In Plain Sight

Velvet tried, really she did not to laugh as Weiss continued a pattern of looking over to see her older sister had worn, not exactly a dress, but still very clearly dressed to impress the vampire they’d recently met, and then holding her tongue before she looked vaguely ill and then repeated the process. 

“It’s not my fault!” Weiss protested as they waited in line, ‘as was proper’. “I’ve been training to kill monsters since high-school,” Weiss muttered lowly enough so only Velvet could really hear her. 

“You didn’t kill me though,” Velvet protested as Weiss fixed her with a stern look. 

“Whatever you may be, you are NOT a monster. You are my precious friend, and as soon as we finish this conversation with Coco then you and Ruby are both mine. 

A shame you can’t remember manhandling Cardin though. I’m sure you’d appreciate it,” Weiss commented as she gave Velvet a gentle kiss to the forehead that Weiss was sure would cause her ears to flutter if they hadn’t been restrained under her hair band. 

“It’s a bit sad Ruby had to show up before we did to get all her testing supplies in,” Velvet said even as she moved ahead with Winter in the line. 

“It is, but it makes sense Cinder would have to give her permission to bring in what are ‘technical’ weapons and her other supplies.”

“You seem agitated,” Velvet said, leaving the statement open so Weiss could pick up and speak if she wanted. 

“I can already tell there are plenty of …them around,” Weiss said shortly, leaving no room for doubt who ‘them’ might be. 

“I’ll keep you safe,” Velvet teased impishly as she took her hand. 

“You’re rather bold tonight,” Weiss observed with an amused smirk playing at the edge of her lips. 

“I think I’m just excited that there’s not really any more secrets between us, and if everything goes well then…you know,” Velvet said with a light blush. 

Weiss merely hummed in agreement as they moved up the line. Sure enough the man at the door appeared to know who Winter was and when she gestured to the other two behind her he let them in without any further hold up. 

Winter appeared to know where to go as she led them towards the office area at the side, which lined up with Weiss’s guess from before about it being the area with no skylight. 

Thankfully once the door closed behind them the sound decreased drastically proving it was soundproofed in some way. Weiss could only guess based on the look on Velvet’s face that she wasn’t overly fond of how loud it was. 

“This is Mercury. A ghoul. If he continues his service then in a few years times I’ll make sure he’s embraced into a full fledged vampire once the situation is settled and the ratio is more in balance,” Cinder introduced a grey-haired man at the other side of the room who gave a quick wave as Ruby was hard at work examining his blood. 

“You’ve performed admirably. Continue your work for the rest of the night and I’ll see to it you’re rewarded with extra blood after your shift,” Cinder promised as the man smirked and prepared to leave with a cocky salute before the office door burst open and Cardin walked in like he owned the place with his little friends. 

“Well, well look at the bitch who thinks she matters cause she’s got a vampire boss,” Cardin greeted Cinder before he looked at the rest of the room’s occupants and smirked. 

“Didn’t move on from the animal after all,” Cardin mocked but was interrupted as Mercury gave him a hard shove toward the door that only moved him a few steps before Cardin lashed out and knocked him into Ruby and the table of equipment.

“Don’t forget your place, bloodbag,” Cardin smirked as Weiss and Velvet went to help Ruby, and by extension Mercury up from the floor. 

“Mr. Winchester, you've been warned before about your behavior. The club is neutral territory. I’m sure your sire, or boss would be displeased to hear of you acting in such a manner to sully their reputation, or more importantly their plans” Cinder said all business but without making mention of any of her numerous abilities. 

Cardin ignored her until she mentioned plans and then flinched. “Enjoy your neutrality ,” Cardin spat, “while you can. Soon enough you and the rest are gonna be reminded of why you should have joined the winning team!”

“So you’ve said. Now from what I hear through the grapevine you were all thoroughly manhandled last night by Miss Scarlatina. If you desire I can give her permission to pummel you into submission again for your rudeness, and if you think your sire will step in to protect you for something you started then you’re a fool,” Cinder taunted as Cardin growled and look at Velvet with hate in his eyes. 

