Scribe Semblance

Then the door creaked open, and Weiss wandered in with a leather-bound book and an empty expression. Distractedly, she shut it behind herself with her boot sole and dragged her feet toward her bed.

"There you are,” Blake sighed in relief. “I was just about to call your Scroll again. You've been gone all day." However, there was no response; no snide comments, no questions toward her, nothing. The Schnee looked broken beyond all measure. "…Weiss?"

Still she didn't answer. Myrtenaster was chucked under her bed and her boots flung backward, thumping against the back of a desk chair. A sigh gusted from her chest as she flopped down onto the bed, the hand holding the book dangling over the side.

This immediately brought forth curiosity in the cat. Books were always something Blake was interested in, of course, but she could tell right away this wasn't some epic fantasy novel. It had all the markings of a blank book - and typically, blank books held the secrets of their owners.

"What's that you have there?"

Weiss was obviously very distracted, because all she did was slide it across the floor to Blake. Catching it easily, the Faunus kept her eyes on Weiss for a while. The poor girl looked completely devoid of any emotion. What on earth was causing this?

But as soon as she opened the book and started reading, she understood. Each new line she read, her eyes seemed to grow wider and wider.

"What? No. There’s no way - y-you can't be…" But there it was in black and white. Weiss was no human. She was more than just the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

This Schnee had secretly always been a post-op Snow Fox Faunus.

"Oh my f- this is insane. I'm so sorry, I never-"

Finally seeming to rouse from her catatonic state, Weiss rolled over onto her elbow and looked at Blake with wide eyes. "You… you can't tell anyone. If this gets out, if anyone reports back to my father that they know, I… he'll disown me, just to save face. I don't have any doubt in my mind that he would. Will. "

"No way; it's not my secret to share in the first place. I would never." Of course she wouldn't. Not when she herself was still hiding her own evidence of being a Faunus. At least for Weiss, that was a little easier. Her mother had already covered that - even if it was horrible that they had done so.

Her mother…

"…That's why he wasn't in the building, wasn't it? Because he knew?"

"I think so." Rubbing her face, she sat up and stared down at her stocking feet, stomach churning. "All the evidence points to that. Plus… I need to tell you something else. You have to be able to not overreact, and that may prove… difficult."

"What is it?" she asked, getting back up from her own bed to walk over to Weiss's. She sat on the edge, close enough to place her hand down near her teammate's.

Biting her lip, Weiss turned slightly toward Blake. "Promise me that this stays between us. It's not just important to me, it's important to all of Remnant." But she didn't need Blake to reply; she would keep the promise. They had been through too much together for mistrust to still be a factor. "I've been in contact with him."

"Who?" The bow twitched. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't like the answer.

"Kane. The White Fang ruffian." Her voice took on an urgent tone. "It was the only way I could get him to spare my life on the train! So I… I made him an offer he couldn't refuse: my father's head on a platter."

Her gaze turned away, back to the floor. The man who she was worried could have ended her life was on the loose. It was Blake's hope that they would never meet the man again. "Why did you do that?" she asked, clenching her hand into a fist. Seemed she couldn't keep her promise to not overreact. "He nearly killed you twice, and you met up with him again? And cut a deal with him?!"

Weiss dropped her eyes. "You don’t understand, there was… I didn't see that I had any other choice. Not with him standing over me with that chainsaw. Seemed like I either gave him a reason to let me live, or he wouldn't." Her hands clenched in the sheets underneath her as she added, "And when he messaged me today… I didn't even think. I just went because I already made a promise."

Blake was speechless. First was the news that Weiss was in fact a Faunus. Before she had a chance to recover from that, she was hit with yet another revelation. She didn't know what to react to first. But her main priority was Weiss's safety. Above any of the other revelations, that was what she cared about most.

"…I could have lost you."

"I've been so ashamed!" Weiss burst out, eyes squeezing together to glare daggers at the floor in front of them. "All those years of ruthless training at that tyrant's hands, and I- he grabbed me by the face and slammed me onto the ground, and I was helpless! I could do… NOTHING! He flung me around the train car like a rag doll, and I'm supposed to be a Huntress?! I'm pathetic!"

"That- that's not what I meant!" What could she say? Weiss was clearly in a fragile state, and she didn't want to make it worse. Her own frustrations had to wait. "I didn't mean I don't think you could have defeated him. Because had there been more space, I know you could have. I meant that I…"

Did she dare say it? There was nothing to stop all her thoughts from spilling out. "I hate thinking about how close we came on that train. You guys are my family! Ruby, Yang, you… especially you. I just don't like the idea of you playing fast and loose with your life that way. So no more dangerous promises, alright?"

Weiss's head shot up in shock. "Wh-what?" Swallowing thickly, she whispered, "Especially me? Why? I… my family is your bitter enemy. Yes, I know you said it's in the past, but I figured you simply tolerated my existence."

"Do you know why I saved you that night? Why I didn't just let you try and hide by yourself?"

"No." With a light shrug, the heiress scratched her arm as she said, "To be honest… I figured you just saw another girl your age and, um, felt sorry for me."

"It was because I looked at you, and I only saw myself." Blake looked over to her, eyes beginning to glisten with tears. "The panic, the terror; all because you were just scared of getting hurt by something out of your control. Even before I knew you were… were like me , I could see you were like me." She sighed, one tear sliding down her cheek as she clutched the back of her friend's hand.

"All I've ever wanted was to be like every other person in that room, Weiss. I wanted to believe what we were doing was right - because it was your father telling us we were inferior, and he deserved to pay. But I couldn't. I couldn't let what happened to me when I was just an innocent little girl happen again. And that's what kept me going. Knowing that I helped you survive and that you didn't go through what I had. Because I care about you."

"F-for me? All that…" Clearing her throat, Weiss turned more fully and took up Blake's hand between both of her own. "Blake, you did. No matter what happens in the future, or has happened between then and now, if you hadn't intervened… I would not have had these past eight years. That's never, ever going to change; you gave me my life. I've known that all this time and it's never going to be made untrue by any other event."

Her mouth twitched slightly in thought before she slid from the bed, falling to one knee in front of Blake and bowing her head all the way to the floor. "My life is in your debt, Blake Belladonna. From this day forward, I am your humble servant."

"W-wha?" Was Weiss bowing to her? The Heiress, one who may as well be a queen herself, was bowing to HER?! Her face broke out into a full-blown blush, even as she tried to come up with a response. 

"You saved my entire life." Teardrops fell to Weiss's skirt. "I would literally be mincemeat without you hiding me away in the vent, so… it would be irresponsible and selfish to say anything else."

Blake gazed into the soft blue eyes for a moment, then back down to the hands that held her own. What could she say? It was true, she had saved Weiss's life, but by giving her the bow, Weiss had saved her also. In her mind, the scales were completely balanced.

It was then she remembered Weiss's confession. That she had mistakenly envisioned her as a dashing prince who saved her from danger, just like in a fairy tale. A prince whom she had lost upon her discovery that he was actually a woman. And yet… the idea of being something so important to her brought more heat to her cheeks. Someone cared for her, truly cared; she cared for her teammate, too. But that relationship had a distinctly romantic connotation that was straight out of her novels - which was impossible to entirely ignore.

So why not live in this moment? Play along, at least for a little while? She raised Weiss’s hand up to her lips, kissing the back softly. "It was but my sacred duty. Glad to be of service, my queen."

A funny tingling shot through the heiress's stomach. Those were lips on her hand. Blake's lips. "I… oh. Y-yes." Clearing her throat, she yanked her hand back far later than she should have, the lingering feeling of the kiss making the skin burn pleasantly. That had been weird, but maybe she could just push through and keep the conversation progressing.

"And… I have something else to apologize for, don't I?"

"Hmm?" Blake tilted her head, still distantly amused by how easily she had flustered the rich girl.

"Acting like I was better than Faunus. I know I shouldn't have in the first place, and I already apologized for being so stupid, but… now it's even more ridiculous, isn't it? Since I… since I'm a…"

She couldn't even say it. Shame shot more rouge into her cheeks as she looked away, frustrated with herself. Why couldn't she speak plainly in front of Blake anymore?

This time, the "prince" shifted toward Weiss. After the emotional blow she had received today, there was only one thing Blake could think to do. She wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her close. One hand instinctively raised up into her hair, petting it softly.

"It doesn't matter where you were born, or what your genetics are. It's who you are that counts."

Words and actions were in direct opposition. As her hands pressed into Blake's back, she whispered, "But who I am is awful. I tried to judge both you and Sun, and wh-who am I? A deluded, surgically-altered F-F-fff… Faunus! I'm a Faunus, I'm a damn Faunus and nobody ever told me, and I never felt any different because of it, and that's so much more horrible because it means I was a small-minded bigot for nothing! NOTHING!"

Blake's ears folded back again, grip instantly releasing from the light haired girl. It was true, she had been extremely judgmental toward their own kind. Aggravatingly so. But all that was forgotten. It had been since she had run away and Weiss finally told her that she accepted her - since they put aside their differences and became friends again.

"That's who you were . Who you are now is different. Don't paint yourself with your father's brush."

"Why not? He's been trying to paint me with that for his entire life. I'd say I'm a finished work of art. A hideous one."

"You really think that? Because I don't think so. I-I think that you're…"

The blush only grew even brighter on her face. Blake was coming undone on her own. All the emotions she had forced back, the feelings she denied herself from having for half her life were now shining through. Everything she had ever felt toward Weiss was always pushed deep deep down to the back of her mind, where she hoped they would never surface. For numerous reasons; she was a Schnee, she was human, she was a woman. And now that one of the factors was no longer true, it felt even more useless to hold back anymore.

"That you're incredible. That… even before knowing you were a Faunus, you're perfect. Kind, caring… beautiful… I don't want the girl I saved to hate herself."

Dazedly, Weiss drew back and stared into the golden irises of her prince. Even now, Blake was saving her – this time, from herself. Over and over, she saved her life.

"Well… then I suppose I can't hate myself, since I said I was your servant. What kind of servant would I be if I sat around moping?" Then she reached up to brush the backs of her fingers over her teammate's cheek, very lightly, hesitantly. "How could I ever think Faunus weren't every bit the equal of humans? If not their betters. You're certainly more beautiful and noble than most humans I know."

Their eyes were locked with one another. Her already rosy skin burned under Weiss's fingertips. What was this feeling? Why did she only want to keep feeling it forever? But the ebony-haired woman could do nothing. She was too afraid. Despite being the supposed ruler of the woman before her, she was too scared to give a command. No matter how much she wanted to see where it might lead.

"I don't know if you remember," Weiss went on as she leaned a little closer, cheeks filling with colour, "but back at the campfire, that dream I had? It… well, it was about you."

"O-oh yeah?" she asked, cheeks burning more brightly than ever, eyes the size of dinner plates. "That one when you… you were-"

"YES!" Weiss burst out, too embarrassed to let her continue. "It's… I've told you how I've been daydreaming about my prince for years, haven't I? Well, since I began to suspect it was you, I guess my subconscious…" Licking her lips, she leaned a little closer still, until their noses were a mere inch apart. "You don't think I'm some kind of sick deviant for saying these things, do you? I mean, I… didn't mean for it to… to imagine you and I…"

"Y-You and I… But…" Her eyes clenched shut. Doubt was beginning to creep back into her mind as she backed away slightly. "A-As much as I kind of… don't mind that thought… we're both girls."

At those last words, one corner of Weiss's mouth twitched upward. "Well, one of us is a prince, right?"

The blush grew once again as her eyes eased back open. "I… suppose that's true…"

Then the smile fell away as Weiss began to shake slightly, her hand drawing away from her prince's face. "I- I'm sorry, Blake, it's not fair for me to force my childhood fantasies onto you; that was just me wishing I could be with the boy who made me feel important instead of with the family who didn't. You didn't sign up for that, and obviously, it's unusual to like other girls in that way, so… so I can't… so we can't."

Instinct kicked in. Maybe it was born of defiance for yet more rules that made it impossible to live her life authentically; maybe it was just her desire to soothe Weiss’s wounded heart. Immediately, Blake reached to cling to the hand leaving her face, keeping it close. Her thumb gently brushed against her pale skin. "I may not have signed up for that, b-but…" She leaned in closer, eyelashes fluttering. "Is it too late to sign up now?"

"Too late?" Her prince's lips were inches away, flawless, soft. "Wait, but I…"

Everything changed in an instant, as if lightning had struck them and destroyed every barrier. A window opened to show Weiss a choice, and she threw herself through it more out of fear that it would close again than anything else.

Blake's lips were both soft and firm when the other pair met them, and she ground both sets together harder still to prove to herself that she ought to be doing this, that it was really happening. And Weiss had initiated this! After nearly a decade of thinking this was an impossibility, she was kissing the one person she had ever truly wanted to kiss in her entire short life. Not that it should have surprised her when this was what she had more or less dreamed of. But it did. Taken back by the heiress's movements, her eyes very slowly fell shut.

Her first kiss. Her first kiss was with Weiss Schnee, a woman she was supposed to hate whose father owned a company that was responsible for great evil. Everything she was ever taught when growing up was telling her this was wrong, this was betraying her own kind. But her heart said otherwise. She had liked her teammate for a long time. And until this moment, she never knew how much.

Feeling that reciprocation was enough to spur Weiss to further action, and before she could take stock of her own actions she was surging forward, pushing Blake backward onto the bed as her kiss became both desperate and more determined. The hand not in Blake's went to her shoulder, registering mild surprise when she felt bare skin, hot to her touch – it was always bare, Blake's shoulder. This was only surprising now that she was touching it while their mouths were joined.

Briefly, Blake felt a thrill of dread at being trapped. Although locked in a loving embrace, she couldn't help but clench her eyes shut tighter. It was her most basic instinct to always have a method of escape, to be able to run. But under the body of the heiress, that was impossible. Yet it spurred her on, caused her actions to become more needy. She let go of her hand, only to slide it into Weiss's hair. Unintentionally, her hand reached up near the top, where ears would be if she was that type of Faunus; finger tips running into her hair and scratching gently at the skin below.

"MmhhHHHhhh…"

The moan came unbidden and threaded through into Blake's body from the more diminutive girl. More out of shock than anything, she collapsed down on top of Blake, feeling a soft, warm body pressing against hers. She tried to lift herself up again but the hand on her head caused her limbs to feel weak. What was this devil magic?

The answer, of course, was that she always felt strange when scratched on that particular part of her scalp. Why? Now more than ever, she wanted to know why that was.

In spite of her fear, this made Blake smirk. Scratching behind the ears was a weakness she thought only she had herself. Apparently not. The feeling of weight pressing up against hers caused her to moan with need, her own lips parting slightly to allow Weiss entry. That was how Blake was. Despite being told she had power over her 'damsel in distress', she seemed to crave being commanded.

When the lips parted, Weiss didn't know what to do. This made kissing harder, didn't it? Or did it? When she allowed her own lips to part in the same manner, she found her tongue automatically sought out the gap between them, traced over Blake's teeth. It was unparalleled beauty despite making her stomach pitch and roil.

Much more surprising still, despite how unprepared Weiss was for any of this, was the heat that was beginning to prickle throughout her abdomen. Heat she was sure Blake could feel, so bright was it in intensity. It was the same heat she felt after a dream with the prince.

And now she was with the prince, and this was no dream.

"Aaahhh…" A moan sounded out when Blake parted their lips a moment to catch her breath, before rejoining them again. Curiosity was spurring her on to discover more, like why their tongues felt so incredible together.

And just as Weiss was feeling, heat had begun to flow through her lower half - particularly to an area Blake had rarely explored herself, let alone with someone else.

The spare hand wrapped around Weiss's lower back, clutching at her clothing - as if fighting to stop herself from tearing it off her right in that moment. Two arms were now trapping Weiss atop her dark-haired prince. Did she mind? She couldn't answer that question, so instead she only slid her tongue over the other more readily, bewildered at why she should enjoy something that would sound vile to her on any other occasion but now. This was all she needed: Blake, as hers. The hero from her past and present. Always saving her, always making her better than she was.

A tongue brushing against Blake's caused further heat to course through her veins. She needed more. Beyond all reason, all explanation; her hips pushed upward against Weiss's as if rebelling against her mind. Why did she crave this so much? She didn't have the correct… equipment for such a task. But the need to have the woman as close as she possibly could was too much!

The hand scratching at her scalp began to do so even more intensely, curious as to her reaction to stimulation. Would it be a mistake?

At the fingers' insistence, Weiss let out another hungry moan as her hips began to slam downward into the ones coming up to meet hers. If her prince really were a boy, she was sure she would be feeling something against her by now. As it was…

How could they proceed from here? Should they? Blake was the first person she had ever kissed, and now they were pushing far beyond. It was something she wanted, that her body craved, but could she handle going further than they had already gone?

"Mmm!" When hips were slamming down against her own, Blake tightened her grip on the back of Weiss's dress. She needed more… but none of the books she had read covered the logistics of two girls exploring their passions together. Could Blake even dare suggest such a thing?

In her own excitement, she found one of her legs sliding between her own. Her knee slowly raised up to brush against the softness between them. That seemed to answer the question.

"OH!" 

Blake's eyes snapped open when she heard that outburst, breaking away from the deep kiss to catch her breath again. But then she realised where her leg was…

"S-sorry!" she quickly stuttered, bringing her leg back down again.

"No, it's okay," Weiss told her hastily as she drew back to gaze down into Blake's amber eyes, at her rouge-filled cheeks. Just like that, doubt crashed down over her. This wasn't right. They were too young, too different – or too similar in some ways. And Weiss was to blame for rushing everything.

"I'm the one who should apologize," she continued shakily as she drew back. "You… I took advantage of your kindness and understanding, I- oh, what on Remnant is wrong with me?!"

Blake took her hands away from the heiress's scalp at last, only to cup her cheek instead. Not that she exactly knew what to say. "No no I… I liked it."

That caught the heiress off guard. "You did?" Then she let out a quiet laugh. "Well… I suppose if you hadn't, you would have shoved me off the bed." Fidgeting, she took the hand on her cheek and held it against her, eyes closing in bliss. "My prince…"

The comment brought a smile to Blake's own face, as her thumb stroked the soft skin. "You'll have to forgive me… I'm not like Yang. As in… I've never kissed anyone before."

"Neither have I." Weiss pressed her lips together for a long moment as she recalled the sensation, her heart speeding up again at the mere thought. "And you were… oh, I’m not sure what I thought kissing would feel like, but that was so…"

Immediately, her ears folded back, shoulders hunching up. She expected the answer to be "terrible". "I-I know… I'm bad at it… I'm sorry."

"What in the world are you talking about?! It was phenomenal!"

The ears perked up again. "W-what? Really?"

"I…" Weiss drew back slightly, but the hand on her cheek kept her from going too far. "Well, yes. I assumed that I was inadequate compared to you, because you made me feel things I never have in my entire life."

The smile on her face only grew with that comment, cheeks glowing red as she drew her hands back again. "As have you… my darling."

Slowly, Weiss found she was feeling very light-headed. Blake was her prince, really and truly. She acted like it, spoke like it, made her feel like she was with someone so overpoweringly incredible that they dwarfed all other presences. Between that and all the revelations she had been dealt earlier, it was all too much for her to handle.

"Darling?" she squeaked in giddy disbelief… just as she fell to one side and faded from consciousness.

The smile never vanished. Even though the idea of being so much to Weiss was at first a little scary, she enjoyed how happy it made her teammate - and only found it more endearing that she fainted. This really was something the heiress had been dreaming of for years, for her dashing prince to come and claim her as his own. 

Or, as her own, in their case. It let her put her own fears aside; the craving to make Weiss happy far outweighed the impulse to run and hide.

That someone else was currently in the middle of thrusting into Blake’s mouth. It was strange; Weiss felt as if she didn’t mind this, and she thought Blake was doing a fine job, so far as it went. Her teeth could have been kept back a little more instead of grazing past her sensitive skin now and then, but she knew something else was bothering her besides those little forgivable stumbles.

What was it? Certainly not little Ruby Rose. Yes, they had shared an amazing kiss that made her feel tingly all over, but it was just a physical reaction to the stimulation; she couldn't possibly be having feelings for the awkward freshman. It must have been something else.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Huh?" It took Weiss a second to surface from her thoughts and focus on the curious face down by her well-lubricated anatomy. It sent a thrill through her stomach to see anyone's face that close to her; she was just so inexperienced with all of these things. 

"I know we're supposed to be sucking each other off," Blake went on - with no reservations at all about her language choices. “But you can change your mind, you know.”

The former Schnee heiress sighed and rolled her eyes. “No, no, it’s not that. But thank you. I’m just… questioning some of my life choices. Not this one specific instant.” Deep down, she was also questioning whose mouth she wanted in a certain area, but she wasn’t ready to confront that question at all.

“Fair enough. Um… so we could switch, if you want. I’m starting to get a little hard from all this.”

“O-oh, are you?” That was a lot more daunting than just standing there and letting Blake’s lips play with her swollen girth. Weiss didn’t know the first thing about pleasuring someone, with hands, mouths, or any other body parts. 

“Sure.” She leaned back a little - and sure enough, it was easy to spot that Blake’s sizable package was partially firmed up. “I mean, I didn’t hear Salem say ‘keep going until they come’; it might have been implied, but we can switch.”

“Well…” She glanced at the screen, where Ruby was hidden, and then over at the couch where Salem was settling in - and Yang was bowing before her. Wait, was she really going to give the boss head?! “I guess… we do seem to have nothing but time, and little supervision…” 

Blake smiled one of those snarky half-smiles of hers. “Come here.” She approached the small, carpeted stage that Weiss had mostly put out of her mind by this point, and wasted almost no time plunking herself down on the edge with her legs open. “I’m… pretty new to this, too, but I’m cool with you giving it a shot.”

“All of us are pretty new to this. Well, except for Yang, who’s over there with the vampire.” 

“Hey. Yang’s not a slut.”

Sighing at the sharpness in Blake’s tone as she sank to her knees, Weiss conceded, “I didn’t mean to imply she is. Certainly more free with her body than we are, but that’s a very loaded term and I didn’t intend to use it.”

“Yeah, well… okay, I overreacted. Sorry.” Shaking her limbs out a little, she said, “Do whatever you want. Honestly, you don’t have to start with going down on me if that’s intimidating.”

That was certainly a generous offer. Weiss wasn’t sure how to react - or what to do next. Blake was a gorgeous woman with nice legs, tits… and her casual confidence was almost as intoxicating as her actual physical form. She didn’t have any sort of romantic feelings for her - both because she didn’t consider herself a lesbian, and also because she simply didn’t see Blake that way. But she couldn’t deny, there were a lot less appealing feminine forms to be getting this close with.

And that was without taking a good look at that half-hard phallus. Weiss had definitely been intensely curious about getting up close and personal with one of those, but that wasn’t the same as not caring whose; she had always envisioned some nice young man courting her, popping the question, and then eventually getting to know his penis on their wedding night. Even though she knew it might not be fair to judge how some people live their lives, her parents’ repeated insistences that only “filthy sluts” had sex before marriage was hard for her to divest herself of now that she was out and on her own, navigating the world as an adult rather than a child beholden to the ideals of two clearly-flawed progenitors. 

This was not what she had in mind. But still, she couldn’t help being a little excited to get to reach out and very lightly caress anyone’s sexual organ.

“Oooh,” Blake cooed at the sensation of the pale fingers on her girth. “I… started to think you might not feel up to it. With me, at least.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a perfectly beautiful woman, Blake Bellad- OH! Oh, it moved!”

The raven-haired woman laughed as she tried not to look too embarrassed that her cock had given a little throb. She mostly managed it, but Weiss could still tell; it gave her some comfort to know she wasn’t the only one who had to work past some level of shyness. Or who appreciated praise.

“It moves sometimes. Don’t you ever get horny?”

“Well… yes, of course, but I try not to think about it that much.”

“Don’t you masturbate?” When Weiss grimaced, Blake sat up a little straighter. “Wait - you never jerk off?!”

“I have! Sometimes, when it’s… unavoidable. It’s just not an activity I like to abuse.”

The raven-haired temptress shook her head as she leaned back, again giving Weiss free reign to do whatever she wanted. “Can’t relate to that. I spank it daily. Just because it got a little more difficult to do when I started on HRT doesn’t mean I should give up; I just go harder until I get there.”

“Really? Mistreating this is that important to you?” As she spoke, she wrapped one hand around the shaft this time, figuring she should move past the exploration phase. It was warm and firm beneath her grip, and she found she didn’t mind that sensation. Not at all.

“Yeah,” Blake sighed easily as she relaxed into Weiss’s tentative touches. “Except unlike you, I don’t see it as ‘mistreating’ it at all - though I have jerked it raw a few times in the past, when I was younger and super horny. Think of it more like… maintenance. It’s healthy to do this once in a while, at least.”

The posh girl mulled that over as she tried not to enjoy the sensation of that shaft slipping through her fingers too terribly much. Was it really healthy? It was natural to have sex, but she had always considered masturbation a sort of perversion of that; something done out of desperation because you weren’t married quite yet. She knew that her views on sex and sexuality were like a walking contradiction - as her friends were very fond of pointing out, often and in great detail. 

But this was as good a time to test the waters of a lot of things as any. After only a moment or two of stroking Blake, she pulled back and delicately wrapped her lips around the tip. 

"A-ahhh," she breathed gratefully as she relaxed into Weiss's advances, leaning back on her hands. "I was… kind of worried I'd never get to experience this. Not really that worried, but a little."

Not that the waiflike Schnee could respond. She wasn't exactly sure whether or not she was enjoying going down on Blake, but it was at the very least far more interesting than she expected; the taste was distinctive but not offensive, which was a huge relief. But the sensation of the firm shaft between her lips, the way it pulsed in eager response to her attentions… that, she could get used to.

Either way, it was so hot that she almost couldn't stand it. She could feel her arousal pulsing between her legs, growing so much more firm than she could ever remember it being. Between the singular experience of making out with Ruby and knowing their needs had touched, then going down on Blake, she was as horny as she ever got. 

Which was basically horny at all. Weiss was no stranger to having morning wood, or the stray erection during the day, but they were definitely very rare; she simply didn’t have the libido that Blake had, or someone like Yang who went out to seek partners to help take care of it. This was shocking to her, that she could even crave sexual gratification in this way.

“Oooh, I’m even starting to get close,” Blake panted as she rolled her hips a little. “That’s so good, Weiss…”

She couldn’t help but blink in surprise; all she had done was put her mouth on the tip, flick her tongue over it a few times; create some light suction. She pulled off to breathe, “Really?!”

“Y-yeah… I mean, I wish you were moving a lot more, but it’s crazy to have someone’s mouth on me… really getting me going…”

“Oh. Well, then… I don’t have any experience moving my mouth, so perhaps…” Her hand moved to wrap around Blake’s girth, stroking up and down. “Does this help?”

The moan was an immediate review. As Blake’s head fell further back and she panted, Weiss went back to suckling on the very tip as her hand took care of the rest of the rigid cock, her own heart beating wildly as she worked to bring her off. She knew she would need this skill if she was really going to consider sleeping with strange men for money… 

No. She wouldn’t cry about this; she didn’t want to be crying, she didn’t want to fall that deep into her feelings about where her life had ended up. She was fine. In a way, she felt closer to her friends than ever - and not just physically - so perhaps it was worth the trade-off. But did she have to become a literal whore in order to get the body she wanted someday?

“Weiss! God, I’m- it’s gonna- I’d tell you to pull off, but I think you gotta swallow! For the… for the job! NH!”

What was Blake going on about? Wait - she knew what this was about. Apparently, she was about to-

That was as far as her thought process got before it was too late. A few more strokes, another flick of her tongue over the tiny slit in the end of her throbbing cock, and it throbbed even harder as that opening poured forth the proof of a job well done. Weiss gasped, and gagged, but managed to keep from coughing as she worked as hard as she could to swallow the huge load that had been building up in that soft sack for the past few minutes. 

And it was pretty clear Blake enjoyed every last second. She thrust her hips a few times, her stomach flexing as she groaned and let her cock do its work, depositing her cum into her friend’s throat. Within the minute, however, she was flopping back on the stage, exhausted from that recent outpouring of pleasure.

“Mmhh… wow, Weiss, you… might not be that experienced, but it was definitely… nice…”

Licking her lips, the pampered little princess sat back on her feet, trying to decide how she felt about what had just taken place. Blake had tasted… interesting. Maybe even good, though not in a way she had ever imagined. Still smacking her lips, she finally looked up at Blake with a placid expression.

“That was… well, I think I’m glad you were my first. I felt a lot more comfortable doing this here with you than I would have with a stranger, or a man.”

The raven-haired dancer-in-training let out a breathless chuckle as she pushed up onto her elbows, still catching her breath. “That’s not as flattering as I wish it were. Still, thanks. I kind of feel the same way.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s good, that’s… very convenient for both of us.” Clearing her throat, she glanced over at the other pairings. All they could see of Yang was her hair, and from this angle, Ruby and Pyrrha were completely hidden from view. So much for finding out their status. 

“Come on, your turn.”

“What? Oh, you-” Weiss felt her cock twitch. Did she really want to be with Blake in that way? She couldn’t pretend she found her entirely unattractive, despite her previous misconception that she only liked boys. 

But maybe she didn't need to be that interested in Blake. This was supposed to be practice for their job, after all; she could simply enjoy a moment of frivolity and that would be that. Her efforts to get Blake off had been successful, hadn't they? Maybe it was alright to reap the rewards while her friend attempted to learn on the job, as well. 

"Weiss? Helloooooo?"

"You… you may fellate me," she said awkwardly.

"God," Blake snorted as she sat up higher, then started to push to her feet. "We have to work on your lingo. If you want to get a client in the mood, you definitely can't say 'I'm about to fellate you' - they'll laugh their ass off."

Blustering, Weiss folded her arms tightly over her chest. "W-well, what would you suggest?! I used the most accurate word there is!"

"You really think they'd be here if they wanted 'accurate'? They'd just go to the proctologist." She stood with her hands on her hips, half-hard cock still coated with the remnants of Weiss's efforts; for some reason, she kind of… enjoyed seeing it that way. "Just take a seat and let me get to work, okay? On more than just your dick."

What else was there to do but obey? She took a seat nervously, unable to believe she was really about to let someone else bring her to climax for the first time. Though she wasn’t sure at all what Blake meant by ‘more than just your dick’; what else was there?

The pampered girl found out very quickly.

“O-oooh,” she breathed when she felt lips pressing into her sack. Blake’s motions were eager and full of desire, both to give Weiss pleasure and to explore another person’s body - something she had seemingly wanted to do for a long time now. Her hand was holding Weiss’s shaft up and out of the way so she could kiss all over her balls to her heart’s content. “Blake…”

“Too much?” she whispered before sliding her tongue along the soft, loose skin.

“No, no, I… well, I feel like all of this is too much, in general. But what you’re doing isn’t. It’s… nice. I could really- ah!”

Her words cut off when she felt one of her balls being sucked inside Blake’s teasing mouth. For just a moment, she worried it might hurt - but it was actually kind of nice. On its own, it wasn’t that arousing, but combined with the way her friend was just barely starting to stroke her, it added a little extra something. And she thought she liked it.

