Ghost Partition
Checksum Error
- Location
- Fragmented Sector
... I wonder what ghost would see/think when it dreamnail's a grimm. Maybe he won't like them and start actively hunting them? I'm hopeful.
Radiant Rebirth (Hollow Knight x RWBY)
- Thread starter Naron
- Start date
- Crossover
Penny is sheltered and too trusting, I am very much not sure Pietro knows anything.
Pietro definitely knows about the dead student, Ghost traded that stuff for its new nail and Penny talked to Pietro about it.
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
To be fair he doesn't know that Ghost killed them, just that they died. For all he knows ghost scavenged the corpses.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Having a faunus friendly SDC head is better than nothing, but getting there by being a "good" faunus and shaming anyone who isn't does more damage.
You don't fix the racism machine by putting a nice person to lead it, you fix it by dismantling it and replacing it by something better. Even a "faunus friendly" Weiss won't kill her own company, it would take a few more steps for that. All the while you are appeasing her to be a better lord (and being mad at people wanting to do mote) people are getting abused and murdered. While that would be easier to do w the actual company heads cooperation, that's not what Selina is advocating.
While Adam Taurus is a genocidal abusive asshole, that he was *branded* kind of indicates how bad shit can get at SDC sites.
Ofc this is all complicated by canon declaring the only radical organisation working for faunus rights coopted by a genocidal witch so idk... Theory and practical plans kind of breaks down at that point.
I am talking about Pietro knowing anything about ghost having followed Penny, at least before he realize he's not there anymore, not about him knowing about the dead students.
- Location
- Earth
Looking at it, I think I managed to make Selina into a proper character. And I base this on the fact that someone on SB stated she were the most "annoying fuck" in competition with only Blake, while a FFN reviewer called her best girl.
That the same character managed to cause reactions this diverse means I did my job well
That the same character managed to cause reactions this diverse means I did my job well
Thozmp
Gets my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
Got a link handy?
There you are.
Now, to talk about this fic, I had a little thought about Selina:
While she is right that Blake is too extreme, to the point she has become just as racist as the ones she fights here, Selina herself is too passive.
Her solution to getting too much meat is certainly conflictless, but she could just as easily tell gently to the cooks that she doesn't need that much meat (and that Velvet doesn't need that much greens), if they're not racists, she just corrected their ignorance and helped them know more about Faunuses, if they are, she will know faster and can work on it faster.
Blake sees any offense as racism, and that's bad, because it could just be ignorance, but Selina doesn't see that letting ignorance stays is not good either, knowing more helps understand more, and understanding more helps with empathy.
1.9 A Stray
- Location
- Earth
"I was wondering, Selina."
Much to Weiss's consternation and relief, the faunus woman turned her way immediately. A week had passed yet despite them always sitting together for breakfast, it still felt a little eerie to be so close to somene who should by all accounts detest her. Weiss had no idea why they got along quite well and even had the occasional conversation. Teams Spiceberry and Sunlight gravitated together for some reason none of them could quite tell.
Either way, Selina was amenable. "Shoot."
In spite of her fellow leader's friendly demeanour, Weiss could not help but hesitate. "Well," she began slowly in an attempt to sound measured. " I gathered from previous conversations that you are not particularly... happy, with the White Fang." Conversation around the table ceased, though Weiss paid the others little mind. "Could you elaborate on your stance toward them? And, well, how common it is among faunus?"
"Ugh, heavy questions in the morning." Selina frowned, then glanced back down at her pudding. "Gimme a sec."
It followed a reminder of her lower class origins because she simply shoveled the whole thing down her gullet in record speed. Weiss wrinkled her nose but smoothed out her expression before Selina could notice. The other woman heaved a content sigh and returned to the matter at hand: "Alright, here's the deal: the White Fang has the right goal and a very wrong idea how to get there."
Weiss said nothing in an attempt to make Selina elaborate. Which Blake then ruined by chiming in: "What's that supposed to mean?"
The note of aggression did not slip past Weiss and she had to wonder again what it was with these two. They seemed to row near constantly and unlike with literally everyone else, Selina did not take it in stride; if anything, she scowled back.
"I'm in ol' Ghira's camp on that one," the wolf shot back. The comment made Blake flinch for whatever reason. If Selina noticed, she did not bring it up. "Now how'd he say it? 'Violence for violence only perpetuates the cycle we want to break'."
"Quite," Weiss could not help but agree. It was a sensible position in her opinion. "May I ask who this Ghira is?"
Just like that Selina's attention returned to Weiss. The heiress was once again surprised by how quickly her mood shifted back to conversational. "Ghira's the guy who founded the Fang way back when. He made it big by hard work and grit, in Mistral of all places."
Weiss's brow arched; although she knew the White Fang originated in Mistral, she never looked up any details. Selina nodded sagely, having caught her reaction. "You and I didn't really see much of it, but they used to be, er, not violent assholes. Heck, I was a junior member for years."
Now this had Weiss's brows meet her hairline. She tensed up instinctively, then felt silly when no attack came. Heads turned from the surrounding tables as well, conversation ceased. Selina paid no one any mind and kept going: "But the thing is, Ghira got lobbied out by the violent assholes. That was, five? Five-ish? Years ago? Roughly." She wiggled her hand for emphasis. "He saw how the wind blew and left, and a whole bunch of people left with him. Most of 'em live on Menagerie now."
"I see."
It was all she could say in response, Weiss really needed to read up on the subject. Meeting Selina ignited her curiousity. "And you left also?" A nod. "What kind of work did you do as a junior member?"
"Oh, you know. The usual stuff, drawing posters, writing letters to politicians, baking for fundraisers. Joining the smaller protests that we didn't expect would get mobbed by police or counter-protests. Toward the end they had me look after the younger kids and started teaching me how to use my spear for guard duty." Selina shrugged at her. "Stuff that a child can do without getting hurt."
Yang chimed in here, more curious than sensible: "And your parents agreed to all this?"
When Selina just stared back at her for a long moment, Weiss knew this was the completely wrong question to ask. The silence soon turned uncomfortable and made even Yang squirm. Then Selina shrugged again. "Got none, same as most of the kids we had along at the time. The Fang organised all the orphans they could find. Most were faunus, some humans.
"Shit, sorry."
"It's fine, I'm over it."
True to her words, Selina seemed ambivalent at most. The fact eased Weiss's nerves a bit. Meanwhile Penny's expression had fallen. "How sad," she said. "I can not imagine life without my father."
Though unintended, her forlorn rumination reminded Weiss of her own family; she very much could and did live without them now.
Meanwhile, Selina, shrugged. "Hey, cherish them while they're there as long as they're good people. Ghira and his wife looked after the lot of us whenever they had time to spare." She paused before turning back to Weiss. "That answer your question?"
"To an extent, yes. Thank you."
"Anything else you wanna know?"
Weiss did have additional questions, but some of them felt quite invasive and were better left for another time. While she still mulled it over, Blake chimed in again: "If the Fang is doing it wrong, then what do you propose to do it better?"
Though the aggression remained subtle, Weiss had to wonder. Blake seemed to care about faunus rights a great deal, but why did she seem so protective of the White Fang? She could not say anything conclusive just yet, but that went on the list of subjects to investigate. Thankfully Selina did not drive conflict any further. She simply threw up her hands.
"How should I know? I'm bad with big picture stuff, 's why I'm going to be a Huntress and not a politician. All I know is killing security guards and stealing Dust ain't it."
"Or assassinating my family," Weiss could not help but quip. A hint of bitterness stole itself into her voice, though no one seemed to notice.
"Or that, yeah. Is that why you're here? To protect yourself from the assholes?"
The sudden turnabout was a bit of a surprise; Weiss did not feel well sharing something this personal, but at the same time Selina was quite open. She could tell her at least one reason and simply not mention the rest: "To an extent. Among other things, the Schnees were renowned for their martial prowess before my grandfather founded the SDC. I wish to carry on with this family tradition as well."
"Makes sense. Good luck on that, I don't see it get much better anytime soon."
Though she appreciated the well wishes, Selina's comment made her think of her father once again. Weiss barely managed to suppress a sigh. "Neither do I."
From there they went through classes as before. History, Grimm Studies, Dust Handling, Combat; Weiss made sure to take notes even from Professor Port's droning stories of his own exploits. It took a few days to realise that these tales were a treasure trove of information if one could only dig it out. A small number of classmates tried the same, though Selina was not among them; she still listened with rapt attention, though. Then came Combat class, where the wolf faunus was paired off with Blake. The following beatdown was ferocious and gave Weiss newfound respect for her fellow team leader.
Selina's aura also went close to the halfway mark, but she consistently harried Blake across the room; her control of the fight never swayed, which made sense when a trained vanguard met an assassin type in a controlled environment.
What was more, everyone could tell there was some sort of tension to the pair. She heard some jokes about it being the romantic sort but did not ascribe to that.
The situation finally blew up at the end of that same day. Far faster than anticipated, not to mention far more public.
They were in the common room with a number of other teams when Blake blew her fuse after another snippy comment. "What's your problem?!" she shouted at Selina. "I have done nothing to you and you keep acting like I'm the worst person in the world!"
Several dozen people watched the fireworks. Weiss and Yang rose to step in, worried despite knowing this was coming. They were too slow to stop Selina from grabbing Blake's collar. Both women stared at each other from up close, furious.
Then the wolf let go with a laugh. "You don't know?" she taunted. "Seriously? Not the teensiest, tiniest idea why I may hate you in particular, Blake?"
"No! I've done nothing to you! What's wrong with you?"
