Yes. Investigate the location and activities of the jester, though we half suspect you already do know and just haven't mentioned it to us.
Do what you want, we're sure you have something interesting in mind.
Whatever happens we're not leaving you alone until we get to see the look on Roland's face when you present him with his revived unborn daughter. And then the look on his face when he realizes he now owes you a favor/debt of gratitude.
Silence reigns between the two. An odd, exasperated silence that Arthur picks up on with interest. When Binah up and heaves an actual sigh, he leans forward. "What is it? Your voices?"
"Yes." There is no reason to deny it. "I was pondering if there is anything left doing that I forgot, and they answered. None of it was especially helpful."
"Oh? How so?"
The older woman snorts and pours another cup of tea. "Their response was an odd mix of nonsense, reassurance, and attempted teasing. They also revealed a distinct lack of understanding in regard to my associates." She is highly tempted to roll her eyes. "It is an odd dichotomy. Competence and knowledge they rarely lack, yet sometimes I have to question them regardless. To ask me about investigating a being they know will step forward at the end and no sooner, for example."
Arthur listened with interest, though he clearly has no frame of reference to understand you. "Another Abnormality?" he asks next, regarding the Jester. Binah nods.
"The magical girls' destined foe. It will appear in due time. Had it acted by now, we would have heard." She does not look at you, but you know this is for your understanding. An Abnormality that would receive the Aleph rating while lacking any motivation to put in effort is not easily overlooked.
Quiet engulfs them again. All that needs to be said has been said. "Regardless," Arthur finishes after some time, "It is about time I leave. Thank you for the conversation. I will see about delaying my departure from Vale, contact me if your own schedule becomes clear."
He leaves a generous tip and vanishes into the warm summer night. Binah's gaze follows him with a faint smirk.
The following day, Roman strikes just as she expected him to. Copious funds are freely offered for yet another restoration of Vale, improving his social status ever further. Nobody even seems to care that he is elbow-deep in criminal activities anymore, even the hunters sing his praises.
"That guy really struck gold," Melanie quips. The white-clad Malachite leans against the bar, throwing Binah a knowing look. "But I still feel he's a little too fast. As if he knew."
It is just her, the twins, and Junior. The club has yet to open for anyone else, but her fellow broker requested a meeting. And going by his grimace, Melanie just gave the game away. Binah offers the three her customary smirk and sips tea.
"As amusing as it would have been to unleash such a scourge, I have little reason to, now do I?"
"Fair," Melanie concedes, though she does not seem convinced. "But you're, like, the person I'd peg for who could've pulled this off. Ironwood attacking Vale is hogwash."
"Is that a common conception?"
Junior interrupts them at that point, grumbling: "No. And Melanie, you didn't even realise until I pointed out what we know of the man." He shakes his head while the called out woman wilts away in embarassment. His gaze soon seeks Binah's, though. "Most people won't look further than the attack itself. I'm honestly not sure I like the implications. Either he is a scumbag, or someone hacked into the most advanced army on the planet. So if it was you, that would at least explain how it happened."
Binah inclines her head. He is not wrong that a Singularity ultimately allowed these events to unfold.
"Even if I were, what would you do with this information?"
He shrugs, but Binah can tell that he worries. Be it that he fears her prowess or that someone else snoops around, Junior only asks because he must. That leaves only one potential culprit. "Ah, so the esteemed headmaster is asking questions."
Both twins straighten up as one, looking to Junior. They apparently did not know, either. He sighs again. "You're way too smart for me to handle. Ruthless enough as well, I'm honestly surprised I'm still alive." He glances to Miltia even as he says it, which makes Binah chuckle heartily.
All three stare in befuddlement while she finishes her cup. It is set down with a click before she addresses them: "Meaningless slaughter may be amusing, but the entertainment only goes so far. It is true that Miltia guarantees your survival, but I was not inclined to destroy you regardless."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the red-clad twin grouses, her glare unimpeded by Binah's attention. She steps forward, claws unfurling. "Just 'cause I'm boinking one of your girls? That's all I'm being reduced to?"
"A crude way of phrasing it, but yes."
Junior barely manages to snatch the young woman's arm; had he not, she would have leapt over the table.
"Say that again, bitch!"
Binah idly pours herself another cup of tea and inhales the fragrance. Miltia thrashes harder in Junior's grasp upon being ignored. Melanie is similarly angry, but stays her hand. "Explain," she demands instead. "We know you're some weird voyeur who watches people, but what's so interesting about those two?"
