Support Love with information, mitigate the death toll.
A momentary silence grasps the partly furnished room. Courage and Ash both wait for Binah's input; only one of them is aware that they stand at the precipice. Binah herself begins to smile, unsettling only Love. "Sit," she beckons the magical girl. "You seek knowledge, and knowledge you shall receive."
What follows is a lengthy tale of faunus oppression as Binah and Courage learned it, as well as the measures taken in response. At first Love is sympathetic, all but beaming when she hears of the original White Fang. But once Courage explains their radicalisation in recent years, her expression dims. Ash stays in the background, soaking up every word like a sponge.
"I don't know what to say," Love admits by the end. "They should be good. Their founder is a true hero. But with what they became, killing people and hurting them, aren't they villains? B-But, if they have to do it to be heard? Courage, help!" She looks to her sister, whose lips are pressed in a thin line. Courage knows full well what her judgement will set off.
Despite her anxious fidgeting, Love waits without complaint. Binah does as well, curious where this will lead. To their surprise, it is Ash who interrupts: "May I say something?" The other women turn her way and pay attention at once. She takes a final sip of tea but displays no other sign of nerves. "I can't speak for the entire Fang, but I met a few members. There is this man, Tukson, he owns a bookstore on the other side of downtown. He often lets the kids borrow textbooks and stuff for free, so they can study and read. Told me once that he was White Fang, but he's a decent guy." She frowns at that point. "Maybe it's because he's older? All the faunus my age, you can tell really easy if they're Fang. Nine times out of ten, if they look down on you because you're human, you got one of them."
Ash falls quiet, leaving the other women to consider her words. It seems the older generation either retains sweet memories of the White Fang's glory days, or they grew tired of fighting. Courage slowly grasps her own cup and drains the lukewarm tea in a single drag. "This only coincides with my own opinion," she finally says, underlined by a click of cup on saucer. "The original White Fang was a good thing. What became of it is wrong. No cause justifies their actions. I will be first to admit that a number of laws need improvement across all kingdoms, but violence against civilians and corporations is not the solution. If we blindly strike at all who may be involved in our misfortune...." Courage trails off and shudders. A flicker of black runs over her entire body, turning her monochrome for a mere heartbeat. "Then only a monster remains of us."
Love is equally pale. Her pupils have turned to slits and an angry hiss rattles her body. Binah watches in interest how both of them slowly regain their composure. Ash observes as well, though far more confused by what she sees.
"I see," Love finally says. She folds her hands, gaze lowered to the table in thought. "So there is still good in them." Then she looks up, meeting Binah's eyes. "Help me find them. I will see if I can bring them back onto the right path. It's not too late for them."
Meaning, a number of them will either rethink their choices or receive a warning to flee in time. Just as planned. Binah inclines her head. "I will contact someone who should have what we need. We begin tomorrow. For now, we shall make use of Ash's presence to introduce her to your nature as Abnormalities."
The girl herself straightens up the slightest bit upon being spoken of. Much as expected, she takes everything in stride. "I already saw your magic before," is her only comment. "And I gain nothing from freaking out over you."
Alas, the net grows ever more slack. With Love's next goal set, word will soon spread. Binah would have liked more time to observe Remnant before her presence sends too many ripples across its globe, but she will have to make do.
It takes a few days to get a hold of Roman. He makes time rather quickly, but is quite busy with his own errands. From Tuesday to Thursday, Binah spreads her own feelers to learn more of recent events; as it turns out, the particular shop the White Fang raided was known not to cater to faunus. There is no other reason for them to break their string of grand theft. No other establishment is hit in those days, either.
Furthermore, there is still no word of Salem. Her name is spoken nowhere Binah has access to. She is not worried about the lack of progress, though; if anything, the absence of information intrigues her. This is a secret, be it voluntary or not. With that in mind, she decides to focus on other pursuits, assuming her main contact in the underworld is a dead end as well.
Nighttime traffic around the docks let up to an extent. Unfortunately, the populations' attempt to escape the 'Backstreet Butcher' failed because Sable simply changed his patrol routes. Rumours have begun to circulate despite attempts to suppress them.
Binah also spends Wednesday afternoon receiving Ruby and her father, Taiyang Xiao-Long, in her establishment. The tearoom is almost completely assembled by then, thanks to a smidgen of money and a lot of magic. Courage and Saffron are present to advise in legal and pricing matters. Father and daughter are clearly impressed by their expertise, as well as their generosity; with Crescent Rose as an example, Ruby will receive the same payment any licensed workshop would receive for a custom work.
While she is excited, her father remains slightly wary. He reads the contract Courage draws up twice over after making Ruby read it as well. Only then does he let her sign it. But the fact there is not even an attempt at deceit seems to have earned his favour.