"No, Blake. What's wrong with YOU?!" The sudden shout had Blake flinch back. So did Weiss, even though she stood a little distant. Her teammate fell flat on her rear after being shoved by Selina; the otherwise so reasonable faunus was irate. When Nora tried to pull her back, she received an elbow to the face. Selina stepped forward and reached out.
"You wanna know what you did? Well, let's start with that!"
Selina tore the bow off Blake's head on the final word. She yelped in pain and clasped her feline ears, only to realise that they were on full display for all to see. Weiss had meant to interfere but the sight stopped her cold. How did she not notice Blake was a faunus? Yang was equally dumbstruck, but that made little comfort right now.
Meanwhile, Selina threw the black ribbon away. "Talk about Faunus deserving respect while hiding these like you're ashamed of 'em," she spat. "That's the first bit. But hey, you do you. That's not it." Selina leaned down toward Blake, who stared up with wide eyes. A single finger poked the newly revealed faunus' chest with every word: "Call. Your. Parents."
Silence reigned. The entire room watched, breath held in anticipation. All Blake managed to utter was a single, confused "What?" which several others echoed. Selina snarled, poking her chest harder.
"Call your parents", she repeated. "It's been five years. Five fucking years, Blake. No call, no letter, no nothing. I still catch Kali staring at the phone hoping today's the day, sometimes. You're an ungrateful bitch of a daughter and by the Brothers, go fuck yourself!"
Selina turned and marched away on those words. Blake stared after her, completely flabbergasted and more than a little afraid.
Weiss did not know what to do; none of this made sense, she did not expect it at all. All she could do was watch as a woman she thought she got to know a bit became aware of the room. All eyes were on her.
Blake shrunk away, scrambled to her feet, and fled.
The silence lasted a short while longer, then the various groups began to discuss what they just saw. Weiss helplessly stood with the rest of SPBY and SNNL, all of which were close to the epicenter.
Nora spoke up hesitantly: "Shouldn't someone, I dunno, go after them?"
"I'll take Blake," Yang volunteered and trooped off. She was surprisingly serious unlike her usual, carefree attitude.
Nora and Ren then glanced to Pyrrha, who had remained perfectly at ease in her seat. With no input from her, the third redhead of Sunlight made to follow her leader. Ren joined her and so did Weiss; she felt out of place going after Selina, but she wanted to remain in this room even less. Moreover, she did worry; that was a bit of a surprise to realise and Weiss put it out of her mind for now.
Someone else joined them on the way out. Weiss glanced to the hare faunus momentarily who shied away from her gaze but made no motion to split off. Though on edge with yet another faunus so close, Weiss decided to just be polite. "I do not believe we met before," she began. "You are in second year, I believe?"
"Y-Yes, that's me. Hi. I'm Velvet."
"Weiss. A pleasure." She almost added her last name again, which she slowly began to realise people did not really do in Vale. She could not tell whether her upperclasswoman was afraid of her as a person or just generally anxious. "I imagine you wish to check on Selina as well?"
"Yeah. She's a good person. I didn't think she could blow up like that."
Weiss wetted her lips. Though Velvet herself appeared uncertain how to approach the heiress, she had a similar issue. As the last week showed, the general demeanour of a socialite used to Atlesean high society simply did not fit well into a valean hunter academy. Despite her internal fretting she offered the other woman a nod. "She always seemed quite reasonable when we spoke. Only Blake ever got that kind of reaction out of her."
Nora chimed into their halting conversation, thankfully preventing an awkward silence: "Where do you think she went?"
"This way are the forges, the workshops, and the gym," Ren told his partner, eyes only halfway focussed as he recalled the floorplan. "Let's start with the gym."
"Sounds good!"
They quietly followed Nora's lead, though all four students were familiar with Beacon's indoor gym. Hunters could not skip out on physical exercise, a truth even Weiss was aware of. She had worked out a decent amount for the past years to get in shape for Beacon, though that was still a light load compared to most everyone else.
Selina was exactly where Ren suspected her, grumpily bench pressing heavy weights; the load sat close to four hundred kilos, Selina's personal maximum. Nora dashed forward about as soon as the fact registered with Weiss.
"Damn, girl! Calm down! This is dangerous without a spotter!"
Selina let the bar slam back into its holder and flipped off her fellow redhead. "Go away," she ground out, though they could all tell the faunus girl needed that break.
"Is that any way to treat your teammates after how concerned they were for you?" Weiss chimed in despite her hesitation to draw Selina's ire. She implicitely included herself in that group, though thankfully no one seemed to catch on. Selina simply glowered at her and went back to lifting; Nora began spotting her.
The ensuing silence was only interrupted by the occasional grunts and clacks whenever Selina put down the weight. With Weiss worried for her standing with Selina and Ren lost in thought, Velvet was the next to take heart.
"Sooo, that was pretty intense back there," she tried but shrank back somewhat under the renewed glare that comment earned her. She did not flee as Weiss half expected her to, though.
The younger girl took the opening this presented, having had enough time to find some conclusions: "It may be mere conjecture, but I assume Blake's father is this Ghira you are so fond of?"
"Yep. Girl's got no idea how good she has it. Ghira and Kali are, like, the best people in the world. And she keeps hurting them."
Velvet hummed in agreement. "I did hear that the Belladonnas are kind people, yes."
Something about that statement gave Weiss pause. She warily glanced to the hare faunus, who seemed nonplussed by the sudden attention. Weiss just had to ask: "Hold on, please. You mean to tell me that Blake applied to Beacon under her actual name? While hiding her, erm, heritage?"
She was glad that neither faunus took offense; Velvet merely shrugged and Selina barked a mirthless laugh.
"Probably got it from her folks. Not a dishonest bone on either, so it figures she sucks at lying too." She put down the weight again and rested for a moment, wordlessly accepting the water bottle Ren handed her. Then another glance went over the quartet that followed her. "You guys, I appreciate that you came to check but I'll be fine. Just lemme work it out of my system for a bit and I'll be good as new."
Seeing the dismissal for what it was, Weiss took her leave there. Ren and Velvet followed, though Nora remained to continue her spotting duties. Weiss still felt a little odd being around faunus, but it turned out not all of them wanted her head on a platter; she even managed a short conversation with Velvet about second year classes and what to expect of end-of-year exams. Not the most riveting subject but certainly a safe one to start with.
Who would have thought? Weiss Schnee, getting used to the presence of faunus.
Alas, the next morning saw only seven of them sit down for breakfast. Saturday had dawned and with it the weekend.
"Never found her," Yang muttered when Nora asked about Blake. Weiss had noted how sour her teammate was when she returned after nightfall and decided to give her time to cool down. "Figured she'd come back after a few hours but she's not around. Her Scroll's off, too."
Selina only had a dismissive snort for that. "And good riddance," she commented. The glare from Yang went ignored much like Weiss's more curt look. While she finally understood Selina's issues with Blake, she also found them somewhat childish.
By noon the three members of Spiceberry began to worry. Blake was still nowhere to be found. Weiss frankly had no idea what to do with this. Her pride would not allow to just let her stay away or even leave the team; anxiety over her father's reaction to such a major mishap under her tenure as team leader only added to the mix. And then there was this small, creeping sense of worry for Blake's wellbeing.
She only had two options: inform the faculty, which would be admitting she could not solve this on her own, or put in the work herself. Hence why Weiss gathered Yang and Penny before going to the only people she felt she could ask for help.
"Regardless of anything else," she explained to SNNL, "Blake is a part of this team. Allowing her to simply run off is not acceptable." Though she made her case with the usual grace and logic, Weiss could not help but deflate. She hated having to request assistance from anyone. "Although, admittedly, I do not know how to find her."
Nora and Ren had listened with rapt attention; Selina kept her eyes closed without much reaction while Pyrrha seemed mostly aloof to the situation. Into the silence left by Weiss's admission, Penny raised her hand thoughtfully. "We could inform the police? This sounds like a missing person's case."
"Possible," Weiss agreed. "But such a case would take some time to resolve."
"We could go out and look for her," Yang suggested next. "But Vale is pretty big."
Ren then added onto her own realisation: "And we do not know if she is still in town." Though Yang winced, he did not quite notice. His thoughts were elsewhere. "...although." With that one word Ren's gaze wandered to Selina. Nora and Weiss followed, then the rest.
It took Sunlight's leader a full ten seconds to notice the expectant silence. Her eyes opened to find six other students looking at her. "What?" she asked at first, but realisation struck before Ren could explain his thought process. A flat "No" was her only answer.
"But you could find her, right?" Nora grinned as if she won the lottery. Selina scowled.
"Maybe, but I won't."
"Sel, please. She's my partner, we can't just let her run away!"
Though Yang's pleading softened the glower some, it did not seem like Selina was willing to give in. Weiss nibbled on her lip, then decided to use what she learned. "I concur. You need not do it for Blake's sake. Though I imagine her parents would be... disappointed, if you refused to help in this?" Much as she expected, Selina winced as if slapped. A dishonest strategy perhaps, but this was important to Weiss.
Unlike what she expected, Selina hopped to her feet and lumbered her way. Weiss stood warily, only to feel very small when almost two hundred pounds of irate wolf loomed over her. She could see the brown of Selina's eyes from this close but refused to avert her gaze. Weiss stood her ground.
Selina growled, but no attack came. "Fine," she spat, "but you owe me for this. Big time."
Her demand drew a frown from Weiss in turn, though she knew a bargain when she saw it. "Very well," she agreed. "What do you want?"