Finally a proper question. Binah meets the white twin's gaze evenly and answers in kind: "When you look at Saffron, what do you see?"
"What kind of question is that? I asked first," she complains, crossing her arms. When it becomes clear Binah will not say any more, Melanie scowls. "Alright, fine. Saffron's Saffron, a pretty chocolate girl with enough strength to snap me in half. And some weird alter ego stuff that needs to be beaten down every once in a while. Pretty nice otherwise, a bit uptight."
She clearly wants to say more, but refrains. Binah inclines her head and turns to Miltia, who has since calmed down but continues to glower. "And what is it you see?"
"Fuck you, I see Saffron. She's firm but nice, she, she thinks through whatever she does. She's smart. And she's considerate, and a little skittish, and kinda cute. I don't care about Greed or anything, and I don't care where she's from or what she is. She's mine now and no one will take her away from me!"
Ah.
Binah's smirk reemerges. Before Miltia can continue to shout at her, the older woman speaks up: "You just answered yourself why I am so interested in your relationship. It has held for over half a year and seems to grow closer still. You have seen the King of Greed and beheld the death she means, yet disregard that notion in favour of your affection. It is an unfamiliar sort of determination, one that City dwellers rarely exhibit. What is more," she adds sardonically, "is that you simply accept being in love with a monster."
"Don't call her that!"
"What else would she be?" Binah retorts idly. "A monster, born for the purpose of energy production and nothing else." She is well aware Junior struggles to contain his surrogate daughter now. Miltia's thrashing slows minutely as what follows registers: "A being that was supposedly unable to change, yet displays growth. A thing that has adapted the traits of a person and, by all accounts, seems to return your feelings in earnest instead of following her own warped desires as Abnormalities are wont to do."
Binah takes another sip and lets the flavour disperse over her tongue. Her eyes never leave Miltia's. "What could be more intriguing than that? Alas, I will not be able to see where it all ends, whether your bond collapses or remains."
Miltia fell slack again and Junior finally lets go. Melanie steadies her sister, though both scowl at Binah. It is their foster father who addresses the obvious point: "Saffron mentioned in passing that you will leave soon. I take it the Abnormalities will go with you?"
"Of course not."
Revelling in their befuddlement, Binah rises. The twins squirm as she nears, but do not dare pull away when a hand each cups their cheeks. Her cheshire grin makes them tremble almost imperceptibly. "They have yet to speak their mind, but I know they want to remain on Remnant. I will indulge their desires once they voice them. In turn, I shall take one of Remnant's children back to the Library from whence I came. And you," she finishes with something akin to cheer, "shall remain with four eternal beings, each one powerful enough to be revered as a goddess. The only reason I shall not see where your and Saffron's path ends is that there is not enough time to watch it conclude. Be that a great argument, the King's triumph, or old age."
She lets go and the twins let out the breaths they were holding. Binah turns and makes to leave with fluttering robes, well aware of their and Junior's gazes boring into her back.
"I wish you good luck," she ends their conversation without looking back.
This is not farewell just yet, but the time approaches rapidly. Not fast enough to prevent Binah from seeing off Ironwood, though. A mere four days pass before a number of assuredly unarmed and human manned Bullhead airships arrive from Atlas.
Melancholy hangs over the entire platform on Beacon's hill. Under the eyes of the local students and what tourists still remain, squad after squad is led in and processed. The soldiers are not bound, but also not armed. They try to present a united front, walking in lockstep, but Binah can tell these motions lack their previous certainty.
James Ironwood maintains the same front, overseeing the procedure. Winter Schnee is by his side, as is Ozpin. Everyone else keeps their distance, excepting Binah. She joins the three to oversee the proceedings.
"Such is the end of an era," she prods.
Winter scowls at her, but smoothes out her features in moments. The yet-general merely heaves a sigh. He pointedly tries not to look beyond the airships, where one could spot his former fleet. Scavengers are still taking it apart for processing, both sanctioned and self-motivated.
"Perhaps you are right," he finally answers. There is little fight in him, just resignation. "And if nothing else, you were right with one thing: this is too much of a scandal. I will step down as General and resign from my position as headmaster."
A soft hum is Binah's only response to the news. She already figured as much; going by the faint twitch of Ozpin's features, he does not like this any more than Ironwood does. The atlesean glances at her with faint interest. "I thought you would be happier to hear this."
