[RWBY] White Knight Errant

[AndrewJTalon]

Back at the docks, right after the fight with Thanh and Roman...

The teenagers had been let loose from the cops, and Miss Goodwitch was about to shuffle them off back to Beacon... When Nora, Ren, and Jaune broke off from the main group.

"Miss Valkyrie, Mister Arc, Mister Ren, what are you doing?"

"Looting the bodies of the criminals, of course," Jaune said cheerfully, pulling out an unconscious guy's wallet, "Hey! He's got a full punchcard for Sandwich King!"

"I know where we're going for lunch next!" Nora chirped, taking off a watch from another Faunus. She pouted. "Aw, it's a fake Tolex!"

"You're putting it on anyway," Ren pointed out. Nora beamed.

"Of course, it's shiny!"

"Wh-WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE COMMON CRIMINALS?!" Weiss shouted in shock, before Goodwitch could express her outrage. Jaune shrugged.

"Well, I did live on the road for like, six months. People tried to kill me, so I beat them up and took their money," he said, "And any valuables. Usually food, since I was starving."

"Hey! That was most of our lives, too!" Nora said cheerfully, "Except we couldn't beat up as many people cause we were kids, but we did loot bodies!"

"It was only sensible, seeing as they were dead and unlikely to mind," Ren deadpanned. "Ah, another fake Tolex."

"Gimme! I wanna make a chandelier!" Nora cried.

Jaune nodded, and beamed at the gobsmacked Goodwitch and other Hunters-in-Training.

"See? This is why we get along so well," he said, "Hey Ruby? You want to split a sandwich with me at Sandwich King?"

Ruby grinned.

"Sure Jaune-!"

"NO! You're splitting a sandwich with ME, Jaune!" Pyrrha cried, shoving Ruby aside.

"You don't even LIKE sandwiches, Pyrrha!" Ruby growled, shoving her back.

"I DO WHEN I EAT THEM WITH JAUNE!"

Jaune turned to Yang. "You wanna share a sandwich, Yang?"

Yang smirked a little, enjoying how Goodwitch's face was burning with anger.

"You're on a roll, Jauney."

"... That a yes?"

- - -

I do need to write more bits where Jaune is just totally okay with Ren and Nora's antics. Six months living as a wandering swordsman will make you a bit less uptight about such things.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Written with UnknownAnon.

- - - - -

"The Vale's criminal elite certainly do enjoy their creature comforts." Cinder thought to herself as she reclined on the plush sofa she sat on, closing her eyes and spreading her arms out as she enjoyed the texture of the cushions.

Even though her current residence was a safehouse located in one of the seedier districts on the outskirts of the city, the contrast between the interior and exterior was striking. If one stood outside the building, they'd see nothing more than a dilapidated warehouse with crude graffiti painted on all four sides that just had her itching to burn the building down when she'd first laid eyes on it.

However, once you entered the building, moved past a few stacks of iron shipping containers, entered a password on a hidden keypad, then took the secret elevator down below the surface level… you were presented with five-star accommodations. Soft patterned carpets, dozens of luxurious rooms, a wide common area, readily available heating and cooling, a large private bathroom, fully stocked pantries and refrigerators… and best of all, a wine cellar that had some premium drink, much of which she'd already sampled during her first visit. She'd been more than entitled to it, especially since she was now the owner of the building.

It wasn't like the head of the criminal family who had owned it was in a position to protest anymore. She'd already replaced the heels that the woman's ashes had stained weeks ago. The woman she'd burned to death had been the third of Vale's underworld elite she and her associates had taken out, along with the organization she'd built up. It had taken one more mob boss hit and dismantlement of their operations for the rest of Vale's underworld to take the hint, and there now seemed to be a unanimous agreement amongst those who remained to either steer clear of her or acquiesce to her demands if she came knocking at their door. Now Cinder was confident that she'd successfully embedded herself into the shadows of Vale's underworld, ready to strike from the shade when her plans came together.

Honestly though, it was almost disappointing how little fight Vale's criminals had in them. She would've had to kill at least a dozen more mob bosses to assert proper dominance if this was Mistral. Instead, the Valean mobs had been cowed quicker than she expected. Well, at least it meant less work for her in the end.

Cinder slowly opened her eyes and pulled her focus away from her own thoughts and her new favorite seat and tilted her head in the direction of the large television screen that was mounted on a wall to her right. Even late at night, the news stations never stopped to rest. Certainly not when they had a story to tell.

And they'd recently come across quite a big one.

"-And with Thanh Qinglong confirmed among those arrested at the docks following the attack, if the iconic masks found on the scene didn't paint a clear enough picture it's obvious that this was all perpetuated by the White Fang terrorist organization. We now go live to a representative of Vale's council alongside a speaker from Atlas who can tell us more of Thanh's crimes as he is apparently a notable-"

"Y'know, things probably wouldn't have gone south if you'd gone with my suggestion."

Cinder let out a sigh and tapped two fingers against the back of the sofa. That was signal enough for Emerald to pick up the television remote and put Lisa Lavender on mute. The green haired girl returned to her place standing behind Cinder's left, while Mercury continued to amuse himself in the kitchenette, mixing a few drinks and making a show of it. Cinder ignored both him and the television as she turned to address Roman who sat across from her. The thief was clearly nervous no matter how hard he tried to hide it, but he swallowed his anxiousness and began elaborating.

"I told you I could get some guys and do this job quietly. Even if you're known throughout Vale's underworld now as a walking fire hazard they'd like to stay far away from, money speaks. I could wet the palms of a few guys and they could've loaned out some goons as long as they had some guarantees that you wouldn't turn them into piles of soot after the job was done." Roman continued, the nervous energy ebbing out of him as he grew more and more annoyed as he spoke. "Instead you insist on saddling me with a group of petting zoo rejects and everything went up in flames anyway even without you around."

Cinder rapped her fingers against the back of the sofa, not responding immediately and giving Roman time to register what he had said and the tone with which he was speaking to her, and Cinder couldn't help her lips twitching upward slightly when Roman began to fidget in his seat again.

"If I recall, it was your job to coral them and make sure that everything went smoothly." Cinder finally spoke up. "If the White Fang grunts were such a problem that you-"

"No, no, no, no. Nuh-uh. You're not pinning the blame on this cock up on me. I had NOTHING to do with things going to shit."

Cinder's lips twisted downward at being interrupted, but Roman powered through the knee jerk response to just nod and smile and instead kept on talking.

"First off, I did my job. The whole point of raiding the docks was to get more dust for your operations and I did exactly that. I'm the ONLY reason that job was completed. Everything else is completely on your furry little friends who you insisted I allow to tag along instead of hiring actual, reliable help."

"Is that a fact?" Cinder muttered, allowing a note of danger to trickle into her voice but though he heard the warning in her tone Roman wasn't gonna be deterred when he knew that he was completely in the right here.

"It IS fact, Cindy." Roman asserted, tapping his cane against the floor to punctuate his words. "Thanh was more focused on terrorizing dock workers and paying scarlet women to get his sick jollies than doing what you asked. I can tell ya he must've paid those girls for premium service if they were willing to entertain him and not blow the whistle on the authorities since he was very vocal about who he was and the organization he worked for. I can tell the psycho dino didn't care that you had given us all a job to do. He would've blown the whole place sky high with the dust you wanted if I hadn't wrangled a few of the more sensible animals and got our dust out. He stayed behind and lost a dick swinging contest he absolutely insisted on having, and then went ahead and lost to Red, her pet cat, and the rest of their little crew!"

"It's not as though you're unfamiliar with that particular experience." Cinder sneered with a frown.

Roman barely kept from rolling his eyes at the comment. Petty bitch was never gonna let him live down that first encounter he had with Red. Sure, he could have made more of an effort to actually fight the girl or just whistle for Neo and have his accomplice stab her in the back of the head when he'd been robbing that dust store, but Roman Torchwick wanted to keep a clean record! Offing a prospective huntress wouldn't help with that!

Though keeping a relatively clean record was getting harder and harder to do the longer he was kept under Cinder's employ.

"My point is the only reason we came out of this job with something to actually show for it besides a highlight on late night television is because of me. ME. I did exactly what you asked, just as I have been doing for these past several jobs." Roman stated. "So instead of jumping down my throat or blaming me for things going belly up, could you please direct that justified annoyance to the guy who's actually in charge of those masked clowns?"

Cinder clenched her fists angrily for a moment before she let out a sigh and forced her nerves to cool. Much as it grated her, nothing Roman said was wrong… or at least, there were no holes in his testimony that she could poke open to prove any incompetence on his part. He had indeed pilfered quite a large amount of dust along with the White Fang grunts he'd managed to direct, with the dozen or so goons milling around somewhere outside the room she was hosting this meeting at.

…Along with a certain someone who would need to be properly reprimanded since Roman wasn't a viable target currently.

"...Very well. So your competence isn't in question this time." Cinder allowed, a bit mollified when she saw Roman give a shaky sigh of relief. "But someone needs to answer for this failure, Roman. And given your assertions of the White Fang's ineptitude, I believe my other associate has some explaining to do. Bring him in."

Roman nodded and took out his scroll. Hitting a few buttons, it didn't take long for his call to go through. "Neo, bring tall, dark and broody in for us, will you?"

A snort of laughter had Cinder glancing backward at Mercury who just gave a smirk and a shrug when he noticed the woman's gaze on him.

"What? It's not an inaccurate description of him." Mercury quipped, shooting Roman a grin. "Say, could you describe him like that to his face? I'm curious to see what part of you he'd cut off for teasing him."

"Why don't you do it instead?" Roman returned with his own smirk. "Least you wouldn't have to worry about him taking your legs out from under you."

Any response Mercury might have given was lost when the door to the room they were having their meeting in swung open. Neo skipped inside and made a beeline for the fridge while a tall, red haired bull faunus strode in.

…Looking at Adam, Cinder had to admit he sold the image of a faunus warrior quite well. The fiery red hair, horns, mask, sword, and the red and black coloration of his clothes (a color combo she could appreciate given it was her own favored theme) all presented a formidable picture that spoke just as loudly as his actions. There was a reason Adam was able to attain a command position in the White Fang in spite of his young age. The fierce look and the sword weren't just for show. She'd seen firsthand what the young man could do and how skilled and powerful a fighter he was.

His power was nothing compared to her own of course, but he commanded a number of troops and thus had access to manpower Cinder needed for her plans. The fact that the White Fang was willing to go to the extremes they were made them a more preferable fighting force than strong-arming the remnants of the gangs she'd dismantled would have been. Even if she made threats, the criminals of Vale still considered the city their home and thus had limits on what actions they were willing to inflict on it. The White Fang had no such limits, so any mission was fair game as long as it served the "cause" of their organization. Allying with the White Fang had been the logical choice.

Or so she had originally thought.

Cinder gestured for Adam to take a seat. White Fang commander did so and sat across from her, lying his sword across his lap. Roman scooted as far away as he could from the young man and showed an expression that he very much wished that he could sit somewhere else. Cinder leaned back and stared at Adam, waiting for him to speak. He knew very well why he'd been called in, and Cinder wanted him to acknowledge that he was aware of his failure to keep his people under control.

A minute passed with no one speaking. Roman began to tap his cane against the side of the couch. Behind her, Cinder could hear the thief's partner spinning on a barstool and stuffing her face with some ice cream she'd found in the freezer. Emerald shuffled lightly on her feet from behind her, and Mercury went about tasting the cocktail he'd mixed… and a few seconds later the sound of him dumping the contents of the glass into the sink could be heard.

"If you've nothing to say, I'm leaving." Adam announced finally, and Cinder leaned forward in her seat.

"I was simply waiting for you to explain to me why the job we assigned your men got so loud when it was meant to be a quiet assignment." Cinder replied, narrowing her eyes at the faunus. "I understand that covert ops might not be a specialty in your organization-"

"We have plenty of experience working under the radar." Adam retorted.

"And yet the results of the job wound up with the faces of several of your associates plastered all over the news!" Cinder declared with a snarl.

"Along with mine." Roman added, looking extremely displeased as he pointed toward the muted television screen… which had a picture of his handsome face plastered next to Thanh's ugly mugshot. "I was clearly sighted at the docs with your zoo friends and one of the kids that crashed the operation obviously called me out. And right when prep for the Vytal Festival is about to start!"

The tagline that panned across the bottom of the television screen only enforced the message with a written statement that he was in an alliance with the White Fang, a fact that Roman was internally seething at. His reputation was gonna start fraying even more now that he had been fingered for working alongside terrorists, which completely clashed with the gentleman thief persona he'd spent years building up. Charismatic tricksters did not sign up with groups known for their extremism and brutality!

"Your reputation means little to me, human. What's your point?"

"My point is that there's no ambiguity about who my associates are anymore. Which means when Atlas flies in for the tournament they'll be gunning for me along with the rest of you animals!" Roman exclaimed, wringing his hands over Melodic Cudgel as he glared at Adam. "No ambiguity or mystery for the White Fang itself either. I don't know if any of your goons share a family with insects, but the Altas Military is gonna get out their stomping boots when they get here since they will know your group is trying to make waves in Vale."

Because now Roman had the extra worry of WHEN Atlas showed up in Vale, just how much of their forces would they be lending out to help bolster the police in Vale? Dodging cops was one thing, but dodging the military was something else entirely!

Though with the small smirk Roman could see playing on Cinder's lips, he started to wonder if that hadn't been part of her own plans. Knock down his reputation points and leave him with nowhere else to turn to, tying him to her even more. Though she had given the impression that she was angry at the outcome of their dock operation, Cinder probably saw his tanking reputation as a pro and not a con.

His boss was annoyingly thorough about keeping him bent over a barrel.

"When I loaned you my men for this mission at the docks, it was my understanding that this human would be the one in charge." Adam said, turning his head slightly toward Roman. "If he knew anything about-"

"You tell your guys I was calling the shots before you sent them over? Because apparently not all of them got that memo." Roman said with a roll of his eyes. "Your scaled buddy Thanh was convinced he was running the show and almost blew up the whole dock. I get that as terrorists you're not super subtle with your-"

"Don't refer to us as terrorists." Adam growled. "Atlas propaganda may refer to us as such, but we're not-"

"Whatever. However you brand yourselves," Roman spoke over Adam, Cinder noting with some amusement that the thief's word choice had the faunus move his hand over to grip the hilt of his sword. "My point is you were the one who saddled me with Thanh, who almost ruined the entire mission. Maybe the next time you loan out some of your guys for a job, make sure their manager is someone who's sharp mentally more than he is physically. I mean, I know I said I needed muscle for the job, but that guy was all muscle and no brain."

"While it's crudely put, Roman does raise a point." Cinder picked up after Roman finished speaking. "Again, this was meant to be a quiet job. Raiding the docks, incapacitating the workers there, then making off with the dust before too many people wised up to our presence there… that was the plan. Based on Roman's description of your associate and the story the news had told me of him, I'm rather interested as to why you decided Thanh was the most suited for this job."

"Because he absolutely was not the guy for the job." Roman asserted.

Adam didn't respond immediately to Cinder and Roman's back and forth accusations. Instead, the bull faunus took a calming breath before reaching up and removing the mask that covered the top half of his face.

As he was sitting on the side of Adam where the "SDC" brand was burned across the swordsman's skin, Roman couldn't help but wince as the angry red flesh and burn scars that crawled across Adam's brow and eye. Roman made a living operating in the underworld and prior to that he'd put in some time on the frontier as a huntsman, so he'd seen some pretty grisly things in his time, but a mark that ugly made him shudder a bit.

Easy to infer what Adam's early life had been like and what had driven him into the arms of a terrorist organization.

"Thanh did exactly what he was supposed to on that job." Adam informed them calmly. "This event served as the White Fang's opening announcement. Acting subtly may be your goal, but it wasn't ours. Even if the operation ended in a way we hadn't intended, it served our purposes well enough."

"Is that what you'd call this?" Cinder asked, tone unimpressed as she gestured to the television screen which was now showing a clip of the docks and warehouses on fire. She glared at Adam, unbothered by his vicious scar. "I told you that the White Fang's time to announce themselves to the populace of Vale would come, but we're still in the preparation phase. You've just admitted to needlessly blowing our cover, and now it will be that much harder to gather the dust we need now that the general populace has been forewarned of your presence here."

"The White Fang needs victories and accolades in order to garner more support for our cause." Adam insisted. "Our Vale cell is one of our weakest. Thanh and his men were part of the small handful who actually knew how to fight. He was meant to demonstrate to those that volunteered that we were strong enough get the job done, and that we needn't have feared retaliation from Vale's police force or possible huntsmen that might've been sent."

"Really? You saw this as a combo deal for both a recruitment pitch and a morale boost for your troops?" Roman opined, barking a laugh at that factoid. "Well, that certainly worked out for you, didn't it? You big, bad lizard lost to a bunch of baby hunters."

"It is a setback, certainly." Adam admitted with a hiss. "From what my men outside have informed me, Thanh got cocky and got it in his head to bait some Beacon students into attacking him for some reason."

"Perhaps he was taking his own initiative after the failure at Forever Fall?" Cinder suggested, having been informed of the small group of White Fang who had tried attacking one of Beacon's classes some time ago and about how they'd been almost completely routed.

"It would have helped if you'd informed me that only the Geist would respond to our commands. We managed to direct the captured Grimm we brought, but the rest of the Grimm in the forest attacked our operatives as well as the students."

"Looks like we've both had some issues with communication." Cinder replied, ignoring Adam's accusing tone. "After all, you informed me that the men you assigned to help Roman steal away the dust shipments wouldn't have any problems taking orders from our side and yet your associate Thanh took matters into his own hands. You've admitted to encouraging him in this. I'm growing skeptical of our continued partnership if we can't align on certain matters, Adam."

"Thanh was a blunt instrument, and even with this failure it was at least a learning experience for those that were just recruited. It is indeed a setback, but there was still a benefit in showing new recruits about what they might and likely will be facing up to in the future." Adam said with a light shrug, not sounding very concerned about the fact Thanh had botched the job and had gotten arrested. "That is something we need to address. Sienna won't provide additional support unless she starts seeing better results. We need to start recruiting able faunus to supplement our ranks in the meantime."

Cinder hummed at that. Having more manpower to spare would certainly be beneficial in the long run, so looking for avenues for recruitment had merit.

"Victories will come in time, Adam. But only if you're patient." Cinder told him bluntly, glaring across at him from where she was seated. "Control your people, or inform them how important it is to follow our guidance, and the glory you and your people seek shall be your reward. The notoriety, the credit for the victories we'll mount, and the credit you are more than welcome to. But you must follow my order or those whom I delegate you to follow in the future, understood?"

"What you must understand Cinder, is that the White Fang are not your attack dogs." Adam returned stoically. "We've only come together over our mutual goal to see Vale burn and because you've proven your strength to us. Your head would've already been removed from your shoulders if that weren't the case."

Cinder sneered at Adam's words. "I understand very well where we stand with each other, my dear Adam. But for as long as our partnership lasts, you WILL impress some temperance among your forces. Otherwise you'll keep sustaining losses instead of earning victories, as Thanh's fate should have shown you."

Adam's fists clenched. "I'm still trying to get to the bottom of why he felt the need to get into a fight with several student teams. While he knew about the failure at Forever Fall, he made no indication that he was trying to make up for that loss."

"Actually, I might have an answer for you there, Addie."

Both Roman and Cinder turned to Roman when the flamboyant man interjected himself into their discussion.

"You seem to be under the impression that you had the psycho dino on a proper leash and he only bit the chain off because he had trouble taking orders from a human." Roman said, pointing to himself. "Well, I can tell you he made more than a few comments about wanting to knock you out of the commander's seat and take your place. Already got the impression he wasn't the most loyal sort, but I didn't take you for the type to tolerate such blatant disrespect."

"Thanh loved to run his mouth but his fighting abilities were potent enough that the White Fang leaders were able to tolerate it." Adam answered with a frown. While a moderately effective squad leader, the lizard faunus had more bark than bite and it was a big reason why he hadn't attained a higher position in the organization in spite of being a member longer than Adam himself had been. "I'm well aware of how he spoke of me behind my back. The only reason I didn't cut his tongue out was because he never defied me in front of the men and he's one of the few of those we've assembled in Vale that actually knew how to fight. I don't have many in my current group capable of leading, hence the need to find capable recruits. I can ignore Thanh's unsavory traits so long as he makes himself useful and contributes properly to our cause."

"Wow, you're way more magnanimous than I gave you credit for!" Roman said, genuinely surprised that Adam knew Thanh was a shit and still kept him around. "So if he'd gotten his hands on that Belladonna cat, you wouldn't have-"

"What was that?"

And suddenly the redhead was on his feet with his sword tickling the tip of Roman's nose, looking rightly furious. The thief immediately raised his hands in surrender.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! Don't stab the messenger!" Roman sputtered. "You don't have an HR department so I was just being a good business associate and informing you of what's been said behind your back! And about the runaway cat you seem to have some history with!"

Adam's eyes narrowed at Roman. "...You're saying Blake Belladonna was at the docks?"

"Your cat princess? Yeah, she was the one who Thanh baited in and all her new friends from school tagged along." Roman said quickly. "Not gonna lie, Thanh had some pretty skeevy ideas about what to do with her, and I'm guessing from context both by your reaction and what the lizard said at the docks you've got some history with that kitty cat?"

"...Quite a bit." Adam seethed before letting out a breath and pulling his sword back, causing Roman to let out a relieved sigh. Adam swiftly sheathed his blade and sat back down. "She's a traitor to our cause, and will face the Fang's justice for her betrayal and desertion. But her punishment will come from my hand and no one else's."

"Looks like Thanh didn't get that memo either."

"And it looks like I won't be able to suffer his presence any longer." Adam growled, taking out a folded piece of paper and flicking it toward Cinder. The woman caught it and unfolded it, scanning the contents with a raised eyebrow. It contained a list of names, with some even having addresses written down.

"And this is…?"

"A list of those who've expressed their desire to follow in Blake's footsteps and flee the Fang." Adam answered. "Given how important our operations are, we cannot allow for any potential information leaks. Those without addresses are individuals I'll take care of myself, but those with are residents who reside within Vale. Given my status as a fugitive I can't ensure their silence, but as your identities aren't known I think you could verify whether or not whether they are capable of keeping our secrets… or if they should be silenced themselves."

"I take back what I said earlier about you being the magnanimous sort." Roman muttered. "Aren't most of the guys you have right now just part-timers? One of the chattier ones that helped me with the dust mentioned he worked as a cashier clerk during the day. You really need go as far as gutting them to make sure they can't talk? What could they possibly know?"

"Nothing useful, but they know where our campsites outside of Vale's walls are. We move around to keep from getting spotted by border guards, but it's better to be safe than sorry." Adam explained. "And I'm not suggested that killing them be the first option taken. If simply paying them off or threatening them works, faunus blood doesn't need to be spilled."

"So you say, but I notice a few of these names and locations are highlighted in red." Cinder noted, picking out three or four names on the list of two dozen or so Adam had given her. "I take it these are the individuals you're really concerned about?"

"They are individuals that YOU should be concerned about, actually."

Cinder let out a scoffing chuckle at that. "You think they could actually post a threat to-"

"You misunderstand. They intend to leave the Fang and take the knowledge they have with them." Adam cut in. "Those individuals I highlighted are those that saw the faces of you and your two associates."

The paper crinkled when Cinder's fingers clenched it tighter in response to Adam's words.

Most of her interactions with the White Fang had been conducted using Roman as a proxy. After she and Adam had agreed to work together, there were a couple times where she'd sent Emerald or Mercury as a messenger whenever Roman was on a job. However, Cinder herself rarely made an appearance in front of the White Fang as a whole. As far as most of them were concerned, Adam was the one running the show and with her as the silent supporter. Cinder doubted most of Adam's White Fang even knew about her.

But there had been one time where she'd been forced to show herself. Roman's negotiations with Adam hadn't gone at all smoothly in the beginning, and the swordsman hadn't been keen on communicating with her through a third party. So one day, flanked by Emerald and Mercury, Cinder had met with Adam in the forests outside of Vale. She'd entered his camp and had coerced him into joining her after a show a strength and a display of what she could offer the White Fang if they aided her in her goals. Since then, Cinder had been the shadow supporter directing the White Fang's actions in Vale.

The red names on the list must've been some of the people who'd been present during that night she confronted Adam and persuaded him to ally with her.

She couldn't allow her the chance of her identity to leak, or even a description of her features get out for that matter. Her entire plan to infiltrate Beacon relied on her being a complete unknown to Vale as a whole, so she couldn't have anyone running free with the knowledge that she was working with the White Fang. The criminals in Vale knew well enough not to cross her. They'd never risk outing themselves and their own operations just to snitch on her, but regular people trying to cut ties with them was another story. They were more prone to talk, and weren't behold to any kind of secrecy if they left the White Fang.

"This will be taken care of." Cinder said, not to Adam, but to Emerald and Mercury.

"Of course, Cinder." Emerald nodded determinedly.

"I'm all for hunting a little game in my free time." Mercury grinned. "Maybe I'll take the time to see more of the sights while I'm out."

Cinder nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Adam with a glare. "Why didn't you bring this to my attention sooner?"

"Because it was only just brought to my attention recently." Adam replied. "Once the dissidents have promised their silence or have been purged, only the truly committed will remain."

"We'll certainly need committed individuals for what's to come." Cinder warned him.

"To that, and given what Torchwick's said, I'm adding Thanh to that list." Adam said decisively. "His commitment to the cause was never in question, but these petty power plays of his will not be given the chance to jeopardize our operations here."

"And the fact he had designs on your runaway cat isn't influencing this decision at all?" Roman asked dryly.

"Thanh will be dealt with." Cinder cut in viciously before the bull faunus could reply to Roman's comment. "Given he's currently confined in a VPD station somewhere, it'll be easier for us to put him down than trouble you or any of yours with the job. Is that agreeable?"

"That's fine with me. Just so long as it gets done."

"It will."

"Then unless there's anything else, our business should be concluded for now." Adam proclaimed as he rose to his feet. "I need to return to our current base and start planning our future operations. If there are any developments on your end-"

"Then we will inform you." Cinder finished, earning a curt nod from the faunus. "Just try not to cause too much of a fuss, will you? Other academies will be sending their student teams to Beacon soon and representatives from other nations will follow. The White Fang must be ready and able to act when the time is right. Our plan will begin in earnest quite soon…"

"You've yet to share the exact details of this plan with me." Adam said lowly.

That made Roman's eyebrow twitch up. It was a surprising piece of information, but it did confirm Cinder was as cagey about her plans with Adam as she was with him.

"I'll be sending information to your scroll in the coming weeks with more details on the job you'll be doing. Just waiting for some information to be confirmed before we're in a position to deploy your people to where they need to be." Cinder replied. "Believe me, Adam. The White Fang's time to shine will come very, very soon. We'll both get what we want."

"We'll see, Cinder."

With that parting comment, Adam turned on his heel and swiftly left the room. Cinder clicked her tongue a few moments after the door had shut behind the swordsman. Seeing his boss's irritation, Mercury hurried over with a glass of wine and handed it over to the woman, who took it with a smile.

"Dealing with that man is so troublesome." Cinder vented, swirling her glass before taking a sip. "If he were any less formidable, or if his little terrorist group weren't integral to my plans, I wouldn't need to suffer his attitude…

"Kinda surprisingly to hear him get all uppity about some girl though." Mercury snickered as he stepped back over to the kitchen. "I mean he dresses up like an edgelord already, but knowing he's been getting jilted by an ex just makes this even more hilarious. I dunno if I can take him seriously anymore."

"Attitude aside, he's battle skills are the real deal. Right, Cinder?" Emerald asked, looking over at the women.

"Indeed, Emerald. Adam is powerful, I've seen it for myself… but that doesn't make interacting with him any less trying." Cinder sighed.

"Bet it doesn't help his group just basically blew the whistle on our activities." Roman added. "The Vytal Festival is still months away, but there'll be plenty of people arriving in Vale leading up to it. Specifically Atlas. I've already been hearing whispers on the usual channels about the equipment they'll be bringing to Vale… and they'll probably start double packing when they hear about the White Fang being here."

"That is very likely." Cinder agreed with a nod.

"Which blows our chances of keeping this quiet." Roman said exasperated. "News of the docks blowing up is already gonna make people panic. Now everyone's gonna be alert and wonder about what the White Fang might be up to."

"True," Cinder nodded again. "But that might not be too much of a bad thing when I really think about it…"

Roman stilled at that, feeling his stomach turn to ice as he thought about Cinder's words.

"It's not how I originally intended to announce our presence here, but thinking about it this job ended up serving as a good prelude for the citizens of Vale." Cinder smirked, enjoying the gobsmacked look on Roman's face. "Now that people know the White Fang are present in their city, panic will start to rise. It'll start as a low simmer, but with careful planning it'll boil over when the time is right…"

…If inciting panic was part of her mysterious endgame, Roman was very worried about what that meant for the future. Even in the upper echelons of the underworld, scaring the general public was very rarely a goal, and instead was something even the less savory types actively avoided in order to keep police and hunters off their backs.

Then again, given that Cinder could somehow control Grimm, and general panic was very much something that would whet the appetites of those monsters…

"Every puzzle piece I manage to find about this chick just ends up painting a worse and worse picture." Roman thought, hiding a grimace by covering his mouth with his hand.

"This also had the benefit of identifying individuals who might become nuisances to our plans in the future."

Roman sat up and raised his eyebrows at that. "What's that now?"

"I had Mercury scoping out the job tonight to determine how effective the White Fang could complete the duties assigned to them." Cinder answered with a smile, taking a sip from her wine glass while Roman just gapped at her.

"W-Wait, so you thought they'd fail? And why didn't you tell me one of your little tagalongs was tailing after us?!"

"I didn't assign Mercury overwatch under the impression that they'd fail, but because since we'll be having a working relationship with them for quite some time I thought it prudent to get information on how they operate." Cinder replied. "And perhaps if you were a little more proactive or had a stronger hand, things would have gone more smoothly."

"You…!"

"I'll be sure to measure my expectations properly in the future and take into account the White Fang's temperament… as well as your own capabilities." Cinder said, smirking around her glass.

Roman could feel the beginnings of a stress headache start pounding behind his eyes, but kept calm and let out an explosive sigh. "If your boy over there was scoping things out, why didn't he intervene at any point? Why couldn't he have prevented the big blow up?"

"Because Mercury, as well as Emerald and myself, must remain hidden until it is our proper time to act. It's not as though he was shadowing you every hour of every day. He kept distance, and wasn't privy to any of your interactions with Thanh."

Well, that made him feel slightly better… but it still irked Roman that he'd apparently had someone peeking over his shoulder for this job and hadn't known about it.

A glance over at Neo from where she was sitting and the way she was frowning around her spoon made it clear she was just as annoyed.

Cinder snapped her fingers and Roman watched as Emerald handed Cinder a manila folder like a good little secretary. Cinder dropped the folder onto the table and the pictures within it spilled out. Roman immediately recognized the faces of Jaune and Red, along with all their friends who'd tagged along to crash the party.

"Honestly, not who I expected to interfere with us, but it seems we have at least one repeat offender." Cinder said, leaning forward and tapping a finger against a picture of a certain scythe wielding shorty.

"Yeah, Red certainly seems to love playing hero in her free time… though who exactly were you expecting to interfere in the operation?" Roman inquired, put off by the way she'd worded that.

"It's not important."

"Feels pretty important if you had one of your little cronies shadowing the job and were expecting company that didn't apparently show up." Roman thought to himself, once again irritated that Cinder was so selective when it came to sharing information with him.

"If it becomes an issue, then we'll address it then. Better to focus on those present now."

Roman wholly disagreed with that, but he wasn't going to make a stink about it now. Not when he'd likely get burned for trying to call her out.

"Not a lot of information on them as individuals, but they're all clearly hunters-in-training so that means they're affiliated with Beacon. Schnee and Nikos are famous enough that information on them is easily attained. The White Fang in particular I'm sure has plenty of information on anything Schnee related." Cinder mused as she looked over the pictures Mercury had taken. "The rest we'll need to look into. Especially this girl who you fought before. With the dock mission, this means she has interfered with us twice… if a pattern develops, certain measures may need to be taken. Same goes for her other friends if they get involved in the future."