As it turned out, she hadn’t seen anything yet. The more Blake played with her, the more her orgasm began to well up powerfully, seemingly out of nowhere. She knew the truth of the matter was she was still riled up from Blake’s earlier efforts, but it surprised her nevertheless. By the time her mouth wrapped around her cock again, she was a panting, writhing mess, absolutely ready to spurt deep into the brunette’s mouth. “Blake!” she gasped out as she white-knuckled on the lip of the stage, trying not to roll her hips too hard. “I… I don’t think- I don’t think I’m going to last too terribly long!”

“Mmm!” was all her friend responded. That was just as well; she knew it was impolite to talk with one’s mouth full. Her hand was still fondling her sack without ceasing as her head bobbed up and down, and Weiss couldn’t help thinking she was glad to be receiving these lessons - because in comparison, she had probably given a terrible first blow job. 

But Blake Belladonna knew what she was doing. All too well.

A few more seconds was as long as she could hold out. She felt a little ashamed of climaxing this hard, this soon, but Blake certainly didn’t seem to be complaining about the copious amount of cream she had just dispensed between her waiting lips, or how Weiss shivered and spasmed all over, toes clawing at the carpet for some semblance of purchase. It was over so fast that she barely knew if she had enjoyed it, but… 

But it was wonderful. Far better than she had been expecting. Maybe she should seek this out another time, when it wasn’t part of an instructional orgy.

“Mmm, so,” Blake purred as she pulled off, still holding her dick by the base and giving the glistening tip kisses all over its surface. “Reviews?”

“You… you did… great…” Licking her lips, she flopped onto her back, much the same as her temporary partner had done after she finished. The post-coital exhaustion was real, even if the euphoria overtaking her was equally real; she had never been so glad to feel so tired. “How… how do you do that?”

Now, she felt her stomach disappear as Blake began to crawl up onto her, as if she were about to start doing a lot more things. “Do what? Get you off? With skill.” After a few seconds of staring down at her, Blake chuckled softly and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, just messing with you. I… well, let’s just say I’ve done things with bananas that aren’t what you’re supposed to do with bananas.”

“Nevermind,” Weiss snorted, cheeks turning pink at how close Blake was to her. Their cocks brushed each other, mixing their juices together, and she couldn’t help but let out a sigh. 

“What? You into that? I could… grind on you a little more…”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “I don’t know if we should. We’re just friends - and besides, Salem didn’t tell us to start practicing anything besides-”

“Do you always do what you’re told? Every single time? Come on, we both know you have a little more of a rebellious streak than that in you.” 

“No, I… you’re wrong. Just because we’re in an actual brothel…” But even just saying that, Weiss heard the hypocrisy in her own tone, so she shrugged. “Okay, okay, you may have a point. But about… doing more… I don’t know…”

“Maybe I like rubbing my dick on yours,” Blake confessed in a whisper. “What if we kissed while we did it? What if I reached down between us and…?”

Feeling the fingertips traipsing their way over the plane of her stomach was enough to make the poor little rich girl squeak, “No, no! Just, um, just relax with me for a minute. Where you are is fine.”

The raven-haired classmate chuckled a little harder and kept rutting against her - though her hand did disappear. Seemed that she would stop if asked, but didn’t want to stop - and Weiss was too intrigued to ask her to do so yet. Both of their cocks might have been semi-firm and totally spent, but the sensation was still oddly pleasant. 

But more than that… though she had felt very comfortable with Ruby, and drawn to her in a way she had never been drawn to anyone before, Blake was a breathtaking beauty in and of herself. And confident - which while she might have been grateful that Ruby was as awkward as she was, and their shared inexperience matched so well, there was something reassuring about having a partner who knew what she was doing. At least in theory. Add into that how big her dick was, how nice it felt up against her own while they were both partially hard and covered in cum, their nipples dragging past each other… 

“Are you getting harder again?” Blake panted as she nuzzled into Weiss’s neck, the hot breath driving her just as wild as the rest. 

“N-no!” 

"It's not a crime, y'know. We can be enjoying this; we're supposed to be enjoying this. Even if it's for educational purposes."

Swallowing hard, she whispered, "Don't be… such a…"

"Such a what?" she whispered teasingly when Weiss never finished.

"Such a s-slut!"

"Oohh, such a nasty mouth," Blake giggled as she rolled her hips a little bit harder. The worst part of all was that her arguments were mostly futile; they could both feel each other just barely beginning to get harder again, despite having already finished. Weiss didn't really think she could go again but couldn't deny it still felt more than a little intriguing - and that she was more sensitive after her orgasm. "Making it harder and harder not to kiss it."

Why not? All of this was really beginning to get to her more than she expected, and there didn't seem to be any good reason to hold back. The former prude leaned up to capture Blake's lips as they rutted lazily against each other, deriving a more muted pleasure from the closeness now.

"Maybe you're no Faunus, but you are a dunce! Now come on, our entire team really needs you to learn this!" she stressed. But it was falling on deaf ears. Reluctantly, Ruby sighed, parting her legs an equal distance as she raised her hands up. 

"Ready."

"Are you?" From behind Ruby, Weiss poked her in the small of the back. "No slouching!"

"Hey!" Though it worked. Right away, her back straightened itself, forcing her into an upright position. One that was slightly unnatural for her quick battle style.

Nodding to herself, Weiss rounded Ruby's side and took a few quick steps away before turning and raising her own hands, flattening them to blades. "Excellent. No Semblances, no weapons. Defend yourself!"

Then she surged toward the little brunette, leg rocketing up toward her side. Ruby turned her body away, quickly stepping off to the side to avoid the strike. Her own hands remained in tight fists, something she had picked up from her older sister. When Weiss passed, she quickly threw her fist upward toward her chin.

The heiress's head fell back, allowing the fist to pass overhead as she executed a backward flip, aiming another kick downward at Ruby's head - which, thanks to her poor footing, hit her with ease. The poor girl really wasn't getting used to this. When she hit the ground, Ruby rolled to her side, throwing her legs upward to launch herself to her feet again. Weiss had aimed a kick at her shoulder, but the girl's ukemi removed her from the area of impact. Recovering quickly, she danced back and raised her hands again, feinting left, then trying to deliver a piercing blow to her solar plexus.

Luckily, this time Ruby managed to swing her arm across her body, deflecting the strike. Her other hand straightened out into a blade just as Weiss's had before she swung it across, aiming for the side of her neck.

It was an easy enough attack to dodge or block. However, just as Weiss was raising her forearm to do so, her scroll beeped at her. Who on earth could be calling?

The pain that exploded in her neck temporarily made her forget the beeping. "OWWWW!"

The redhead was about to get back into position, though with that outcry she drooped, instantly raising her hands up. "S-Sorry!"

"It's fine, I'm fine!" Weiss snapped, irritated. Of all people, she had just allowed Ruby Rose to land a blow on her person. That was unacceptable; she must be above such distractions!

Then again, she knew deep down why her usual focus was off. Blake. Ever since their conversation in which she discovered once and for all that the Faunus was one and the same as her heroic street urchin, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. Reconciling her willowy feminine form with the masculine illusion she had ogled in so many indecent dreams was even more difficult than expected. There was a certainty, of course: she wanted Blake in her life forever. She just wasn't sure if she was still enamored of the boy now that he turned out to be her female teammate.

Face flushed from both the injury and her thoughts, she fumbled her scroll from inside her jacket and opened it, thumbing the "new message" icon. An unknown sender? Puzzled, she read on:

Meet me on the roof in ten minutes. Got something that belongs to you – Chainsaw

Instantly, Weiss broke into a cold sweat. She had been expecting a message from the company, or perhaps the school - or maybe even Blake, if she were so lucky. How dare that ruffian contact her directly, and make it so obvious that it was him! Didn't he understand how reckless that was?

"I have to go," she said absentmindedly to Ruby, still staring at the scroll.

Confused, Ruby glanced at her, and down to her scroll. "What's wrong?"

Startled, Weiss snapped the scroll closed and hid it behind her back – then realized that was far more suspicious than if she had just let her see the message. "I… well, I have to do something. For my father! Yes, the company needs me to do a, um, conference call! So I'm afraid we'll have to cut this sparring session a tad bit short, if that's alright! Alright?"

"Ooookay?" She tilted her head suspiciously. It was true the company was highly spontaneous on events, which sometimes clashed with Weiss's classes. But this much? "Guess I've been beaten up enough for one day. I'll, um… see you later then?"

"Mmm." Without any further words, Weiss wandered off, leaving the team leader standing there and scratching her head.

---------------------------------

    When Weiss reached the roof of Beacon Academy, she saw no one and nothing to indicate the man with the chainsaw was waiting. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked to the edge of the roof and placed her hands on the low wall. The view of the grounds was breathtaking. Had she ever been up there before? It was possible, but then again she wasn't the type to normally worry about such unimportant details if they didn't turn out to be worth committing to memory.

Perhaps she would bring Blake up here someday soon.

Why did she have that thought? It wasn't like her to focus so firmly on any one person. Even when she had entertained that silly crush on Neptune, it had been sort of an afterthought; his pride and swagger intrigued her, made her think he might be the sort of life partner of which her father could approve. Alas, he hadn't really held her attention, and she hadn't held his, either. Such was life. Why was this boy – sorry, girl – so different? Because her crush had been boiling under the surface for eight years?

Perhaps it was that the two had so much in common. A broken childhood, certain amounts of loss, an interest in monochromatic colors. Or it was more the selflessness of Blake's act. The fact she threw her life on the line to save her own, even when they were strangers to each other - and on opposite sides of a conflict, at that. A true hero. Even when Blake had confessed that she felt guilty for the whole affair.

But now was not the time to dwell on her changing feelings for her teammate.

The huge White Fang thug finally walked out from his hiding place behind one of the rooftop pillars supporting a decorative arch, pacing slowly toward the heiress. In a strange twist, he had decided against wearing the fearsome mask. Still, his weapon was at hand. He needed some sign to show her it was him, after all - and that he hadn't suddenly become a pushover.

"Bout time you got here."

Weiss was vaguely startled by the voice, so absorbed was she in her thoughts. She was far more surprised by his eyes: pale yellow with black vertical slits and reddish irises. They remained open and piercing into her as he approached, and she had to fight her every instinct to turn and run.

"I… well, it's only been fifteen minutes. How could you know what I was in the middle of before I broke away?" Finding her bravery again, she straightened up and snapped, "Besides, you have a lot of nerve ordering me around. Not after what you did to my mother all those years ago – what you tried to do to your own kind!"

When her mother was mentioned, his once firm expression faded. Was that… guilt? The man that wanted to hurt her family so much was actually remorseful for what he had done? Then again, it might have had more to do with threatening Blake instead. There was no way of knowing. He placed his weapon on the ground, freeing both of his hands as he reached into the bag on his back.

"This couldn't wait."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Weiss warned as Myrtenaster flashed from its sheath, and she aimed straight forward. "Slowly. No sudden movements or you'll be a shishkabob spitted upon my blade and charred to perfection."

"Hah! As if you could ever be a match for me, girlie. But I wouldn't want to hurt you. Not now."

Why? What on earth was happening? First, he was expressing guilt for hurting one of the Schnee family, the next he didn't want to hurt one at all? But what he showed her didn't answer any of those questions immediately. When his hand withdrew, it was holding a small, leather-bound book. This wasn't one seen on the shelves of libraries; in fact, most of the pages were untouched. But the first dozen had evidence of being opened multiple times.

"I took this back during the raid. Thought it could be worth something, but when I realized it was just a diary, I tossed it in a trunk for a long time. Only just recently cracked it open and really read what was inside, when I was trying to get rid of worthless junk. It's definitely not worthless."

A book? Weiss glanced at it, and thought it seemed vaguely familiar, but couldn't place why. "What sort of diary is it, and why should I be even remotely interested?"

"A journal. Willow Schnee's journal."

It felt as if all the wind had exploded from her lungs. Her mother had a journal? She never, ever knew. Of course, she had seen her writing in books, but not the contents, and she never pestered her about them. Her father had too well taught her that things adults did were rarely any of their children's business.

"Interesting," she hedged as the tip of her blade lowered, though still aimed generally in his direction. Her other hand raised, palm up. "May I?"

He immediately handed the small book over, placing his hands back to his sides again. Although the worried expression continued as he gazed at her blade.

"I'm going to warn you now… you need to be ready for what you find inside."

"Oh, please, Mr… Kane, was it?" Not waiting for his answer, she deftly turned open the first page with her free hand, unwilling to relinquish her hold on her primary form of protection. "I highly doubt there's anything in here that will drastically alter my worldview."

How wrong she was. In fact, the very first entry would change her world forever.

"It's another night of Jacques training her too hard. I can hear her in her room, quietly sobbing. God knows what kind of training he's been going through with her today.

She's my daughter. NOT his. I've known that from the day she was born. I was the one that paid to have her tail removed, I was the one that kept her sheltered from him while she recovered. That hateful man would never know what to do if he found out.

On days like these, I can only wonder what her life would have been like if I left her with her real father. If she still had her fluffy little snow fox tail. Would she have been happier? I knew what he went through, just because he was a Faunus. And he and I knew we wouldn't allow her to go through the same pain.

She can't know. She can never know. And neither can Jacques. My greatest fear is what he would do if he ever found out."

Despite her best efforts, Myrtenaster fell from her limp fingers and clattered against the concrete of the rooftop. There could be no denying that was her mother's handwriting, no matter how much she wished otherwise. What in the world had she just read?

Throat dry and mouth agape, she furiously began flipping through the pages, tearing one in her haste. There had to be more. One entry was not enough – she needed another one, she needed any and all information about this entirely impossible aspect of her life and she needed it immediately.

And there, in the final entry, was something that was far more chilling.

"He knows. He knows everything.

He found Weiss's real father and had him silenced, permanently. He knows of the affair we had when we were separated, and that our daughter really is a Faunus. I'm terrified. If he did that to him, what does he intend to do to me?

It's the big party tonight, so at least he can't do anything before then. That would raise suspicion. But I don't dare risk staying in this house with him another minute once the gala is over. Neither do I feel she would be safe with him.

My little girl… I only hope one day you can forgive me."

Before she fully comprehended what she was doing, the book was flying from her hands and smashing into the wall, falling face-open onto the concrete. In hindsight, she would be glad she hadn't thrown it over the side; it would have been far more difficult to retrieve.

Faunus.

It was a word Weiss had spent her entire life despising. One that framed a certain group of people who she was taught to consider substandard, below others. Yes, she had spent eight years internally debating this programming for the sake of her prince, and a few months finally conquering it once having a Faunus roommate forced her to deal with it on a daily basis. Still, she could never fully deny her first instinct was "Faunus are inferior" before she was able to recall that she had learned better. Fighting childhood indoctrination was always an uphill battle.

Now, she would no longer have that luxury. Faunus were not some vague group of people anymore. They were HER people. All along, she had been hating herself without knowing it.

"No," she finally breathed. It was too much for her mind. "No, this… it's not true. That book has to be full of lies, you- where did you have that made? How could you try something this terrible, what is the purpose?!"

"Why would I bother? You and I already agreed to take out your fearmongering father once and for all - what's the point in going through all the trouble now?"

He was right. He still hated her entire family, even if she was going to deliver her father to him. There was no reason for him to make this kind of news up at all; it would just complicate matters.

Not that he was her father, as it turned out. She didn't even really have the chance to be excited that she had another father out there before she learned he was already deceased. What a cruel missed opportunity.

Worse still, the more she genuinely thought about it, the more it all made sense. Why Kane was filled with guilt when her mother was mentioned, why he was so insistent on making sure she read what was in the book even though their agreement was already set in stone. He had nothing to gain.

"I… I'm a… no." Slowly, she bent down and picked up Myrtenaster, hefting it and pointing it straight at him. "This insinuates an entirely random chain of events was… was somehow pre-orchestrated purely to, what, dispose of my mother? Because she once dated a Faunus? Even with my father's… unfortunate prejudice, I can't accept that. He wouldn't try to hurt his own wife, no matter what she had done!"

"So why didn't he save you and your mom? We both know he had plenty of guards to do it for him, even if he didn't want to lift a finger on his own. Why was he too busy to help you?"

They were the only words that needed to be said. Throughout that entire night, he was nowhere to be seen. Not until the aftermath. And since that night, he had been unnecessarily harsh on her mother. Those were the nights when arguments were constant and deafening, when her mother would be crying nearly every day. And it was when his training practices became extremely harsh. Either he was trying to somehow beat the Faunus out of her, or it was just petty punishment for something she couldn't help.

When she didn't answer, Kane continued, "We had help on the inside. Someone had contacted us, told us how to cut the power. I was told where Willow would be but not where he was. When I got in, I wanted him dead just as bad - but I already had my target. And I couldn't find him afterward."

"Told you where she would be." The echoing of her words sounded sarcastic or disbelieving, but the truth was she needed to hear them aloud a second time for their impact to be felt. Her father had handed the Faunus the keys to the manor and pointed them in her mother's direction.

The Faunus. Her own people, as it turned out. No, that couldn't be, and she couldn't process it regardless. 

"So, Kane, you… were instructed that she was the target. It wasn't just bad luck, it…" Then her eyes went wider. "I wasn't, either. Once you had taken care of my mother, you came after me again. We were both targets."

Kane didn't answer. But clearly, if he had known all of the information within the journal before the attack, chances were it would have never happened. He would have never laid a finger on either of them. The guilt in his eyes said just that - and at least she understood where it came from now. Even if he had contemplated taking Blake out, it was because she was a human-sympathizer. If he had known from the beginning that Weiss were of his own kind…

Her father hadn't been there. The head of Schnee Dust Company was conspicuously absent from his own soiree at the moment of attack. Her mother's words in her own handwriting, Kane's testimony, and her own hazy memories all corroborated the same sobering truth.

With slow, measured steps, Weiss turned and picked up the diary, dusting it off as best she could before snapping it shut. Her eyes gazed out over the Beacon grounds, unseeing.

"How much did he pay the White Fang to target us specifically?"

"Dunno, exactly. Adam never told us he was the one paying at all. But it was enough to keep us going for a few months." Finally, he left to retrieve his own weapon again, this time placing it onto his back. He had no intention of killing the heiress. Not now that they were on the same side - both politically, and genetically.

"I'll triple it."

"I'm not interested in your money anymore." He turned back to her, just as he slid the mask back over his face. "The honor of killing him myself will be more than enough. No one makes me do their dirty work without telling me the whole story - especially not a damn Schnee."

"That is something I can understand, yes." Turning, she narrowed her eyes, jaw set firmly. "I hope you'll understand that I haven't forgiven you for attacking us. Not yet."

"Can't blame you. For the record, if I had known, I would never have touched you - maybe her for being his wife, but probably not, since she clearly doesn't feel the same way about us as old Jacques. But I'm not holding my breath for your forgiveness."

Finally, the Faunus took a few steps away, headed toward the edge of the building. Though not before sparing her a glance.

"But the least I can do is slit his throat for you."

A moment of indecision overtook Weiss. Did the man deserve justice? Absolutely. He had set her mother and herself up – his own wife and child, even if it turned out she had been fathered by another man – for certain death because of their connections with a group of people he hated for no reason other than they were different. But did he deserve to die at the hands of a bloodthirsty assassin like Kane?

Maybe, maybe not. However, this was likely the only way that justice could be carried out.

"These conversations never happened," she said tersely. "You are a mercenary from the White Fang, and I am the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company - who will implement sweeping policy changes after the… 'tragic' demise of my predecessor. And that's all anyone else will ever know."

"Yes, ma'am. Loud and clear." And with a nod, he leapt off the side of the roof into the distance without a trace. Which left Weiss to struggle with her own internal monologue all by herself.

Then came the instructions more aligned to their specific body types. Since Ruby's package was nothing that impressive, just "cute" as Glynda, Cinder, and Sienna all seemed to agree, they reassured her that she didn't need to worry about whether or not she got hard. Instead, she learned a move they called The Meatspin; it involved shifting her hips around in the circle just the right way so that her flaccid length would helicopter. Their tutors taught all five of them that move, but spent more time training her and Weiss, since their erections wouldn't be nearly as much of a draw. She felt ridiculous spinning her dick around through the air in Glynda's unimpressed face, but by now all these insane things were starting to become routine.

Except for all of it. Ruby still couldn't help feeling like she was in an alternate dimension whenever she thought too hard about her new occupation, and how far removed it was from the picture she had in her head of her college experience. Little by little, that feeling became less intense but it refused to fade completely.

One afternoon, when they had just completed a few more successful rounds of dancing to the beat and gyrating, they were again approached - this time, by Cinder. Clearly, she had been sent there against her will, because she delivered the message with an irate sigh.

“Salem is ready for you now.”

“Ready for us to what?” Weiss asked almost instantly.

“To see her,” she continued through her teeth. “Why do you need everything spelled out for you?”

Still confused, they all barely stopped to grab water and head upstairs. They were dressed in identical unitards and clear stripper heels, to approximate what it would be like once they were on stage, but it also gave Ruby a weird feeling sharing a uniform with her friends. It was like they were attending a stripper version of Hogwarts or something. It was almost cool, but at the same time, really bizarre.

“Have fun,” Cinder bade them with a half-smirk as she thumbed toward the ominous-looking violet double-doors. The upstairs landing actually didn’t seem to have much besides just this single room, and a couple of much less important ones off to the sides; the lion’s share of the action was downstairs. 

“Kind of hoping we don’t have too much fun,” Blake muttered as she reached to knock on the door.

“Enter.”

The instant they walked inside, Ruby started to feel as if they had made a huge mistake. This was a bedroom. Granted, it was a fairly huge bedroom, with so much square footage it might as well have been a dining hall, and the king-size bed along the far wall behind an insubstantial dressing screen was dwarfed by the openness of the space, but a bedroom nonetheless. That was without the red-and-violet color scheme all too familiar to them from downstairs, the giant painting of a gorgeous woman - with an equally gorgeous erect penis that rivaled Pyrrha’s - and the stage complete with stripper pole in one corner. 

As if that really wasn’t enough, Salem stood there with naught but a black silk robe on that was even skimpier than the one she typically paraded around in, regarding them casually as the doors were pulled shut behind them. Her bare, pale feet sank easily into the plush white carpeting, pink as it looked thanks to the red-tinted lighting, and it was impossible not to see her decently-sized assets outlined almost obscenely well by the smooth material. This woman was more than comfortable in her vast space.

“I haven’t heard anything back about my offer in some time,” Salem said - with no preamble or cordial greeting of any kind. “But I had a sense about you five. Perhaps my instincts aren’t what they once were, but… I thought at least some of you may be intrigued. If not ready to begin immediately.”

Taking a deep breath, Weiss took it upon herself to speak for them. “We have decided to entertain the offer. No promises about going through with it, though.”

“Mm, that works for me.” She glanced around at the rest of them, then back at Weiss. “If you want to prove yourselves to me, and to get a little taste of what it might be like to be given this particular type of exhilarating, disgusting work, then I have an exercise in mind. It’s not as awful as you might fear - but might push you outside the boundaries of your comfort zone.”

“More training?” Yang groaned as she slumped slightly. “No offense, lady, but this shit’s pretty exhausting. Do we have to start today?”

“You do if you want to continue being considered for the extracurricular options. However, I’m prepared to offer you double the hourly wages I’m already paying you for dance training - under the table, naturally. Until the laws are more reasonable, there can be no paper trail for this venture.”

They all exchanged a glance. That almost sounded too good to be true - though Ruby knew Salem considered it an investment. In fact, even as she was thinking it… 

"That seems reasonable. You'll easily make up that cost when we're 'finished products' you can sell to your customers."

Salem turned to raise her eyebrows at Pyrrha. For a moment, she seemed to be trying to decide if she was trying to be critical or to wind her up, but the redhead's passive expression seemed to convey that she wasn't - at least, enough to save her from retaliation.

"Absolutely. And so few of my girls come this far only to quit after training that the investment is worth it far more often than not. However… no second chances. I bear no malice toward anyone who decides this isn't for them and wish them nothing but the best moving forward, but that isn't the same as forgetting and trying to train them all over again. You get one shot to prove you're Futopia material, for either trade we offer. Prove yourself unworthy, untrustworthy, or uninterested, and you're out."

Harsh as it sounded, they all nodded in acceptance of her terms. Salem did have a business to run, after all; it would be unreasonable to expect her to put up with a bunch of wishy-washy people trying to take her training money without offering anything in return. Then and there, Ruby told herself that she would at the very least give it a try, with at least one client. If it didn't work out, at least she would give their boss one customer’s payment.

"No one reconsidering?" When they stayed silent, the head dancer smirked devilishly at them. "Perfect. Now… take off those ridiculous unitards. I understand Glynda's thought process, but don't think you need them up here."

So they stripped. Even though they were supposed to be getting used to doing that, Ruby still found herself shielding her body from view automatically; she had always been a little shy in the boys' locker rooms. At least she now knew she had a good reason for feeling that way all along.

"Let's start with the basics," she told them as she paced back and forth in front of them, her hands clasped in the small of her back. Ruby couldn't help wondering if she had some kind of military background; the posture reminded her a lot of Winter. "You're about to be part of the world's oldest profession. This work is a lot easier than dancing in some ways, and a lot harder in others. Every client should leave here at least somewhat satisfied, if not completely - and if they aren't, it should be through no fault of our own. The goal for you girls is to remember your job, and execute that job to the best of your ability. It applies to dancing and goes double for hooking."

Ruby saw Weiss and Yang make faces at that last word. Blake seemed totally unaffected, and Pyrrha only looked a tiny bit sad. 

"Oh, you don't like that word? Let's call it… 'orgasm facilitator'. Or maybe 'intercourse specialist'. Whatever you have to tell yourselves, as long as you don't delude yourselves about what will be asked of you."

"No, of course not, ma'am," Weiss replied obediently. 

"Not 'ma'am'. You will address me as 'Salem' or 'Madam Salem'. Or 'Queen', if you're feeling extra subservient," she added with a dark smirk on her lips.

Then she stepped forward and reached out for the dancers. Ruby was scared for a moment that something truly crazy would happen, but all she did was turn them to look at each other. She ran out before she got to Ruby due to the odd number, so the older woman simply remained there with her hands on Ruby's shoulders.

"Before any of you ask, no, I have no interest in whether or not you've kissed someone before. You'll still need practice."

"Oh," Yang breathed in mild surprise. "You… want us to- like, with each other?"

Ruby wondered if Yang was so nervous about making out because she and Blake were best friends. Taking a quick glance over at them, she could tell Blake was just as nervous - if not moreso. This was going to be awkward for Weiss and Pyrrha, as well, but they didn't seem nearly as antsy about the prospect.

But after thinking about her friends first, Ruby couldn't help gulping when it finally hit her. Salem didn't look pleased, or disgusted, or excited; she was completely at ease with the idea that she was about to steal Ruby's first kiss.

'I guess she did say she doesn't care,' she thought to herself as she inspected Madam's lips. They weren't particularly inviting or plush, but they seemed soft enough, at least. Maybe this wouldn't be as scary as she couldn't help worrying it might be. All she had to do was keep remembering that this first kiss didn't count that much, since it was one she didn't choose; it was just for the job. They had to do this to make the kind of money they wanted to make.

"What… are we supposed to do, exactly, Madam?" Pyrrha asked in a mild, non-threatening tone.

"Get used to kissing. Most of these training exercises are designed to help you feel more comfortable with interactions the job will require, rather than teach you technique. But I will probably be showing you a few moves, as well."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby just barely caught a glimpse of her friends starting to move closer to each other. She would have been really curious to watch that happening-

If Salem wasn't doing the very same. Her stomach fluttered when this powerful woman slid her cool fingertips along the sides of her neck, gently pulling her closer until their noses touched. Her eyes were so dark and forbidding, ominous, yet intoxicating. Ruby wasn't really the type to get that caught up in how attractive someone's body might be, but she knew Salem was no slouch - and being this close to her, while this naked, only added to her anxiety.

"Relax," the woman ordered her in a quiet tone. "Are you lying about your age? You seem less… prepared for this than your friends are."

Ruby was quick to shake her head. "Nope, I'm an adult. Really! Just not a super grown-up one - haven’t ever kissed anybody, or had sex or any of this stuff. But at least I don’t think coffee is yucky anymore! Yang used to tease me about that a lot.”

When Salem took a long moment to simply glare at her, she started to think she had made a huge mistake. Not just with her words, but in thinking she could hack any of this in the first place; even the dancing didn’t come terribly easily to her. She braced herself for dismissal and having to hang her head in shame as she retreated from this den of sin.

‘Ohhh, here it comes,’ she thought as Salem leaned in… and pressed her lips close to Ruby’s ear. ‘Wait, what is she doing?’

“Don’t expect a lot of special treatment in here,” the older woman whispered, which made Ruby’s stomach flutter and her heart speed up. Was she into Salem?! No - it was just nerves. Had to be. “You should have known what you were signing up for. However… since I’m getting the sense that you wanted to join your friends and didn’t seriously consider the consequences, I’ll grant you this one small mercy.”

Gulping hard, she managed to whisper back, “Oh, I… thank you, Madam Salem. Wait - which mercy? Or who is Mercy?”

The woman let out a scoff. It sounded both amused and irritated to Ruby’s ears. Then she drew back and looked over toward the others. Grateful for the reprieve, Ruby followed her gaze and saw her friends were just barely pecking each other’s lips awkwardly; Pyrrha and Weiss were doing fine, but they still looked like they were posing for junior prom pictures rather than enjoying truly passionate embraces. Blake and Yang were more like little kids having to kiss their grandmas - despite the full blush on their cheeks.

“Alright, let’s switch partners,” their boss announced - and only then did Ruby begin to understand what she had been talking about. “You, with the white hair - is that dyed? Take my place with this mousy girl. Blondie, you’re with me.”

“O-oh, okay. Coming right to ya, Madam!”

“I can hardly wait.” 

This was so interesting to watch. Blake and Pyrrha merely exchanged awkward smiles as they edged toward each other. Yang was clearly intimidated, as all of them were by this powerhouse of a woman; still, she approached her without complaint as Ruby backed off, mouthing “thank you” to the madam, and earning her a brief wink in return. Maybe it wasn’t much, but Salem had let her out of wasting her first kiss with someone she barely knew. That seemed to lend a little weight to the claims that she really took care of her girls, despite her tough and dour mystique.

Of course, a few seconds later, she wasn’t so sure she was any better off.

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” Weiss complained under her breath as she came to a stop next to Ruby, arms folded over her slight chest. “Are we really going to be expected to kiss the customers? I’m still not even sure I want to… to sacrifice my virginity this way!”

Leading her a few feet away, Ruby whispered, “You never know, right? And I mean, I don’t really wanna kiss some sweaty stranger, either… maybe we don’t need the money this bad.”

“Mm. Well… I do,” she confessed with a sigh. “Still unsure if this is the way to get it, or if I’ll be able to live with myself afterward, but it’s certainly the fastest way. My father can keep his disgusting money.” She raised her hands to rest on Ruby’s shoulders. “Ready?”