"No idea, I'll get back to you when I don't have to give myself a migraine for stupid people."
"I see." The businesswoman in her wanted to refuse this and demand a clear request. But this was important enough to disregard it. Moreover, Weiss trusted Selina not to abuse this favour. "I would not accept such an open-ended agreement normally, but... alright. And thank you."
"Meh. Someone go get me something Blake's worn."
"What? Why?" Yang was almost as befuddled as Weiss, who could finally breathe again because Selina left her personal space. Her heart fluttered as anxiety and suppressed fear crashed over her like a wave. And yet here she was, safe and sound. Weiss had trouble believing it.
Penny produced Blake's ribbon in the meantime. Selina accepted the offering and led the other six students back to the common room. Ghost followed right behind, ignored by everyone else. After figuring out which exit Blake took, Selina waved them all back. Much to SP_Y's confusion, she took a deep sniff of the ribbon and grimaced.
"I hate you all," she muttered. "So much." A few steps this way and that, then she pointed toward Vale. "That way."
No Bullheads flew in the evenings, meaning Blake trekked down the cliff on her own. Even Selina could barely follow the trail despite the absence of rain or other obstructions; everyone else climbed after her. The silver lining, Weiss reassured herself, was that this gave her some exercise. Ren spent the time filling her, Penny, and Yang in on Selina's Semblance. It certainly put into perspective why she grumbled so much.
Close to the mountain's foot, the redhead glanced Weiss's way with disdain. "I really don't get why you'd want her back."
"Is that not self-evident?"
"...right. You really haven't put together she's White Fang?"
Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. A flood of worry followed Selina's question. She had suspicions, but to have it just pointed out like this came as a shock. "Pardon?" Her teammates were equally surprised, she absently noted. "Perhaps you should have led with such a piece of information?"
"Eh." Selina made a dismissive motion. "I figured I'd give her a chance in case she actually left, but at this point I doubt it. That's why she hasn't been home in ages. Remember what I told you guys about how Ghira left?" Weiss nodded, as did her team. "Well, Blake didn't. No, she took it a step further and called him a coward, all but ran off. Just like this here." It was clear by her sour tone what Selina thought of that.
Penny hummed in thought. "So she is a member of the 'violent assholes', as you put it?"
"Yeeep. Last I heard she made second-in-command under Adam Taurus. He may be a moderate but he's still in that group too." And they all knew that name; Adam Taurus was a famous and powerful face of the White Fang. Leader of the Fang in Vale and a prized swordsman.
The following silence lasted for a long time. Weiss's expression turned stormy as she wrestled with this new situation. Did she want Blake back after all? But no, this was not in question. If Blake dropped out of Beacon entirely on her own accord, that was one matter. Weiss would not condone simply running off like this. She refused to let this reflect back on her. Not to mention that Yang grew increasingly worried as they entered Vale proper.
After a dozen streets and two more sniffs of the ribbon, it was surprisingly Pyrrha who spoke up: "If I may, I was wondering. Why is the White Fang named that way? The imagery is rather aggressive, for a group originally meant to be peaceful."
Selina was rubbing her temples at this point, but she indulged the other redhead's request anyway. "Yeah, kinda. I asked Ghira about it a few years ago, too. The important part is the colour. That we're ready to stand up, 'bear our fangs', but never use them."
"I see."
Weiss understood as well. This offered an interesting piece of insight she never even questioned before. Alas, worry for Blake slowly swept that away. Selina led them into the nicer parts of Vale; blocks made of singular houses with large gardens and other properties became increasingly more common. Subtle glances to their companions revealed that Nora and Ren began shifting awkwardly. Weiss had noticed before, but their clothes were well-worn; they must not be used to treading in such a neighbourhood. In opposition to them, Weiss and Pyrrha grew more at ease in familiar circumstances.
"You sure you got the right track?" Yang questioned when it was clear they would not swerve back into the backstreets, only to receive a nasty look.
"Do you want to try finding her by scent? No? Then shut up."
Yang threw her hands up in a placating gesture. "Geez, just saying! Calm down!"
"I'll calm down when my head stops killing me tomorrow or so. This way."
They changed direction at a cross-section. Weiss wisely kept her mouth shut, increasingly grateful that Selina was willing to hurt herself for their sake. She could not help but appreciate her own Semblance ever more, regardless the trouble some of its aspects gave her.
Her thoughts were cut off when they stopped in front of a particular house. The property was fenced off, two men in dark suits standing at the front gate. While everyone drank in the sight, Weiss glanced at Selina.
"You are certain this is the right place?"
The other woman nodded, though her glare had not abated any. Her voice remained mostly calm despite the display of aggression: "Yeah. There were like two other scents going the same way. Funny the people she knows. Your turn now, I'm done." She kept rubbing her temples while Nora gently clasped her shoulder.
With SNNL hanging back, Weiss cloaked herself in regal composure and strode forward. Yang followed only a half-step behind while Penny trailed after them. Weiss knew the suits were looking at them behind their sunglasses and did not let it bother her.
Once she approached close enough, one of the men nodded at them. "Can I help you, ladies?"
Weiss made to speak, but Yang tapped her shoulder. The request was clear enough, even though it drew a faint frown. Nonetheless, she let the blonde take over. Yang addressed the suit: "Maybe. We're looking for a friend of ours. A woman about this tall; long, black hair."
"And cat ears," Penny added from behind.
"...yeah, that too."
The suits exchanged looks, however that worked with sunglasses on. The one who held his silence so far piped up, voice almost a drawl. "Slender?"
Yang shook her head. "No, curvy."
"What kind of question is that?" Weiss could not help but comment.
"Just checking. One moment." So saying, the suit stepped away to talk into a radio.
A thoughtful Pyrrha joined the three during that lull in conversation. "We will escort Selina back to Beacon," she explained. "Please message one of us once this matter is resolved."
"Of course," Weiss answered with a nod. Pyrrha returned the gesture and retreated again. At the same time Weiss took notice how the remaining suit straightened up. She had to wonder if name-dropping Beacon was done on purpose.
The first suit returned moments later and pushed open the gate. "Boss says you can go in, just behave." Weiss thanked him and moved on, only for a startled question to stop her: "Hold on, what's that thing?"
Looking back, they were pointing at their small follower. Penny smiled. "Oh, of course. Come here, Ghost." He walked up once beckoned, only for Penny to pick him up. "He is completely harmless, I promise! Hic" The suit stared at her for a long moment. Whether he failed to notice the concerning lie or did not care, he waved Penny through.
Another suit opened the door for the three women, who were greeted by the sound of a violin. Yang chuckled at that. "Wow, I thought the music was just a movie thing." She nudged Weiss, who barely refrained from rolling her eyes.
"This is Ms. Neopolitan," the woman at the door explained helpfully. "She often practices over noon."
So they had a name to the owner or their daughter, although Yang did not seem to recognise it. Either way, Weiss felt proper etiquette had to be observed. "Do relay my compliments. She plays quite well." It was not a lie, either.
"Of course, miss."
Almost as soon as the door closed behind them, a playful voice sounded from their left: "Now now, what do we have here? A gaggle of schoolgirls?"
Yang groaned halfway through, burying her head in her hands with a desperate "Why?!"; Weiss and Penny were studying the man leaning in a doorway; his state of dress was impeccable, the suit well tailoured, and his confident smirk only mildly annoying. Then he decided to mime finger guns at Yang.
"Heya, blondie. Short time no see. How's your friend doing? Ruby, was it?"
Completely ignorant of the implication that these two knew each other, Penny began to muse: "How odd, the only Ruby you mentioned is your sister. Do you know any other Rubies?"
"Oh, sister? You two don't look alike at all." His quip prompted a heavy sigh, to which he huffed. Admittedly, Weiss could see the humour in driving her teammate to despair. She was also confused and had no time to figure out why this bothered Yang so much; the man looked them over. "But enough of that, who else do we have. Weiss Schnee, pretty obvious... and a ginger I don't know, holding what I really hope is not a Grimm."
"Oh, I am Penny. Nice to meet you, sir. And no, Ghost is not a Grimm."
He squinted for just a moment, then strolled forward casually. Weiss took notice of his smooth motion and the fact he seemed perfectly at ease. A hand was offered to her, which she shook with a polite smile. "A pleasure to meet you, mister....?"
"Torchwick. Roman Torchwick, at your service."
"I am afraid I am not familiar with your work, Mr. Torchwick."
"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to. Atlas is far and I rarely cut deals with the SDC."
Yang had listened to their introductions with a stormy face. At this point she chimed in: "Didn't you buy a ton of Dust just last week?"
He threw the blonde another smirk in response. "Well, yes. But I buy locally and for good reason."
Weiss nodded at that. "Supporting local businesses is perfectly understandable, of course. You are a businessman then?"
Roman winked at her while Yang groaned. "No, Weiss." She spoke slowly as if talking to a toddler. If not for what came next, Weiss would have been indignant: "He's a crime boss. Like, the crime boss in Vale. How haven't you heard of him?"
While the atleseans still stared at her in confusion, Roman piped up snidely: "Oh calm down already. It's not like I kick puppies for fun. Or kitties, for that matter." The emphasis had Yang on edge and finally confirmed that they had the right place. Roman caught their change in demeanour instantly. "Now considering there's three of you, I guess the stray I picked up yesterday is your teammate?"
Weiss nodded, now more reluctant. Torchwick returned the gesture and motioned them forward. "Good. Come on."
They were led into a tastefully furnished sitting room, currently occupied by but one faunus. Not the one they came to find, though; it was a mostly plain man with glasses and a stubby, brown and white tail. He glanced sideways at the sound of their entry, only to jump to his feet at the sight of Weiss.