"If they've got Adam's ex with them that's pretty much guaranteed." Roman sighed. "I was there when she crashed the party and she had a whole little speech prepared about how wrong the White Fang was, how much of a monster Thanh was, and how she wanted to stop them. Instead of Red, feels like she's gonna be the biggest problem for us here."

"I'm inclined to agree given what you've said." Cinder said, pursing her lips as she picked up and looked at Blake's picture. "Still, she could be a potent tool for us to use if we could direct her actions somehow. Given Adam's seeming focus on her, it could be a way to better control him…"

Roman didn't offer his own two cents on Cinder's scheming, keeping his thoughts to himself. For all the Cinder liked to portray herself as a skilled manipulator, she was so obsessed with control that she couldn't see the red flags in prodding that particular connection might lead to. While threatening Blake or promising her to Adam might have some kind of effect on the man, it was just as likely that anything did to his former paramour might send Adam on a warpath against them.

Adam was a different sort than Cinder was, and Roman could plainly see it. While Cinder was extremely scary and threatening and fully capable of killing both himself and Neo with a flick of her fingers, Adam unnerved him in a different sort of way. The faunus warrior had a creed and saw himself as a liberator, which meant his actions and by extensions the other faunus in his inner circles could be wildly unpredictable in their actions. This recent job only proved that Cinder didn't have as much power of them as she liked to believe, and if she didn't throw Adam and his White Fang a bone soon there was a good chance their alliance would fracture.

It was certainly something to keep in mind, since if Roman were to steer Cinder and Adam into butting heads he might be able to slip away in the chaos…

…Of course, it was also just as likely he'd be cut in half or burned to ashes when they clashed, so it wasn't as appealing as a prospect as he'd like.

"Still no smooth way out of the current predicament." Roman lamented to himself, though there was one thing that he felt somewhat relieved about.

Roman's eyes flicked down to Jaune's picture for a moment before they flicked back to Cinder's face. His scary boss hadn't made any indication that she felt he was a person of interest, focusing on the cat, Red, Nikos, and the Schnee for the most part. And even her apparent spy with the metal legs hadn't made any comment about Jaune being the primary reason Thanh got defeated in the first place, which was confirmation that he hadn't been shadowing close enough to see the battle itself.

The raggedy knight was still a card only Roman knew about, even if it was somewhat of a wild card. But at least he still had the option to play it, so long as Cinder and her cronies didn't get it in their head that the blonde kid was anyone noteworthy.

…The kid had already gotten him out of one earlier scrape, and another even bigger one just a while ago. While small, if Roman played things right, he might be able to get the kid's help in order to get himself and Neo out from underneath Cinder's heel…

"I'm assigned you and Neo to the job."

Roman jolted in his seat as he was pulled from his thoughts.

"Huh?"

Cinder frowned. "Weren't you listening? I said you and Neo will be responsible for resolving the issue with Thanh. Even if that lizard was the reason why the mission was a half-failure, the job was still your responsibility. Thus, it is on you to tie up any loose ends."

Cinder almost expected Roman to kick up a fuss about that, but blinked when the man smiled.

"Finally, something easy! And a good stress reliever too." Roman grinned, saluting with two fingers. "Rest assured, Cindy. Our little reptile problem will be resolved before the sun's up, right Neo?"

The mute clapped her hands in her seat, looking positively giddy at the job they'd been assigned.

"…Glad to hear it." Cinder said with a slow nod. "After that's done be ready to receive more orders. We still need more dust for our mission, and I will have it. Even if Vale will be quicker in their response to your heists and thefts, you are not to stop until we have what we need. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Roman sighed. "Just so long as you or your animal friends provide me with locations, I'll get it done somehow. I've already been outed as working with the Fang, so no one's gonna care if my henchmen are seen wearing Grimm masks now."

"Given how keen Adam is on getting the White Fang's name out there, that will actually be a benefit." Cinder said.

"So I'm still supposed to use his guys?"

"You are."

"…Well, hopefully the next goons he lends me know how to follow directions properly." Roman sighed as he pushed himself off of the couch. "Text me if you need anything. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go cross a name off that list Adam gave you. Let's go, Neo."

Roman headed for the door and Neo followed after him. After the two left, it was just Cinder, Emerald and Mercury left inside the room.

"…Emerald, did you manage to finish the errand I gave to you?"

"I did." Emerald confirmed with an eager nod. "There are a few who I think would be good to meet with and see how useful they are for your plans. They have capital, resources, and manpower. Any that didn't meet your requirements I turned away."

"Excellent work. You've done very well." Cinder grinned.

"Of course!"

While most of the criminals had done their best to stay out of her way during her rapid rise to prominence within Vale's underworld, there were a few that had made overtures to form an alliance with her or had even been willing to server under her. With her infiltration into Beacon fast approaching, her ability to take personal action would be much reduced since she'd be under Beacon and thus Ozpin's radar. She needed proxies to act in her stead and push her plans along while she, Emerald and Mercury were busy playing student, specifically individuals who were ready to follow her instructions better than Adam's White Fang were able to.

These criminals who pledged their allegiance to her would be her unseen arms and legs while she mingled in Beacon Academy. She just had to determine which individuals would serve her purposes best.

Cinder glanced down at the photos spread across the table.

And perhaps, if she was lucky, they would be able to resolve a few annoyances before they could actually become problems.

"All the actors are beginning to appear on stage." Cinder chuckled to herself. "Now, we just need to make sure everyone plays their part…"

And then the power she was seeking would finally be hers for the taking.

- - -

"You're back."

Adam nodded to Ilia as he stepped within sight of the camp. She'd been waiting just outside the campgrounds for him to return, it seemed.

"You didn't need to wait up."

"Felt I had to. Not only to hear the full story of what went down at the docks, but also to hear what the flame bitch wanted to talk about this time." Ilia replied with a shrug before giving Adam an expectant look. "So? What's the news?"

"What have you heard?"

"Only what we've heard the news say on the radio. And we missed some of the details since reception on the thing gets choppy out here. We all know how biased the radio is against us, but we got the impression that Thanh might've cocked things up."

"He did indeed." Adam confirmed, earning an annoyed grunt from the chameleon faunus.

"I told you he was more of a liability than an asset." Ilia huffed. "Sure, Thanh's a decent fighter but that's all he's good for. His regeneration makes him a good meat shield for our guys but a heist like this was always going to-"

"You know the reason why he was sent. It was the prelude to our declaration of war against Vale." Adam argued.

"I get that Adam, I do, but we didn't just lose Thanh. We also lost a chunk of our other fighters that got arrested alongside him." Ilia sighed. "Other than you and me, we've got barely half a dozen huntsman-trained fighters. Half the rest don't even have their auras unlocked. And half of that half are volunteers we recruited when we got here a couple months back. We've a distinct lack of actual soldiers on hand."

"And with our original intended operation to bolster our forces hitting an unexpected dead end, we weren't able to make up for the men we lost on the raid we did before arriving in Vale." Adam sighed. "Has there been any information on the 'knight' who interfered with us?"

"Nothing substantial. I've caught wind of a few rumors about him, but they all originate a distance away from Vale. Haven't had a chance to follow up on those leads, but I got the impression he's not near the city."

"I see." Adam nodded slowly. The lack of leads on the mystery huntsman was a disappointment, but he wasn't a focus. Not yet anyway. "Were you able to get in contact with Sienna?"

Ilia grimaced. "Fennec answered instead. Sienna's currently out with some of the other leaders raiding a large SDC compound. I made a request to get some reinforcements sent over, but he said that our top operatives were needed on more important missions."

"We'll need to make do then." Adam murmured, crossing his arms over his chest as he ruminated on how to best move forward from here.

Cinder had her plans, but the White Fang still needed to pursue its own agenda independent from her. They couldn't just sit around and wait for Cinder to call on them. They had to find some means of bolstering their supplies and resources before the day arrived to enact their grand plans.

The White Fang couldn't rest on their laurels while their primary mission had yet to be accomplished.

"Any news on shipments from Atlas?" Adam asked. "With the Vytal Festival preparations starting soon, and with so many flying in from other nations, have there been any ideal targets for raids?"

"I took note of a few, but I think it's best you look over my suggestions before deciding on anything." Ilia told him. "We do have to be smarter about how we use our men until we can recruit more members."

"Indeed." Adam nodded as he moved past her. "I'll look over your notes as soon as I can. Thank you, Ilia."

"Of course."

Adam paused at the border of the camp, remembering he'd left one thing out of the conversation.

"Adam?"

"I've located Blake."

"Really?!" Ilia gasped. "Wait, does that mean you were able to confirm-"

"She's currently attending Beacon as a student." Adam said quietly, hand tensing on the hilt of his sword as he spoke.

Ilia just stared at him for a moment before her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "That's… she…! Abandoning us, the cause… just to go play huntress?!"

"It would appear so." Adam growled. "Trust me, I'm just as infuriated as you are."

"After all her complaints, all her accusations and words thrown about us needing to be better in how we conduct ourselves and accomplish our goals…" Ilia hissed, throwing up her hands incredulously. "She thinks joining an academy is how she's gonna make a difference?! She's just running away, the little traitor!"

Knowing Ilia shared his anger toward their desert helped calm Adam's nerves somewhat. It was that solidarity that helped keep Adam focus and put thoughts of Blake to the side for the time being.

"She will answer for her betrayal, Illa. Mark my words. For now, we've other priorities."

"Right, yeah, got it." Ilia nodded, letting out her frustration with a heavy sigh as she followed Adam into the camp. "By the way, Muscan's being held in Rory's tent. They're keeping an eye on him."

"Good. The little rat has a few questions he needs to answer since his squad leader is currently sitting in one of Vale's cells." Adam said, using one thumb to flick his sword out of its sheath slightly.

"What are we gonna do about Thanh anyway?" Ilia asked at his side. "I don't think we can afford to spring him out right now. I mean, I could try it but I don't know the layout of Vale so I can't guarantee even with my-"

"You don't need to worry about Thanh anymore, Ilia. It's being taken care of."

Ilia's eyebrows shot up at that. It wasn't hard to grasp the meaning of Adam's words.

"Huh. Well, at least that's one problem we won't have to deal with anymore." Ilia muttered.

"Indeed." Adam confirmed as they made their way through the camp.

- - -

Thanh paced angrily in his cell. The bars were thick and the walls containing him were thicker, and there was no way for him to get out. Especially not when he was currently dressed in a strait jacket which prevented him from clawing his way out, and the ventilator mask that had been fixed over his jaw killed any option of biting his way out. He, one of the White Fang's greatest warriors, had been arrested and confined within a human jail.

How humiliating.

"They'll all pay." Thanh hissed through the mask. "Once I get out of here, those brats… I'll pick them apart piece by piece."

Especially that little pupil of Gato's. That win had been a fluke. If it had just been the princess, that blonde brat, and the other tagalongs he would've crushed them all… but then the rest had shown up and it had been a little too much chaos aimed at him. He would've never been defeated otherwise.

He just had to wait for his brothers and sisters in the White Fang to come and liberate him from his containment. He was too valuable to leave in a cell. Then when he got out, he'd go on a proper hunt. He'd sniff out their wayward princess and break her, then when her knight in rags and other brats came running he'd pick them off one by one until-

"Lookin' good, Thanh."

Thanh whipped around at the sound of a familiar cocky voice and blinked when he saw Roman Torchwick standing outside of his cell.

"Gotta say, your current mask suits you much more than the usual one your little club wears." Roman smirked, gesturing to the faunus's face. "Really ties the whole outfit together. Plus I think you've have less of a teething issue this way too."

"Torchwick!"

"Ugh, could do without the holes though." Roman grimaced, waving a hand in front of his face. "Seriously man, you gotta brush. Can still smell your breath even way over here."

"Cute." Thanh snarled under the mask as he approached the bars of his cell. "Just hurry up and get on with it."

"Get on with what?"

"With getting me out of here!" Thanh shouted, finding the human's word games as frustrating as he always did. "Why else would you be here? The White Fang obviously sent you to free me! So hurry up and open the cell doors!"

"Thanh, buddy, dude, pal, friend… you're getting the complete wrong idea here." Roman sighed, shaking his head. "No springing or freeing tonight. Since you botched my original mission, my boss gave me a new one. Specifically, tying up the loose ends from the job that went wrong."

Thanh just stared. "What…?"

"…Now, I know you're not the brightest bulb, but you gotta see where I'm driving at with this, yeah?" Roman smiled. "You're being cut loose. Thanks for your services and all, but it's just not working out, so-"

"Bullshit!" Thanh snarled. "You don't get to make that call, Torchwick! The White Fang wouldn't-"

"Adam signed off on it." Roman cut in. "You really do not have a lot of fans in the club you're so proud of. Plus planning to break the bro code like you were gonna… I mean, that Blake girl may be Adam's ex but what you wanted to do to her was-"

"Lies! A warrior of my caliber… they can't afford to lose me!"

"Welp, they're gonna. They'll definitely be better off." Roman said. "Plus, big bonus for me, Madame Rogue put out a bounty on your head too! She wasn't too happy about the way you treated her girl… so you'll be paying for my drinks tonight! Plus a box of my favorite cigars, imported all the way from Vacuo… and I'll still have quite a bit leftover for Neo's birthday present. It's still a couple months away, but I like to plan ahead."

"…So what then, you're going to kill me?" Thanh scoffed, smirking underneath his mask. "Even with my arms bound I could kill you, Torchwick. You are no warrior. Not like ME. I'm a champion, and you're just a mouthy rat."

"Ouch. Given the company you keep, that cuts to the bone." Roman said, holding a hand over his heart dramatically.

"Go ahead and try, Roman Torchwick." Thanh sneered, stepping back to the center of his cell and crouching slightly. "You think yourself above me? You're about to see how wrong you are if you think-"

Rolling his eyes, Roman flicked something out of his coat and tossed it into Thanh's cell. The faunus's eyes widened when the object Roman tossed bounced near his feet.

"Wait-?!"

Roman closed his eyes as an explosion burst in his ears, followed by a wave of chilled air that had him shivering a bit even through his coat. "Whew, that's bracing. Can really get cold in Vale sometimes. How you feeling, Thanh?"

His lower body encased in frost from the ice dust grenade Roman had thrown at him, Thanh's whole body shook on the ground, writhing as the cold seeped into his bones and the icicles scraped and cut into his skin.

"T-T-T-Torchwick…!"

"Figured you'd like that, being the cold-blooded warrior you are." Torchwick shrugged. "Putting you on ice first makes skinning you easier. Neo, he's all yours."

Thanh's eyes widened when suddenly glass shattered in his vision and suddenly Torchwick's pink haired bitch was standing in the cell and staring down at him with cruel eyes that promised pain while Torchwick looked in over the small girl's shoulder.

"Neo, sweetie, I paid the guards to have their cameras undergo a 'system malfunction' for about fifteen minutes. I wasted five minutes talking to this lizard, so that means we gotta be out the door in eight, okay?" Torchwick called to her like a parent dropping their kid off at a playdate. "Have your fun, but make sure you're quick about it."

Neo nodded enthusiastically and drew her sword out.

Thanh tried to scramble away, but couldn't find any purchase on the icy floor. Not only that, but the cold and ice pricking into him was biting into his aura, and his semblance… the pace of his regeneration would be a fraction of what it would normally be if he was suffering from frostbite!

"W-Wait, T-T-Torchwick, y-you c-can't…!"

"Well, of course I can't. That's what Neo's for." Torchwick replied, leaning against the wall as he took out a cigar and lit it up. "Cheers, Thanh. Can't say it's been fun, because it hasn't, but… hey, we'll see about making bits of you she cuts off into a wallet or a purse or something. Then you can be useful to someone."

Thanh snarled and pushed himself up onto his knees in spite of the cold and pain. He stared up and Torchwick's partner who was twirling her blade lightly in her hand.

"Y-You can't kill me. I-I am Thanh the Immortal! I-I am an undying warrior!" Thanh hissed at her, trying to beat his own fear back with his threats. "Y-You're nothing c-compared to me…!"

Neo simply smiled at him. She couldn't reply to his words even if she wanted to.

Luckily, the steel of her sword could do all her talking for her.

- - - - -

Everyone had settled down to sleep-Even Weiss, though not without texting Neptune a massive amount beforehand. Blake wondered if she was doing it just to be obnoxious-To Yang and Ruby at least.

She resisted the urge to shake her head-She couldn't tip her team off. Not now.

Her keen ears let her tell when everyone's heartbeats were slowed and breathing soft and natural. Then, stealthy as a cat, she slipped out of her bunk bed and out into the silent hallway. She walked out, seeking an empty dorm room.

She found one and slipped in, quick and silent as a shadow. She sat down on one of the long unused chairs, and took a deep breath.

Blake held up the Scroll Goodwitch gave her. Her hands trembled a little as she stared at her dark reflection from the moonlight.

She shut her eyes tightly and set the Scroll down on a nearby table. It rattled loudly in the silent room, as her hands shook.

I could just lie, she thought, I could just lie. Tell them I did it. Tell him…

Blake fingered the letter from Menagerie. She'd tucked it away with her, keeping it close. The scents of her parents were still strong.

She breathed it in, taking some comfort in it as she had when she was small.

I don't know what will be worse, she thought, Being forgiven or being shunned, but…

She had promised to never run away again.

Blake picked up the Scroll, and activated it. The screen lit up her face. She selected the only number in the directory, and tapped it.

It rang. Once. Twice. She fidgeted, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

The call connected. A familiar, sleepy looking man with a black beard blearily held up his Scroll.

"Glynda? Ozpin? What is it?"

Blake sucked in a soft breath.

"Hello Daddy."

"Blake?!"

- - -

WHITE KNIGHT ERRANT VOLUME 1: COMPLETE

VOLUME 2... IN PROGRESS...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The law offices of Dvalinn, Alviss, and Ottar was one of the finest in all of Vale, and had business in Mistral. They had worked with Pyrrha's family since she was born. Their offices were in downtown Vale in the Old Town District, which was filled with buildings in the architectural styles popular prior to the Great War, ranging from Valean Neo-Classical to Old Animaen. The exterior of the building was solemn gray, with bricks arranged in pillars, archs, and vaults to hold up the angled blue-green roof tiling. A large clock face shaped window decorated the top floor of the building, letting the afternoon light into the warm, earthy office filled with books, wooden tables, and carved stone statues and lamps.

The environs with their pillars and elegantly carved statues helped put Pyrrha Nikos at ease, to an extent. Mistralian architecture felt familiar, and it helped keep her mind on her task.

She sat in casual street clothes at the large, main table in the office. She winced as she squeezed her wrist, shaking it out as she dropped the pen onto the pile of paperwork. She looked across the table at the only other person in the room, who was filling the air with the sweet scent of South Sanus Tobacco.

"Any more?" She asked softly.

Hoss Dvalinn looked up from his own paperwork. He was a small but broad man, built like a gnarled, old tree trunk. His nose was long, poking past his long, flowing white beard. His hair was similarly white and flowing backwards, revealing his high forehead and keen blue eyes. He chuckled as he puffed on his pipe, sitting in his well tailored suit with his feet up on a spare chair.

"Just a few more, my dear, just a few more," he said. "Thankfully, she didn't pay much attention to the emancipation clauses in the various contracts around you. Means she didn't think you'd ever leave her."

Pyrrha bowed her head, shame filling her. Hoss puffed on his pipe a few more times, then reached out and patted her hand comfortingly.

"Now now. If anything, I'm glad you decided to separate."

Pyrrha looked up in surprise.

"Hoss?"

"I was your grandmother and mother's lawyer, my dear," Hoss said consolingly, "I got some idea of her moods, her… Tendencies."

He shook his head, before blowing a few smoke rings into the air.

"I did what I could. It was never enough," he admitted quietly. He shrugged. "Not enough to keep you out of a legal tower, away from all."

Pyrrha shook her head, looking at the old man with compassion.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," she murmured softly. "I… I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing-"

Hoss waved his free hand, scoffing loudly.

"Bah! Of course you're doing the right thing!" He shook his head. "Your mother needs help. Seriously needs help. This? This may help her finally get out of that crazy headspace, poor girl."

He grinned and winked.

"Besides… From what I've heard, a boy helped you take these steps?"

Pyrrha blushed heavily. She tapped her fingers together.

"Um… I-I mean…" She then scowled.

"Hoss… How much have you been investigating?"

Hoss chuckled and shrugged.

"Well, your mother wanted me to look into all your companions at Beacon. It was all quite legal, really. And they're all just fine." He frowned as he looked over some papers, picking up his reading glasses to focus.

"Though six months before your start at Beacon, Mister Arc went off the grid. You're aware of that?"

"Of course!" Pyrrha insisted, "He was trying to get to Beacon on foot. He had some… Misadventures, though I don't know all the details." She frowned.

"He isn't in any trouble, is he?" She asked anxiously.

"Not legally," Hoss observed, "But… Hrm…" He chuckled at Pyrrha's worried expression. "Oh no. Don't worry about it, Pyrrha. Honestly, it's just a lot of hokum and tall tales. Nothing to be concerned about! It's outlandish to think any one person could end up in so many ridiculous situations!"

Pyrrha's concerned face didn't change. Hoss leaned forward, puffing his pipe.

"All I know is that he's a good lad. Heroic. A bit prone to getting into trouble, but seems decent enough. His father and mother were great hunters. His father before dying at Rotofield, his mother retired to go fully into medicine shortly after."

"I know, I worked with her before," Pyrrha said softly, "My mother… My mother only wanted the best."

Hoss squeezed her hand.

"She wants what's best for you, Pyrrha. But she doesn't know what that is," he said, "She'll realize it, one day, or she won't. But what's more important is what you want."

He shook his head.

"But no. The lad's all right. Indeed, he seems to have some other female admirers."

Pyrrha glowered.

"I'm… Aware," she managed tightly. Hoss nodded.

"So… Are you going to go after him?"

Pyrrha flushed.

"I-I mean… I've made my… My feelings clear…"

Hoss puffed on his pipe and lifted his bushy eyebrows.

"And?"

"We… We've agreed to go on a date," Pyrrha said, "But… But he thinks I can do better. And he thinks I… I might be a little… Um…"

"Crazy?" Hoss quipped. Pyrrha flushed. He chuckled.

"Relax. I thought my wife was crazy, too. We've been together for forty years now." He leaned forward over the desk, his beard brushing over the papers.

"But you can't let him get away! You've got to fight for him!" He slammed a fist down on the table. "Like in any of your fights, you must visualize what you want… And how to achieve it!"

Pyrrha hummed. She closed her eyes, and focused…

She was standing in the JNPR dorms, when Jaune busted the door open. She jumped as he entered, his eyes blazing.

"Pyrrha," he growled, "There's a problem."

Pyrrha stood up, shaking in excitement.

"Y-Yes, Jaune? What's the problem?"

He grabbed her, pulled her into a tight embrace, and kissed her deeply. Brutally. His tongue dominated hers as his hands roamed her body. She squealed in shock as she returned the kiss eagerly. He broke it, and nuzzled her before he spanked her. She squealed in delight.

"J-Jaune~..."

"The problem is that you're not my woman," he growled.

Pyrrha trembled and licked her lips. She looks into his eyes lovingly.

"Oh Jaune… I've always been your woman. Heart. Mind. Soul… And body~..."

"Pyrrha," Jaune husked, kissing her so hard she was left breathless. "Mmm… "

"O-Oh Jaune!" Pyrrha whimpered. "I give my everything to you… Because I trust you. I love you…"

Jaune smiled, nuzzling her back.

"I love you too, Pyrrha. You'll be mine, forever…"

He growled.

"Now strip… And spread 'em."

Hoss blinked and titled his head.

"Eh… Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha giggled, a bit of drool escaping the side of her mouth as she blushed.

"Pyrrha? You okay?"

Pyrrha blinked, and coughed.

"I-I'm fine!" She said quickly. "Just um… Visualizing!"

Hoss chuckled knowingly, and nodded slowly.

"Of course, of course… Maybe do that where you won't give an old man a heart attack? There's still a lot of paperwork to go through."

"R-Right! Right!" Pyrrha said, taking to the work with new energy. After all, the sooner she got this done? The sooner she could make her visualizations come true.

- - -

Hoss is a mutation of the Old Norse word "Hǫss" which meant "White/Grey" (As in the color of elderly people's hair). Dvalinn, Alviss, and Ottar are the names of dwarves from Norse Mythology. I don't know why my first thought for this was to make dwarves into lawyers, but here we are and they may yet appear in the future as our heroes encounter various legal issues.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Patch was one of many islands that had been independent kingdoms before joining with Vale fully. Unlike Albion, its ambitions had not been imperial in scale, mainly due to the fact it was too small to have ever had a large population or significant resources. It had spent much of its time being controlled by various kingdoms. It had been invaded and traded hands so often the inhabitants had begun to see it as a kind of sport. Albion had built the Signal Academy when they'd invaded. Atlas had built better docks and an airfield during the Great War. And when they'd formally joined Vale after the Great War, they'd gotten modern equipment for their lumber industry.

Well, 'modern' for the time. Most of that machinery was left rusting or covered in flowers and grass. One such example lay near the Xiao-Long homestead, an old, rusted relic that Yang and Ruby had played upon in their childhood. It still gleamed, the remaining chrome bright as the noonday sun shone down upon it.

Yang and her father sparred in front of the ancient lumber vehicle, fists and feet crashing against each other as they fought furiously. Both were shiny with sweat, as their morning exercise had been going on since sunup.

Yang unleashed a punishing three strike combo of punches and a powerful kick, which drove Taiyang back. He took the strikes before dropping down to sweep her feet. She jumped up and dove like a falcon to strike her father in his lowered stance with a wide grin.

"GOT YOUUU-UGH!"

Her father caught her punch and swung her down onto the grass, slamming her down into the ground with a boom! Her breath was knocked right out of her as her father pinned her down.

He grinned down at her.

"Awake now, Little Dragon?" Tai asked. Yang scowled up as he stood up onto his feet. He extended his hand, and pulled her up. They walked over to the wreck of the old vehicle, where a wooden board had been placed to create a crude bench. They both sat. Tai pulled out some chilled water bottles from a cooler, and handed his daughter one before he popped the cap and began to drink.

Yang followed suit, letting the cool water wash down her throat.

They both slowly caught their breath, before Tai broke the quiet.

"So. Wanna talk about it?"

Yang set her empty bottle down, and stared back at the house.

"I don't know," she sighed, "It's… Complicated."

"So it involves a boy," Tai said with a nod. Yang flushed.

"N-No!" Yang said quickly. Far too quickly. Tai's grin grew.

"Same reason Ruby's in there reading Mistralian romance comics instead of technical manuals?" He asked, nodding towards their house.

"... Maybe," Yang admitted. She sighed.

She gave her father a brief summary of things. She tried so hard to not blush or stutter, but… Geez. All of a sudden, she was right back to being a nervous ten year old.

At the end, Tai nodded slowly, looking thoughtful.

He then smiled at her.

"So. You're both after the same guy, huh?"

"It didn't start out that way but…" Yang nodded.

"So? What's the deal?" Tai asked. "You've kissed boys before, if the school scuttlebutt is any indication."

"Dad!" Yang whined. Tai chuckled, and patted her on the shoulder. She pouted back at him.

"It's just… Ruby started crushing on him, bad," Yang said, "And she asked me to keep him from the other girls thirsty for him. But he…" Her eyes softened. "He's… Someone special. All those other things, I just did it because, well… That's what a popular girl does. I never caught feelings before."

"Love is stupid like that," Tai said with a nod. Yang groaned and rubbed her face in irritation.

"It's just ridiculous… He's such a dork, and then he whips out some badass from somewhere and acts like a man instead of a teen!" She punched a large dent into the rusted metal of the ancient lumber machine, growling under her breath.

Tai chuckled again and nodded.

"So… What are you going to do?"

"I'm going on a date with him, aren't I?" Yang demanded. Tai leaned in.

"You don't actually have to," he said, "Nothing's making you. So…?"

Yang groaned again.

"I just… I do like him. And everything I could do when he was just some guy? I can't do it! Especially not when Ruby outright says she's going after him, too! I just… How can I…?"

Tai shook his head… And then slugged Yang in the shoulder, hard. The blonde woman yelped, and glared with red eyes.

"The hell was that for?!"

"What have I always said?" He asked. Yang blinked, confused.

"Huh?"

"About you and romance," he said gently. Yang's eyes faded to lilac as she considered the question. She then sighed in resignation.

"'As long as no one dies, no one is crippled, no one has an incurable disease, and you don't make a baby, everything can be worked out,'" she recited, like she was back in school at Signal. She shook her head. "Yeah, I know but-"

Tai grinned and waved his hand as the wind sent the grass into waves across the plain. It felt like they were on a ship in a vast, green sea. Just like it had when she was a small child, safe with her father and mother.

"But nothing. You two will still be sisters no matter who gets this guy. So remember that, huh? If he's worth it, he will understand. And if he's worth it? Do you really want to let him get away without finding out if he's the one?"

Yang bit her lower lip. Tai squeezed his eldest daughter's shoulder and smiled warmly, kindly.

"You deserve to find out if you can find some real happiness, Yang," he said softly, "You don't have to worry about taking care of me and Ruby anymore."

Yang glanced at him, then looked back down in guilt. Tai smiled sadly.

"It's all right, Yang. I'm sorry I… That was my fault. You should never have had to face that. But you did face it. You became so strong. I'm so proud of you. But don't let those circumstances hold you back from finding out if this boy can bring you some happiness, huh?" He shook her shoulder gently.

"Maybe you'll get married to him and have a dozen kids. Maybe you'll break up after a few weeks."

Yang glared out at the house, her eyes flashing red as she gripped the wooden board.

"Maybe he'll run out on me when we have a child and never talk to us again," she snarled.

Tai was silent for a moment. Yang looked at him, an apology on her lips-He held up a hand.

"Maybe," he said, "But even… Even with that? I don't regret it. I got you. I got Ruby. And you both got a real mother, as…" He sighed softly. "As short as it was… I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Dad," Yang murmured softly. Tai smiled, and leaned in to affectionately bump her head.

"But… You owe it to yourself to find out. So don't hold back, all right? Be the brave little dragon I know you can be."

Yang slowly nodded. She managed a small smile, though she looked away. She blinked rapidly, keeping any tears out of her eyes.

Tai beamed, and pulled her into a brief, one armed hug. She didn't like being doted on too much, and he respected that. Which she loved about him.

"So… Who is he, anyway?" Tai asked. Yang blinked.

"Eh?"

"You didn't mention his name at all," Tai said, raising an eyebrow, "Someone I know?"

Yang winced.

"Er… Yeah. Kind of. Crybaby Jaune Arc? Remember him?"

Tai blinked rapidly. He hummed, looking thoughtful.

"Isabel's kid, huh? Hmmm..."

"I mean, you two are old friends, right?" Yang asked. "I remember her, sort of. Jaune's her only son, and he's doing great at Beacon!"

"Hmmm," Tai continued, still very thoughtful. Yang frowned in response, leaning in.

"Really, he-He's a good guy! I'm not even attracted to him because I think he'd piss you off! I-I think I'm past that! Dad?"

Tai shook his head, started out of his thoughts. He then smiled at her.

"So… Remember that last thing? About having a baby?"

Yang blinked.

"Eh?"

"About that last one... Being a teenaged mom is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as he marries you."

Yang's cheeks went red as her jaw dropped.

"Dad?!"

"I mean," Tai went on, "He's not the type to just run out, right?"

"I-No, I don't think so, but-!"

"And if he tries, his mother would make sure he wouldn't," Tai chuckled, "She'd break his legs if he tried."

"Dad? What the hell?" Yang demanded. Tai shrugged with a bright grin.

"What? I'm just saying, if you do become a teenaged mother, there are worse fates than marrying the son of a rich, famous doctor!"

"DAD!"

"What? Ruby's too young right now! Though I'll definitely tell her to give it her best shot too-"

"DAAAAD!"


- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

The Chateau D'Aulnoy was one of the most storied and exclusive hotels in Ponce, a resort town on the western coast of Sanus about ten miles south of Vale proper. Perched atop a tall plateau with sheer cliffs surrounding it on every side, while overlooking a natural harbor, the town had started as one of numerous fortresses across Sanus. Its beautiful oceanside view and natural defensive position had made it popular for vacations and events for centuries-The treaty ending the Great War was, in fact, signed in this very hotel. A framed picture of the signing hung over the largest fireplace in the five star restaurant that dominated the lower level, a modern black and white Atlesian style cafe softened a bit by Valean touches: The warm dark wood paneling and mementos of history hung or arranged on tables in perfect harmony.