“What? Oh! I, u-um… m-maybe, uh, maybe so. Are you?”

Weiss’s brows furrowed slightly. “Ruby, what is the matter with you? It’s only a kiss. Haven’t you ever kissed anyone before?” No answer. The rich girl gasped, “Oh! Wait, really?”

“Nope,” she confessed, her cheeks ruddier than ever. 

“My God, this is bad. And you had to give your first kiss to that old witch?” 

Ruby glanced over at Salem - but luckily, the woman was already drawing her sister’s mouth up toward her own. That made her feel funny, too - probably because she had come so close to that fate. At least Yang had more experience with things like this. 

“U-um, well, actually… we didn’t kiss. We switched because she could tell I was nervous.” 

“Really?” This was a different type of surprised tone from before. Weiss looked at their instructor again, then back at her friend. “That’s honestly quite shocking to me. I expected her to latch onto you with no forewarning, like a vampire.”

“Me, too. Maybe she’s not so bad?”

“Maybe. Wow.” Then she bit her lip for a moment. “So… does this mean, if we go through with this, I would be your first?”

“Yep! It’s, um… it’s better. At least I know you and like you and everything. Sorry you have to kiss me, though.”

Weiss scoffed as she drew her closer, pulling her by the waist this time. “Oh, it’s no big deal. Don't act like you're some kind of disgusting freak; I'm sure this will be acceptable.” 

Unlike her moment with Salem, who was partly clothed, Ruby felt a chill roll down her spine when her soft dick brushed past her friend’s. That made it more difficult to view this as ‘no big deal’ at all. “Is it? I m-mean, if you don’t want to-”

“We have to. And I don’t mind, for the same reason you stated; you’re an acquaintance, and in the same age demographic, at least - and cute besides. Much more preferable. Not that I minded doing that with Pyrrha! I’m speaking about, um, the Madam. I don’t think I would be nearly as comfortable.”

“At least we agree there,” Ruby giggled as they leaned closer. “It’s scary kissing somebody old enough to be a parent or whatever. Um… is this okay?”

“Maybe. I guess it has to be.” As their noses touched, Ruby couldn’t help holding her breath. “And I suppose you’re one of the cutest of all of us. So unfair, by the way.”

Ruby barely had enough time to raise her eyebrows and open her mouth to ask why it was unfair - when she felt Weiss’s mouth gracing her own.

Perfect. Even though Weiss hadn’t been exactly nice to her all the time, even though they hadn’t spent a whole lot of time exclusively in each other’s company before, this kiss was so tender, and gentle, and warm… and she melted into it, wrapping her arms loosely around Weiss’s shoulders. Her lips were soft and inviting, and her hair like silk, and her breath caressing over her face and neck filled her with a yearning she had never felt before. She liked this. She wanted more of this.

After a second or two, Weiss drew back to whisper shakily, “O-okay, so… so that didn’t go so badly. I was kind of… I didn’t- yeah.”

“Right? Like, it was fun! I… I didn’t know it would be fun. Well, I mean they say it will, but only with your one true love! Right? A-and you and me are just friends, so how was I supposed t-”

“She’s looking!” Weiss hissed before yanking her in again. “Quick!”

This kiss was a lot less gentle and tentative. Ruby could feel Weiss tilting her head, lips kneading at her own - parting to allow her tongue outward. Weiss was licking her lips! Was this a thing people normally did? She might have even liked it, but she just didn’t know what to think about it exactly.

But her heart didn’t need any convincing. Already, it was triphammering in her chest as she began to try to give as good as she got, sliding her tongue out to tease her friend’s. Even though it had been Weiss to try it first, she still felt the dainty socialite tense with surprise when the French kiss was returned… 

And heard her moan a little. This was getting serious; they were both into it now, even if Ruby still wasn’t completely sure what they were into. Just that she had found someone she was legitimately comfortable with - as long as she didn’t think too hard about how naked they were, or which parts were rubbing against which. Maybe Weiss wouldn’t feel the same when the moment had passed, but for the first time in a long while, Ruby actually imagined that she could like being intimate with another human being. Maybe even want to seek it out.

“Ruby,” Weiss breathed softly when their lips parted, one hand fisted in her shoulder-length locks by now. “Is… are you feeling… what I’m feeling?”

“I… I dunno. What are you feeling?”

“Like… I could keep doing that. For a while, and not be bored.” Had her pale cheeks ever been that red before? Not in Ruby’s memory. “You’re, um, an excellent kisser.”

That shocked her. “Really?! I thought I’d be dumb!” They both chuckled a little. “Well, thanks for teaching me how to do it, I had a good time.”

“Oh, I didn’t need to teach you anything. Your instincts are pretty sharp.” Weiss bit her lip, caressing along Ruby’s back - which was either an unconscious action, or Ruby was about to lose what was left of her tiny mind.  “Did you really… have a good time? With me? Honestly, I didn’t expect anyone to choose me first - unless they were into the vapid Paris Hilton type.”

Swallowing hard, she whispered, “I don’t think you’re like Paris. Well, I’ve never met her, and don’t know that much about her, anyway… but I think you’re like Weiss Schnee. And that’s somebody who’s not just pretty, but pretty cool.”

That earned her the rarest prize of them all: a real, genuine smile from Weiss. This time, when she leaned in to kiss her again, she was ready to accept, leaning into the contact and humming with gratitude that they got to do it again. 

Though she wasn’t sure how much time passed before someone cleared their throat, Ruby felt like it had been some time. She pulled away from the kiss and looked over-

And saw not just Salem glaring at them. Yang and their other friends also looked to be in various states of curiosity - with Yang grinning from ear to ear, as if Ruby had just performed some kind of exciting trick. 

“Uh…?” 

“You seem to have gotten a little carried away,” Salem observed with a slight smirk. “Not that it’s much of an issue. Still, you have given us an easy excuse to springboard into another training exercise. Which of you three would like to try fellatio?”

While Yang looked alarmed and Blake and Pyrrha glanced at each other, Ruby couldn’t help looking back at Weiss in surprise, expecting her to be equally confused. What was Salem talking about?! But she saw Weiss was instead staring down in shame. Out of habit, she followed her eyes, even though there was probably nothing going on down there-

Oh, but there was. Both she and Weiss were sporting erections she had not at all been aware of before that moment. All that dancing and cavorting didn’t do it for Ruby, even waving it around in Glynda’s face… but a little kissing with a good friend was enough to awaken a need in her that had been almost completely dormant until now. She stared in wonder at the other pale shaft, as rosy as Weiss’s cheeks, and how it was practically lying right on top of her own. Weiss was a tiny bit larger, as well - and so pretty. Ruby had never thought of dicks as being cute or pretty before, but this place was beginning to change her mind about that. Her hand began to raise to wrap around both of them-

“Ruby!” Weiss hissed in shock as she took a step back, covering her anatomy with both hands. Not that it was easy. “What are you doing?!”

"I… I dunno?" she squeaked. "I wasn't expecting-"

"Blondie, you take the little mouse," Salem interrupted before they could fully talk this out. "The brunette can try out the silver debutante."

"If you'd like to know our names, just ask," Weiss reminded her with an uncomfortable little squirm as Blake edged closer to her.

"Uhhh… Madam Salem?" Yang even raised her hand. Their boss rolled her eyes a little before gesturing at her to continue. "I, uh, I'd like to switch, or maybe sit this one out?"

"You sound as if you don't want to do any of this at all. Maybe we can arrange for that."

Ruby saw how uncomfortable she looked, swallowing hard and shifting from foot to foot - and Ruby was, too. Neither of them wanted that outcome, and they had both been forced to consider it while they were in a state of arousal. So she jumped to her defense. 

"A-actually, it's because Y- Sunbeam’s my half-sister."

"Oh." Salem raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. "I was not expecting that reason. Intriguing. But very well, your redhead friend may take your place; we'll find someone else for you to play with after this first round."

Though Ruby was more than a little surprised this was continuing anyway, and very nervous as Pyrrha made her way over, she couldn't help wondering why Salem had chosen that word. Intriguing. What was intriguing about them being sisters? Though she knew most likely it was just that they didn't look that much alike, she still couldn't help wondering anyway.

"Hello again."

"H-hey, Pyrrha," Ruby blustered, realizing she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. She wound up holding onto her opposite wrist behind her back as she shuffled her feet nervously. "How's it goin?"

The tall, graceful woman let out a shy chuckle. "Fine, just fine. Well… perhaps we should-"

"One of you may use the bed," Salem decreed as she walked around them. "You two, go on. The rest may stay where we are, or retire to the couch."

There was a couch? Sure enough, there was a plush sectional in an unoccupied corner that Ruby had failed to notice when they entered. She would probably have gone in that direction if she and Pyrrha hadn't been instructed to use her bed. Too late now. 

It felt even weirder to be laying down on her boss’s plush, velvety bed than it did to be in this entire club in the first place. It made their actions feel more serious than they truly were, but she tried to tell herself to relax; this wasn’t nearly as big of a deal as she had built it up to be in her mind. They were going to do something carnal and fleeting for the purposes of learning how to do it better. That wasn’t so bad, was it?

“Well, here we are, I suppose,” Pyrrha chuckled nervously as she settled into the bed next to her. The tall, strong woman was only slightly apprehensive; mostly, she was far more cool and collected than the rest of them could hope to be.

“Yep! Uhh, we sure are. So, um, you wanna… put your mouth on- oh my God, I can’t even say this stuff. What the heck am I doing here?!”

Still chuckling, she put her arm around Ruby’s shoulders. “It’s alright. I’ll just get started, if you’re ready; you don’t have to say anything.”

“Yeah? I mean, like, it’s not weird that you’re about to do that with me?”

“Perhaps a little. But having already… well, allowed our colleague Thunder Thighs to use my thighs to her heart’s content, plus having had my penis pressed against Yang’s, this seems no more insane. At least we have a comfortable place in which to explore and train this time.”

Ruby nodded as she thought that over. She couldn’t help glancing down at her friend moved into position, and saw that Pyrrha was a tiny bit hard already; she must have enjoyed that kiss with Blake at least somewhat. She wanted to ask about that-

A warm mouth enveloping her throbbing need silenced those concerns. Ruby shut her eyes tight and sighed as she allowed the sensation to wash over her, trying not to squirm or move her hips too much - though it wasn’t easy. This felt both fantastic and terrible at the same time. Part of her wanted to kick her friend away and tell her to stop, but part of her also was really interested in this new sensation and wanted it to keep going. 

When a little whimper turned into a moan, Ruby couldn’t help squeaking, “I… I’m sorry!”

“For what?” Pyrrha asked right away, pulling off but keeping her face closeby.

“I’m… making noises- it feels so weird! But y-you’re doing great!”

“Oh,” she breathed with a slight smile. “Then perhaps I can make you feel a little better? Ordinarily, I might let you have a little break, but I do believe Madam Salem wants us to fellate each other to orgasm.”

“Y-yeah, that seems to be the idea,” she laughed nervously. “I’ve just only ever… I mean, Kleenex work fine! Y’know?”

Instead of answering, Pyrrha merely chuckled briefly before getting right back to work. Ruby had to cover her mouth to keep from moaning aloud, her thighs springing open like they wanted nothing more than this towering example of femininity to keep this brand new sensation going forever.

And then it got wilder. Even though it honestly wasn’t all that much of a change, feeling that mouth pull off with a slight pop and move down to her soft sack, lips and tongue sliding all over each ball and shifting them around so gently that instead of hurting or being frightening as Ruby expected, it just made her throb yet more, desperate to have something - someone in this case - give her dick the satisfaction it was beginning to crave more than anything she had ever wanted in her life.

Besides being seen as a woman. Well, and graduating and figuring out what she wanted to do with her life, but those were more longterm goals. But she was trying to distract herself so she wouldn’t have to think too much about her sexuality - which she did quite often.

Pyrrha’s mouth moving back up to her little cock got her to refocus. Ruby knew she was letting herself dissociate because it was easier than confronting that she liked this a lot more than she ever thought she would; she had honestly thought she was asexual. Maybe she still was, at least somewhat, but not nearly as repulsed by the idea as she had been once upon a time. That would most likely take some time to figure out.

“Pyrrha!” she whimpered into her hand as her cock throbbed. “Um… I-I’m gonna do the thing! I hope you’re ready!”

“Mmhmm!” was all her friend hummed by way of acknowledgement as her head bobbed up and down. This was definitely not new territory for the athlete; she was going down on her like a pro, as far as Ruby could tell. It felt so good! Her sack felt like it was tightening, her heart picking up speed until-

And that was it. Somehow it felt a little underwhelming, but she also was so overcome with the pleasant sensation of having somewhere warm and wet to deposit her seed this time that she couldn’t even care anymore. One of her hands came to rest on the back of Pyrrha’s head as she shot deep into her throat with a long, shivering cry that couldn’t be entirely silenced by her hand.

That was it. Sex. Even if it was just oral, it counted; Ruby’s virginity was gone by a lot of people’s standards. 

“Mmm, okay,” Pyrrha sighed as she pulled off, letting the half-hard length flop to the side as she placed both hands on Ruby’s hips to pull back. She glanced behind them at the dressing screen that shielded them from the view of their companions before turning her eyes back up to her current partner. “Was my technique satisfactory? Was that what you needed?”

Was it? Ruby wasn’t sure. It was nice to have finished climaxing - and Pyrrha had made her feel a lot better than she had ever dreamed. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling as if… 

Weiss attempted to shake this thought from her mind. There was no way she could do something like that! Regardless of their past, Blake was her friend; intruding on her privacy was not permissible. Still, the temptation lingered even as she started pulling her socks on. If Blake remembered her, and had all along, wasn't it only fair for her to call her out on it? For the sake of their friendship? The longer they kept secrets from each other, the worse it would be. It was important - no, crucial - that they be honest with each other about their past.

She left the other sock forgotten on her bed as she paced to their dresser and opened one of Blake's drawers. Idle fingers began to paw through the contents. Clothes, clothes, and more clothes. A small bag of Lien that she ignored. Sharpening stone for Gambol Shroud. Nothing crucial.

After many minutes of fruitless searching, she had given up entirely and sagged down on Blake's bed. What was she missing? She picked up her pillows, lifted her mattress. Nothing besides a spare dagger near the head of the bed – a wise precaution. Nothing that would directly incriminate her, though. 

Then, on a whim, she picked up the Faunus's current book from the nightstand. Flipping through the pages with idle, defeated fingertips, she came to her bookmark. She had stared at it for several seconds blindly before her mind finally registered what she was seeing.

"…oh. There you are."

It was a photo strip, much like ones taken in the photo booths of the Vale shopping centre. The edges were slightly torn, any white had turned a faded yellow, there were creases all over the images where the ink had cracked. But it was the images that were important, all of which contained three figures. An adult Faunus woman, possibly in her early thirties, with hair and cat-ears as jet black as Blake's and a coy smile playing around her lips. Then a man with large shaggy hair and a beard, nearly as much fur on his barrel chest as the rest of him. He was vaguely familiar, but not as much as the final person.

There he was - the very same boy. The same rough clothes, the same scarf, the same shaggy hair. This was him , at a time when he looked happier than most children ever could be. Each picture contained bright smiles, or silly expressions, and from the creases across the middle, it had been folded and unfolded time and time again over many years. This clearly meant a lot to her if she had been holding on to it for so long.

"My prince," Weiss breathed, tears blurring her vision. One of the most awful feelings plagued her heart now: delight mixed with grief. He was not real - or at least, she understood what she was really seeing through new eyes. Now that she looked again, saw the eyes and small cat ears, she knew she hadn't been mistaken, her mind wasn't drawing silly conclusions out of convenience. The short hair and dirty, nondescript clothing had made it a lot easier to mistake her for a boy. But knowing her teammate as well as she did now, and seeing the features with more clarity rather than through the hazy lens of old memory, there was no denying this was a much younger Blake Belladonna. 

Which meant she had to say goodbye to her dream. There would never be a day when the man she imagined came to sweep her away into a new life for just the two of them. How could he when he was a figment of her imagination?

In her moment of silent despair, she didn't notice her 'prince' open the door. Nor did she notice the horrified expression she held on her face when she saw her things all over the room, which only worsened when her eyes clapped on the photo in Weiss's hand. It was as if someone had slapped her across the face. Her most precious memories were right there, in Weiss's hands.

Blake couldn't help it; immediately she started dashing forward as she shouted, "Don't touch that!"

But Weiss's expression was mostly just hurt when she looked up. Perhaps slightly ashamed, perhaps surprised to see the older version of the young prince standing there. 

"So… so all this time, it was you?" she demanded, holding the picture out for Blake to see as if she hadn't looked at it a thousand times before. "The boy?"

The shock turned to guilt as Blake stumbled to a stop. So now Weiss knew. Everything. She knew her true identity, of their linked past, of what she did to save her that night. It was all out in the open. Everything was telling her to run, to escape the situation before it got worse. But where could she go? Last time she ran away, it caused twelve hours of stress and worry for all three of her teammates - plus a few friends. She couldn't do that again, no matter how much she wanted to get out and away from the situation.

"…Maybe."

"How dare you." There was no anger, at first. That one sentence held nothing but sorrow and regret. Then she was shouting at the top of her voice. "How dare you! Do you have any idea how many nights I've spent wondering if you were even still alive?! What happened to you, where you went?! You saved my life , I- I owe everything that's ever happened to me since you taking pity on me that night, I've had so much to say, a-and you couldn't bother to tell me who you were? For months now! Why?!"

Blake's eyes clenched shut, her shoulders hunched up as she faced the floor. Her reaction was like that of a toddler being scolded, but she felt just as small thanks to the words. She couldn't bear to look Weiss in the eye, or even look at any part of her. Guilt was eating away at her mind, but she had to come clean. 

"How was I supposed to do that exactly? How was I supposed to tell you that I'm a Faunus, that I was in your house when… that happened?" 'That', of course, being the paralysis of her mother. What a coward she was, unable to even say it aloud. "How was I supposed to tell you that the teammate living in your dorm room… that I've killed people, done things just as bad as our enemies have? Back then, I murdered a man right in front of you! Your dad wants me dead! It's bad enough you have to know I'm a Faunus, and I was with the Fang before, but that's-"

"You weren't the one who hurt my mother," Weiss breathed, still vibrating with emotion. Too much emotion for her to calculate. Maybe she had to address something else first, before she could fully process her own feelings. "And as for the man you killed? That may be a premature assessment."

Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. A knot in her stomach formed as the feeling of sickness returned. "What… do you mean?"

At long last, Weiss laid the picture down between the pages of the book, staring regretfully at it for a moment before she closed it and locked away the likeness of her fabled prince. "The man with the chainsaw, on the train? That was him."

"Kane…" His former comrade looked back to the ground. Years and years of regret were all for nothing. That regret had more or less molded who she was, a person who would always find a non-violent solution if there was one. A champion of equality, not a soulless weapon. The very reason she was who she was today was still walking the earth. And had nearly killed Weiss a second time.

"I should have fought him. I should have torn him apart."

"You did fight him." Taking a hesitant step forward, Weiss reached for Blake, then withdrew her hand. She didn't know whether or not that would make Blake run again. "Eight years ago. And you won. It wasn't necessary for you to fight him again."

"He nearly killed you, Weiss!" she shouted, her hands curling into fists. Tears began to well up in her eyes as intentionally-buried memories flooded back to her. Being in that vent with her, hearing her father call for the murder of all the Faunus, the sight of her dad covered in blood. And his final breath. "A-and if he did that, I'd have fought him in the past for nothing! I'd have felt all that guilt, had all of those nightmares for nothing! My father would have died, for nothing!!"

"We didn't have a choice!" Weiss shouted back, voice thick with unshed tears. "There wasn't time to stop and flip a coin for who got to fight that opponent! Torchwick is one of our biggest adversaries, distorting the White Fang's ideals to suit his own goals, whatever they may be! And… and I knew you could beat him, so I let you go on ahead!" Breath turning shallow, the heiress took another step forward, hand reaching out to rest on her prince's heart. "Because I knew! Down deep, some part of me understood you're stronger than me! Always have been!"

Voice bitter and hollow now, she bit out, "I wasn't strong enough to save my dad. Or your mom… or my mom. I am not strong, Weiss."

Tears began to fall from her cheeks. She pushed Weiss's hand off her chest as she walked to her own bed, placing her fingers on the cover of the book where the photograph lay hidden now. She couldn't look at Weiss.

"If I hadn't been separated from my mom in that riot, like a dumb kid, she wouldn't have died. Adam wouldn't have seen my stress and pain; he wouldn't have overreacted. That raid probably wouldn't have happened. Your mom would have been okay, your dad would have… well, probably still been a tyrant, but anyway." Her fist clenched tightly. "That is why I couldn't tell you. Because I might have saved your life back then, but I also ruined it - and it's my fault my dad is gone, too. And I'll never forgive myself for that."

Weiss stared at Blake for a long moment, playing her words in her head over and over. Watching the sorrow and self-loathing vibrating in the young Faunus's frame. Even though Weiss had begun seeing her more and more as her dashing prince, she also knew all too well how vulnerable Blake could be.

"What utter hogwash."

The fist visibly loosened as she looked back up slowly, not gazing at the heiress; but at least she was listening. "Huh?"

"You want to take on all responsibility for everything bad that ever happened both our lives, all on your own? Like this 'Kane' character never had anything to do with it, or my father's company, or your mother's own actions, or my mother's own actions? Because that's what I hear you saying: the world fell apart because Blake Belladonna isn't some kind of messiah who can save everything and everyone. It's completely unrealistic. Do you hear yourself?" Then she chanced a small, wry grin. "You should be able to, since you have two sets of ears."

The bow began to twitch yet again. Sometimes, the silly things had a mind of their own. And yet, she thought back to that. How Weiss had given it to her those years ago, to save her life. And it had, many more times then she could count. It was amazing how much help a small black ribbon was in her life.

Yet, useless here and now. She raised her hands to her head, slowly tugging either side to loosen it, then allowing it to fall away completely. Her Faunus heritage was visible again. The sign of her being a Belladonna.

The last Belladonna.

"There he is," Weiss breathed very, very quietly. Then she cleared her throat. "Um… perhaps it's too little, too late, but I apologize for thinking you were a boy. You just… your clothes and your hair were- that is, all the other little girls I'd ever had interactions with had long hair and pretty dresses, so there wasn't-"

"I-it's fine, really. A lot of people did." She let out a faint smile, slowly closing placing the book back by her pillow. Just as she was straightening everything out, she turned back to the heiress. "I did check up on you, y'know. Like, mostly just what I could find online or saw in the press, but I asked around, too."

At that, a small, giddy smile began to spread across Weiss's face. "You checked on me? Why?"

That was something Blake had never figured out herself. Why was she so interested in keeping tabs on the little heiress, when they had only met once? She saved her, that should have been all that mattered; their paths had parted forever after that. Except…

Except they hadn't. But for now, it was a lot more important to address what Weiss was currently asking her. She visibly shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Curiosity."

Still smiling, Weiss sat down next to her. "Well. I think you owe me an apology for hiding this from me. You should have realized I wasn't expecting my daring prince to turn out to be a princess – especially after I kept calling you 'boy' over and over."

"Hey, I did try to tell you. So many times - you have no idea. It's just not as easy as it sounds." She thought back to the words Weiss had just said. "…Your daring prince, hmm?"

"Hm?" Suddenly, Weiss found she was blushing to the gills. "W-well, I, um, that is, you had all the earmarks of a prince from a fairy tale. Rugged and handsome, but seemingly lower-borne. Coming to the rescue of the… okay, you're just mining for information to laugh at me later, aren't you?"

"What if I am?" Though she couldn't help but slightly chuckle at her ever growing blush. Although looking back to the ground, she sighed. "Unfortunately, like I've told Ruby before, real life isn't a fairy tale. There isn't always going to be a daring prince - and even if there is, sometimes he's just a pauper. Or a scared little girl who didn't know what she was doing."

Weiss started to nod. Indecision flared in her heart, and she fidgeted, reaching to smooth out her skirt only to remember she wasn't wearing one yet. Finally, she turned and laid a hand on Blake's.

"Then again, sometimes… the prince is every bit as amazing as in the stories. Even if in a different way."

Blake's head turned, looking at the hand on top of her own. It was soft, warm. Much warmer than she expected the Ice Queen to be. What did she mean? She wasn't suggesting she was the one, was she? They were already teammates - and besides, they were both women! 

But the conflicting feelings only flooded back into her mind as she looked back up, her piecing amber eyes being met with firm, dominant blue. Just as she had felt back then, looking into those eyes was like feeling the last piece of a puzzle sliding into place. Completing her heart.

The two teammates held their gaze for an eternal moment before Weiss broke it by blinking, then by withdrawing her hand to her own lap. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "Just… well, you are still my prince. I've been thinking of that boy as my prince for almost a decade, so my apologies if it takes me a while to stop thinking of you that way. Now that… now that I've found you."

"You've really been thinking about me that way? For that long?" A soft blush was now blossoming in her cheeks, as well. Since she'd lost her parents, no one had given her much thought. That just wasn't the White Fang's way. Attachment meant there was more to lose. "Sorry, just… I never really thought anyone really cared. Not since my parents… you know."

"Y-yeah." Fidgeting with her hands, she stood and went back to her dresser to select a wardrobe for the rest of the day. "About your parents, I am sorry. For whatever part my family played in… in that. My father has much to answer for, I know - or, well, actually I'll probably never know all of it, will I? What a bastard."

Blake continued to stare at the ground, twiddling her thumbs as her mind reeled. Although she wanted to agree, that would have been rude of her. After all, they were talking about her father; he might have been one of the most reprehensible men on the planet, but he was Weiss's family.

So instead, she gazed back over to her book, smiling fondly. "What happened is the past. It can't be changed. As long as I still have some good memories along with all the bad, that's what matters, you know?"

“Don’t stop on my account.” The white-haired bombshell had a towel wrapped around her curvy frame and a caddy similar to Nora’s in her hand, though at present her attention had completely shifted away from her own bathing ritual. “Unless you already climaxed - which it seems like you might have.”

“Yep!” Thunder Thighs volunteered immediately, sounding as if Winter had merely asked if she finished what book she was reading lately. “They were all wound up and it got me wound up, and, well, ya know.”

“None of my business, I suppose. I’ll come back another time.”

Breaking away from the other three, Pyrrha groaned at the shifting of their organs as she managed to keep from stumbling. “No, no, don’t be silly! Our lewdness shouldn’t prevent you from getting ready to dance. We will, um… we’ll go back to showering, and stop bothering you.”

“I meant it when I said it’s none of my business; you have every right to do what you want to do, even if this may not have been the best place to do it.” Rolling her eyes, she moved toward one of the nearest shower stalls. “I’m guessing you’ll be the next to fall victim to Salem’s extracurricular opportunity.”

“Psh,” Thunder Thighs announced as she paced back over to her own shower. Now that they all climaxed and Pyrrha had pulled away, she had no reason to linger. “Come on, I’m not that desperate for money! Plus, I only do this with people I like.”

“Hmm, a likely story. You’ve scarcely met those three and you ‘like’ them enough to do that?”

“Yeah! I mean, all we did was a little thigh-action!”

“Wait, wait,” Yang interrupted as Blake pulled away. Pyrrha thought she could have imagined it, but the raven-haired girl looked sad to have to part from her best friend. “What the hell are you two talkin’ about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Nora chuckled as she washed up all over again, now that it had become necessary.

“That didn’t sound like ‘nothing’. It sounded like a way to make some cash - which is why we’re all here.”

Winter sighed as she took off her towel and hung it on a peg nearby. Pyrrha couldn’t help glancing along her body; her curves were flawless, and there was clearly some muscle tone beneath the soft, plump areas. She just barely caught a glimpse of a decently-sized endowment - before she tore her eyes away, deciding this was a good time to start washing up herself.

“I was joking. The three of you are new, and young; you don’t have any business pursuing that kind of ‘business opportunity’.”

For a moment, Yang just scoffed and looked offended. But it was Blake who spoke up: “Are you talking about… whoring? Is there actual illegal whoring going on in this-”

“Shhh!” both Winter and Nora hissed. It was the latter who said, “You wanna get us all fired? I mean, Salem is this whole club; you get her nabbed by the fuzz, none of us will be working here anymore, that’s for sure!”

“That isn’t entirely true,” Winter admitted begrudgingly as she began to soap up. “But not technically false, either. I’d say it behooves you not to mention this to anyone. Glynda and Tiger Queen turn a blind eye to Salem’s side business, and try not to find out any more than they already know; in fact, I’d be unsurprised to find out Glynda actually doesn’t know anything. They might be able to keep this club going even if Salem got herself arrested, but we would still be out of work for weeks while the investigation was conducted. Just… don’t call undue attention and our positions are secure.”

“Our positions as facilitators of a brothel?” Blake asked baldly. “That doesn’t sound very poggers, Miss Schnee. I mean, sex work shouldn’t be as stigmatized as it is, or illegal, but for now it very much is. Besides, how do we know she’s not running some kind of human trafficking ring out of this place?”

“As I said, that’s up to you and how much you want to have a high-paying job. Ordinarily, I would say exposing a potential slave trade would be worth destroying this entire place… but I have seen no evidence of anything like that. No unknown girls come in, no known girls vanish. It’s just good old-fashioned prostitution.”

“Oh, is it?”

Though all of them were surprised and turned to look at the new voice, none of them were nearly as shocked and dismayed as Winter to see it was her younger sister standing in the doorway. Weiss was fully clothed, and clearly ready to leave, but didn’t seem to have abandoned the locker room just yet.

“Weiss!” Winter hissed, glancing around at the others. “What… why are you here?”

“I work here now. Remember?” Glancing over at the others, she shrugged and looked her sister in the eyes. “Go on - you were just telling us about yet another valuable employment opportunity in which we spread our legs for some creepy old pervs? Or are we spreading their legs?”

While curling her lip in very clear annoyance at the way her little sister was handling this, she growled, “Sometimes one, sometimes the other. Sometimes both. But as I said, I don’t think-”

“Oh, why don’t we sign up? That sounds so fun! We’ll braid each other’s hair, pick out each other’s condoms - oh! And drive each other to the clinic when we all get the clap!”

“Weiss, you are being childish, as usual,” Winter sighed with a roll of her eyes.

“How am I the childish one when I’m being more responsible than-”

“Let’s do it!” 

Most of them looked completely shocked to see it was Blake who had spoken up. Blake included. She slapped a hand over her mouth as if that could shield her from backlash, but she seemed to have already accepted that was futile.

“Uhhh… Blake, you feeling okay?” Yang asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“You can’t be serious!” It was Weiss that hissed those words, even though she had also been the one to start this ball rolling in order to taunt her sister. “You want to become a prostitute?! No, no, this is absolutely not what we signed up for!”

“Really isn’t,” Yang scoffed with a shake of her blonde head. “Like, I can’t pretend I don’t like a good fuck as much as the next girl, but not with strangers.”

“And not for money,” Weiss scoffed. When Yang shrugged, her eyes widened even more. “WHAT?!”

