Welcome to the last commentary…both for this story and for the foreseeable future! Some of you might be sad to see these go, but I’m pretty excited about it. I used to get excited about writing these, but they’ve become more of a disruption or chore as my life has changed. So, in the interest of maintaining my love of writing for as long as possible, it’s time to say goodbye.
I can always write one-off commentaries whenever I want, of course. If the mood strikes, nothing’s stopping me from posting another one. It just won’t be a regularly scheduled thing anymore. It might be kind of nice because maybe people will ask more questions about the stories. Or they’ll live forever not knowing the answers to their questions…
It looks like I can edit the tier price on Patreon and apply it to everyone in that tier, so you won’t have to change your tier or anything. I’ll just lower the price to match the $2/mth tier so everyone’s happy. I get some freedom back, you get some money back…that’s a win-win, right?
Time is a valuable commodity around here right now…I’ve basically devoted all of my writing time to studying, which means I’ve made great progress but also that I’m spending a lot of time studying. I’m so ready for this to be over…I might be ready to take the text in a week or two. That will be a huge relief. It’ll be like getting my life back. Maybe I can write again!
Before I can do any of that, there’s a story wrap-up to discuss. I’ll discuss Weiss’ POV chapter briefly even though the chapter itself was long. I was honestly shocked when I opened it up and found it was over 20k words. But that also makes sense considering how much fun I had writing this version of her, and it was my opportunity to wrap up her and Ruby’s story with a neat (or neater) bow. Plus, who doesn’t want to read her being the badass she was born and raised to be?
I really wanted to write that chapter to fill in the gaps between the end of Flashing Lights and the end of Click, Click, Boom. Obviously, we get a glimpse of everyone’s happily-ever-after in the final CCB chapter, but Weiss’ POV answers some of the questions about what she’s been up to, how she feels about her dad going to prison, how she protected her family, and how Ruby feels about Weiss being included in Blake’s plan.
Ruby wasn’t thrilled, to say the least, but we all loved seeing protective Ruby. Weiss especially loved seeing protective Ruby. We also got to see supportive Ruby, and how Ruby’s endless support gets Weiss through a pretty rough day.
Of course, I couldn't have Weiss take down 3 criminal organizations in a single day without also having her consider how easy it would be to step into her father’s place. That’s what she was raised to do, after all, and she’s been under her father’s tutelage since Flashing Lights ended. She’s fully capable of doing it, but Ruby’s positive influence changes the course of Vale (this ending kind of reminds me of the movie Looper if anyone remembers that).
Arresting Papa Schnee was only the first step, unfortunately. Chapter 31 of Click, Click, Boom serves as an in-between epilogue for both Blake and Weiss, although Blake gets some resolution and relief while Weiss’ legal saga is just beginning.
Blake escaping prison time is a tad far fetched, but I couldn't send her to prison! Hasn’t she already suffered enough? She almost got kidnapped, then got actually kidnapped (although she planned to let that happen), then helped the police arrest three criminal overlords. She has to get extra credit for unlocking Jacques Schnee’s vault too, right? In terms of egregiously lenient sentences, it’s definitely not the worst I’ve heard of.
She also has to testify against the above-mentioned criminals, including Adam and Cinder. I didn’t include that part in the story, but the courtroom had as many death glares as you’re imagining. I wonder if she would be nervous or over it by that point…she probably doesn’t need to be scared of Adam or Cinder because what are they going to do…threaten to kill her? She already knows that they’ll try to kill her at the first opportunity. Testifying only solidifies an already concrete fact. She’s probably more concerned about how Yang will react to reliving those memories. (As we see in the final epilogue, Yang obviously handles it very well.)
I wish Blake would take some lessons from Weiss in pettiness though. Imagine what she could accomplish if she used her brain to deliver some petty justice…at least she has Weiss to exact some small revenge on Cinder for her, via some awful colored jumpsuits. Hit her where it hurts, Weiss.