At a table with white silken cloth covering it, drinking the finest imported Mistralian tea, Weiss Schnee took in the ambience and luxurious surroundings with an unusual smile. Oh yes, the hotel overlooked the beaches below the cliffs, where vacation goers of every description enjoyed the surf and warm sands of the beach. The town itself matched the pure white granite of the cliffs, shining like a pure beacon of hope. On the opposing side of the hotel, you could watch people going about their business on the cobblestone sidewalks or driving cars on the narrow paved streets, an endless bustle of every kind of person imaginable. Atlasian businessmen, Mistralian nobles, Valean tourists, human and Faunus alike.

Yet it all paled in comparison to the company that joined her at the table. Her elegant, beautiful, refined older sister, Winter, who gave Weiss a gentle smile over her own cup of tea.

"I'm so happy to see you again, sister," Weiss said warmly, sipping her tea before continuing, "How did you get leave on such short notice?"

Winter shrugged, carefully brushing a stray silver hair back behind her ear.

"Well, since the Vytal Festival is taking place in Vale this year, my duties give me many opportunities to visit," she said. Her smile grew by just a hair.

"You look very well, Weiss. I am glad to see it."

"Thank you Winter," Weiss said with a soft nod, "It has been an… Eventful first semester."

Winter cocked an eyebrow.

"So I have heard," she observed. Weiss winced instinctively. Winter shook her head.

"That was not meant as a criticism, Weiss," she said gently, "I am very glad you came out of those situations unharmed." She let out a small sound that would have been an outright snicker from a non-Schnee.

"Indeed, I am reminded of my early missions as a Specialist."

"Really?" Weiss asked with eager eyes. Winter nodded.

"Yes. I had asked for no special treatment. My commanding officer took that as a sign to throw me into the meat grinder. I had to escort several important dignitaries through the Jotun Pass District."

Weiss's eyes widened in shock. Winter nodded.

"Yes. There are an unfortunate number of A to Triple-A ranked Grimm there," she said, "For reasons still not fully understood. My team ran into an A-Ranked Jormungandr on our second trip."

"Oh my," Weiss murmured.

Winter chuckled again.

"Do not be alarmed, sister. Obviously we overcame it, but it was a formidable foe," she said with a nod. "My commander was shocked when we brought the remains in. He recommended me as General Ironwood's attache after that."

"Of course, nothing but the best for my sister," Weiss said with a smile. Winter nodded back, waving a hand in a tight, controlled manner.

"There is no need to gush. Besides, I came to talk to you. How are you doing, sister?"

"Oh, uh, very well," Weiss said quickly, "I came in first place overall in academics. My combat class scores were exceptional, though I am finding that I need more work in a few areas."

"There is no shame in that," Winter consoled, "You cannot act without solid information, after all."

"Yes sister," Weiss said quickly, "I strive to improve every day."

Winter sipped her tea, studying Weiss across the table.

"And how is your team?"

Weiss held back a grimace through long, long practice.

"... They are… Difficult at times," she said, "There are some… Personal issues between us. Nothing I cannot handle."

"That is an improvement from the letters you sent at the start of the semester," Winter observed dryly. Weiss flushed.

"It was… A difficult transition," she admitted, "Vale is not Atlas. That has become clear."

"Mm," Winter agreed, "I am glad of it though, Weiss. You should go out into the world, meet new people, and experience new ways of thinking. Being in the military opened my eyes to many new possibilities." She smiled gently.

"It lets you become more than you are."

Weiss nodded.

"Yes sister."

Winter smiled softly as Weiss sipped her tea.

"And it seems to have let you find a boyfriend?"

Weiss was far too refined to ever spit out her tea in shock, but she did swallow with some difficulty. Winter's eyes glinted with some mischief, which was astonishing.

I suppose the military really has changed her, Weiss thought in a detached way, if she can tease me…!

"Oh, uh, well, we're not quite that official," Weiss said, "Not yet. We have agreed to go on some dates, per proper courting etiquette."

Winter smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it. When do I get to meet Mister Arc?"

Weiss's eyes widened.

"Wh-What?! Arc?" She gasped.

"Your letters have been filled with information about him," Winter said, blinking curiously, "I had assumed you were dating."

"No! No, of-of course not!" Weiss insisted, setting her tea down to avoid upsetting it. She scowled, picking up a pastry and taking a bite. Her cheeks blazed red.

"He remains the savage, unrefined, violent, ridiculous barbarian he started as!" She grumbled. "Always teasing me, mocking me, doing as he pleases and carrying on in a ridiculous manner! Somehow he got Pyrrha Nikos-Pyrrha Nikos!-to obsess over him! My team leader and her older sister are also infatuated with the lout! No, I want nothing and have nothing to do with Arc! At all!"

Winter stared at Weiss with perfect Atlaesian stoicism. She then nodded and took a refined bite of her own pastry.

"I see. Forgive me sister. You wrote so much about him, I simply assumed-"

"No! Nonono, it's perfectly fine!" Weiss said quickly, quite flustered, "I-I was perhaps not writing as clearly as I could! That savage brute-There wasn't a day that went by he wasn't irritating me! Quite intentionally! He fights like a rude, unrefined brute! Always going about without a shirt! Cooking food he's captured in the wild like a savage! Insinuating I have feelings for him! Bah!"

She shook her head.

"Which I do not have for him! No romantic feelings whatsoever!" Weiss said quickly.

Winter slowly nodded.

"I see," she murmured. Weiss grumbled a bit.

"I cannot believe he is Isabel Arc's son, it seems impossible!" She huffed.

"So you aren't dating him?" Winter asked, her tone a bit skeptical. Weiss furiously shook her head.

"Not in the slightest! I am dating Neptune Vasilias! Er, well, we will be! He is a wonderful, handsome, caring student from Haven! He protected me from danger! He compliments me! He is refined and debonair! Far better than Arc! That lout!"

"I see," Winter said with a nod, "I only bring it up because I looked into your finances, sister. Did you pay for Mister Arc's upgraded armor and weapons?"

Weiss flushed deeply.

"I uh… He did fight bravely for our teams," she murmured, "He also saved my team leader's life. He is an effective leader, despite being an utter scoundrel. If he is to be associated with me, I thought he should go around in better attire than rags and rusted armor. RWBY and JNPR are sister teams. How he looks reflects on us all."

"I see," Winter nodded.

"There's nothing going on!" Weiss insisted. "I am just being a good teammate!"

"I was going to point out that you should be careful in how you do such things, Weiss," Winter said gently, "After all, you did pay for Atleasian fox fur lining."

Weiss scoffed.

"So? It is traditional for Atlaesian Knights to wear such fur," she stated, "He needs all the help he can get to look like anything other than some sellsword brigand."

Winter's smile grew by just a bit.

"It is also a traditional gift for ladies being courted by knights to give such warriors fox furs," Winter pointed out. "Foxes mate for life, after all. You are essentially 'claiming' Arc as your own."

This time Weiss really did choke on her tea. She coughed, and quickly regained her composure before anyone could stare at them from the other tables.

"I… I was not aware of that, sister," Weiss mumbled in embarrassment. Winter laughed softly.

"It is all right, sister. It is a very old tradition, and I only wanted to tease you a little," she said, "You are most charming when you blush."

"Sister!" Weiss hissed. Winter smiled, and Weiss's heart grew lighter.

How long had it been since it was just them together, relaxing, having fun? Weiss honestly couldn't remember.

"I will be more careful in the future, sister," Weiss insisted, "I-I would not want Father or anyone else to think I am… Easy."

"Of course not," Winter said with a nod, "But if you are being courted by another man, you should make it clear that it was only a misunderstanding with Arc."

"Of course it's a misunderstanding!" Weiss cried, "He's-He's probably-Ooh! I bet he knew that tradition! He's probably laughing right now in the armor I bought for him! That devious scoundrel! He actually flirts with me just to annoy me!"

Weiss sighed happily.

"Not like Neptune! He compliments me so sincerely, so poetically! He also plays hard to get! Oh, just like the courtly tales of Old Atlas! So mysterious, so…" Her eyes widened as she locked onto a figure passing outside the windows.

"Oh! There he is!" Weiss said. "If you'll excuse me, sister?"

"Not at all," Winter said, rising and leaving some lien on the table.

Weiss hurried out as elegantly as possible, emerging on the street with a wide smile. She spotted Neptune, and nearly swooned.

He was dressed for the beach, in perfect form fitting gold and red trunks and an open white button-up shirt. His body was… Oh, Weiss blushed so hard over it! He was magnificently built! Slender but still well defined and muscular!

He was talking with a pair of black-haired ladies in scandalously brief bikinis. Weiss's eyes flashed in anger.

How dare they try to steal Neptune's attention from me!

"Neptune! Neptune!" Weiss cried.

Neptune turned away from the ladies, his eyes widening in shock.

"Weiss? Uh, hey Snow Angel!" He said, quickly shifting to a charming smile, "What brings you here?"

"I am taking the semester break here with my sister," Weiss gushed, moving through the crowds to stand in front of Neptune. She nervously adjusted her hair as she tried to not look like she was… Appraising him. "Er, why are you here?"

"Oh, well, Sun's uncle was so impressed with us finding Blake that he gave us money to spend time here for the break," Neptune explained. He winked. "My good fortune to find you here, huh?"

"The best fortune!" Weiss insisted. She took his arm, and turned to see Winter walking up. "Sister, this is Neptune Vasilias! Neptune, this is my sister Winter Schnee!"

Neptune looked Winter up and down, and gave her a wink and cocky grin.

"Very nice to meet you, Winter. I see good looks certainly run in the family!"

Weiss giggled. Winter's expression became a bit tense.

"I see," Winter said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Vasilias. How are you finding Ponce?"

"It's great!" Neptune laughed, "Beautiful, really! I've never been here before!"

"Oh! Please, let me show you around!" Weiss insisted, tugging on Neptune's arm, "I've been here for vacations several times and… Uh…" She looked awkwardly over at Winter. "Oh dear, Winter, I-"

Winter smiled slightly, and shook her head.

"It's perfectly fine, Weiss, we'll meet back at the hotel," she said gently. She then turned a stern, deadly look on Neptune. "I'm sure Mister Vasilias will bring you back promptly for dinner, with no problems or issues, correct?"

Her piercing glare seemed to go through Neptune, who coughed and nodded quickly.

"Of course, Winter! Don't worry about anything! I'll take good care of Weiss! I'd never let anything happen to my Snow Angel!"

Weiss giggled. From his lips, such a corny nickname became so endearing.

Winter stepped up closer to Neptune, glaring into his eyes. Her hand rested on her saber.

"Good," Winter stated, "I am an Atleasian Specialist, after all, and Weiss does face many threats given her identity. I am very… Very… Good at eliminating threats."

Neptune gulped.

"Y-Yes… Absolutely, ma'am," he murmured.

Weiss felt a tinge of annoyance with her sister. She hid it behind her most charming smile and tugged on his arm.

"We will see you at dinner, sister," Weiss said, "Come along, Neptune!"

"Sure thing," Neptune said, letting Weiss lead him away. Weiss still felt Winter's glare as they headed into the busy throngs of people. She huffed quietly.

"I'm sorry about that, she's very protective of me," Weiss explained.

"Uh, sure, no problem," Neptune managed.

Weiss beamed at him.

"Not to worry though! Come, let's go have some fun!"

This was already shaping up to be the best vacation Weiss had ever taken! Her sister was here, her paramour was here, and best of all? She didn't have to deal with her ridiculous teammates!

Especially not Yang, Ruby, or Arc.

- - -

The Chateau D'Aulnoy is named for Countess Marie-Catherine D'Aulnoy, a French writer of many fairy tales.

"Ponce" is French for "pumice stone", and is in reference to the white rock formations of the area.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Allerleirauh was in the Old City District, in the neighborhood of Goldentine. It was one of hundreds of buildings built out of the ruins of older Valean walls, structures that had lost relevance as new walls were built for the ever expanding city. The buildings were in the classic Sanusan Federalist-style-Simple brick in sleek, Platonic forms with ellipses and great Valean Eagles. It was a style that had become huge in the Post-Great War building spree, and Allerleirauh was an epitome of the movement, with red brick, dark blue shutters, and an elegant roof crowned with ceramic eagles spreading their wings against the dark blue cornices.

Blake entered through the front door, the bell ringing faintly through the tailor's shop. She looked around for a moment, and walked up to the front desk.

"Hello?" She asked quietly.

"Hello Blake."

Blake was too old a hand at this to jump, but she spun around with a glare as Katherine emerged from a clothing rack.

"Hello Aunt Kitty. Where is everyone?" Blake asked.

"They had to see to something important," Kitty said, "So I volunteered to keep watch on the shop. Oh! I guess I forgot to turn the sign to 'Closed', silly me."

Blake scowled at her as Katherine walked up to the door and turned the sign in a theatrical manner. She looked back and winked at the teenager.

"Oh don't make that face. I have to make my own fun, don't I?" She asked.

"Hello Aunt Kitty," Blake managed. "I…" She clutched at her arm, suddenly nervous. "May we… Can we talk?"

The older woman stared intently at Blake, as though casing a safe and how she might break it open. She at last nodded.

"Certainly. Come along to the back, dear."

They came to a small kitchenette, one cluttered with dishes, photos, pots and pans. Blake sat at the small wooden table nervously, as Katherine pulled together some coffee, heated the water, and then brought it all over with the grace and precision of a runway model.

The older cat Faunus finally set the mugs down and poured Blake and herself some. She divvied out the sugar and cream, practically flooding her own cup with the stuff before she sipped the brew. Blake nervously sipped her own, before looking up into Katherine's eyes.

"Aunt Kitty, I… I called my parents," she said softly. "I… I talked with them."

Katherine was silent. Blake took that as a good sign to continue.

"I… It wasn't easy," she mumbled, "But… They're happy I'm at Beacon, and not with… With the White Fang anymore. We had a very long talk and…"

She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I keep feeling like I have to go around and apologize to a lot of people," she admitted.

Katherine nodded slowly.

"If it helps," Katherine said quietly, contemplating her coffee, "I made plenty of mistakes when I was younger, too."

Blake started, as Katherine smirked.

"You don't become the world's greatest thief without a lot of missteps," she said softly, "Some for love, some for patriotism, some for greed… Most of them just because I was stupid."

"I don't… I don't think I was stupid to fight for Faunus rights," Blake groused.

"You weren't, dearie," Katherine said kindly, "You still aren't. But the nature of the battle has changed. And the people caught in between don't care about politics."

"That's what my father said," Blake mumbled. Kitty tittered.

"Oho! The old bear can learn!"

"Auntie," Blake growled. Katherine smirked.

"Take it as a compliment, dearie. I know it feels hopeless right now, but I've been there plenty of times. Given that I'm still here, I was wrong."

She leaned forward.

"It's all right to be wrong. As long as you learn from it," Katherine murmured, "Take it from me."

She pulled up a sleeve of her house dress, showing off a long, jagged scar on her otherwise perfect skin. Blake's eyes widened as Katherine chuckled.

"This I got when I learned I used the wrong amount of Dust to crack open a safe," she said with a nod, "Still got out with the loot, but it was a LOT harder when you're trying not to bleed out. Lesson learned, mm?"

"I… Yeah," Blake murmured. Katherine smiled, pulled her sleeve back down, and shrugged.

"Enough about me. How are you? Are things better with your team?"

"Yes, we're on semester break," Blake said, "Yang and Ruby went to see their father in Patch, Weiss is meeting her sister in Ponce. Pyrrha is off doing business things…" She shook her head.

"I don't know what Jaune, Nora, or Ren are up to."

"I do," Katherine said, "I was going to ask about it, actually."

Blake perked up in concern.

"Are they all right?" She asked.

"Yes, yes, just fine," Katherine said, waving a hand dismissively, "But uh… You are staying somewhere, right?"

Blake nodded.

"Yes, a-a safehouse in the warehouse district."

"Good!" Katherine said cheerfully, "Bit isolating though, isn't it?"

Blake shook her head.

"I… I think maybe we need time apart," she murmured.

"Perhaps some," Katherine agreed, "But how often have you isolated yourself? How much has that affected how you see things?"

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, blinking. Katherine reached out and squeezed Blake's hand.

"I learned better ways of dealing with things thanks to connecting with my friends," Katherine said, "And learning through new experiences. Being a total loner locks you into your own mindset, never appreciating others. We need time to ourselves, but we also need to connect with others. And if you're going to be a princess, you should learn how to better connect with other people, yes?"

She winked.

"Might also help you learn how to better accomplish your goals, if you relate to normal Faunus and humans for a while, hm?"

Blake slowly nodded.

"I… I suppose that's true," she said, "But what does that have to do with Jaune, Nora, and Ren?"

Katherine beamed, picking up the empty coffee mugs and dumping them in the sink.

"I'm glad you asked! Come along!"

- - -

The Old District had several notable features. The statue of Dorothy The Gale, the Aura empowered lady who had led her team to defeat the Dark Witch of Vale in the distant past. She had wielded a wind-based Semblance, swinging a large polearm with a broom-like fan on the front while wearing a light blue dress, and had been the inspiration for countless Huntsmen and Huntresses. Alongside her was her loyal black hound Toto, a fearsome looking creature that had fought like a demon. Engraved into the pillar that held Dorothy up were smaller but no less detailed statues of her companions: Leo Hardt the Fearless, a lion faunus and the first King of the Faunus to be recognized by human rulers. Ambrose Crane the Clever, a Mistralian ninja whose broad-brimmed hat and homespun clothing made him resemble a scarecrow. And Zinn Holzhaut, the Tin Knight, wielding his mighty ax.

City planners and politicians had long sought to move the statue from the Old District into the more modern sections where the new Council Hall and Capital Buildings had been built post-Faunus Revolution, but prolonged court battles and protests had kept the Lady of the Western Wind and her companions right in front of the original courthouse. The Emerland Courthouse, which now served as the Emerald Mall after extensive renovations.

The Emerald Manse too was a big attraction. This was the second home of the Warrior King Oz, a Gothic-style manor slash fortress in the middle of Verdant Park. He had used it as a meeting place to do business closer to the city, as his castle that was now Beacon Academy was quite some distance from the town center. It was still used as a government building to this day, though it was slowly transitioning to more of a museum. It had become city hall when Vale transitioned to democracy, then the Department of Commerce, and now was little more than a DMV and general civic record keeping building. The beauty of the green pillars, cornices, and gargoyles made it a popular place to work and visit though.

Finally though was Berdea Coastal Park. The marshes and wetlands were a popular place for boating, fishing, hunting, camping, and many other outdoor pastimes. It was within walking distance of Allerleirauh, though why Katherine was taking Blake there was beyond the younger cat faunus…

Until they entered the grounds proper and spotted three familiar Hunters-in-Training sitting around a campfire. A pot of stew was boiling happily over the flames, while some well made shelters covered their belongings.

"Jaune? Nora? Ren?" Blake asked, shocked and bewildered.

Jaune looked up and waved. Nora followed suit. Ren nodded respectfully.

"Hey Blake! Hey Mrs. Zapatos!" Jaune said happily.

Katherine sighed.

"You know," she said, "You could just ask to stay with me."

Jaune shook his head as he sharpened his sword.

"What? No, of course not!" Jaune insisted. "We wouldn't want to impose!"

"We have no money for lodging under the scholarship terms," Ren said blandly.

"And camping out can be fun!" Nora cheered. "Ooh! Ooh! Let's sing a song! How about 'The Campfire Song?'"

"We did that a hundred times already," Jaune groaned.

"But we're getting so good at it!" Nora whined.

Katherine smiled and winked at Blake, before looking to the three homeless students.

"Actually, I do need your help," she said. "Blake needs your help."

Jaune looked at her, immediately concerned. She had to admit, she liked how quickly he reacted like that.

"What's wrong?"

"Blake is doing some part-time work at my sister-in-law's bakery and cafe," Katherine said, and Blake knew well enough to not react with shock at that. "She has little experience with doing normal work. The kind that doesn't involve killing Grimm. They're very understaffed. You would get to work, and get to stay in their spare bedroom over the bakery. What do you say?"

Jaune looked over at his team members in some concern. Nora, suddenly serious, held up her hand. Katherine smiled.

"Yes Nora?"

"Would we be able to make pancakes?" She asked.

Katherine's lips twitched, as she kept her amusement in check.

"They have a very extensive pancake menu, as it turns out," she said.

Nora grinned.

"I'm sold!"

Ren nodded.

"It sounds agreeable," he said. "No offense, Jaune, but I have gotten used to showers and indoor plumbing."

"You and me both," Jaune chuckled. He walked up to Katherine and nodded. He turned to Blake and smiled kindly. His manly, rugged scent washed over her nostrils.

"You all right with us as fellow employees, Blake?"

Blake nodded slowly. Honestly, her Aunt Kitty was right: She'd been isolated for a very long time. Maybe trying something new like this would help her mission… And help her.

"Yes, please."

Jaune grinned at Katherine.

"Well, I guess we're all in, Mrs. Zapatos! So… What kind of bakery and cafe is this?"

Katherine smiled, far too smugly.

- - -

The Just Right bakery and cafe was a very popular business, located in Goldentine proper. It had a more streamlined architectural style, meant to evoke the dining cars of trains that were popular in the years before and after the Great War. Chrome dominated the exterior, in sleek Neo-Futuristic design language. Inside, it was more organic: Wooden booths and tables, seastone tiling on the floor, and well placed bookshelves and plants to give it a homey feel. The wooden furniture inside was similarly shaped to work with the design language, adding organic warmth to the bakery's rocket age lines.

Coco Vadel stepped into the diner, chatting amicably with a friend from outside Beacon. They turned… And stopped in shock.

Blake Belladonna, wearing a Valean Maid outfit, sighed as she stood in front of them.

"Welcome to the Just Right Bakery and Cafe, Nyah. We are trying out Mistralian style maid and butler service with our servers, nyah. Please follow me to be seated, nyah."

Coco blinked. She then held up her Scroll. Blake's glare intensified.

"Don't you dare-"

Click.

"COCO!"

"I don't know what she's upset about," Nora commented cheerfully, in her own maid outfit, as Ren (in a butler's uniform) flipped pancakes behind the counter, "This is the best job I've ever had!"

"It's the only job we've ever had," Ren reminded her.

"WINNER BY DEFAULT!"

Jaune, at another booth, was serving Katherine and the blonde proprietress of the establishment coffee in his own butler uniform. The woman was tall, muscular, and had curly, blonde hair in a well kept bun. She was dressed in a blue dress with poofy sleeves, over which was a clean but well worn white apron. She snorted as Jaune poured them coffee and presented her with pastries.

She sipped the coffee, then carefully chewed the pastry as Jaune waited. She nodded with a smile.

"Not bad, lad. I think you, Pinkie, and Greenie will work out," she said, then nodded over at the frustrated Blake, "But you sure the Kitty Princess is up to this sort of work?"

"She'll be okay, Mrs. Perrito." Jaune insisted.

"Just call me 'Goldie', lad, everyone else does," Goldie chuckled, "Still, you sure?"

"We'll all help her, promise," Jaune said with a confident smile.

"Indeed," Kitty said with a smile and a sip of her coffee, "And it will be hilarious."

- - -

Obviously Dorothy and her companions are a reference to the Wizard of Oz. We'll see more of Goldie and her cafe (and family) in some future chapters.

Hey, Kitty Softpaws may have retired from being a thief, but she's still got her claws.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Blake: "Ugh! This is absolutely humiliating and degrading! I-I'm being exploited!"

Goldie: "Yes... You... You have a point there, lassie?"

Blake: "What is this supposed to teach me aside from a human cynically using racist tropes to make money?!"

Goldie: "Humility and a different perspective. But if you're not up fer it... YO! KID!"

Jaune: "Yes?"

Goldie: "Get in the maid outfit and put on these cat ears!"

Jaune: "Right boss!"

Blake: "Wait what?!"

Later...

Jaune: "I'll be right with you Master, nyah~!"

Blake: "That... This is so offensive..."

Nora: "Are you sure you're not just upset that he's more popular than you?"

Blake: "I AM NOT!"

She totally is.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Like most of Remnant's megacities, Vale was a mixture of the ancient and the futuristic. For every old preserved building of an old style, there were holographic roadsigns. For every bridge built before the Great War, there were hovertrains passing to and fro as part of the vast public transit system.

And for every decrepit, abandoned relic of a building, there was an access point into the CCNet that provided telephone, internet, and communication service across the entire kingdom.

A young woman with chocolate dark skin and long platinum hair sat back in the ruined,crumbling building. She was dressed in a purple pinstripe suit, accentuating her generous curves and athletic build. She sat on a hastily provided folding chair, one leg crossed over the other, as she watched two technicians at work on the floor with laser torches. At her side stood a slick-looking young man in a black, pinstripe suit and fedora. He leaned on a cane, his black eyes shining behind a simple gasmask that concealed his features.

The technicians finished cutting, and as one, the three men lifted the block of concrete, and tossed it aside. The lead nodded to the woman.

"We're all set, ma'am."

"Excellent," the woman said, "Let's hurry. You have fifty seconds."

One pulled out a holographic projector, while the other produced a tap. Dutifully, he pressed the tap device into the access point. The young woman leaned forward, her all-black suit a stark contrast with the shimmer of her hair.

"Codes are in, we're connected, ma'am," the technician reported. The young woman smiled.

"Then let's not keep him waiting," she said in a soft, melodious tone. She nodded to the third tech.

The other tech placed the holographic projector into the tap. After a few moments of fiddling, they produced a holographic screen that slowly rotated before the trio. A moment later, a blonde man with green eyes and a thin chin appeared. He nervously adjusted his Atlasian military uniform. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he took a swig of alcohol to calm his nerves.

"Major Aldebert Hiss, Atlaesian Logistics Division," the woman spoke, her blue eyes narrowed as she smiled in delight, "My associates tell me you have obtained the package."

"It's been dropped off at the wrong Valean depot," the major reported nervously, "Right where I said it would be. It wasn't easy, but I got you your Paladin."

The young woman leaned forward, smirking slightly.

"Along with the schematics, fuel, and ammo, I trust?"

"Y-Yes, it's all there!" The major insisted.

The woman looked over to her slick looking companion. He held up his Scroll, and listened to a voice on the other end. He turned to the woman and nodded.

"Everything is as it should be," he said, "Our people have it."

"You've done well, Major Hiss," the woman smirked. "I also trust any tracking devices have been disabled on the mech?"

"Yes, everything," Hiss insisted, "It-It will just look like it fell off into the ocean! I swear!"

"You of course won't mind if I have my people do a thorough check on that, of course," the young lady said, almost kindly. The major shook his head.

"Anything, anything... Is... Is that all? Is my debt repaid?"

The young woman laughed softly.

"Oh my dear Aldebert... My predecessors were content to just have you drop some gunrunners a free shipment from time to time. Me? Well... We all have our masters, and mine wants more. Much more."

Hiss glared, the sweat dripping down his forehead.

"You can't-I can't do more than what I've done! A Paladin alone is enough to-!"

"Enough to what, Aldebert?" The woman asked, silk wrapped in steel, "To reveal that you got so far into debt betting on underground death matches you've had to betray your country? Your uniform?"

"You don't understand the oaths I took, the honor I have-!"

"What honor?" The woman scoffed. "If you were half the patriot you pretend to be, you'd go right up to General Ironwood and admit everything."

Hiss glared. The woman remained utterly serene, even as her compatriots tensed.

"Go ahead, Hiss. Show me the true hero underneath all that mediocrity," the woman pressed, "Show me you're actually a man and not just a bitter little boy who got in over his head and now will do anything to avoid the consequences. Go ahead. Go right now."

She leaned forward, pink eyes glinting menacingly.

"Go ahead."

Hiss gritted his teeth... And sagged, looking down at the floor. The woman laughed softly.

"See? We both know just what kind of man you are. But I promise... I will be a kind master. It's the least I can do for such a useful man," the woman purred. The major blushed.

"I uh... I appreciate that..."

"Don't worry," the woman said soothingly, "Your debts will be erased. Like it never even happened. One of my associates will be by to see you shortly. All sorts of new opportunities are now open to you... As long as you remember who your mistress is."

She smirked.

"Who is that, Adelbert?"

"... You, Mistress," Hiss murmured.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you-"

"You, Mistress!" Hiss said loudly. The woman nodded.

"Good. Now. I suggest you set about finding me some more useful things, mm?"

"Of course, Mistress," Hiss replied. The woman made a cutting motion with her hand, and the feed was terminated.

"Get to the van, go about your business," the woman said. The three technicians bowed, and hurried out, leaving the woman and her slick companion behind in the stillness of the ruins. At last, he spoke.

"Are you sure you want to keep him alive, Mistress? He turns and he could do a lot of damage to us and the Fire Lady."

The woman chuckled and stood up. The young man took the chair up and folded it into a briefcase, as the woman danced about around the abandoned building floor.

She spun around like a child, grinning with glee at the shafts of light that shone down through the holes in the roof.

"Oh my dear Turpen... He knows who his Mistress is. He's a weak man in a hard culture. He keeps up appearances while being soft on the inside. His usefulness will end... But not now."

She spun around and beamed at him, her hands behind her back.

"When he stops being useful? Then you'll get to kill him."

Turpen nodded. He hesitated, and the woman tilted her head curiously.

"Mm?"

"The other matter," he said, "I didn't want to say it in front of anyone. Here? There's no one."

He produced his Scroll, and handed it to her. She took it into her hands, and hit play on a video file. Valean cops were escorting a group of colorfully attired teenagers out through a chainlink fence to a waiting Bullhead.

"-Lisa Lavender reporting, our reporters in the field were able to get some glimpses of some Beacon students involved in the incident at the docks-"

She hit pause, her breathing accelerating. She licked her lips as she grinned. Her eyes shone brightly, helped by the glow of the Scroll screen.

Before her was a still of a familiar blond teenager in a green cloak and white armor. He had glanced at the camera, briefly, so briefly... Yet there was absolutely no mistake.

"It's him," she whispered, running a finger down the screen over the face, "It's him... He made it. I knew he made it..."

She looked up at Turpen.

"He's in Vale then?"

"A student at Beacon," Turpen reported quietly. "Do you want him eliminated-URK!"

In a split second, the woman was squeezing his throat hard enough to stagger him. He gaped in horror as his Mistress' eyes blazed in fury.

"NO ONE TOUCHES HIM, UNDERSTAND?!" She seethed. Turpen managed a desperate nod as the edges of his vision began to go black. His Mistress finally let him collapse to the floor. He breathed hard, rubbing his sore throat as his Mistress went back to caressing the Scroll screen.

"No... No, my darling requires a more... Delicate approach," she giggled, "Only the best for him~. A warrior like him... No. He needs a chance to cut loose."

Her face darkened as she got a look at the various teenaged girls around the subject of her desire.

"A chance to see how much better I am than those whores," she snarled. "And when I do...? Oh, we'll be together forever! His wonderful violence, his heart, his body... It will all be mine."

She giggled girlishly, and held the Scroll to her chest with a happy sigh.

"Don't you worry, Jaune... Your Iridescent is here. Your Iridescent... Is coming for you."

- - -

Yup. She's back.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Tried my hand at making Iridescent in AI. This is the best I've gotten for her so far: The anime styles are hit or miss. But I'll keep working on it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Patch

- - -

Taiyang Xiaolong had gotten a cheap but well-built log cabin on the outskirts of Patch. He'd gotten a great deal on the property, too: Clearing the area of Grimm and protecting the workmen himself had let him pay it off in no time. Taiyang wasn't particularly interested in architecture, mind you: He just thought log cabins were neat, and his then-bride Raven Branwen had not really cared as long as they had a roof over their heads.

Summer Rose had brought more of a woman's touch into the place, a touch Taiyang had tried to keep after her death. Warm wood paneling and floorboards, tasteful decor, and as many pictures of their little family as could be placed on the walls.

Yet between Qrow's eternal bachelor ways and Taiyang's rough take on domesticity, it was little surprise that a room was dedicated to nothing but clutter. Here, in between piles of papers, books, and miscellaneous did Ruby Rose sit and sort.

