Conflict of Interest - Chapter 10 (Patreon)

“Tell Jared to create a profile on Juliette Higgins,” Weiss told the paralegal walking beside her, who wrote a reminder of the stunningly simple request.

“Have him focus on her relationship with Peter Arellano,” she added since she apparently didn’t need to worry about overloading his memory.  “I need to know if they’ve ever been spotted together.  If so, when, where, and video, if we can get it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

While he rushed off to do as instructed, she shook her head and walked into her office.  Personally, she steered clear of personal drama; it was a distraction, and an unnecessary one at that.  Her job, however, involved an excessive amount of other people’s interpersonal failures.

In this case, the excessively obtuse Alden Dunn was the source of such turmoil.  Apparently, owning several high-class restaurants, raking in credits, and having a beautiful wife wasn’t enough for him.  Instead, he threw caution to the wind and decided that engaging in a ‘purely physical’ relationship with one of the busboys was a brilliant idea.

Clients should hire her before making stupid decisions.  Or they should hire her before making any decisions, period.  Then she could inform them that yes, any relationship with an employee was a risky idea.  And no, it never looked good when that information inevitably got out.

At this point, she could do nothing about his restaurants - he would lose half when his wife inevitably divorced him - but she could keep him out of prison.  Her strategy wasn’t solidified yet, but she would bet a fair sum of credits that the busboy was already in a relationship with the accuser.  Call it an educated guess...or too much experience with the dregs of society.

The police wouldn’t want to hear about a love triangle, but a jury would eat that story up.

“Miss?”

Looking away from her computer, she frowned at the paralegal who just interrupted her.

“What is it?”

“Sorry...but this was just dropped off for you.  The messenger said it was urgent.”

When the girl offered a small package with Weiss’ name typed across the front, Weiss’ annoyance disappeared.

“Thank you.  I’ve been waiting for this.”

Reassured that she’d made the right decision, the girl smiled while backing out of the office and hurrying off to complete her next task.  Yet another wide-eyed paralegal hoping to become an attorney...what she didn’t realize was that less than five percent of her coworkers would become attorneys at all, much less at Bryant & Waters.

But it wasn’t Weiss’ job to provide career counseling to the paralegals.  Instead, she flipped the package over and discovered that it had been sealed with tamper-resistant tape and coated in some sort of electronic binding.  The material probably alerted Ruby when the envelope was opened, which seemed like a great deal of trouble to go through, but Weiss had to admit that the cloak-and-dagger enticed her.

Upon opening the package, she was surprised by another security measure - a fingerprint scanner installed inside the flap.  Even though her first thought was that she shouldn’t surrender her fingerprints so easily, she pressed her index finger to the pad and smiled when it emitted a green light.

Of course Ruby already had her fingerprints. Ruby probably had access to more of her information than that, actually.  Under ordinary circumstances, that would concern her.  Considering Ruby was possibly one of the most honest people in existence, whose concept of ‘evil’ lacked the viciousness to do more than temporarily annoy someone, it was difficult to feel worried.

Having passed the identification test, Weiss reached into the package and pulled out a holomask.  While the small, rectangular device had been removed from its original packaging, it appeared brand new.  It wasn’t one of the cheap ones, either - it was one of the high-end, stylish versions.

Weiss never fully understood the purpose of ‘designer’ holomasks considering their entire purpose was not to be seen, but they were nicer to look at and more comfortable to wear.  Based on what Weiss knew about Ruby, however, this didn’t belong to her...implying she’d purchased it with Weiss in mind.

The sweet gesture wasn’t lost on Weiss, but it disappeared in a cloud of surprise as soon as she turned on the device.  Rather than the default mask - the notorious ‘Jace’ - a dozen different identities greeted her, all of which looked like none she’d seen before.

Based on the note stuck to the holomask’s side - a simple ‘I’m excited to see which one you choose’ - she had to assume that Ruby either created or purchased all of the masks.  Given Ruby’s talent with anything connected to the computer, the former seemed more likely.