"What the hell?! What's a Schnee doing here?"
Weiss bristled, but Roman pre-empted her with a roll of his eyes. "Can it, Acorn? She's here to pick up her wayward teammate, obviously. At least now I get why kitty ran off to begin with."
"Excuse me?"
Acorn glowered. "That explains a whole lot," he agreed and drew a knife. Penny pushed in front of Weiss in an instant. "Now-"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a gasp. A kitchen knife ran along his throat, belonging to a diminutive yet well-proportioned woman. Her hair split into pink and brown almost in the middle of her head. The suit she wore was second in quality only to Roman's and in her other hand she held a violin bow. Only now did Weiss realise the music stopped.
The sudden, foreboding silence was broken by Roman; his voice had lost the jovial note, revealing a far more dangerous man underneath: "Think very carefully what you were about to do, buddy. I told you lot before, all of Vale is my turf. If you want to operate here, you do it under my rules. And one of them has always been that you don't start shit in my house."
Be it the threats or the knife, Acorn shook with obvious fear. He nodded quickly, almost cutting himself. "I-I'm sorry."
"Good. I did you the favour you asked, we'll see where the girl goes from here. Now get out."
He left without a word. The woman Weiss suspected to be Neopolitan stalked after him. Three befuddled and faintly intimidated gazes followed.
Yang was the first to find her voice again. "Ooookay. That just happened."
"I am confused," Penny added. "If Mr. Torchwick is a criminal, why does he live in this house instead of being arrested?" Though a non-sequitur, this was an interesting question.
Roman just threw them another wink. "Why, I'm glad you asked! Atlesean just like little miss Schnee, I assume?" Penny nodded while Weiss bristled, though he paid her no mind. "Well, you see it is quite simple: a nice mixture of corruption and organised crime. There's no evidence connecting me to any of the bad stuff, I pay fines for the stuff they do get me for, and quite a few officers are willing to look the other way with some... encouragement. Being a known philantropist helps, too."
"But you just admitted all of this to hunters in training. We do have the legal authority to arrest you!"
"In Atlas, maybe. Vale's a bit tighter on who gets to play police. And in case that wasn't clear enough: it's not you. Now let's get back to your stray."
Roman hesitated there, which gave Weiss the chance to get her expression under control. She did not quite like how he talked down to them, but he was undeniably the person in charge right now.
His own frown cleared in the meantime. "Actually, one more thing. You already know she's Fang?" Three nods were given. "Good. The reason she's here, and that Acorn was, is that something went down recently. Nobody knows how or why, but Vale's White Fang chapter was wiped out."
This came as a surprise. Yang summarised for the team while Weiss was still struck speechless: "Wait, what? When?"
"Few weeks back," Roman answered, somewhat flippant but also wary. "Acorn's one of their agents in town, I heard it from him last week. A handful of the hundred guys made it out, everyone else is dead. The bull is gone, too. And you're here of all places because Acorn called me last night for a favour. Girl had a breakdown when he broke the news and no place for her to stay."
"And you lent aid why exactly?" Weiss could not help but inquire. Torchwick did not strike her as a charity worker. "I hardly believe you did it out of the goodness of your heart."
"Nope, I don't give a damn. But I did owe Acorn a favour and I always repay those."
That was fair enough in her opinion. Somehow, although she did judge his choice of path to walk, Weiss could not detest this man. He held an odd sort of honour to himself.
Just then Neopolitan stalked back in, sizing up the women and Ghost. Upon seeing no further hostility, she carried on into the next room; Penny's cheerful wave received an absent response, though. Neither her nor Weiss noticed that Ghost had been freed and walked away to explore. Roman shook his head with a grin. "Yeah, makes sense she's in a mood. Now let's get your kitten. I'll throw in lunch for the lot of you, can't say I'm a bad host."
They headed up after a quick stop at the kitchen to tell his cook about four more; Roman stayed behind, shooing them without a care in the world. For a moment Weiss wondered why he could be so blasé about it. Then she noticed the security cameras.
Entering the indicated room, they found Blake wrapped in a blanket. She silently stared out of the window from red-rimmed eyes, completely unresponsive. Her hair was disheveled, feline ears lying flat on her head.
The sight gave Weiss pause; she had meant to chew out their wayward teammate, but this tugged at her heartstrings. Her resolve crumbled and she could not bring herself to be firm. In fact she stood there helplessly and out of her depth; looking to her team earned a gentle shoulder clap from Yang, who thankfully took the lead. The blonde joined Blake on the bed, who belatedly gazed at Yang when the mattress sunk under her weight. Blake's head rotated upon recognising her partner, all but snapping to where Weiss and Penny were standing near the door.
"Wha-" "Shh."
Yang hugged her partner tight; Blake barely even squirmed, flabbergasted by their presence. Yang shushed her gently. "No talkie, okay? You had an awful night. Take as long as you need." Be it the words or what few shreds of composure Blake had crumbling, she melted into the embrace. Weiss's remaining anger drained away and was replaced with envy. She could not remember if anyone ever held her like this. It took a little while until she managed to shake off the notion; not only was it inappropriate at this time, she also did not need anything like this. It just made her weak.
After a few minutes of this, Weiss decided to busy herself by gathering Blake's discarded clothes. She needed that long to realise the other woman wore only her undergarments under the blanket she wrapped around herself. The rustle of her placing the pile on the bed drew Blake's attention. Their eyes met, but she averted her gaze.
"Weiss, I-" "No."
As much as she wanted to lash out, she was better than this. Weiss forced herself calm and nodded toward Yang. "As she said. We will speak later. As I understand, you and the deceased were close." Her words made Blake cringe, then nod. Weiss could not quite manage a smile, but the edge was equally absent from her voice: "Take your time."
"I hope she does not need too long," Penny commented. "I think lunch will be ready soon."
It took all three staring at her to realise her social ineptitude. "Did I say something weird?"
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and said nothing. Yang sighed ever so quietly before squeezing Blake once more. "...whatever. Yeah, let's get some food into you and then go back."
"You, you want me back? But-" "Shh."
Yang stared back sternly. "No talkie. Now get dressed, we'll be right outside." She let go and rose as she said it; Weiss ushered Penny outside ahead of the blonde. Meanwhile, Blake nodded dumbly and began dressing herself.
Once it was just the three of them, Penny spoke up thoughtfully: "You are quite adept at handling her. Do you have prior experience with counseling?"
The question drew a wince from Yang, but she caught herself well enough. "Not really. But I have a little sister and no mom, so someone had to comfort her when she got upset."
Weiss nodded slowly while thinking of Winter. Her own sister was more distant than Yang seemed to be from Ruby. At the same time the atlesean wondered just what kind of person Ruby Rose may be.
"Is she okay?" Penny asked next, to which Yang threw her a smirk.
"Yeah. Ruby's cut from sterner stuff, not that you'd ever think it from how cute she is."
That was when Blake stepped out, clothes rumpled and hair unkempt. She was not exactly presentable, but it would do. Neither of them quite acknowledged the other as they shuffled down to lunch with Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan, or Neo. Conversation revealed several interesting factoids, too: for one, much to Penny's confusion, their hosts were neither father and daughter nor husband and wife. Admittedly, Weiss had not known the concept of platonic life partners before either.
In addition, Blake did remember meeting Selina in the past now; she apparently needed all these reminders with how many orphans there had been. Conversation grew more reserved after that.
By the end Weiss thanked Roman for the hospitality. She could not help but be impressed by the spread and his perfect manners. Her thanks were waved off, though. "A pleasure having you. I may be a criminal, but I do support our hunters where I can." He offered his hand to shake again and Weiss followed without thinking. When a slip of paper brushed against her palm, she snatched it in an instant. Roman winked and saw them out without any further comment.
Weiss waited three blocks before opening her hand and checking the folded note. The outside read 'to Ozpin', so she quickly made it vanish into her pocket.
"What was that?" Yang inquired curiously. Weiss shrugged, opting for nonchalance.
"Something to think of later."
Penny's head tilted slowly: "Did he give you his number?"
"What? No!"
The teasing started from there. Weiss did not appreciate that it was at her expense, but she grousingly accepted her fate this once. If only because even Blake managed to crack a small smile.
Much to Weiss's consternation and relief, the faunus woman turned her way immediately. A week had passed yet despite them always sitting together for breakfast, it still felt a little eerie to be so close to somene who should by all accounts detest her. Weiss had no idea why they got along quite well and even had the occasional conversation. Teams Spiceberry and Sunlight gravitated together for some reason none of them could quite tell.
Either way, Selina was amenable. "Shoot."
In spite of her fellow leader's friendly demeanour, Weiss could not help but hesitate. "Well," she began slowly in an attempt to sound measured. " I gathered from previous conversations that you are not particularly... happy, with the White Fang." Conversation around the table ceased, though Weiss paid the others little mind. "Could you elaborate on your stance toward them? And, well, how common it is among faunus?"
"Ugh, heavy questions in the morning." Selina frowned, then glanced back down at her pudding. "Gimme a sec."
It followed a reminder of her lower class origins because she simply shoveled the whole thing down her gullet in record speed. Weiss wrinkled her nose but smoothed out her expression before Selina could notice. The other woman heaved a content sigh and returned to the matter at hand: "Alright, here's the deal: the White Fang has the right goal and a very wrong idea how to get there."
Weiss said nothing in an attempt to make Selina elaborate. Which Blake then ruined by chiming in: "What's that supposed to mean?"