Ruby stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she sorted through yet another stack of papers and books. She sat, cross-legged, in her family home in her socks, shorts, and T-shirt. She looked through them, sorting them neatly into piles nearby like pieces of her beloved Crescent Rose for maintenance.

She found a photo of a teenaged Summer Rose, grinning for the camera, and gently set it aside. Ruby's eyes lingered on it for a moment, before she scowled.

"Ugh... This would be so much easier if I even knew what I was looking for," Ruby muttered.

"You could always ask."

"EEP!" Ruby jumped three free into the air, her Huntress reflexes letting her land in a crouch. She looked up in shock at her father, who smiled languidly from the door.

"Need something, Pumpkin?"

"I..."

Ruby grimaced. Honestly? She wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"If it's about Jaune-"

"You know about Jaune?!" Ruby blurted out, cheeks going bright red. Taiyang laughed.

"Yang tells me everything."

Ruby scowled, glaring down at the floor with an angry blush.

"Why do I never learn?" She muttered angrily, "She always tattles."

Taiyang sat down with his youngest daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She pulled away at first, but finally acquiesced and laid her head against his broad chest.

"You... You aren't mad?" She asked quietly.

"He seems like a nice kid," Taiyang said, "Though... Competing with your sister? That's uh... That's rough."

Ruby scowled.

"If one of us gets him, we both win," she insisted. She looked up. "Weren't you like that with... With Yang's mom and Mom?"

Taiyang was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting far away. Ruby, concerned, bit her lower lip and put her hand on her father's arm.

"Dad? Dad, are you... I'm really sorry-"

Taiyang laughed and rubbed Ruby's back.

"No, no! I... It still hurts, but in hindsight? Yeah. I was an idiot to not notice their feelings for me," he chuckled. "Hell, your mom had to basically tie me up and-"

"ACK!" Ruby cried, pulling away and covering her ears. "Nonono! I don't need to hear that-I really don't-!"

Taiyang laughed again and ruffled his daughter's hair. She pouted at him.

"That said," Taiyang resumed, "I'm glad you're being mature about this. He seems like a decent person."

"He... He really is," Ruby said quietly. "He did save my life."

"Good," Taiyang said with a nod, "Just don't make me a grandpa until you're married and he's got his trust fund."

Ruby gaped at him.

"DAD!" She cried, slapping his arm. Taiyang laughed.

"What? I'm just thinking about your future!" He teased. Ruby huffed.

"I like him for more than that!"

"I know, I know, but it's just so easy to tease you," Taiyang chuckled, "Ah..." His eyes locked onto a photo of Summer as a teen, atop one of the many piles of paperwork Ruby had been sorting through.

"She would have loved to have been able to do that to you," he said, "She was sweet, but when she let loose? Geez. I'd have preferred to have been hit by her scythe!"

Ruby stared at the photo for a moment.

"Do... Do you think Mom would have approved?"

Taiyang snorted.

"She'd probably be concerned that her girls were after another blonde, oblivious doofus, but... Yeah. She'd be very proud of you, Ruby. I know she would."

Ruby slowly nodded. Her father gave her a side long look.

"Is that why you're in here?" Taiyang asked quietly, "Trying to learn more about her?"

"Well... Yeah," Ruby said, "But uh... I mean, there's... Something important I wanted to know. I'm just not really sure how to ask, cause it sounds... "

She wringed her hands together for a moment.

"Crazy."

Taiyang raised an eyebrow.

"How crazy?"

Ruby sucked in a breath.

"The... I mean... Well..."

She trailed off. She then fixed her father with a serious look.

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not," Taiyang said calmly.

"Did... Could Mom ever do... Like... Stuff with her eyes?" Ruby asked awkwardly. Taiyang remained silent, his face still.

"What happened?" Taiyang asked, calm and steady. That helped Ruby a lot. She looked down at the carpeted floor.

"I... In Forever Fall, I was hurt and alone," she said, "I... I was so scared I was gonna die."

Taiyang instinctively reached out to pull Ruby into a tight hug, and she instinctively hugged him back. She sighed softly, then pressed on.

"I just stared at all these creepy Vermin and Reynard and Beowulves, and I shouted at them... My eyes burned... And they all turned into stone and fell apart," she said quietly. "I passed out. Jaune and Blake saved me. I... I didn't know what it was. I wondered if maybe I dreamed it?"

She looked up into her father's eyes.

"Did I dream it?" She asked in a soft tone.

Taiyang was silent, his face almost grim. He then gently pulled away and stood up. He walked over to the closet in the spare room, and opened it up. Slowly, he rummaged around, tossing some old clothes over his shoulders to clear the way. Ruby stood up, curious. She made out a small safe in the back of the clutter, guarded by some rolled-up carpets and the pieces of Yang's childhood bike. He unlocked the safe, and slowly pulled out something, before he swung the safe door shut and locked it back up.

He turned and walked the few steps back to Ruby over the piles of junk, before he sat down with her. He held up a small, leather bound journal. It had an insignia on it-A silver rose.

"Your mother asked me to hold onto this," Taiyang said softly, "She wanted to tell you all about it herself, when the time was right. But, given how dangerous her job and... Well... Her eyes? She wrote this up. Qrow, Raven, and me are the only other people who know about it."

He gave her a deadly serious look.

"Ruby, have you told anyone else about this?"

Ruby shook her head, her heart pounding in her ears.

"No."

"Good," Taiyang sighed softly. He looked his youngest daughter right in the eyes.

"Ruby, this is very important. Only people you trust completely can be allowed to know about your eyes. Eventually, it might become impossible to hide, but you need to keep it a secret as long as you can, all right? Do you promise to keep it a secret?"

Ruby slowly nodded, too shocked by her normally goofy father's shift in mood to protest.

"Yeah, I-I promise."

"Good," Taiyang said softly. He hesitated, staring down at the journal, before he held it between them. "Your mother only talked a little about her family. Her grandmother was the last of her line. Once, they'd been a whole clan. But their numbers had dwindled over the centuries. They were... They were hunted down."

"Hunted?" Ruby asked, silver eyes widening, "Hunted by who?"

"The Grimm," Taiyang said darkly, "And people who wanted to use them as weapons. Or deny other people from using them as weapons. The point is..." He paused, "The point is, your mother was the last of a very long line of what were called Silver Eyed Warriors. Their Silver Eyes let them do incredible things. Kill Grimm with a look, neutralize their abilities, and maybe even other powers."

"Other powers?" Ruby asked, a bit too overwhelmed to ask anything else.

"They lost a lot of their lore. Apparently they used to serve the ancient Warrior Kings of Vale, and the Emerald Emperor before then," Taiyang said, shaking his head, "There isn't a lot of history available on them. Just that they were powerful anti-Grimm warriors. There are people who use the Grimm, worship them, who tried to destroy the Silver Eyed Warriors. There are also kingdoms and factions that tried to kidnap them and make them into their personal weapons. Or worse, experiment on them to figure out how their powers worked. In the end... They were hunted down and destroyed."

He looked upon his daughter with a grave look, as she trembled.

"You... You might be the last one, Ruby," he said quietly. Ruby trembled again, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Was... Was Mom killed for her-?"

"I don't know," Taiyang said quietly, rubbing the small of her back as she clung to him, "It's possible. That's why you need to keep this secret, Ruby."

A memory flashed in her mind, and she looked up at her father in shock.

"Ozpin... Professor Ozpin talked about my eyes," she murmured, "Does that mean he knows-?"

"He does," Taiyang nodded, "He knew about your mother."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror.

"Does that mean he-?!"

"No! No, no," Taiyang interjected, holding his daughter tightly, "He never tried to do anything bad to your mother. He did ask her to share her knowledge of her eyes with him to better fight the Grimm." He shook his head.

"He got a little obsessive at times. So much so we had to make him back down, and remember she wasn't just a weapon."

"O-Oh," Ruby murmured, calming down just a little. Taiyang smiled and continued to rub circles into her back.

"He's on the side of the angels Ruby, really. But he's been at this for a very long time. He doesn't fully trust anyone with the whole truth. You need to be careful around him, all right? I don't mean be paranoid or fearful of him, but... Remember that he's not always right. And always have your friends with you when you talk to him about anything important. Okay?"

"I... Okay," Ruby managed. "I'm sorry, it's... It's a lot to handle."

"I know it is sweetie, I know," Taiyang murmured, "But I know you can do it. You can get through this. And you can help a LOT of people. Just remember... You don't have to sacrifice everything for the world if you don't have to."

Ruby stared up at her father.

"What... What about Mom?"

Taiyang sighed.

"I don't know, Ruby... But she wouldn't have given her life if it wasn't important enough to do so," he said softly. "Just as I know you won't do the same. All right?"

Ruby managed a firm nod, despite the tears coming from her red eyes. Taiyang held her tightly, murmuring soothing nonsense into her ear.

She didn't know how long they sat there, her thoughts slowly collecting and collating. She stared at the journal again.

"... Can we... Can we read it together?" She asked quietly. "I-I mean... It's not going to-to blast you with magic or anything if you're with me?"

Taiyang smiled.

"Even if it did? I'd be right there with you," he said.

Ruby smiled, a bit more relaxed. Her eyes focused on the photo of her mother for a moment. She turned her eyes back to her father and nodded.

"Okay..."

They opened up the journal together and began to read.

Ruby, if you are reading this, it's because I am dead. I am so sorry. I wanted to teach you about this properly, like my parents taught me, and their parents taught them. I left this with your father just in case anything happened.

Your eyes are a great gift... And a great burden. I wish I was here to help you carry it, but I know that you will find people who will walk with you. I know that your father, your sister, your uncle Qrow, and other friends you make will be with you every step of the way.

Even if you feel like you're all alone, we will always be with you. Because we all love you. I love you.

Now, here's what you need to know about the Silver Eyed Warriors...

- - -

The canon is well and truly off the rails now.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

It had been hours, but it felt like days. It was amazing just how introverted a person was when they were forced to interact with people over and over again.

"Miss, you're so cute, can we get a photo?"

Blake sighed and forced a smile.

"Sure... Nyah," she managed. She tolerated the two teenaged boys getting a selfie with her on their Scroll. One's hand slid down from her shoulders, a little too close... She tensed, ready to break his arm-

"HEY!"

Both boys jumped. Goldie walked over to them, glaring. She really was very tall, and her eyes blazed.

"Don't you think about it or I'll knock yer bloody teeth out!" She snarled. The teenagers winced.

"We're sorry, Mrs. Perrito-!"

"Can it and get going, or I'll tell yer mothers!" She snarled. The two teenagers bolted, the door to the cafe ringing loudly as they ran off. Goldie shook her head, and turned a softer look over onto Blake. For a moment, Blake remembered her mother.

"Sorry bout that. Horny teens, aye?" She looked Blake up and down in her maid's outfit. "You holdin' up there, Kitty Kat?"

"I... I'm fine," Blake said quietly. "I've done worse..."

She trailed off and looked aside. Goldie glanced around the bakery-It was fairly quiet this late in the evening. Ren and Nora were cooking in the kitchen. Jaune was sweeping up nearby some businessmen who were talking over coffee. It was all irrelevant.

All just so... Domestic.

"Yeah," Goldie said with a slow nod. "Anyway, you've probably had enough fer the night. I gotta get home. Mama 'n Papa are watchin' the pups, but I gotta close up soon."

Blake blinked in surprise.

"Pups?"

"Goldie, honey!"

Blake turned and frowned deeply. Through the front door came Perrito in yet another strange sweater. He beamed happily and spread his arms out wide for a hug. Blake recoiled, then glanced over at Goldie. Her eyes widened.

Wha-?!

Goldie was a woman who had, at first look, seemed carved of stone. She was tall, strong, rough, decent enough, but she hadn't so much as cracked a smile the entire time they were here. Blake was good at reading body language-She had to be.

And yet... In a moment, Goldie was beaming and blushing like a newlywed on her wedding night.

Wait... What?!

"Darling~!" She cried, practically leaping forward to embrace the shorter dog Faunus. They engaged in a heartfelt but still disgusting kiss. Blake glanced over at Jaune, who winced. Yeah, it was a bit unsettling, like seeing her parents make out.

Oh, yes. The twitch in his eyes. There was the commiseration.

"Mwah! I missed you, my sweet puppy-wuppy-lovey-dovey~," Goldie simpered, after breaking the kiss to nuzzle him, "Are you all right, darling? You weren't delayed by any hoodlums again? Just one word and me and the family'll wreck 'em all!"

Perrito patted his wife's hand with a warm smile, and nuzzled her back.

"No, nothing like that," Perrito chuckled, "It's all right! Mama said the same thing, but all the gangsters I ran into were really nice! One said I had a great sweater!"

"Well of course!" Goldie chuckled, "I knit it meself!"

Goldie caught Blake's look, and grinned at her. She wrapped her shorter husband's arm around her waist as they walked up to her.

"Honey, you remember Blake Belladonna?"

"Oh yes! The cat who isn't part of those White Fang meanies anymore!" Perrito said cheerfully. "I like your maid outfit! You look like you work great with white and blake!"

"I... Thank you?" Blake managed. She blinked and looked between them. "You two are... Married?"

"Twenty wonderful years with the most wonderful woman in the world!" Perrito chirped. Goldie flushed and covered a cheek with a hand.

"Oh you~...!"

"With five children!" Perrito said happily. "I want to bring them to meet you! They love cat Faunus! Seeing as their uncle, aunt, cousins, and grandmother are cat Faunus! And their grandpa, but..." He face fell a bit. "Oh... I made myself sad."

Goldie hugged him.

"It's all right sweetie. What delayed you?" She asked.

Perrito perked up.

"Oh! Oh, I forgot! Oh geez... Oh hey!" He smiled at Jaune. "Jaune Arc?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me," Jaune said, confused. Perrito beamed.

"I met some new clients today-They're wonderful people, really special! They went through some Grimm attacks and they talked about you!"

Jaune blinked several times.

"Er... They did?" He asked in worry. Perrito's head bobbed up and down rapidly.

"Yeah! They said you really changed their lives! I was wondering if you would be okay with meeting with them? Just for a little while? It would be a big help!"

Blake saw the worried tension in Jaune's shoulders. It was familiar to her as well. If he'd crossed paths with Roman Torchwick in the past, who knew what might come after him next?

Still... He put on a smile and nodded.

"Sure, if you think it would help?"

"Course it will help, Perrito's the best at helping!" Goldie said happily. Perrito blushed and kissed his wife on her cheek.

"Aw, you're always so nice, Goldie."

"Course I'm nice, yer my bloody husband!"

Perrito nodded again, and broke from his wife (reluctantly) to go to the door. He opened it and waved for some people to come in.

Jaune tensed. Blake sniffed. The scent was... Human, a bit agitated...

A tall man in farming gear wearing a cowboy hat entered. His face was dark from hard work under the sun, covered by a beard. Trailing behind him was a little girl in a nice if simple pink dress. She looked out from behind the farmer... And brightened.

"The Knight!" She cried happily. She rushed up to Jaune and hugged him around his legs. She grinned up at him with brown eyes and freckles over her cheeks. "You're the Knight who saved us!"

Jaune was surprised, pleased, and relieved. He knelt down and smiled, hugging the little girl.

"Hey! I'm so glad you two are safe," he said, looking up at the farmer. He smiled back gratefully as he walked up to Jaune. The young man stood up, holding the little girl in his arms, as he shook the farmer's hand.

"I wasn't even sure it was you, until now," he admitted, "Doctor Perrito here was doing counseling in our village. We've rebuilt but, with how Grimm are..." He chuckled. "Thank you, son. We'd have been dead without you."

"Are you a super Knight who kills Grimm and isn't afraid of anything?" The little girl asked eagerly. Jaune shook his head, still beaming.

"Nah. I just do what I can," he said modestly. He glanced over at Blake.

She had been staring intently at the scene. It was just too wholesome not to watch. But she'd begun to pull away, uncomfortable at being in such a sappy situation. It didn't seem like she should be there.

Jaune, of course, had to think otherwise.

"But over there is Blake," Jaune said with a smile, "She's a friend who's saved my life, too! She's an awesome Huntress!"

He lowered his voice in a stage whisper.

"She's also a ninja. A super cool ninja. But don't let it get around."

"A NINJA?!" The little girl cheered. She leaped out of Jaune's arms and ran up to Blake, grinning eagerly. "Are you a super cool ninja? Really? Really?!"

Blake coughed, but managed a smile down at the little girl. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

"Well... Yes, I am."

"Can you do Shadow Clones or super jutsu?!" The little girl asked happily. Blake let her Semblance speak for her, stepping away and leaving a Shadow Clone in her wake. The little girl's eyes bugged out in amazement.

"SO COOOOOL!"

"It is, isn't it?" Blake asked, her smile growing just a little.

- - -

Thankfully, the little girl (named Madison) was easily tired out this late in the day. And her father (Willis) had to get back to his village. Finally, Goldie had to close up shop. Ren and Nora had managed to clean up the kitchen without too much trouble, though there were a few bottles of syrup missing. Nora had insisted she had nothing to do with it... Then Jaune had Ren bonk her, and she confessed.

She'd be working an extra shift for that, but Goldie and Perrito wanted to get home to their children. The teenagers went upstairs to the bedroom. It was simple but comfortable: Four cots with a couch and table. Not much, but a lot more comfortable than a tent would be.

Nora and Ren engaged in a high stakes video game tournament (For Nora, Ren looked as stoic as ever), while Blake relaxed with a bit of reading. Jaune went out from the restroom to the balcony. By and by, Nora tired and passed out. Ren dutifully carried her to a cot, and tried to relieve himself of his burden... But Nora hung on tenaciously, and they ended up sleeping together.

Blake hid her smirk. Ren's lack of expression was very entertaining.

She got up and walked out onto the balcony. She looked over at Jaune, who was staring away from the shattered moon and at his Scroll.

"You're going to want to go to sleep soon," she said softly. He started, and looked over at her. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah... Just looking over some things," he admitted. Blake peered over his shoulder-There was a picture of Madison, dressed in a green blanket for a cloak and wielding a cardboard shield and sword in a laundry basket. She smiled softly as Jaune's face turned red.

"She uh... Her dad sent me pictures," he said, "She likes playing Knight now."

Blake nodded.

"It's... It's cute," she said quietly.

"Yeah..." He chuckled. "Reminds me a little of my sisters. Some of them acted younger than me at times..."

"Can I ask you a question?" Blake asked.

Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you already-?"

Blake narrowed her eyes. Even a voracious reader like her hated grammar pendants.

Jaune held up his hands.

"Right, right, sorry. Go ahead."

"Why did you pull me into it? With Madison?" Blake asked. Jaune shrugged.

"You looked like you needed a break," he said, "You know. A cute little kid seeing how amazing you are."

Blake flushed.

"That's all?"

Jaune nodded.

"That's all." He shrugged. "I mean... It's pretty clear this wasn't your idea. But you're doing it anyway. I just... I wanted to cheer you up. Did... Did it work?"

Blake slowly nodded, and let out a soft laugh. Jaune blinked.

"What?" He asked.

"You. One moment, you're a commanding captain, a knight who fights without fear. Then you're some punk who mocks the heiress of the most powerful company in the world to her face. And now... You're a gigantic dork who is utterly oblivious."

"Hey," Jaune protested, "I'm not that oblivious... I think. What's your point?"

Blake shook her head and smiled softly at him.

"Nothing," she said. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "But you're a dangerous man, Jaune Arc. I hope you know that."

She turned and walked back into the room. She got into her bed, and pulled the covers up over herself, her book, and her Scroll. Jaune stared after her, and shook his head slowly.

"Women," he muttered.

His inner Gato chuckled.

You are learning faster than most that it is futile to make sense of them, Juan.

"Yeah, but that doesn't give me any options to deal with them," Jaune muttered.

Nonsense Juan. They simply use a logic all their own, Gato said, You wanted to be a hero, si? This kind of challenge is part of it. Why not romance her too, mm?

"I already have three dates to plan for," Jaune groaned.

Well then, no time to waste! His inner Gato laughed.

Jaune sighed, resting his chin on his hands as he looked out over the lights of Vale. They seemed to reflect the stars above, a miniature universe all its own.

"I don't even know if I'm just going crazy, talking to you," Jaune muttered.

Perhaps you are. Perhaps you are not. But! Over worrying about one's sanity is counterproductive, Juan, his inner Gato said, If I am helping, then perhaps you are fine.

"I hope so," Jaune muttered.

Give yourself more credit, Juan. Women love a man with confidence.

"And yet here I am with three dates and a teasing catgirl."

... Touché.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Before the start of the semester break...

Pyrrha: "Nora? I have a favor to ask of you."

Nora: "Sure, Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha: "Please... Will you and Ren look after Jaune?"

Nora: "Of course! We're gonna camp together and be hobos!"

Pyrrha: "Oh good... And you're going to keep him away from any whores?!"

Nora: "Sure thing! He wants to save money so we'll keep him away from hookers!"

Pyrrha: "I... No, I mean away from other girls? Like you do with Ren?"

Nora: "... So, you want me to break the knees of any girls who try to romance Jaune-Jaune?"

Pyrrha: "Yes."

Jaune: "No, no she's not going to." He bonks Pyrrha on the head "No. Bad."

Pyrrha: "Ow! So... You mean you won't cheat on me~?"

Jaune: "We're not together!"

Pyrrha: "Oh Jaune, that hurts, but I will win your heart~!"

Jaune: sighs "Maybe. But no knee breaking, Nora!"

Nora: "Okey dokey!"

Jaune leaves.

Pyrrha: "... Can you get me nude photos of Jaune?"

Nora: "I dunno... I usually just take photos of Ren for myself." Holds up her Scroll "See?"

Pyrrha: "Oh... My... I like the lighting?"

Nora: "He never seems to notice the mirrors!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Sleeping in was a luxury Blake indulged in whenever possible. It pleased her instincts in a way she could never really articulate. She snuggled into her blankets and glorified in their warmth and softness. She was practically purring.

And then her cot was unceremoniously tilted up and she was sent to the wooden floor in a heap.

"Oof!"

She looked up in shock and anger as Nora Valkyrie grinned over her.

"Time to get up, Kitty Kat!"

"It's the weekend," Blake moaned, and checked her Scroll, "We don't have to be up for another hour..."

"Ren and Jaune-Jaune are already up!" Nora said, happy and cheerful, "And since they are, I thought we'd have some girl talk! Just you and me!"

Blake blinked in confusion as she stood up.

"Okay... I need to get ready-"

"Sure thing!" Nora chirped, "Bathroom's all clear!"

She sighed and made her way to the single bathroom. It was very cheaply assembled, just a toilet, a sink with a mirror, and a cheap bathtub, but it was more than enough. She stepped inside and started the water in the sink. She rummaged for her toothbrush.

"All right," she began slowly, "What do you want to talk about-?"

She looked up into the mirror and froze. Nora was grinning with narrowed eyes, right beside her.

How did I not notice-?!

Nora wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulders, holding her with an iron grip the cat Faunus couldn't escape. She could feel the hum of electrical power through Nora's skin and saw sparks in her eyes. Blake was familiar with people holding back their rage-And Nora's was literally crackling right under her skin.

"Kitty Kat," Nora began, "I get that you've had a rough life. Renny and me? We've had a rough life too. Bad things have happened to all of us. But me? I've only ever had Renny."

Blake slowly nodded, forcing herself to remain calm even as her hair began to stand on end.

"Then we came to Beacon. We met some great people—wonderful people, like Jaune-Jaune. He takes us seriously. He cares about us. And we care about him," Nora said, still grinning but her voice soft and deadly, "He's the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for us without a second thought. He's like our big brother. Probably cuz he has like, seven sisters and he's really good at that!"

"Y-Yes," Blake managed, as Nora's grip tightened almost painfully.

"So I'm kinda peeved that you dragged him into a fight that could have gotten him killed without us," Nora said.

Blake shook her head.

"I-I told him he didn't have to come-"

"But he did. He would," Nora said, even more softly, "Because that's who he is. So... If you ever endanger Jaune-Jaune like that again because you wanna get back at your old friends? We'll have another girl talk!

Her eyes blazed.

"With my hammer! Got it?"

Blake very slowly nodded.

"... I won't," she said quietly, "I-I promise."

Nora's smile lost its edge and Blake's hair fell back down as the voltage in the air dropped. Nora patted Blake on the back.

"Great to hear! Now come on! Renny and Jaune-Jaune are working out, and we don't wanna miss it!"

She practically skipped away. Blake watched her go, still trembling. She took a few deep breaths.

Okay... Maybe I should start paying more attention to my fellow students, she thought.

- - -

Behind the Just Right Bakery and Cafe was a relatively clean backyard. The grass was overgrown in a few spots, and there was an old car on cinderblocks, but otherwise it wasn't a terrible place to be. The early morning sunlight shone down on the alley, reflecting off of wind chimes, windows, and the chrome on the salvaged car's exterior.

It was pleasant enough, Jaune supposed. At least for what they were doing.

"Okay," Jaune said. He flared his Aura, and focused, "My mom's strength technique isn't the first Aura augmentation skill, obviously. But it's really simple to learn, and easy to use. She made it that way for medical and rescue purposes. Give you enough strength to lift up a heavy patient, move debris off of someone, that kind of thing. Of course, the fact it's simple to use means it works great for combat."

Ren, sitting on a cheap folding chair nearby, nodded. Jaune chuckled.

"Of course, the catch is you either have to have REALLY good Aura control, or a LOT of Aura to use it for longer than a few seconds," Jaune said, "Or to use it consecutively for, say, combat. She does have incredible Aura control and a LOT of Aura. I've only got the Aura. So..."

He reached into the wrecked car. He grunted and lifted up the entire loose, rusty engine block over his head with one arm. He held it up, concentrating.

"See?" He managed. He then carefully set the engine block down, letting it thump on the grass, "Now you try it."

Ren nodded, and stood up. His Aura flared pink, as he focused. He then reached down and took hold of the block. He lifted it up over his head with a grunt, holding it up for a few moments, before he brought it back down onto the grass smoothly. Jaune grinned.

"Hey, great job! On your first try, too!" He clapped. Ren shook his head.

"I didn't hold it for as long as you, and I required both hands," Ren said, "I still need work. You're much better than me."

"Yeah, but eh, I've got more practice and all I've got going for me is a lot of Aura," Jaune said, clapping his friend on his shoulder, "You're gonna be better than me in no time."

Ren studied Jaune with his usual stoic expression.

"Why can you never take a compliment, Jaune?"

Jaune blinked. Ren didn't look away, his gaze even. Jaune coughed and looked aside.

"It uh... It's that big of a problem, huh?"

"Yes."

Ren sat back down on his folding chair. Jaune sat down on the wooden step leaning into the cafe, facing him.

"... I don't deserve them," Jaune decided.

"Not a healthy outlook," Ren observed.

Jaune let out a soft sigh through his nostrils.

"I'm working on it," he said, "But if I was where I should be... Nobody would have been in danger."

"None of us are where we want to be, Jaune," Ren said gently, "No one is perfect. That's why we train. If you constantly compare yourself to others, you will never be happy."

"That's fine for guys who don't have to keep other people alive," Jaune snorted, "It's different for me. I'm your leader. I need to be better. I can't stop improving."

"That is true," Ren said, "However, constantly tearing yourself down won't help. It will also demoralize your team."

Jaune winced.

"I... Well..."

Ren tilted his head.

"Jaune... You aren't the savior of the world. You shouldn't act like you are. You'll only end up destroying yourself."

Jaune sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.

"... It's just... I want to be a hero. I was raised to be a hero. My mom is a hero. My dad died a hero. And when push came to shove... When my mentor needed me, I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't... I wasn't good enough."

He stared down at the grass, glum and angry. Ren hummed.

"When the Grimm destroyed my village, orphaned Nora and I... We also weren't good or strong enough."

Jaune looked up sharply, his eyes wide.

"That's different! You were kids! No one would ever blame you for-!"

"I did," Ren said softly, "I sometimes still do."

Jaune grimaced in sympathy.

"Ren..."

"I'm mostly past it now. I couldn't afford to let myself be weighed down with guilt... I had to look after Nora. I couldn't afford to be weak for her. She's... She's my everything."

Jaune was silent. This was probably the most emotive Ren had ever been. His eyes were distant, his voice heavy with feeling.

"... I do want revenge. I want the Grimm that killed our families, destroyed our village, dead. I want it to suffer before it goes, and I will ensure it feels pain and fear before it dies if I can. But it's not my highest priority right now. Nora is. And she always will be."

"Yeah... Yeah. It'd be impossible not to see that," Jaune said with a nod. "But you guys... You earned your place here. I feel like I don't deserve it. Not... Not after everything I'd been through, or... Or done."

Ren leaned forward a bit.

"Jaune. You can use a technique that would let you win almost every fight if you wanted to. So why don't you?"

Jaune scoffed in disbelief.

"Because I'm not an insane, murderous asshole! I'm not gonna unleash an Aura Blade blast in Combat Class!"

Ren nodded slowly.

"Then it's more complex than just a matter of who is stronger. You have many talents, including leadership. We follow you for more than just your competency as a Huntsman, after all."

Jaune chuckled.

"I... Thanks, Ren," he said quietly. Ren smiled softly.

"I've done nothing but speak the truth. A good leader appreciates truthful feedback to grow."

He looked at him intently.

"Besides. Nora likes you very much. As do I. We don't want to lose you."

Jaune chuckled softly.

"... You know... I'm pretty sure she'd marry you if you asked," he said.

Ren was silent. He stared back at Jaune impassively.

He couldn't help continuing.

"It's hard not to see how attached you are. I mean... I don't think you two are gonna go with anyone else. You've been through too much," Jaune went on, "And she's not exactly, ya know... Subtle about her feelings."

Ren sucked in a deep breath, and let it out as a sigh that seemed both wistful and exasperated.

"... That is... More complicated," he finally said. He gave Jaune a wry look.

"Besides, I wouldn't be talking about romantic troubles if I were you."

Jaune winced.

"Touché, bro. Touché."

He stood up and stretched.

"Let's get back to training-"

The door burst open behind Jaune, and knocked him off balance. He stumbled and yelped as he fell towards Ren. Ren's pink eyes widened comically just before Jaune slammed into him and drove him into the grass.

"GAH!"

"OOF!"

"RENNY! JAUNE-JAUNE! BREAKFAST TIME-!" Nora announced before she trailed off. Jaune looked back over his shoulder as Nora gaped in shock. Blake looked over Nora's shoulder in equal disbelief, and her face went bright red.

"NOOOO!" Nora cried, throwing her hands up and wailing to the heavens, "THAT FLAT CHESTED TSUNDERE TURNED JAUNE-JAUNE GAY! AND NOW HE'S AFTER RENNY!"

"WAIT WHAT?!" Jaune yelped, forcing himself up to his feet and waving his hands frantically. "NO! NO NO NO-!"

"DON'T WORRY, JAUNE-JAUNE! RENNY!" Nora cried, reaching to yank her shirt off, "I'LL CONVERT YOU BACK! YOU CAN BOTH HAVE ME!" She turned to Blake. "KITTY KAT! GET NAKED!"

"Wh-What?!" Blake gasped, her face burning brighter red.

"YOUR PARTNER AND HER SISTER LOVE JAUNE-JAUNE!" Nora cried, "HELP THEM BY KEEPING THEIR MAN ON THE RIGHT SIDE!"

Ren, now on his feet, calmly walked over to Nora and pulled her into a hug. She continued ranting into Ren's chest.

"We'll go get breakfast started," he said evenly. He carried Nora into the cafe, as she clung to him and wailed. The door shut behind them, leaving Blake and Jaune alone. Jaune coughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Never a dull moment with them, huh?" He tried with an exasperated smile.

"Y-Yeah," Blake agreed.

The faint sounds of early morning traffic dominated for a time. Jaune cleared his throat.

"So... Did you call your parents?"

Blake nodded.

"Yes."

Jaune stared at her.

"How did that go? You uh, you don't have to tell me-"

"It... It went better than I thought it would," Blake admitted quietly. She fixed her eyes onto his.

"Thank you for pushing me to do it," she said. "There's... Still a lot of work to do, but it's... Better."

Jaune nodded.

"Good."

Blake looked at the backyard and the engine block.

"What were you two working on?" She asked.