Another display of skill from the ever-impressive Ruby Rose.  While most people paid a premium for one-of-a-kind masks in hopes of avoiding the unfortunate occurrence of running into someone who ‘looked’ just like them, Ruby found an easier solution.  If Weiss had to guess, that solution was a highly advanced, completely custom program capable of generating unique personas.

What were the real-world applications for such a technology?  And could it be used to defend a case?

Leaving that thought alone for now, Weiss set down the device and smiled at Ruby’s note.  She couldn’t help but wonder how often Ruby wrote these days, especially with how much she worked at her computer.  Yet here was her handwriting, and Weiss had to admit that she felt rather special to have received it.  With its slightly messy, slightly swirly lines, it suited the person it belonged to.

After glancing at the clock, Weiss slipped the holomask into her bag and packed up the rest of her belongings.  Once she had everything she needed for the evening, she left her office and headed straight to the front door.  The few people still in the office didn’t notice her early exit for the day, or they noticed but didn’t care.  Either way, she walked out without so much as a ‘goodbye’ and reached the sidewalk moments later.

Having scheduled the time she needed to leave, her car was already parked outside waiting for her.  It wasn’t until she slipped into the vehicle, however, that the importance of tonight settled upon her.

Agreeing to attend had been easy - her evening was free, she needed to learn more about Ruby, and she was curious about what this event was like.  Now that she was headed towards one of the fancier hotels in the heart of downtown, however, she considered what a success this ‘failed’ crusade had been so far.

Not only had she been invited to Ruby’s apartment, which was as filled with technology and genius as one would expect, but now she was accompanying Ruby to what sounded like an important industry event.  Based on those things, it wasn’t a stretch to say that Ruby liked her, or at least enjoyed spending time with her.  Remarkably, the feeling was mutual.

Weiss had expected Ruby to be difficult to talk to, probably because a thirty-second conversation with Jared felt like it spanned an entire year.  Fortunately, both for Weiss and for anyone connected to Ruby’s life, Ruby was a wonderful conversationalist.  Plus, her easy-going nature created some interesting ‘arguments,’ if they could even be called that.  She laughed often, she smiled even more so, and she approached every topic with passion and excitement that made Weiss wonder what a peek into her mind would look like.

Spotting her destination up ahead - one of the many skyscrapers towering above a street buzzing with lights and energy - Weiss quickly changed into less formal attire and sorted through the limited belongings she would bring with her.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this eager to attend an event outside of work, but she couldn’t deny that eagerness had joined her rising sense of anticipation.

As a general rule, only client-related events made it onto her calendar.  Even then, the client must have a minimum net worth, and the event had to be interesting, important, or exclusive.

This was different.  This was career-related.  If Weiss wanted to make an irresistible offer to Ruby, she needed more information.  She already felt like she had enough knowledge to make a great offer, mostly because Ruby read like an open book, but she still lacked a hook - something that turned a great offer into a spectacular one.

What better way to spend time with Ruby than at an event Weiss would never attend otherwise?  Besides, she wanted to know what Ruby planned to do with all of those phones…

When the entrance of the hotel came into view, dismay shoved that question out of Weiss’ thoughts.  Apparently, Tech Masters was quite the event, as evidenced by the line of expensive vehicles waiting to drop off their guests and a steady stream of attendees walking from the nearby train stations.  The sidewalks were filled with people, many snapping excited photos under the brightly illuminated ‘Welcome to Tech Masters!’ sign.

While waiting to reach the front of the circular drive, Weiss selected one of the new masks - a soft-featured, green-eyed persona with shoulder-length amber hair - and slipped the device over her ear.  Normally, she masked her identity out of an abundance of caution rather than any specific need.  Tonight, however, she had to mask her identity.  Otherwise, being spotted with Ruby would raise suspicions or, at the very least, lead to gossip and speculation.

This meeting felt forbidden, in a way, but she reminded herself that she was recruiting Ruby.  Even if Ruby didn’t know that, the argument would hold if anyone found out.  With that in mind, Weiss took a deep breath, prepared her mind to absorb as much information as possible, and stepped outside.