The note of aggression did not slip past Weiss and she had to wonder again what it was with these two. They seemed to row near constantly and unlike with literally everyone else, Selina did not take it in stride; if anything, she scowled back.
"I'm in ol' Ghira's camp on that one," the wolf shot back. The comment made Blake flinch for whatever reason. If Selina noticed, she did not bring it up. "Now how'd he say it? 'Violence for violence only perpetuates the cycle we want to break'."
"Quite," Weiss could not help but agree. It was a sensible position in her opinion. "May I ask who this Ghira is?"
Just like that Selina's attention returned to Weiss. The heiress was once again surprised by how quickly her mood shifted back to conversational. "Ghira's the guy who founded the Fang way back when. He made it big by hard work and grit, in Mistral of all places."
Weiss's brow arched; although she knew the White Fang originated in Mistral, she never looked up any details. Selina nodded sagely, having caught her reaction. "You and I didn't really see much of it, but they used to be, er, not violent assholes. Heck, I was a junior member for years."
Now this had Weiss's brows meet her hairline. She tensed up instinctively, then felt silly when no attack came. Heads turned from the surrounding tables as well, conversation ceased. Selina paid no one any mind and kept going: "But the thing is, Ghira got lobbied out by the violent assholes. That was, five? Five-ish? Years ago? Roughly." She wiggled her hand for emphasis. "He saw how the wind blew and left, and a whole bunch of people left with him. Most of 'em live on Menagerie now."
"I see."
It was all she could say in response, Weiss really needed to read up on the subject. Meeting Selina ignited her curiousity. "And you left also?" A nod. "What kind of work did you do as a junior member?"
"Oh, you know. The usual stuff, drawing posters, writing letters to politicians, baking for fundraisers. Joining the smaller protests that we didn't expect would get mobbed by police or counter-protests. Toward the end they had me look after the younger kids and started teaching me how to use my spear for guard duty." Selina shrugged at her. "Stuff that a child can do without getting hurt."
Yang chimed in here, more curious than sensible: "And your parents agreed to all this?"
When Selina just stared back at her for a long moment, Weiss knew this was the completely wrong question to ask. The silence soon turned uncomfortable and made even Yang squirm. Then Selina shrugged again. "Got none, same as most of the kids we had along at the time. The Fang organised all the orphans they could find. Most were faunus, some humans.
"Shit, sorry."
"It's fine, I'm over it."
True to her words, Selina seemed ambivalent at most. The fact eased Weiss's nerves a bit. Meanwhile Penny's expression had fallen. "How sad," she said. "I can not imagine life without my father."
Though unintended, her forlorn rumination reminded Weiss of her own family; she very much could and did live without them now.
Meanwhile, Selina, shrugged. "Hey, cherish them while they're there as long as they're good people. Ghira and his wife looked after the lot of us whenever they had time to spare." She paused before turning back to Weiss. "That answer your question?"
"To an extent, yes. Thank you."
"Anything else you wanna know?"
Weiss did have additional questions, but some of them felt quite invasive and were better left for another time. While she still mulled it over, Blake chimed in again: "If the Fang is doing it wrong, then what do you propose to do it better?"
Though the aggression remained subtle, Weiss had to wonder. Blake seemed to care about faunus rights a great deal, but why did she seem so protective of the White Fang? She could not say anything conclusive just yet, but that went on the list of subjects to investigate. Thankfully Selina did not drive conflict any further. She simply threw up her hands.
"How should I know? I'm bad with big picture stuff, 's why I'm going to be a Huntress and not a politician. All I know is killing security guards and stealing Dust ain't it."
"Or assassinating my family," Weiss could not help but quip. A hint of bitterness stole itself into her voice, though no one seemed to notice.
"Or that, yeah. Is that why you're here? To protect yourself from the assholes?"
The sudden turnabout was a bit of a surprise; Weiss did not feel well sharing something this personal, but at the same time Selina was quite open. She could tell her at least one reason and simply not mention the rest: "To an extent. Among other things, the Schnees were renowned for their martial prowess before my grandfather founded the SDC. I wish to carry on with this family tradition as well."
"Makes sense. Good luck on that, I don't see it get much better anytime soon."
Though she appreciated the well wishes, Selina's comment made her think of her father once again. Weiss barely managed to suppress a sigh. "Neither do I."
From there they went through classes as before. History, Grimm Studies, Dust Handling, Combat; Weiss made sure to take notes even from Professor Port's droning stories of his own exploits. It took a few days to realise that these tales were a treasure trove of information if one could only dig it out. A small number of classmates tried the same, though Selina was not among them; she still listened with rapt attention, though. Then came Combat class, where the wolf faunus was paired off with Blake. The following beatdown was ferocious and gave Weiss newfound respect for her fellow team leader.
Selina's aura also went close to the halfway mark, but she consistently harried Blake across the room; her control of the fight never swayed, which made sense when a trained vanguard met an assassin type in a controlled environment.
What was more, everyone could tell there was some sort of tension to the pair. She heard some jokes about it being the romantic sort but did not ascribe to that.
The situation finally blew up at the end of that same day. Far faster than anticipated, not to mention far more public.
They were in the common room with a number of other teams when Blake blew her fuse after another snippy comment. "What's your problem?!" she shouted at Selina. "I have done nothing to you and you keep acting like I'm the worst person in the world!"
Several dozen people watched the fireworks. Weiss and Yang rose to step in, worried despite knowing this was coming. They were too slow to stop Selina from grabbing Blake's collar. Both women stared at each other from up close, furious.
Then the wolf let go with a laugh. "You don't know?" she taunted. "Seriously? Not the teensiest, tiniest idea why I may hate you in particular, Blake?"
"No! I've done nothing to you! What's wrong with you?"
"No, Blake. What's wrong with YOU?!" The sudden shout had Blake flinch back. So did Weiss, even though she stood a little distant. Her teammate fell flat on her rear after being shoved by Selina; the otherwise so reasonable faunus was irate. When Nora tried to pull her back, she received an elbow to the face. Selina stepped forward and reached out.
"You wanna know what you did? Well, let's start with that!"
Selina tore the bow off Blake's head on the final word. She yelped in pain and clasped her feline ears, only to realise that they were on full display for all to see. Weiss had meant to interfere but the sight stopped her cold. How did she not notice Blake was a faunus? Yang was equally dumbstruck, but that made little comfort right now.
Meanwhile, Selina threw the black ribbon away. "Talk about Faunus deserving respect while hiding these like you're ashamed of 'em," she spat. "That's the first bit. But hey, you do you. That's not it." Selina leaned down toward Blake, who stared up with wide eyes. A single finger poked the newly revealed faunus' chest with every word: "Call. Your. Parents."
Silence reigned. The entire room watched, breath held in anticipation. All Blake managed to utter was a single, confused "What?" which several others echoed. Selina snarled, poking her chest harder.
"Call your parents", she repeated. "It's been five years. Five fucking years, Blake. No call, no letter, no nothing. I still catch Kali staring at the phone hoping today's the day, sometimes. You're an ungrateful bitch of a daughter and by the Brothers, go fuck yourself!"
Selina turned and marched away on those words. Blake stared after her, completely flabbergasted and more than a little afraid.
Weiss did not know what to do; none of this made sense, she did not expect it at all. All she could do was watch as a woman she thought she got to know a bit became aware of the room. All eyes were on her.
Blake shrunk away, scrambled to her feet, and fled.
The silence lasted a short while longer, then the various groups began to discuss what they just saw. Weiss helplessly stood with the rest of SPBY and SNNL, all of which were close to the epicenter.
Nora spoke up hesitantly: "Shouldn't someone, I dunno, go after them?"
"I'll take Blake," Yang volunteered and trooped off. She was surprisingly serious unlike her usual, carefree attitude.
Nora and Ren then glanced to Pyrrha, who had remained perfectly at ease in her seat. With no input from her, the third redhead of Sunlight made to follow her leader. Ren joined her and so did Weiss; she felt out of place going after Selina, but she wanted to remain in this room even less. Moreover, she did worry; that was a bit of a surprise to realise and Weiss put it out of her mind for now.
Someone else joined them on the way out. Weiss glanced to the hare faunus momentarily who shied away from her gaze but made no motion to split off. Though on edge with yet another faunus so close, Weiss decided to just be polite. "I do not believe we met before," she began. "You are in second year, I believe?"
"Y-Yes, that's me. Hi. I'm Velvet."
"Weiss. A pleasure." She almost added her last name again, which she slowly began to realise people did not really do in Vale. She could not tell whether her upperclasswoman was afraid of her as a person or just generally anxious. "I imagine you wish to check on Selina as well?"
"Yeah. She's a good person. I didn't think she could blow up like that."
Weiss wetted her lips. Though Velvet herself appeared uncertain how to approach the heiress, she had a similar issue. As the last week showed, the general demeanour of a socialite used to Atlesean high society simply did not fit well into a valean hunter academy. Despite her internal fretting she offered the other woman a nod. "She always seemed quite reasonable when we spoke. Only Blake ever got that kind of reaction out of her."
Nora chimed into their halting conversation, thankfully preventing an awkward silence: "Where do you think she went?"
"This way are the forges, the workshops, and the gym," Ren told his partner, eyes only halfway focussed as he recalled the floorplan. "Let's start with the gym."
"Sounds good!"
They quietly followed Nora's lead, though all four students were familiar with Beacon's indoor gym. Hunters could not skip out on physical exercise, a truth even Weiss was aware of. She had worked out a decent amount for the past years to get in shape for Beacon, though that was still a light load compared to most everyone else.