“Hey, it ain’t the money I have a problem with. Sue me! I just think I might draw the line at dancing, which I’m already not a hundred percent about doing anyway.”

With a bashful shrug, Blake went on, “Look, I know… it sounds pretty jank. Not denying that. I just think I’d be open to finding out how much it pays. If we wanna get the most out of this job, then this sure as hell is one way to do that.”

The room was silent for a long moment. Pyrrha still couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but Blake was making a certain kind of sense; most of them had initially stated that there wasn’t all that much difference between exotic dancing and prostitution. Furthermore, Blake and Yang had seemed the most open to trying it out - and it was interesting that Yang, the one who had been the most sexually active out of the five of them, was just as uncertain as Weiss. 

“I… support any of you who would want to try that,” Pyrrha began delicately. “I’m not sure I would be able to… to be that casual with my body, with complete strangers.”

“Didn’t look like you were a minute ago,” Thunder Thighs put in with a giggle. When Yang glared at her, she shrugged and said, “What? I’m just saying, there ain’t that much difference; I haven’t gone for the side gig because to be honest, I’ve been working here a while and making good money. Don’t need to. But I wouldn’t be that against upping the stakes if, like, I suddenly needed a big wad of cash. Like if one of my friends needed bail money! Y’know, something like that.”

It was actually Winter who responded, even though she had mostly remained silent during their discussion. “Do you have a lot of friends who often need bail money?”

“Uhhhh, I plead the fifth.”

“Oh, come on, this is ludicrous,” Weiss sighed with a shake of her head. “You guys aren’t going to start having sex for money - even if that’s a real thing that goes on here. It’s illegal! I, for one, am not sure I’m comfortable continuing to dance in an establishment that allows that kind of underground activity to go on.”

“Oh, lighten up, you prude,” Yang snapped at her. “Like, you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with - that’s fine. But can you not police other people’s actions like somebody put you in charge?”

For a few seconds, Weiss just stood there with her mouth agape. Then she finally squeaked, “Excuse me?! I… how dare you speak to me that way! I’m just trying to look out for everyone’s wellbeing - including those who might be exploited into sexual slavery!”

“Slavery? Would you be interested in that?”

Yet another voice had joined theirs. This time, Pyrrha didn’t recognize the face; this woman was older than most of the dancers by at least a decade, and had skin so pale it was practically translucent. Though she was wearing what looked to be a dark robe from some kind of ancient druidic temple, it was easy to tell she had a voluptuous figure beneath the cloak. She also had pale lavender hair tied up into several loops that stuck out from her head in multiple directions; it was a very youthful cut for such a mature woman.

“What?” was all Weiss could manage, since she was as thrown by this woman’s sudden appearance as anyone.

“Being my new pet,” the intense interloper purred as she reached down to grip Weiss’s chin - and she didn’t seem to be too terribly gentle about it. The younger Schnee sister whimpered in instinctive fear. “You sounded as if you were interested.”

“I-I… um… no?” Finally getting a grip on herself, Weiss cleared her throat - though Pyrrha could definitely see a blush forming on her cheeks. “No, y-you misunderstand; I was merely… we were discussing your, um, other business opportunity, and I was saying…”

Winter attempted to intercede - though her tone was much more deferential than usual. “I’m sorry, Salem. My sister often speaks out of turn.”

Salem. Of course this was her; who else could be in charge of the entire sinful establishment? A chill ran down Pyrrha’s spine as she took in the effect this woman was having on all of them, and just her general appearance. Not only was she an uncommon beauty, but clearly she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

“Some people find happiness in slavery,” the forbidding entrepreneur offered with a shrug as she finally released Weiss’s chin. Immediately, she shot away from Salem and rubbed at her chin as if to make sure she hadn’t been burned. “Though I would feel… unsure about inviting such fresh meat into that hypothetical venture. You’re too new to have the stomach for anything like that; I typically only welcome my girls who have been with me for a few months, and even then… I don’t go around asking.”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Hypothetical? Ma’am, are you… saying that you haven’t started the sex trafficking?”

“There will never be any trafficking,” she snapped - and it was shocking how much colder and more stern her tone was. She made Glynda and Cinder sound like… well, like Nora. “Willing participants are all I am interested in. Do I make myself clear?”

As they all nodded, Pyrrha decided to speak up. She felt very nervous, but knew if they didn’t get this conversation moving, it was only going to stretch on for yet longer - and she wanted it to be over with already.

“So… this side-business of yours. I assume there are some kind of protections in place for your… employees?”

“There is no side business,” she said with a coy smile. “However… let’s say that, hypothetically, there is a free seminar, available to the entertainment specialists here at Club Futopia. On the topic of sensuality. Should any of you choose to attend, you will learn how to bring men to their knees - or women, or nonbinaries, if you are so inclined.”

"I see. And if we attend this seminar, would we be required to… continue it?"

"You mean, if in the event you fail to live up to expectations, or decide to stop attending, will you still have jobs dancing at the Club?" When a few of them nodded, Salem shrugged. "Of course. As long as you still know the steps, and don't misbehave, the stage is all yours."

That was pretty open-ended: "misbehave". But Pyrrha didn't intend to do anything of the sort at any point. "Very well. I… well, not to speak for everyone, but we'll think it over."

The older woman's smile was as cryptic as ever. "Excellent. Again, I can’t guarantee I won’t change my mind due to your statuses as neophytes, but I suppose we shall see. On that note, I wish you girls a good evening." Then she whirled and stalked away, her robe somehow fluttering despite the absence of any kind of breeze.

All five of the newbies looked at each other. At some point, Ruby had joined in the conversation as a silent observer; despite being barely an adult, she didn’t look nearly as anxious as Weiss, or as Pyrrha felt down deep in the pit of her stomach. Just what had they all gotten themselves into?

“Well that was awkward,” Thunder Thighs chuckled as she finished rinsing off and gathered her belongings. “Thanks for the good time, guys! We’ll have to do it again sometime!”

Pyrrha let out a squeak when she felt her ass get swatted by the dancer on her way out of the showers. This place was definitely going to drive her insane.

------------------------------------------------

    “You really aren’t disgusted by the idea?”

Pyrrha could just barely see Yang shrug in her phone screen. Not just because Yang was holding her own device so close, but because her waves of blonde hair mostly covered the gesture.

“I dunno, we’ve had all weekend to think about it now, and… I kinda don’t think it’s a big deal.”

“Well… I suppose that’s true,” Pyrrha sighed as she curled up a little tighter on the couch. She was glad her mother was out with her new friends; otherwise, she would have been terrified that she might walk in and overhear this conversation. “We are already working at a red light establishment.”

Yang laughed as she flopped back on her bed, finished putting her laundry away at last. It was amazing that she could do all that while holding the phone - almost as if she had a built-in ability to only need one arm to get by. “Do people say that? ‘Red light establishment’? Could just say it’s a whorehouse.”

“W-well… it isn’t technically. It seems that the focus of the work really is the dancing; this is a recent venture.”

“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, we’re gonna get called sluts by ignorant people already; might as well earn a little more money.”

“It really doesn’t bother you?” she repeated meekly. “That you’ll be sleeping with strange men?”

Now, Yang did look a little less self-assured. “Well… it’s not like this is the first time. But the other times, I had a little more input into which guys and girls I wanted to bang. So I guess I’m just trying to remind myself that I get money, and I also get laid; even if I might not get to choose, hey, it’ll still be fun. Probably.”

“Right, that is a compelling argument.”

“Pyrrha?”

“Yes?”

“Um…” The blonde was fidgeting a lot more than she remembered seeing her. “So the showers…”

Here it was. Pyrrha had been dreading this discussion, but she found she was at least grateful they managed to avoid it for a little while. “The showers. We… well, we were closer than we expected, for a minute there.”

“Right? Wasn’t that crazy?!” They both chuckled for a few seconds before Yang continued, “I can’t stop thinking about it. Like, I know nothing that big happened, but…”

“No, it was significant. Our… well, our anatomy touched,” she breathed, feeling her cheeks turning warmer. “And I felt Nora’s- sorry, Thunder Thighs, between my own thighs.”

“Right, right. And, um… all that was hot. Blake being so close to my ass? Also hot. But um… I guess…”

When she never finished, Pyrrha prompted, “You guess what?”

“I guess I really… liked feeling Blake there. Not saying I’m into her!” she added in a rush, violet eyes widening. “She’s my best friend, I’m… I really don’t think it’d be cool if I was. But I was kinda shocked at myself. How much I wanted her there, and how good it felt when she was…”

“So…” She thought her words over, hoping to choose the most delicate ones. “So you’re… concerned that you may have developed an attraction?”

“That’s just it.” Yang sat up again with a slight grunt. “Before that, I would have said I thought she was really cute, but we didn’t think about each other that way. Just bee-eff-effs. The thing is… I’ve been kinda into how sexy she is for a while now.”

“You have?!”

“Shh!” she added, glancing around wildly. “I don’t want Rubes to overhear, or she might blab; not on purpose, she just sometimes shoots her mouth off without thinking!”

“Sorry,” Pyrrha apologized with a duck of her head.

“It’s fine. But yeah, uh, I have. Like it doesn’t mean I’d ask her out; she’s my bestie. Just finding it hard to shake off that my bestie is super fucking fine.”

“Ah. Especially after…” Yang nodded, and she sighed as she rolled over onto her side. “I’m sorry. That sounds very difficult to endure.”

“Naw, I mean, it’s whatever. It’s not like we’re not all still friends, y’know? And you and me are cool even after I did a little jerking.”

Pyrrha felt a little pulse of interest between her legs when Yang brought that up yet again. Mostly, she was able to ignore it, but the more often her mind was taken back to that brief flash of passion between them and two of their fellow employees, the harder it became to suppress a resurgence.

“Aren’t we?”

“What?” Only now did she realized that Yang had been waiting for her to confirm. “O-oh- yes, we’re fine.”

The smirk that spread across the blonde’s features should have been illegal. “You’re not warm for my form all of a sudden, are ya? Just because we had our bananas in a bunch?”

“No, of course not!” Though her blush likely gave her way. “I… well, it was very enjoyable, like you said; I’m just… remembering, that’s all. Nothing deeper.”

“Okay, okay,” Yang giggled. “I mean, I’m in the same boat; I’m never gonna think about you or Blake the same way again. Nora, too, a little.”

“Thunder Thighs. We’re supposed to be learning to use our stage names.”

“Right, right. Anyway… if you ever wanna bump uglies again, I’m game. Not as like…” She shrugged again, clearly trying to come up with the right words. “I’m not trying to come onto you, or ask you out or anything like that. No way. Just saying, it was fun, and if you wanted to… have fun again…”

“I-it’s alright,” Pyrrha reassured her with a smile. Privately, she couldn’t help thinking it was cute to see the normally-confident Yang tripping over her words to make sure she wasn’t offending her. “I may take you up on that, if I decide… well, that I’m interested in that sort of arrangement. Which I may be, I may not be.”

Her friend nodded a few times, smiling back. “That’s cool. I mean, you’re super hot - and you have like, the biggest dick ever. Kinda hard not to wanna play with it again.”

“Stoooop,” she murmured bashfully, thighs twitching anxiously in a vain attempt to abate her growing needs.

"What?? It's true, man!" Yang glanced over her shoulder, then back at her phone with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, gotta go help get dinner started. But yeah, I'm glad we touched base about this whole thing; I didn't mind it at all, but I guess it was pretty unusual."

"Very unusual for me. Have a good dinner, Yang."

"Thanks! See ya!"

Then Pyrrha was alone with her thoughts. She didn't want to be, because they were so chaotic of late, but maybe the situation wasn't nearly as terrible as she kept thinking of it in her mind. So what if they were exotic dancers now? So what if they took that yet further, and briefly dabbled in being prostitutes? Maybe it wasn't what their parents would want for them, or they even wanted for themselves, but they could earn a lot of money in a short amount of time - which not only might cover certain surgeries, but also pay for their tuition, living expenses. She herself knew she could really infuse her stock portfolio with some much-needed seed money. The benefits seemed to outweigh the sacrifices.

"Yes, Sir!" Her boots drew together, Myrtenaster raised to point at the training mech. A Glyph formed beneath her and propelled her in at an accelerated speed to strike at the mech, and she did so, felling it in a single swoop. She did it! This time, she had felled the robot!

However, afterward she stumbled before coming to a stop – down on one knee, which skinned slightly on the mat. It was only because there was debris from the previous two mechs strewn about that she received the light surface scratches on her person, but they were still present and unwelcome.

"Nhh!" she gasped as quietly as she could, trying not to show weakness, trying to be perfect wherever possible.

"Stay upright!" the imperious voice called again. Two more mechs awakened from their stations, bounding over to the girl on her knees. Their sword arms were raised as they charged as fast as they could. The mechs seemed to be getting stronger and more powerful. Swishing her sword in a tight circle, Weiss flicked out her other hand and activated one of the Dust chambers. Then a quick slash sent ice surging through the air to cover one of the mechs completely. With that one out of commission for the moment, she turned to leap high, bringing the blade down at a weak point near the head of its counterpart.

The head flew off, crashing into the wall a fair distance away. Usually, that would be the end of that mech – but not this time. The machine merely turned, swinging its sword across as it struck her legs while she was in midair, before bringing up its own fist at speed directly into her stomach to send the girl flying into the rear wall.

"NGHHH!" Weiss burst out as she collided and fell to the floor, dazed and seeing spots in her vision. When she tried to push herself to a standing position, her ankle throbbed; sprained, not broken. She would recover… but not if she allowed the mech advancing on her to trample her flat. 

Defeat, again. With a shaky voice, she called out, "Stop the simulation!"

The demand did nothing. The mech only continued its speedy dash toward her. What was happening?

"STOP!" she screamed, pushing her way up the wall, weapon at the ready. There would be no stopping this simulation. A few times in the past, her father had pushed things beyond the realm of safety, but by now he would have relented. It seemed he was determined to show her what a true combat situation was like.

Activating another Dust chamber, she swung her blade down in an arc that sent fire burning toward the behemoth's bulk, severing it diagonally from shoulder to hip. Molten metal dripped to the floors of the training room.

And that heat was enough to break the previously frozen mech free. It dashed toward the heiress at full speed, sword at the ready to strike while she was still recovering from her last strike and her injury. There was no stopping it, all she could do was wait until-

Suddenly, it lost its footing. The fearsome charge had come to a halt when it fell head first into the ground. The room filled with horridly high screeching as metal collided with the floor.

Once it had stopped, and the dust and Dust settled, the girl would be able to make out a tall, well-built male kneeling on its back, hand grasping at a sword that had penetrated the robot's usually indestructible armor. The figure was dressed in rather ragged clothes, all black, with a small scarf hanging around his neck.

But when he looked up, the face was the boy who had so long ago saved her life. Years had passed, gracing his face with a more pronounced jawline, making him look quite chiseled and roguishly handsome. The hair was still long, but it flowed with the wind in well-kept locks, and though those telltale Faunus ears were on display, he did wear that old black ribbon across his brow as a headband. He had kept the bow!

"My hero!" Weiss breathed, hearing how ridiculous the line sounded and being unable to care. All she cared about was that he had come, had stopped the onslaught of mechs. Had protected her from something she could not in her moment of weakness. Her dashing prince.

Legs trembling, she slowly limped over toward him, heart in her throat. Even though he was a Faunus, even though she hated all others among his tribe for what they had done to her family, she carried a secret torch for the young man who had risen to the occasion when her mother was incapacitated. No matter what else he was or had done in life, he had saved her. That was more than most could claim.

The man quickly rushed to her side. A hand slipped beneath her knees, while the other rested on her back. With unnatural ease, he swung her off her feet, holding her in his arms close to his body. The amber eyes looked back into her own as a confident smile graced his face.

"I couldn't have you getting into trouble again."

One of Weiss's arms looped around his neck while the other traced fingertips through his windswept, roguish hair. It was just like on the covers of all those novels her mother read and pushed out of sight whenever she or Winter came into the room. Her fantasy was coming to life. It was a miracle!

The two of them soon found themselves in the loft of a barn somewhere far away. As he set her down amid drifts of hay, she gazed up into his golden irises and breathed, "Where are we?"

"Does it matter?" the man asked, running one of his hands through his long hair to brush it off his face. From there, she was able to see the definition of his muscles through the thin shirt. Well-toned abs, rather large arms. The thin bead of sweat on his brow was also somehow enticing. "We are here, and alone. That's perfect, no?"

"It is perfect," she breathed, clinging to his body. "And… now that we're alone, what will you do with me?"

He held onto her shoulders, turning her slightly so he was above her. One hand fell behind her back, lowering her gently down onto the soft ground. The man then pressed himself up against her, his perfect muscles crushing against her petite, softer body. The man grinned, baring a couple of rather dangerous fangs in his mouth that were rather intimidating, but when a hand brushed one of her locks of hair behind her ear, the touch was softer than any touch her parents would have given her.

"That is for you to decide. Anything you want; I am here to do your bidding."

Weiss had the same thought many times about her dark prince of the White Fang. That he was dangerous, that he was imposing. Somehow, now that she was older, the dangerousness only made him more desirable. She never understood that facet of her imagination and there was no one with whom she felt safe confiding those particular feelings.

Until now. She could confide in him, the Faunus of her desires. Couldn't she?

"I want you to… to kiss me," she admitted with a flush to her cheeks. "Roughly, b-but sweetly. Put your hands on me, I… whatever you want."

"Your wish is my command."

His eyes fell shut as he leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. His were so soft and sweet, despite his rugged appearance. Right away, they curled around to kiss her roughly, his tongue reaching out to brush against her bottom row of teeth, searching out more of the delicate heiress. One hand dove into her silvery hair, scratching against her scalp. The other fell to the back of her leg, slowly bringing it up against his side as he let his body weight rest atop her.

How long she had desired this! Trembling hands gripped and pulled him closer, painting her body across his, the sinewy muscles writhing beneath his skin setting her own aflame – especially that of his hand against her leg. Passion began to stir in her, and she knew it would be the same for him, as well. Hesitantly, she parted her mouth to allow his tongue inside, to be the first thing ever to penetrate her defenses. No one had ever dared touch the heiress in any way beyond a pat on the head or a handshake. Of course her brave prince would be the first.

And he graced her with the contact of his tongue, slowly brushing by her own in a heated kiss, lips kneading against hers in desire. He parted their kiss every few seconds to let out a moan of pleasure. A low-toned, rough groan of need – which was echoed by the movements of his hands, as once he had rested one of her legs to lean against his body, he slid his palm back up to her rear and grasped it firmly.

Desire burbled and broke over the surface, and Weiss knew she needed him now. Never before had she needed anyone in this way and she couldn't be absolutely sure that's what she was experiencing, but it seemed entirely ludicrous to pretend otherwise.

"My prince," she moaned quietly as he kneaded her backside before his lips crushed hers again, pressing them flat with his urgency. Fingers trailed down his abdomen, delighting in the tautness of his physique.

"My darling," he echoed, continuing their heated entwining of lips and tongues, the moans of desire. The hand in her hair reached up to the top, as he began to scratch lightly on what would be a surprisingly sensitive area for her… and yet, he figured it out right away. 

A moan escaped from her, one she had never heard from her own throat before as she felt the fingertips coaxing such a strong reaction from her body. Why? Why always there? In combination with the attentions to her lower region, it was almost too much. Elated and ready for whatever may come, her hand drifted lower, passing over the center of his trousers…

And realized something wasn't quite right. The sheer level of lust coursing through her veins told her that he should have been experiencing the same, but… he wasn't. He wasn't anywhere near close. The expanse was as flat as hers, devoid of a telltale bulge. Maybe she had no experience with men personally, but she wasn’t uneducated; she knew what she should be feeling right now.

"Oh," she breathed as she released the kiss. "Do you… sh-should I give you a little help?"

The expression of the man before her only seemed mildly confused. Although still exhausted from their heated kiss, that didn’t seem to be why he was unwilling to stop her or speak up.

"It's alright," she breathed heatedly as her fingertips drifted up and inside the hem of his shorts, trailing over a thick thatch of hair. "You don't have to look so upset. I don’t mind helping you… enjoy this with me."

Her lips pressed back against his again as the hand descended, searching for something she had never touched in her life. She didn't find it. Farther and farther down, she explored, until she began to grow worried. Where was it hiding?

And then she found it. However, the "it" was not at all what she had been expecting. Her prince had no scepter.

"Is… are you a…" Fingertips still drifting over the softness that lay where hardness should be, she drew back to gape at him… and received a shock.

What was once stubble was now smooth, soft skin, the rugged chin replaced with something much gentler. And though the eyes were exactly the same, the ribbon was absent.

No, it wasn't. It was in the figure's hair, covering the signs of any Faunus heritage. When the heiress gazed down the body before her, soft curves had replaced once rippling muscles. The firm chest was now softer orbs of flesh, a sight larger than those of her own.

The figure was one she knew. And the voice confirmed it.

"I'm sorry."

"Blake?!" Weiss gasped, trying to pull her hand out of her shorts – but it was stuck. Why couldn't she get it out? Meanwhile, full, pillowy lips were descending toward hers, amber eyes shimmering in the low light. "No, wait- stop, this isn't what I- STOP!!!"

    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

A thin sheen of sweat covered Weiss's forehead as she sat bolt upright from her sleeping mat, chest heaving. When she looked around for the prince that had turned into Blake, he was nowhere to be seen.

Of course, that wasn't strictly true. He was lying right there – rather, she was. Blake was asleep on the other side of the campfire; her head was at such an angle that she had a direct view of the Faunus's bow, of her quiet countenance.

What an awful nightmare! No matter how many times Weiss shook her head, the images would not recede. The feelings. She had never actually touched another person there, be they man or woman, so she didn't know where that insanity had come from. It troubled her greatly.

But not quite as much as that coincidence. Maybe it was fairly commonplace for Faunus with cat ears to cover them with a bow. Then again, if it wasn’t… 

"Bad dream?" the same voice sounded out. When Weiss looked back around, her Faunus teammate had opened her eyes. Leaning on one of her hands, she looked over to the heiress worriedly.

"Ah!" Weiss yelped, backing away a few inches… before her conscious brain caught up and overtook the lingering fear. This was Blake. In her dream? That had not been Blake. That had been a figment of her imagination - some kind of unkind amalgamation of her conscious thoughts, delivered in a nightmare soup.

"Blake," she whispered, glancing over at where Yang and Ruby should have been snoring peacefully – or at least one of them should have been. Neither were there. Must have been the middle of a change in their night watch; the Southeast Quadrant was not a safe place, and Mountain Glenn the worst of the worst. No wonder she was having nightmares.

"I get it, you know. Sometimes the nightmares seem real, like you're going through hell all over again." Although this wasn't the type of nightmare the heiress was going through, it was the type that haunted Blake most nights. Sometimes she would wake screaming; others, she would be silent. But the images continued to haunt her mind every night. She didn't want to risk someone else going through that alone. "You want to talk about it?"

Weiss was all set to say "no", but then she reconsidered. It wasn't wise for her to bring up the topic – especially if Blake really was somehow related to the boy from her past. What if he had ended up being killed in the aftermath, and Blake would hate her for not doing more to help? After all, at that time she had unequivocally regarded all Faunus as subhuman, blights on the planet. No matter how much further evolved her mind was starting to become from that time, explaining how she had treated the boy would not be a comfortable conversation.

Then again… what if her subconscious had been trying to tell her something with the dream? No. That could not be contemplated. She had to proceed as if she'd never had that thought.

"Blake… have you ever… looked back on something and regretted… certain things you've said or done?"

Sure enough, the amber eyes looked downward. Of course, being a part of The White Fang would be Weiss's guess, but there was far more to it - things that Weiss could never fully understand. She had regretted going on the raid that night. Perhaps if she had refused to go, things would have been different.

"Too many times to count."

"Hypothetically, let's say you had this… friend, when you were younger. You didn't know them very well, and didn't particularly like them because you had a bad first meeting. Started things off on the wrong foot. Then, they do something extremely nice for you and you owe them some sort of debt, but when you go to repay it… they, um, move away." Clearing her throat, she sat up a little straighter and smoothed out her skirt. "Are you absolved of all guilt because you tried to make it right, or do you still owe them?"

The Faunus girl turned onto her back again, staring up at the rubble that was their temporary home. It wasn't the most pleasant of sights. Mountain Glenn was a literal ghost town, overrun with Grimm and falling apart. She tried to think about the heiress’s words. What was she talking about? Which friend? Was this a past experience?

Or perhaps… she was the friend. But if that wasn't the case, and she brought it up, that could lead to a horribly awkward situation. One she had been tiptoeing around since their arrival at Beacon. She had to be cautious about this. 

"What brought this on?" she asked instead.

"Nightmares," Weiss hedged. "F-forget I said anything."

Was Weiss haunted by that very same night? Blake heard numerous reports of the aftermath of the raid; how her mother was rendered paralyzed from the hips down and that she was lucky to survive. If only her own father had the same kind of luck. What did she mean by "absolved of guilt"? Why did she feel guilty in the first place?

They were birds of a feather. Blake had lost her parents and home, and Weiss had lost her childhood from that attack. They had both suffered greatly; even if the case could be made that Blake had it worse, she was more used to hardship than the pampered heiress. And Blake was full of just as much guilt for what she had to do in order to save the girl. Her mind was screaming at her to tell her everything; the loss of her father, why she saved her life, what happened after. But would she be prepared for that? 

And would Blake be prepared to share the thought that haunted her most?

Perhaps not. Something of lesser importance would be better first. "I have nightmares a lot. About one of the protests that turned into a riot; it was a few months before the White Fang started to get really bad."

"You don't have to talk about it if you're uncomfortable," Weiss replied, pulling her knees up to her chin. To no avail. Blake closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in and folding her arms across her chest before she began.

"It was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration. We wanted the Schnee Dust Company to investigate the mine collapse and recover the bodies of those lost. I was young at the time, but my mother and I were protesting. I don't know what actually started it, if it was us or them, but suddenly the protest turned into a huge battlefield. There was screaming and fighting everywhere, we couldn't get out of the crowd. Then my mom and I got separated."

Images crept into her mind. Horrendous memories of battered people on the ground, Faunus and humans both acting like savage, deranged animals, the screaming of insults over and over again. And then that of her salvation.

"It was my partner, Adam, who got me out of there. He took me back to my father at the camp, and we waited there for mom to turn up. We waited for a long, long time…"

It took a great deal of effort for Weiss to swallow as her mind conjured up images of the benefit unbidden, the chaos and mayhem, and put Blake there with her mother instead. She would have been about the same age as the boy… but she closed that thought off before it could continue. Instinctively, she knew her mind wasn’t ready for all that.

"Did… did she not…?" It was the only way she could ask; putting it any more bluntly wouldn't be right.

"D-dad sat me down later after he got the news, told me as calmly as he could what had happened." Her eyes only clenched shut even tighter. "Told me that she… she wasn't coming back. And I never even got to say goodbye to her, or anything. Just gone from my life forever."

Something deep inside of Weiss made her desperately want to stride around the fire, to hold Blake and whisper that she was sorry, and that things would be alright someday because they would eventually stop all the fighting. But she couldn't; it wouldn't be honest. They had no idea if or when Remnant would know true peace. Besides, her family was partly to blame for what happened to her teammate. Instead, she simply remained silent and hoped she wouldn't make anything worse.

"I'm sorry… I'm yammering on about me when it's you having the nightmare." Blake sighed sadly, and the bow atop her head twitched as her ears tilted downward.

"No, that's not- I'm sorry." With a slight shrug, the heiress looked away from the fire. Keeping silent wasn’t enough. "For my family's wrongdoing. Not saying it was entirely our fault or anything, and I certainly didn’t have any say, just that… that I regret things ended up this way, and am going to work my hardest to make it right someday. That probably won't make up for everything that happened to you in the past, but perhaps… it's a start."

Blake spared a glance over to the heiress. It meant a lot to hear those words, especially from her. After all, Weiss did hate the Faunus; that much had been abundantly clear since the day they met. Maybe she was finally coming around. Only time would tell. She faintly smiled at her before going on, "Did you, uh… want to talk about your dream?"

In no time at all, the heavy blush came back into Weiss's face as she glanced between her boots and her teammate. Why couldn't she look at her? It was only a dream; she was no more responsible for that than Blake was for her mother's fate. Yes, she knew why she imagined touching her in that way: her lingering suspicion about Blake's identity. But it simply couldn't be. Blake was Blake, and that boy had been called something like Bibbo or Bubba. Try as she might, she could never remember his name – and she had tried a great many times. The day was simply too hectic for her to have hung onto that detail.

"Suppose I tell you it had something to do with… um, becoming intimate with a person I once knew a long time ago, but then, during the dream, they turned into someone else I know now. Do you think that means anything? Or is a dream simply a dream?"

Blake couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I didn't think the heiress had those kinds of dreams!"

Frowning, she snapped, "I don't! N-not usually! Oh, I regret telling you already!"

The laughter that followed was a welcome relief from the dark emotions that came from her own memories. Finally, she turned around to face her. "Dreams are weird, so I wouldn't say it meant anything… unless it's someone you're into? If that makes sense."

"They're a friend," Weiss said solidly, still frowning. "Nothing more. And I suppose it's because they have the same color eyes as this other person I know that made my ridiculous sleep-brain exchange one for the other at a m-most inopportune moment!"

"Most inopportune? Oh, do enlighten me," she jested - although before she could get an answer, her gaze turned to their returning leader, finally making her way back with her small yapping dog, Zwei. She definitely looked sleepy.

"N-nevermind," Weiss grumbled as she turned to address Ruby. "Is Yang off relieving herself or something? It's her watch next."

"She just started now, but I had to keep watch longer while she did that…." The leader skipped right over to her sleeping mat, seeming far merrier than the rest of their team. However, the same could not be said for the Faunus, who couldn't help but glare at the small canine, who only returned the gaze with a happy smile.

Grateful to have the subject dropped, Weiss lay back on her mat once again… though the subject of her dreams still haunted her. The more she thought about it, the more she worried that Blake and her dark prince from the past were somehow connected, at the very least.

At the very worst…

Shivering, she picked up her pillow and draped it over her face in an attempt to blot out her thoughts. It didn't work.

    "You go on ahead!" Weiss shouted to her left as she raced through the train car. They had left Ruby behind to deal with the mechs, and Yang to face off against the strange three-toned girl who had attacked them once before. Now, with the masked demon dragging his bizarre blade behind them barring their way to the engine, the only prudent course of action seemed to be sending Blake ahead while she kept him busy. After all, they had bigger fish to fry, and getting hung up on this one would gain them nothing.

There was something strangely familiar about the figure before them. Yes, it was a White Fang lieutenant uniform, but the build was something Blake had seen before. Long ago. However, there was no time to dwell. Torchwick was ahead, and she would not let him get away this time. With a nod, she ran onward to the next cart, leaving Weiss with the intimidating foe.

Holding his saw closer to her, he uttered the words, "Finally, I get to kill a Schnee."

Immediately, his voice clicked, his posture, his weapon, and Weiss felt cold creep into the pit of her stomach.

