the former trait to appease the latter.

"Hello, Weiss Schnee," Blake said as Weiss stalked into their room. She had another unpleasant encounter with that Jaune boy. He came from a well-known family, but was nothing like his dignified ancestors. He had the mistaken belief that Weiss had some sort of attraction to him, and was also very, very tenacious. He was also incredibly oblivious, so foolishly not seeing the signals Pyrrha put out there. Sooner or later, the redheaded warrior would have to directly state her feelings. Weiss hoped it was sooner so that Jaune would stop pestering her.

"Hello," she said curtly, making it clear that she had no interest in talking.

"Jaune's nice, isn't he?" Blake asked coyly. She knew how to pull people's strings, how to antagonize them. It was a talent she seemed to reserve solely for Weiss.

"Jaune is the single most annoying boy I've ever known! Nice, you call him. Nice! He's patronizing and stupid," she said, scowling.

"You two look cute together."

"Shut up."

"Why should I? I just want to have a conversation." Weiss could feel her heart beating faster and her blood pressure rising.

"Because I have work to do. Unlike you, who seems to only have time for useless literature, I want to do something with my life. And the higher my grades, the greater the opportunities I have."

"Studying for the day when you'll be in charge of the Schnee Dust Company?"

"No!" Weiss snapped. Blake's sly smile grew at her outburst.

"So you're saying you don't intend to live up to your family's expectations?"

"I'm a human being. I'll make my own choices in life, regardless of what they think."

"I wouldn't have pegged you for a rebellious daughter. It seems odd, considering how intent you are on defending your family's name. Surely, you know the things I say aren't lies."

"There's truth to your words, but they aren't your parents, are they? I know them well, and I know they're not who you think they are. Besides, the Schnee Dust Company helps many more than it hurts, what with its constant shipping of Dust and eagerness to work with many different companies." Blake chuckled.

"Children are often inclined to believe what their parents say, regardless of whether it's true or not." Weiss snarled at her calm roommate, reading her book as though she hadn't even started a heated conversation.

"Are you saying I'm being fooled by my parents? Why would they possibly lie to me, who is set to inherit everything they own and discover everything they know?"

"Because they know you have no intention of doing so. You're not exactly good at hiding your emotions, Weiss."

"At least I have emotions! You're robotic! You seem to switch between quiet and antagonistic at the push of a button!" Blake didn't react at all. Weiss could clearly see her face behind her book, and absolutely nothing moved. She didn't even bother looking up.

"You should really know all of the facts before making accusations without substantial evidence to back them up."

"I make accusations based on what I've observed, just as you do."

"But you haven't observed everything."

"I'm not going to be the Watson to your Holmes. I know what I'm talking about."

"Do you really? I remember the first day we met, when I made some factual accusations about your family and their business decisions. Do you remember how you responded?" Weiss seethed, her hand gripping Myrtenaster like she was strangling it. She remembered how she responded: by not responding at all.

"I was caught off-guard!"

"You seem to be caught off-guard quite often." Blake was clearly enjoying herself. The grin on her face was plain for Weiss to see, and it made her boil with rage. She wanted to cut the impertinent girl's book in half on the spot. She wanted to say something that would shut her up. But Weiss knew she couldn't. She knew she was outmatched. But she wouldn't let on. Weiss was determined to keep quiet but stay forceful to intimidate Blake. That was her only chance of winning.

"And you seem to be right there when it happens. Why are you so focused on me?" Weiss asked calmly, sure she'd found a chink in Blake's armor. She hadn't.

"Don't be so self-obsessed. You're my teammate, I have to work with you. Getting to know you is just something I need to do so I can figure out how you work and how to read you. That way, in a fight, I can work well with you and anticipate your movements." Weiss knew that was a lie. Blake was aware she knew, and that was why she said it. She just wanted to keep antagonizing Weiss, and she was succeeding. However, Blake did herself wonder why she was so intent on toying with Weiss, but she managed to ignore the question in her head.

"You...you...you...Gah! You're so frustrating! I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company! I deserve some respect!"

"You said you have no intention of inheriting the company. Your title is meaningless if you don't take advantage of it. And even if you were intent on becoming the head of the company, why should I treat you differently from everyone else? All beings are created equal, after all," Blake said with irksome complacency. Weiss was steaming, feeling ready to forget the book and cut Blake herself in half.

"It's simple courtesy! You should show respect to those of higher standing than you!"

"And do you know how those of higher standing repay the respect of the people they believe to be 'lower' than them? With contempt and cruelty." As Blake spoke, Weiss noticed a change. Blake spat out her words as opposed to speaking in her smooth, velvety voice that indicated her control over the situation.

"You don't seem to have all the facts, do you?" Weiss asked, smiling slightly.

"Of course I do. Just by saying you deserve better treatment than those around you simply for your social standing despite the fact that there are others clearly more worthy of respect than you are, you've defeated your own purpose." And with that, Weiss lost whatever advantage she thought she had. Blake, despite her bitterness regarding the subject, was still in control. Weiss' smile faded.

"I'm not like my parents!" Weiss screamed. Blake smiled.

"Your parents?"

"I-I said they weren't perfect! This doesn't prove anything!"

"You don't sound sure," was the coy reply. Weiss lowered her head. She had nothing to say, no words to throw back at Blake. Her anger was turning to depression and doubt. It felt wrong now, her defense of her family. Did she really know what they were doing? Did she know she was right? Did she really deserve respect? And did Blake really deserve her contempt?

"Weiss..."

"Please just stop talking," she said to Blake. The girl then put down her book. As Weiss stared at her desk, feeling defeated, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She looked at the black-haired girl.

"W-What?"

"I shouldn't have pushed you. You're not like your parents. You've proven that in the forest." Weiss kept staring, dumbfounded.

"What's with this change?"

"I...I just projected some of my feelings for your parents and for authority onto you. It was immature, and I made things too personal." With that, Blake walked away, leaving the heiress alone to think about what happened. She thought back to every exchange she had with Blake. She thought about her skill in battle, her intelligence and logical thought. She worked well with everyone, especially Weiss herself. She was smart and tricky. She had a strong sense of justice and a belief that no one was better than anyone else. What's more, she'd apologized to Weiss and forfeited her victory. At that moment, Weiss felt a foreign feeling, something she'd never felt, at least not for a long, long time. Maybe it was admiration. Maybe it was sympathy. Maybe it was camaraderie. Maybe it was all of the above, or maybe it was something more. Blake wasn't who Weiss thought she was. She was much, much more.

WRITING ROMANTIC STORIES ISN'T REALLY MY AREA, ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M WRITING FOR TWO CHARACTERS WHO DON'T HAVE A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP, BUT I FIGURED I SHOULD GIVE IT A GO, SINCE WEISS AND BLAKE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING RELATIONSHIPS I'VE EVER SEEN. THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR, YET SO DIFFERENT. I READ SOME GREAT WEISSxBLAKE STORIES, AND I DECIDED I HAD TO TRY TO PUT A SPIN OF MY OWN ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THE YURI IS PRETTY SUBTLE, BUT IT'S THERE. HOPEFULLY PEOPLE ENJOY IT. ALSO, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN WEISS AND BLAKE, WHERE WEISS IS BEING TOTALLY DEFEATED BY BLAKE AND HER SOUND LOGIC. I REALLY HOPE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS IN THE SHOW. IF IT DOES, IT'LL HAVE WAY BETTER WRITING THAN MY VERSION OF THEIR HEATED DEBATE.