Selina was exactly where Ren suspected her, grumpily bench pressing heavy weights; the load sat close to four hundred kilos, Selina's personal maximum. Nora dashed forward about as soon as the fact registered with Weiss.
"Damn, girl! Calm down! This is dangerous without a spotter!"
Selina let the bar slam back into its holder and flipped off her fellow redhead. "Go away," she ground out, though they could all tell the faunus girl needed that break.
"Is that any way to treat your teammates after how concerned they were for you?" Weiss chimed in despite her hesitation to draw Selina's ire. She implicitely included herself in that group, though thankfully no one seemed to catch on. Selina simply glowered at her and went back to lifting; Nora began spotting her.
The ensuing silence was only interrupted by the occasional grunts and clacks whenever Selina put down the weight. With Weiss worried for her standing with Selina and Ren lost in thought, Velvet was the next to take heart.
"Sooo, that was pretty intense back there," she tried but shrank back somewhat under the renewed glare that comment earned her. She did not flee as Weiss half expected her to, though.
The younger girl took the opening this presented, having had enough time to find some conclusions: "It may be mere conjecture, but I assume Blake's father is this Ghira you are so fond of?"
"Yep. Girl's got no idea how good she has it. Ghira and Kali are, like, the best people in the world. And she keeps hurting them."
Velvet hummed in agreement. "I did hear that the Belladonnas are kind people, yes."
Something about that statement gave Weiss pause. She warily glanced to the hare faunus, who seemed nonplussed by the sudden attention. Weiss just had to ask: "Hold on, please. You mean to tell me that Blake applied to Beacon under her actual name? While hiding her, erm, heritage?"
She was glad that neither faunus took offense; Velvet merely shrugged and Selina barked a mirthless laugh.
"Probably got it from her folks. Not a dishonest bone on either, so it figures she sucks at lying too." She put down the weight again and rested for a moment, wordlessly accepting the water bottle Ren handed her. Then another glance went over the quartet that followed her. "You guys, I appreciate that you came to check but I'll be fine. Just lemme work it out of my system for a bit and I'll be good as new."
Seeing the dismissal for what it was, Weiss took her leave there. Ren and Velvet followed, though Nora remained to continue her spotting duties. Weiss still felt a little odd being around faunus, but it turned out not all of them wanted her head on a platter; she even managed a short conversation with Velvet about second year classes and what to expect of end-of-year exams. Not the most riveting subject but certainly a safe one to start with.
Who would have thought? Weiss Schnee, getting used to the presence of faunus.
Alas, the next morning saw only seven of them sit down for breakfast. Saturday had dawned and with it the weekend.
"Never found her," Yang muttered when Nora asked about Blake. Weiss had noted how sour her teammate was when she returned after nightfall and decided to give her time to cool down. "Figured she'd come back after a few hours but she's not around. Her Scroll's off, too."
Selina only had a dismissive snort for that. "And good riddance," she commented. The glare from Yang went ignored much like Weiss's more curt look. While she finally understood Selina's issues with Blake, she also found them somewhat childish.
By noon the three members of Spiceberry began to worry. Blake was still nowhere to be found. Weiss frankly had no idea what to do with this. Her pride would not allow to just let her stay away or even leave the team; anxiety over her father's reaction to such a major mishap under her tenure as team leader only added to the mix. And then there was this small, creeping sense of worry for Blake's wellbeing.
She only had two options: inform the faculty, which would be admitting she could not solve this on her own, or put in the work herself. Hence why Weiss gathered Yang and Penny before going to the only people she felt she could ask for help.
"Regardless of anything else," she explained to SNNL, "Blake is a part of this team. Allowing her to simply run off is not acceptable." Though she made her case with the usual grace and logic, Weiss could not help but deflate. She hated having to request assistance from anyone. "Although, admittedly, I do not know how to find her."
Nora and Ren had listened with rapt attention; Selina kept her eyes closed without much reaction while Pyrrha seemed mostly aloof to the situation. Into the silence left by Weiss's admission, Penny raised her hand thoughtfully. "We could inform the police? This sounds like a missing person's case."
"Possible," Weiss agreed. "But such a case would take some time to resolve."
"We could go out and look for her," Yang suggested next. "But Vale is pretty big."
Ren then added onto her own realisation: "And we do not know if she is still in town." Though Yang winced, he did not quite notice. His thoughts were elsewhere. "...although." With that one word Ren's gaze wandered to Selina. Nora and Weiss followed, then the rest.
It took Sunlight's leader a full ten seconds to notice the expectant silence. Her eyes opened to find six other students looking at her. "What?" she asked at first, but realisation struck before Ren could explain his thought process. A flat "No" was her only answer.
"But you could find her, right?" Nora grinned as if she won the lottery. Selina scowled.
"Maybe, but I won't."
"Sel, please. She's my partner, we can't just let her run away!"
Though Yang's pleading softened the glower some, it did not seem like Selina was willing to give in. Weiss nibbled on her lip, then decided to use what she learned. "I concur. You need not do it for Blake's sake. Though I imagine her parents would be... disappointed, if you refused to help in this?" Much as she expected, Selina winced as if slapped. A dishonest strategy perhaps, but this was important to Weiss.
Unlike what she expected, Selina hopped to her feet and lumbered her way. Weiss stood warily, only to feel very small when almost two hundred pounds of irate wolf loomed over her. She could see the brown of Selina's eyes from this close but refused to avert her gaze. Weiss stood her ground.
Selina growled, but no attack came. "Fine," she spat, "but you owe me for this. Big time."
Her demand drew a frown from Weiss in turn, though she knew a bargain when she saw it. "Very well," she agreed. "What do you want?"
"No idea, I'll get back to you when I don't have to give myself a migraine for stupid people."
"I see." The businesswoman in her wanted to refuse this and demand a clear request. But this was important enough to disregard it. Moreover, Weiss trusted Selina not to abuse this favour. "I would not accept such an open-ended agreement normally, but... alright. And thank you."
"Meh. Someone go get me something Blake's worn."
"What? Why?" Yang was almost as befuddled as Weiss, who could finally breathe again because Selina left her personal space. Her heart fluttered as anxiety and suppressed fear crashed over her like a wave. And yet here she was, safe and sound. Weiss had trouble believing it.
Penny produced Blake's ribbon in the meantime. Selina accepted the offering and led the other six students back to the common room. Ghost followed right behind, ignored by everyone else. After figuring out which exit Blake took, Selina waved them all back. Much to SP_Y's confusion, she took a deep sniff of the ribbon and grimaced.
"I hate you all," she muttered. "So much." A few steps this way and that, then she pointed toward Vale. "That way."
No Bullheads flew in the evenings, meaning Blake trekked down the cliff on her own. Even Selina could barely follow the trail despite the absence of rain or other obstructions; everyone else climbed after her. The silver lining, Weiss reassured herself, was that this gave her some exercise. Ren spent the time filling her, Penny, and Yang in on Selina's Semblance. It certainly put into perspective why she grumbled so much.
Close to the mountain's foot, the redhead glanced Weiss's way with disdain. "I really don't get why you'd want her back."
"Is that not self-evident?"
"...right. You really haven't put together she's White Fang?"
Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. A flood of worry followed Selina's question. She had suspicions, but to have it just pointed out like this came as a shock. "Pardon?" Her teammates were equally surprised, she absently noted. "Perhaps you should have led with such a piece of information?"
"Eh." Selina made a dismissive motion. "I figured I'd give her a chance in case she actually left, but at this point I doubt it. That's why she hasn't been home in ages. Remember what I told you guys about how Ghira left?" Weiss nodded, as did her team. "Well, Blake didn't. No, she took it a step further and called him a coward, all but ran off. Just like this here." It was clear by her sour tone what Selina thought of that.
Penny hummed in thought. "So she is a member of the 'violent assholes', as you put it?"
"Yeeep. Last I heard she made second-in-command under Adam Taurus. He may be a moderate but he's still in that group too." And they all knew that name; Adam Taurus was a famous and powerful face of the White Fang. Leader of the Fang in Vale and a prized swordsman.
The following silence lasted for a long time. Weiss's expression turned stormy as she wrestled with this new situation. Did she want Blake back after all? But no, this was not in question. If Blake dropped out of Beacon entirely on her own accord, that was one matter. Weiss would not condone simply running off like this. She refused to let this reflect back on her. Not to mention that Yang grew increasingly worried as they entered Vale proper.
After a dozen streets and two more sniffs of the ribbon, it was surprisingly Pyrrha who spoke up: "If I may, I was wondering. Why is the White Fang named that way? The imagery is rather aggressive, for a group originally meant to be peaceful."
Selina was rubbing her temples at this point, but she indulged the other redhead's request anyway. "Yeah, kinda. I asked Ghira about it a few years ago, too. The important part is the colour. That we're ready to stand up, 'bear our fangs', but never use them."
"I see."
Weiss understood as well. This offered an interesting piece of insight she never even questioned before. Alas, worry for Blake slowly swept that away. Selina led them into the nicer parts of Vale; blocks made of singular houses with large gardens and other properties became increasingly more common. Subtle glances to their companions revealed that Nora and Ren began shifting awkwardly. Weiss had noticed before, but their clothes were well-worn; they must not be used to treading in such a neighbourhood. In opposition to them, Weiss and Pyrrha grew more at ease in familiar circumstances.
"You sure you got the right track?" Yang questioned when it was clear they would not swerve back into the backstreets, only to receive a nasty look.