"Oh," Jaune said, "I'm teaching my team my mother's Aura strength technique. After that fight with Thanh, I want us to all work a lot harder and I figure it can be a nice ace up your sleeve even if you don't rely on brute force." He smiled at her.

"Would you like to learn it?"

Blake nodded.

"I... I would like that," she murmured.

"Cool," Jaune said, "We'll do it after work, then."

He went to the engine block, and lifted it up. He then carefully slid it back into the car. Blake studied his motions, impressed despite herself.

"You have excellent control over the technique," she said.

Jaune paused. Then he smiled back at her.

"Thank you," he said, "My mom taught me it and trained me how to use it. It's... Probably one of the only reasons I survived out there." He looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers, "That and Gato's training."

"I... He taught me some of that as well," Blake said, "I would be happy to help you with your Aura Blade techniques, if you'd like? I've never been very good at them, but I learned the basics well enough."

Jaune smiled warmly.

"I... I would appreciate that, thank you," Jaune said.

They stood in awkward silence for another moment. Then, Goldie's voice rang out from inside the Cafe:

"KID! STOP MAKING OUT WITH THE KITTY PRINCESS AND GET TO WORK!"

"ACK! Y-YES MA'AM!" Jaune shouted, quickly rushing into the cafe. Blake, blushing just as hard, dodged out of the way as he scrambling inside past her.

"W-We weren't making out-!"

"WHATEVER! WE'VE GOT A BUSINESS TO RUN!" Goldie shouted.

Blake held in a sigh. She lingered a bit. Part of it was her natural stubbornness. The other part?

She whipped out her Scroll and quickly texted Yang.

Yang. How are you?

Less than a second later, Yang replied.

Hey Kitty! I thought the cat had taken your tongue! Nice to hear from you! How are you? You okay?

Blake smirked and rolled her eyes.

I'm staying with Nora, Ren, and Jaune. Working at a cafe.

There was a longer pause. Yang then texted back:

Really?

Yes. Really. He's in a butler outfit. And he can be all yours.

Another pause. For a moment, Blake wondered if she'd gone too far.

Then...

When and where?

Blake smiled. It wasn't the most conventional apology she could imagine... But it was a start.

Besides, if Yang finally made a move? She wouldn't have to put up with her struggling conscience as much...

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Cinder walked through the halls of Beacon, in her Haven school uniform. She locked onto one of many people of interest Roman and Iridescent had made her aware of: Jaune Arc. Studying alone in the library.

Cinder: The only son of the Arc family. Mother is Isabel Arc, the famous doctor who invented Healing Dust. Hmm... He doesn't seem like a threat, but the White Fang underestimated him. Perhaps it would be useful to pump him for information...

She sits down across from him with a warm, sensual smile and mischief in her eyes.

Cinder: "Why hello. I'm Cinder Fall. What's your name?"

Jaune: "Hm? Oh, Jaune Arc. What's up?"

Cinder: "Well... I'm a transfer from Haven, and I got turned around! I was hoping you could show me where the south dorms are?" She played with her hair

Jaune: "Sure..."

Cinder: Yes, this will give me the opportunity to-

Jaune holds out his Scroll.

Jaune: "There's a map app you can download. It'll take you right there."

Cinder: Is... Is he serious?!

Cinder: "Ah... That would be nice, but I struggle with technical matters. Could you please get up and guide me there yourself?"

Jaune: back to his book "Not interested."

Cinder: "Wha... How are you not interested in me?!"

Jaune slowly looks up from his book and looks her up and down.

Jaune: "... Eh. 7 out of 10."

Cinder: "I-EXCUSE YOU?! I am a TWELVE!"

Jaune: "Look sweetheart, do you think I can't recognize a honey trap when I see one? Half my middle and high school experience was fending off gold diggers! Now, if you had approached me openly, maybe we could have talked and made a connection, but no. You leaped right to playing around. Sorry, if you're going to hide your intentions, I'm not interested."

Cinder: "But-You can't be uninterested in me! Look at me!"

Jaune: "I did. Still not interested, and the way you're reacting proves my point. Have a nice day."

Cinder gets up and storms out, seething angrily. Some little nobody rejected her like that?! Thought she was some mere gold digging thot?!

SHE'D SHOW HIM!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Well, as far as trying to make things up to her, Yang thought Blake was putting her best foot forward. She'd grabbed the first ferry back to Vale from Patch she could, and grabbed Bumblebee. She drove through the early morning traffic, weaving through the cars at high speed with a reckless smile on her face.

She had been fair to Ruby though. She'd left her a message about it, so she could catch up... After she'd gotten enough sleep. She'd been working with Dad on some 'special training'. Yang had pried a little, but Dad had just told her it was private and Ruby would tell her when she was ready.

Well, after everything they'd gone through this semester, Yang couldn't blame her or Dad for wanting to work harder. Yang pushed herself a lot this past week for the same reasons, and she was going to keep it up in the next.

And go even harder in other ways.

She drove through the New City sections first, filled with gleaming skyscrapers and crisscrossed with hover train bridges. Then passed through the old Middle City walls, deeper into the interior. Finally she passed the Old City District Walls-Or rather what was left of them. Aside from a few sections preserved here and there (many covered in graffiti), the ancient walls that had once protected Old Vale were pretty much gone.

Not that Yang spared them a lot of thought, she had more important things to worry about.

She pulled up in front of the Just Right Bakery and Cafe, and turned off the engine. She took a deep breath as she caught sight of Jaune through the windows.

Geez...

She'd been on dates before, even gotten up to heavy petting, but all of that had just been for some fun. Like trashing nightclubs. A stress reliever. She wasn't a loose slut who rode any handsome man she ran into... She had too much responsibility for that. Despite everything, she took those responsibilities seriously.

Now Ruby was growing up, and... Here was a guy she had some genuine feelings for. A guy who... Well.

Yang noticed a lot about her childhood friend. A lot of things others might have missed. White lines on his calloused hands and body, for instance: Scars left over from Aura healing. To even have those thin little lines meant he'd had to have fought and gotten hurt a lot.

He threw himself into a fight without fear or hesitation. He took charge when it was needed. He saved her sister, and the rest of them, without a second thought. He was domestic too, able to cook, clean, and do a lot of other things you'd expect out of a house husband!

And he'd grown up to look damn good.

Honestly, that was the problem. He was... Everything she might want in a man already and it was overwhelming. The fact he shied away from aggressive women like Pyrrha was also trouble: Yang was aggressive. That was her very nature!

So she hadn't known how to approach him. Especially not with Ruby infatuated with him!

Ultimately though, she couldn't just keep hemming and hawing. Her dad was right: She had to be true to herself.

If he didn't like it, then she'd know it wouldn't work out.

Still, she thought to herself as she rose from Bumblebee and walked towards the cafe doors, No sense in scaring him off. We've got a date, and Gods know I'm fine with taking it slow. Not rushing things. Just... Easing in, since it's clear neither of us knows what we're doing.

She walked in. Jaune perked up when he saw her and smiled warmly. He walked up to her, trim, fit, and handsome in his butler's outfit, and bowed.

"Welcome, Mistress Xiao-Long, how may I serve you today?" He asked with a grin and a wink.

Yang flushed, and grinned as her eyes burned just a bit.

"Oh, the ways I could take that line," she chuckled. Jaune shrugged.

"Yeah, I thought you'd appreciate it."

"Maybe I'd like it better if you were on your knees, Crybaby," Yang teased back. Jaune paused for a moment, and Yang worried if she'd gone too far.

He then smirked.

"Maybe you'd like it better on yours."

He was flirting back. He felt comfortable enough to flirt back holy shit...!

Yang grinned and advanced, wrapping her arms around Jaune and looking right up into his eyes.

"You gonna put me there, Ladykiller~?"

Jaune coughed but didn't back down. He pressed back against her, his firm chest feeling very nice against hers.

"If my Mistress desires it, of course," he said.

Ohhhh shit, Yang thought as her cheeks went bright red. Down girl down girl down girl...!

"OI!" Goldie shouted, making them both jump, "Kid! If you want to make money as a gigolo, do it when we're not serving breakfast! I'm not taking a bloody downgrade on my health department grade!"

"You told me to flirt back!" Jaune cried in exasperation.

"I didn't tell ya to be an exhibitionist!"

Jaune tried to pull away, but Yang gave him a kiss to his cheek. She beamed at the irate woman.

"Sorry ma'am, just appreciating the customer service from the staff," she chuckled. "I'm always right, hm?"

"People who said that never had customers," Goldie harrumphed. Yang gave Jaune another kiss on his lips, before heading off to a booth. Jaune flushed.

"Hope you're planning out our date, Ladykiller~," Yang tossed back. Jaune coughed and looked over at Goldie. Goldie shook her head.

"You adding a blonde to your harem, Kid?"

"I don't have a harem!" Jaune protested.

Yang sat down at the booth, smiling happily. She looked up at Blake as she walked up to her table. Blake's ears twitched a bit before she spoke.

"Hello Mistress nyah. May I take your order, nyah?"

Yang stared for five seconds, before she erupted into laughter. She wrapped her arms around her belly and laughed her ass off. Blake glared.

"This isn't funny!"

"HAHAHAHAHA! It totally is!" She cackled.

"This-this is degrading and objectifying-!"

"You were maid for this kind of thing, ahahahahahaa!"

Yang got herself under control, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Ohhh... Best morning ever!"

Blake sighed.

"Well... I don't feel guilty for texting Pyrrha and Ruby now," Blake deadpanned.

"Wait what?!"

Blake sniffed.

"I'm kidding," she said.

"Yeah!" Nora cried, waving from the back of the cafe, "I did that!"

"NORA!" Both Yang and Jaune shouted.

"All's fair in love and war!" Nora declared.

- - -

Pyrrha had rushed out of her hotel and into the nearest taxi the moment she'd gotten the text, only pausing to throw on street clothes. She practically bounced with glee in the back of the car as it pulled out into traffic, her mind focused on one thing.

Her Jaune... Her team... Her friends...

Oh, this long week had felt like an eternity without him or her other friends! So many forms, so many meetings! Her mother had kept trying to contact her, kept trying to apologize and... It had all been so emotionally taxing. She had felt so worn down, so empty and hollow.

The hurt in her mother's eyes had nearly broken her, so many times... Yet she thought of her friends, and her resolve returned.

Now... Now she could be back where she belonged. With the ones she loved.

And more importantly...

Jaune in a butler outfit! Jaune serving me in a butler outfit! Jaune in a butler outfit! JAUNE!

Pyrrha trembled happily as she pictured it in her mind.

She sat in her room in her mansion back in Mistral, sipping her tea while on the phone. Jaune, her beloved butler, cleaning up around her. She sipped her tea as he went about, locking the doors and pulling the curtains shut.

"Yes, yes, that will work fine, thank you, goodbye," Pyrrha murmured. She then put down the phone onto the cradle with a click.

"Is that all the business for today, Jaune?" She asked.

"Yes Mistress," Jaune said with a nod, "Save for our..." He cocked an eyebrow, "Personal business."

Pyrrha licked her lips, set her tea down... And pounced on Jaune.

"Jaune~! Jaune! Jaune!"

"Miss? Miss? We're here?"

"Ah?!" Pyrrha gasped. She looked at the dark-skinned taxi driver who held out a hand to her. He made a grasping motion.

"My money?"

Pyrrha quickly dropped some lien into his palm, and darted out of the taxi cab. She looked up at the cafe, and took a few deep, steadying breaths.

Don't be crazy. Don't be crazy, she thought to herself, You're going to be better. You're not going to lose control.

She used some techniques she had trained in since childhood, to relax and calm down her raging feelings.

He knows you're not a monster, Pyrrha argued with herself. He knows you'll never hurt him. Not like that BITCH who hurt him...

Pyrrha shook her head.

Just go in and show him how much you miss him, she decided, In a calm, collected manner that shows how sane you are!

She smiled softly, and opened the cafe door. She walked in. Nora bounced up to her, looking cute in a maid outfit.

"Heeeeyyy Pyrrha! I mean, Mistress! Welcome to the Just Right Cafe!" She greeted. Pyrrha beamed back as she began to scan around the cafe.

"Hey Nora! Where's Jaune-?"

Her eyes locked onto him. Her face turned bright red.

There... There he was. That butler outfit was superior to what Weiss had put him. It was impeccably tailored and fitted to show off his height and his body. He turned and beamed at Pyrrha, even as he hovered nearby... Yang.

"Hey Pyrrha!" Jaune said cheerfully. "It's great to see you!"

"Mm," Yang grinned, "Yeah~. Just got here early to get serviced by Ladykiller."

"Served by," Jaune sighed.

"Same thing~," Yang teased with a cocky wink right at Pyrrha.

For a moment, Pyrrha contemplated seizing every metallic object in the cafe and shooting them all at the smug blonde. Judging from how Jaune recoiled, her smile had gotten rather dangerous.

No, no, Pyrrha thought to herself, Don't fight like that. Fight like… Fight like a woman. Like Hoss said...

With that, she walked right up to Jaune, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his.

Her eyes crossed from the explosion of warmth that burst deep inside. She trembled as electricity shot through her body. Jaune opened his mouth in shock, and the kiss just got better!

My first kiss… It's right in front of a rival, with my true love… It's perfect…!

She paused and pulled back briefly.

"Ah, is a kiss all right, Jaune?" She asked, suddenly unsure.

"H-Huh? Y-Yeah, sure," Jaune managed, looking dazed. Pyrrha beamed.

Like in her Mistralian manga that she had been extensively researching over the past week! Her brain was slowly turning into happy mush…!

Jaune was yanked away by Yang, who scowled.

"Hey hey! Ease up, P-Money!" She snarled. "I've got first date!"

Pyrrha grabbed onto Jaune's other arm and yanked him back.

"I got his first kiss!" Pyrrha growled.

Yang smirked smugly.

"No you didn't~," she said, pulling Jaune right back. Pyrrha looked at Jaune in shock, seeking out proof that she was lying… And he coughed.

"Ah, well-"

"YOU," Pyrrha snarled, eyes burning in rage at Yang. The blonde's eyes flashed red.

"Bring it on, P-Money! Let's see how invincible you really are~!"

Jaune glanced over at the tall blonde woman in the blue dress and arpon who was at the cash register.

"Uh, Mrs. Goldie? You want to intervene?"

Goldie smirked and sipped a mug of coffee.

"Not my department," she said, "She hasn't bought anything."

Jaune sighed heavily, and summoned up breath from his diaphragm. He held them both apart by their shoulders.

"Okay, come on, enough," he said flatly, "This isn't something to fight about. Yang, Pyrrha, sit down. Pyrrha? Order some breakfast."

Reluctantly, the two ladies sat down at the same booth. Jaune took a deep breath and calmed himself. Pyrrha felt a flush of guilt, but it vanished at Yang's smirk. Jaune shook his head.

"How about you just get breakfast and relax, huh? We can work things out after-"

The door burst open, and a crazed, wet looking Ruby burst in.

"JAUNE! NORA TOLD ME YOU WERE ELOPING WITH PYRRHA!"

"I sure did!" Nora shouted out.

Ruby vanished in a burst of rose petals and reappeared, tackling Jaune.

"OOF!"

"SAY IT ISN'T SO!" She cried.

"IT ISN'T! NOW LET ME GO!" Jaune growled, bonking Ruby on the head. Ruby winced.

"Owwww…!"

He sighed, and rubbed her head gently.

"Calm down, okay? Sit down, order something. We'll sort this out properly, okay?"

Ruby sniffled.

"... Do you have chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Yes."

Ruby beamed, and kissed Jaune's cheek.

"Mwah! I love you, Jaune!"

Jaune patted her head.

"Yeah yeah… Come on, sit down, order. We'll work this out calmly and rationally." He looked over at Yang and Pyrrha. "Right?"

"Oh, of course Jaune!" Pyrrha said with a tense smile.

"Absolutely," Yang purred, smirking at Pyrrha, "Whatever you say, Lover Boy~."

Jaune guided Ruby to the booth. She scooted in next to Pyrrha, where she grabbed the menu. Jaune glared over at Nora.

"Seriously Nora? What's the deal?!"

"What?" Nora asked, shrugging as she poured more coffee for another patron, "You did elope in my dream last night!"

"You didn't mention that part!" Ruby grumbled.

Nora winced.

"Whoops!"

Jaune glared.

"Ren? Bonk her extra hard when she returns to the kitchen," He called out.

"Got it," Ren tossed back.

"And no more pancakes from the kitchen!"

Nora gasped.

"Jaune-Jaune! No! Please!" She skidded to a halt in front of him, on her knees.

"You're taking my sweet Renny away! Don't take the other love of my life away!" She sobbed. "Unless…" She gasped. "You want us both!"

Jaune groaned and bonked her on the head.

"Owwww~!"

"No, I don't."

"What if Ren was a girl?" Nora asked, tilting her head. "Like a sweet shy Mistralian ninja princess?"

"Still no! Come on, back to work," He stated, exasperated, as he patted her head. "We'll work out your punishment later."

Nora nodded, sniffling a bit.

"All right. Thanks Jaune-Jaune!"

"Yeah yeah," Jaune sighed, as Nora got up and skipped away. He glanced over at the owner of the bakery, still behind the cash register.

Goldie smirked and nodded.

"See? You didn't need me at all," she chuckled.

"I'm getting the feeling you're just trolling us," Jaune sighed.

"Welcome to the real world, kiddo," Goldie smirked, "Now, Cat Princess! Get on Booth 7!"

Blake, who had been staring intently at everything going on, blushed and scurried off to Pyrrha, Yang and Ruby's booth.

"Yes ma'am!"

Jaune sighed. He looked so stressed. Pyrrha frowned. She really needed to help take some of the burden off his shoulders…

"I'll just take the Baby Bear Breakfast," she said, glancing over the menu, "That looks good!"

"Ooh, let's get the cookie pancake plate, Yang!" Ruby cheered. She beamed at Blake. "It looks great! And you look great too, Blake!"

"Thank you, Ruby," Blake sighed, though she managed a slight smile at her cute team leader. The outfit did look good on her, Pyrrha had to admit.

"No Ruby, you've had enough sugar," Yang sighed. "We'll both take the Valean Omelets, with fruit on the side."

"Extra strawberries!" Ruby insisted.

Goldie cleared her throat. Jaune looked away from them.

"Come on Kid, tend to your harem later. We got more customers!"

"They're not my harem!" Jaune insisted again, as he went back to work.

"Sure they're not," Goldie chuckled.

- - -

Blake Belladonna did not read smut. Ninjas of Love and other assorted works were not just mindless, poorly constructed excuses for erotic encounters! They were intricately plotted, well characterized, and fantastically written stories of adventure, intrigue, and erotic scenes that were just as well written!

She wasn't reading cheap Valean bodice rippers, thank you very much!

She could admit though, she did tend to look for literature based upon what kind of… Erotic situations they delivered on. The writing had to be pitch perfect, of course, but she had her preferences like anyone else!

For instance, she rather enjoyed the harem genre. Usually it was just a male power fantasy, with a harem of fawning waifus who had no personality just there for the blank main character's sexual satisfaction. Most of it was trash, but the gems in the genre seemed to address more than just the petty sexual needs of the reader.

They addressed the need to feel loved, to feel cherished. Or explored the complex relationships between humans and Faunus.

It wasn't a racial thing, thank you very much! She enjoyed White Wolf for its complex dynamics of a male wolf faunus with a harem of human women who all had their own issues (many of which were solved with very intense sexual coitus, of course, but also a lot of psychological discussion and examination) as much as she enjoyed The Good Master about a group of damaged Faunus women who, with the help of a kind but firm human master, began to heal by recognizing that they didn't have to face the world alone. That they also solved those issues with intense sexual coitus did not take away from the excellent interpersonal drama and character work.

They both explored the often complex relationships between human and faunus on the personal level and definitely wasn't just for some kind of fetish.

Now though… As she served her friends breakfast, she had a realization.

Her love of erotica could be helpful to others. It could be more than just her 'weird' little hobby.

"Excuse me Mistresses, nyah," Blake murmured, as Ruby giggled. She headed back to where Jaune was finishing gathering up some dirty dishes from an empty table. She followed him into the kitchen, where he set the dishes down on the sink. He looked back over his shoulder.

"Something I can help you with, Blake?" He asked.

"Yes," she said, "What are you going to do for dates for your harem?"

"They're not…" Jaune trailed off with a sigh, "They're not my harem, all right? They all asked me on dates, and… And I'm going to try to keep them happy-"

Blake moved in front of Jaune, eyes narrowed.

"Just keep them happy? Is that all you're going to do?" She demanded.

Jaune started.

"Wha-What do you mean? They're interested in me… I guess-"

"You guess?" Blake pressed, pushing Jaune back against a wall covered in pots and pans. "Is that all you feel for them?"

Jaune glared in confused anger.

"No! Of course that's not all I-!"

"Are you just stringing them along?" Blake pressed. "Just using them for their talents, their bodies-?"

"NO!" Jaune practically yelled, his eyes burning with repressed Aura. It was strong enough Blake was almost pressed back by the sheer power he unleashed.

"No, I…" He narrowed his eyes. "I would rather die than let harm come to any one of them."

Oh. Oh wow. She felt her mouth go dry, and her cheeks flush red. The sheer sincerity in his voice, that turned what would be a cheesy line into a stone cold fact.

Just like Isaiah in "White Wolf", she thought happily. Even now, she could imagine Jaune as the White Wolf, the fearsome, damaged warrior wolf Faunus. Confronting the fearsome ninja princess Sayako about his past. Their passions would explode as the truths of their dark pasts were exposed, he pinned her against the wall and kissed her, tearing her clothes off and-

Ahem.

"If it helps," Blake said carefully, "I uh… I have experience with romantic relationships. It… It didn't end well… But I can offer what advice I can to help."

Jaune stared at her. Blake shook her head.

"I just… I just want to help. To make up for what I've done."

"You don't have to-"

"But I want to," Blake insisted, backing off and allowing Jaune to step free of the cookware. "I want… I want to make my teammates… My friends… Happy. Don't you?"

Jaune smiled, and slowly nodded.

"Yeah. I do," he said. "I just… I mean, I'm kind of dating three girls at once. I feel like a manwhore-"

"It's just dating, Jaune," Blake said quickly, "You're just going out to learn more about them in a social setting you both control. That's all. You all know about it, you all accept it."

Just like the harem in The Good Master. Jaune even resembled Troy, the human lead, in that story. He had to be tough, in charge, to keep his harem happy. That required strength, character, the ability to communicate boundaries well and to be selfless.

Being well endowed had also helped in that story but she was sure Jaune was fine in that department. He had seven siblings, after all.

"It's not like you're immediately getting married," Blake continued, "They clearly want it. Do you want it?"

"I… I don't deserve-"

"That's not what I asked," Blake said quietly, "Do you want it?"

Jaune smiled.

"To go have fun with people I care about? Yeah… Yeah, I do."

"Then just go with that," Blake said with a soft smile.

"It's just been a while since I even had a date," Jaune explained, "I mean, my mom and my sisters were pretty controlling back in Radian."

"Oh?" Blake asked, tilting her head curiously. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, in hindsight, I get that they did it because there were a lot of girls just after my family name and money. I did the same to guys who were after my sisters for the same reasons, or just for a thrill. But the furthest I ever got was a few dates out at restaurants or movies."

He scowled.

"And one girl who was just using me to get back at her ex."

Blake nodded slowly.

"Then I can help you," she said softly. "I mean… My relationship wasn't the most conventional. And honestly? It was… Not very healthy, but…" She smiled. "I'm willing to share my experience. To help you."

"Are you sure?" Jaune asked, raising an eyebrow. Blake nodded.

"Completely. If you'd like the help?"

He was silent for a moment, before he nodded with a smile. She rather liked it.

"I… I would like that," he said. He coughed.

"I'd better get back out there, so Goldie doesn't yell some more."

"G-Good idea," Blake said quickly.

Jaune hurried out. Blake again hesitated. She felt eyes boring into the back of her head, and slowly turned to look at the source.

Nora stared intently at her, looking just as intimidating as ever despite her cute maid outfit.

She then slowly lifted her fist… And gave Blake a big thumbs up.

"That's the way, Blakey!" Nora said cheerfully. "I'll be Auntie Nora in no time, spoiling cute little blond kittens!"

"... Thank you?" Blake managed.

"You're welcome!" Nora chirped, as she bounced off with plates of food in her hands out the swinging doors of the kitchen. Blake watched her go, then looked over at Ren, who was hard at work at the stove.

Blake opened her mouth.

"Don't ask," Ren said, "It's just how she is."

"I… See," Blake managed.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Ponce had a very long, beautiful central plaza overlooking the beach in the cove below. The tall white walls reflected the sunlight onto the beach, just as the white buildings did, making the entire town glow.

It was always warm and comforting, even with the masses of tourists and cars driving around the area.

Sun, Scarlet, and Sage were sitting at a table at an outdoor cafe with a parasol shielding it from the hot, bright sun. All in swimsuits and shirts (Though Sun's was open, as usual). All three sipped their frosty fruity drinks as they watched Neptune escort Weiss back to her sister. Weiss hugged Neptune and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, before she headed back to meet the imposing Winter. Neptune waved back with a smile and a wink.

Weiss swooned a bit, while Winter just glared death. Neptune, by sheer dint of his Mistralian nerve, waved and walked across the crosswalk toward his friends. He sat down with them at the table.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He smirked and leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on an empty one, "I was just escorting a beautiful girl around the town! How about you?"

"We were taking bets on when her older sister would kill you," Sage deadpanned.

"I think Weiss will kill him," Scarlet said with a nod, as he sipped his drink. Neptune scowled as he ordered a drink on the restaurant app on his phone.

"You're just jealous!"

"Unlikely," Sage observed, as Scarlet snorted in laughter. He then moaned.

"Shit, you made my drink come out my nose, you dick!"

"Ugh," Neptune grunted, before he looked over at Sun, "Can't one of you assholes be happy for me?"

"Dude, you are going to get yourself killed and then I'll have to find a new team member," Sun said dryly.

"I mean, does the heiress to the biggest corporation in the world seem like a pump and dump?" Scarlet asked, after wiping his nose with a napkin.

"She's not a pump and dump!" Neptune protested, as he happily accepted his fruity frosty drink from the server. "It's just a nice, fun fling!"

"I'm sure her sister will be thrilled to hear that," Sage deadpanned. Neptune scoffed.

"Look, it's a front," Neptune said, "She wants to enjoy the romance, and I'm providing it! Weiss isn't that serious about all this either!"

"She looked pretty serious about it to me," Scarlet observed. Neptune scoffed and crossed his arms petulantly.

"It's not like that! And her big sister just has to chill out! Let Weiss make her own decisions! This is just some fun for both of us!"

"So you haven't even considered the fact she might be serious about you?" Scarlet asked.

Neptune huffed.

"Not even a little!"

Sage and Scarlet both looked over at Sun. Scarlet's face was despairing, while Sage was more obliquely stoic than usual. Sun sighed.

"He's my best friend, but he really doesn't know how to use his cool the right way."

"Hey!" Neptune growled.

"I blame you for why he's like this," Scarlet stated.

"HEY!" Neptune yelped.

Sun scowled.

"You were the one who helped with his wardrobe and convinced him to dye his hair. I blame you for his douchery!"

"Please," Scarlet scoffed,"You can't blame me when you have-!"

"Peace, you two," Sage advised, "Let's just be there for him when he crashes and burns."

Scarlet nodded.

"Yes, so we can mock him."

"And maybe fix him," Sun chuckled.

"Before Winter or Weiss 'fix' him," Sage deadpanned.

"Screw you guys!" Neptune growled, as his friends laughed. Well, Sun and Scarlet laughed, Sage just kind of smirked. "And I wouldn't be talking, Sun!"

Sun gestured to himself with both hands.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're simping over your princess, bro," Neptune stated, "Just ask her out!"

"I'm not simping over her," Sun stated smoothly, as he sipped his drink, "Mm, banana. I'm texting back and forth with her because she's my responsibility! And we're friends!"

"Uh huh," Scarlet deadpanned.

"Seriously though man, just ask Blake out," Neptune stated, "Maybe you'll stop ragging on my romance if you have your own!"

Sun rolled his eyes.

"Even if I was interested… Not saying that I am!" He said quickly. "She's literally a princess, dude. You gotta do things properly."

"In that case, you had best hurry," Neptune snarked, "Or that Arc guy will add her to his harem!"

Sun rolled his eyes again. He was doing that a lot when it came to Neptune.

"What, the guy who looks like he's gone through a war? That hardcore guy? Come on, he's not some kind of playboy!"

"He literally got three girls to ask him on dates all at once!" Neptune growled. "That guy is a menace!"

"You did notice how hard it was for him to do that, correct?" Sage asked. "He clearly has had a difficult past-"

"That's like catnip to girls like Blake!" Neptune argued.

Sun raised an eyebrow, and Neptune grumbled. Scarlet interjected.

"I think he means that Arc is the noble and dark type. He pushes women away because he doesn't want to burden anyone with his inner demons. That's catnip to girls."

"He also tried to selflessly sacrifice himself for all of us," Sage added, "That tends to stick in a girl's mind."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean he'd know how to do anything about it! Besides, he's got Pyrrha Nikos," Sun said, perhaps coming off a bit defensively, "That hot blonde chick, and that cute smaller girl! He's got his hands full!"

Sun smirked and patted his stomach.

"Besides… I have abs!"

"And yet," Neptune pointed out, "Who is she spending her semester break with?"

Sun checked his scroll.

"... She's working at a cafe with Jaune," Sun read dully. At the smirks from his friends he scowled.

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"Honestly, I think you're better off letting her join Arc's harem," Scarlet said, "The girl is insane."

"She is not!" Sun protested. "I mean… Okay, so she's obsessive and has her issues, but who doesn't?"

Scarlet groaned and held his forehead.

"Oh Gods... You're going to try to fix her. You're in full broken bird syndrome."

"I don't want to fix her! I just want to help her!" Sun insisted. "And I'm not simping over her! See? Here I am, with my friends-who happen to be assholes-and not simping over her!"

Neptune laughed mockingly.

"Yeah buddy, sure, we totally believe you!"

"She led us into a trap against terrorists, bro," Scarlet said, "And she still thinks the White Fang can be reformed or something."

"And I got a look at her reading history," Sage deadpanned. "You know not what I have seen."

Sage's eyes were haunted. Sun snorted.

"You get flustered over holding hands with your girl!"

"Because still waters run deep," Sage stated, "In Blake's case, there are some very scary monsters in those deep waters."

"I can handle it! If I'm into her… Which I'm not saying I am," Sun went on. He glared back at the smug looks on his friends' faces. "Knock it off!"

"Give it up, Sage, there's no convincing him," Neptune said, "Sun has always had trash taste."

"Hey!" Sun protested.

"I suppose that would explain why you're his best friend," Sage deadpanned. Neptune sputtered.

"HEY!!!"

"Assholes, all of you," Sun grumbled, sipping his drink. He checked his Scroll again: Blake had just texted him.

"And what does the girl you're totally not simping over want now?" Scarlet asked.

"For your information," Sun stated, "She wants my help with Jaune's romantic life! Not that she wants to join him," he clarified, glaring at the smug Neptune, "But wants me to help him with it."

"Oh? And how would you be helping him?" Neptune mocked.

Sun smirked.

"Harem ending."

Neptune choked on his drink.

"WHAT?!"

"I take it back," Sage said, "She might not be all that bad."

"Especially if she makes Neptune have a stroke," Scarlet snickered. "It'll be more merciful than what Weiss or Winter will do to him."

"You're all just so fucking hilarious!" Neptune growled.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

It was great being back in Vale with her friends! The last week with her dad had been so heavy, she'd been begging for some kind of relief.

Not that she hated learning about her mother and spending time with her father. It… It really was nice to reconnect with her, in a way.

Even with the entire 'fate of the world' and 'being hunted for your eyes' thing.

Geez… She really needed to talk to someone about this.

But I have to trust them completely, Ruby thought to herself, even as she tore into her omelet, I have to be careful. I'd be in danger, but… So would they.

It was a sobering thought, and her earlier good cheer faded away.

"You okay, Rubes?" Yang asked, looking over at her sister curiously.

Ruby glanced up, and then put her eyes back on her plate.

"I'm… I'm fine," she murmured. "Just, uh… A little tired."