"It's you… "

The saw revved up, the blade spinning multiple times as he remained still in front of her, until he said in a rather patronizing tone, "How's mom doing?"

Scenes flashed past Weiss's vision – ones she had never completely buried. Him lunging for her body, her mother barring the way, the young Faunus boy lashing out with his dagger, darting from side to side and then driving his dagger deep into the body…

"How?" Weiss breathed as she readied Myrtenaster, dropping into a perfect stance. "How did you survive?"

An ominous laugh sounded out from behind the Grimm mask as the man stalked closer. "You think that whelp could have stabbed deep enough to do any real damage? Maybe Ghira was a fine warrior, but Blake sure ain't."

“That may be, but y… you were… what did you call him?"

The tip of Weiss's sword dropped an inch as that drove home to her. Perhaps it was just her subconscious playing tricks on her, especially following the awful nightmare she had endured the previous night. However, what if it wasn't? What if they really did have the same name?

"Sorry, let me correct myself; the mangy stray couldn't kill me if it tried." The name wasn't repeated. Why should he do the likes of her any favours? Instead, he charged forward, the blade of his saw spinning at full pelt.

Only a very deft turn of her blade caught the blow and deflected it, narrowly saving her neck. From there, she Glyphed to one side and away from him, scrambling to shove this newfound information from the forefront of her thoughts, to refocus on the task at hand.

This man hated her family. He probably also resented the boy for his part in things, but then again, he had merely done the right thing in the moment, regardless of the "grand scheme" laid out before the White Fang's forces. How could she hope to get him to see reason when his thirst for Schnee blood was so strong? It probably wasn't possible. Therefore, she had to set aside all hope of reasoning with him and try to dispatch her enemy as swiftly as possible.

He stumbled back to his feet again, regaining his grip on the fearsome weapon. This time, Weiss was well trained; he wasn't trying to mercilessly slay a little girl anymore. Still, neither did she have that young knight in furry-eared armor to save her. With that knowledge, he charged yet again, this time keeping the blade far back in order to swing his elbow into her.

Again and again, their blades clashed and rang out through the empty car. Activating her Semblance, Weiss dashed in and executed a series of Glyphs that had her rocketing back and forth, buffeting him at every turn until he was standing somewhat dazed. Executing a quick and tidy flip, she then rocketed straight for him yet again to deliver the final blow.

Through his daze, there was only one thing he could clearly focus on. Her face. This was the same face in which he sparked unimaginable fear once before, the visible scar a lasting signature of the violent artwork he had tried to paint across her. And yet here she was, thwarting him with precise movements and excellent skills of combat.

He couldn't let that happen. That would be disgraceful. He swung his hand upward, managing to grasp her face in his tight grasp and snatch her out of her attack. "C'MERE, PRINCESS!"

The hand then swung down with tremendous force, slamming her into the ground before she could strike. Pain exploded through Weiss's back as she collided with the floor. He had her; she could feel her Aura being depleted by the brutal shock to her system. After being that badly bruised, there was little else she would be capable of accomplishing.

As he casually tossed her into the air and took aim with his chainsaw, her life began to flash before her eyes. Finally, she saw things more clearly: her father was an evil tyrant, and she ought never to have trusted him. Ruby and Yang were two of the greatest friends she could ever hope to find anywhere. And Blake…

Maybe she was related to the boy from her childhood. Maybe she really was him. That was both impossible, and less and less impossible the more she found out. Either way, she cared about both Blakes so deeply that it was almost immaterial. She had to live. No matter how she did it, what she had to do to keep from going into the final night, she had to tell Blake all of her feelings before it was too late.

As the blade neared her, she screamed, "WAIT!"

That should have been it. The blade should have slit straight across her chest, ended her life there and then. And yet… it didn't. The blade halted mere inches from her heart. Beyond any reasoning, the Faunus abandoned his strike, leaving her to fall to the floor.

Weiss felt broken. Not physically; there were only bruises. A little time to recover and she would be right as rain - if she lived to have that opportunity. Her pride, however, would never be the same. Breath heaving, she stared up at the deadly and imposing countenance of her adversary. No – her conqueror.

“Wait for what? You to recover?” Yet he had not struck the killing blow; she had piqued his curiosity just enough to stay his hand. He may have spared her the midair blow, but he held the blade firmly, revving the motor again.

"You… wish to kill a Schnee?" she wheezed.

"Did I stutter?"

"You… did not. But am… I really… the Schnee you want?"

Those words made the man freeze again. What was she getting at? Was she trying to trick him? Nonetheless, he was interested in what she wanted to say.

"All you need… to do is bring me to your boss." With slow and deliberate effort, she began to push to her feet – but seeing the blade pointed at her caused her to stop, raising her hands in surrender. "I will play dead for the time being. You'll look as if you've… done your job, and I'll survive. Then, once this is over… you will have your shot at the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company himself, instead of simply his upstart, unproven daughter."

The expression behind the mask was completely blank. He had taken so much from her, nearly killed her; twice! Was she really willing to give up the man she called father so easily? His head tilted as he took a couple of steps back to allow her to stand again.

"I don't need you to go after Jacques-Ass myself once you're history. Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't; I'm your enemy. But my father is also my enemy, and a much greater enemy of yours. He's unbelievably well-guarded - let me help you get to him. Isn't it worth it to take the chance?"

The motor on his blade stopped. She was right. He, and all other members of the White Fang, wanted the Schnee Dust Company's CEO brought to justice for his crimes. Anyone responsible for the poor treatment of Faunus, he wanted dead. And although she had known the man all her life, a child wasn't responsible for the sins of the father. A good way to get to him, yes, but not quite a satisfying substitute for the man himself.

So he gripped her shoulder, hauling her off the ground and up into the air, stepping toward the car ahead where Blake had run. Where Torchwick was. "About time you saw through his lies. Not that I trust you any further than I can throw you. You'd better deliver, princess - or I'll be lopping off the heads of all your little friends next. Bet on that."

And with that, he tossed her through to the other car, much to the surprise of the very teammate in Weiss's thoughts: Blake. She had pinned down her own enemy, holding Gambol Shroud to his throat to keep him from moving. But upon seeing Weiss fall through the doorway in a battered state, she couldn't help but falter.

"So what's it gonna be, Blake?" Roman Torchwick asked in a snide tone as the whirr of the chainsaw blade started up again. Weiss remained perfectly still, listening to the exchange of blows, eyes clamped shut. For the man to be perfectly placed to do her dark work in the future, she would have to give away absolutely nothing.

Looking back and forth between her enemy and the heiress, Blake had a choice to make. Destroy the enemy whom she hated so much, or save that pampered princess's life. Again. 

That choice was easy. Her foot slammed into the side of Torchwick's face to render him helpless, before she dashed to her friend's side; the chainsaw-wielder retreated when faced with another unknown foe. When picking her head up off the ground, Blake gazed over her battered skin worriedly. The poor girl really hadn't done well in the fight! With a hand resting behind her shoulders, and the other under her knees, she lifted the heiress into her arms, dashing away toward the back of the kart and out of danger.

'What is this feeling?' Weiss thought dreamily as she rushed through the air in Blake's arms, fighting her instincts to latch on tighter, allowing her body to flap limply in the wind. 'It's… just like in my dream. When my prince rescued me.'

Those thoughts brought heat to her cheeks, and she slit one eye open to stare at Blake's determined features. It could be him. The eyes and the features were similar enough. If only she could inspect that bow more closely! As often as they had been in the same room together, she had never gained a close enough look to tell if it was the very same one she had owned all those years ago, or just some other scrap of cloth.

Just as the prince had in her dream, the real Blake held Weiss close to her chest. Instinctively, or by choice, was unknown; her emotions were also scrambled. Would this be the second time she had saved the girl's life? Something about the nightmare and her admission of its nature. What did it all mean? Fate? Destiny?

With almost zero forewarning, Blake's mind was dangerously close to acknowledging just how close they had grown in that fleeting moment from their past. Even if Weiss seemed to have no idea. But that just wasn't how things were done. In the many books she had read, romance was always with a man and a woman, or else it never ended well. Even the great Makoto-sensei was with Tomari, not with their master as the book series had initially implied would be the case.

Why was she even thinking of a Schnee in such a manner? Obviously, she couldn't deny the heiress was stunningly beautiful. Her flawless skin, soft blue eyes, petite stature were things Blake had always admired, and yet tried not to think about in much detail. Doing anything with her beyond the bounds of friendship seemed ludicrous; even the brief thought made her want to laugh.

No matter how much she cared about her, letting the heiress get any closer would only mean having another person to lose. She already had no desire to see any of her teammates harmed as it was; falling for one of them would only break her heart further.

Just as the prince in her dream did, Blake lowered Weiss gently to the hard ground of the car, kneeling by her side. She couldn't help but lean in close, speaking softly. "Weiss? Weiss, are you okay?"

The heiress allowed her eyes to flutter open and glimpse Blake's flawless face, gazing into her amber eyes. The same questions, the same actions. The same eyes.

It was impossible to deny anymore: she was him. Blake was Blake. And she had been an idiot to take this long figuring it out.

On the other hand, she had no way to be entirely certain. She wanted to be, but she couldn't. Only time could tell, and until such a point that she was certain, she was wholly terrified of letting on what her true feelings were. The feelings themselves were terrifying enough to examine without making them public knowledge.

"I… I believe so." She checked her hip again for Myrtenaster; it was secure. "Are you?"

Was she? As Blake looked down at the heiress beneath her, she came to the realization that she was close to her. Very close, in fact; their bodies were barely an inch part. Why had she moved herself that close to her just to ask how she was? Immediately, she backed away, holding a hand out to help her to her feet.

"Torchwick got away, but we've got bigger problems." Her bow began to twitch again as she gazed at the bruises all over. "You're hurt."

The twitching drew Weiss's attention. That bow. She had to take a closer look, it was the only way.

"Y-yes! Apparently, I am injured! Can you, um, do me a favor and check this bruise on my arm? Take a closer look?" And she held the arm just right, over her chest, to force Blake's head into the proper position. It was the most desperate and pathetic thing the heiress had ever tried, and yet she had no other recourse. It was either try something silly, or wait for who knew how long for another opportunity.

"O-of course." Oblivious as to what Weiss was doing, she took the girl's hand to lift the sleeve of her jacket upward, leaning in and inspecting the soft skin beneath. Of course, she had to look down intently at her skin to do so, giving Weiss ample view. 

The elegant stitching, rich fabric, exact shade. The bow had been re-dyed and mended, perhaps, but there could be no denying it was the very same one her mother had reluctantly allowed her to wear to a party roughly eight years ago.

"Ohhh," Weiss breathed shakily, feeling the room spin. This was impossible. Why was everything coming together to confirm this now , of all times? How was she supposed to handle this knowledge? The boy she had been pining after so deep down inside her heart that nobody else knew, who allowed her an illusory escape from living with her tyrannical father, who had now rescued her twice in her life… 

Her strong, brave prince was this sullen, voluptuous bookworm?!

Hot breath on her arm brought her around to remembering that said woman's face was inches from her skin, and she jerked back, shunting her clothing back into place. "Y-yes! I mean, um, did it look okay? Because we should get going to help the others if I'm not going to die from it, right?"

Surprise stirred in Blake at the girl's sudden recovery. How was that possible? No, the bruise didn't look bad at all, but now she was completely fine, jumping back to her feet and ready to help their teammates. If she was so unaffected, then why the random delay?

"O-oh, yeah. We should probably head up there. Let's go." But even as she said so, following Weiss’s retreating form, she couldn’t completely stop wondering why the Schnee’s pale skin had been so rosy in her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. 

"Guess this is it," she sighed on the Monday evening in question. She had chosen jeans and flip-flops and a tank top, which was a little more exposed than she normally left herself but they would be easy to change out of and into whatever costume they demanded she parade around in.

"Yep," Yang offered as she turned her bike down the road toward the club. It looked different when the sun was still up; the neon lights were already on, but they didn't stand out nearly as much. "You sure you're ready?"

"No. Let's do it." They both chuckled a little as she rolled up to the security gate. "But when we really start working here, we should probably take my car so we don't fuck up our hair."

Yang was still laughing when the guard in the booth said, "Badges?"

"Oh, uhh…" Yang glanced back at Blake briefly before looking at him again. "Sorry, we're new."

"Ahhh, fresh meat," he said with a smirk. But before Blake could really get a good scowl going, he asked, "Names?"

They gave their stage names, luckily remembering those would be what he expected to hear, and he waved them through. As Yang rolled into one of the many spots that were vacant since the club wasn’t in peak hours, she chuckled, “You got real nervous back there.”

“What?” Blake protested. “No, I didn’t.” 

“Yeahhhh, you did. Or is that just a road-boner I feel?”

Well, now she was more than a little embarrassed. “I… I didn’t think you would feel that.”

“Aww, it’s fine,” she laughed as she shut off the engine. “Like, this is literally Club Boner, I’m sure nobody’ll care. And I didn’t mind.”

“Oh. Uh… good.” Very good. If Yang had been disgusted by having to feel her body pressed against the blonde’s while in a state of arousal, it would have been devastating to Blake. Maybe one day, Yang would want to feel more… but she was letting herself get carried away.

Time to go to work.

“Hey,” Elm said gruffly, still a woman of few words. She nodded sharply at the door. “Your friends just went in a minute ago.”

“Damn, we’re late,” Yang swore. “Oh well. Thanks.” Elm just grunted as they squeezed past.

Weiss, Ruby, and Pyrrha had only made it as far as the locker room thus far. They were looking at more of those unitards in disdain; rather, Weiss was disdainful while Ruby and Pyrrha were more resigned. Blake rolled her eyes but tried to remind herself this was just part of the deal.

“Can you believe we have to keep putting these on?” Weiss demanded once they were closer. 

“Hi to you, too,” Yang chuckled. “And c’mon, they ain’t that bad; could be they make us walk around naked all the time.”

“Hazing would be pretty immature,” Blake sighed as she reached into the cardboard box for the one that fit her. It seemed these were either the same ones they wore before, or the club owners remembered their sizes. 

“Oh…” She glanced up from stepping out of her jeans to see Ruby was looking at her in surprise.

“What?”

“O-oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to stare, just… guess I’m not the only one who’s nervous.”

Blake felt her cheeks get a little warmer as she turned away from the group and slid off her underwear. “It’s a road boner. I get one on Yang’s bike a lot.”

“She does,” Yang confirmed. “This ain’t the first time, she’s not lying.”

“Oh, really?” Weiss demanded with a smug smirk. Blake saw it over her shoulder as she struggled into the unitard and wanted to turn fully and smack her, but she controlled herself. “Imagine that.”

“Shut up,” Blake muttered.

“Good, I didn’t have to crack the whip,” Cinder snorted from behind them. Great. Blake had secretly been hoping someone else might walk them through this process, but it seemed they were really stuck with that bitch. She might have been incredibly hot and goals, but her attitude was a huge mark in the negative column.

“Hello, again,” Pyrrha said, cheerful as ever.

“Good morning, sunshine.” As Blake now turned, she saw Cinder was wearing a very Monroe-esque cocktail dress, one hand resting on her hip. “Did you all clock in?”

“Clock in?” Yang asked in surprise. “I thought this was just training.”

“It is. But you’ll be paid minimum wage. Of course, once you really start working you get a raise and those fat tips, but you’ll still be compensated for any time spent in our employment. It’s a waste of our time and money if we start training you and you flake; in our experience, paying your bills keeps you from giving up early more often than not.”

“Guess that makes sense,” Weiss said with a shrug as she attempted to tug the crotch of her unitard into a comfortable position. Blake tried not to stare. Weiss wasn’t currently turned on, but she couldn’t help her curiosity entirely.

“Good. Now, unless there are any more questions, you five can follow me and we’ll get started.”

The trainees used the digital punch clock with only some minimal confusion, then gathered in the same private room as before. Blake could appreciate why they trained so early on in the night; this room probably wouldn’t be needed for several hours yet. Most of their clients were still at work, let alone through with dinner and ready for some unorthodox fun.

“This is Neo,” Cinder said, introducing the diminutive woman with the two-tone hair they had seen before, wearing a frilly white-and-pink gothic lolita dress today. She still only waved by way of greeting. “She’ll be leading you through some moves today. Pay attention, because she’s one of our most skilled; I’d say she, myself, and probably Coco are the top three current dancers. In no particular order.”

Ruby was the one who said cheerfully, “It’s nice to meet you!”

Neo just waved again. Cinder let the air get tense before she smirked and said, “Like I said, you’ll just have to pay attention.”

“Oh,” Pyrrha breathed while the others were still trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then she made a few movements with her hands that Blake found curious-

Until Neo returned them. Sign language. Now she got it, and felt a little stupid for not catching on sooner. At least Neo looked truly pleased that one of them could communicate with her more directly.

“Wow, now I really am impressed,” Cinder said, and she sounded like she was a lot less sarcastic than usual.

“Oh, I’m not very fluent,” Pyrrha said, even while she was signing back to Neo. “But… I took quite a few classes. I try not to forget what I’ve learned.” A few more signs from Neo, and she turned to the others. “It seems she can read lips. You can speak to her, just make sure you’re looking in her direction, and enunciate so she sees clear mouth movements.”

Weiss was the first to attempt it. She shouted in very clear syllables, “We look forward to working with you, Neo!”

“You don’t have to yell,” Cinder snorted with a roll of her eyes. “She’s Deaf, not hard-of-hearing; it won’t do any good.” 

“O-oh, sorry,” he said in chagrin. But Neo just giggled a little and bowed slightly toward Weiss, so clearly she wasn’t at all offended.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it for a little while. Glynda wants to go over the song list with me for tonight.” Cinder waggled her fingers at them as she made her exit. “Don’t have too much fun…”

----------------------------

Surprisingly, Blake found herself enjoying the training. Without Cinder’s snide comments and haughty attitude, they spent almost two hours just watching Neo do some very basic moves and trying their best to repeat them. She didn’t even bother with the pole quite yet; that was definitely a next level area of knowledge most of them weren’t ready for.

Surprising no one, Pyrrha and Weiss took to it very easily. Blake watched Ruby adapt as well as she could, and Yang struggling a little more. She herself felt like she could be handling this better, but the longer they worked, the more the movements began to feel natural instead of far too difficult.

Unfortunately, the training was also exhausting. They took plenty of water breaks, but while Neo and Pyrrha had barely broken a sweat, the rest of them were in various states of exhaustion.

“I… thought you’d be… handling this better,” Blake finally panted as they laid back against one of the walls.

“These just aren’t… the muscle groups I normally hit,” Yang chuckled breathlessly before taking another drink. “Whew! I’m… all about weight training, not… cardio. Guess that’s gotta change, huh?”

“Guess so.” As they continued to recover, she asked, “Are we sure about all this?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah, I am. It might even be fun, once we get used to the idea. Besides, the surgeries ain’t gonna pay for themselves.”

Blake nodded as she drained her water bottle. There were plenty more that one of the other dancers had dropped off about halfway through; Blake thought she remembered her name being Emerald. 

“You know… you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Yang looked over at her with those incredible violet eyes, and Blake couldn’t help smiling. “You’re so hot and badass. Honestly, it’s kind of redundant for you.”

“Yeah? Thanks, Blake.” Her smile was so bright and genuine that it made Blake want to hide her own grin, which she tried to do behind her water bottle. It wasn’t all that successful. “Same to you, and I mean that. I just figured we both want to be taken seriously as girls, and like, that’s a big way we can do that. Hard for the bigots to keep it up once we have actual pussies.”

“True - for some of them, anyway. The rest, nothing will ever be enough. I just… well, sometimes I’m not sure I really want to go through with it. Mostly because it's a very invasive procedure and there are risks, you know all about that. But whatever you do, surgery, no surgery, I just… wanted you to know I support you. I guess.”

Yang nodded a few times. Then she reached over and pulled Blake into a very sweaty side-hug.

“Ewwww, gross!” 

“Awww, you’re such a good bestie!” As Blake shoved at her, she went on in a giggle, “Sorry. But seriously, that means a lot. This whole friend group makes me feel like maybe it’s not just you and me against the world. That’s pretty cool.”

It was. Still, Blake couldn’t help feeling like she missed when it was just the two of them. Oh well; nothing she could do about it now. They had training to undergo.

Neo continued to show them moves for another hour. They started getting more intricate, and she would spot them from time to time, using her hands to show them which ways their bodies should be moving. Blake tried to ignore the rush of heat that surged through her stomach when Neo’s delicate hand gripped the back of her thigh, but focusing on the actual technique she was learning helped, at least. 

In no time at all, the training was over with for the day. Cinder had come to check on them a few times, Glynda once. Blake became acutely aware of how out of shape she had gotten, even though she still maintained some daily exercise. Still, it really seemed like all five of them were well on their way to becoming dancers at this den of iniquity.

"Wow, that was pretty intense," Ruby commented as they showered. Though most of them were still a little awkward about being naked around each other, the nature of their work made it a little ridiculous to keep being shy. Sooner or later, they were going to have to deal with seeing each other's bodies.

"I'm pumped!" Yang replied as she scrubbed. She and Weiss had thought to bring shower caps, while the others just did their hair up in buns; Ruby didn't bother with either, as short as her hair was.

"I have to agree, I'm 'pumped' as well," Weiss commented, though she sounded a little unfamiliar with that slang. "Even if I'm not sure about continuing to work here, the techniques are interesting to learn."

Blake shrugged as she raised her leg up to get her calf and foot. Even though she had showered that morning, there was no sense in half-showering now. "Yeah, it's kind of cool. Still on the fence, too, but even if we bounce… at least we unlocked a new skill and got a decent workout."

"True, true." Then Yang smirked as she chuckled, "Dang, Blake, thanks for the free show."

"O-oh, sorry," she said as she switched legs hastily, shielding her package from view. Though now her heart was pounding a mile a minute, thinking about Yang actually checking her out.

"Aww, I was just teasing. Gotta get used to it sooner or later, right? And it's not like we're not all hotties."

While Blake was privately appreciative that she and Yang had been thinking along the same lines, Pyrrha suddenly offered, "Thank you. It's nice to hear that."

"Yeah, sure," Yang said back. Maybe Blake was imagining it, but her best friend's voice seemed a little more tender. Maybe they both still felt awkward about that lap dance… 

Or maybe it was more. She really didn't like that possibility, even if she was just as scared to admit why, but there was no point in getting paranoid about it with zero confirmation. She should just pay attention and try her best not to overreact prematurely.

"Either way, it's nice to know I'm not the smallest one here," Weiss announced, interrupting Blake's runaway train of thought.

"Aww, but there's nothing I can do about it," Ruby pouted as she looked down at herself.

"Actually, I was talking about Neo. She's very petite in all aspects; cute, naturally, but I sort of expected everyone who works here to have nine inches or larger."

With a slight chuckle, Blake offered, "Yeah, I don't think it quite works the same as it does with dudes. If this were a male strip club, I'm sure there would be some kind of minimum length requirement, but we're women; the novelty is that we even have dicks at all. Some clients might be size queens, but some might kind of be intimidated by us having bigger dicks than them - or they just think little ones are cute. They'll be happy with you or Ruby, and even more with Neo.'"

"Oh yeah?" she countered. "And how do you know all this? Wait, let me guess: your pornography addiction?"

"Yep. I mean, it led me to forums where a lot of people - sure, mostly guys, but not all of them - loved to talk about their preferences."

"Oh. Well… I guess that's fair, straight from the horse's mouth."

Yang chuckled as she rinsed off, and Blake couldn't help glancing along her body. She had been dying to see more of her for so long, and this definitely wasn't how she expected this to have come to pass. Those washboard abs were definitely her favorite part. Sure, she was hung, but she loved the idea that Yang could pick her up and throw her across the room. That, on top of her natural beauty, her easy smile and playful sense of humor, and just how incredible of a friend she was… 

How was she supposed to not swoon?

"You're not gonna make Blake feel bad about the porn," she was saying when Blake focused, and hoped the shower water made it hard to tell she had been drooling. "Like, not when it's a big part of her path to her truth."

"That's fine for her!" Weiss burst out. "It's just hard for me to unlearn that preconceived notion that pornography is filth, and the people that make and partake in it are degenerates. Thank my father, I suppose."

“Ew, I’d rather not talk to him,” Ruby commented as she finished up. “Oh, you guys are still having trouble with those? I guess it’s hard to avoid that completely in this place.”

She was pointing to Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha. Turned out they were all in various states of arousal. Blake felt a little less embarrassed given that she wasn’t the only one, but no less bothered about seeing her best friend in that state. And even though Pyrrha was a bit larger, she found she couldn’t take her eyes off Yang’s fine, firm shaft.

“Sis, you didn’t have to point it out!” Yang hissed in a stage whisper as she started working on finishing up. But it was mostly Ruby she had turned away from. Blake understood; the average person really didn’t want their family and sexual situations to overlap, ever.

“Sorry!” she hissed back. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just like, ‘oh, what’s that about?’”

After they all stood there squirming and acting silly for a few seconds, it was Pyrrha who offered, “Let’s just finish showering and go home for the day. We’re likely going to have a lot more moments like this, so we should start getting used to them.”

“You probably should,” Weiss sighed as she finished rinsing off. “Alright, well, I’m clean, and I believe Ruby is, as well. But if you three need to stay in here and take care of something, be my guest.”

And with that, she left the showers. Ruby looked a little uncertain before shrugging and offering a brief wave as she skipped out, as well.

“Damn, she really can’t help being a jerk,” Yang muttered as she kept rinsing off the soap from her body.

“She does make a good point,” Blake admitted. “How are we supposed to go out in public like this?”

“Yeah… yeah.”

Pyrrha scooted closer, since she had previously been showering a few spots down. “Weiss wasn’t suggesting… well, that we have sex simply because we’re aroused. She wouldn’t say that, would she?”

“No, no way,” Yang laughed - and it was quite a nervous laugh. “She was talking about jerking off. Which, like, I guess I’d rather do that than walk around outside with my tent pitched.”

“Ah. Well…” She cleared her throat. “I could probably force it to fade before I finish dressing myself. I’ve never had an issue with that. Should I leave the two of you to…?”

As Yang nodded, looking resigned - and maybe a little disappointed - Blake felt a little hopeless herself. Maybe Yang was out of her reach. She kept telling herself that she shouldn’t harbor these feelings, should be smart about their friendship, but it wasn’t as if Yang was the only ridiculously unwise crush she had to deal with. By now, she was used to setting her needs aside because there was no use in worrying about them.

Which was why it was possible for her to say, “But where’s the fun in that?”

“Pardon me?”

“Well, you and Yang got pretty familiar during the training. That’s why you’re having a problem. Might as well take care of it together, right?”

Both of the other women looked shocked. There was a certain variety of concern in Yang’s features that she couldn’t quite identify, but it made her feel ashamed of the suggestion.

“Sorry. Maybe I should keep my big mouth shut; let’s go get dressed and see if the-”

“No, no, it’s cool,” Yang said with a nervous laugh. “And, um… we don’t have to do anything to each other, we can just… purge the urge with company. Kinda weird, but somehow less weird than doing it alone.”

“Well… that’s fair,” Pyrrha conceded. “I don’t know if I could bring myself to orgasm in a communal shower, though. But I certainly would be afraid of someone walking in on me alone in here and thinking I’m depraved.”

Blake snorted as she turned to let the water rinse the soap from between her ass cheeks, pulling them apart to speed up the process. “Yeah, I get it. Then again, I don’t think that many people who work here would be judging you.”

When she glanced over to see if Pyrrha thought she was right - she found herself distracted. Yang’s head was moving to point straight ahead at the opposite wall. Where had she been looking before? Had… 

Had Yang been looking while she was spreading? Was she actually checking out her hole?

“Y-yeah,” Yang chuckled nervously as she teased her fingers over her own shaft. “Anyway, I think I’m gonna do it. Might be faster and it’s definitely easier than, like, trying to think about baseball or whatever.”

Pyrrha nodded thoughtfully while Blake tried to keep her heart from pounding so loud it would be audible to the other two. Was this really happening? She might as well go for it. “Me, too. Might as well.”

“Oh. Very well.” The athlete cleared her throat and wrapped her hand around her firm javelin. “O-ohhhh, goodness… it’s so much more sensitive than usual…”

“I bet,” Yang laughed softly as she started stroking. “Mmm… yeah, this is super weird, but weirdly hot? I dunno…”

“Agreed.” Blake didn’t even have to lie; it was very hot. She just wasn’t going to mention that Yang being there was most of the reason it was hot for her. Pyrrha being there added an extra dash of spice, as did the mere fact that they were in a communal shower in the back of a strip club, but almost all of it was getting to watch her best friend beginning to beat her meat.

And it was time to get started on her own. Eyes glued to the other two shafts nearby, Blake started to pump her own, pleasure rocketing into her fingertips and down into her toes, making her knees want to buckle. She was no stranger to masturbation, but doing it in front of Yang hit so different.

There was some awkwardness at first. They would stroke a little, stop, blush, fidget. It was cute to see Yang fidgeting, since she was normally so confident. But the more they kept going, the more the inhibitions faded enough for them to really get into the act. Blake could feel her urges building at record speed, panting for breath as she leaned back against the tile to better give herself over to the moment.

“Nnhhh!” Yang finally groaned. “Man, I’m already getting… tingles in my balls!”

“I’m very close!” Pyrrha agreed as her hand glided up and down, faster and faster. “Nnhh! Thank goodness! I’m sorry you’ve… had to watch this!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! You… you have a really great dick, and at least… you get to finish the show!”

For a moment, the redhead looked at her in surprise as her hand worked. Then she breathed, “You wanted the rest of the show?” When Yang nodded, she turned more fully so she could watch her get off. “Mmhh! I hope this helps you!”

It helped both of them. Even though Blake wasn’t interested in Pyrrha beyond friendship, she did find her body attractive - and enjoyed seeing how much hotter it seemed to make Yang, who was grunting with the efforts of her own strokes now. All of them were pumping furiously, eager to reach their climaxes, desperate to cross that finish line-

“Oooh, Happy Birthday to me!”

Blake didn’t even have time to turn and see who was approaching. She started to, but there was a little squeak from Pyrrha - followed by a thick stream of cum arcing through the air from the tip of her swollen shaft, hitting Blake right in the eye. It was both extremely erotic and a little disgusting.

“AH!” she gasped, frantically swiping at the sticky substance so she could see again.

“O-ohhhh, oh GOD! Oh no, Blake, I am so sorry - that was not my… my intention, I was startled! Mmmhh, I’ve never… not like that!”

“Shit!” Yang hissed, and Blake could tell they had all stopped stroking by the absence of the slight noises. Even if they were mostly masked by the shower, her sense of hearing had always been keener than others’. “Hey! Uh, how's it hangin'? Sorry, we just, uhh… it’s kinda-”

“Hey, don’t have to apologize,” the stranger chuckled. Even though Blake was still rinsing out her eye, by now she could tell it was Thunder Thighs who had intruded upon them. She had a very unique voice, high and bursting with energy. “That was really hot! You guys sure seem like you’re getting used to things around here!”