"Do you want to try finding her by scent? No? Then shut up."
Yang threw her hands up in a placating gesture. "Geez, just saying! Calm down!"
"I'll calm down when my head stops killing me tomorrow or so. This way."
They changed direction at a cross-section. Weiss wisely kept her mouth shut, increasingly grateful that Selina was willing to hurt herself for their sake. She could not help but appreciate her own Semblance ever more, regardless the trouble some of its aspects gave her.
Her thoughts were cut off when they stopped in front of a particular house. The property was fenced off, two men in dark suits standing at the front gate. While everyone drank in the sight, Weiss glanced at Selina.
"You are certain this is the right place?"
The other woman nodded, though her glare had not abated any. Her voice remained mostly calm despite the display of aggression: "Yeah. There were like two other scents going the same way. Funny the people she knows. Your turn now, I'm done." She kept rubbing her temples while Nora gently clasped her shoulder.
With SNNL hanging back, Weiss cloaked herself in regal composure and strode forward. Yang followed only a half-step behind while Penny trailed after them. Weiss knew the suits were looking at them behind their sunglasses and did not let it bother her.
Once she approached close enough, one of the men nodded at them. "Can I help you, ladies?"
Weiss made to speak, but Yang tapped her shoulder. The request was clear enough, even though it drew a faint frown. Nonetheless, she let the blonde take over. Yang addressed the suit: "Maybe. We're looking for a friend of ours. A woman about this tall; long, black hair."
"And cat ears," Penny added from behind.
"...yeah, that too."
The suits exchanged looks, however that worked with sunglasses on. The one who held his silence so far piped up, voice almost a drawl. "Slender?"
Yang shook her head. "No, curvy."
"What kind of question is that?" Weiss could not help but comment.
"Just checking. One moment." So saying, the suit stepped away to talk into a radio.
A thoughtful Pyrrha joined the three during that lull in conversation. "We will escort Selina back to Beacon," she explained. "Please message one of us once this matter is resolved."
"Of course," Weiss answered with a nod. Pyrrha returned the gesture and retreated again. At the same time Weiss took notice how the remaining suit straightened up. She had to wonder if name-dropping Beacon was done on purpose.
The first suit returned moments later and pushed open the gate. "Boss says you can go in, just behave." Weiss thanked him and moved on, only for a startled question to stop her: "Hold on, what's that thing?"
Looking back, they were pointing at their small follower. Penny smiled. "Oh, of course. Come here, Ghost." He walked up once beckoned, only for Penny to pick him up. "He is completely harmless, I promise! Hic" The suit stared at her for a long moment. Whether he failed to notice the concerning lie or did not care, he waved Penny through.
Another suit opened the door for the three women, who were greeted by the sound of a violin. Yang chuckled at that. "Wow, I thought the music was just a movie thing." She nudged Weiss, who barely refrained from rolling her eyes.
"This is Ms. Neopolitan," the woman at the door explained helpfully. "She often practices over noon."
So they had a name to the owner or their daughter, although Yang did not seem to recognise it. Either way, Weiss felt proper etiquette had to be observed. "Do relay my compliments. She plays quite well." It was not a lie, either.
"Of course, miss."
Almost as soon as the door closed behind them, a playful voice sounded from their left: "Now now, what do we have here? A gaggle of schoolgirls?"
Yang groaned halfway through, burying her head in her hands with a desperate "Why?!"; Weiss and Penny were studying the man leaning in a doorway; his state of dress was impeccable, the suit well tailoured, and his confident smirk only mildly annoying. Then he decided to mime finger guns at Yang.
"Heya, blondie. Short time no see. How's your friend doing? Ruby, was it?"
Completely ignorant of the implication that these two knew each other, Penny began to muse: "How odd, the only Ruby you mentioned is your sister. Do you know any other Rubies?"
"Oh, sister? You two don't look alike at all." His quip prompted a heavy sigh, to which he huffed. Admittedly, Weiss could see the humour in driving her teammate to despair. She was also confused and had no time to figure out why this bothered Yang so much; the man looked them over. "But enough of that, who else do we have. Weiss Schnee, pretty obvious... and a ginger I don't know, holding what I really hope is not a Grimm."
"Oh, I am Penny. Nice to meet you, sir. And no, Ghost is not a Grimm."
He squinted for just a moment, then strolled forward casually. Weiss took notice of his smooth motion and the fact he seemed perfectly at ease. A hand was offered to her, which she shook with a polite smile. "A pleasure to meet you, mister....?"
"Torchwick. Roman Torchwick, at your service."
"I am afraid I am not familiar with your work, Mr. Torchwick."
"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to. Atlas is far and I rarely cut deals with the SDC."
Yang had listened to their introductions with a stormy face. At this point she chimed in: "Didn't you buy a ton of Dust just last week?"
He threw the blonde another smirk in response. "Well, yes. But I buy locally and for good reason."
Weiss nodded at that. "Supporting local businesses is perfectly understandable, of course. You are a businessman then?"
Roman winked at her while Yang groaned. "No, Weiss." She spoke slowly as if talking to a toddler. If not for what came next, Weiss would have been indignant: "He's a crime boss. Like, the crime boss in Vale. How haven't you heard of him?"
While the atleseans still stared at her in confusion, Roman piped up snidely: "Oh calm down already. It's not like I kick puppies for fun. Or kitties, for that matter." The emphasis had Yang on edge and finally confirmed that they had the right place. Roman caught their change in demeanour instantly. "Now considering there's three of you, I guess the stray I picked up yesterday is your teammate?"
Weiss nodded, now more reluctant. Torchwick returned the gesture and motioned them forward. "Good. Come on."
They were led into a tastefully furnished sitting room, currently occupied by but one faunus. Not the one they came to find, though; it was a mostly plain man with glasses and a stubby, brown and white tail. He glanced sideways at the sound of their entry, only to jump to his feet at the sight of Weiss.
"What the hell?! What's a Schnee doing here?"
Weiss bristled, but Roman pre-empted her with a roll of his eyes. "Can it, Acorn? She's here to pick up her wayward teammate, obviously. At least now I get why kitty ran off to begin with."
"Excuse me?"
Acorn glowered. "That explains a whole lot," he agreed and drew a knife. Penny pushed in front of Weiss in an instant. "Now-"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a gasp. A kitchen knife ran along his throat, belonging to a diminutive yet well-proportioned woman. Her hair split into pink and brown almost in the middle of her head. The suit she wore was second in quality only to Roman's and in her other hand she held a violin bow. Only now did Weiss realise the music stopped.
The sudden, foreboding silence was broken by Roman; his voice had lost the jovial note, revealing a far more dangerous man underneath: "Think very carefully what you were about to do, buddy. I told you lot before, all of Vale is my turf. If you want to operate here, you do it under my rules. And one of them has always been that you don't start shit in my house."
Be it the threats or the knife, Acorn shook with obvious fear. He nodded quickly, almost cutting himself. "I-I'm sorry."
"Good. I did you the favour you asked, we'll see where the girl goes from here. Now get out."
He left without a word. The woman Weiss suspected to be Neopolitan stalked after him. Three befuddled and faintly intimidated gazes followed.
Yang was the first to find her voice again. "Ooookay. That just happened."
"I am confused," Penny added. "If Mr. Torchwick is a criminal, why does he live in this house instead of being arrested?" Though a non-sequitur, this was an interesting question.
Roman just threw them another wink. "Why, I'm glad you asked! Atlesean just like little miss Schnee, I assume?" Penny nodded while Weiss bristled, though he paid her no mind. "Well, you see it is quite simple: a nice mixture of corruption and organised crime. There's no evidence connecting me to any of the bad stuff, I pay fines for the stuff they do get me for, and quite a few officers are willing to look the other way with some... encouragement. Being a known philantropist helps, too."
"But you just admitted all of this to hunters in training. We do have the legal authority to arrest you!"
"In Atlas, maybe. Vale's a bit tighter on who gets to play police. And in case that wasn't clear enough: it's not you. Now let's get back to your stray."
Roman hesitated there, which gave Weiss the chance to get her expression under control. She did not quite like how he talked down to them, but he was undeniably the person in charge right now.
His own frown cleared in the meantime. "Actually, one more thing. You already know she's Fang?" Three nods were given. "Good. The reason she's here, and that Acorn was, is that something went down recently. Nobody knows how or why, but Vale's White Fang chapter was wiped out."
This came as a surprise. Yang summarised for the team while Weiss was still struck speechless: "Wait, what? When?"
"Few weeks back," Roman answered, somewhat flippant but also wary. "Acorn's one of their agents in town, I heard it from him last week. A handful of the hundred guys made it out, everyone else is dead. The bull is gone, too. And you're here of all places because Acorn called me last night for a favour. Girl had a breakdown when he broke the news and no place for her to stay."
"And you lent aid why exactly?" Weiss could not help but inquire. Torchwick did not strike her as a charity worker. "I hardly believe you did it out of the goodness of your heart."
"Nope, I don't give a damn. But I did owe Acorn a favour and I always repay those."
That was fair enough in her opinion. Somehow, although she did judge his choice of path to walk, Weiss could not detest this man. He held an odd sort of honour to himself.
Just then Neopolitan stalked back in, sizing up the women and Ghost. Upon seeing no further hostility, she carried on into the next room; Penny's cheerful wave received an absent response, though. Neither her nor Weiss noticed that Ghost had been freed and walked away to explore. Roman shook his head with a grin. "Yeah, makes sense she's in a mood. Now let's get your kitten. I'll throw in lunch for the lot of you, can't say I'm a bad host."
