Interesting character note: While the CFVY novels imply that Coco and Velvet are mutually attracted to each other, Coco believes that it's a bad idea for teammates to date each other.
The Bees are dating each other, even though they're both part of Team RWBY.
If they turn out to be even better after getting together...
That might convince Coco and Velvet to act on their feelings for each other.
Yeah, back when I first read the CFVY novels I got the sense that Myers was not exactly saying anything definitive in regards to Coco and Velvet getting together while also very much leaving the option open for potential development down the line (ergo; in the show proper).
Because yeah I definitely get the sense there is some mutual attraction between Coco and Velvet that they are low-key repressing, or at least downplaying and choosing not to pursue/explore.
Like to your point about Coco believing that dating teammates is a bad idea, I really get the sense that Coco considers Velvet ‘off limits’ to herself, so to speak? As in, this is a ‘I respect, admire and care about you too much’ type thing, as well as Coco likely considers acting on that attraction to Velvet to be an abuse of authority and a conflict of interest as team leader.
Which you know, feels very similar to what RUBY is dealing with as a leader as a ‘your team comes first and your own feelings/happiness comes a DISTANT second’ complex.
And given how perceptive we’ve seen Velvet, I get the sense she’s picked up on much of this and has come to the conclusion that Coco isn’t all that into her, or likewise that things just wouldn’t work between them. Possibly having bought into that similar mindset.
Or at least until they start seeing Blake and Yang being all ‘epic fairy-tale romance’ for each other lol
Honestly, Coco and Velvet really have all the hallmarks of a classic ‘ladykiller in love’ romance with a RWBY twist. Particularly with the bits we got from them in Chibi.
Also, bringing up Bumbleby in relation to Crosshares gave me an interesting thought; Velvet has also gotten a bit a ship-teasing with Yatsuhashi in the CFVY books, but what if Yatsu is basically meant to be the Sun to Velvet’s and Coco’s Blake and Yang?
Like I’ve had a theory for a few years now that the actual reason Blake didn’t act more on her growing feelings for Yang during Beacon was due to Yang’s being a major foil to Adam essentially given Blake ‘false red flags’. Ergo, a core part of the Bumbleby narrative is that Yang is the GENUINE version of all the things Adam was pretending to be for Blake. Which in turn is why Blake seemed to entertain a relationship with Sun for as long as she did; she may not have been as attracted to Sun as she was growing towards Yang, but Sun felt like a ‘safer’ alternative.
Which makes me wonder if something similar could be going on between Coco, Velvet and Yatsuhashi? Ergo; even if she isn’t pursuing any kind of full-blown romance with him, Velvet still considers a close friendship or otherwise with Yatsu to be a ‘safer’ alternative to whatever complicated feelings she may have towards Coco.