Finally able to get a look, now Blake could see the muscular dancer was as nude as they were. She and Yang looked like they could be hitting the gym on the same schedule, though Yang was more focused on overall tone and maintaining a feminine shape, while Nora was almost approaching bodybuilder status - very curvy, but those washboard abs were no joke. Neither was her cock, which was just beginning to grow in size from seeing Pyrrha’s grand finale - not quite as long, but girthier.

In a flash, Blake remembered that Thunder Thighs had been into Pyrrha when they first met her. This really was a gift for the excitable woman.

“Y-yeah,” Yang finally managed with a nervous chuckle. “But we’re kinda not used to all the, uh… y’know.”

“Dicks and sluttiness?” When Yang nodded, Thunder grinned knowingly as she set her little shower caddy down on the small shelf intended for just such a purpose and started rinsing off across from them. “Yeah, it definitely got me spanking it five times a day when I started, too! My poor balls! Felt like they were gonna fall off half the time!”

As she cackled to herself, Blake found herself relaxing a tiny bit more and stroking herself again. Knowing this intruder wasn’t judging them for their extracurricular activities was such a relief, and now she felt even less awkward than she had before she showed up. She noticed Yang was doing the same.

“Cool. So, um… Nora, right?”

“Not supposed to use real names in the club,” she reminded them, but with no malice in her tone whatsoever. “But it’s cool, and that’s me!”

“Thunder, sorry.” She actually paused to give her a thumbs up, and Blake chuckled. “Right. So what do you do now? About, um… getting turned on while you work.”

“I let it happen. The guys are never not thrilled to see one of the dancers get hard. Plus, like, I got more used to ignoring that I’m horny instead of taking care of it; probably a little that I’m getting older, y’know?”

“Wow,” Yang breathed in wonder, hand movements speeding up, becoming more self-assured. “I can’t imagine not getting off for all that long when I’m getting constant boners.”

“Oh, I still get off. Just less!” As she rinsed off, she glanced over at the new dancers and chuckled. “Kinda making me want to decide this is one of those moments! Dang, you three are rarin’ to go!”

All three of them? Blake looked over to see even Pyrrha had started caressing her length yet again, unable to fully resist despite having already climaxed. She could only guess that the suddenness of her spurting had meant she didn’t achieve a truly satisfying end, or she would have been spent and done.

"So, um, Thunder," Blake asked, hoping to distract all of them from the unusual situation. "How do you like working here? Like, besides finding girls jerking off in the shower."

"You mean besides the best part?" she joked with a wink as she lathered up. "Nah, it's great, and the dancing is fun. Flirting with the customers is fun. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in this for the money; like, I wouldn't keep doing this job if it didn't pay better than just about anything else I could find."

"Yeah, totally get that," Yang chuckled, still working herself pretty hard. They all seemed to be weathering the unique condition where doing this in front of a stranger was both hotter and made it harder to allow themselves to finish. "Like, I suck at dancing, but I'll learn for the kind of paycheck this place promises."

“Right?! I mean, of course it’s sad that a lot of girls like us end up in sex work of some kind or another, but at least this is just dancing.” Nora hummed to herself a little after she finished speaking, still rinsing off her body as her hands passed over her skin.

And Blake appreciated it. All three of the women near her were strong, and she was absolutely into it; maybe Yang was the only one she really wanted to get closer to, but the view was very nice. 

“Am I helping?”

Coming back to the present, she heard Yang saying, “Oh yeah. Like, uh… I’ve never done this kinda thing before, but three hot girls around me? Huge plus.”

Blake could have shot right then and there. Hearing out loud that Yang thought she was hot, even if it was in a group of other women… she couldn’t entirely suppress the moan. 

“Oh?” Pyrrha asked as she stroked a little faster. “Then the chair incident… you still haven’t satisfied your curiosity?” When Yang just shrugged and chuckled, Pyrrha smiled and shook her head. “You… can give me a show in return. That is all I ask.”

“And you’re all giving me a great show!” Thunder giggled - and Blake saw she had gone from mostly soft and showering to fully hard and stroking. 

“AH!” she couldn’t help gasping. “How… how did you do that?”

“What? Just watching hot girls do hot girl things, Shadow. At least, I think I heard your name was Shadow?”

But Blake was far too distracted to respond. Seeing Nora’s thick, glorious cock added into the mix was filling her with so much lust and urgency that she couldn’t help fully focusing on the sight of her stroking it, how the round sack beneath bobbed from side to side. Even the muscular thighs framing the package, the six-pack above, were making her orgasm rise to the top faster. 

“God, you’re all so hot,” Yang repeated weakly as she leaned back against the shower. “Pyrrha… I can’t believe you’re gonna shoot again!”

That did prompt a startled gasp from the redhead. This time, however, instead of climaxing again, she hissed, “Names, Sunbeam!”

“Wha- OH! Oh shit, sorry… Olympia! Yeah, that was it, right?”

“Thank you! And… and I do not know if I’ll be ‘shooting’ again; I’m not sure yet!”

“Well, maybe I could help?” Nora volunteered. “I mean, we could get a little more handsy in here; it’s kinda just… part of the work environment!”

“M-maybe we should just keep jerking,” Blake stammered nervously. If she were honest with herself, she knew it was because she didn’t want Yang to get any more interested in Pyrrha than she already was - but also, it just seemed way over the line. Masturbation on their first full day of training was bad enough.

However, Yang seemed to be of another mindset. “What did you have in mind?” 

“Just some simple stuff! Like… okay, see, I’m really down for more with this cutie.” She moved over near Pyrrha, who shivered and backed into the wall. Blake couldn’t tell if she was afraid, or just not used to this kind of physical intimacy, however potential. “I’d let her bend me over any day of the week - or vice versa.” 

“O-oh?” Pyrrha asked, stroking a little faster.

“Sure! I mean, you got a bigger cock than me, even - and I loooove getting filled as much as I love doing the filling!” When the others didn’t respond further other than to continue what they were already doing, she moved around behind Pyrrha. The redhead tensed slightly and watched her warily, but didn’t move away. “And I’m picking up on a vibe where you both think she’s really hot, right? Plus, like, she already shot when I first got here and might need a little help with the sequel.”

“Uhh… I mean, yeah, that’s totally fair,” Yang said, briefly glancing back at Blake before refocusing on Nora again. “Just not getting where you’re going with this.”

“Riiight about… here!”

Pyrrha gasped when she felt that thick shaft sliding between her thighs. At first, Blake felt alarmed - and a building spark of anger. Did this bitch really just start fucking their friend without any forewarning?! She would be dead. But closer inspection revealed that Thunder hadn’t done that; she was, in fact, merely sliding her dick between Pyrrha’s thighs. It was still a little insensitive to do it without asking, but way less unforgivable than the alternative.

“Okay, stop me if this feels too weird,” Nora giggled. “But like, this is a little something extra without being like, way extra. You know what I mean?”

“O-oooh…” Pyrrha panted and throbbed a little harder as she shivered. “Oh… I’ve heard of this. Intercrural sex. You… you would really want to…?”

“Why not? You got killer legs, girlfriend! Like, if you don’t mind and all.”

At least she was asking now - even if she should probably have asked first. Blake decided to watch Pyrrha for any cues that she was uncomfortable and react at that juncture, instead of decking Nora immediately. 

“Mmhh… it is helping my arousal return,” the ginger admitted breathlessly, beginning to rock her hips a little. 

“Jesus, that’s hot,” Yang admitted under her breath. She was jerking it at full speed now, and Blake found herself doing the same; all of them were losing control, giving themselves over to this insane moment. 

And it seemed Thunder Thighs wasn’t giving up on Pyrrha’s thighs, either. It was hard not to chuckle at that thought in her head; maybe Pyrrha would get to try out the Thunder Thighs if they took turns. Either way, she saw the veteran dancer was really pounding into her friend’s backside, her thick shaft appearing beneath Pyrrha’s over and over, causing her sack to bounce out of the way with each motion. 

And Pyrrha? Her expression told quite a story. The girl was clearly a little afraid this was going to get even more out of hand than it already had, and unsure if she should really be doing this, but was also very turned on. Blake wondered if it was from watching Yang, or feeling the cock… or maybe the pressure up against her ass, even though nothing had been toying with her there directly. But the brilliant red blush was real, and so was how fast her hand was stroking up and down along that enormous appendage of hers.

Even though she didn’t find Pyrrha attractive like that, she wouldn’t mind playing with that. Any day of the week.

“I… I can’t stand it!” Yang finally whined, leaning one shoulder against the shower wall as she jerked harder than ever, back almost fully to Blake as she watched the other two playing. “You two… that’s really…!”

“You like these dicks?” Glancing between Yang and Pyrrha’s expressions, a mischievous glint sparked in Nora’s eyes - before she slowly began walking forward. Pyrrha stumbled along with her, too overcome to resist, until she and Yang were practically grazing each other’s knuckles with every caress of their burning need. “Go on - reach out and have a little fun!”

“No way! That’s… I didn’t-”

“I-it’s alright,” Pyrrha panted brokenly as she finally pulled her hand back to the base of her own shaft, holding it as steady as she could with Thunder Thighs still getting off on her thigh muscles. “You can… if you want to…”

Apparently, she didn’t have to tell anyone twice. Yang wasted no more time before wrapping her hand around not only her own cock, but her friend’s, stroking them both as hard as she had been abusing herself a moment ago. Pyrrha gasped at the sensations before letting out a high moan, completely given over to letting Yang slide their dicks against each other as roughly as she pleased.

And there was no mistaking that Thunder was into it. She let out a little “oooOoooh” of satisfaction as she watched them for a moment, then picked up the pace, wet skin slapping against the new dancer’s ass over and over as her hands played up and down her stomach - and then her chest. Another gasp came from Pyrrha’s lips when she felt her peaks being teased but she was far too gone to protest, even if she wanted to. Which was completely up in the air.

And Blake was just… back there. Part of her wanted to surge forward and start doing the same thing to Yang as Thunder was doing to Pyrrha. Part of her wanted to shove the other two away and have her best friend all to herself. But in the end, she was too much of a coward to do anything but observe, stroking herself as hard as they were. 

But she wasn’t as forgotten as she thought she was.

“This… this is so hot!” Yang panted. “Isn’t it, Blake?”

“What?” Blinking in shock that she had even been addressed, she glanced down at herself and then back up at the three of them, moving a little closer. “Y-yeah! I’m… getting really close!”

“Good! Me, too - I’m gonna blow any minute! Pyrrha? Thunder?”

The two gingers nodded, though it was only the latter who crowed, “Roger Dodger! I mean, you guys had a head start, but it ain’t gonna take me long to catch up! Just fire when ready, girls!”

Why did she have to say things like that? But Blake couldn’t spare much brainpower for that while she was vibrating with more lust than she had felt in a long time. She briefly saw Yang glance over her shoulder and felt shame flooding her veins, but then she turned around again and all seemed safe. 

“Blake, you can… do what Thunder’s doing! If you want! N-no biggie!”

What?! Was Yang really offering what she thought she was offering? Couldn’t be. But seeing that violet eye just barely peering over her shoulder again gave her pause. Maybe she was being nice, and didn’t think it was fair to leave her out - or maybe she wanted her to do it. Maybe she was just so horny she wanted even more stimulation. But either way, the look back made it fairly clear that she was waiting for Blake’s answer.

“I…” Swallowing hard, she moved even closer until she was jerking it just behind Yang, hand grazing over one of her firm, chiseled ass cheeks. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah! Just… better start now before… before we all run out of time!”

No more waiting. Blake released herself, gripped Yang’s waist before she could internally scream about this or think too deeply about how muscular and amazing it felt under her palms, and thrust her greedy cock between her best friend’s legs.

And it was everything. Even if they didn’t really go any further and it barely counted, Blake’s heart was singing at being able to get this close to Yang for once in her life. She tried not to think about it that much but the heart wants what the heart wants.

At least Yang seemed to get even more into her activities after Blake started than she was before. Whether it was even because of the identity of the one fucking her thighs, or just that someone was doing that, her moans and panting grew louder, and her hand flashed up and down along hers and Pyrrha’s cocks at a reckless speed that made Blake fear for their safety. 

“YEAH!” Yang panted a few seconds later - Blake couldn’t be sure how long. “That’s… that is it! That’s what I need! Almost there!”

“Keep up the pace, guys!” Thunder crowed, fully groping Pyrhra’s chest as she rammed between her legs harder and harder. The redhead looked completely overcome but given over to the ride. “Let’s see some fireworks!”

That’s exactly what they got. A few more strokes and Yang shot a stream of thick cum into the air between their four bodies - the first to give in to her pleasure. Clearly, it felt so good that she kept right on pumping and gasping out loud, hips squirming from side to side due to how overwhelmingly fantastic it felt.

Which got Blake there immediately afterward - and Nora wasn’t far behind. She wasn’t too busy moaning and coating Yang’s soft sack with her own juices to notice the shorter ginger’s eyes rolling into the back of her head as her “hammer” did the same, getting all over Yang and Pyrrha due to the angle. Blake couldn’t even be totally sure if some of the essence dripping down was her own or from Thunder, but it didn’t make all that much difference; it felt amazing.

Plus, they were in the shower. It wasn’t like it would be on her for long.

“My… my goodness!” Pyrrha panted weakly as she got closer and closer. Yang’s hand did start to slow down, but picked up speed instead when she heard such a needy tone of voice coming from her friend. “You’re all so… so ready to p-produce so much- AH!”

Yet again, the orgasm snuck up on the athlete. Yang must have gripped Pyrrha’s lengthy shaft extra hard, because it shot all the way into the air and landed on the blonde’s head, earning a yip of shock. A few more pumps sent more sliding down her hand and all over both of their cocks, making such a mess that Blake couldn’t help feeling a little tingle of aftershock. Just because she was finished didn’t mean she was finished enjoying the show.

“Ohhhh GOD,” Thunder groaned as she came to a stop at last, hands just loosely resting on Pyrrha’s stomach instead of teasing her further. “I can’t believe how good that was! And we didn’t even really fuck - we just used friction! Wow, you three are wild!”

Yang snorted as she leaned her shoulder against the wall a little more as she caught her breath. “Yeah… we… we really did something. Whatever it was.”

“I think I… enjoyed that,” Pyrrha confessed weakly as she rested one hand on Yang’s shoulder. “Strange as it was.”

Realizing she was the only one who didn’t give a review, Blake delicately added, “Same.” Because she didn’t want to be too enthusiastic, just in case Yang didn’t feel quite as interested in what they had explored together as she was. Though she couldn’t help rolling her hips a little, still enjoying the firm muscles pressing in on either side of her spent shaft. “It was a lot.”

“Damn right,” Yang admitted as she looked over her shoulder fondly at Blake. “But I’d… do it again.”

“Clearly, you would do a great many things.”

The foreign voice drew their attention to the doorway of the showers. Blake felt her heart leap into her throat as she recognized who had walked in and found them in such a compromised state.

"Half nine," she answered quickly in a light accent, feet shuffling from where she stood leaning over Blake. "You were… screaming, a bit."

Another tired groan followed. Screaming meant fear, and fear was a sign of weakness. The year hadn't even begun and already she had made herself seem pathetic to another student. How on earth would she honour her father’s memory when she couldn't even keep control of her voice?

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

The girl hurriedly shook her head, causing her ears to flop back and forth. "No, no – quite alright! Do you need a hand up?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at the hand being offered to her. As much as she desired some form of contact, something to comfort her after the terrifying ordeal, she couldn't. There was no reason to show more weakness when she had just shamed herself. "No, thank you. Really, it's fine."

The hand remained hovering in the air for a long moment before she withdrew it, fidgeting uncomfortably. "I, um… name's Velvet. And you?"

"Blake." A faint smile followed. Her eyes couldn't help but dart up to the huge ears atop the girl's head, making her smile a little brighter. "Haven't seen a rabbit Faunus in a long time."

Velvet's hesitant smile fell, and she seemed to become much smaller. "R-right. Well I'm… just… here to continue training at Beacon, I want to help… with the Grimm problem…"

"I-I didn't mean it in a bad way! I just meant… I'm sorry, f-forget I said anything." She sensed that the Faunus took offence. In a way, she wished her ears were exposed so at least she wouldn't think she was trying to insult her. The bow, however, did twitch when her ears tilted back in embarrassment.

"Of course not." Now, Velvet's smile was somewhat artificial, as if it were the last expression she wished to be wearing but was too afraid to do anything else. "Well, I… just going back to my friend Coco, she must be… I'll see you around, then. Ta." And with that, she skipped away.

"See you around," she managed to say before the other Faunus made her hasty retreat. Then she mentally berated herself, 'In one night, you've shown you're a wimp and insulted your own kind. Well done, Belladonna; Father would be proud.'

With such thoughts running through her mind, she finally tried to snuggle back under her covers. Perhaps once she arrived at Beacon, it would be a better day. Perhaps she would be able to forget the past entirely.

    Weiss Schnee, however, was already having a horrible day. First, her flight to the Academy had been delayed. Then she had to reprimand an employee for bringing her soy milk instead of almond milk to go with her scones. Now, she was dealing with an entirely new level of ineptitude.

"Unbelievable!" she shouted at the clumsy black-and-red-clad student covered in soot from the explosion she had caused. By stumbling and falling on Weiss's personal belongings and sneezing while Dust was hovering in the air, naturally. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"I'm really, really sorry," the girl muttered, twiddling her fingers.

"You complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, um, I-"

"This isn't your ordinary combat school! It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so… watch where you're going!"

The black-haired Faunus watched from a fair distance, having just witnessed the embarrassing explosion that had unfolded. She felt sorry for the smaller girl; she looked absolutely terrified, and yet she was being verbally torn apart by…

No. It couldn't be.

Blake had seen the white haired girl before. Long ago. And yet, here she was yet again. Her hair was now much longer, kept back in an off-center ponytail with a tiara rather than a ribbon, and the blood that had once been all over her eye was now a thin scar. Despite the subtle differences, there was not a hint of uncertainty. Only one girl could look like that… and sound like that, too.

The recipient of the verbal assault finally seemed to grow irritated. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"

"It's 'heiress,' actually."

Weiss turned and saw a lithe figure approaching, decked out in white and black with purple tights to add a splash of muted color. Long flowing raven locks cascaded down her shoulders, and deep amber eyes pierced into her, unflinching, bold, defiant. Something about her was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

Blake remembered it all too well. There were times she had heard Weiss's name in passing, but she had never heard anything more, let alone seen her in that time. Picking up a small bottle of fine red powder, she found herself overly cautious of how her voice sounded, her stance. She desperately hoped that the woman didn't recognize her – and especially hoped she didn't know of her assistance in the subsequent raids.

"Ah, finally," Weiss said, with a genuine smile for the newcomer. The support instantly put her at ease. Then she turned to sneer at the younger girl again. "Some recognition."

Although Blake had come to the entitled young lady's defense, something about her haughty tone of voice didn't sit right. It was true that when she first met the girl, she was rather demanding, but never purposefully mean. The attitude she was displaying now reminded her more of her father, the very person who put out the command that resulted in the death of Blake's only parent. She couldn't let her trample over yet another person.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces, and questionable business partners," she finished with a smirk of her own.

"Wha- how dare y- the nerve of-" Sputtering, she snatched the phial of Dust from the golden-eyed stranger's hand with an "OOH!" of pure frustration before stalking away. The Schnee employees would see to the rest of her luggage.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" the red-cloaked girl called after her, but she was already long gone. "Ugh… I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day. So! I'm Ruby, what's-"

However, when she turned, Ruby found she was entirely alone.

The longer Blake stayed around any of the Schnee employees, the more of a risk it was for her to be recognized by them. And yet, the very woman she saved all those years ago seemed to have no clue who she was. Although that fact worked in her favor, the girl found she was saddened by the realization. Her 'heroic' actions weren't even memorable to anyone but her, and the consequences haunted her mind each and every night. The wounds she inflicted upon the other White Fang member, the sight of her father's mangled body. Suddenly, it seemed like it was all for nothing.

If Weiss Schnee was going to turn out in the same way her father had, it certainly would be.

    "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?"

The dorm room was deadly silent a scant few weeks later as Weiss crossed to stare out the window. Blake stood nearby, cold rage etched in every single feature. Ruby Rose and her big sister, Yang Xiao Long, stood off to one side, alarmed at the dark turn the conversation with their friends had taken. Currently, all attention was on the heiress as she laid her hands on top of the bookshelf beneath the windowsill.

"Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear. Board members, executed. An entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home furious."

Slowly, one of her normally-delicate hands curled into a fist as she growled, "And that made for a very… difficult… childhood."

    It was a typical night at Schnee Manor. Jacques Schnee had just come home, and already he and his wife were having it out in the office. Angry screams echoed through the hallways, but this time, concerning their daughter, the one entrusted with the future of their company.

"She's exhausted! You are training her far too hard just for your own sense of satisfaction!"

"She is my daughter, Willow, no matter what you may say. And I will train her to defend herself! Seeing as you proved you are not up to the task!"

"That is… an outrageously low blow and you know it!"

Slowly, a twelve-year-old Weiss crept past the mostly-shut door, holding her fencing foil like a baton in front of herself, trying her best not to bump it against anything. She wanted to be in her room as soon as possible, away from this fight, away from the knowledge that sometimes her parents were unhappy with each other. Maybe she would drop in and torment Winter for a bit before dinner was served…

"Where were you when they attacked? Where were you?! You had your weapon, you could have stopped this!"

"You should have been prepared! Your condition is your own damn fault!"

"How dare you!"

The arguing seemed to get louder and louder. It always came back to that night. Ever since, her father had been training Weiss almost every day like clockwork, having her fight huge mechas with a special sword created just for her, based loosely on one of his own. Even if Weiss was exhausted, he forced her to do it. Some nights, he would have her keep going until she collapsed - and even if she complained, deep down, she completely understood that it was necessary. There was no way she could ever forget.

But since that night, despite the regularity of training, he had seemed to grow emotionally distant with both her and his wife. There were no more family outings, no more discussions over the dinner table. It was as if he couldn't show emotion to either of them anymore, or could only do it in increasingly sparing supply.

Unless that emotion was anger. That one, he was willing to provide in spades.

A scream of pure rage from her mother brought Weiss up short, and she spun to press her back against the wall near the door, shaking with fear. Yes, when they were in the presence of their daughters, there would only be mildly terse discussions. Not like this, though. Not literal shouting matches full of venom and bile.

"You are NOT taking her. Not tonight, and not until you calm down your ridiculous temper!"

That was the end of the discussion.

The doors of the main office then swung open wide as the man stormed out, too blinded by rage to even notice the small form in the shadows. Inside, Weiss's mother sat perfectly still, eyes red and full of tears.

And she wouldn't be storming out herself. In the battle, Willow had sustained a serious wound across her spine, rendering her legs incapable of movement for the rest of her life. Even metal replacements wouldn't work; they required working nerve endings with which to interface. Despite visits with the greatest doctors in all of Remnant, she was forever confined to a small black wheelchair.

Then she spotted her daughter, eyes widening as she quickly scrubbed them of tears. "Honey!" she called out. "Goodness, but you're turning into a regular sneakthief! How was school?"

"F-fine, Mother," Weiss whispered nervously, shuffling her booted feet as she stared at her face. The only thing she could do to make her mother feel any better about her condition was not to stare at her inanimate legs, so she was determined to do that much. "I got high marks for my essay on the medicinal properties of Dust, and we won our gymnastics meet."

"T-that's wonderful." A pained smile followed. She attempted to mask her sobs and sniffs by rubbing her eyes even further. Gymnastics was a passion she and her daughter had once shared, and although the news of how well she was doing brought joy to her, the thought that they could never work on that together again hurt her the most.

They did, however, still share one thing. "A-and your singing? How has that been going? You have such a lovely voice."

Weiss gave a light shrug as she fidgeted with the handle of her foil, eyes glancing between those of her mother and the open window. "Fine. Of course, my voice is as lovely as it ever was. I just…" Taking a deep breath, she gave voice to a worry of hers that she had debated for a long time. "I don't much feel like singing when everyone else is in such terrible moods."

The smile on her mother's face disappeared. She looked down to her own lap, sniffing one more time. "I'm sorry, darling. Work for your father has been… well, very stressful. Things are more expensive to run than they are now, and when people are tampering with the equipment, as well, he's… not very happy with the situation."

"But Father- he said you didn't try to protect me!" she hissed, as if worried he would suddenly appear in the doorway. "We both know that simply isn't true, you got really hurt, and only for my sake!"

Of course he would have told her that. Since the night, it had almost seemed like they were constantly vying for Weiss's and Winter's affection and loyalty. At least, it was for her father. He had always said bad things about Willow behind her back to Weiss, and yelled things in anger at her. It was beyond work stress.

"Let's just say since that night, I haven't exactly been your father's favorite person. He…" She paused. What could she say? There was so much she wanted to, be it venting her emotions, or letting out everything she had been holding onto since Weiss was born. But no, now was not the time. "…He was just worried you would have been hurt. It should have been me who protected you, not that boy."

Weiss felt her heart pick up speed at the mention of the Faunus child. She had scarcely thought about him since the attack, given that her parents distrusted their entire race so deeply – and with ample reason. Therefore, she did what she always did when he wandered into her mind: dismissed his contribution to her safety, relegated the memory to the back of her mind and allowed it to quiet down until it was silent again.

Or, more honestly, until she could quietly contemplate it in private.

"You did everything you could," she said softly as she leaned in with one hand on the armrest of the wheelchair, pecking her mother on the cheek. "I was there, and Father was not. I remember, and I love you."

More tears welled up in Willow's eyes. Even though Weiss was alive, she never had forgiven herself for the events that transpired. Her father should have been with them, protecting them. But he wasn't, and she blamed herself for his absence.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders as her mother burrowed her head into her daughter's shoulder, one hand reaching into her hair. "I love you too, Princess. So, so much."

The shiver came. One Weiss couldn't explain, but she always felt it pass through her whenever her mother or father pet her hair in that way. Was she so starved for physical attention that a simple gesture such as that made her a quivering mess?

"Thank you. I… I'll try to do better, Mother. So Father won't shout at you anymore."

"You listen to me." She placed her hands onto Weiss's shoulders, pushing her back to look into her eyes. "You are not to blame for anything, do you hear me? And I am so proud of you, I can't even begin to describe it. I might not say it every moment of the day, but every moment, I am. You will always be my little princess."

And then the doors swung open again. This time, it wasn't a kind face. It was her father, expression still full of anger. He looked straight to his daughter as if his wife were merely part of the furniture.

"Retrieve Myrtenaster and head to the hall."

Clearly, her mother was about to speak up in protest. Before she could, Weiss stepped forward and bowed formally. "Yes, Sir. Immediately, Sir." And with that, she strode from the room without a backward glance to exchange her practice sword for a real one.

    Fingers curling around Weiss's shoulder brought her back to the present. It was her battle partner, Ruby Rose. The look of concern, even out of the corner of her eye, grated. She was sad but had no right to be. Not without knowing why Weiss was upset.

"Weiss, I…"

"NO!" she exclaimed, shrugging off the hand. Ruby blinked at her for a long moment, then took a half-step back. Everyone's eyes were on her, judging, thinking all sorts of things about her past. That couldn't be allowed; they had to bring the subject back to the real problem.

"You want to know why I despise the White Fang?" Weiss demanded as she turned from the window and strode back to stand in front of Blake with slow, measured steps. "It's because they're a bunch of liars." Her blood boiled as her hands clenched into fists, stepping closer to the amber-eyed irritant. "Thieves." An image of her mother covered in blood on the floor, hospital visits, a blade diving over and over into her attacker… "And MURDERERS!"

The pointed words brought back the memories of the past within Blake, as well. The days of protest, when humans would spit in her face just for holding a sign and asking for equal rights. When she heard her father telling her that her mother wasn't coming home after a protest went wrong. The sight of her father lying dead on that floor as she begged him to get back up. All in the name of equality.

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"

Weiss's mouth opened with a scathing retort rolling forward to the tip of her tongue, entire body vibrating with rage… until her mind replayed that single sentence and highlighted a word she had almost overlooked: WE.

What was Blake trying to say? That implied that she had been a member of the White Fang. But that couldn't be true; that collection of degenerates didn't accept members who weren't…

Suddenly, she felt sick as she stood there, slack-jawed and devoid of anything to say. It seemed this was one of the few revelations that could have rendered Weiss Schnee speechless. It couldn't be possible, and yet nothing else made sense.

Blake Belladonna was a Faunus.

"I… I…" That was a mistake. A huge mistake. Blake's eyes were the size of dinner plates. She looked over to her partner, Yang, then to Ruby, then to the heiress herself. Now she had revealed to the heiress that she was a Faunus - what more would she put together? Would she remember their shared past fully if she kept putting two and two together?

She couldn't risk being there if and when Weiss did, and so she dashed straight out the door before anyone could stop her. Within seconds, she was already out of the building.

"Blake, wait! Come back!" Ruby was calling as she pelted toward the doorway, but Weiss could barely hear her. The sound of rushing wind filled her ears and her chest was drumming out a beat so loud it could probably be heard down in Vale.

A Faunus . She had not only been talking to one as if they were human, but living with one. Sharing a room with the enemy.

No, she reasoned, shaking her head out as she swayed and stumbled to the bedpost for support. Not all Faunus were evil; they just gravitated in that direction. Her mother tried to tell her that, but it was hard to accept with her father's never-ending litany of hatred on constant rotation. No, she really had been sleeping with the enemy. The fact that Blake had never come clean about her heritage proved that she had something to hide, and only bad people had something to hide.

It made sense that a former White Fang member would disparage her family legacy the day they first met. Of course she would; she was probably involved in all of the riots. Had she been there when they were attacked that day so long ago?

That day…

The amber eyes. The bow. It was completely impossible, and the memories were too faded to be sure, but they could be related, perhaps – her teammate and that boy. Then again, all Faunus looked so similar to Weiss, so she couldn't be certain. There had to be some way she could make sure…

"Dude, what's up with you?" Yang Xiao Long asked shakily. Apparently, the revelation had been a surprise to her, as well, but not nearly as big a shock.

"I… nothing." What was she saying? What had they been doing a moment ago? "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." The last part was a lie, but so what? It was what she always said when asked that question, after all. "We… we have to go find her. Let's go."

But the "nothing" certainly wasn't going to leave her mind anytime soon.

    A few hours after the night's revelation, much had taken place. Not only had they found their teammate again, but they fought a huge battle at the docks against Roman Torchwick. And he had gotten away once again. Still, that wasn't as worrying as the sight of Weiss approaching Blake, fully intent on tearing her a new one.

"Look Weiss, it's not what you think!" Their redheaded leader tried to slow her down, walking right by her side as she rambled on. "She explained the whole thing! See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute…"

But the sounds were mere mumbles to Blake. What would she say? The heiress knew she was a Faunus, and a member of The White Fang. Surely any response would fall on deaf ears. But perhaps if she knew the truth, the blow would be easier to take? She stepped forward, taking a deep breath, before beginning.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"

"Stop."

Immediately, she froze, amber eyes staring into the stern, somewhat intimidating expression in front of her. She was about to try and continue anyway, but was cut off by more words.

"Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours. That means, I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided…"

It had indeed been a long time for the heiress to contemplate all she had learned. In that span, she had tried to reconcile her own past with what Blake had said and done. It wasn't easy. In fact, it was one of the most difficult things she had ever done.

"I don't care!"

Blake's amber eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Weiss didn't even want to hear her reasoning or her side of the story? "You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I- I haven't been since I was younge-"

"Apapap!" she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I don't wanna hear it. All I want to know is that, the next time something this big comes up, you'll come to your teammates, and not some F…"

The glance she spared in the direction of Sun Wu Kong as he sat idly on a crate, monkey tail swishing back and forth, was not kind. It was full of darkness and dislike. Weiss had to slide her eyes shut to recover briefly, lest she do or say anything she would regret.

"Someone else," she finished quietly.

Blake was lost for words. Suddenly, Weiss Schnee, one of the people who despised the Faunus with all her being, was willing to accept her. Not only that, but she still saw her as her teammate.

Her thoughts went back to her time in The White Fang. Sure, she had a partner, but never had anyone who would care about her feelings as well as her ability to fight. There were only two people who ever did that: her parents. A single tear fell from her cheeks as she gazed back at her teammates. Her friends. All of them were smiling contentedly, happy to see her safe and sound. It was the family she missed for so long.

"Of course." She wiped away the tear from her cheek.

All Weiss wanted to do was ask questions. Why she hadn't told them sooner. Why she was wearing a bow so similar to one from her past. Why she had ever allied herself with the White Fang in the first place, and why she had changed allegiances. But all of that could wait. Though she wasn't as close to the Faunus as her other two teammates, their fondness for her was clear and present.

Her own wasn't completely absent, either. Blake was a capable warrior and a stalwart friend to those few she allowed into her circle. That said, obviously she was also very private, and a lot of that probably stemmed from her former involvement with the clandestine paramilitary group. Expecting her to be forthcoming from the very start had been unrealistic.

Therefore, when she saw the tear sliding down Blake's round cheek, she merely smiled reassuringly. She couldn't bring herself to say any words of comfort; not when the pain of finding out she had been lied to was still fresh. But she could do that much.

It was a start. And as Ruby crowed and began to celebrate their team reunion, Weiss knew she was going to be spending a lot of time sorting through her feelings. But it could wait. Right now, she was just glad the crisis was over.

The instant their little troupe got taken backstage for the second time that evening, Glynda had requested they accompany her to one of the smaller “private rooms” that were reserved for their VIP clientele. No customers were present; just Glynda, another older woman with dark skin and hair that flipped out to the sides, and Cinder who remained standing. But there was a stage with a pole, and they were all expected to perform their best. 

In unitards. They all glanced at each other anxiously as they changed backstage - as quickly as possible. Even though Yang had been fairly unaffected by seeing those pretty dicks on stage, it felt a little different catching a brief flash of Weiss’s package through the gap between her thighs, or Blake’s flaccid member when she turned in the wrong direction. But she shrugged that off as best she could. They were here to do a job, not to get laid or worry about their friends’ bodies. 

Ruby was up first. She did a pretty bad job, but kept giggling and waving as her cheeks heated up more and more, so she had some kind of cuteness factor going for her. Yang was secretly proud of her little sister for trying, even if she still had mixed feelings about her even being there in the first place - and thought she looked better out there than she likely felt she did. Just untrained.

Weiss fared a lot better. She was a little stiff, and her movements were more like a ballerina than someone trying to be sexually appealing to an audience, but at least she didn’t fall on her face. As graceful as they had come to expect from the little rich bitch.

Then, damn it all… it was time for Yang to step up. 

"Show us what you're working with, baby," the flippy-haired judge demanded with a smirk.

"Enough, Tiger Queen," Glynda sighed. "There's no need to cajole them. Continue, Sunbeam."

"Okay," Yang whispered to herself as she shook her limbs to loosen up. "You got this. No big deal! If you can take a bitch in a fistfight, you can swing around a pole, right?"

Wrong.

The next three minutes were a disaster. Several times, Yang secretly felt like crying or running off the stage, but no matter how many times she misstepped or fell over or just looked awkward and ridiculous, she forced herself to try to maintain a positive attitude, to wink and wave at the judges. She wasn't going to get another chance. Maybe she wasn't suited for this job, after all, but she wasn't going to let anybody say that she didn't try.

"Well, I know I've seen enough," Cinder grunted when Yang finally came to a stop, panting from moving in ways she wasn't used to moving, even if she was physically fit.

"Oh, she wasn't that bad," Tiger scoffed. "Just has absolutely no experience."

"She finished her routine," Glynda added reasonably. "There were many points at which I could see she wanted to give up, but didn't. That says a lot for her work ethic."

Cinder nodded thoughtfully. "Well… I'd say let Salem decide this one since she's on the line, but she's not in yet. I guess there's no alternative."

Yang waited awkwardly for a few seconds as they glanced at each other, then all turned to stare at her as one. 

"What?"

"Let's see it," Cinder said with a smirk.

A much louder "WHAT?!" burst out of Yang.

"Your cock. It looks like a pretty decent size under that unitard, but we're gonna need to evaluate the shape, girth… how pretty it is. We have to be able to tell if what you're working with is worth the investment of our time training you or not, y'know?"

“Hey, you can’t just-”

“I can. Remember the waiver? You can leave at any time.”

Damn, she was right. Oh well; she guessed that it didn’t make any difference. Eventually, she would be showing off all her goods if she didn’t abandon this job. Glancing back at the curtain, just to make sure her friends wouldn’t be seeing right away, she reached down and tugged the crotch aside.

“Oooh, yes,” Tiger Queen purred as she sat forward slightly. “I could have a lot of fun with that. The customers would probably feel the same way, too.”

“Yep, that’s what I was expecting,” Cinder said with a more passive nod, though she was smirking. “Hung, but it’s cute. You womanscape; was kind of afraid it might be a wild bush down there.”

“N-nah, I upkeep pretty good,” Yang chuckled nervously, trying not to think about the three pairs of eyes trained straight on her anatomy - or the effect it was having on said anatomy. “I mean, if I do something, I’m all-in, y’know? None of that halfass bullshit.”

“An admirable attitude,” Glynda conceded.

“Oooh,” Tiger breathed softly, eyes widening even more. “Ladies and ladies, welcome to the stage Sunbeam’s sunbeam…”

Damn. They noticed. She reached to try to cover herself, but Cinder held up a hand to forestall her, so she clenched her fists and moved them back to her sides. It wasn’t easy to feel anything other than humiliated with an audience watching her get hard in realtime.

“Noooot baaaad. Definitely could be all over that.”

“Same,” Cinder added - with a purr of her own now. 

“It’s good to note,” Glynda admitted, a little more detached than the others - though she did adjust her glasses so she could see Yang’s arousal better. “Some of our dancers are incapable of achieving erections without chemical assistance, so you’re already one up on them.”

“Y-yeah, great,” she sighed as she felt herself throb from the way they were leering - especially Tiger. She looked like dinner was served after a long week of fasting. “Um… can I put this away now?”

“Put it away in my bussy.” But when Glynda nudged her, Tiger sighed and sat back again. “Yes, we’re done with you. Next?”

“Oh my God,” Weiss hissed when Yang stepped back through the curtain, after hastily tucking her raging boner away. “I can’t believe they made you do tha- OH! It’s enormous, even with the unitard on! Where do you keep that thing?!”

“Wow,” Blake breathed - and she was looking at it a lot more like Tiger Queen had. Yang tried very hard not to read too much into it.

“You’re up,” Ruby prompted Blake, shaking the taller brunette out of her daze. She took a shaky breath and walked out on stage with her shoulders squared and her game face on. Then Ruby sidled up beside her sister and muttered, “Sooo…”

“What?”

“You gonna do something about that, or just walk around with it sticking out?”

The instant she felt Ruby’s index finger press into the underside of her arousal, Yang felt a spike of fear - and a rush of heat. Maybe she wanted her sister to stay as far away from her private parts as was humanly possible, but it still felt good to be touched.

“RUBY! Can you like, not?!”

While Ruby was giggling, Pyrrha whispered, “Oh no…”

The others all moved to the curtain to look. Yang frowned when she saw Blake was really struggling. Some moments she looked fine, but then others she would second-guess herself, stop halfway through a motion despite it looking as if she had a handle on it before. When the song ended, she just started stalking for the curtain with her arms folded tightly over her chest.

“Don’t even want to wait for a review?” Cinder called out. “Fine, whatever. Send out the last bitch.”

Naturally, Pyrrha did everything perfectly. When didn’t she? She struggled briefly with the pole, but on second attempt she was able to spin around it with ease. Whereas Weiss earned herself a hum of approval here and there, Pyrrha got a few oohs and ahhs.

“Ugh,” Weiss breathed, clearly rife with jealousy.

“Oh, don’t be a sore loser,” Yang shot back at her. Blake was still hanging back behind them, looking mortified that she wasn’t suddenly invisible. “You did great; at least you didn’t do so bad you had to show off your wang just to keep from being kicked out.”

Smirking, she replied, “Oh, I’m soooo lucky.” A second later her smirk disappeared as she watched Pyrrha taking a bow, because they were actually applauding for her. “I really am. It never was an issue before today, but mine isn’t very big, so it wouldn’t have earned me any brownie points with Simon Cowell and Company out there.”

“Pyrrha’s a shoe-in, alright,” Yang admitted. “Like… I didn’t mean to look, exactly, but she seemed to have a pretty decent bulge down there. Plus she’s so graceful all the time. I’d kill not to be a giant clod.”

Before anyone could respond, Glynda called out, "Will all prospects please come out on stage? Thank you."

Seeing no reason not to, the other four joined Pyrrha on stage. Yang found herself hanging back with Blake, and shot a sympathetic smile at her friend. She didn’t get one in return; Blake was too mortified. She’d have to find some time to make her feel better later.

“Thank you. The good news is, you’ve all passed; we are interested in training you, if you are interested in being trained. Some of you need more work than others… but we feel your potential to earn for us and bolster our ranks is significant enough to make our investment worthwhile.”

“Oh, how flattering,” Weiss grumbled. “We’re just numbers to them.”

“That isn’t true,” Tiger snapped, having overheard her even though she wasn’t speaking too terribly loud. “We look out for each other at Futopia, alright? But in order to be one of us, you have to be able to do the work - that’s just all there is to it.”

Cinder shook her head at them. “This ain’t no charity. But like she said, even if you just work here a few months and decide you’re done, you’ll be one of us forever.”

“Like alumni,” Pyrrha offered, and Glynda nodded. “I… like that idea. I’ve always liked the idea of a sisterhood of women like us.”

“We might be a kinky version of that, but yeah,” Tiger offered with a shrug, still reclining passively. “Alright… now for the next test. Just gotta see where you’re at.”

The three judges spaced their chairs apart further. Yang wasn’t exactly sure what was going on - especially since she thought this was going to be the end of their little audition. What more did they need? They already saw that clearly some of them didn’t know the first thing about exotic dancing.

“Alright… Sunbeam, you take that fourth chair there.” Yang had been so distracted by her inner thoughts that she didn’t even notice a chair had been placed off to the side, but she claimed it obediently, noticing it was fairly comfortable. “Great. Now, the other four of you pick a judge, or your friend there, and give us what you think is a lap dance.”

“WHAT?!” most of them yelped. Pyrrha and Blake were the only two who kept their reactions to surprised eyebrow-raises.

“You heard the woman,” Cinder snapped to support Tiger’s orders. “You’ve got ten seconds to pick your pony and ride it. Go.”

For about the first eight seconds, Yang looked on in secondhand embarrassment as her companions fretted and tried to make a decision. Just because this was obviously going to be a part of this job, didn’t mean a single one of them expected to have to do it today. Then they all surged forward, scrambling to claim a chair for fear of whatever Cinder’s wrath might have entailed.

“Oh,” she found herself whispering when Pyrrha wound up standing awkwardly in front of her. 

“Y-yes,” Pyrrha whispered softly. “I’m… afraid I will be in your lap soon. I intended to choose Tiger Queen, but Blake had already made her move. Perhaps… you would have been happier if she-”

“Oh, no no no,” she reassured her anxiously. “It’s cool! I just… yeah, I don’t know what the point in me getting a lapdance from you is, since I don't even work here yet, but it’s all good. Part of the audition, right?”

Her friend nodded firmly, then cleared her throat and closed her eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. Her eyes opened… 

“Why, hello there, handsome.”

“Handsome?” Yang asked with surprise - mostly from seeing the sultry look in Pyrrha's features that she hadn't been expecting. “Oh - wait, yeah, I’m the guy, right?” She cleared her throat and deepened her voice a little. “Hey, baby, lemme see that milkshake.”

Pyrrha hid her mouth and nose behind her hand like a geisha as she giggled. “You’re so cheeky! But I can be cheeky, too.” Then she turned around and shook her ass. It wasn’t exactly twerking, but she seemed to have learned a lot in a very brief amount of time.

“Yeeeaahhh, that’s it! Whoo!” Yang reached out to smack it - and Pyrrha gasped. “Oh - sorry, we probably ain’t supposed to do that.”

“Probably not,” she giggled. “Behave yourself.” Then she licked her lips, gave a little “why not?” shrug, and shifted down to grind her rear against Yang’s knees. “Is this what you had in mind?”

A little sigh fell out of Yang’s mouth. She wasn’t quite the virgin her friends were, but this still wasn’t the kind of thing she would normally do - and definitely not in a club in front of other people. Pyrrha did have a nice, firm ass… but she was trying not to think about it too deeply.

“Well, how are you doing tonight?” Pyrrha asked as she turned and crawled onto the chair, knees perched on either side of Yang’s thighs. Her amused expression was just barely held in check, but clearly she almost let out a giggle or two.

"Mmm, way better now." Her hands moved up to cup her friend's ass, though she tried to keep them mostly to the outside. 

And then they just let it happen for a while. Strange as this entire situation was, since there really wasn't much they could do about it other than call it quits, Yang and Pyrrha just kind of let themselves be carried away in the moment. She was comfortable enough in the setting that she didn't panic when she realized she had gotten aroused again, even though she saw Pyrrha shiver and bite her lip - which only threw fuel on their Greek fire. Naturally, when Yang glanced down, she saw the outline of a very large shaft-

And looked away. Maybe they were decent enough friends that they didn't freak out, but it was still hot and she was embarrassed to be looking at that part of her.

At least that gave her the opportunity to check on how the rest of their friends were doing. Blake and Tiger Queen were the closest and she could tell Blake was awkward but that her temporary partner was being very encouraging - even if a little handsy. Weiss and Glynda were a lot more professional, the former's moves slowly gaining more confidence, and the latter only providing verbal critiques and guidance with her arms folded over her chest. That was almost funny.

Ruby and Cinder were another story. Her sister looked very nervous, and the internet star was eating it up, leaning on one elbow and smirking. That was the best Yang could make out from so far away, but it still made her scowl and wrestle with the urge to go over there and knock the smug bitch out.

"They… seem to be faring well," Pyrrha panted, not noticing Ruby's distress.

"Mmm, I guess."

"Are you alright?" When Yang looked back, there was genuine concern in her features. "It's Belladonna, isn't it?"

"Huh?!"

Shrugging one shoulder, the tall Olympian raised one leg up and leaned forward until she was thrusting her package into Yang's face. "I've noticed you seem to wear a… certain expression whenever you look at her. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but if I'm not, I could understand why seeing her with another woman would frustrate you."

"It's not… like that…" Maybe it was like that. Honestly, Yang could never quite put her finger on how she felt about her best friend. The problem was, she couldn't even form a decent argument one way or the other with the biggest erection she had ever seen only a few inches away, barely restrained by the unitard.

"Not that I'm judging you at all. Of course you care for her; both of you have been friends for some time now." Pyrrha caught her breath for a second, clearly just as affected by this situation as Yang was. "But only you can define that friendship. You and Blake."

"Right. Uh… hey, Pyrrha…"

"Yes?"

"Are you… into me? Sorry, I'm not trying to make a federal case, I just wanted to know if this is because we're doing these lap dances, or if it's… more, uh…"

It took the redhead a moment for the coin to drop, and when it did she pulled back so she could look down at Yang properly. "Oh! I'm sorry - yes, I suppose it must seem that way with my… condition, mustn't it? But it's… I'm not used to feeling what I felt in your lap."

"I know," Yang sighed shakily, letting her hand rest on her own bulge to try to alleviate some of the tension. Not that it helped much. "Like, this whole club is kind of getting to me; been on edge since I saw Coco's junk, and then the judges over there wanted to see mine… and you're bouncing that rock solid ass on me…"

"I'm not the only one with firm glutes," Pyrrha chuckled good-naturedly - though Yang thought she saw her cock throb beneath the thin fabric. It was hard to tell with the low lighting, and when she was trying not to stare at it. "We are both very strong women."

"Y-yeah. Yeah, that's true. But I know you're with that one guy…"

"Oh, Jaune and I aren't terribly serious. Wait…" Her eyebrows hiked. "I'm so sorry, I didn't- I hope you aren't misinterpreting this as romantic interest. I'm talking about your body being very attractive, but it isn't-"

"No no no, no way," Yang laughed, completely relieved. If she did have a crush on Pyrrha, it probably would have devastated her, but luckily they were on the same page. "I'm just… yeah, you're so sexy, and today I learned you're hung like a fucking horse. So bonus."

"Mmm, you like that mine is larger?"

This was wandering into dangerous territory. Yang knew she wasn’t actually into Pyrrha like that, but she was gorgeous, and she was getting attention from her that she never had before. Her higher brain functions knew it was no big deal, but those weren’t ruling the roost right now.

“Mmm, maybe I do. Mine’s pretty big and I’m not used to vibing with somebody who’s got a bigger one, y’know? It’s super hot.”

And it seemed Yang wasn’t the only one suffering from the effects of this unwise interaction. Pyrrha throbbed again at her words, and her hips twitched from side to side. “Is it really? Would… you like to see…?”

“Oh, definitely,” she blurted before she could stop herself. 

“Ooh. Well… then why don’t I show you everything?”

Why didn’t she? Yang was still trying to come up with a good reason as she watched the redhead back up out of their chair, reaching for the shoulders of her unitard… 

“That’s enough,” Glynda called out just when it was about to get very interesting. Weiss stood from her lap and assumed a very poised and professional stance as she continued, "From what I've been able to tell, you all did fairly well for beginners. Cinder?"

"Terrible, but better than a lot of noobs," she offered with a sigh. Ruby had started to deflate, but cocked her head curiously at the last bit. "She second-guessed herself a lot but didn't quit. Plus she's got decent t-and-a, even if her dick looks pretty pathetic."

"Some of the clients are all about the little dicks," Tiger said reasonably. "You know that."

"Sure, sure. How was yours?"

Glancing up at Blake's flushed features, the confident woman smirked and reached up to caress her neck. "Honestly? I had no issues whatsoever. She was a little too aggressive, but I could tell it was to make up for her stage performance. Needs training but she's on the right track."

"Excellent," Glynda offered as she adjusted her glasses. "And Snow Queen was adequate. She needs to work on her dirty and-or flirty talk, but she was very amenable to my corrections. I'd like to work with her if she stays on. Now…"

They all turned to Yang and Pyrrha. She could just barely see Blake’s eyebrows shoot up - probably from how aroused Pyrrha was. It made her glance at her friends, and she saw that none of them seemed to be in quite the same dire straits; perhaps a little firmer than before, but only barely so.

“Yes?” Pyrrha prompted, her nerves just barely showing in her voice.

“Are you satisfied?” The question was aimed toward Yang, not Pyrrha.

“Huh? Oh! Am… I supposed to even know how to answer this?” She shrugged and stood up, gesturing to herself. “I’m still hard, so I guess she knew what she was doing. Shook her ass, twerked on me, thrust at my face and stuff. Was gonna take it all off before you ended it.”

“You were?” Weiss asked in shock. “Oh - I didn’t know we should have been doing that.”

“Well, not necessarily,” Cinder offered with a sigh as she absentmindedly caressed up and down Ruby’s thigh - which made her shiver. “For private room fun, yes, but not so much out in the main lounge when you’re lap-dancing. Even if they throw you a lot of money, it’s still the kind of thing you’d save for closed doors.”

“I understand,” Pyrrha interjected as she bowed slightly to the judges. “More teasing out in the main area, but save things like this for back here.”

“Yes, exactly,” Glynda affirmed. “But you have all done well - including you, Yang. You knew what someone would look for in their private dance, and you assessed her performance accordingly. This means you could replicate that in your own.”

“Yeah, I… guess we gotta start learning how to do that,” Yang chuckled.

“Not if you don’t want to work here,” Tiger rebutted easily, patting Blake’s leg to remind her to get out of the chair, which she did. “This job isn’t for everyone, and no one’s forcing you to do it. But if you do…” 

Yang felt like she must have blacked out. When Tiger Queen opened her pretty mouth and told the fresh meat how much they could be making a night, with the wages and tips combined, she felt like she had died and gone to heaven. Even though this wasn’t exactly the type of work she had hoped to fall into, she wasn’t nearly as opposed as most of her other friends - and the money was beyond tempting.

“I… think I’m in, guys,” she told her friends as she turned to them with wide eyes. Most of them had similar looks on their faces - except for Weiss, who was obviously used to large sums of money thanks to her wealthy family. Even she seemed a little impressed.

“Same,” Blake was quick to add. Yang knew her best friend would have her back.

“Then it’s settled,” Glynda said with a nod. “Those of you who are inclined to train with us will come back in the afternoon, during off-peak hours. Most of our dedicated dancers work between the hours of seven PM and three AM, when our clients are the most active; the club is technically only closed from four AM to four PM, excepting the rare event requested around noon, but those are when we thrive. We staffers therefore keep nocturnal hours for the most part.”

Though Yang was thinking to herself that it was a lot of extra information they didn’t ask for, Weiss piped up, “That certainly sounds reasonable. You have to make yourselves available when traffic is at its height or you can’t maximise profit.”

“Yes, exactly,” Pyrrha agreed.

“Hmm, boring,” Cinder announced with a large mimed yawn. Glynda scowled at her but made no comment. “Anyway, you’re doing fine, and we’ll look forward to breaking you in.”

What ominous phrasing. But Yang knew she felt pretty optimistic about the entire thing as her friends redressed in their own clothing and headed for the door behind Cinder, with Glynda and Tiger bringing up the rear. As they headed down the hall, another door opened and Coco drew up beside them, wearing nothing but her clear heels and her sunglasses. Yang felt herself getting lightheaded, but tried to keep her eyes up.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said politely.

“Don’t bother, they’re recruits,” Cinder snorted.

“Ohhhh, really? Hmm, thought they were too young and cute to be clients.” She lowered her shades and scanned all five of them. “Damn, we don’t usually get this many in one crop.”

“This many what, pray tell?” Weiss seemingly couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Hotties. Normally we get one hottie at a time, or a few that are kinda passable. All of you have potential. Cool.”

And then she was off. Glynda didn’t make any remark at all as she headed for the office, but Tiger Queen stopped by to tell them in a whisper, “Coco means she would bend any of you over if you gave her so much as a wink. Be careful, she’s a heartbreaker.”

“O-oh,” was all Ruby gulped, and the others made no comment. Yang wasn’t intimidated, but she did make a mental note to watch out for her - either to fight her off, or to let her go to town with that gorgeous cock. She hadn’t decided.

“Hmm. Are there a lot of… sexual relations between the dancers?” Pyrrha asked.

“What kind of robot is this?” Queen asked with a nod at Pyrrha. “I thought Penny was the only one.” Though she did shrug and consider the question afterward. “I wouldn’t say ‘a lot’ but it’s not that uncommon either. For some of us, this is just a job, but it is pretty sexually-charged, isn’t it? Hard not to feel a little pent up - and most of us feel safer blowing off steam with a coworker instead of letting the customers know we’re genuinely horny, and not just horny-for-pay.”

"I… see," said Pyrrha, looking a tiny bit put out by being referred to as a robot but trying to take it in stride.

"Why? Do you need help with that?" She nodded down at that obvious bulge, making its owner grimace. Then she chuckled, "Kidding, just kidding. But if you did, I'm sure you'd find no shortage of girls around here willing to lend a hand."

“M-maybe later.” That only caused Queen and Cinder to giggle. Something told Yang they would have to watch their own backs in this particular club.

    The paperwork didn’t take nearly as long as they feared. Yang felt relieved when she slid the clipboard back across the counter toward Glynda, who took it with a small smile and a nod. Most of the others had done the same; Pyrrha was the last. Most likely, she was just being very meticulous, but Yang also thought it was possible that she was still a little flustered from earlier.

“Thank you much,” she finally sighed now that all of their applications were collected. “This is a mere formality, of course; the audition was all we needed to see. Barring a terrible result from a background check - unlikely, given your ages - you may start as soon as we give you a call to let you know your employment status is finalized.”

“What if we decide against coming?” Ruby piped up meekly. “I’m kinda… not sure if I can let everybody see my junk on a daily basis.”

“Then you need only tell us when we call. Or not show up for work; that will also constitute the same. You’ll all be on a probationary status from now until we deem you ready for the floor; until that time, your employment is considered ‘temporary’. Only once you are depended upon to be working scheduled shifts would we be counting on you to do so, and thereby displeased if you don’t come in.”

That was a lot more of an answer than Yang expected. Still, rather reassuring. She was still processing that when Weiss raised her hand, as if they were in a classroom.

“Yes?” Glynda asked - like a teacher.

“Would there be any way we could receive an email rather than a phone call? I wouldn’t want… certain persons to overhear that I’m beginning work at a brothel.”

“Adult entertainment facility. Not ‘brothel’; we don’t conduct illegal activities.” But Weiss’s expression didn’t change, so she shrugged. “If you wish, we are more than happy to say you ‘have an appointment with Doctor Salem’, and then state when you’re to show up for training; it’s our standard code.”

“So this has come up before?” Blake asked curiously.

“Oh yes. The nature of this work necessitates discretion at times.”

“Yeah, makes sense. I, uh… I’d like my call to sound like that, too. My parents wouldn’t be too judgmental, but I still don’t want to answer a lot of questions.”

Again, she nodded. “Raise your hands if you would care to receive coded calls.” All of them did. Yang mostly thought it wasn't necessary in her case, since she wasn't around her parents constantly, but better safe than sorry. “Very well. You may take your leave whenever you like; we have all your necessary information.”

So they all started to file out. As they hit the door, Ruby whispered, “Okay, this was really weird, but I kinda expected it to be way worse?”

“Still can’t believe you just showed up like that,” Yang grumbled.

“Whaaat? I just wanted to be part of the cool kids!”

“Well, now you’re part of the half-naked adults,” Blake snorted as they continued to head for the back of the club. “Hope that’s close enough.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised at how little I hate this,” Weiss remarked. “It’s still crass and tawdry, but they understand their clientele and provide a service. We have the service they provide and can make a lot of money doing that, so… might as well. At least for a while.”

"You're the biggest shocker out of all of us," Yang chuckled. "Well, you and Pyrrha. Not that you're prudes or anything, just… a little more conservative?"

Pyrrha laughed with her, cheeks still a little rouged even though her arousal had mostly faded by now. "That is true. I think if my mother stumbled upon this facility and found out what I was doing, I would be mortified. But what are the chances of that ever happening?"

"Yeah, face it," Blake sighed as they reached the locker rooms. "Our parents aren't really strip club material. I think it's pretty safe for us to take it all off here, where nobody knows who we-"

"Weiss?"

The word put the fear of God into them for one terrifying second. Could it really happen? Had one of their parents shown up out of nowhere in the last place they would ever expect to see them?

No. Weiss began to smile, then took a few quick steps forward to throw her arms around her older sister. "Winter! You're here!"

Winter Schnee was quite a lovely woman. She had Weiss’s naturally premature silver hair and fair skin, and in some ways their noble features were similar. But the similarities ended there: Winter was much taller, curvier, and stood with strength and confidence where her younger sister was mostly just petulant or outright bitchy. That regal confidence was remarkable, given she was wearing nothing but a bath towel. She also was completely stunned at the moment, though the only outward evidence was her mouth being slightly open and how long it took her to finally wrap one arm around Weiss’s back.

“I… Weiss, what…?”

“Oh, I had been hoping you were working tonight!” She drew back to grin up at her. “I missed you!”

“What on earth are you doing here?” She glanced around at the other faces. “Who are all these- you aren’t allowed to bring guests backstage. I suggest you leave before Elm finds you.”

While Weiss was beginning to look disappointed, Blake spoke up. “We’re applying to work here. Cinder gave us the tour, and Glynda took our applications.” 

As Yang watched Winter blink at her again, she realized what Blake’s plan was: the name-dropping. If the five of them knew who those two people were, especially Glynda, it would make it harder for Winter not to believe their word. 

“Ah. In that case, might I ask… what on earth you think you are doing?”

“Huh?” Yang asked.

“You five are still in college. Barely, at that - all of you are so young, and have your futures ahead of you. Why would you want to let these clients objectify your bodies so readily? It… it simply isn’t necessary.”

Weiss frowned up at her. “But Winter, what do you mean? I… thought you said this was a great job, and you were making a lot of money.”

“The latter part is true,” the older sister admitted begrudgingly. “But as for it being a great job… yes, it is, in relative terms. This club is not the worst in the red light district by a long shot. But I still would never suggest my little sister take a position at a strip club! It’s, it’s… no, I don’t think that’s acceptable. In fact, I forbid you to work here.”

“Uh… excuse me?!” Weiss’s head whipped around to look at the others, as if to make sure she had heard that right. When most of them just shrugged, she turned back to snap, “You aren’t Mother, you know that, right?”

“Yes, and thank God I’m not. Otherwise, I would be telling you ‘boys’ to go find Jesus or some such nonsense.”

Her eyes narrowed further as Yang winced at the misgendering. Even if she was only doing it to take a pot shot at someone else, it still wasn't a great feeling. “I keep telling you, she isn’t like that. Not anymore. You just won’t listen!”

“Enough,” Winter said coldly. “You and your friends will-”

“I and my friends will wait for our phone calls and come in for training,” the younger Schnee sibling retorted with all the stubbornness Yang had ever seen her command. And that was saying a lot. “And whether you like it or not, we’re about to be your fellow employees, so you had better get used to the idea! Good day!”

When Weiss took off for the back door, the other four hesitated. “U-uh, wait up!” Ruby squeaked, but she still paused to wave at Winter. “It, um, it was nice seeing you again!”

As everyone else slipped past, waving as well, Yang decided to take up the rear. She felt like she should say something more, but had no idea what.

“Well? What do you want?” Winter demanded, still a little dazed.

That helped prompt her. “Y’know… we might barely know each other, but do you really wanna do the same thing your mom did to you? Tell Weiss she’s fucking up and that she can’t do what she wants?”

“Stay out of this. You don’t know what you’re talking about - you don’t know what exotic dancing can do to one’s reputation. This is the worst thing she could be doing, short of actual prostitution.”

“Maybe. But if you keep treating her like she’s dumb and fucking up, you’re gonna lose your last family member. Just saying.”