The moment she'd gotten Nora's text, she had rushed for the ferry back to Vale. And maybe abused her Semblance a lot. So she wasn't lying, exactly.

Even Pyrrha shot her a concerned look.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly. Ruby glanced between her concerned sister and concerned… Friend? Mentor? Rival?

She needed a break.

"H-Hang on, I need to use the bathroom," she said. She scooted out of the booth, and made her way towards the restrooms.

She rounded the corner underneath the wooden signs that denoted "Men" and "Women", and nearly ran into Jaune coming out of the men's room.

"Ooh! Oh, J-Jaune!"

"Hey Ruby," Jaune said with a smile, "Sorry I haven't been around your table a lot. Been hard at work."

Ruby nodded quickly. He then frowned.

"You okay? I didn't get a good look before, sorry, but you look… Tired."

Ruby smiled awkwardly.

"I'm just… I've been…"

How did she even begin? Where did she begin? If she couldn't tell Yang, how could she tell Jaune?

"It's… Complicated," she mumbled. Jaune sighed, and took her hand. Her cheeks went bright red.

"Ah, Jaune, I-! Your job-?"

"I'm on break," he said, leading her out the back door, past knicknacks and tables, through the kitchen where Ren busily worked (she gave him a smile and he nodded back to her, finally into a cramped but fairly clean backyard.

Jaune turned around and smiled at the little reaper.

"Besides, more people come for Nora and Blake in their maid outfits."

"I-I bet you'd be great in a maid outfit!" Ruby blurted out. Jaune stared back at her, and she flushed deeply.

"I-I mean… I think you would…" She mumbled.

Jaune sighed, and scratched the back of his head. He then pulled out his Scroll, opened it, and flipped through some apps before he turned it to her.

Ruby's eyes lit up, and she held her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at the image.

"Is that… You?! In a dress and pigtails?!"

"Yup," Jaune said, popping the 'p', as he showed off the ancient picture, "I was like, four, and my sisters are evil, evil people."

Ruby giggled. She giggled hard, bending over as it turned into a laugh.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! Y-You just… You keep that on your Scroll?!" She managed.

Jaune coughed.

"They… They sent me it," he said. He shrugged as he closed it back up. "Came in handy, right?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah," Ruby snickered. She looked up at him with a bright smile. "Thanks. That… That helps a lot. I feel so much better."

Jaune smiled back warmly.

"I'm glad. So… What's bugging you?"

Ruby, startled, looked up at him.

"Is… Is it that obvious?"

He grinned and shrugged.

"What? We're friends. I can tell something's bothering you."

Ruby frowned, and looked aside.

"It… Well…"

All of this was so new. So scary, so heavy.

How did she start this conversation with any of her friends? 'Hey, turns out I have magical superpowered eyes that make me a target and might get my friends killed because the fate of the world might be on my shoulders!'

Even Ruby knew that wouldn't go over well with anyone.

Jaune frowned.

"Is it the date?" He asked.

Ruby shook her head rapidly.

"N-No! No! Not at all!"

"Because if you don't want to do it, we don't have to," Jaune said gently. He chuckled. "I mean, if you wanted us to go out as friends, you just had to ask. You don't have to compete or anything-"

Ruby scowled.

"Why?" She asked. "What's wrong with me wanting to go on a date with you?"

Jaune blinked. He shrugged uneasily.

"I-I mean… There's a lot of better guys-"

"You saved my life, Jaune," Ruby stated, "You read comics and play video games with me! You bake cookies with me!"

"I haven't done a lot of that with you lately," Jaune tried joking, but Ruby was unmoved. He shook his head. "I guess… I mean, I'm not-I'm not disrespecting your feelings or anything, really."

Ruby's frown deepened.

"Is it because you don't like me?"

"No! Of course it's not that!" Jaune protested. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I like you, Ruby. I care about you, a lot. I care about all of you! Which is the problem. I just… How am I supposed to handle three girls wanting to go on dates with me all at once?"

Ruby shook her head, and shrugged helplessly.

"I-I don't… I don't know! This is the first time I-I've wanted to go on dates! That I've been interested in a boy! I-I just…" She shook her head.

"I just know that… That I want to date you. Okay? I-I trust you and like you and…" She shrugged helplessly.

"Isn't… Isn't that enough?"

Jaune stared at her. He walked up and hugged her tightly. She returned it.

"Yeah," Jaune murmured, "Yeah, it… It should be. There's just a lot about me that… That I don't know you'll like when you learn it."

He rested his chin on her head. She pouted up at him despite it.

"Well… You might not like parts of me, either," she said, "Isn't that what dating is about? Finding that stuff out? Maybe… Maybe Pyrrha and Yang won't like parts of you either. We-We'll still be friends, right?"

Jaune nodded.

"Absolutely," he said softly. Ruby beamed.

"Then… Then maybe we shouldn't overthink it?" She asked. "I-I mean… I know it can get complicated. It might get really complicated. I-I don't know anything about it and… And uh…" She trailed off, looking away in embarrassment. Jaune rubbed her back.

"Or maybe it'll work out great," he said. She glanced up at him in shock.

"You… You're being positive?" She asked.

Jaune blinked.

"Is it really that weird?"

"A-A little, yeah," Ruby said with a nod, "Usually you're kind of a grump. I mean, a nice grump but still a grump. I mean, I like you being a grump but this is… New."

"I'm… I've been talking some stuff out," Jaune admitted, "With some people. It's helped a lot."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, "I uh… I've done some talking about stuff, too. It helped."

She smiled at him.

"There's… I mean, there's stuff I want to talk about but can't and… Yeah. Kind of the same thing with you, I-I think? Maybe?"

Jaune slowly nodded.

"Maybe."

"Maybe stuff… We could talk about on our date?" She asked sweetly. Jaune sighed softly.

"Maybe. It might be a bit of a bummer."

"My stuff too," Ruby admitted, "But… I'm glad we can talk about it."

"Just please don't kill your sister or Pyrrha over me," Jaune said, a small smile on his face, "I'm definitely not worth it."

"The best way to do that is to make us all your girlfriends," Ruby said. Jaune blanched. "At least, that's how it works in Blake's Mistralian comics-"

"Ruby!" Jaune hissed. Ruby giggled. He sighed and shook his head.

"I thought you were so innocent."

"So does everyone," Ruby snickered, "It can come in handy sometimes."

Jaune sighed and shook his head. He ruffled her hair, which she pouted at.

"Gonna have to keep a closer eye on what you read, before Yang kicks Blake's ass."

"Nngh, stop doing that," Ruby grumbled, pushing his hand away. "I'm not a kid, you know."

"Okay, so what should I do instead?" Jaune asked. Ruby flushed and looked aside, tapping her fingers together.

"You… I mean… Yang and Pyrrha… Um… They kissed you," she mumbled. "Can't you… You know… K-Kiss me?"

Jaune stared at her. He leaned forward, slowly. Ruby's cheeks went bright red. She closed her eyes, puckered her lips…

His lips pressed against her forehead. Her eyes shot open as Jaune pulled away with a smile.

"I… I meant on the lips, you jerk!" Ruby stuttered.

"Maybe after you turn sixteen," Jaune said with a smile, and a gentle bonk to the top of her head. Ruby whined.

"Awww…!"

"But don't worry," Jaune said, patting her head, "I'm planning it out. I'll make it great for you. I promise."

Ruby pouted a bit, but her mood was much improved.

"You'd better."

"Ahem."

Both Jaune and Ruby jumped. Goldie stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Your sis and the redhead are done with their food and paying the check," she said, "They want to say goodbye to their harem lord and take their little squirt with them."

"They're not my harem," Jaune sighed, as Ruby giggled.

"After that you're bussing their table, Kid," Goldie smirked. "And you'd better keep attracting them! They tipped well!"

"Yes ma'am," Jaune sighed. Ruby took his hand and snuck a kiss to his cheek.

"Come on Jaune," Ruby said cheerfully, "Time to say goodbye to your harem~!"

"You're so unfunny!"

Ruby giggled again as Jaune led her up and out. Yang and Pyrrha were a little testy with her for holding Jaune's hand, but it made her feel good. They both got in kisses goodbye with him-Yang taking longer, and Pyrrha then wanted another kiss, but Goldie then forced them all out.

Jaune looked like he was going to protest, but a glare from Goldie and he just gave them an apologetic expression.

Ruby blew him a kiss, and beamed at Yang and Pyrrha.

"Want to go play video games?" She asked.

Pyrrha blinked.

"I… I actually haven't been able to do that a lot," Pyrrha admitted, "It was fun at Beacon."

"Then let's go game!" Ruby cheered. "To the arcade!"

"Oh, what the hell," Yang chuckled.

"Plus, Jaune likes it when we get along," Ruby said cheerfully.

Pyrrha sucked in a deep breath, and flushed. Yang blushed as well.

"Did you get that from one of Blake's books?" Yang asked, suspiciously. Ruby beamed and shook her head.

"Of course not!" She said, just as cheerfully.

She did glance back at Blake who was smiling at her through the windows as well, and waved. Blake waved back… And winked.

It was nice she had Blake to give her advice on these things, Ruby reflected, as she dragged Pyrrha and her sister off to have some fun!

- - -

Jaune gave Blake a suspicious look.

"Did you just wink at Ruby?"

"No," Blake stated calmly. "Now, go bus the tables. Then? We will be working on your dates with your harem."

"They're not my harem," Jaune said wearily.

"Not yet!" Nora said brightly. Jaune scowled at her.

"REN!"

"On it," Ren said, bonking Nora on the head.

"Owwww!"

Blake wisely held her tongue, but couldn't keep a small smile off her face.

- - -

Almost done with the semester break...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Beacon had started as the Beacon Castle for the Warrior King of Vale, several centuries back. The original architecture had been nearly all replaced, built over with the current egg-shaped exterior tower that rose up high into the sky, but some remnants of the castle and the city that once surrounded it could be found all over the grounds, from the palatial gardens and fountains that had once hosted parties and battles for the sake of Vale, to the many ruins covered in vines and grass that littered the training areas of the Emerald Forest.

While the school was closed for the semester break, Ozpin would take meetings out in the gardens. This was his favorite: The Bastinda Memorial Gardens. It was framed in white columns and arches without a roof, with long rectangular pools drawn down the center of the white tiles like morse code. White stone tables, stools and benches were artfully arranged, and flowers bloomed everywhere.

Bastinda had been a wonderful wife to his warrior king incarnation: Patient, kind, loving, and understanding. She had struggled with Ozma taking over her husband, but had stayed with him through it all. Despite the pain and loss she felt every day, as Ozma became more dominant than the love of her life. She had made Ozma feel guilty over his curse, as few ever had. She had seldom raised her voice, only taking the pain inside and being supportive, but also challenging him.

She had reminded him of Salem, before she fell. What she could have become, if they could have been happy together.

Thus, after her death, he had ensured all of his incarnations kept this garden in her memory, with her favorite flowers, Galucium, or the horned poppies. They came in yellow and red, bringing a splash of color to the usually austere garden fountains and statues.

They were also toxic, which had the benefit of keeping most garden pests away.

A pity it does not work on politicians, Ozpin lamented, as he sipped his coffee and looked over at his mealtime companion: One Rufus Winchesterm Councilman of Vale. He was a tall man dressed in a burgundy suit, with a bright red tie over his white undershirt. His waistcoat was black, and stretched slightly from his belly growing only a bit larger than his still formidable muscles. His dark red hair was receding, with stripes of white running over his temples, but his most distinctive features were his handlebar mustache, his keen, gray eyes, and the red of his cheeks as he ranted.

"It's completely ridiculous, Ozpin! On the face of it, no matter how you look at it!"

The tall, beefy man waved his hands animatedly, as though trying to grasp the concepts he was yelling about.

"These Grimm attacks, the White Fang raids, the Dust shortage-All of these are higher priorities than this nonsense being pushed by Glocken! Why are we worrying about unionization and discrimination when some kind of horrible invasion might be at our doorstep?! It's completely idiotic!"

"Calm yourself Rufus," Ozpin said, as Rufus rose to his feet and began to pace.

"Bad enough the Vytal Festival is upon us-These endless raids are overwhelming the local militias and police! Even the Valean Rangers aren't able to keep up!" Rufus wagged his finger in the air. "They're packing military grade equipment and we can't figure out how! It's getting dangerous out there, Ozpin! We can't just ignore all this in favor of some media crusade against discrimination or leave it all to an overstretched Atlas! That bloody Glocken is playing to the crowd while the country burns!"

He turned to Ozpin and shook his fist.

"As stunning as it may sound to you, Ozpin, I don't enjoy seeing people get killed!" He snarled. "We need to take action, NOW!"

He slammed his fist on the table, nearly upsetting the plate of cookies and coffee pot. Ozpin steadied the table, and scowled up at Rufus. Rufus coughed, and pulled his hand back.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, "It's hard not to see those young men and women coming back in body bags, and think about my son or daughter being the next victims."

He scowled.

"You might think I'm just manipulating you, Ozpin, and damnit, maybe I am! But I do actually give a damn about our people and I want you to give a damn with me!"

"I agree," Ozpin said.

"I know you've got a hundred arguments about why we need to pass this bill to get what's needed," Rufus continued, as though he had not heard Ozpin at all, "I know damnit, that's how politics works! We all have a share and we all need to work together to get it! Of course I know that's how the game is played! But we all have a common interest in not dying! I know you think I'm some kind of blowhard-"

"I don't, actually," Ozpin said, and Rufus kept going.

"-but I'm a blowhard with a point and we need to get my proposal passed, damnit! What do you say?"

Ozpin stared at him for a long moment.

"I agree with everything you're saying, Rufus," Ozpin said.

Rufus blinked a few times.

"I… What?"

"I agree," Ozpin said with a nod. "Would you care to sit down, Rufus? Or would you like to ignore me in favor of another rant? I don't know about you, but I am a busy man."

Rufus looked caught between a scowl and laughter, before he sat down.

"You could have stopped me a bit sooner," Rufus muttered.

"It would have taken more effort than I was prepared to exert," Ozpin said, still amused, "Besides, you were on a roll."

"Then… You do believe in re-establishing the Valean Defense Force?" Rufus asked, hopefuly.

"I do," Ozpin said.

Winchester chuckled. He shook his head.

"Forgive me. It's… A surprise. I know we have rarely seen eye to eye, Ozpin."

"True," Ozpin agreed with a nod and sip of his coffee, "But it has only been out of principle. Which is something I appreciate."

"Is that so?"

"I would rather an enemy who opposes me out of a genuine belief that I am wrong, than sycophants who will say yes to everything I say. It is... Refreshing, after a fashion."

"I would take that as a compliment but I feel that it would also be an insult," Rufus muttered. Ozpin chuckled.

"Take it as you like. I do agree we have become far too reliant upon Atlas-All of us have."

"We won the war and they became our mercenaries," Rufus snorted, "Sometimes I wonder if they were the true winners. Our militias just can't handle this rise in activity and Atlas has too many commitments as it is!"

"That said," Ozpin interjected, "Atlas' reaction to a military build up might be problematic. Another Great War is in no one's interests."

Rufus nodded.

"If we must, we can buy from them to get our army started, until our domestic production is able to meet demand. They will probably try to drag it out, make us reliant on them as long as possible."

Ozpin nodded back.

"Indeed. But those are growing pains in a necessary process."

"Mm," Rufus said, eying the cookies and coffee. He finally took some coffee from the pot into a mug, and prepared it with the barest hint of sugar and cream before he imbibed.

"Ah… South Vacouan, very nice."

"My preferred brand," Ozpin said, "I can support this... If you will support the Faunus Rights bill being considered."

Rufus looked up from his coffee, and scowled over it.

"I can't do that, Ozpin. Not how it's written."

Ozpin sighed.

"Rufus, it is this stubbornness that makes the media paint you as a racist."

"They'd paint me that anyway if it got their darlings more power," Rufus sneered, "Look, we don't want to end up like Mistral, do we? Every single effort at 'equality' has been used to split up the various factions and ethnic groups even more, pitting them against one another to seize more and more for the ruling elite! That has resulted in a country that looks more like dozens of smaller, constantly feuding countries! Do we want that here, too? Faunus and men are equal. The law must reflect that."

Ozpin was silent for a moment, considering things, before he answered.

"... I agree there are issues there. But with the White Fang activity, the Council wishes to convince the Faunus that we are not the enemy."

"And pandering to them has always brought the greatest results? We need a bill, that's not just about Faunus but for all living beings, we need a Universal Civil Rights Bill. That is something I could support, but not what will effectively create a caste system that will breed resentment and hatred! The very things the Grimm feed upon!"

Rufus drank his coffee, and ate a few pastries. He wiped his mustache clean with a napkin as Ozpin silently thought things over.

At last, the Beacon Headmaster let out a long sigh.

"... I can use up a favor to get it sent back to committee, and keep it there until next year. But this issue is not going to go away, Rufus."

Rufus smiled slightly. It was a rare thing to see, but then, the stubborn man rarely gave an inch on anything.

"I never said it would... But we need better ways to approach it. Not unless we're going to end up fighting eachother as much as the Grimm. Still... A favor?"

"I will make noises about how we are putting militarism over domestic civil rights... As I must." Ozpin sipped his coffee. "In return... You have the contract for the city's defense systems, correct?"

"Yes, Winchester Arms does handle that. They're mostly Atlas-based systems but we build them domestically with our own code."

Ozpin leaned in.

"How sure are you of their preparedness?"

Rufus frowned in some concern and confusion.

"Very sure."

Ozpin nodded.

"Good. I want to know as much about the city's defenses as possible. Every weak point, every gap, anything that can be exploited."

The Winchester patriarch's frown deepened, drawing lines in his forehead.

"May I ask why?"

"Not right now."

"... Is this related to the Grimm migrations?"

Ozpin kept his body language and facial expressions perfectly neutral. He had more than enough practice at it, after all.

"They might be. Let's just say, I want every option available for now. If I'm wrong? Then at least I better know how the city is defended."

"If you're right?" Rufus pressed.

Ozpin met his urgent gaze with one of cold detachment.

"... Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said. "Also, you must rein in your efforts to go behind the Council's back."

Rufus coughed, and looked to the side.

"I… Don't know what you're talking about-"

"The riders attached to Bills 204.4, 204.5, 205.5, 207.8," Ozpin recited, "All meant to invoke Articles 9 and 11 for the creation and provisioning of militias and issuance of letters of marque."

Ozpin arched his eyebrow at the slightly uncomfortable looking Councilman.

"It is fortunate indeed that no one read through those Articles of the constitution for those riders because they were attached to farming bills," Ozpin said dryly, "And that the budgets for such things have not been touched since the Great War due to interlocking amendments to keep the government solvent. Otherwise they might have said you were raising your own army."

Rufus sighed, and looked Ozpin in the eye as a few birds tittered nearby.

"Even if the VDF bill passes, it will still take time to get it up and running," he said, "We need military forces yesterday. It's not like I just started tossing out Letters of Marque to any idiot air pirate or mercenary company I ran across!"

Ozpin sighed heavily.

"Then who did you give these letters to?"

"The Merry Men Convoy, the Ali Baba Company," and here Rufus did manage a slight smile, "And the Jolly Roger Pirates."

Ozpin stared at Rufus in disbelief.

"What? They're mercenaries at worst!" Rufus protested. "They never go after individual towns! They follow rules of engagement!"

Ozpin sighed and pushed up his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I am well aware of that, Rufus… But did you have to choose companies that are so very… Eccentric?"

Rufus sipped his coffee and snorted.

"I wouldn't be talking about eccentric companions if I were you, Ozpin."

Ozpin met his stare evenly and finished his coffee before he reached out to pour himself more.

"... Touché, Rufus. Touché. You, however, are taking responsibility for the headaches they cause."

"I knew what I was signing up for," Rufus shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, bird song filling the air and attempting to lift the suddenly awkward atmosphere.

"So… How is my son doing?"

"Very well," Ozpin said, "He had some issues at the start, but he has evened out. I believe his new girlfriend is helping with that."

Rufus raised his faded eyebrows.

"Girlfriend, you say?"

Ozpin held back a smirk.

"Yes. You can ask him all about it at dinner."

He had to take his victories where he could, after all.

- - -

Bastinda is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West in the Russian version of "The Wizard of Oz". Hence why her favorite flower is a poppy.

"Rufus" means "Redhaired", a fitting name for Cardin Winchester's father.

And you can guess the references in the PMCs that Winchester has hired. We will meet one in the next chapter which will finish up the Semester Break Arc.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Sparring with Pyrrha, even when she was being as careful and low level as possible, was always a challenge. The woman was a beast, no question. It felt like it took everything Jaune had just to keep up with her, and she wasn't even trying.

But it gave him a goal. To be that good, or at least close to it, some day.

Just so he could fight alongside her properly, and give her some real support.

Three four six... Six two three...!

"Don't think about the positions, just move!" Pyrrha coached, her blade clashing with his, "Without thought! Don't hesitate!"

Jaune tried to parry her next blow and knock it out of her hand, but she saw his attempt and with a flick, tried to do the same. He twisted his arm too late and Crocea Mors flew out of his right hand.

Her blade danced as she thrust right for his chest. He pulled up his gauntlet instinctively to deflect... And three sharp, backwards-angled blades slid out of his gauntlet.

"What the-?!"

Pyrrha too was surprised as Milo slid in between two of the blades. In her shock and with his arm waving... Her sword came out of her hand and tumbled to the floor.

"URK!"

Her fist, out of instinct, traveled the rest of the way to hit Jaune right in his solar plexus and down he went.

"AH! JAUNE! I'M SORRY!"

- - -

Weiss was doing some studying in the common room when the door slammed open. A very unhappy Jaune stormed in, wearing his full armor. Pyrrha wandered in after, looking sheepish.

"Arc."

"Schnee. Do you know anything about..."

He held up his gauntlets and the blades snapped out on either side.

"These?!"

Weiss blinked.

"Yes? They're traditional Atlesian gauntlet blades. They're designed to help you parry or entrap an opponent's blades, or get a grip if you slip on an ice sheet. I thought you might like them."

"I..." Jaune looked over at the still sheepish Pyrrha, before looking back at Weiss. "I appreciate them. Really. Just would have been nice knowing I had them."

Weiss scoffed.

"What, you didn't look up anything on the upgrades I bought you? You didn't ask Schwartz?"

"I didn't know I had them!" Jaune said, exasperated. "They didn't activate until today!"

Weiss blinked.

"Really? I thought you would have lost your sword again before now. I suppose you're making progress, of a sort."

Jaune glared at her before he turned and headed for Team RWBY's dorm.

"I'm breaking Myrtenaster with these things."

"OH NO YOU'RE NOT!"

- - -

Yes they are basically like Batman's gauntlets.

In this case it is a shout out but it does actually fit with the universe and the gift Weiss made of the armor upgrades to Jaune. And they will come in... Handy?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Weiss had just settled in for the night, practically dancing on the air as she laid down into her comfortable bed in the Chateau D'Aulnoy. Her thoughts were light and happy, as she sighed and snuggled into her sheets.

A week. A week of romance with her first boyfriend, Neptune! He'd been such a gentleman! He had gone swimming with her, explored the cliffs, toured the city, and they'd had so many meals! He'd been endlessly warm and polite and complimentary! He had held her hand, and kissed it, and been so gallant and kind!

He had often seemed distracted at times, which had been a bit annoying. Especially around other women. She'd worked hard to keep his attention on her.

She should have been the center of his attention in all ways! Who did he think he was?

Though honestly, he was probably intimidated by Winter. Winter had followed them around, never overbearing but always around. She supposed she couldn't blame him. Winter intimidated her.

She appreciated her older sister's concern but really! She could handle herself!

Otherwise, it was a lot of fun. It was probably the most fun she'd had in a long, long time.

Even with Winter's overly protective tendencies.

Weiss was just about to drift off to sleep, hopefully with dreams of her wonderful first boyfriend… When the peace of the night was shattered by loud music and raucous singing.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me~!"

Weiss groaned and sat up.

"What is going on…?"

She got up out of bed and stalked to the window. She cast open the curtains and glared out.

"Who is making all that… Racket?!"

A gigantic red and gold airship was hovering alongside Ponce, over the beach. It was long and large, at least 200 meters long from Weiss' quick estimation. It had a massive, sleek hull, dagger shaped, with large Dust-powered engines in huge nacelles near the aft with long, trailing wings to aid it in flight. It had intimidating triple gun turrets on the dorsal and ventral sides, with several smaller guns all along the hull. A tall, swept back, fin-shaped mast stood on the top deck, covered in antennas and sensors, which made the entire vessel resemble a gigantic, sky-going shark.

And lit up with lights, a large black flag with a skull and crossbones waved from the mast.

From her studies of history, Weiss recognized it as a Valean Montana-class air battleship, one of the last ever built for Vale. Only one had been finished, but it had been left in drydock for decades before they decided to scrap it. She knew this because the SDC had been contracted to scrap it while her grandfather and her uncle were still in charge.

When they'd come to the drydock though, the battleship had vanished. It had been stolen and christened with a name that would strike fear into hearts across Remnant:

The Jolly Roger.

Smaller airships, mostly commercial or light patrol models, darted around Ponce, all painted in similar red and gold colors. One flew past Weiss' hotel window with a roar, and she shrieked in surprise. Yet even louder than the engines was the singing!

"We kindle and char and enflame and ignite
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
We burn up the city, we're really a fright
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho~!"

Winter burst into the room, already in her battle uniform and wielding her sword.

"Weiss! Get dressed, get your weapon, they're pirates!" Winter cried.

Weiss complied, yanking on her combat outfit and taking up Myrtenaster. She grabbed any stock of Dust she had on hand and got ready in a few minutes. Outside, numerous pirates were spilling out of Dustcraft, into shops, bars and across the Ponce boulevard.

Winter and Weiss leaped out the window and landed on the main thoroughfare of Ponce, just as one of the many dust craft landed before them: An Atlesian gunship, painted in red and black stripes. Several other dust craft flew around them, spotlights illuminating the two Schnee sisters. Weiss held up her hand and scowled against the brightness, even as Winter stood firm.

The hatch on the gunship opened, and several air pirates ran out. All dressed in combat armor vests, boots, with guns and swords at their sides over their multicolored clothing. They formed an honor guard around the ramp of the gunship, and stood at attention as a man stepped out.

He was tall-Almost seven feet tall. His hair was black and curly, tied in a tail behind him. His face was almost aristocratic with his high cheekbones and pointed chin, with an immaculately tended beard to frame his face. His eyes were black as the night and swept over the area with a keen gaze.

He wore a broad-brimmed burgundy hat, topped with a black Nevermore feather. His pants were black and his shirt white, underneath a deep red greatcoat, and his boots were well travelled and up to his knees. Pouches hung from his belt, along with a well used cutlass. His left hand was normal flesh, but his right was shiny and metallic, flexing at some unconscious musing.

He stepped out onto the pavement of Ponce, his gaze finally zeroing in on Winter and Weiss. He showed no fear, no malice-Just a hard, unrelenting determination. If the situation were not so dire, Weiss might have called the older man handsome.

"Ladies," the man spoke with a smooth baritone voice, "Captain Jim Silverhand, at your service." He doffed his hat and bowed.

"What does the most infamous Valean air pirate want with a resort town?!" Winter demanded, pointing her sword at him.

"Yeah!" Weiss declared, pointing her own blade at the man.

Captain Silverhand stood back up with an almost charming smile.

"Why… We are here to celebrate!" He cried, holding his arms up, "Isn't that right, lads?!"

"YAR!" Bellowed his crew, from the dust craft to the pirates with him.

"You won't get past us!" Winter snarled.

"But you must," Silverhand chuckled. "For if you don't, the consequences will be most… Dire."

The pirates with him tensed, their hands on their weapons. Winter shifted into her combat position, as did Weiss.

"Weiss, I'll hold them off. You run and raise the alarm," Winter muttered to her younger sister.

Weiss stared in shock.

"Sister?"

"I'll handle this, you need to-!"

"Dad?!"

The tension was broken as both parties turned to look over at Team SSSN. Scarlet was staring in shock and disbelief, as Sun, Neptune, and Sage stood ready with their weapons.

Silverhand's expression abruptly changed from shock… To joy.

The pirate captain moved, and Winter made to strike to protect the young man. Silverhook however moved too fast for her reflexes, and in an instant, he was…

Embracing the redheaded teenager?

"SCARLET! MY SON! How are you?" Silverhand laughed, patting the shorter man on the back, "Look at you! Are you eating enough, son? Are these reprobates taking care of you?"

"Uh, yeah, Captain Silverhand, sir," Neptune managed, as dumbfounded as anyone not a pirate or Scarlet. "We are.

"Totally," Sun said, raising an eyebrow. Sage looked almost amused.

"Son…?" Weiss managed.

Scarlet pushed Silverhand away with a scowl.

"I'm fine, Dad! Seriously, what the hell is going on?! Why are you all flying around and making a ruckus?! You're scaring everyone to death!"

Silverhand looked a bit embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I wanted to find you and celebrate the good news!" He looked over his shoulder. "SMIEGEL!"

A shorter man in battle vest over a blue and white striped shirt darted out from behind the taller pirates. His hair was white, his blue eyes magnified behind spectacles, and he carried a Scroll rather than a weapon.

"Yes sir, Captain!" Smiegel cried, skidding to a halt in front of Scarlet and his captain, "Young Master Scarlet, the good news!"

He held up his Scroll and projected a large legal form. Winter and Weiss read it quickly, Winter finishing first with a disbelieving scowl.

"'Letter of Marque, issued by the Valean Government?!'"

"That is correct," Silverhand said cheerfully, "My fleet have gone legit! We are now part of the Valean Defense Forces… Such as they are!"

"You and your gang of ruffians?!" Weiss cried in disbelief. Silverhand grinned.

"Absolutely! We've all received a blanket pardon, and can now go about as lawful citizens!"

"Let me see that!" Winter demanded, looking over the Letter of Marque with a scowl. Smiegel looked over at Silverhand, who then nodded.

"But of course! Miss Schnee, Miss Schnee, you will find the documentation authentic, and my crew's behavior beyond reproach!"

A pirate was thrown out of a nearby bar. The man snarled, stood up, and pulled out his gun.

"I'll teach you to-!"

"HAWKINS!" Silverhand barked. Hawkins winced and looked over to Silverhook.

"Captain, I-I was just-!"

"We shall comport ourselves as gentlemen, Mister Hawkings!" Silverhand barked, "Or I'll keelhaul you!"

Hawkins shook and saluted.

"Aye-aye, sir!"

Silverhand smirked over at Winter, who scowled angrily back.

"As you can see, Miss Schnee, unless we are violating any laws, we cannot be impeded-Certainly not by a foreign agent."

"You… You're violating airspace!" Weiss tried. Silverhand looked over at Smiegel, who checked his Scroll.

"Aye sir, we might be loitering."

"Ugh," Silverhand sighed, "Pay the bloody fine!" He looked back to his son with a bright smile. "So, how are you, my lad?"

"I was better before you dropped in," Scarlet grunted. "Seriously, what is all this?!"

Silverhand sighed and shook his head.

"Right… I knew you'd be upset," he said. He turned to his pirates. "Crew! The song!"

"Aye sir!" His pirates cried. They produced musical instruments, and Silverhand held a tuning pipe to his lips. He blew it, producing an A. He nodded.

"Right, begin men!" Silverhand shouted.

The pirates began to play a jaunty tune, and the lead began to sing.

"It's okay to be gay, let's rejoice with the boys in the gay way
Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way-!"

"NO!" Silverhand bellowed, as Scarlet gaped in utter mortification, "NOT THAT ONE! WE ALREADY DID THAT ONE!"

Smiegel smacked every one of the pirate musicians, who all took the punishment stoically.

Sun and Neptune were coughing suspiciously behind their hands. Sage shook his head. Weiss wondered when this had become her life.

"Right, the other song-"

"I DON'T NEED A SONG!" Scarlet growled. Silverhand stared.

"You used to love singing along with the crew!"

Scarlet swept his hand through his hair, irritated.

"Yeah, when I was eight! Seriously Dad, what the hell?! Why are you doing all this?!"

"I just wanted to celebrate with my beloved son," Silverhand shot back, "Come on, lad! Isn't this what you were so upset about? You went off to be a hunter because you didn't want to be a pirate!"