I could write a whole story about Weiss vs. Cinder. The cattiness would amuse me to no end. Maybe if Cinder ever gets out of prison and returns to a life of crime, she and Weiss will butt heads once again. We all know that Weiss would be thrilled about that, mostly because she won so handily in their first (and likely only) interaction. We can dream though…
Maybe Weiss, like Emerald, will pay Cinder a visit in prison. Although, she would need a reason to do that because, at this point, she probably deems Cinder so far beneath her as to not even be worth the trip. If Cinder somehow impacted Weiss’ life again though…even with something simple like Blake being upset about Cinder for some past transgression…then Weiss might stop by the women’s penitentiary for a chat. Or to make Cinder’s prison life a little more miserable.
Despite some rocky points in Blake and Weiss’ relationship, we can call them friends now. ‘Friendship’ with Weiss is a bit weird though…she’s still prickly as a porcupine, but she’ll also do things like pay for high-powered attorneys to make doubly sure that Blake doesn’t get sent to prison. I’m sure she rationalized that by thinking, “If Blake’s in prison, then Yang will want to spend more time with Ruby. So, Blake not being in prison means Yang’s busy and I get more of Ruby’s time.”
Weiss’ sole objective is to corner all of Ruby’s time, and she’s doing it with frightening efficiency.
From the very beginning of this story, I loved the idea of Weiss and Blake being opposites whose personalities clash but who also become close over time. You have Weiss, who acts like a demon but is actually a law-abiding citizen (speeding and parking tickets aside), and Blake, who acts like a saint yet thought that robbing banks was an acceptable means to a positive end.
As friends, they meet somewhere in the middle. Blake’s often shocked by how nonchalant Weiss is about violence while Weiss knows that Blake has crossed lines that she has never dared to. Basically, Blake lived the life that Weiss was supposed to (except with far less money). The two of them are kindred spirits, in a way. Both of them exist on the fringes of law and order…except now Blake is actually a saint, which bugs Weiss a bit.
Ruby’s idea to help Weiss meet more ex-criminal friends is both adorable and a little alarming. Weiss wouldn't give the time of day to anyone who wasn’t at least good at what they did - that’s the only reason she subtly respects Blake. So Ruby couldn’t find any low-level criminal. She would need someone successful at breaking the law, but not successful enough that they avoid being caught. And they couldn't get caught in a stupid way because Weiss would be all over that.
Now I’m picturing Ruby arresting someone, marching them into the station, and saying, “Hey, I know someone you might like if you ever get out of prison and want a new friend…” (Weiss, somewhere in the background, is shouting, “I don’t want more people taking my time away from you, you dolt!”)
Who could we add to Weiss and Blake’s group though…we have the strategist, we have the attitude…I guess we’d need the muscle? Usually, I’d say Yang, but Yang’s on the wrong (right) side of the law.
Ilia and Emerald could join the group! Weiss and Ilia reunited as friends would be…possibly unlikely. I don’t think that Weiss respects Ilia very much. She just thought that Ilia was a good nail stylist. Emerald might earn respect by being a skilled pickpocket. Although, I’m sure Weiss would threaten vast amounts of harm if Emerald ever pickpockets her again (Emerald probably thought that was real funny until she realized that she just poked a cobra in the eye.)
Catching up with side characters is one of the better parts about epilogues. I’m sure people wondered what happened to Ilia and Emerald since they were the least-bad members of the White Fang, and the ones who kind of helped Blake in her quest for redemption. Well, they’re running their own private investigation firm now! I don’t know why I thought they’d be good at that…it seems like something Blake should have done, but maybe she can join them later.
Actually, that’s a great idea. Blake’s swimming in job offers, obviously, but private investigator could be right up her alley. It’s pretty close to Yang’s detective job but operates with more freedom and flexibility from the law. Plus, with her lockpicking abilities…well, doors will open for her that don’t for the police (...because she unlocks them).