They headed up after a quick stop at the kitchen to tell his cook about four more; Roman stayed behind, shooing them without a care in the world. For a moment Weiss wondered why he could be so blasé about it. Then she noticed the security cameras.
Entering the indicated room, they found Blake wrapped in a blanket. She silently stared out of the window from red-rimmed eyes, completely unresponsive. Her hair was disheveled, feline ears lying flat on her head.
The sight gave Weiss pause; she had meant to chew out their wayward teammate, but this tugged at her heartstrings. Her resolve crumbled and she could not bring herself to be firm. In fact she stood there helplessly and out of her depth; looking to her team earned a gentle shoulder clap from Yang, who thankfully took the lead. The blonde joined Blake on the bed, who belatedly gazed at Yang when the mattress sunk under her weight. Blake's head rotated upon recognising her partner, all but snapping to where Weiss and Penny were standing near the door.
"Wha-" "Shh."
Yang hugged her partner tight; Blake barely even squirmed, flabbergasted by their presence. Yang shushed her gently. "No talkie, okay? You had an awful night. Take as long as you need." Be it the words or what few shreds of composure Blake had crumbling, she melted into the embrace. Weiss's remaining anger drained away and was replaced with envy. She could not remember if anyone ever held her like this. It took a little while until she managed to shake off the notion; not only was it inappropriate at this time, she also did not need anything like this. It just made her weak.
After a few minutes of this, Weiss decided to busy herself by gathering Blake's discarded clothes. She needed that long to realise the other woman wore only her undergarments under the blanket she wrapped around herself. The rustle of her placing the pile on the bed drew Blake's attention. Their eyes met, but she averted her gaze.
"Weiss, I-" "No."
As much as she wanted to lash out, she was better than this. Weiss forced herself calm and nodded toward Yang. "As she said. We will speak later. As I understand, you and the deceased were close." Her words made Blake cringe, then nod. Weiss could not quite manage a smile, but the edge was equally absent from her voice: "Take your time."
"I hope she does not need too long," Penny commented. "I think lunch will be ready soon."
It took all three staring at her to realise her social ineptitude. "Did I say something weird?"
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and said nothing. Yang sighed ever so quietly before squeezing Blake once more. "...whatever. Yeah, let's get some food into you and then go back."
"You, you want me back? But-" "Shh."
Yang stared back sternly. "No talkie. Now get dressed, we'll be right outside." She let go and rose as she said it; Weiss ushered Penny outside ahead of the blonde. Meanwhile, Blake nodded dumbly and began dressing herself.
Once it was just the three of them, Penny spoke up thoughtfully: "You are quite adept at handling her. Do you have prior experience with counseling?"
The question drew a wince from Yang, but she caught herself well enough. "Not really. But I have a little sister and no mom, so someone had to comfort her when she got upset."
Weiss nodded slowly while thinking of Winter. Her own sister was more distant than Yang seemed to be from Ruby. At the same time the atlesean wondered just what kind of person Ruby Rose may be.
"Is she okay?" Penny asked next, to which Yang threw her a smirk.
"Yeah. Ruby's cut from sterner stuff, not that you'd ever think it from how cute she is."
That was when Blake stepped out, clothes rumpled and hair unkempt. She was not exactly presentable, but it would do. Neither of them quite acknowledged the other as they shuffled down to lunch with Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan, or Neo. Conversation revealed several interesting factoids, too: for one, much to Penny's confusion, their hosts were neither father and daughter nor husband and wife. Admittedly, Weiss had not known the concept of platonic life partners before either.
In addition, Blake did remember meeting Selina in the past now; she apparently needed all these reminders with how many orphans there had been. Conversation grew more reserved after that.
By the end Weiss thanked Roman for the hospitality. She could not help but be impressed by the spread and his perfect manners. Her thanks were waved off, though. "A pleasure having you. I may be a criminal, but I do support our hunters where I can." He offered his hand to shake again and Weiss followed without thinking. When a slip of paper brushed against her palm, she snatched it in an instant. Roman winked and saw them out without any further comment.
Weiss waited three blocks before opening her hand and checking the folded note. The outside read 'to Ozpin', so she quickly made it vanish into her pocket.
"What was that?" Yang inquired curiously. Weiss shrugged, opting for nonchalance.
"Something to think of later."
Penny's head tilted slowly: "Did he give you his number?"
"What? No!"
The teasing started from there. Weiss did not appreciate that it was at her expense, but she grousingly accepted her fate this once. If only because even Blake managed to crack a small smile.
It's Fate, Fate I tell you!
Which is true, particularly in Canon, even more in the case of canon Adam in particular.
Violent rebellion has its place, there is a whole speech by one very important abolitionist (who's name I forgot because I' m not from the USA, and thus never even heard about him until recently in a video about the current Florida situation) about how working inside the system cannot work, and it's true, just hoping the system gets better is a pipe dream.
But what the white fang as it is now doesn't see is that you shouldn't put the normal citizen against you, you want everyone to be protesting with you, not just you and yours. That's how you change the world, by making the status quo inacceptable by all, not just by protesting, but by teaching how to be better.
And the white fang isn't doing that, they are half-way to being Faunus supremacist, a significant number of them don't want equality, they want humans below them, and they act accordingly, alienating the potential human supporters they could have had.
Huh? Wait, how did she not now? I know that in canon she didn't make the jump, and that it didn't make sense, but... is Daddy dearest doing some choosing in history lessons? Actually, yeah, I can see it, tell the tutors to *forget* to mention how and why the white fang was originally made, a little grooming never hurt anyone, yes? 🤮
Jacque Schnee:
Girl, she said Ghira adopted her right in front of your face, she told you she admired him, she knows who you are, you really can't tell?
You did do something to her, to her family, to the father you refuse to see but that she lived with for all this time.
Really Blake? Really? I am not proud of you right now, you have no idea what their daughter disappearing to go in a situation where her dying is a very real possibility could have done to them?
Which, no surprise, she is desperately searching for her mother, knows how it is to be on the other side of that kind of things, of course she's not going to be in carefree mode.
Yes, yes, they are saying that Blake is an idiot.
Shit.
...
....
.....
I see no problems coming from this, none, zero, everything will be fine!
Call an ambulance, just in case, not that anything will happen, of course.
And isn't that a strange thing to hear, I know the fic already told it, but boy, *Adam Taurus* and *moderate* still don't seem to work together everytime I remember canon, where he is one of the worst case instead.
I believe you!
...
....
.....
Hic.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Yeah, in this particular case, Blake not coming back and not answering makes perfect sense, she just learned that her probably lover died, alongside all her friends, and contrary to canon, we have good reason to think she had a good relationship with him and got in Beacon not because she was fleeing, but probably for another reason.
Can't help but see:
They didn't get Ghost back. He's still *exploring*.
- Location
- Russia
Did they forget Ghost?
Blake has a very terrible, no good, absolutely shite day. And most if it is her own fault.
Ghost goes on an adventure in the criminal underbody of Vale, presumably to look for side quests.
Ghost goes on an adventure in the criminal underbody of Vale, presumably to look for side quests.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
~later that day~
Ghost walking back home with a BIG bag of 5 mil lein from the crime boss he killed and the annoying short, pink and brown teleporting boss.
Also, perfect demonstration of uncaring Phyraa who just decided to drag the rest of the team back home when she sees trouble brewing
Ghost walking back home with a BIG bag of 5 mil lein from the crime boss he killed and the annoying short, pink and brown teleporting boss.
Also, perfect demonstration of uncaring Phyraa who just decided to drag the rest of the team back home when she sees trouble brewing
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Not entirely sure that was the reasoning there, this was Weiss' team's business, not Selina's, this was their teammate in there, and frankly, putting an irate and migrainous Selina in front of Blake right there would've been a very bad idea, so Pyrrha's decision isn't bad at all, Nora and Ren wouldn't have helped, and Blake wouldn't have wanted to see Pyrrha either, them leaving is very much the correct choice there.
- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Selina is the one who we all were sometimes. She let out all our frustrations.
Wonder who killed White Fang in Vale. Maybe Ruby, Ghost, the Grimm Trope, Radiant or Cinder. Most probably Cinder since the timeline fits. Next could be either Ruby or Ghost.
Thanks for the chapter.
Wonder who killed White Fang in Vale. Maybe Ruby, Ghost, the Grimm Trope, Radiant or Cinder. Most probably Cinder since the timeline fits. Next could be either Ruby or Ghost.
Thanks for the chapter.
Hmm, I mean:
That's not really a secret, we know who did it, it was Cinder.
- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Completely forgot that.
JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
Eh, they'll be fine. Might end up coming across Cinder and possibly earning a fancy new suite of spells from the fragment of Amber's soul with Maiden power she has on her after Ghost ices her.
I want The Radiance, Grimm, and ghost to meet. Do ghost still have all items and charms? Wonder how the spells look in remnant. Abyss shriek should be horrifying. If he uses Crystal Heart will it grow dust or just generic crystals?
Ghost Partition
Checksum Error
- Location
- Fragmented Sector
An ghost on the loose.
Not. good.
Not. good.
Ghost noted on arrival that all its charms where gone, as well as their Pure Nail, still have their spells though.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
patients is a virtue you know? no, me too, agree, we dont know.
Great Greedy Guts
Ceterum censeo Vigilam esse delendam.
It's hard to admit the Fang got violent suddenly when you've been calling them violent "protestors" from the beginning, probably. And I doubt ol' Jacques wasn't calling them violent from the first time they asked for anything he wasn't already giving them.
- Location
- America