“You got lucky animal. You can thank your Schnee bitch for the idea. Next time I see you out and about you’re getting two shots of silver right in the head!” Cardin said miming shooting his own head before turning to Ruby who was being helped up. 

“And don’t think I forgot what I promised you either!”

“Hey asshole, that's my friend,” an annoyed voice startled the room's occupants as a brown-haired, beret wearing woman decked Cardin across the jaw knocking him back a step. 

Coco smirked with her hands on her hips as she looked at the vampire. 

Before his cronies could do anything several more of what Weiss were sure were some manner of employee filed into the room, with several of them being vampires. 

“Is there an issue, Miss Fall?” A very tall and absurdly well built man asked from the door. 

“No, Hazel. Mr Winchester were just leaving although they’re now officially banned for the next week. If they try to get in before then make sure they regret it,” Cinder ordered the man who nodded. 

“Come on then,” Hazel said putting his finger on Cardin’s shoulder who went to brush off his hand before he winced as Hazel squeezed gently, for him, and his lackeys followed. 

“If you need to have a private conversation there’s a study back that way. Don’t take the books out of this room, or you WILL regret it,” Cinder said as she pointed to a door at the back and shooed them that way. 

“I’ll see about getting you some clothes or something to change into, little red,” Cinder muttered before she turned to look at Mercury. 

“Stay inside. I don’t trust those idiots not to try something thinking it’s sending a message. We’ll get you fed before you leave for the night,” Cinder dismissed the man who left with a nod. 

“We should probably have a talk huh?” Velvet asked awkwardly as Coco sighed and removed her sunglasses. 

“Yeah probably. You good for doing it now Velv?” Coco asked softly although she did flick her eyes to Weiss in suspicion. 

“Yes I think we need to,” Velvet replied as she looked to Weiss and cast a glance at Ruby who was trying to salvage her supplies even as she cast a look over at them from time to time. 

“We’ll be out here if you need us,” Weiss said resolutely.  

“Well then. After you?” Coco asked as she held out an arm to escort her to the other room. 

Weiss watched them go with a frown and fought the urge to chase after them. 

Winter gently put her hand on her shoulder in support for a moment before she went over to the desk and Weiss ignored the way Cinder eyed her up appreciatively. 

“Did you find out anything about his blood?” Weiss finally decided to ask even as she kept her eyes on the door Velvet had gone through. 

“Oh yeah. It’s interesting. So first of all…”

Velvet let Coco gently escort her to the study table and sat down as Coco took the seat across from her. 

“So how have you been?” Coco asked, seeming to actually be curious. 

“Pretty great actually,” Velvet admitted. “Mostly.” 

“Probably has to do with one of them out there I imagine. Not my boss, and clearly-” Coco was interrupted. 

“Wait! What do you know?” Velvet asked hurriedly. 

“If you’re asking if I’m aware of all the crazy shit that goes on then, mostly,” Coco said as she tipped her beret before taking off her glasses and sighing. 

“So are you a…vampire?” Velvet asked delicately. 

“Not right now no. Right now my girlfriend Emerald is, but she doesn’t have permission to embrace anyone at the moment so I’m kinda like that other guy,” Coco explained. 

“Permission?”

“Yeah they don’t have a lot of rules and laws, but you aren’t allowed to just make vampires willy nilly, and if you do then you get hunted down and destroyed. While vampires are better than humans like in a normal fight there’s way more humans, and like nukes are a thing that I’m sure even older vampires would die from, or some shit,” Coco said. 

“So how does she get permission?” Velvet asked, glad to put off the potentially awkward conversation for a while. 

“She has to prove she’s an asset and she’ll be allowed to pick someone to ‘sire’. It has something to do with only having so many vampires per human in an area. Some math or something that shows the optimal amount ratio. I just know she’s gotta and is doing a lot of work for this so I’m doing my best for her too. Making money so she can focus on her own stuff.”