SWAT would also be interesting, but I think Yang will convince her out of that one. I doubt she’ll remain a mere safecracker for long. Can you imagine hiring someone to help you unlock your safe only for an ex-bank robber to show up? One, you’d be in good hands. But two, so many questions…the most important probably being, “Are you going to come back and rob me later?” or “Are you robbing me now?”
Another side character we don’t actually catch up with but whose fate we learn is that of Chief Fowler, aka the pseudo-villain who has lorded over this story for too long. Her comeuppance is approaching in the form of a massive drop in donations towards her political campaign. Talk about hitting her where it hurts. And Weiss, proving what a wonderful friend she is, invites Blake to watch the woman’s reign of corruption and brown-nosing come to an end.
I wonder about Jacques’ reaction to Weiss turning on him…he’d be livid, obviously, but you have to wonder if he feels a bit of pride or smug satisfaction. Like, ‘Ah, yes, you are my daughter. Well played, but I’ll get you back later.’ Realistically, she should be worried about him launching some vengeance plan from prison. She tells Blake that she knows plenty of people who could hurt Adam in prison, so Jacques definitely knows how to get to Weiss outside of prison.
For her sake and ours, we’re going to believe that every precaution is taken to erase Jacques’ influence on anything beyond prison walls. If there was ever an offshoot sequel for this universe though, I’d bring him back in somehow. Weiss & Company would have to take him down a second time - this time for good.
She’s getting information from him somehow since she remarked that he wonders why none of his other family members are visiting. (I had to change that part because it originally suggested that he wanted her to visit him, then realized that she’s probably on his ‘do not see’ list.) He must fully blame Weiss for his downfall if he’s wondering why his wife and other kids aren’t visiting him. This suggests that he didn’t find out that Winter turned on him long ago. Maybe they only needed Weiss’ testimony, so the cops kept the rest of her family out of his crosshairs?
It’s such a Weiss thing to do to take all of Jacques’ anger for herself. She can handle it, she would loudly proclaim. But we all know that the only reason she can is because she has Ruby backing her up. I bet Ruby doesn’t sleep for a long time after Jacques’ arrest though, worried about the blowback.
While Blake might not join SWAT as Mel hopes, Whitley might actually have a career in law enforcement or the military. We know from Flashing Lights that he and Weiss liked using the shooting range, and now Ruby’s teaching him how to be a sniper, apparently. Plus, he doesn’t have a record like Blake does, so there shouldn’t be any obstacles for him to pursue that path.
Lucky for him, his sisters-in-law are, alternatively, SWAT captains or secret service/undercover operatives. He’ll be just fine. Weiss won’t be happy about someone else choosing a dangerous profession though. She doesn’t like worrying.
I didn’t manage to get a Blake/Ruby reconciliation into either of the epilogues…I probably should have tried harder to include that, but I also don’t like forcing things (Plus, I get tired and lazy by the time I reach the epilogue so become resistant to more work). I had Yang deliver a little apology from Ruby instead and let everyone know that Blake and Ruby’s full reconciliation will come in due time. They’re already on good terms again, but they haven’t had a big talk about it. Maybe they never really need to. Actions speak louder than words, and Ruby backed Blake up when Blake needed her the most.
Ironically, I didn’t make time for Ruby, but I made sure to dreg up Sun/Neptune. I had forgotten they played a small role in this story. While proofreading that section, I had a moment of, “Oh, riiiighttt…they were a thing.” If I felt that way, I’m sure many of you felt the same.
They’re coming to Vale though! Imagine how surprised they’ll be when they learn that the quiet girl who used to go to their gym is actually a former bank robber. ‘Stunned’ might not be a good enough word for it. Someone will have to scrape Neptune’s jaw off the floor with a shovel.
Someone will probably be peeling Neptune off the floor regardless if he decides that his trip to Vale is actually a ‘hit on all the SWAT ladies’ vacation. One, Mel sounds like she’s not picking up what he’s putting down (she’s too busy flirting with Yang and Blake now). Two, he better pray that Weiss isn’t around when he inevitably hits on Ruby.
