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Description
Weiss couldn’t explain the smile she always felt when she saw the two sisters came in for their usual orders of heart attacks. She remembered how she first met them. She had applied to work at the little coffee shop to get away from her family and because she knew Blake was there. Knowing someone on the inside was usually a good way to get into a new job, or so she had read. Weiss had hoped to get an interview at least, but part of her was afraid her family would squelch her desire to do something other than what they dictated to her. So when the call came, the young heiress immediately agreed to the earliest time to meet with the café’s owner before anyone could stop her. Weiss had to sneak out of her own house to make the appointment on time.
Halfway through the interview, which had been filled with mundane questions like “Why did you apply here?” and “What do you see as your greatest weaknesses?” the door opened, and suddenly the whole area seemed a little brighter. Weiss had her back to the door, but Port looked over her shoulder and muttered, “Those two again.”
The heiress frowned and considered the deviation from the interview to be unprofessional, but it also gave her a chance to sate her growing curiosity. She turned and caught a glimpse of two young women walking to the counter. One was dressed in a dirty pair of shoes, wrinkled blue jeans, and a faded red hoodie. Her hair was cut to frame one side of her face and had red tips. The other girl, however… Weiss swallowed. She forced herself to remember why she was there.
Port started, “So the next ques—”
The blonde girl let out a loud whistle. “Hey Mr. Port, who’s that? Isn’t she a little young for you?”
Port’s eyes darkened underneath his bushy eyebrows. “Ms. Xiao Long, I would thank you for not terrorizing my perspective employees.”
Weiss noticed a spark in the blonde’s lilac eyes, which sent a shiver up her spine. Ms. Xiao Long raised a hand at Blake, who had been preparing the redhead’s order. “Then let’s see how much of a coffee slinger she really is.” She gave Weiss an amused smirk. “Hey, princess. I’ll have a coffee.”
“Ms. Xiao Long, I am going to have to ask you to leave if you don—”
“Coming right up.” Weiss left the startled Port and stomped around the counter, aware that everyone in the café was watching her. She cleared her throat and took a moment to take in her surroundings. Blake leaned against the counter, arms folded. Weiss knew the black-haired girl wouldn’t let her destroy the work area and would probably answer any questions. Emboldened by the thrill of the challenge, Weiss looked at the blonde and asked, “What size?”
Ms. Xiao Long shrugged. “Surprise me. Though I hear small things are full of flavor.”
Was that a comment on her height? Weiss clenched her jaw and forced herself to not vault over the counter to thrash the arrogant blonde. Instead, she grabbed a medium-sized cup and filled it with the strongest coffee that had been brewed. Weiss made sure to leave room at the top of the mug. Then she grabbed a bottle marked “Espresso” and added several drops.
Weiss looked around the counter and saw a packet for a spicy, cinnamon topping. She picked it up and put it aside. She turned to Blake and asked, “Where’s the whipped cream?”
“Gettin’ fancy for me? And here I only wore these old rags,” Ms. Xiao Long teased.
Blake rolled her eyes at the blonde’s comment and pointed, far too interested in the drama to bother speaking. Weiss saw the container and added a healthy layer to the top of the coffee. Then she added the cinnamon and put a lid on top of the concoction.
“Here,” Weiss said, using every ounce of her willpower to keep herself from slamming the cup on the counter.
Ms. Xiao Long picked up the cup and took a long drink. When she put the cup down, the blonde thought for a moment, which afforded everyone in the café a much-longed-for break from her boisterous attitude, before saying, “Sloppy, but it’s sweet and with one hell of a bite.” Ms. Xiao Long winked and added, “I’ll be back for one just like it tomorrow, princess.”
“My name is Weiss,” the heiress said and crossed her arms. “And I’ll be waiting.”
Weiss blinked a few times, forcing her mind back into the present. At least it had been a slow shift, which was odd for a morning shift. That also meant that she was horribly bored. The entire store had been cleaned from top to bottom, meaning that the only thing she could do was daydream. However, before she could think about the next time she had to deal with Ruby and Yang, the little bell over the door rang.