Privacy and personal space instantly disappeared.  Attendees were seemingly everywhere.  Hotel staff rushed between them, giving directions and trying to keep the flow of traffic moving.

“Hey!  How can I help you?” one of the bellboys asked before her car even started pulling away.

“I’m here for the event -”

“In the main ballroom.  Straight ahead - you can’t miss it.”

While he rushed off to greet the next person in line, Weiss walked into the hotel lobby rather than dawdle outside.  As soon as she stepped through the doors, however, she confirmed that this would be unlike anything she’d experienced before.

Not only had she never seen so many tech-heads in one place, but she almost blatantly didn’t fit in.  Even though she’d changed out of her work attire, nothing in her wardrobe came close to matching the edgy, tech-savvy outfits around her.  She had the holomask, which gave her an ounce of credibility, but the rest of the attendees were decked out in as much tech garble as they could wear.

Fortunately, Ruby was easy to find.  All Weiss had to do was look for a small crowd clamoring for someone’s attention.

Upon spotting Ruby, however, Weiss was glad to be the one wearing a mask tonight.  Ruby’s expressive, tantalizing eyes were a treat Weiss wouldn’t pass up.  Even though she could read Ruby’s emotions fairly easily through a mask, seeing her without one felt a bit more...intimate.

That thought flitted away when Ruby caught sight of her, broke into a big smile, and separated from the crowd of admirers.  In a lobby filled with people wanting Ruby’s attention, Weiss suddenly had all of it.  That realization spread like a ray of sunshine across her skin.

“Hey!” Ruby greeted her several seconds later, with that smile still in place.  “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Are you sure you’re talking to the right person?” Weiss teased without a second thought.  “Or are you flirting with another stranger?”

Ruby’s blush made the joke more than worth it while also confirming Weiss’ suspicions from the interaction she’d witnessed the other day.

“I wasn’t...flirting…” Ruby mumbled before shaking her head and throwing on another smile.  “And I memorized the masks so I wouldn’t make that mistake again.”

When Ruby motioned at the small device hidden behind Weiss’ ear, Weiss smiled and shook her head.  Once again, Ruby proved her above-average memory in a way that only impressed Weiss more.  What she wouldn’t give for a memory like that…

“I appreciate the thoughtfulness,” she replied, tilting her chin and wondering when Ruby’s smile would dampen even a little.  The obvious delight in her company made her own smile stick around longer than it would have otherwise - an odd feeling that only grew when she noticed a pair of onlookers gawking their way.

“I think you have more admirers…”

When Weiss subtly nodded in their direction, Ruby turned and, only then, lost a fraction of her smile.

“But I’m done signing things.”  After sending the gawkers a quick smile and wave, Ruby returned her focus to Weiss.  “What do you think so far?”

“I think...I might finally be out of my depth.”

Though a playful response, Weiss couldn’t help but smile when Ruby laughed.

“Somehow, I doubt that.  I’d put my money on you over anyone else here.”

“Including yourself?”

“Ok, almost everyone,” Ruby admitted.  “Although, that depends on the competition.  Anything having to do with people or words, you win.”

The compliment boosted Weiss’ pride, as compliments usually did, but another emotion mingled with the self-satisfaction.  Delight, perhaps?  Whatever it was, she didn’t draw attention to it.  Instead, she waved around the lobby, which had grown substantially busier in the short time since she arrived.

“This is quite an event.”

The more she observed, the more this seemed like an excuse for the biggest tech junkies in the city to congregate and geek out over the latest gear.  Some might argue otherwise, but watching two nearby guests fawn over lighted bracelets was more than enough evidence for her.

“They try to make it fun for everyone.”

After completing her analysis, Weiss discovered that Ruby was still smiling...and still looking incredibly happy to see her.

“What?”

“It’s nothing,” Ruby said before shaking her head.  “I just can’t believe you’re here.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too serious for a place like this.”