"It is of little consequence to me," she retorts with a renewed smirk. "You have never interested me much; too resolute and solidified. There was no reason for you to change and there still is none; you still believe yourself in the right, come hell or high water. Wherever your path leads, it only retreads a story told many million times before."
He snorts at that and shakes his head. A soft "Suit yourself" is muttered, but remains unaddressed. Somehow, the man himself firms up a bit. "I do not plan on letting this be the end," he admits, well aware Binah already knew. "If we ever meet again, I will have found another way to protect Remnant."
That is doubtful on all accounts. But if he wishes to try, Binah will not stop him.
"Binah!" another voice interrupts them. Penny runs up from the group of foreign students shuffling along, beaming smile in place. She does not stop in front of them and rather spreads her arms wide. Binah has to brace herself so as to not get run over, then the gynoid wraps her in a hug that could break another's bones. "I'm so glad I got to see you one more time," she chatters, but grows more somber with her face hidden at Binah's shoulder. "We won't see each other again, will we?"
She already caught on, after all. The older woman ignores the incredulous stares surrounding her and offers a single pat to Penny's head. "We will not," she confirms. "This is farewell."
Penny says nothing for a time. In the end she steps back, face pristine because she is unable to shed tears. Her smile is so blatantly fake Binah wonders why she even bothers.
"Okay then. Take care, okay?"
"You as well, child."
Penny slowly turns and walks, then backtracks to hug Binah again. Only then does she actually manage to return to the other students. Binah watches her leave with a mixture of fondness and regret; this one in particular would have been interesting to observe further. Alas, it is not meant to be.
"One could almost think you have a heart," Winter snipes from the side. Her tone remains frigid, though it lacks actual aggression. This one will never like Binah, but she admitted her own wrong and that is enough. The older woman chuckles.
"I do not," she agrees. "The more interesting question is whether you do, Specialist. Take heed when seeing to your brother." Her words draw a twitch from Winter, followed by an aborted grasp for a rapier she does not carry. Binah smirks. "You may need to cast down a giant to set him free."
This time it is for Winter to snort. The single sound does well in encapsulating her feelings for her father and his company.
"It's time," Ironwood declares then. He kept his silence while the women spoke, but seems not particularly enthused about Winter's hostility. The fact Binah took it in stride mollified him, though. "I'll call you sometime, Oz."
"Do not be a stranger," the other headmaster answers with a fond smile. They shake hands and, after a moment, Ironwood offers the same to Binah. She accepts the gesture. Winter graciously does similarly with Ozpin.
The atlesean pair splits off, leaving just two of them to watch them join their few surviving troops and cadre of students.
"From how you spoke," Ozpin begins after a while, "it seems you will soon return to your Library as well." There is no question to be asked, they both know it. "Does that mean your purpose on Remnant found an end?" He fishes with idle curiousity. "You never said what it was."
"Subtlety is why I was chosen," Binah returns idly. "Had this task required mere power, then Roland or Gebura were the superior choices. Much like you would prefer General Ironwood over Qrow Branwen in such a matter."
"I heard a bit about this Roland character when you spoke to young Ash." Ozpin glances back to the crowd, but nobody pays them much mind; his power flickers ever so faintly around them, locking off sound from carrying. "It is hard to imagine a man so powerful, much less several. Is this common in the world you hail from?"
"Common, no." She can not help but chuckle over the mere idea. Perhaps if the Seed of Light had taken root as planned, it may have even become reality. "Those two defy the possible and achieve what others could not hope to grasp, but they are not unique. They stand head and shoulders above other Fixers, even the Colours that make up their apex. But to pretend the rest are meaningless in comparison is folly."
"I see." He falls silent for a moment, a faint smile playing around his features. "I would love to see this world of yours one day."
"And you would regret that wish if it ever came true."
"Perhaps," he agrees with a chuckle. "But such is the burden of curiousity. One of mankind's greatest gifts, but also our greatest bane. And speaking of, will you actually admit it is Salem you seek?"
Binah's brow arches. Ozpin sees her look and grins back, clearly just as capable of piecing the puzzle together. "Now that I had time to think, I realised that little else makes sense. And even if not, I have the feeling you already know about her anyway."