On Thursday evening, Binah takes Ash and Love to meet Roman Torchwick. Her new protegé already got released from one of her other workplaces and will only finish the week at the second. "Should I really be here?" she asks with a hint of worry. She faintly pulls on her jumper's sleeve, clearly aware that she is underdressed in comparison to the other women. Unfortunately for her, neither of them care.
"As you will accompany me in the future, it is only prudent to introduce you. Although we will see to expand your wardrobe on the weekend."
Ash has no response to that. She follows quietly and, with no one else speaking, begins to hum to herself. It is a simple if intriguing melody, though it feels off. Incomplete. Love throws a look to the other woman, but does not ask about it. Ash continues to do so until the group enters the backstreets of downtown Vale, surprisingly close to where she lives. Gazes follow the three, but none approach. A few people greet Ash with nods and other small gestures.
Much like Binah and Love, Roman sticks out like a sore thumb. He is immaculately dressed as usual, completely serene though surrounded by a gaggle of ragged children. They listen at his feet like he were a messiah while he chats with Anemone of all people. Neo is absent this evening.
A shout and pointed finger alerts Roman and Anemone to the new arrivals. Love waves cheerfully and leaps to hug her sister, who twirls her around. "My, what a surprise! I did not expect you all to come here. Are they who you meant to meet, Mr. Torchwick?"
"Got it in one." He ignores Ash, who keeps a step behind Binah. The woman herself receives a tip of his hat. "Imagine my surprise when I heard you needed my services already."
"Oh, I have no such need." Binah's lips curl into a smile upon seeing his confusion. "I am simply introducing someone else who does." In the meantime, Anemone gathered the children and introduced them to Love as well. Roman watches momentarily while nodding to himself.
"Yeah, she's one of the four sisters." He shudders for a moment, then shakes his head violently. Chances are his Semblance was used once again. Then his attention turns to Ash, though this time he openly frowns. "And this is?"
"My first employee."
He slowly looks Ash up and down, not quite reacting to her growing tension. He definitely noticed, though. "Alright. Nice meeting you, kid. I heard you're helping out around here?" She simply nods once more in response, to which he sighs. "Quiet type, eh? Fine with me."
So saying, Roman claps his hands. Conversation falls silent immediately, all eyes on him. "Now, I'm a busy man and have business to attend. You kids watch out now and look after each other, got it?" A chorus of 'Yes, Mr. Torchwick' answers and he smiles. "Good, good." He then spreads five separate hundred Lien cards in his hand and offers them to the nearest girl, about ten years old. "That should tide you over for a while."
She takes the money reverently, thanks him profusely, and darts over to hand it to Ash without hesitation. Roman's brow arches, but he does not comment until they all retreated to an abandoned playground. "They trust you a lot," are his first words.
"I look out for them. They look out for me where they can. We can't survive if we fight each other for scraps." Ash shrugs weakly, never averting her gaze. "You live by a similar logic, from what I saw."
"True that." He chuckles, well aware that a sizable part of Vale's population will riot if the authorities act against him. Only then does Roman become aware of Love's beaming smile. "And you're Love, right? Binah says you need something from me?"
"I am! Nice to meet you!" She makes a short pause to stop herself from babbling, hands clasped in front of her. "And yes. I want to find the White Fang, do you know where they are?"
This gives Roman pause. He blinks, then squints at Love. His gaze wanders up and down her body. "Huh. Last time I checked, you're... well, not human, but that's what we put on your papers. A bit weird that you'd go look for those guys. But sure, I know most of their hideouts and contacts around Vale."
"Great! I want to talk their members out of being villains!"
If there was any sort of response he expected, it was definitely not this. Roman's jaw works soundlessly as he tries to make sense of Love's declaration. Then he closes his eyes and raises a hand. "Okay, run that by me again. You come to me of all people, asking for the White Fang, you know, the 'we strung up a doctor for treating humans over faunus patients' group, to talk them out of this?"
"Um... yes? And could you explain what that with the doctor was about?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sure." Roman rubs his face as he explains: "That was about three months or so ago, over in Mistral. Several faunus at one of the larger hospitals died because the doctor in charge gave preferential treatment to human patients that came in later. Then, one morning, she was found hung from the hospital roof." He leaves a pause for Love to digest this, then ventures on: "You seriously want to try talking that lot around? And you'd buy information from me to do that?"
"..."
Now it is for Love to rub her temples. Her enthusiasm is dampened, voice more quiet, yet she remains resolute. "Yes. I need to at least try."
"Okay, sure. And when you fail?"
Love sighs. "If they won't renounce their villainous ways, I will destroy them."