When Ruby winked, Weiss pursed her lips to keep from smiling.  She hadn’t forgotten that ‘argument,’ and she intended to win it someday...just not today.

“I’ll admit this isn’t my typical endeavor, but I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s about.”

“Then come on.  This way.”  Ruby set a hand on Weiss’ elbow to lead her towards the main ballroom, but Weiss hardly looked down at the casual touch before Ruby drew away.  “Sorry,” she mumbled, a blush returning to her cheeks as they left the lobby behind.

Ruby’s blush made Weiss feel like blushing in return, so she cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to mind.

“How’s this supposed to go, exactly?”

The ballroom was enormous - nearly three stories tall, large enough to fit a small park, and filled with large, circular tables.  The stage on one end of the room had a large projector illuminated behind it, currently playing a reel of news articles from the year.  The guests, meanwhile, milled around the tables as they found seats or talked to people they knew.

“I’m giving the opening remarks,” Ruby explained while weaving through the tables, throwing in a wave for someone she must know.  “Supposed to get everyone excited and pumped up about the year, then they’ll chat and network and eat until the program starts.  You don’t have to stay for that though.  The part you want to see is at the beginning.”

“Will you stay for the entire thing?”

Stopping beside a table at the back of the room, far from where Weiss would expect such an esteemed guest to sit, Ruby gave her a curious look.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but if you want to stay...”

“I’ll stay as long as you do.”

Even though Weiss had work to do, she wouldn’t let this evening end any earlier than necessary.  She actually wanted to learn more about this fascinating world Ruby was so deeply ingrained in.

“I’m interested in seeing how this works,” Weiss added.  That was all she had to say to earn another smile.

“Then we’ll stay!”

Clearly overjoyed by the turn of events, Ruby pulled out a chair and motioned for Weiss to sit.  While Weiss didn’t know where the chivalry came from, she sat down with a soft “Thank you.”

“You brought your phone, right?” Ruby asked while sitting beside her.

“Of course.”

“Do you mind not using it until you leave?”  When Weiss frowned at the question, Ruby gestured around the room.  “You’re kind of surrounded by hackers,” she explained, and Weiss’ eyes briefly widened with realization.

“But I brought this for you.”  Reaching into her pocket, Ruby pulled out a small, metal case with several lights along the top.  “It’ll deactivate your phone, but that keeps everyone else out too.”

Vaguely disappointed in herself for not taking the crowd more seriously, Weiss hesitated when she considered giving her phone - practically her life - to Ruby.  The uncertainty passed quickly, however, and she handed the device over before Ruby was any the wiser.  After tucking it into the case and snapping the lid shut, Ruby handed it back with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I would’ve told you to bring a burner, but I didn’t think you’d want to.”

“I don’t have another phone.”

Ruby’s brow rose at the response, but she quickly recovered with another smile.

“Oh.  In that case, you should consider getting one!  I can help you set it up, if you want.”

Again, Ruby offered help when she didn’t have to.  From anyone else, Weiss would decline.  This time, however, she embraced the opportunity - not only to spend more time together, but to have someone as skilled as Ruby assist in anything related to technology.  Besides, for all she knew, that metal case had already copied all of the information from her phone.

But she didn’t believe that.  Ruby was too honest and admirable to do something like that.

“That sounds nice,” she replied with a smile that grew along with Ruby’s.  She didn’t understand why Ruby always smiled at her like that, but she couldn’t say that she didn’t like it.

“I might even know where you can get a free one,” Ruby added, much to Weiss’ amusement.  “Only gently used,” she continued.  “And lots of different makes and models to choose from.”

“Are you opening a phone store?  Is that what tonight’s about?”

“How did you know??”

Ruby managed to sound serious with her answer, but Weiss laughed at the idea of someone so talented becoming a phone peddler.  Although, if that was what Ruby wanted to do, she would probably be damn good at it.

“Ruby.”

Broken out of the moment by an older gentleman appearing by their side, Ruby stood as soon as she saw him and extended her hand.  “Professor,” she greeted him with mirth suggesting the name was more playful than real.