"Then you already know the answer to your question," Binah tells him with a faint grin. It may just as well be a confession. "Before long, she will be on Remnant no longer. Akin to the Abnormalities that can never truly die, she will be put to sleep in a book forevermore."
The tome on Binah's belt almost resonates with her words. It expects to receive Salem's essence, waiting patiently. And with it comes a spark of memory since lost; she recalls a single moment, standing together with the other patron librarians and Angela as a monochrome pair of fish speak to them. Their words are lost, but the imprint remains.
"Do you need any assistance?" Ozpin asks quietly, breaking her reminiscence. He seems wearier than before, as if he aged a thousand years in a moment. "Even with all I know, this endeavour sounds like madness. I can not commit significant resources. But if there is anything you need, say the word."
"I will let you know," Binah answers. She has all the power she needs and transportation already secured. But perhaps there is something else she will need Ozpin's support for. It is yet to be seen. "For now, I have reemerging memories to ponder."
"Of course. Until next time."
His power disperses and Binah is free to go. She absently nods toward Love's cheerful waves, then does the same to Anemone. Those two are here and Saffron somewhere in Vale. Excepting Courage, all of them have left the nest. They barely return to the Nirvana at all, perfectly content with the places they found on their own. Courage only remains because she chose the teahouse as her place, but will go wherever Weiss goes.
The thought is sombering as well as exciting. No one could have ever expected Abnormalities to act so erratic. Their behaviour runs counter to everything Lobotomy Corporation ever understood of them.
Was it the Seed? The golden light? Or perhaps, indeed, the synchronisations within the Library? To connect so closely with people that they obtained the ability to evolve? Perhaps all these factors tied together to create this unique circumstance.
And then there are the twin fish. Yin and Yang, two parts of a dragon that can devastate the world. Whatever they asked of Binah is gone, but she now knows for certain that they were involved. Her journey to Remnant is by their design. They requested Salem be removed. Therefore, they must have known of Remnant and of Salem.
"Wait up!" a voice calls from behind, interrupting her musings. Binah glances back, only to find Yang and Ruby leaping down the cliffs after her. They match more closely than in the past, what with Yang's hair cut to shoulder length. Pale lines of scar tissue spiral along both her arms, the only real reminder of her encounter with the musicbox. The pair reach Binah at ground level and Yang pants slightly. "Brothers, how are you so fast?"
"You're just slow, sis," Ruby quips, dodging a swipe with practiced ease and sticking out her tongue. "See?"
Yang heaves a sigh and turns to Binah instead, ignoring her sister. She has never liked Binah and did not start liking her now, but still she sought out the older woman. Birdsong surrounds them at the outskirts of Vale. Nothing else happens as Binah patiently waits for the siblings to voice their desires.
In the end, Yang breaks first. "You're leaving," she says matter-of-factly.
"So I am," Binah concurs, goading her.
Yang clenches her teeth and tenses up, but refrains from acting on her temper. She absently rubs over the thin scar along her left arm. Ruby sees it too and takes over, ultimately more at ease: "Why haven't you said anything yet? The only reason I know is that Ash told me." She hesitates, dragging her foot forlornly. "And she said she's going with you."
Though her attention lies on the younger sister, Binah well notices the older one react to the last bit. It is but a faint rise in tension, a narrowing of the eyes, but it tells her enough. How amusing. "If you wish to negotiate Ash's continued presence on Remnant, you approached the wrong person." She speaks to Yang specifically, who stiffens. "Just like any crutch to an issue, she will not last eternal."
"Fuck off," the blonde seethes; she only reins her reignited temper in when Ruby grasps her arm, but keeps scowling. "Do you have to be so annoying?"
Binah's smirk grows a fraction, answer enough in itself. With her departure being near, she may as well offer one of her little secrets: "Anger is such a simple yet powerful emotion. To invoke it means to cloud the other's judgement. To make them make mistakes they would not commit with a clear mind. Yours burns brighter than most, child. It is up to you to tame it."
Though she grew thoughtful, the final comment has Yang growl again. "You say that like I can just turn it off if I want it enough. In case you didn't catch it: that's not how it works!"
She makes a dismissive motion with the arm Ruby holds, almost throwing her sister to the ground. The girl squeaks and rolls along, coming to stand no worse for wear yet worried. Binah huffs, evenly meeting Yang's gaze. "You seem to expect ridicule or disappointment from every word about your emotional state," she observes. Yang's eyes widen fractionally, giving her away. The smirk grows. "Preconceived notions such as these colour the truth of a matter and lead you astray. You need to disregard them to truly see.