Roman is clearly exasperated by this point. Binah's smile grows a fraction as she motions for Anemone not to interfere; the blunette does not like staying her hand, but acquiesces. Roman fails to notice, shaking his head. "Damn, that's some black and white morality. Just out of curiousity, you are aware who I am, right?" Love's head tilts ever so slightly and he throws a glance to Binah, who remains enigmatic. "Roman Torchwick? Crime boss extraordinaire?"
"And? Crime only means you break the law. Laws aren't what protect people, people do. You're looking out for others, so all is good with me." Love hesitates then. Roman is intrigued and keeps his silence, giving her time to look him over again. "Unless you mean that you also hurt a lot of people who don't deserve it?"
"Eh." He makes a so-so motion. "Sometimes? I'm not dumb enough to make unnecessary enemies, but I'll gladly beat down whoever tries to start something in my city. Has been a while since I got to get my hands dirty myself."
Love shrugs, but Binah interjects before she can brush off his point: "Can a man who cares nothing for others be a hero to you? Is one sin weighed up by a hundred good deeds and forgiven?" Her words sink in slowly, making the magical girl freeze up as her thoughts loop around themselves. She stares in incomprehension between Roman and Binah, then the frowning Anemone.
"How do you mean? How can anyone do good if they do not want to? Why would anyone do good if they don't care?" Love rambles more to herself than anyone else. "It makes no sense. If that were true, then people could commit evil without being evil. Where would the actual villains be?" She sways in place, slowly materialising a pink corona. "Was I fighting the wrong people? Have I? Am I? Will I?"
A singular, ethereal blue sword materialises and pierces through her chest. Roman jumps in surprise. "Brothers, what?! What's going on now? Hey, you okay?" Love does not hear him, too busy rambling to herself. She entered her infamous downward spiral. Binah stops him from touching her.
"Any stimulus will set her off," she advises. "Now we see if she is yet a slave to her own nature."
"That was cruel and unnecessary," Anemone admonishes. Her Sword Sharpened With Tears is already present and held ready. "I thought you were better than this."
The attempt to induce guilt fails to affect Binah. She never takes her eyes off the unresponsive magical girl, though Anemone does receive an answer: "There is nothing gained in stagnation. Not to mention that it is fascinating to speculate whether an Abnormality can reject their nature. Saffron is able to resist the impulse to destroy now, where she never was before. An impossibility according to the laws we once postulated. And yet...."
She trails off purposefully. Love staggers away as a second blade pierces her chest, but no more follow. She supports herself on a set of rusty monkey bars... and slams her head into one. The dull thud is barely audible, but they all see the metal bend further with each strike. In the end it breaks and Love continues with the next one. Blood trickles down her face, dripping to the ground with every motion.
Halfway through the monkey bars, she stops and bends over, shuddering. Anemone rushes to her side the moment the swords fade. Love groans as she is slowly helped to her feet, slumping against her sister's broader frame. Roman takes the moment to throw Binah a questioning look, which she answers smugly: "An advance payment for your services."
He just snorts. "Yeah, sure. I'm not wrong to assume we just skirted around some sort of disaster, right?"
"Naturally. Abnormalities are all dangerous in their own way."
Roman rolls his eyes at that and turns back to Love. Anemone led her back to them, gently wiping off the blood from her burst forehead. Healing magic already saw the wounds closed. "You alright now?"
"Kind of, yes." She groans again and rubs her temples before squinting at Roman. Binah almost leans forward in anticipation for the resolution. She is not disappointed: "And I don't care. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are. The important part is that you do good. Which the White Fang isn't, so please tell me where to find them."
He nods slowly, more than willing to continue the argument. But he also knows that Love is not in a state to be pushed further. "Alright, as long as the price is right. I've got a question, too; if you can answer that, I'll make what you want cheaper." Love looks to Binah, who inclines her head. Roman turns her way. "What do you know about the Backstreet Butcher? Lost some of my guys to them and people are getting restless. Bad for business once the Grimm come."
"Oh? A villain stalking Vale? Why did nobody tell me about that?" Love perks up immediately. "Let me at them!"
Ash and Anemone listen curiously while Binah muses on what to tell them. "The Backstreet Butcher bears a sense of justice comparable with Love. He primarily searches for villains to punish their misdeeds, never striking first but always the last one standing. He will never come after groups in a bid for subtlety."
Recognition dawns in Anemone's eyes. She covers Love's mouth before the other magical girl can reveal that it is Sable. Meanwhile, Roman searches Binah's gaze and finds nothing beyond amusement. "Alright, I'll take that at face value. Is a buddy system enough, or do I need bigger groups?"
"Three people at minimum should guarantee their safety."
"Alright, noted. Let's see, how much extra? Eh, we'll figure that out once I know what exactly your girl wants."