The heiress forced herself to stand up straighter and turned to see who had come in. As if her thoughts had summoned them, Ruby and Yang had appeared. Ruby’s shoulders were hunched, which was something Weiss had noticed a lot from the younger girl lately. Yang wore her usual grin. Weiss felt her face heat up. She cleared her throat and asked, “Same as always?”
“You know it, Weissy,” Yang said. She leaned on the counter and Weiss frowned. The blonde was wearing a tank top underneath her leather jacket.
“Yeah, me too,” Ruby muttered. The younger girl was wearing her usual hoodie, but this time she had pulled the red hood up. It was strange to see the energetic girl being so reserved, Weiss thought as she prepared the two drinks.
None of the group spoke as Weiss worked. She could hear the two sisters moving behind her, and she imagined that they were making some sort of joke behind her back. Weiss felt pinpricks running up her neck while her mind ran through the possibilities. However, there wasn’t any giggling when the movement stopped. Weiss let herself release the breath she had been holding and turned around, expecting to catch the two in the middle of some awful prank. However, nothing had changed.
Yang looked at the cup in Weiss’s hand and said, “Make mine to go.”
Weiss raised an eyebrow. She felt like the room had gotten a little colder. “Really?”
“Yep. Gotta get going to work.”
“Well… okay.” Weiss poured the drink into a stainless steel travel cup. She wasn’t sure if there was a better way to present the drink, but she knew that Yang would be the last person to complain. And if the boisterous blonde was in such a hurry, she would probably appreciate the speedy service.
“Uh, one of the cardboard cups would’ve worked,” Yang said.
Weiss snapped back to the present and realized what she had just done. She put the mug on the counter and glared at the blonde. “Since you’re spending so much time at work, you should keep a portable cup so you don’t keep wasting ours. Besides, there’s a discount if you bring in a reusable mug.”
Yang’s momentary confusion evaporated, replaced with her usual grin. “Thanks, but is the mug gonna cost me extra?”
“I’ll pay for it this time.”
“Awesome! Thanks, snow pea!” Yang deposited her money on the counter and scooped up her drink. She was gone before the new, awful nickname sunk in.
“Never call me that again!” Weiss shouted at the closed door. She imagined the blonde would be grinning all the way to work.
“So,” Ruby said, almost making Weiss jump out of her skin. She had forgotten the redhead was there. “How are you?”
Weiss put a hand on her temple. “I am trying to ignore the headache that your sister just gave me.”
Ruby offered a weak smile. “She means well.”
It wasn’t news to Weiss. She had spent enough time with Yang to know all about the blonde’s manners. Or lack thereof. What was new was Ruby’s choice of seats. Usually the redhead sat at the table in the corner where she could read. However, lately the younger girl had been sitting at the counter. Perhaps the change didn’t mean much, but the redhead had been acting nervously whenever Weiss was around. The contradictory behavior had started to become annoying, especially when the heiress saw Ruby talking to Blake like nothing was wrong.
Weiss squared her shoulders. The location was bare of others. Perhaps Ruby would like to talk.
“Hey Weiss, what are you doing this Friday?” Ruby blurted.
The heiress’s vision suddenly started to spin. She gripped the counter, hopefully without alerting Ruby. It was just like the last time when Ruby asked if she wanted to go on an outing. Weiss took several deep breaths and asked, “Why?”
“Well.” The younger girl paused and brought her lips close to the edge of her mug. Combined with the red hood, Weiss could not see any part of Ruby’s face except for her eyes. “I was wondering if you’d like to have a sleepover at my house,” Ruby quickly said.
“A sleepover?” Weiss repeated. The light-headedness dissipated as she processed the request. It didn’t surprise her that Ruby would be the one to suggest something so innocent. It also provided her an opportunity to not be home for a night. Plus, if she went back to their house, she could finally find out what was going on. Weiss ignored the faint stirring in her heart and said, “Alright.”
The way Ruby’s eyes lit up made the biggest firework display look like a sparkler. In the sudden torrent coming from the redhead’s mouth about all the fun things they could do, Weiss found the ability to smile. Ruby was acting just like her old self again, and hopefully on Saturday morning, everything would go back to normal.