"I will not pretend that your growth is a certainty, but I can see the desire for it burning within you. Is it, perhaps, that you have given up hope? Were you ground down by the expectations of others that you were never obligated to fulfill?"
"That's none of your business," Yang grinds out in response. She, too, is painfully aware that it may as well be a confession. Ruby looks at her in worry, which only seems to agitate the blonde more. "How would that disregarding stuff even work? Seriously, every time you talk in riddles."
"Such is the prerogative of an Arbiter," Binah taunts her with something approaching cheer. "Though, rest assured, child: if I actually took offense with you, my words would not merely approach being cryptic." Ayin can attest to that. Thinking of him reminds her of the point she was meaning to make, though. "Regardless, the will will pave the way. You are Yang Xiao-Long, reckless, impulsive, temperamental."
She ducks her head as if embarassed while Binah begins stalking around the girl and continues to speak: "The world is not changed easily, and the same goes for our own natures. Yet if no effort is made, no change will ever come." She pauses for a moment, well aware that she is beginning to repeat herself. Perhaps a more practical approach will suffice. "That partner of yours, Pyrrha. She is hesitant and withdrawn, analytical, perhaps prone to overthinking."
"Yeeeees?" Yang fishes, drawing out the word to emphasise the question. Then she blinks. "Wait, you mean she can help me?"
Not full marks, but an attempt was made. Binah accepts the effort. "Yes and no. She can not simply teach you to be her, but serve as a counterbalance to your impulsive nature. In turn, you will prevent her from being caught in indecision for too long." And that is as far as Binah wants to give her the answers she must find herself. "Now go and meditate, child. Just like a sapling does not sprout into a magnificent tree over a single night, you too need time to fuel your growth."
Yang is deep in thought, all hostility gone. She frowns, opens her mouth to ask another question, and stops herself. Perhaps she realises there will be no real answer. With Ash's song soon gone and the convenient solution to her temper out of reach, she knows she has to find another way or give up.
"Alright, I guess. Thanks."
So saying, she turns around to climb back up. Then she pauses and looks over her shoulder. "You coming, Ruby?"
The younger sister quickly snaps out of her own contemplation. "O-Oh, just a minute," she tells Yang. "I had something I wanted to ask her, too."
"Sure."
While Yang troops off, Binah motions for Ruby to follow. They stood around long enough now. "What is it you desire?" she queries as the girl scrambles to keep up with her larger strides.
"Well, first of all, thank you. For, y'know." She nods back to the blob of yellow slowly ascending the hill. "That. She wasn't doing so well because therapists and medicine just didn't help. Or, well, some of that stuff just made her loopy and tired."
"Which is equally unacceptable for a prospective Huntress," Binah finishes the train of thought. Ruby nods sadly, drawing a huff from the older woman. "I merely gave her a direction, whether she runs or walks or crawls along the way. You seem to have faith in her regardless."
The girl offers a shrug, but her sentiment is understood. They are sisters, that much is a given.
Binah holds her silence as they begin to enter Vale. Ruby squirms quietly, sneaking glances at her before realising she is not prompted again on purpose. "You're doing it to me too," she mutters in realisation. "You know I'm bad with people." The fact Binah's smirk returns is not lost on her and she grumbles, but ultimately firms up.
"Okay, so. Ash said that you gotta do something important before you go back to... wherever you're from. I don't really get that stuff." She pauses and waits for a reaction, but receives none. So reassured, Ruby finally asks her question: "Can I come, too? Not to where you're from," she quickly backpedals upon seeing Binah's quirked brow. "I mean to whatever you've got to do. After the thing with Love, I feel... that there's so much I don't understand. So I want to see it, whatever it is."
"Even if it costs your life?"
The inquiry draws a twitch. Ruby rubs her neck awkwardly. "I mean, I'd rather not die? But if it's risky, that's okay. That's what you meant, right?" she tries hopefully.
Meanwhile, Binah chuckles to herself. She may have little confidence, but Ruby Rose is a decent observer even without training. Perhaps her focus on being a sniper helps her pick out minute details, but that can not bridge the lack of experience in social situations.
"Yes, that was my meaning," she confirms for the relieved girl. "As for your request, well. I wonder about that."
She pauses and looks to you. Ruby is confused.
[] Indulge her
[] Deny her