“It sounds like you’re happy,” Velvet offered. 

Coco sighed. “Yeah I think I am. I don’t know what your deal is though. Are you a vampire too or what?”

“Ah no…not exactly,” Velvet demurred as she took off her hair band and her ears sprang to attention. 

“Holy shit that’s adorable,” Coco said as she blinked at them. 

“Yeah it’s why I never stayed over when the full moon was coming up,” Velvet admitted. 

“That makes sense. Not sure I’d have known what to think at the time. Have you always been a…whatever you are?” Coco asked curiously. 

“No, well I mean I was born as one but it didn’t really awaken in me until later.  It only really started in my last year of high-school. It was...strange.”

Coco snorted. “I bet. So did your mom tell you all about this or?”

“Just some of it, I lost her before she could and just found a journal with a few things she had written down to talk to me about so I still have a lot of questions I don’t have an answer to.”

“You…didn’t tell me you lost your mom,” Coco said, sounding hurt. 

“I didn’t tell anyone but Weiss, although I should probably tell Ruby,” Velvet began before she took a deep breath. 

“You’re an amazing person Coco,” Velvet said sincerely as she grabbed one of her outstretched hands and squeezed. “In another life without all this weirdness, or maybe some different weirdness I could easily see us going around the world and doing cool missions, or making you a fashion idol.”

“But this? Well it’s not that life is it?” Coco asked rhetorically as she gently held her hand and turned it over and really looked at it as if trying to imprint the look and feel of it forever. 

“No, no it’s not. I tried so very hard to love you like you loved me, but every time I tried I’d get hurt and I’d see Weiss and Ruby although I hadn’t met her at the time.”

“See them?”

“Just get an impression for Ruby but for Weiss I’d see her. Apparently it’s a normal thing for rabbits, or were-creatures to have one or a small group they belong to and kinda never stray from,” Velvet answered with a blush. 

“So I never had a chance from the start. Shame,” Coco said sadly although clearly trying to joke. 

“I didn’t mean or want to lead you on. I promise!”

“Velv. Babe I know. You wouldn’t be you if you had a mean bone in your body, Cardin notwithstanding, but he’s always had a punchable face if you ask me,” Coco joked. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was as much my fault as yours. I knew something was bothering you but I kinda went through every other way of trying to fix or ignore it aside from talking to you directly. I had a feeling there was something coming between us and knowing it’s not something you can control makes me feel better about things,” Coco admitted as she turned slightly teary eyes to her. 

“Coco…”

“I can’t say I’m happy about how things ended, and it took me a while, but I did move on. Emerald is really great actually despite how she can come across sometimes. The other two. They make you happy right?” Coco asked. 

“Ruby, the doctor, told me we needed to fix this between us before we tried anything but I feel content, and not restless when I’m with them. Like I’m home if that makes sense.”

“Yeah it does,” Coco said leaning back in her chair and sat in silence for a minute. 

“We’re still friends right?” Velvet asked softly as if afraid that speaking too loudly would change the answer. 

Coco smiled sadly. “Yeah. We are. You ever need a meathead punched in the face, you come to me if your arm candy isn’t there.”

“Coco!” Velvet whined, scandalized. 

“What? All I’m saying is you know how to pick ‘em. Why don’t you tell me all about the adorable things you three have and are gonna get up to?” Coco joked as Velvet buried her face in her hands. 

“That’s very interesting,” Cinder said as she leaned back in her chair as Ruby finished her explanation. 

“It’s good to know there is some difference between us at least,” Winter mused. 

“So we’re like a ghoul but without servitude or a need for blood?” Weiss asked to clarify. 

“Yes and no. No servitude that I can tell but you do have enough vampire blood in you that even diluted it puts you closer to a higher generation than a human. Not exactly a ghoul or thin-blood. It’s kinda a mix,” Ruby explained. 

“I don’t understand. You said with ghouls they can burn through what they have or rather they need a ‘top up’ from time to time?” Weiss asked toward Cinder who nodded. 