As it turns out, Love wants to be thorough. White Fang recruitment spots, safehouses, and encampments outside of Vale. Roman receives a fine price in response. Then the blunette surprises him and Binah with a stratagem of her own: she expresses her nature to semi-permanently keep her pupils slitted. "You said they're more receptive of faunus, so I'm going to pretend I am one," she chirps cheerfully.
Just before they part ways, Binah turns back to Roman. "As an aside, does the name 'Salem' mean anything to you?"
He pauses at that, mulls it over momentarily, and shakes his head. "Never heard it. You want me to ask around?"
"There is no need. Just idle curiousity."
From there, Love splits off into her own investigation. She starts with Tukson the booktrader and seems content with whatever that conversation brings her. Meanwhile, Binah finishes refurbishing the tearoom; kitchen and storage will take a little while longer. A tutor for Ash is found among the retired hunters living in Vale. She also has several meetings with Ruby to cover the finer details of her commission; overall length, thickness, the force to be projected with the Dust emitters, and so on. Although the two of them spend more time browsing stores for references and materials than is strictly necessary.
Binah does not comment. Rather, she spends that time preparing a small workshop of her own in the basement. A separate corner fitting a desk and bookshelf as well as a safe; chances are she will have to design a few gadgets to study her subjects of interest. They ought to be protected.
On Monday morning, Ash enters the completed tearoom through the front door. Binah expects her at the table that will always be her own; sat at the room's back, flanking the door to the backrooms with the counter. It offers a perfect view of the entire serving area. Her protegé walks by with an absent hum; minutes later, she returns from the backrooms in her newly acquired pantsuit. Primarily black with some white and silver, in accordance with Binah's sensibilities. The younger woman awkwardly pulls at the tailoured jacket, but does not complain.
Courage is absent, having gone out to the library for more books. Anemone has taken her place instead, quietly sketching on paper at another table. Love and Saffron left already; only one of them seemed particularly happy.
"How is Love's plan coming along?" Ash inquires as she pours new cups for Binah and Anemone. She then fixes one for herself and sits.
"Her joy falters more with every passing day. Early results have since lost their luster." Binah takes a sip, well aware of the nearing cataclysm. "According to her, she convinced a number of members to leave. Those less amenable to her arguments seem to pressure the rest into ignoring her by now. It is quite likely her movements have been noticed." And once there are no more she can sway, it will begin.
With no response given to her, Binah studies her charge curiously. "What is the melody you hum?" she asks after a time. Ash frowns, giving away that she was not even aware she did it.
"I don't know." Seeing that she has Binah's attention, the young woman shrugs. Her brow twitches, though. "I don't remember anything before a bit over two years ago. That melody is the only thing I have. I figure it may be a song my mother used to sing for me, or something like that." Then she visibly hesitates, casting a hopeful look at Binah. "Have you heard it before?"
Her face falls when Binah shakes her head. The scratching of pencil on paper stops, though. A glance to Anemone reveals the magical girl deep in thought, but she does not actually speak up.
"Actually, I was meaning to ask, if that's okay." Ash waits for a refusal that does not come before she continues, motioning for Anemone : "I understand that Abnormalities are not human, even if the sisters look like us. I understand that they can't be killed permanently and that their personalities are fixed. But aren't humans set in their ways, too? Where is the difference?"
"Abnormalities," Binah begins slowly after mulling it over, "represent facets of the human subconcious. Some are twisted beyond recognition, others immediately obvious. What they all have in common is that they can not change. Humans, regardless of their birth, intelligence, and abilities, possess that ability. A human can change their mind and become a different person." Roland and Angela proved that quite conclusively. "Abnormalities can not."
"But you said last week that Love started to change?"
Binah's expression turns into a cheshire grin. "Yes. The question then becomes what it means for an unchanging entity to change. As well as how far they can take said change. Have we misunderstood the nature of Abnormalities? Was there a catalyst to such development that is required to recreate it? Is it simply a matter of time and having the freedom to express themselves? What would you make of it, Ash?"
Undeterred, her brows furrow in thought as she considers the subject. Then she folds her hands in her lap. "I don't know. I barely know anything about Abnormalities, but I guess they're still abnormal as long as they can't die?" She ponders a while longer, then seeks Binah's gaze again. "Actually, where do they come from? You told me what they are, but nothing else."
"Hm. That is indeed true." Binah sizes up her protegé once more. Ash has taken the revelation of Abnormalities and magic with little fanfare. But to delve deeper into their origins will mean to broach the fantastical in entirely new manners. She does not have time for full disclosure, but a single subject will be fine for now.
Only which one?
[] Speak of Lobotomy Corporation
[] Speak of the City
[] Speak of E.G.O.
[] Speak of the Library
[] write-in?
Unfortunately, I write more than I draw; hence why I can not update Ash's profile picture to have her in a suit at this time. (Edit: now done and place on her sheet)