“We’re ready for you now.”

“Oh, great.  I’ll be there in a few seconds.”

Once he nodded and hurried to the front of the room, Ruby took a deep breath and let it out in one long exhale.

“Will you be ok by yourself?” she asked, but Weiss waved away the concern.

“Being alone doesn’t bother me.  Will you be ok?”

For the first time since they’d known each other, Ruby actually looked nervous.  It was, admittedly, quite adorable for someone so accomplished and talented to look unsure of herself, especially when Weiss was confident that no one in this room held a candle to her.

“I’ll be fine.”  After flashing a smile, Ruby ran her hand through her hair.  “I just...suck at public speaking.”

“You do fine when testifying though.”

“Yeah, but that’s with like ten people and some cameras watching.  This is...bigger.”

Weiss would admit that this wasn’t quite the same.  The room had filled to capacity, with nearly every seat occupied and several hundred people waiting for Ruby to speak.  Even their table at the back of the room was drawing guests, although that could also have to do with Ruby’s presence.

“Alright.”  Resolved to help, Weiss pushed herself to her feet, straightened her shirt, and smiled.  “I’ll do it for you.”

As expected, Ruby laughed at the offer.

“Really?”

“Sure - why not?”  Watching Ruby’s mood lift right before her eyes, Weiss shrugged as if she was serious.  “Can’t be that hard, can it?  Just give me your notes.”

“I didn’t make notes,” Ruby admitted, presenting an opportunity that Weiss immediately seized.

“Of course you didn’t.”  Gently setting her hands on Ruby’s shoulders, she waited for Ruby to look down in surprise before meeting her gaze.  “Everyone here just wants to hear you speak,” she continued once she had Ruby’s full attention.  “For just a few minutes, they want to be in the presence of someone great.  All you have to do is walk onto that stage to give them that.”

It was the largest compliment Weiss had given and actually meant, but she didn’t regret it in the slightest.  In fact, she loved watching the words sink in before a slow smile spread onto Ruby’s lips and happiness sparkled in her eyes.

“I didn’t know you could give pep talks.”

Neither did Weiss, but she scoffed and waved Ruby towards the stage.

“Haven’t you realized I’m great at everything I do?”  After a short pause, another smile pulled at her lips.  “Just like you.”

That praise felt just as rewarding as the first, but she gently pushed Ruby towards the front of the room rather than dwell on it.  Ruby took a step that way before leaving Weiss with one last smile.

Who would’ve thought that she’d be giving Ruby Rose a pep talk?  Yet here she was...watching Ruby shake hands with several people standing at the front of the room before moving towards the podium.  The man who’d summoned her - the Professor - stepped onto stage first, and quiet spread across the room as the event began.

“Good evening, everyone.”

His voice projected through the speakers clearly, reaching the back of the room with ease.

“Thank you for joining us tonight.  As you know, every year we kick off Tech Masters with an introduction from someone who’s distinguished themselves over the past year.  Tonight, I’m excited to welcome someone you’ve all probably run into in some way, shape, or form - the head of Vale P.D.’s technology department - Ruby Rose.”

As Ruby walked across the stage to loud applause, Weiss looked around with a smile.  Apparently, the police department and defense attorneys weren’t the only ones who knew how talented Ruby was.  Besides excelling at her job, she probably couldn’t help getting involved in the greater tech community.  Based on the applause, she’d attracted the attention of quite a few people in the process.

Honestly, Weiss was surprised that Ruby was still single.  With the celebrity afforded by her talent and her sweet, affable personality, she should have been scooped up long ago.  But maybe she was one of those people who spent all of their time at their computer versus living a life outside of it.  Or maybe she hadn’t found anyone remotely capable of matching her intelligence - a problem Weiss could empathize with.

“Thank you,” Ruby spoke into the microphone before waiting for the applause to quiet down.  “Thank you,” she repeated once it did.