"I didn't!" Scarlet growled. "So what changed, huh?!"

Silverhand sighed, and doffed his hat again. He pressed it to his chest, as the pirate band began to play somber music.

"Last year, we ran across a lad trying to make his way to Vale to become a Huntsman," he said, "A plucky boy, running away from home, defying his family. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, but he still stuck to it. He was impetuous, and got in constant trouble… But he was a good lad, and earned my respect. Because I realized…"

Silverhand looked over at Scarlet, his face dark with emotion.

"He had become a man. He was no longer a boy. And you must respect a man's choices."

He looked into Scarlet's eyes, somber and serious.

"You had become a man, and I didn't respect your choices," he said softly, "Can you forgive me, Scarlet? Can you forgive your captain, your father, his mistake?"

Scarlet's mouth opened and closed a few times. He coughed and looked aside.

"I… Of course, Dad," Scarlet managed.

Silverhand held out his arms. Scarlet sighed, and stepped up to hug his father. They embraced.

"Awww," the pirates all cooed. Smiegel sniffled and wiped his eyes. Weiss, despite the ridiculousness of the situation, felt a bit touched and jealous of the obvious fatherly love and care the pirate captain was showing his son.

"Brings a tear to the eye," Neptune snarked.

"So wholesome," Sun sighed.

"I am very moved," Sage deadpanned.

"You assholes can shut up!" Scarlet snarled.

Silverhand laughed and patted his son on the shoulder.

"Well! That clear everything up, Miss Schnee?" He asked Winter. He looked over at Weiss. "Miss Schnee?"

Winter sighed heavily.

"If your men cause any trouble, you will answer to me," she growled. Silverhook grinned and nodded.

"Of course, miss, of course. NOW! Let's go drink and sing! DRINK UP, ME HEARTIES, YOHOOOO~!"

They headed off to a nearby bar, along with the rest of the pirates. Winter followed with a scowl. Weiss watched them go. She looked over at Neptune, who was grinning.

"Neptune?"

"Oh! Hey Weiss!" Neptune said. He closed the distance between them and embraced her. "You weren't scared, I hope? I'd have fought all those pirates for you."

Weiss flushed. Sun and Sage both rolled their eyes. Ugh, boys.

"I uh, I'm fine, thank you," she said with a smile. She shook her head. "Honestly? This has just been too… Weird. I kind of want to just… Go to bed."

Neptune waggled his eyebrows.

"Oho? I like forward girls."

Weiss went bright red, and giggled nervously.

"I-I mean… I didn't mean… Well… I mean… We… We might-"

"Weiss!" Winter called. Weiss and Neptune looked back at Winter, who scowled at them.

"We'll be keeping an eye on the pirates tonight. Sun Wukong! Your team too," she stated, glancing at Sun.

Sun sighed, and shrugged.

"As you wish, miss," he said. "Come on men. And Weiss… And Neptune."

"HEY!" Neptune growled, as his two friends headed off after Winter. Weiss chuckled.

"It… It's all right, Neptune," Weiss said with a smile, "I-I'm sure we'll get the chance for you to show your… Manliness, later at Beacon?"

Neptune glanced at her, and put on a charming smile. He took Weiss's hand.

"Of course, Snow Angel. Anything you like."

Her heart fluttered as she followed Neptune along. Even amongst all these raucous, poorly groomed pirates, it was still an amazing time.

Still… She really did look forward to returning to Beacon. It was sure to be much quieter, if nothing else. Even with her ridiculous friends.

- - -

Back in Vale, Cinder Falls looked out onto Vale from the room of the safehouse. It was up in a highrise building, a modern, blocky thing with no personality. She and her teammates were nothing but anonymous boarders among thousands, all populating the great tower like termites in a mound.

She stared out across the great expanse of Vale, the lights of the city forming a starry sky to reflect the work of the gods above. The broken moon shone down upon it.

The great white tower of Beacon shone, as though something divinely crafted. Like it was a symbol of hope.

Cinder sneered, even as her teammates slept peacefully behind her.

"Your false hope will fall, Ozpin," she growled, "And I will show the world the truth. A truth that will burn your world…"

She snapped her fingers, and flames burned in the palm of her hand.

"To ashes."

- - -

Naturally Captain Silverhand and Smiegel are basically Captain Hook and Smee from "Peter Pan". Since Scarlet is a Peter Pan reference, it seemed logical for him to have some pirate (adopted) family.

The Jolly Roger is named a Montana-class air battleship, after the last battleships ever designed for the US Navy, the Montana-class. Montana is named for the Spanish word for "mountain", so it fits into Remnant fairly easily. She is named for Captain Hook's ship from "Peter Pan", and for the Jolly Roger flag typically flown by pirates.

Now all we need is Cardin and Velvet's views of the Semester break, which UnknownAnon has been graciously writing for me!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jolly Roger

Length: 210 meters
Beam: 140 meters
Draft: 78 meters
Displacement: 56,000 tons
Crew: 480
Armament:
-Six 16" Dust Cannons in Two Turrets
-Eight 5" Dust Cannons in Four Turrets
-Four Atlasian Point Defense Dust Autocannons
-Multiple machine guns and small arms
Defenses:
-8" Ablative Armor
-12" Dust Forged Steel Armor
-MistralTron Electronic Jamming System
Powerplant:
-Eight Howe and Pushton Dust Reactors
-Four Valean Electric Turbothrusters
-Dust-Powered Quantum Levitation System
Performance:
-Top Speed: 140 miles per hour
-Range: 15,000 miles

The Jolly Roger is the first, last, and only Montana-class air battleship that was built for the Valean Air Navy. It was under construction during a time when the Great War Treaty was being reconsidered given the Faunus Revolution. It was based on a design from the Great War. It had fairly open architecture to allow it to be easily upgraded, and was focused on a big gun, all-or-nothing armor approach. Her protection was maximized around her engines, command and control, powerplant, and main gun turrets. An extensive fabrication system, based upon Atlasian technology, was put into the vessel to make it as self sufficient as possible. Up to 90 percent of its spare parts could be manufactured by the vessel using local materials.

With the end of the Faunus Revolution, the Montana Air Battleship Project was not immediately canceled but was put under review, as the first vessel was nearly completed. With the expansion of the Great War Treaty to have Atlas take over all military operations for the Four Kingdoms, the project was ultimately canceled and the lone example was to be scrapped without even being given a name. However, an enterprising young air pirate decided to save the ship from her fate.

In a daring raid, Captain James "Jim" Silverhand stole the vessel and named her the Jolly Roger. She has formed the core of his ever growing pirate fleet, her fabrication facilities allowing for him to maintain not only the very large and powerful battleship, but also numerous other vessels (though Jolly Roger herself is the only real warship among them). Over the years, Jolly Roger has been upgraded with more advanced tech and weaponry, including a MistralTron Electronic Jamming System that is military grade and allows the vessel to go undetected by radar despite its large size.

Despite her sustainability in terms of maintenance, Jolly Roger is a considerable Dust hog and so Silverhand's fleet has focused upon raiding Dust shipments to keep her going. Silverhand has also assisted other pirate groups, rogue nations and factions to keep his beloved "Lady" in operation, working as mercenaries and even doing legitimate security work. Said Silverhand, "When I saw her lying there in her dock, about to be scrapped and picked clean without ever feeling the wind underneath her wings, I knew I had to liberate her. Because a ship is freedom, and seeing one in bondage is the most horrific thing imaginable."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

"So," Winter began, as the sisters enjoyed their last day at Ponce at a beachside cafe, "You are still happy with Neptune?"

Weiss sighed, a bit irritated.

"Yes Winter, I am very happy with him."

"And not at all interested in Jaune Arc?" She pressed.

Weiss turned bright red.

"C-Certainly not! That ruffian cuffed me in the back of the head like I was a misbehaving child! He punched me in the face during combat training and alleged I was frigid! He-He enjoys being out in the wild and always goes around as a filthy mess! Ugh! He's such an uncivilized lout!"

Weiss's Scroll pinged, and she scowled. She held up a picture that Ruby had sent her.

"See? My team leader sent me a picture of him living like a-a bohemian! Right in our dorms!"

Winter stared intently at the picture of Jaune Arc, wearing only an apron and boxers, serving breakfast to his appreciative teammates. She slowly sipped her coffee, and daintily wiped her lips with a napkin before she spoke.

"Is he single?"

Weiss gaped at her sister.

"WHAT?!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

The last week of the semester break was busy as hell. When not working at the Just Right Bakey and Café, Jaune, Ren, Nora and Blake trained. Blake and Nora picked up the Aura Strength Enhancement Technique very quickly, and Blake taught Jaune some tricks to get better control over Golden Lion's Roar.

He had ended up blowing up a cabin at the Berdea Coastal Park, but they'd run before the cops could show up.

Their friends had kept visiting, of course. That wasn't too stressful, for the most part. Yang made him laugh easily, Ruby actually shared her comics, and Pyrrha... Well, he was able to bond with her properly. She was really trying.

Right now Pyrrha, Yang, and Ruby were at what had become their usual booth at the café. Jaune had brought them their lunch, and was lingering a bit while Nora and Blake handled the other tables.

Pyrrha had her Scroll out and scowled as she furiously swiped her fingers over the screen.

"I did promotions for games featuring my likeness," she said, "But I had no idea they were so..." She grimaced. "Bad."

"Oh yeah," Ruby said with a nod, "They're mostly knockoffs of God of Strife."

"Though there was that one that was a knockoff of the Dark Paladin: Paradigm City game series," Jaune pointed out, as he poured them more water. Pyrrha looked up at him in shock.

"O-Oh?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "It basically just ported the same combat system and some kind of story where you fight a criminal syndicate? It was really confusing."

Ruby made a face.

"Ugh, yeah, that game. Dark Paladin is way better, really." She turned to Pyrrha with a bright smile.

"Do you have 'Amazon Vision', Pyrrha?" Ruby asked cheerfully, "That lets you see through clothes and walls and stuff?"

"Er, um, n-no," Pyrrha managed, shaking her head, and glancing significantly at Jaune. Jaune smirked a little.

"Good to know," he quipped, as Yang snickered.

"She'd never get anything done," she said. She looked Jaune up and down and licked her lips, "Neither would I~."

Jaune flushed a bit. He cleared his throat.

"That game was still pretty terrible, no offense Pyrrha," he said.

"N-None taken," Pyrrha managed.

Nora passed by behind Jaune with a full platter of food.

"Though your ass looked amazing in that game, Pyr~!" Nora said, sing-song, as she danced by the table. Pyrrha turned bright red, as did Ruby and Jaune. Pyrrha then looked intently at Jaune, a question in her eyes.

"Um... Well...?"

Jaune glanced at Yang. The blonde was grinning. He then looked over at Goldie, who smirked.

He turned back and shook his head.

"What?"

"You know, which ass is better?" Yang teased. "The game or the real version? Which one have you stared at longer?"

"I'm not answering that," Jaune stated flatly.

The door opened and the bell rang. Jaune turned and headed up to meet him with a smile. A tall Faunus man entered, with feral-looking sideburns and muscular, hairy arms. He wore a simple white button-up shirt, over which he wore a black vest with black dress pants.

"Hello Master, welcome to the Just Right Cafe," Jaune said with a bow, "How may I serve you?"

"A table in the back and some coffee," the man said with a pleasant smile. Jaune nodded and led him there. He sat down at the small table, and Jaune quickly grabbed some coffee and a mug and brought it over to him. He poured the coffee, and the man gratefully took it.

He sniffed the coffee and smiled before adding some cream and sugar. He then sipped it.

"Ah... That's the stuff," he sighed, "I'll take the full Big Bear Breakfast meal. Runny eggs, with sausage and Albion muffins and grape jam."

"Right sir," Jaune said cheerfully. He turned... And nearly jumped out of his skin at Blake's sudden appearance. She scowled at the man, her fists tense and her knuckles white.

"Blake?" Jaune muttered.

"Tukson," Blake hissed. The Faunus man looked up at Blake, still sipping his coffee calmly.

"Lady Belladonna," Tukson greeted gently, "I see you also left the White Fang."

Blake scowled. Jaune immediately put a hand on her shoulder, his Aura ready to flare.

"You think that I would believe that?" Blake asked in quiet rage. Tukson continued to sip his coffee, looking unconcerned.

"Really, Your Highness," Tukson said, "If I was here to kill you, would I really just walk in through the door?" He raised an eyebrow at her attire. "Though you dying in that outfit would be a propaganda win for Sienna Khan."

Blake growled, and Jaune held her more tightly. Goldie walked up, scowling.

"Hey, Tukson. You're not tormenting Kitty Princess, are you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tukson said, gently amused, "Why would I do that to such a charming waitress?"

Blake seethed a bit more. Goldie stood between them.

"Be nice, both of you," she stated calmly. She smiled at Blake.

"He left. Perrito helped him," she said softly. "You're safe."

Blake relaxed a bit, but her glare remained. Goldie turned back and glared at Tukson.

"You behave, or I'll have Perrito bring out the eyes!" Goldie hissed.

Tukson grimaced, and nodded quickly.

"Yes ma'am," he said.

Goldie headed off into the kitchen. Jaune looked at Blake.

"You okay?"

"I will be," she murmured, "Go get his food."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Don't poison it too much."

"Of course," Jaune deadpanned. He headed off to the kitchen, to give Ren the line order. He tried to keep his eyes on Blake whenever possible though.

- - -

Blake and Tukson stared each other down. Tukson continued to sip his coffee, his body language a bit tense as he tried to look composed.

"Honestly, I'm flattered you knew me by name," he said.

"You were the treasurer for the Vale branch," Blake stated, "It pays to know who handles the money."

Tukson chuckled tightly.

"Yeah. I think your father said something similar," he said. He looked at her intently. "I'm no threat to you, Princess. I got out of the White Fang. I have no loyalties to them any longer. Just like you, hm?"

Blake continued to scowl.

"I hope so," she said softly. Tukson nodded, and looked off at Goldie.

"Her husband was a frequent target of us in Vale," he said, "For bullying. He married a human and is doing well." He snorted.

"His family demonstrated why this was a bad idea."

Blake nodded slowly.

"I can see why."

"Well... I went myself to see who the hell his guy was," he said. "We sat down and just... Talked." He bowed his head.

"What it boiled down to," he said quietly, "Was that we were trying to destroy the lives of Faunus and humans who were living together, in harmony. The way we had hoped things would work out... In the beginning."

Blake kept her face carefully neutral, even as her emotions again surged behind her eyes. Tukson looked back up to her with a small smile.

"I own a bookstore now," he said, "Up in the Middle City. Decent rent, good neighborhood. It's... It's nice."

"I..." Blake nodded, "I'm glad to hear it."

Jaune finally came back, carrying plates of food. Tukson pulled his arms back from the table, as Jaune set it all down in front of him. The blond butler smiled.

"Your food, sir," he said. Tukson nodded.

"Thank you, young man. You Lady Blake's partner?"

"Er... We're just friends," Jaune said. Tukson smiled.

"Good. We all need friends, especially in these times."

He dug into his food, eating happily, before he pulled out his Scroll and began to peruse it. Jaune beamed.

"Yes sir..." He looked over at Blake. "Blake?"

"Right," Blake murmured. She turned away and got back to work.

"You okay?" Jaune muttered back.

Blake slowly nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah. I..." She looked back at Tukson, before turning back to Jaune, "Yeah. I am... I will be."

Ren walked by, carrying a full platter of food.

"Your harem's getting antsy, Jaune," Ren said.

"Right, I'll get back to them," Jaune said quickly. He then glared after Ren.

"They're not my harem!"

Blake laughed softly.

Maybe she would visit Tukson's bookshop next weekend, after their first week back at the Semester. Things were a bit awkward still. It was better to give it some time. She imagined he didn't like reminders of the White Fang any more than she did.

It was nice that an intrusion from her past life was... Peaceful.

It gave her hope for the future.

- - -

After breakfast, Tukson returned back to his bookstore. It was in the Middle City section, mainly built right after the Great War and right before the Faunus Revolution. The building was a white Garibaldian style, but the storefront was fairly classic commercial style with large windows below the sign displaying "Tukson's Book Trade".

He entered the warm, homey shop with a soft sigh, turning the Closed Sign around to Open. He made his way to the front desk where the register sat, and took his place behind it. He took a last sip of his coffee, which he had brought with him from Just Right.

It was a bit of a trek, but it was worth it for the connection with Goldie and her family. Pity he couldn't see Perrito today, but he would catch up with him next weekend. They were both so busy...

The door bell rang, and Tukson looked up with a smile. Two human teenagers entered: A dark skinned girl with green hair, and a gray-haired teenager in dark blue clothing.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, may I help you?"

The teenaged boy grinned, violence burning in his eyes. The green-haired girl smirked nastily. Tukson grit his teeth, and his claws extended from his fingers.

"You're direct. I like that," the boy said. He swung his legs out at Tukson, and Dust rounds went off!

Tukson dove away as the blasts tore apart the bookshelves behind him. He pulled out his Dust gun and opened up on both of them with an angry growl.

The two teenagers took the hits... And faded away. Tukson's eyes widened.

"Wha-?!"

Pain screamed from his stomach. He looked down and saw a dagger shoved into his belly, held by the green-haired woman. He looked up just in time to see the boy swinging his foot right at his face.

Strangely, his last thoughts drifted back to his old friends. His saviors.

Perrito... I'm sorry I won't make it to our next session...

Then everything went black.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Pyrrha was trying as hard as she could to keep her emotions under control. She was so giddy though-She would be back with her team! Back with her friends!

BACK WITH JAUNE!

No, no. She had gotten a taste of freedom. She'd... She'd binged a little, but thanks to her time with Yang and Ruby, she wasn't going to overreact any more. She was Jaune's friend. Friend.

Yes, just his friend. For now. She would change his mind, she knew she would.

She opened the door to the dormroom with a happy smile.

"I'm back~!" She cried happily. "I'm-!"

Jaune emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a small towel. He was drying off his hair with another as he emerged.

"Haaa... Finally. Freaking shower wouldn't work at Just Right," he muttered. He looked up at Pyrrha with a smile.

"Hey Pyrrha! How's it going?" He asked brightly.

"..."

Jaune coughed.

"Ah. Right. This uh... It's a little awkward. I'll go put on a shirt-"

"DON'T," Pyrrha purred.

"Yeeeeah, I think I'll go get my shirt-"

"I can take mine off if you want?" Pyrrha asked, already pulling her shirt up over her head and toss it aside... Only for Jaune to bonk her.

"Ow!"

"Pyrrha," Jaune sighed, resting his hands on her shoulders, "Come on. We talked about this."

"S-Sorry," Pyrrha murmured. "I can't help but admire your composure! You're able to keep such... Incredible... Control..."

She noticed that Jaune was looking down at her new, dark red, lacy bra. He looked up briefly, his cheeks bright red.

"Hm? Uh, oh, ummmm..."

Pyrrha knew she was beautiful. She knew she was sexy. She knew she was attractive... But knowing that Jaune found her that way too? That hit her harder than any number of admiring gazes or compliments.

"Jaune~," Pyrrha crooned.

"Oh man, I'm going to go get a shirt!" Jaune said quickly, rushing off.

"It's hardly fair for you to go shirtless, is it~" Pyrrha went on. "Shouldn't I get to go shirtless as well~?"

"No! No, we're not doing that!"

"Or around in nothing but towel~? Fair is fair-!"

"CUT THAT OUT!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Yang: "Jaune! You got booze?"

Jaune: "You know it."

Yang: "You gonna share?"

Jaune: "Well, it's less depressing than being drunk alone."

Yang: laughs "Yeah. How do you always find Weiss's shoes to throw up in?"

Jaune: "No idea. None at all."

Yang: "Riiiight... So, know any cocktails?"

Jaune: "What do you want?"

Yang: "Strawberry Sunrise!"

Jaune: "Oh geez. You like the girliest drink on the menu, huh?"

Yang: blush "So what if I do?! Who doesn't want alcohol to taste good?"

Jaune: "It's just very cute. You want it with the little umbrella, too?"

Yang: "I'm gonna punch you!"

Jaune: "All right, all right, hang on..." He mixes it up with supplies in the fridge "And, voila. One Strawberry Sunrise."

He pushes it over to Yang. She drinks it.

Yang: "... Wow... This is amazing!"

Jaune: "Yeah. Aqua, my big sis, worked as a bartender for a while and taught me all sorts of cocktails! And I worked in a few bars coming here."

Yang: sips more "Just... Wow... How do you do it?!"

Jaune: "Well, mine aren't as good as Aqua's. Her Water control Semblance means she can make them perfect every time."

Yang: "Every time...?"

Jaune: "Yeah."

Yang: He cooks. He cleans. He's a badass leader and swordsman. He has the best family ever. He's handsome. He can dance-What the fuck am I waiting for?! I should jump him right now! Retire and have a bushel of his kids! Yes... Yes... Just pounce him and mind break him like in Blake's smut books!

Jaune: "Honestly Yang? I'm just glad to talk with you. I mean, Pyrrha is great, and so is Ruby. Nora and Ren are like family. Weiss is... Weiss, and Blake's pretty cool. But you? I connect best with you. We just... Click. I don't have to worry about anything with you."

Yang: "..." smiles, sighs "Yeah. Same. I mean, you have your moments when you're super intense... But those are pretty hot. And balanced out with how much of a dork you can be."

Jaune: "Hey! I resemble that! But... Thanks for being my friend, Yang."

Yang: "Same, Jaune." For now.

Jaune: "In some ways, you're like my sis-"

Yang: still smiling "Finish that sentence and I'll break your arm."

Jaune: "... Oh... Ohhhh... Uh... You're... Someone's sister?"

Yang: "I sure am! Hahaha!"

Jaune: "Hahaha!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Weiss: "Arc, I want to make things absolutely clear, all right?"

Jaune: "Sure?"

Weiss: "I'm not attracted to you at all. In any shape or form."

Jaune: "Ah. Okay."

Jaune turns to go.

Weiss gets in front of Jaune.

Weiss: "Absolutely clear, I do not lust for your body! You-You're just a scoundrel and a ruffian and I don't care for you at all!"

Jaune: "... Sure thing."

He again turns to walk away... And Weiss gets in front of him.

Weiss: "I mean, I absolutely wouldn't want to marry you! Or-Or do all sorts of nasty, sinful, disgusting things! I wouldn't want your rough hands on my sleek, nubile body! Or-Or you to defile me in many, many depraved and filthy ways!"

Jaune: "... Uh huh."

Weiss: blush "N-Not that I think about those things with you! Not at all! I-I have never once fantasized about you taking me roughly in a manly way, and-and leaving me a wreck!"

Jaune: sighs "Weiss? I do not want to have sex with you either. Okay?"

Weiss: "Wait, why not?! I-I mean, I mean-GOOD!"

Jaune: "Okay!"

He turns away again.

Weiss: "... Are you absolutely sure-?"

Jaune: "YES! Now can I please go, or do you want to deny your attraction to me some more?"

Weiss: "I-I am not denying anything! You're the one who is obviously madly in love with me and after my body!"

Jaune: bright smile "Nope!"

Weiss: "How-HOW COULD YOU NOT BE-?!"

Jaune: "I'm not."

Weiss: "... You don't lust after me even a little?"

Jaune: "Not when you're being like this."

Weiss: "So... How should I act so you'll be attracted to me? J-Just so I know what not to do!"

Jaune: sighs "Can you please go back to being sane and mean?"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Alas, UnknownAnon's been wiped out by work lately. So I helped him out and put together the last section of the Semester Break with him. Where we catch up with Cardin and his family.

- - -

Meanwhile, with Cardin…

- - -

The Winchester estate was a fairly modest one, by the standards of the Council members of Vale. Their ancestral home had been destroyed by a fire prior to the Faunus Revolution. This home had been built in the Cottage and Craft Style, a two story and comfortable home in the center of a grassy green lawn, with a separate garage and training facility. It was here that Cardin Winchester spent most of the days of his semester break.

"Simulation Complete. Combat rating at eighty-one percent efficiency."

Following the automated system's announcement, Cardin dropped his mace and let out a heaving breath before wiping the sweat from his forehead. Standing on the arena across from him, a battered and worn training bot dropped its arms and settled into an idle state as the system began to shut down. The aspiring huntsman grinned proudly to himself, glad to have finally gotten past the eighty point wall he'd been stuck behind for the past few weeks.

Just because he was on a small semester break that didn't mean he could be idle. It had annoyed him that he hadn't been able to break past the seventies against the level-four training bots in Goodwitch's combat class before the end of the semester, but now he'd finally fixed that problem here!

Having a training arena at home was certainly convenient and lucky.

"So this is where you were."

Glancing to the side, Cardin noticed his older sister Argentia standing at the entrance of the Winchester training room with her arms crossed.

"What do you want, sis?" Cardin asked, wondering how long she'd been watching him and if she'd make her own comments on his performance.

"Dinner's ready." The woman answered bluntly before she turned on her heel and left the room. "Don't keep us waiting."

Cardin glanced over at the large digital clock on the other side of the room. His eyebrows went up when he noticed how late it was. It hadn't felt like he'd been training for that long, but it appeared that he'd spent his entire afternoon fighting the training robot.

"Ah, I'll be there in a bit!" Cardin called after his sister before hopping off the training arena and grabbing a towel off of a nearby rack to wipe himself down.

A few minutes and a quick shower later, Carding was rushing through the hallways of the Winchester estate towards the dining room. Upon entering, he found his family was already sitting at the table.

"Sorry!" Cardin said as he hurriedly took a seat.

"No need to apologize." Aurelia assured her son, the Winchester matriarch nodding at her youngest as he sat across from her. "Argentia told us you were in the training hall. It is good that you're keeping yourself tempered even while you're on break."

"I'm not where I want to be." Cardin answered back.

And it was true. In prep school he'd been one of the top students in terms of fighting ability, helped by some of the private instructors his mother had hired along with some friends of his father giving him pointers. However, at Beacon he wasn't one of the standouts.

Even discounting the obvious example that was Pyrrha Nikos, end of semester testing scores had shown that he wasn't one of the outstanding talents Beacon had accepted. He was head and shoulders above the middle of the pack, and above average certainly… but simply being "above average" wasn't enough at Beacon. Not when other first years like Yang, Coco, Ren, or even the small prodigy girl Ruby had combat scores higher than his.

Even Arc had a combat score that settled him on the border of eighty, though he'd trained himself half to death getting there. While he'd only just made it to eighty today.

"Even still, we only have you with us for a few more days. With your father and sister home, we could all spend a day training together before you head back to Beacon." Aurelia offered.

Cardin perked up at that. "That'd be great!"

"That is a good idea, Lia." Rufus said, biting into his steak before scoffing. "Couldn't come at a better time. I've been needing to work off some steam. These talks with the council… feels like the ball is finally starting to roll on addressing Vale's security issues, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating to deal with those idiots."

"You think everyone on the council is an idiot, dear."

"Only most of them!"

"Can attest to that." Argentia added. "I attended that sponsored gala with dad last week. Listening to those old toadies debate was like nails scratching on a chalkboard. Now I know why mom got me that dress. She sent me along with dad so she wouldn't have to go herself."

"That's entirely untrue." Aurelia replied, and even though her expression was stoic the corners of her mouth were twitching. "It was a valuable experience for you, especially since you've taken interest in our company. The people you met there are the types of people you'll have to collaborate with if you choose to join the family business. And you looked beautiful in that dress."

"I think I'd rather go back to the frontier than suffer another experience like that." Argentia drawled, earning a chuckle from Aurelia and a bark of laughter from Rufus.

"We are glad to have you back home. Both of you." Rufus spoke up, setting his utensils down and nodding to both his children. "Argentia has done fantastic work, leading groups of huntsmen to help fight off Grimm that roam the frontier. I've begun to hear your name circulated amongst some of the PMCs and militia groups Winchester Arms works with helping protect the border towns and villages. You're gaining a reputation now, Argent. As a huntsman and as a father, I couldn't be prouder of your accomplishments!"

"Thanks, dad." Argentia said, cheeks pinking a little at his praise.

"And seeing Cardin's scores for this first semester, he's doing quite well for himself. And he's showing drive and motivation that I haven't seen from him in quite some time." Rufus went on. "I'm glad you're taking the initiative without any prompting, Cardin. Just remember to temper yourself. You've still got several years left at Beacon. Trying to rush and blitz through your studies and training will only have a negative impact on you in the long run. Don't be afraid to slow down and recharge your batteries from time to time."

"I know. It's not like I've been training every day." Cardin replied.

He'd taken plenty of time to relax since the break started. He'd overslept, did some online gaming with Sky, hung out at Russel's place a few times, visited a blacksmith shop with Dove the other day to make sure the team's armor and weapons were in good quality before the break ended, and then the whole team had met up to see the latest Grimminator movie.

…And he'd also exchanged plenty of texts with his girlfriend in his down time. But he was keeping that a secret. Him dating a faunus girl… Cardin wasn't ready to drop that bombshell on his family.

"Gotta say though, the best thing about coming home isn't being able to sleep in or not have to worry about homework." Cardin smiled as he cut off a piece of the juicy sirloin on his plate and popped it into his mouth. "It's being able to eat mom's cooking again. Haven't had a meal this good in quite a while."

Not counting the lunches Velvet had started making him, but he wasn't going to bring that up either.

Aurelia smiled at that. "I'd save those compliments for your girlfriend."

His mother's comment made Cardin choke and cough on his steak.

"Cardin's got a girlfriend?" Argentia blinked. "Since when? And why haven't I heard him bragging about it?"

"I was surprised to find out myself." Aurelia said with a light shrug. "Your father mentioned it to me this morning."

"And I'm surprised that I only learned about it when Ozpin mentioned it offhand to me during my meeting with him the other day." Rufus picked up after his wife, turning to his son who was thumping his chest to force the stuck food down his windpipe. "He didn't tell me much, but it is interesting I heard it from him before I heard it from you. When were you planning to tell us about her?"

"Ah, oh, well, y-you know," Cardin coughed, tugging at his collar-Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? "J-Just didn't want to… Make a big deal out of it…"

"Make a big deal out of it?" Rufus laughed, "Ozpin told me you saved her from a Grimm attack! Carried her all the way back to Beacon when she broke her ankle!"

"Oh, how romantic!" Aurelia laughed.

"Heh, little brother's got some moves, who would have guessed?" Argentia asked, grinning and winking at Cardin.

"It-It wasn't like that!" Cardin said quickly. "I-I mean, it was, but she just twisted her ankle-!"

"Don't be so modest, Cardin!" Rufus said encouragingly. He looked over at his wife with a fond smile. "Certainly a better first impression than I made on your mother."

"Well, obviously," Aurelia laughed, "You were a jerk! Cardin clearly learned from me how to properly woo someone."

"I wasn't that big a jerk," Rufus snorted, though he was smiling as he said so.

"So, who is she?" Argentia asked, tilting her head curiously. "Did Headmaster Ozpin say?"

"He didn't," Rufus said, eyeing Cardin. "He seemed almost amused. She is a she, right Cardin?"

"YES!" Cardin screeched. "SHE'S A SHE!"

"Is she pretty?" Rufus asked. Cardin nodded furiously.

"Beautiful! Smart, kind, a great cook-"

He nearly hit himself. He wasn't going to gush over her, he wasn't!

"She's… You know, all right," he mumbled. Argentia smirked, as did his mother. Even his father looked a bit smug.

"Now now, let's not tease him too much," Aurelia said with a soft smile, "Cardin has every right to keep things to himself."

"Really son, there's no reason to act so stressed out," Rufus tutted.

"Unless he's serious about her," Argentia said. "I mean, you are serious about her, right?"

"I…" Cardin thought hard about Velvet. It had only been a few months but honestly? He could say he felt… Deeply for her. The way she smiled, the conversations they had, the comfortable silences… Dealing with Coco's wacky bullshit.

It was all very… Special to him.

"I am, honest," Cardin said with a nod, "I-I'm not some kind of playboy, or anything!"

"Good to hear, son," Rufus said with a smile. "So, when do we get to meet her?"

"Uhhhh…" Cardin tried.

Aurelia tutted.

"Come now, Rufus! He doesn't need to drag her here! We might just scare the poor girl off!"

"I just want to meet her," Rufus huffed.

Cardin sighed in relief.

"You'll get your chance at the Beacon Dance," Aurelia said.