Description
Weiss couldn’t explain the smile she always felt when she saw the two sisters came in for their usual orders of heart attacks. She remembered how she first met them. She had applied to work at the little coffee shop to get away from her family and because she knew Blake was there. Knowing someone on the inside was usually a good way to get into a new job, or so she had read. Weiss had hoped to get an interview at least, but part of her was afraid her family would squelch her desire to do something other than what they dictated to her. So when the call came, the young heiress immediately agreed to the earliest time to meet with the café’s owner before anyone could stop her. Weiss had to sneak out of her own house to make the appointment on time.
Halfway through the interview, which had been filled with mundane questions like “Why did you apply here?” and “What do you see as your greatest weaknesses?” the door opened, and suddenly the whole area seemed a little brighter. Weiss had her back to the door, but Port looked over her shoulder and muttered, “Those two again.”
The heiress frowned and considered the deviation from the interview to be unprofessional, but it also gave her a chance to sate her growing curiosity. She turned and caught a glimpse of two young women walking to the counter. One was dressed in a dirty pair of shoes, wrinkled blue jeans, and a faded red hoodie. Her hair was cut to frame one side of her face and had red tips. The other girl, however… Weiss swallowed. She forced herself to remember why she was there.
Port started, “So the next ques—”
The blonde girl let out a loud whistle. “Hey Mr. Port, who’s that? Isn’t she a little young for you?”
Port’s eyes darkened underneath his bushy eyebrows. “Ms. Xiao Long, I would thank you for not terrorizing my perspective employees.”
Weiss noticed a spark in the blonde’s lilac eyes, which sent a shiver up her spine. Ms. Xiao Long raised a hand at Blake, who had been preparing the redhead’s order. “Then let’s see how much of a coffee slinger she really is.” She gave Weiss an amused smirk. “Hey, princess. I’ll have a coffee.”
“Ms. Xiao Long, I am going to have to ask you to leave if you don—”
“Coming right up.” Weiss left the startled Port and stomped around the counter, aware that everyone in the café was watching her. She cleared her throat and took a moment to take in her surroundings. Blake leaned against the counter, arms folded. Weiss knew the black-haired girl wouldn’t let her destroy the work area and would probably answer any questions. Emboldened by the thrill of the challenge, Weiss looked at the blonde and asked, “What size?”
Ms. Xiao Long shrugged. “Surprise me. Though I hear small things are full of flavor.”
Was that a comment on her height? Weiss clenched her jaw and forced herself to not vault over the counter to thrash the arrogant blonde. Instead, she grabbed a medium-sized cup and filled it with the strongest coffee that had been brewed. Weiss made sure to leave room at the top of the mug. Then she grabbed a bottle marked “Espresso” and added several drops.
Weiss looked around the counter and saw a packet for a spicy, cinnamon topping. She picked it up and put it aside. She turned to Blake and asked, “Where’s the whipped cream?”
“Gettin’ fancy for me? And here I only wore these old rags,” Ms. Xiao Long teased.
Blake rolled her eyes at the blonde’s comment and pointed, far too interested in the drama to bother speaking. Weiss saw the container and added a healthy layer to the top of the coffee. Then she added the cinnamon and put a lid on top of the concoction.
“Here,” Weiss said, using every ounce of her willpower to keep herself from slamming the cup on the counter.
Ms. Xiao Long picked up the cup and took a long drink. When she put the cup down, the blonde thought for a moment, which afforded everyone in the café a much-longed-for break from her boisterous attitude, before saying, “Sloppy, but it’s sweet and with one hell of a bite.” Ms. Xiao Long winked and added, “I’ll be back for one just like it tomorrow, princess.”
“My name is Weiss,” the heiress said and crossed her arms. “And I’ll be waiting.”
Weiss blinked a few times, forcing her mind back into the present. At least it had been a slow shift, which was odd for a morning shift. That also meant that she was horribly bored. The entire store had been cleaned from top to bottom, meaning that the only thing she could do was daydream. However, before she could think about the next time she had to deal with Ruby and Yang, the little bell over the door rang.