Suddenly, Weiss wished she was sitting closer so she could watch Ruby’s eyes.  There wasn’t much time for regret, however, because Ruby waved one hand and a set of ornate, interlocking R’s appeared on the screen behind her.

But that wasn’t all.  At the same moment the R’s appeared, every phone in the room sprang to life.  The people sitting at Weiss’ table looked down in shock as their holoscreens turned on and began projecting a virtual image - of Ruby.

“My name is Ruby Rose,” the image spoke through the phone speakers while excited and disbelieving whispers swept the room, “And I did just remotely hack your phones.”

Some people laughed at the admission.  Others pulled out secondary phones and launched code screens as if they could undo Ruby’s work in a few seconds.  Weiss already knew that they couldn’t, so she sat back, looked at Ruby, and smiled.

For someone as humble as could be, Ruby knew how to make an entrance.  Or maybe it wasn’t even an attempt at an entrance - maybe it was giving the crowd exactly what they wanted.  They wanted to see one of the best, brightest tech minds in the world, and she proved her mettle in under three seconds.  Weiss respected that.

“Thank you all for being here,” Ruby continued.  If she was still nervous, it didn’t show in her posture or tone.  “And thank you to the Council for asking me to open this year.  I honestly never expected to get this far, but it’s been a long, incredible journey that’s really just beginning.  For those of you who don’t know me, I started playing with technology before I could ride a bike - and I still can’t ride a bike because I never stopped.”

When laughter rippled through the crowd, Weiss smiled and leaned forward, waiting for whatever Ruby would say next.

“Technology is more ubiquitous today than ever before, which means our role in society has never been greater.  Every time we develop a new codebase, find a new vulnerability, or twist together two lightstreamers to make something awesome, we’re changing the way the world interacts with the advancements we all know and love.”

Everyone’s phones suddenly shut off, drawing the room’s attention back to Ruby.  On the screen behind her played a video featuring many products that Weiss had seen before as well as many she had not.

“Technology is our past, present, and future,” Ruby said while the video played.  “We wouldn’t be where we are today without it.  At the same time, we’ll never get to where we need to go if we don’t keep adapting, growing, and making progress.”

The video went through a string of segments showing various types of technology being used in day-to-day life, but the emphasis on technology faded with each subsequent video.  Soon they were left watching a serene film of a giant blue whale swimming above a kelp forest filled with colorful fish.

“When you leave tonight, armed with more information than you ever thought possible, I hope you’re excited that there’s still so much to learn and so much to accomplish.  As long as we work together -”

When Ruby set her hands on the podium, the left side of the room drew in a collective breath when their phones turned back on and projected a collective image of the whale - the creature’s tail slowly moving up and down as it swam in the air above them.  The hologram was larger than any single screen could create on its own, but with hundreds of phones working together…

“And use our imagination -” Ruby continued when the right side of the room looked up at the giant kelp forest, complete with schools of fish darting to and fro.

“We can accomplish anything.”

Before their eyes, the two images rippled in the air before merging into one - the video from the screen now playing as a giant hologram cast from their individual phones.

For a second, everyone just stared.  The people determined to crack Ruby’s code set their phones down and watched.  And Weiss...couldn’t quite describe how she felt.

It was one of the most flawless, creative things she’d ever witnessed.

“It all starts here,” Ruby concluded as the image was replaced by swirling lines of code that got the crowd excited again.  From the way they started talking and snapping pictures with their photocuffs and earrings, the code meant something particularly important.

“Thank you,” Ruby added before leaving the stage to hearty applause from those not too busy tripping over themselves trying to look at the image.  Weiss got to her feet to applaud the show, watching with growing respect as Ruby hopped off the stage only to be met by a small crowd clamoring to congratulate her.  As usual, she was all smiles, but the way she glanced Weiss’ way every few seconds made it clear that she meant to return as soon as possible.

Weiss was more than happy to wait, especially since she needed the extra time to sort through her thoughts and determine how she felt about them.  Mystified, happy, and - above all else - impressed.  How many people could pull off what Ruby just did?  Weiss was willing to bet just one - the same person hurrying away from the stage with a smile or handshake for anyone who wanted one.