“Typically it depends on the ghoul and all that but generally at least once a month, or more if they’re recovering from wounds more often,” Cinder supplied as she listened to the doctor. 

“So where and how are you getting that blood?” Ruby asked. 

“You said it was almost infused like an experiment or even part of them or something right?” Cinder asked and Ruby nodded. 

“Without doing any sort of actual surgery I can only guess really.  It’s like there’s some sort of extra organ or storage that just dispenses vampire blood when needed or maybe just at a steady pace.

If I had to guess it was placed there a long time ago, but how or by who I couldn’t say without opening you up and uh that seems bad. I don’t know if there’s a trap or something that could trigger if I do it. This is kinda out of normal medical science range so I’m going blind here, and this is just a guess although I would think most hospitals would notice an extra organ,” Ruby admitted. “Don’t forget I could be wrong too, I'm just guessing without more extensive testing.”

“I’ve…always felt an aversion to going to hospitals at all,” Weiss admitted. “I’ve only gone a few times in my entire life.”

“I am much the same way,” Winter admitted. 

“How do you guys recover from fighting vampires, and stuff then?” Ruby asked. “Because while you heal faster than normal I have to imagine fighting vampires isn’t exactly an easy or painless process.”

“Typically we have a few ‘doctors’ that are in the know who come over to help treat us for more extensive injuries, or we just sleep it off as best we can. We had extensive first aid and emergency injuries training.”

Cinder turned to look at Winter who nodded to confirm her sister’s statement. 

“Sounds almost like a subconscious order then, but it’s done in such a way that you can do it, but your mind makes up a logical reason you shouldn’t which means less chance of it being discovered,” Cinder mused. 

“Is there a way to find out who’s doing that to them?” Ruby asked worriedly even as Weiss grabbed her arm and gave the kind woman a squeeze. 

“I mean…in theory, but like you said without getting a look at what’s actually going on I wouldn’t want to trigger a dead man’s switch or something.”

“There has to be some way to figure out what’s going on with us! I refuse to be a vampire’s puppet, or whatever else might have been done to us!” Weiss angrily declared. 

“Can you think of anything else that’s weird that could give us a lead?” Cinder asked as she started gently rocking her chair to relieve some tension that had built up. 

Weiss took in a sharp breath of air as she looked uncomfortably to Winter who had the same look on her own face. 

“We…” Winter trailed off. 

“We have memory problems from certain early parts of our lives. Attempting to remember them specifically causes pain that gets worse until we stop trying,” Weiss picked up. 

“Yes, and it’s much like a half remembered dream. It just slips through our fingers as we try. And also most of our memories of our mother before she vanished are much the same,” Winter admitted. 

“What can you remember from her?” Ruby asked curiously as she rubbed a hand over Weiss’s back to help the tense hunter. 

“Our training is crystal clear,” Weiss offered. 

“Early memories from before we became or were introduced to what we know appear untouched. I can still remember her leading me through the gardens,” Winter said wistfully. 

“The older I get the less I seem to recall not training related and her journals are another problem,” Weiss admitted. 

“How so?” Cinder asked as she leaned forward in interest. 

“Most of the basic journals we have are fine. The ones that teach us how to hunt, what works, and doesn’t work. It’s her personal journals that are the issue. Mother was a prodigious note taker. She felt that with such a dangerous line of work it would behoove her to keep a constant journal about everything she could think of,” Winter explained. 

“The problem is that her journals basically stop about a few years or so from the time she vanished even though I’m sure I remember seeing her continuing to write in them beforehand,” Weiss said with a pained look on her face. 

“She did so she either took them with her or they were removed so-” Winter gasped sharply and collapsed to the ground, or would have if Cinder hadn’t moved around to catch her as her legs stopped supporting her. 

“Ok. No more thinking about this. Leave it to this vampire alright? I have connections. I know your name, and I have people I can use for this to look into it,” Cinder said as she gently held onto Weiss’s older sister. 

“It must be really weird for you huh?” Ruby asked Weiss quietly. 