Cardin's eyes widened.

"B-Beacon Dance?" Cardin whispered. Rufus nodded.

"Of course, son. We go every year. I am on the Alumni Association Board, after all," he chuckled. Aurelia reached out and squeezed her husband's hand, a loving look passing between them.

"Oh, it'll be wonderful to see you there," Aurelia said with a smile, "With your girlfriend."

"Can I get some tickets?" Argentia asked with a grin, "I'm gonna want to see this! We'll have the best time ever, won't we Cardin?"

Cardin began to sweat. He very slowly nodded.

"Y-Yeah… The absolute best," he managed.

I am sooo fucked…

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

"Jaune? Jaune! Come down here!"

He'd just finished packing his backpack, making sure Crocea Mors and his armor were strapped securely to it. He'd figure out how to smuggle them out later. He took one last look around at his room. The familiar posters from far off places Aqua and Tangy had sent him, the paintings by Verdy, the models he'd built with Orchid, the bookshelf packed with novels and comics Saphron and Coral had gotten him, the comforter Lilac had knit for him... All of it. One last time.

He headed downstairs, past the walls of photos and pictures of their many, many family members and friends. Right down to the living room. He saw his mother standing there in her usual green dress, her hair up in a ponytail, her glasses on. She glared at him, holding up an envelope as he walked up to her.

"Yeah Mom?"

"Don't you 'yeah Mom' me, what is this?" She demanded, waving the envelope at him. "It's from Beacon! An acceptance letter!"

Juane hid a wince. He had been getting the mail every day to avoid this, but of course the day he got distracted with packing was the day it arrived. "Oh, so I got in?" Jaune asked, trying to sound casual even as his mother began a slow burn.

"How did you get in?!" She demanded. "You were supposed to be studying for the Valean Medical Institute!"

"Yeah, I did," Jaune said with a shrug, not meeting her eyes, "I applied to both. Got accepted by both."

"If VMI accepted you,why in the Gods' name is this letter here?!" Mom demanded, tossing it down onto the coffee table. Jaune tried looking up into her eyes, but could only lock onto her frowning mouth.

"You told me you wanted me to get into VMI. I did that," he said carefully, "But I want... I-I'm going to go to Beacon."

"You're not trained to be a Huntsman!" Mom growled, "You're trained to be a MEDIC! That's why I unlocked your Aura-!"'

"I got in, I took the exam and I passed," Jaune stated flatly, reaching out to the envelope on the table "I-I'll figure out the rest as I go along, okay? I've got six months, I'm in great shape-"

Isabel snatched it back up, and her fist crushed the letter.

"You're not going to be a Huntsman, Jaune!" Mom snarled. "I won't let you throw your life away! You're going to VMI, and you're GOING to be a doctor!"

"Mom, I can help people!" Jaune insisted. "I can fight! I can be a hero-"

Isabel scoffed. "A hero? There are no heroes! Those are stories told to children so they will grow up to march to their death."

Jaune's face distorted as if he'd bitten into a rotten apple. "Would you say that to Auntie Arturia?! Or maybe Great-Uncle Adrian?" Jaune insisted. He bit his lip, but he was in too deep now. "Would you have told Dad there aren't any heroes?!"

His mother's shoulders shook. She turned her icy glare on him, slow and dangerous.

"Is that what you think he was?" Mom demanded, angry and bitter. Jaune's jaw dropped.

"M-Mom... Of course! Everyone said... You said-!"

"Your father could have retired!" Mom shouted. "He could have stayed here, worked hard, done some real good! But he just kept going out into harm's way! He... He was SELFISH!"

Jaune's jaw dropped as his heart felt like it was in a vice.

"M-Mom, you don't mean that-!"

"He went off to be a hero and he DIED," Mom stated, anger dripping from every word, "He could have stayed with us and done some actual good! But instead, he decided to be selfish and stupid!"

"He saved lives! Just like you!" Jaune shook his head back and forth.

"You and your sisters deserved a father! I deserved a husband! Instead all we have is a shiny statue and platitudes!" Mom shot back. "All I was left with was grief! HE WAS SELFISH! You don't get to be selfish, Jaune!" She waved her finger at him, as his eyes sought out the floor. "You're not going to throw your life away for your stupid, childish dream!"

Jaune's shoulders shook, as a raw rage filled him. His mother kept talking.

"You're going to tell Beacon you can't make it, you're going to get ready for VMI-"

"Why do all my sisters get to choose, but I have to be your vanity project, huh?!" Jaune demanded quickly, still not meeting her gaze, "Why can't you let me choose what to be?!"

"Because you'll choose wrong!" Mom shouted back. "You'll choose the same thing that killed your father! Do you want to be selfish and stupid like him, huh?!"

"He wasn't selfish," Jaune whispered. He slowly looked up into her eyes, fighting back hot, angry tears. "He wasn't selfish, and he wasn't stupid!"

"Jaune, you're not-!"

"YOU WERE!" Jaune snarled. His mother froze, staring at him in anger and confusion.

"Wha-What do you-?!"

"I heard you talking the night before he left," Jaune managed, between ragged pants as the rage seemed to claw its way out of him, "In my room! He asked you to come with you! HE ASKED! You said NO! And if-If you had gone, MAYBE HE'D STILL BE ALIVE!"

His mother's jaw dropped.

"Jaune, how could you-?!"

"You got him killed!" Jaune shouted, the tears falling freely now, "And now you're just a scared, bitter old woman who can't accept it!"

She slapped him. He staggered back two steps, his arms out for balance, but he stayed standing. He looked up, his face grim. His anger just solidified into a hard ball in his chest.

His mother was crying, guilt and hurt on her face. Her hand trembled. She reached out again.

"J-Jaune, wait, please, I didn't mean to-!"

He turned and ran. Right up the stairs. He grabbed his backpack and shouldered it. He threw open the window and leaped out, landing roughly just before his mother could burst into the room. He started running.

"JAUNE! JAUNE, WAIT! I'M SORRY!" He could hear his mother crying out from the window, "PLEASE! JAUNE!"

He stormed off into the night. And he didn't look back.

It began to rain. Even with the clouds enveloping the sky, he could still see everything illuminated by the broken moon. He could hear the roars of Grimm and the loud booms of a familiar rail gun sword. In an instant, he was in his armor and cloak, Crocea Mors held in his hands. He charged forward, now on a dark forest road.

He could see a tall figure in shining white armor ahead, swinging a gigantic blade with one hand as he fought through hordes and hordes of Grimm. He turned his head and stared into Jaune's eyes. Jaune's jaw dropped.

"D-Dad?!"

"Son," Nick Arc said, grim and disappointed, "You promised you'd never make your mother cry. You promised you'd be there for her when I'm gone."

Jaune's jaw dropped. His grip on his weapons became slack.

"Dad, I-I didn't-!" His eyes widened as he saw a truly massive Grimm tower up over his father from behind. "DAD LOOK OUT!"

Again, he tried to move, but a flood of black water erupted from around his dad. Jaune was knocked back. He fought against the current, but no matter what he did, he kept getting further away.

Yet his father's terrible words rang clear in his ears.

"You made your mother cry, son," Nick said softly, even as the giant Grimm bore down on him, "Didn't she cry enough when she lost me? When you lost me? How hard will she cry when she loses you?"

The Grimm fell upon Nick from behind as Jaune screamed.

"DAD! DAD, NO!"

His eyes opened. He sat up, breathing hard. He wiped his sweaty face as his heart pounded in his chest like war drums.

"Haa… Haa… Haa… Haa.."

The sun was just starting to peek out over the Valean mountains outside the window. Nora and Ren were snoozing in their joint bed on the other side of the Beacon dorm. And Pyrrha was cuddled up next to him, her arms around his waist. Her eyes opened up, widened in alarm when she saw his face.

"Jaune? Jaune, are you all right?" She asked softly.

Jaune sighed. He nodded to his partner.

"I'm fine," he said softly. "Really."

Pyrrha stared intensely at him. He gave her a small, forced smile.

"It was just a dream," he murmured. "I promise I'm all right. Thank you Pyrrha. I-I really appreciate it."

Pyrrha sat up with him, still concerned.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly.

Oh yeah, talk to someone else with severe issues with their parents? What a great idea, his brain said sarcastically. No, this was his battle. He would face it, and wouldn't burden his teammates with it.

He shook his head.

"It's all right," he murmured. "Really. You go back to sleep. I've got to go get breakfast started for our first day, anyway."

Pyrrha's frown didn't change, but she slowly nodded.

"If you're sure," she said softly.

"I am," Jaune said. He smiled more genuinely at her. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"I…" She looked aside. "I had trouble sleeping when I was away," she admitted. "I hope I'm not causing your nightmares-?"

"No! No, of course not," Jaune said quickly, taking her by the shoulders to make her look him in the eyes. "This isn't your fault, really. Hell, they'd be worse without you."

Pyrrha blushed deeply, her skin nearly as red as her hair.

"Um… I-I think… Uh… Um…Ineedacoldshower!"

As though she now had Ruby's Semblance, she ran off like a shot for the bathroom, shutting it tightly behind her. Jaune watched her go, and sighed. He kicked the sheets off and stood up. He rubbed his face.

"Glad I showered last night," he muttered. He headed off into the common room. He reached out for his Beacon Academy apron, which he had left hanging on a peg near the kitchenette. His fingers met nothing but wood paneling. He blinked and looked over at the stove, where a familiar girl with blonde hair was already getting the pots and pans out.

"Yang?"

"Oh, morning Ladykiller," Yang said with a wink and smile. He flushed: She was in nothing but her sleep wear, which he thought he was used to. Her hair being up in a loose ponytail while she wore an apron though…

The hell? Why does that do things for me? He thought, as Yang continued to speak.

"I just thought that you could use an egg break, huh? I'm not a bad cook myself either, you know." She smirked and winked at him as she broke the eggs into a bowl, and mixed them up expertly.

"Wouldn't want you to burn out and end up with egg on your face, eh?"

"I… Yeah," Jaune said with a nod. He moved into the kitchenette. "I can help out-"

"Ohhh no," Yang stated firmly, grabbing him by the shoulders and guiding him out to the group table, "You've been serving us all this time. You should accept some service too, every once in a while."

Jaune let her sit him down in a chair. He nodded slowly, as she went back to cooking. He watched her, still blushing a bit.

"So," Yang said, as she began frying up some turkey bacon and beans, "You sleep okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he murmured, "More or less."

She fixed him with a skeptical look.

"You sure?" She asked softly.

Jaune managed a nod.

"Just… Nightmares," he explained quietly. He shook his head. "I get a lot of them."

Yang nodded, as she flipped some pancakes.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "I still get nightmares over going out into the forest with Ruby. You know… Where Uncle Qrow doesn't show up in time and…" She looked into his eyes.

Jaune ground his teeth nervously. He glanced to the side, at the warm sunlight pouring in through the windows. He wrapped his arms around the back of the chair, and rested his chin on the top as he swung his legs around to hold onto either side.

"... Just… My fight with my mom, when I ran away," he admitted quietly. "I got accepted into VMI. I did the exam and everything. But I'd also applied to Beacon, and I got in. She found out and, well…"

He trailed off.

"How bad was it?" Yang asked, soft and neutral. Jaune shook his head, looking towards the kitchenette and not right at her.

"She said my dad was stupid and selfish. That he'd thrown his life away, and left us all alone. That I couldn't-shouldn't-do the same thing."

His eyes found the floor as the soft sound of bacon frying filled the air.

"And what did you say?" Yang asked, still quiet.

"I said some pretty horrible things back to her. Made her cry," he said. Yang didn't say anything, so he explained:

"Before my dad left on the mission where he died, I heard them arguing. My dad wanted my mom to come with him. She said she couldn't, she had to work."

He closed his eyes.

"I told her…" He took another deep breath, "I told her that if she'd gone with him, he wouldn't have died. That it was her fault."

Yang was silent, as Jaune stared down at the floor in his shame.

"I just… My dad promised me to look after everyone if anything happened to him," he explained. "I-I guess… With everything that's happened, I started remembering more of what we talked about. He was a hero. I always looked up to him, I wanted to be just like him… And I guess I just…"

He grit his teeth.

"I was such an asshole. How could I say that to my own mother…?"

He felt her hands rest on his shoulders. He looked back up. She looked down at him with a look of pure compassion.

"Hey. We all say stupid shit when we're angry," Yang said quietly, "You didn't mean it. I'm sure she didn't mean it either. I mean… When Mom died, my dad just fell apart. Losing someone you love just… It breaks you, and everyone breaks in different ways."

She shook her head. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"And I'm sure that argument wasn't what you think it was," she continued, "I heard from someone that my mother lived in the woods, and I got it into my head that that meant some old shack on Patch. That… That nearly got me and Ruby killed. We're all stupid when we're kids, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," Jaune managed. Yang ran her fingers through his hair, and he shivered as he looked her right in her eyes.

She smiled.

"When she sees you become a badass hunter, she'll accept it," Yang said, "It's just gonna take time and hard work, okay? But it's your choice. She has to respect that if she loves you. And she does, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune said with a small nod. He found a smile on his face.

"Thanks Yang. I… I really appreciate it," he said.

Yang sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well… I gotta look after you. Who's gonna pay for our date~?" She asked mischievously. Jaune flushed.

"Yang, seriously, I-"

She leaned down and kissed him on the lips. It was brief but warm. She pulled back, and patted him on the head.

"Don't overthink things," she advised softly, "You'll just go crazy. Try to go with the flow more, huh? And accept it when pretty girls want to do things for you."

"Pretty, dangerous, violent and crazy girls," Jaune muttered back. Yang winked and giggled.

"It would be boring otherwise!" She turned and headed back to the kitchenette, her hips swaying noticeably. Jaune slapped himself to get his eyes off her rear.

"Ugh… I'd be happy with boring!" He insisted.

Yang laughed mockingly, as she flipped pancakes onto several plates.

"Yeah, right! If you wanted boring, you wouldn't have become a Huntsman!"

Jaune held up his finger, opened his mouth… Sighed.

"I guess I can't argue with that," he muttered.

Yang laughed.

Neither of them noticed that the RWBY dormroom door had been cracked open throughout the entire conversation. They did notice when the door burst open. Ruby appeared in a burst of rose petals right in Jaune's lap, hugging him tightly.

"Hey Jaune! Good morning!" She said happily. "You doing okay?"

"I-Uh, yeah, fine," Jaune managed.

"I missed you so much!" She whined.

He smiled and hugged her.

"We saw each other last week," he chuckled.

"Yeah, but that was in the real world, not here!" Ruby insisted.

"Ugh, must you all make so much noise this early?" Weiss groused. She walked in and scowled at Jaune. "Arc! You're not cooking breakfast?"

"I didn't know you missed my cooking that much," Jaune deadpanned. Weiss scoffed.

"Certainly not! I just know you won't poison me," she cast a glare at Yang. The brawler snickered.

"Come on Weiss-cream! I wouldn't poison you! Not unless you left me in your will. Who else would bring home the bacon?"

"Ugggghhhh," Weiss groaned, sitting down. Blake crept in, sitting down next to Jaune, still reading a book.

"Morning Jaune, morning Ruby, morning Yang, and morning Weiss," she said in her usual deadpan. Weiss snorted.

"I would have thought working as a waitress might have taught you some manners."

"I would have thought being rich would have taught you some," Blake shot back. Weiss squawked.

"I am perfectly polite! You started casting aspirations on the character the day we met!"

"I was following your example," Blake shot back, making Jaune and Ruby snicker.

Weiss rolled her eyes. Pyrrha came in, drying her hair with a towel. She beamed brightly.

"Good morning everyone!" She then took the seat next to Jaune. Clearly trying very hard not to glare at Ruby. "Ruby, Jaune can't eat like that."

"Sure he can!" Ruby said cheerfully, "I can feed him!"

"I can handle that, thank you," Jaune said quickly.

Nora and Ren came in next. Nora grinned brightly.

"Oh boy! Lap sitting Day!" She cheered. She pulled Ren into a chair, and plopped herself down on his legs. "I call Renny!"

"I call Jaune!" Ruby cheered.

"Don't we get any say in this?" Jaune asked.

"Do we ever?" Ren quipped.

Laughter ensued. Even Weiss smirked a little. Jaune sighed and patted Ruby on the head.

"It's good to be back," he muttered.

- - -

Here we go...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

Hei "Junior" Xiong hadn't gotten where he was in life by being stupid. He'd been brought up in the Xiong Crime Family, the heir apparent. His father had crossed Lil' Miss Malachite out of Mistral, and he'd died. Junior had thus ascended to the head of the family, and rather than take revenge, he had settled. The family was now subordinate to Lil' Miss Malachite's operation. Many in his family had grumbled over this, but Junior had worked hard to make sure they focused on the positives of this change in management.

Miss Malachite wasn't that demanding of a master: As long as you supplied her with information and her monthly tithes, she left you alone. Even provided muscle in the form of her daughters, and healthcare benefits. Even let him skim a little off the top if he'd done a good enough job.

As long as you were loyal and gave her accurate information, she let you handle your affairs.

Honestly, she was a better boss than Junior's Old Man ever was, and that was why Xiong Senior's passing hadn't resulted in outright rebellion.

Sure, if the old lady ever became a dictator or lost her edge, Junior was perfectly fine with overthrowing the old bat and taking over. Becoming a proper Boss again. But part of him really hoped that never happened. It was too much responsibility and brought too much heat down on your head.

Especially nowadays.

Miss Cinder Fall, the one-woman firestorm who had been burning up the mob scene of Vale, had stormed in with her crew and told him he worked for her now. He finished cleaning his glass, set it down calmly on the bar, and simply said that it wasn't his call. Lil Miss Malachite was the boss.

Cinder had stated he worked for her now. The Twins had tried to see to her then, but Junior had held up a hand. How in the hell would he explain things to Miss Malachite if her two daughters had gotten fried?

So he called up Lil Miss Malachite and told her the situation, all the while Cinder clenched and unclenched her fists full of flame, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Miss Malachite calmly told Cinder that if she wanted Junior's services, she had to pay for them like everyone else. With a sneer, the raven-haired beauty had dropped some lien on the table and demanded a meeting.

Junior had acquiesced, and for three hours, he was grilled on every little tidbit of information he had on Vale, its defenses, and Beacon.

Honestly, the whole time he'd felt a wrong breath or twitch away from death.

Finally, she was satisfied. She stood up, warned him and Lil Miss Malachite to stay out of her way, and left with her two cronies. It was only after he'd watched her leave the club from the security cameras he started breathing normally.

"Whiskey, neat," he muttered. A cool glass was passed to him, and he downed the drink in one go-Savoring the booze wasn't on his agenda.

He lowered his glass... And nearly choked when he spotted Roman Torchwick standing next to him.

"Roman?! What the actual fuck-?!"

"Shhh," Roman said, holding a leather-gloved finger up to his lips, "Hey, I was a master thief before I met Neo. People don't appreciate how hard it is to go around without being spotted on hard mode."

He poured himself a glass of the whiskey and drank it down more slowly. Junior stared in disbelief at Roman, as the redhead finished off the glass with a sigh.

"Ah, you always did have the good stuff, Junior."

"Roman... Again... What the actual fuck?" He asked. "Is that woman with you-?!"

"HA!" Roman barked in sad, sardonic laughter, "With me, he asks? Other way around, compadre. The lady's got me on a leash so tight my throat's in my asshole! I've only got a few minutes before she notices anything."

"What about Neo?" Junior asked, looking around in fear as he always did when that little psycho came up. Roman shrugged.

"She's getting ready for her first day of school," he said, "Wants to look pretty for her crush."

Junior stared, long and hard.

"... You want to cut the bullshit and explain why the criminal underworld of Vale went completely insane over the last year?" He demanded. "I know the Fire Bitch is tearing a bloody streak through every mob boss who doesn't play ball and you're acting like you need to breathe Dust. I also know White Fang's involved-And what the fuck, Roman?! Your reputation is in tatters as it is, why are you involved with fucking terrorists?!"

Roman sighed. He poured himself another drink.

"Junior? If I could tell you everything, I would... I mean, for a price. I haven't completely lost my mind. But I don't even know the full picture."

He finished the whiskey before he looked at Junior seriously over the glass.

"But since we're old buddies, I thought you should know the basic gist of what I've figured out so far."

"And that is?" Junior asked.

The jaunty smile and roguish tilt of his bowler hat was entirely at odds with the way Roman delivered the answer to Junior's question.

"We're fucked."

- - -

The main assembly hall for Beacon was packed, even more than it had been at Initiation. Jaune and Ruby had been lucky to get their teams there early, so they could get seats. Many other Hunters-in-Training had to stand in the back. The murmuring filled the circular room, magnified by the acoustics to be relentless. Even so, the eight friends were comfortable in their seats.

"Wow," Ruby murmured happily, looking around excitedly, "There are so many new faces! Oh hey! There's Sun's team!"

She stood up and waved happily.

"HI SUN! HI GUYS!"

Sun and his team waved in response, the monkey faunus grinning and waving happily while Scarlet and Sage gave more restrained waves back. Nora waved with Ruby with equal aplomb, before Ren gently pulled her down and held her hand to keep her docile.

Neptune shot Weiss a cheeky grin and wink. Weiss swooned in response, while her friends rolled their eyes.

"Oh, I didn't even begin to tell you about my vacation to Ponce with Neptune!" Weiss gushed to Yang. "Oh, it was so romantic! The sun, the sand, the waves-!"

"Yeah, sure, great," Yang stated with a sigh.

"Come on!" Weiss whined. "I'm-We're bonding as young women should! Over gossip!"

"Sun told me a lot," Blake volunteered. Yang leaned over and grinned like a shark smelling blood in the water.

"Oho~? And here I thought you were too busy with Jaune playing maid and butler~?"

"I-I was not," Blake muttered, even as Weiss's elegant eyebrows went up.

"Oh? Maid and butler, huh?"

Blake glared at Yang.

"Yang, don't you dare-!"

Weiss's Scroll beeped an alert. The Schnee heiress examined the pictures, then shot the smuggest look imaginable over at Blake. The Menagerie Princess glared, the slightest hint of red on her cheeks.

"Who-?!"

Ruby flushed, and tried to whistle innocently.

"RUBY!" Blake growled.

"You were so cute!" Ruby protested, pulling back behind her big sister for protection. Yang grinned broadly.

"Come on, Blake, if Coco tagged you, everyone already knows. Why not embrace it?"

"It's so undignified!" Blake groused, as Weiss flipped through the photos with a smirk.

"Shared, shared, oh yes definitely shared-Wait..." She frowned at one of the pictures and looked over at Jaune.

He was sitting on the other side of Ruby, looking through his own Scroll. Weiss's eyes widened.

"He was a butler too?"

"I think I said that," Yang deadpanned. Weiss giggled.

"I suppose my wardrobe pick was a good one, hm Arc?" She called out to him. Jaune rolled his eyes.

"No. Miss Perrito has actual taste and isn't just a frigid sadist."

"Why you...!" Weiss growled. Jaune shot her a smirk.

"What? Yours had those Godsawful tails! I'd have been tripping onto my face!"

"It would be an improvement over your current visage!" Weiss snarled. "Get a shave, you ruffian!"

"Aw, but I like his stubble, Weiss!" Ruby whined. She hugged Jaune and rubbed her cheek against his. "Heehee! It tickles!"

Weiss flushed deeply.

"Will-Will you stop that?!" Weiss hissed. "We're in public!"

"It is very ticklish," Pyrrha said happily, leaning in on Jaune's other side with a fond smile.

"Especially when you're kissing," Yang added with a smirk. Pyrrha's eyes flashed, but she nodded with a competitive smile.

"Oh yes-"

"Seriously?!" Weiss growled. "You're such a-a scoundrel! Neptune didn't act like such a shameless playboy, Arc! You could learn something from his sense of decorum!"

"I bet I could," Jaune sighed. He gently pushed Ruby and Pyrrha back. "Come on guys, Ozpin's starting."

"Later then," Pyrrha winked.

Headmaster Ozpin walked out to the podium. He gave a slight smile out to the crowd, one fatherly and comforting. It quieted down the students, though true silence only occurred when he tapped his cane.

"Welcome back, returning students," he spoke, "And welcome, friends from foreign academies. While we are all strangers to one another, we are united in the goals of safeguarding life on this planet. I know you have been told this many times before, in long, often rambling speeches..."

He waited for the laughter to die down with a small, indulgent smile.

"It is the truth. You are our future. The Vytal Festival is meant to showcase that future, and our unity against the darkness. So I will take this time to thank the Atlasian Military for protecting Vale during this time."

Ozpin snapped his fingers, and the ceiling vanished leaving clear blue skies over their heads.

No, wait, Jaune thought, making out the textures of the ceiling, Just a projection?

In a moment, the sky was filled with Atlesian airships. Numerous frigates, light and speedy, led the well-organized formation. After them came cruisers, large, long, and sleek. Finally, a quartet of battleships, huge and ominous, passed overhead.

There was clapping and cheering from several students Jaune presumed to be Atlasian. Weiss looked a bit proud herself, though far more restrained.

"In addition," Ozpin went on, "The newly reformed Valean Defense Force is joining the defense of Vale."

At this, several small airships of various makes, but all with red and gold coloration, flew by in a less rigid but still well-ordered formation. After that came a mixture of larger airships-At least two Valean passenger liners like the type that had brought the students to Vale, a few destroyers Jaune swore he recognized from old holos of the Faunus Revolution, and other assorted vessels he didn't recognize.

At last, a huge and familiar dagger-shaped air battleship, bright red with gold trim, flew overhead-Far lower and faster than the others, the wash of the vessel's engines making the auditorium shake and many students cry out in shock. Jaune spotted Scarlet roll his eyes, as Weiss scoffed in annoyance.

Huh, he held back a grin, Guess they met Silverhand, too.

THAT had been a hell of a weekend. The songs were never going to leave his head.

Ozpin, as always, remained unperturbed.

"The Vytal Stadium itself is being situated on the far side of Vale, to be prepared for the festival," he stated, "Until then? Study hard. Get to know your fellow students. And work hard! Dismissed!"

The auditorium was filled with noise again, as the students got up and began to head for the exits. Blake got out first and headed over to speak with Sun. Weiss headed over with her, to speak with Neptune with an excited look on her face. Nora and Ren took off as well, Nora chanting about not wanting to be late while Ren dutifully followed behind.

"Let's see... First class is Oobleck's," Jaune read off his scroll, "Let's get going. Don't want to be late."

"Oh geez, yeah," Yang shivered, "Definitely not to his class. Guy's a sadist if you're late!"

"Friend Ruby!"

Ruby turned and smiled warmly as a familiar orange headed walked up to them with a happy wave.

"Penny! It's great to see you!" She said happily. "Are you here with your team?"

"Yes!" Penny said cheerfully, "They are headed to their classes! It would be nice for our teams to meet yours, correct? That is standard Vytal Festival protocol!"

"Well, sure!" Ruby said with a beam, "That would be great!"

"Sensational!" Penny cheered. She looked over at Jaune, her smile unchanging, "Friend Jaune, would you also like to meet my team?"

"Sure Penny," Jaune said, smiling at her. The girl was weird, but she'd gotten them out of legal trouble despite barely knowing them. In all honesty, he wanted to get to know the girl better.

"Excellent! I am combat ready!" She said cheerfully.

Jaune felt a hand grasp his elbow, firmly. He looked back, a bit startled. Sure, he wasn't Blake, but he liked to think he'd gotten better about being snuck up on! He'd survived in Grimm-infested woods, for crying out loud!

He blinked stupidly. The girl in the Haven Academy uniform was stunning. Long, luscious black hair. A body to kill for (like most Huntresses, really). The face of a smug angel, and burning amber eyes. Flanking her was an equally beautiful dark skinned girl with green hair and red eyes, and a tall, cocky looking pale skinned boy with gray hair and eyes.

"Hello Jaune," she said, "Forgive me, but I heard you are headed to Professor Oobleck's class next?"

"That's right," Jaune said, mindful of how Yang's eyes were burning red and the sudden increase in static electricity around Pyrrha and Ruby, "Do I know you?"

Ah shit, right I'm-NO I'M NOT A DAMN HAREM LEAD! He thought to himself.

The woman tittered, and while it was meant to be beguiling... It set off warning bells in Jaune's head.

This chick's bad news...

"We're from Haven, and I'm afraid we don't know our way around," the woman continued, in a voice dripping with honey. She pouted. "Your cousin said you were a reliable sort-Could you show us the way?"

"Cousin?" Yang, Ruby, and Pyrrha all asked.

Out from behind the other members of the girl's team stepped a short, curvy girl with black hair and eyes in a matching uniform-But there was no mistaking that smirk.

"Mint?" Jaune managed. She nodded with a lick of a lollipop.

"I thought she lived in Vale," Yang said, her tone suspicious.

"Oh, she's Mistralian," the woman explained, "She was just taking some vacation time with her father here before she transferred for the festival. Would you mind helping us get our bearings?"

Jaune forced a dopey smile onto his face. The kind of thing he made before he ran out into the night towards Beacon. Because Roman's warning was ringing in his mind like an air raid siren.

"Sure thing! Anything for my cousin and her team," Jaune said cheerfully, "You know my name. Yours would be...?"

"Cinder," the woman said with a sensuous smirk, "Cinder Fall."

- - -

And she's in the house!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Isabel groaned as her Scroll went off. Honestly, they hadn't had signal for days and now it goes off in the middle of the night?

She got out of the bunk, leaving Qrow to snuggle with a pillow.

... It saved heat and it made them both sleep better. They also may have had sex for stress relief from time to time. It was no big deal!

She found her Scroll and opened it. She blinked at the caller ID and answered it.

"Lady Belladonna?"

Kali tittered.

"Oh Isabel, come now! We're friends! We should use eachother's names!"

"Well, it would make things easier," Isabel mused. "What's up?"

"We found Blake!"

Isabel's keen mind locked back into messages from the former White Fang leaders, about the loss of their daughter. She smiled warmly, in genuine joy.

"I'm so glad-Is she all right?"

"Yes! Yes, she's doing wonderfully!" Kali gushed. "She's at Beacon Academy, training to be a Huntress! And away from White Fang."

"That's wonderful news!" Isabel grinned. Kali nodded.

"Yes... She tells me your son Jaune is also at the Academy?"

"Yes. He didn't get in, but he's being kept busy while he recovers from his ordeal," Isabel said with a nod.

"His ordeal?"

"He ran away from home and survived on his own in the wilds of Vale for six months," Isabel said, "But Qrow found him and left him with Ozpin. He's doing much better, but it still took a toll on him."

Kali blinked, then winced in sympathy.

"Oh! I just assumed-Well, what matters is that he's all right. I'm glad." She beamed. "She had nothing but good things to say about Jaune, as it turns out!"

"Oh?" Isabel asked, arching an eyebrow with a smile. It seemed that Jaune took after Nick more than she suspected.

"Yes, my dear little Blake has always been so antisocial, but Jaune and her other friends have really helped her open up!" Kali said cheerfully. She gave Isabel a conspiratorial wink. "Which is why I'm reaching out to you. I want to set them up."

Isabel blinked.

"Kali, I don't do arranged marriages-"

"I'm not saying that we go that far," Kali said quickly, "But we know eachother, and if they like eachother... Why not encourage them a bit, mm? He'd certainly be an improvement over Adam Taurus."

Isabel made a face.

"Wait, she was... Involved... With that psycho?!"

"Regrettably, yes," Kali said with a nod, "But surely she must be over it if she's pursuing a nice, stable, kind boy like Jaune! He doesn't have a dark past or deep seated trauma, right?"

Somewhere in Vale, Jaune Arc sneezed and had no idea why.

"Well... I mean... He might, after what he's been through," Isabel managed. Her poor boy.

"That's okay!" Kali said brightly, shifting gears immediately, "It adds spice to the relationship!"

Isabel rolled her eyes. Typical Kali. No wonder Blake had ended up as a terrorist.

"I'm not opposed to them dating," Isabel sighed, "I just don't think we should meddle too much. That's what made Jaune run off in the first place! Me meddling!"

"But think of the grandkitties!" Kali said with a bright grin.

Isabel imagined cute blonde Faunus grandchildren with their adorable little ears and tails... And blushed.

"... Well..."

Kali grinned triumphantly.

"Gotcha."