In this realm, Ruby could command all of the success and prestige she ever wanted.  Instead, she worked hard to earn it.

“Not good at public speaking, you said?” Weiss asked once Ruby returned to her.

“I’m not!  That’s why I distracted everyone with something pretty.”

“Ah.”  Another smile threatening to appear, Weiss barely held it at bay while nodding.  “A legitimate strategy.  I use it all the time.”

When Weiss casually flipped her hair over her shoulder and pretended it was no big deal, Ruby giggled.

“Please - you’re pretty and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.  You don’t need to distract anyone.”

The response was so unexpectedly flattering, a legitimate blush rose on Weiss’ cheeks while she scrambled for a response.

“What’d you show them?” she asked, nodding towards the code still garnering the room’s attention.

“How to do the phone thing.”

When Ruby waved towards where the whale had just been, Weiss stared at her in shock.

“You showed them how to do something you just invented?”

“Yeah!  Why’s that surprising?”

“Because -”

So many reasons popped into Weiss’ head, but she quickly realized none of them would matter to Ruby.  Proprietary secrets?  Maintaining an edge over the competition?  Social clout?  The possibility of making a literal fortune?

“Because it’s yours,” she replied even though it didn’t feel like the right answer.  Ruby confirmed as much with a kind, patient smile.

“It’s ours, Weiss - that’s the point.  We’re in this together.  Either we help each other out, or we keep fighting over everything.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather help.”

“Yes, but…”

Trailing off, Weiss realized she had no rebuttal.  The last time she thought about helping the greater good was...possibly never.  Sure, she made appearances at charity events when accompanying her clients, but those felt more like wealthy soirees than helping the less fortunate.

“Maybe you’re right,” she acquiesced.  She still didn’t fully believe it, or understand it, but there was a lot about Ruby that she didn’t fully understand.  She wanted to though.

When Ruby’s eyes suddenly widened, that thought disappeared from her mind.

“Oh shoot.”

Glancing in the direction Ruby was staring but finding nothing of interest, Weiss turned back with a curious look.

“What is it?”

“My sister’s here.”

“Oh -”

“Uh, yeah, sorry.”  Ruby glanced around Weiss’ shoulder again before shaking her head.  “I should probably go.”

“Right,” Weiss replied with a nod.  “I understand.”

“I’m really sorry,” Ruby added anyway, her eyes giving away the depths of her apology.  “But she’s a detective.  She loves asking questions, especially when I’m involved.”

Weiss chuckled at the unnecessary explanation while waving Ruby away.  As much as she would have liked the evening to last longer, being caught by Ruby’s sister wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.

“Don’t worry about it.  Thanks for inviting me though.  This was fun.”

Surprisingly, the word rolled off her tongue with no hesitation at all.

“Yeah, it really was.”  Ruby gave Weiss one last smile before stepping away.  “I’ll message you later,” she said before hurrying across the room to head her sister off.

Now that Weiss knew who she was looking for, Detective Xiao Long was easy to spot.  They’d clashed on cases in the past, so Weiss was well-acquainted with the tall, beautiful blonde who loved using teases to provoke.

Tonight, she wore street clothes rather than her typical detective’s uniform, and she lit up when she spotted Ruby.  Soon after, she crashed into Ruby for a hug, lifted Ruby’s feet off the ground, and spun her in a circle before setting her down.  After rustling Ruby’s hair, she grinned like mad while motioning around the room, probably remarking on the spectacle Ruby just created.  Ruby grew equally excited upon talking to her sister, and the two of them were soon making frequent hand gestures and chattering incessantly.

Though vaguely disappointed at the early end to this evening, Weiss smiled at the heartwarming sight.  It was so heartwarming, in fact, that she nearly forgot to note yet another one of Ruby’s values - her sister.

Talented, humble, grounded, and family-oriented.

...Detective Xiao Long was the hook.