“That I can’t remember parts of my past, that I’m some pawn in a vampire's twisted game, or anything else take your pick,” Weiss sniped then softened when Ruby flinched. 

“I actually meant about seeing your sister being cared for by your ‘sworn’ enemy. You can’t really say she looks like an evil monster like that can you?” Ruby asked as she nodded toward Cinder who was cooing to Winter as her trembling subsided with her hand on her forehead. 

“No. I can’t, and it’s…also not helping my equilibrium,” Weiss admitted. “You seem pretty invested in trying to fix things.”

Ruby shrugged with a small smile. “I just don’t like it when people let stuff come between them. I like it when people talk things out or come to understandings. It makes me happy and content. It hurts when I see people and can’t help them come to terms with things.”

“Is that why you became a doctor?” Weiss asked, curious to learn more about the woman she’d felt attracted to almost as soon as she’d met her. 

“Partly. It was also to carry on a dream. My…best friend, and first girlfriend,” Ruby said sadly. 

“Is she?” 

“Murdered. They never caught the killer. One day she was here, and the next?” Ruby shrugged helplessly. “Gone. All I have to remember her by is the memories we shared, a book she lent me once that I forgot to give her back and some clothes. I don’t even have any pictures,” Ruby said sadly. 

“I’m sorry,” Weiss said as she pulled the unresisting woman into her arms. 

“It’s ok,” Weiss assured the woman in her arms even as her shoulders shook until they were joined by another pair of arms Weiss would recognize anywhere. 

Weiss looked up and saw ‘Coco’ look toward them looking almost conflicted for a moment before she gave Weiss a respectful nod which Weiss returned as Coco left the room. 

“I just always thought there would be more time you know?” Ruby said morosely before she took a small step back so Velvet could fit more snugly in the circle. 

“I just always want to do my best to help people. Whether that’s a blood donation, writing them a prescription to make their lives better, or asking people to talk things out with an ex,” Ruby said looking at Velvet to try and convey how important this was for her. 

“Damn you’re way too nice kid,” Cinder said as she joined them supporting Winter who was still looking a bit pale, or rather more so than usual. 

“If I can help make the world a better place than why not yeah? It’s what my parents would have done!”

“You two are definitely gonna need to make sure she doesn’t try to make friends with a Tzimisce,” Cinder advised until she saw their confused faces. “Flesh shapers. They use blood magic, and regular stuff to twist, and deform humans, and even vampires into…just don’t try and make friends with any of them no matter how polite they seem.”

“Noted,” Weiss said before she turned to Ruby. “No talking things out with insane vampires,” Weiss ordered the woman who merely giggled prompting a raised eyebrow. 

“So I can talk with the sane ones? That’s character growth Weiss!” Ruby said jovially until Weiss pushed her into a giggling Velvet’s arms. 

“I can’t believe we’re stuck together,” Weiss whined although it was more clear she was more annoyed at herself and the truth of Ruby’s statement than the doctor herself. 

“Come on Weiss,” Velvet said with a shy smile as she put her hand back out. 

In response Weiss merely patted the couch she’d sunk into not wanting to move. Ruby grabbed Velvet’s arm and they each took up positions on either side of her. 

“Yeah alright whatever. You do that while I start seeing who I can afford to send out on…errands,” Cinder said while looking over at Winter.  

“Again the books don’t leave this room if you value your life. Something about this is tickling the back of my mind so I’ll do some research later,” Cinder offered. 

“That’d be great thanks! Especially since you ate my chips,” Ruby complained. 

“You’re a doctor, deal with it.” 

“Do you guys want to talk now, or just kinda ‘vibe it’?” Ruby asked as she laid on Weiss’s lap. 

“Who says vibe it?” Weiss chortled. 

“Didn’t you get made fun of by an Elder vampire for speaking like an old person?” Velvet teased Weiss as Ruby opened an eye to look at her. 

“No way. What’d she say, Velvet?” Ruby asked eagerly. 

Weiss whined. This had all been a terrible idea.