The heiress forced herself to stand up straighter and turned to see who had come in. As if her thoughts had summoned them, Ruby and Yang had appeared. Ruby’s shoulders were hunched, which was something Weiss had noticed a lot from the younger girl lately. Yang wore her usual grin. Weiss felt her face heat up. She cleared her throat and asked, “Same as always?”
“You know it, Weissy,” Yang said. She leaned on the counter and Weiss frowned. The blonde was wearing a tank top underneath her leather jacket.
“Yeah, me too,” Ruby muttered. The younger girl was wearing her usual hoodie, but this time she had pulled the red hood up. It was strange to see the energetic girl being so reserved, Weiss thought as she prepared the two drinks.
None of the group spoke as Weiss worked. She could hear the two sisters moving behind her, and she imagined that they were making some sort of joke behind her back. Weiss felt pinpricks running up her neck while her mind ran through the possibilities. However, there wasn’t any giggling when the movement stopped. Weiss let herself release the breath she had been holding and turned around, expecting to catch the two in the middle of some awful prank. However, nothing had changed.
Yang looked at the cup in Weiss’s hand and said, “Make mine to go.”
Weiss raised an eyebrow. She felt like the room had gotten a little colder. “Really?”
“Yep. Gotta get going to work.”
“Well… okay.” Weiss poured the drink into a stainless steel travel cup. She wasn’t sure if there was a better way to present the drink, but she knew that Yang would be the last person to complain. And if the boisterous blonde was in such a hurry, she would probably appreciate the speedy service.
“Uh, one of the cardboard cups would’ve worked,” Yang said.
Weiss snapped back to the present and realized what she had just done. She put the mug on the counter and glared at the blonde. “Since you’re spending so much time at work, you should keep a portable cup so you don’t keep wasting ours. Besides, there’s a discount if you bring in a reusable mug.”
Yang’s momentary confusion evaporated, replaced with her usual grin. “Thanks, but is the mug gonna cost me extra?”
“I’ll pay for it this time.”
“Awesome! Thanks, snow pea!” Yang deposited her money on the counter and scooped up her drink. She was gone before the new, awful nickname sunk in.
“Never call me that again!” Weiss shouted at the closed door. She imagined the blonde would be grinning all the way to work.
“So,” Ruby said, almost making Weiss jump out of her skin. She had forgotten the redhead was there. “How are you?”
Weiss put a hand on her temple. “I am trying to ignore the headache that your sister just gave me.”
Ruby offered a weak smile. “She means well.”
It wasn’t news to Weiss. She had spent enough time with Yang to know all about the blonde’s manners. Or lack thereof. What was new was Ruby’s choice of seats. Usually the redhead sat at the table in the corner where she could read. However, lately the younger girl had been sitting at the counter. Perhaps the change didn’t mean much, but the redhead had been acting nervously whenever Weiss was around. The contradictory behavior had started to become annoying, especially when the heiress saw Ruby talking to Blake like nothing was wrong.
Weiss squared her shoulders. The location was bare of others. Perhaps Ruby would like to talk.
“Hey Weiss, what are you doing this Friday?” Ruby blurted.
The heiress’s vision suddenly started to spin. She gripped the counter, hopefully without alerting Ruby. It was just like the last time when Ruby asked if she wanted to go on an outing. Weiss took several deep breaths and asked, “Why?”
“Well.” The younger girl paused and brought her lips close to the edge of her mug. Combined with the red hood, Weiss could not see any part of Ruby’s face except for her eyes. “I was wondering if you’d like to have a sleepover at my house,” Ruby quickly said.
“A sleepover?” Weiss repeated. The light-headedness dissipated as she processed the request. It didn’t surprise her that Ruby would be the one to suggest something so innocent. It also provided her an opportunity to not be home for a night. Plus, if she went back to their house, she could finally find out what was going on. Weiss ignored the faint stirring in her heart and said, “Alright.”
The way Ruby’s eyes lit up made the biggest firework display look like a sparkler. In the sudden torrent coming from the redhead’s mouth about all the fun things they could do, Weiss found the ability to smile. Ruby was acting just like her old self again, and hopefully on Saturday morning, everything would go back to normal.