The room will go dead quiet if that happens. Neptune will grin while everyone else stares at Weiss like, “Ohhh…crap. He’s dead. He’s literally dead.” But Ruby wisely whisks Weiss away before any homicides occur. There’s only so much an expensive attorney can do if you murder a police officer in front of a group of police officers.
Blake and Yang are, in comparison, so stable. Just look at them all sappy and in love…and engaged! (You can bet your life that Weiss will cause some sort of scene at their wedding.)
Yang’s proposal reminded me of a super old story of mine called Caught, where Blake is a pickpocket and Yang’s…also a cop, I think. In the end, Blake’s teaching Yang how to pickpocket…or reverse pickpocket, I guess…so Yang uses that skill to slip something into Blake’s back pocket. Blake feels it, but when she pulls it out and whirls around, she’s holding an engagement ring.
Basically, Yang likes using Blake’s criminal past to present the ring. Because nothing says, ‘I forgive you,’ like having Blake use her bank-robbing skills to find her engagement ring.
What do their futures hold? I never really decided. Yang is a detective again, and I think she’ll find a pseudo-partner in Blake. Blake might not officially work for the police, but Yang will probably pick Blake’s brain any time she’s stumped on a case. Weiss will probably know the person who did it, but Blake will know how they did it. Maybe she’ll be happy using her experiences to help Yang catch more bad guys. That is changing the world, in a way. Not quite how she planned on changing the world, but it’s still making a difference.
For now, she deserves a break. Let her figure out the ‘rest of her life’ stuff once she’s gotten her feet under her. Work a real job, make a little money, get married…those are high on her priority list.
Oh, the dark horse candidate for her future is working with Weiss. Weiss doesn’t need to work, apparently, but since Ruby works all day…Weiss has free time on her hands. Now that her dad is behind bars and once all of her family’s mess is tidied up, she has to do something. And what are the chances that that ‘something’ loops in a certain former ex-bank robber?
The big question is…what would they do? Blake will agree if it’s something that does some amount of good for the world. (Just had a thought that the dark, alternate universe is Weiss recruiting Blake to help take over Schnee Enterprises so the two of them run all of the crime in Vale.)
Honestly, the private investigator idea is a good fit…but I gave that to Emerald and Ilia. Damn. Maybe some sort of media company? One that focuses on illuminating inequality and injustice in Vale, perhaps. Or maybe something cool like developing new security systems and products, bank robber tested and approved. That sounds right up Weiss’ alley, and Blake’s knowledge is an integral part of their success. They could even bring Emerald on board as a consultant for some of the products.
I think that’s a winning idea. So Blake will continue her safe-opening gig for a little while, maybe a couple of years, until she and Yang get married and Weiss has wrapped up her family’s affairs. Weiss has free time, Blake is finally ready to step out of the shadow of her past, so Weiss brings her a proposition: step right back into the shadows, but this time for money.
I can see Blake taking on that type of role though. She’d get to use her mind, which she would love doing, and she’ll ‘make a difference’ by deterring future crime. They would also work tangentially to Ruby and Yang, forming another fearsome foursome similar to the end of Dream Theory. (I love when they all end up almost on the same team, as you’ve probably noticed.)
Regardless, everyone gets a happily-ever-after.
After spending so long in this universe, it’ll feel weird to move on. But all good stories come to an end, and all good universes have to be wrapped up at some point. Maybe we’ll revisit in the future, but I’m happy with where we’re leaving things for now. Besides, if we never leave these universes behind, we never get to see what other universes are out there!
But that’s all from me for now. If you have any future questions, feel free to send them my way and I’ll answer (if there aren’t spoilers involved). And I’ll be better about responding to comments, so you can always touch base there. Thank you for all of your support and for continuing to read after all this time!
Until then,
Miko