Second thoughts were creeping in. Something about the choice of this particular night made her very uneasy. Why would they choose to thieve on a night when there were so many people inside? Surely, there was more risk of getting injured, of hurting people by accident.Another riot did not seem wise when their numbers had been so severely diminished by the last raid. Were they really getting this reckless and desperate? 

"What's troubling you, Beebee?"

The question came from the tall, raven-haired man crouching on her left-hand side, a white mask with red markings securely in place in front of his bushy beard. The shaggy locks scarcely reached his shoulders, but they were still longer than Blake's. Even as she watched, he turned to favor her with a small smile. "Come on, out with it."

"Why are we doing this when there's more people here than normal?" she asked. Blake was only ten years of age, but she wasn't stupid; anyone could figure out that a raid would be a lot easier to pull off when no one was around, or at least when most people were asleep. "Won't we get seen? It's not even dark in there, so we can't use our night vision!"

The man's mouth drooped slightly. "Beebee, we've talked about this before. Remember? How they're not paying enough attention to our actions and demonstrations? We need to be seen stealing and resisting, or they will simply sweep it under the rug again. They won't understand that we mean business."

"But this many?" she asked, her own ears pinning back in fear. The more she stared at the people inside, the more she began to doubt herself. If they intended to be caught, there was too much security for them to get away. They would be injured on sight - maybe even killed.

"It'll be fine, sugarplum," he soothed her as his hand trailed through his daughter’s shaggy, cropped locks. Paired with the many light scratches and bruises she received in her training, and the fact that she was too young to have grown into her figure yet, the haircut made her look like a young boy, but he didn't have the heart to tell her as much. "Just remember everything we taught you and there'll be no problems – and don't forget to watch Adam. I know he's young, but he has the makings of a fine leader."

"…Okay, Dad," Blake sighed, finally getting back to her feet again. Adam Taurus had only been taking charge for a short amount of time, right after the protests went so badly wrong. His speech had certainly seemed to rouse everyone tonight. Still, this would be the first major strike he had organized. The success or failure would potentially affect his status of leadership. Blake wasn’t sure she liked his style, but this wasn’t really up to her.

There: the signal. It was time to move. As all other members were making their way toward the building, the girl couldn't help but stare down at the mask she held in her hands. Was she really ready to turn herself into a monster?

    Weiss Schnee had suffered through quite enough stuffy parties to last a lifetime. This was the third such event she had been forced to attend in the same month, and she no more enjoyed herself this time than she did the other two.

The clothes were the only perk. Weiss loved dressing up in such finery, all taffeta, silk, and lace, especially with the elegant black bow she had perched in her hair to complete the ensemble. Her mother had protested that the bow didn't match, that a white one would be more in line with the outfit, but she had insisted and eventually won her way when her little sister Winter came in crying about a toy that had broken.

Still, that didn't mean she was any happier to listen to her father delivering yet another dull speech to his dull business associates. This was why she was merely sitting in a chair nearby, kicking her shiny white shoes back and forth above the floor and waiting for it to be over.

"And I am more than pleased to announce that thanks to these efficient new machines, our overall production has increased with a lesser physical labor requirement, therefore boosting our profit margin by a staggering ten percent!"

The room filled with cheers at the announcement. Such words would of course mean nothing to a young girl like Weiss, but for the company, it was a great step forward. Perhaps they wouldn't need to hire as many people, or force them to work as hard, at least. Mostly, she just hoped there would be less ungrateful people gathering outside her home and her father’s work, saying mean things about her family.

This was usually the point when he would continue, when he would begin with “I would like to thank my wife…” and other sickeningly sweet sentimentality toward his wife and daughters, but no such gesture came that night. In fact, when the man did catch a glance of his wife, it almost seemed to be a glare of anger rather than a heartfelt gaze.

Weiss noticed the look on her father's face, but paid it no mind; she was used to seeing him in a sour mood. Instead, she merely went back to kicking her shoes and staring down at the floor, waiting for someone to tell her she could move. Or eat. Or talk. Or do anything besides look like an ornamental piece designed to endear him to his investors.

Taking a seat by the small girl's side, a warm hand was placed onto her shoulder. That of her mother. She smiled warmly down at her daughter, able to sense how awkward she felt about the event. There was no one else here her age, and Winter was still sulking about her plaything being ruined. Still, her gaze went back to the black bow.

"I do wish you had worn the white one, honey; it would have gone so well with your little dress."

"This one was prettier," she replied petulantly. "And I'm a Schnee; if I say the black one goes with the white dress, everybody else has to agree with me, don't they?"

"Well, you aren't wrong. You look pretty no matter which one you pick." The woman smiled. Noticing the comment didn't help her daughter's mood, the smile slipped a notch. "I know your father has been organising a lot of these social occasions, but don't think too badly of him, dear. He's just helping us as a family, making the world a better place."

Weiss heaved a dramatic sigh. "I know. The Schnee Dust Company works for the good of all mankind, and Father has to be the best so the company can be the best." Her words had all the soul of a religious recitation.

"That's my girl." She bent down, kissing her daughter's forehead. The hand on her shoulder softly stroked back and forth along her arm. "Tomorrow, we'll go out somewhere. Would you like that? Just you and me, we can go shopping!"

"Shopping?" A small smile pulled at the corner of the girl's mouth. "Ooh, can we get gelato afterward? You know Rodrigo's gelato isn't as good as the stuff they make at that little place in the shopping mall."

"Of course we can, darling. But we shouldn't tell Rodrigo that we got it. You don't want him to give the 'I've been the family chef for many years' speech." She tried to mimic the man's thick accent when quoting him, even putting on a gruff voice while doing so in the hope of amusing her daughter.

Snorting, Weiss grinned and elbowed her mother. "Silly Mommy. And Rodrigo's a Faunus, he should just be glad to have a job at all."

As soon as the words left the young girl's mouth, her mother's expression darkened slightly. It was like hearing something direct from her husband's lips. Clearly, he had been talking badly about Faunus around their children, something that time and time again she had begged him to avoid. She shuffled slightly on her chair. One hand slipped under her daughter's chin, picking it up so their eyes would meet.

"Honey, you shouldn't talk badly about people like that."

"What?" Weiss's eyebrows drew together in confusion and mild fear as she stared back into her mother's dazzling blue eyes, unable to escape the instinctive feeling she was in trouble. "About… but Mommy, I didn't talk bad about people, just a Faunus."

"A Faunus is a person, sweetie. They're no different from you and me."

"Of course they are! They have weird ears, and tails and stuff! That's why we call them 'Faunus' instead of 'normal people'! Why are you being so weird?"

After hearing such atrocious words, she allowed a moment of silence to fall. Certainly, there was a reason for the Schnee matriarch's strange mood. This gala was not the ideal venue to address something like this, but she couldn't stand to hear her own daughter spouting such nonsense another second. The woman swallowed, gaining her breath to talk again.

"Darling, there's something I need to tell you."

"You're scaring me," Weiss said softly, brows drawing together. "Mom, wh-what's-"

There was no time for her to complete the sentence, or for her mother to tell her whatever had been weighing on her mind. That was the moment the White Fang chose to attack.

The lights cut off. Right away, the room was filled with concerned gasping, even the odd yell from the squeamish and cowardly attendees. But the ordeal was about to get worse. Those few screams started to increase in number as the room began to fill with various other noises. Sounds of metal clashing against the tiles, grunts of anger or outrage, or pain. The odd report of gunshots and flashes of light, though not bright enough for a human to see what was happening.

"Mommy!" Weiss wailed, her white-blonde head flipping back and forth as her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. "Help, what's happening?!"

Thankfully, she had kept hold of her daughter when the lights cut off, and managed to throw her arms around her when the screaming began. There was no way she would be able to see an exit in time on her own, as her eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness.

But perhaps her daughter could. "I-it's going to be alright, sweetie! We're just going to go to… to your room! Yes, let's find your room! Tell Mommy where to go!"

"What do you mean?!" Weiss screeched in alarm. "I… I don't know where to go, I'm n-not a grown-up! What do we do, Mommy, what do w-"

At that moment, the girl was torn from her mother's grip by a lithe and imposing figure and cast carelessly aside. In his other hand was a chainsaw, and below his mask was a deranged and bloodthirsty grin.

"Mrs. Schnee, I presume?"

"WEISS!" she yelled out in terror, eyes finally beginning to compensate for the lighting… and the sight before her was not one she wanted to see at all. Despite being trained in combat, once upon a time, her weapon was absent. She assumed she wouldn't have needed it in the middle of a formal affair. 

How wrong she had been. But her daughter's safety was her priority. As she looked back over to her, she shouted, "Hide! And don't come out until your father or I come to find you!"

Nodding frantically, Weiss started to edge away – only to see the chainsaw flash toward her mother's chest, catching just slightly on the sleeve of her gown and rending it open. The man sneered and took aim again.

"NO, MOMMY!" Weiss shouted, flinging herself forward-

Only to feel a blinding pain when the back of his gauntleted fists collided with her face. He did not strike with excessive force, he did not turn to attack her again. It was a very basic strike that routed a momentary annoyance. But far too much for a child to weather. Weiss crumpled to the floor in a tiny heap, sobbing and clutching her face.

And that was what made her mother snap. Immediately, the woman crouched low, darting aside away from any frontal attack, only to then deliver a swift kick to the back of his knees. No, she didn't have her weapon, but that didn't mean she was going to let anyone harm her daughter.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

A growl erupted from the man's throat as he went down on all fours momentarily, but he didn't stay that way long. Executing a quick forward roll, he sprang back to his feet and whirled to face the Schnee matriarch, teeth bared.

"Feeling protective of your clan, are you? Interesting. I'm very protective of mine, as well. That's why I'm going to make sure you, your husband, and everyone else at this party never live to see tomorrow."

"You think you can just… waltz in here and kill a Schnee?" she scoffed, slowly pacing around the man before her. Although it would seem she was trying to intimidate him, the truth was that she merely wanted to keep his sights away from Weiss. If he was bent on eliminating her, the last thing she wanted was for her daughter to get caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, Weiss was beside herself. Her first thoughts were for her mother and father – though she couldn't seem to locate him in the mayhem. Briefly, she worried about Winter, but she was safe up in her room, being too immature to conduct herself in such social situations. Therefore, all she could do was hold her hand against the stinging cut on her face and look on in horror as her mother battled this strange man and his ominous weapon.

"I think I can try," he growled, surging forward and lunging for her with the point of his weapon. She leapt aside, just barely avoiding the rotating blades as she felt the air being pushed by its movement against her shoulder. This time, there was no strike back. There was only time for her to flick a sharp word back at her daughter.

"Do as I say! NOW!"

A frantic nod. "Okay, Mommy! Be careful, I love you!"

The words tugged at her heart. It rendered her motionless. To see her daughter in so much fear was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Especially when realizing she didn't know what the outcome of this night would be.

"I love you too, my darling – now go!" she shouted. Although time seemed to slow down for her, it certainly would not for her bloodthirsty opponent. She was completely off guard in that moment. As Weiss ducked between two patrons struggling with two White Fang members, the man stalked toward her mother and raised his weapon, teeth bared.

"For equality."

    Blake was right to have been afraid. She was right about this not being a normal raid. This wasn't even thievery at all; it was a bloodbath! As more and more bodies hit the ground, Blake found herself staring out over the room, holding herself perfectly still. Shock was keeping her frozen in that spot as the chaos ensued around her. Not even the sound of guards marching toward the commotion was enough to make her move. She could barely believe the sight before her. Humans were dying right in front of her eyes. 

No – people . People just like her. What had been advertised to their ranks as a protest was nothing but pure, unapologetic slaughter.

"Blake, do your best, but remember to stay down and out of the way whenever possible," her father was still coaching her as they fought off a few of the battle-challenged patrons. "You're only along to observe and get hands-on training wherever you can, not to prove yourself! What do we say about pride?"

Her gaze turned back to her father. She heard him, but with the amount of chaos ensuing around her she barely understood a word. All the girl wanted to do was run, run as far away as she could and hide.

But she couldn't. If she ran from this conflict, what would happen during the next, or the one after that? Even so, she couldn't force herself to fight, either. Instead, she quivered on the spot, her top set of ears firmly pinned back in fear.

"D-daddy… I d-don't… this isn’t r-right…"

"No time for fear!" he snapped angrily. Not just angrily – worriedly. All too well, her father knew that fear could only lead to a hard downfall. "Fight! Fight the fear, and fight our enemies! Show me you're a Belladonna!"

“I… c-can't!" She clenched her eyes shut, hands grasping her ears as tightly as they could, pulling down on them hard. Her cat ears were extremely sensitive to sound, and hearing the gunshots and screaming didn't help at all. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't block it out.

One scream in particular caught her attention. It was higher pitched than the rest, and more of sorrow rather than of pain. That could only be a child! Why was a child at an official company function?! Finally, she managed to move her legs again, running straight in the direction of the sound.

    Both of Weiss's eyes were round as saucers as she stared at the ungodly sight of men and women hacking each other to pieces all around her. Over and over, she saw the bloody flag of the White Fang, felt it burning into her retinas. They were responsible. Everything her father had said about them was true; her mother's sweet words about them just being people had been wishful thinking. 

Never again would she forget what these monsters were capable of.

Screaming again as a platter sailed past her ear, she tried to duck under a table, to crouch there until the fighting passed, but a few seconds later it was toppled by an errant kick, leaving her exposed again. Breathing hard, she backed away from them, eyes scanning for a way out, for anything that could make this nightmare go away.

And that's when the Faunus girl saw the pampered heiress. Somehow, in the midst of all that carnage, another youngling of similar age to her, too terrified for her own good, was trying to escape. What kind of monsters would allow someone so young to go through so much fear?

"For equality." The words echoed around her mind again. This wasn't a plea for better treatment, this was doing to them what they had done to the Faunus. Revenge. It was reducing them all to the very monsters they so vehemently insisted they were not. It was letting the humans win. With those thoughts running through her mind, and the image of another White Fang member slowly closing in on the girl, Blake ran toward her.

Through tear-soaked vision, Weiss could just make out a younger boy running toward her, one with an unruly mop of black hair. Was he there to help her or hurt her? Maybe it didn’t matter anymore. She had taken a couple of preliminary fighting classes; if no one was going to save her, she had to do what she could. The back of her arm raised up and brushed away her tears as she stood shakily, prepared to fight in any way she could. 

Finally, she could make out the velvety ears amid the black hair; he was a Faunus. Instantly, her heart froze; he was going to attack her the same way that man had attacked her mother. The small dagger swinging at his hip seemed to attest to this.

"Y-you stay away," Weiss breathed as she began to back away, one hand raised in front of her. "This isn't… my father will kill you if you so much as harm a single hair on my head, Faunus!"

More fear began to settle in yet again. Someone would kill her if she touched this girl? But if she didn't, she could be killed, anyway! Just behind the tossed tables, one thing had caught her eye; a possible avenue of escape. Maybe for both of them.

"I-I know where we can hide!"

"Where we can-" Then she realized the Faunus was trying to get her to go with him. "As if I would go anywhere with you! Y-you just want to kidnap me!"

"Don't be stupid, why would I care about kidnapping you? That's-"

When another table was hurled just behind her, the ears immediately pinned back down against her head. Quivering returned to her legs while her eyes scanned the room – and then the man with the chainsaw was standing over both of them. Now, blood smeared the blade of his weapon, and he grinned darkly at the two small forms before him.

"The rest of the men are ransacking the mansion," he informed Blake moreso than the white-haired girl. Then he turned her attention to her. "And you, Schnee heiress. We should ensure that your father's tyranny and oppression will not be passed along to his descendants, I suppose. You're next."

"I… what?!" But she watched with wide, pale eyes as the blade rose higher and higher, aimed straight down for where she crouched, tiny and insignificant and a complete waste of space. All that training her parents had been coaxing her to participate in, all those times she had refused, or pouted, or put in half-hearted efforts to appease them before skiving off to do whatever she wanted. Squandered potential. Her handful of classes weren’t going to protect her against this killing machine. 

"P-please… please, no! I- I’m sorry, I didn’t- I don’t wanna die!"

Before the saw could slam down onto her, the other youth had dashed forward between them. Immediately, the smaller Faunus spread her arms and legs wide, trying to seem as big as possible, though it would make little difference compared to his size. Teeth were bared, ears pinned back, and whatever fur she had stood on its ends. She let out as loud a hiss as she could.

The chainsaw hesitated, head canted slightly to one side. "Kitten, you had better get out of the way. Grown folk are working here."

Another hiss followed, her amber eyes narrowing further. The pupils were now thin slits as her anger only grew. Anger that was replacing her fear.

"She's… a… child."

"She is, and so are you. Now, out of my way." Blake did not move. The man slowly raised his chainsaw, flat pointed in the direction of the young cadet. "Out of my way or you'll taste the same as she will, stupid brat!"

Everything was telling her to run. Her father would have told her to, as would her mother. Her brain was shouting it as loud as it could. But her heart said otherwise. Her hand reached to the small dagger in her belt as she ran toward the Faunus, leaping into the air before he could strike. The man's arm swung up to counter the swing of the tiny blade, but he was too late. It impaled itself in his shoulder, and he let out a strangled cry.

Behind Blake, Weiss screamed again, scrabbling backward on her hands until her back pressed against an upturned table. So far, so good; she had protected her. Instinct took over. Once the blade was deep in the flesh, the girl managed to yank it clear again, only to slam it down into his back. Thankfully, her strength wasn't enough to drive it deep… but she didn't do it just once. Her vision distorted, her hearing muffled as she drove the small dagger into his skin again and again, her own actions now beyond her control.

"NO!" came the loud voice directly into her ear as her father's hands curled around her wrists, stopping her flailing body. "Beebee, enough, he is down! Why are you attacking one of our own, have you lost your mind?!"

Unable to continue her assault, the girl started to breathe heavily, slowly allowing her vision to return to normal. Then she saw what she had done. The large White Fang member who was once her comrade was laying face down on the cold floor. Unmoving, with so many wounds in his back she couldn't even count them. Pressure was building in her stomach. The girl wanted to be sick, and made a choked retching sound as she trembled.

"No time for that," her father said, seeing that she was on the verge of losing herself in the confines of her own mind. "You need to hide; there are more guards here than we expected, and I can't fight properly thinking about your safety if you can’t focus. Take your friend and hide somewhere, I'll be back for you soon."

"Wh-what?!" Weiss burst out, shaking all over with twin tracks down her cheeks. "Friend? H-he's a Faunus, and he hurt that other man! I'm not going anywhere with anybody, I'm staying right here!"

The man glanced over at her. He? Who was he? Then he noticed her pale, elegant features and expensive dress: “A Schnee.” This was one of the daughters. A minor detail in the current moment, however. "You will go and hide if you want to survive this day. I'll leave that up to my pride and joy. Now move!"

"D-Dad…" She looked up with teary eyes at her father. Fear was setting back in once again, but hiding was still the best option. Not only would it protect Blake from any human guards entering, but it would protect the young girl from any other White Fang who might think her a prime target. Plus, as he had said, her father would have to spend far too much effort on protecting her if she could no longer fight. It was the only way. 

Grasping the younger girl's wrist, she dashed toward the wall as fast as her legs could carry her, managing to pull off the flimsy cover of a nearby air vent with a firm pull.

"In here!"

"Wait, let go of me, let go!" But Weiss did not truly put up a fight, and soon she was being tugged behind the ventilation grille and watching the Faunus youth replace its cover after them.

For a long moment, she took in the features before her. He was certainly a slender boy, with delicate features that didn't seem to fit with the fierceness of his amber eyes or the severity of his haircut - or the blood smeared all over his face and clothes. The white-and-black outfit seemed to be made up of rags and patches. A true peasant, and one who may or may not have had a bath in the past week.

Despite having protected her from the mighty chainsaw wielding member not long ago, the Faunus seemed to no longer be concerned with the young heiress. Instead, his gaze was fixated through the vent. He watched fearfully as two guards entered the room, both holding their guns at the ready as they searched the area.

"You see a Faunus, kill it on sight."

"N-now you'll get it," Weiss hissed quietly. "Eventually, they're gonna find you and get you for trying to attack my family."

"Shh!" Blake snapped, concentrating on watching what would happen just outside the vent. But to her horror, the guards were walking closer to where her father had started to hide. If ever there was a moment she wished people could read her mind, it was now.

"Dad, run," she whispered, ears beginning to lower in fear.

"Wh… why did you do that?" When Blake didn't respond, Weiss crawled forward and whispered, "Boy… hey, why did you hurt the other Faunus?"

"S-stop falling me 'boy'!" she snapped, turning immediately to face the heiress head on. Big mistake. This time, the voice of the guard was obvious.

"I just heard something over here, by this rubble!"

"But isn't he your friend?" Weiss asked, oblivious to the impending danger. "You're both Faunus, but when he came over, y-you hurt him instead of letting him hurt me. I don't understand."

"Shush!" she couldn't help but snap, glaring angrily at the girl for a short moment. That was until one of the guard's legs was suddenly blocking half of the light into the vent. Then a hand joined it. They were about to be discovered!

"HEY!"

A blade shot forward and gouged into the arm of the man who had come within inches of discovering them. When the man whirled, keening in agony, Blake's father brandished his weapon again. "Long live the White Fang!" And with those words, he dashed away, the guard giving chase.

"Wh-what?!" Weiss burst out. "I- what just happened?!"

"Dad!" Blake screamed. Once again her ears had pinned back as she tried to spy out of the small spaces between the vent slats. It didn't take superior hearing like hers to catch the rain of gunfire that followed once he had run away. She wanted to run back out, to help her father. But how? If anyone saw her, she'd be dead. The thought was enough to make her grasp her ears tightly again, pulling them flat against her head.

"…Dad?"

The words were very quiet now from the delicate girl with crimson blood smearing the left side of her pale features. Even as Blake spared her a brief glance, she swallowed and whispered, "That man, who stopped you from stabbing the other Faunus before… he's your father?"

Her breath began to come faster again as she gazed out worriedly. Swallowing the lump in her throat back down, she stuttered out, "Y-yeah. It was just… supposed to be stealing… I-I didn't want to… to kill anyone, or… it wasn't supposed to be like this!"

Weiss inched closer, tugging at her rescuer's sleeve. "Boy, did you really do that t-to save me? I need to know that! Because if you did, I'm in debt to a Faunus, and th-that's unacceptable!"

The feline ears on her head perked back up again. Yes, she saved the girl's life, but apparently this was not just any girl. The comrade she killed had said something before he was about to strike: 'Schnee'. She had just saved the life of the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. The very company the group had set out to bring down.

"…I saved a Schnee?"

"You did. For me, you… and now they're going to get you. Because you were with them." Fat tears were sliding down Weiss's cheeks. Balling up her fists, she snapped, "Why did you have to attack my family, anyway? Why can't you just learn your place, I… I don't like that we got attacked just because we're successful!"

"You think that's why we attacked you?" the Faunus snapped, her own fists clenching tightly. "Out of jealousy?! Does your daddy show you who he forces to work in the mines? Didn't you always wonder how your company was producing so much before these machines were built, despite him not having very many human employees?"

"Because he's a leader and a smart businessman!" Weiss shot back, folding her arms over her chest. "I… what do you mean, how they produce so much? The Schnee Dust Company pays their employees, and they mine the Dust! That's how it works, you know!"

"You think it's that simple?" Of course, that's what the world also thought. That's what they knew. But there was far more to it that was hidden from public. "The humans stay above the ground, collect the Dust, and refine it to be sold. They don't mine anything themselves. Your daddy forces us into the mines, down into the deepest most dangerous caves to go mine it. We barely get paid, but we have no choice! It's that, or starve!"

True anger vibrated in Weiss's limbs as she crouched behind the vent with an enemy of everything her family stood for. "At least we'll pay you, filthy Faunus! You should be thankful for it instead of… of talking about my father that way! He's trying to help! Why are you so ungrateful? It can't be that bad down there, anyway!"

Blake's ears pinned back once again, hair stood on end as she glared evenly into the blue eyes before her. "Two years ago, a cave collapsed. Do you remember how the papers said no one was killed, and yet production slowed rapidly afterward? That's because there were six hundred Faunus in that cave. Six hundred of us were… were gone. And he hid it! Covered it up and pretended it never happened!"

"Six hu…" The fury faded, but Weiss's words were still clipped and irate, even as her face slackened in utter shock. "No. No, you're lying – more lies meant to advance the Faunus agenda. Th-there's no way… not six hundred of them. That's too many."

"That's how many were found…" Now the bite in her own words started to soften. She found tears starting to well up in her eyes, having to sniff to keep herself from crying. "There were probably more. Up until then, your daddy wasn't going to pay for those machines. It was only when the caves were investigated he was suddenly interested in making them!"

“No, no, Boy, don't cry!" she whispered frantically. "You're wrong, but I don't want you to cry! Stop it!" When he only continued to glare at her, sniffling, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about those people, b-but you have to be wrong about my father, okay? He didn't… he wouldn't do something like that."

“Then where is he now?" she asked. Any father would have shown up the instant they thought their daughter was in trouble. "Why is it me, the Faunus, saving you? Why didn't he?"

At those words, Weiss looked down at the bloody palm of her hand, where she had been holding it to her face a moment before. Weiss's father always had his weapon at hand. There was no reason for him to have not been present. "He… he must have had other things to do. Mommy protected me, though – and just because you saved me doesn't mean you're good and he's evil! That's not fair!"

"I'm not good! N-not anymore…" She looked back down at the bloody knife in her belt, ears folding. A tear fell from her cheek. "I'm a murderer, and… they're going to kill me, aren't they?”

The heiress knew the answer to that. It was written all over her features; no matter how much she tried to pretend that the Dust Company was a paragon of virtue and could never do any wrong, she wasn’t completely naive; if they got hold of a blood-spattered Faunus child, things would not look good for said child no matter who spoke on their behalf.

"You don't even look very Faunus. Just… those floppy kitty ears."

At that comment, Blake reached to grasp her ears again. She had never been concerned about them before, they were something most of her family had. Her grandfather, and mother, and now her. They were beautiful in her own eyes. But now, they were a death sentence. If any of the guards were to see them, she would be done for. No matter her age.

"Okay." Weiss had made her decision. As she reached up and began to unravel the bow from atop her head, she said, "Just to be clear, by no means does this make us friends, but… I don't want you to get killed when the only reason you're still here is you were trying to help me."

"W-What are you doing?" she asked, staring at the ribbon now in Weiss's hand.

"Repaying my debt," Weiss said while draping the ribbon around her ears, tying it very carefully into another bow. "Maybe they won't notice anything else – but you'll have to leave your sword or they'll get suspicious. Maybe you can come get it later, though."

"I don't want it… not anymore." Almost instantly, she took the blade from her belt, only to throw it down onto the floor of the shaft. Why would she want it? Why would she want to harm more people?

Weiss fell silent as they listened to the echoes of the sword bouncing in the shaft until they faded. "H-hey… you did what you had to. You saved my life." Then she seemed to realize she was defending the Faunus and finished tying the bow, stepping back. "Ooh… wow."

When her hands had left, the Faunus’s own reached up toward the material covering her ears. It was as if they were never there; her ears weren't big enough for the bow to look odd or misshapen. In fact, it felt rather comfortable. Perhaps that would make her seem more feminine, as well.

"D-Does it work okay?"

"It does." A slight rouge crept into her alabaster cheeks. "You almost look like a girl with that on. Pretty Faunus." Then she seemed to come back to herself and glanced through the slats of the ventilation grille. "Y-you'd better get going; the faster you get out of here, the safer you'll be. Maybe I can explain to my father that you saved me, and you're younger, so he might let you go – but we have to get to him first instead of the guards. He'll listen to me."

Despite wanting to correct the girl about her gender, the Faunus said nothing. She only smiled when she headed back toward the vent, pushing it back open again. Her gaze turned immediately to the doorway which not too long ago, her dad had run through to lead the guards away. The sounds of gunfire had long gone. Perhaps he got away?

"What about my dad?"

Though she didn't seem to believe her own words, Weiss said, "He'll be fine; he's an adult. Okay, ready?"

The noisy little Schnee was right: her father was the Ghira Belladonna, and one of the strongest, most skilled warriors the White Fang had seen in decades. She knew he would be alright. Eventually, she turned back to the white haired girl, nodding. "Lead the way."

Taking a deep breath, Weiss stepped from the air vent and took Blake's hand in her own, steering them through the waiting crowds. A warmth spread through her chest when she did so; something about being with this Faunus felt right to her, made it seem as if everything would be okay again before too long. That puzzled her, but she tried to ignore it; they had to find her father.

And they did. As she deftly avoided a man being carried away on a stretcher by two medical personnel, she saw her the spindly, white-haired man talking to one of the senior guards about the situation and waved in his direction as she raced ahead, letting go of her saviour's hand in the process.

"Father! Father, here I am!"

Any normal father would have turned to the voice instantly. Would have ran over to her as fast as they could and lifted their daughter into their arms, grateful to find them alive and well. But this was Jacques Schnee. And, as per usual, business came first.

"I want every Faunus in this building dead, do you understand?" It was only after giving the command that he turned to face his daughter, a smile slowly perking to his lips. Too slowly. "Weiss… Thank goodness!"

"I was so scared!" she grunted as she collided with his legs, burying her face in his stomach. "Th-the man attacked Mommy, and then another Faunus stopped him, and then another Faunus stopped that Faunus from hurting the first Faunus too much, a-and I-"

"Slow down, darling! It's okay. The guards are getting rid of all of them now." Jacques knelt down, wrapping his arms tightly around his daughter as she nuzzled her face into his neck. "I'm so glad you're alright."

Weiss took a long moment to soak in the warmth and safety her father's presence afforded her. Comfort after a traumatic experience. Then she pulled back and said, "Oh! Father, I want you to meet the boy who saved me! He's right…"

But the Faunus with the bow was nowhere to be seen. Weiss craned her neck this way and that, but to no avail. She opened her mouth to call for him – and then realized she couldn't remember his name. He was like a prince from a legendary tale, darting into her life to save it and then away again, fading without a trace.

"I never got to say 'thank you'," she breathed.

'He' was long gone. Blake ran as soon as Weiss's father made his promise to get rid of every Faunus in the building. Sure, she was allegedly safe due to her disguise, but her father was in great danger. There was no way he could hide himself when he was wearing a White Fang uniform, and had been seen fighting against the Atlas guards.

"Daddy?!" The screams echoed through the hallways as Blake darted her way through. The manor seemed to be a maze; it was huge. What if she never found him?

"Blake…"

The sound was coming from behind an overturned grand piano. One hand was visible beneath its bulk. When turning toward the weak voice her eyes widened in horror. 

"DAD!" The girl ran faster than she ever had before toward the destroyed piano, hands frantically pushing away the broken pieces of wood and metal springs to free him from the rubble. But the sight would only worsen.

The sheer amount of blood soaking through the man's shirt was enough, but added to that was the darkness still seeping from a hole in his shirt. Small nicks covered his face and hands, and his breathing was shallow and ragged. The hand not holding his stomach together reached up to grip Blake's thin shoulder.

"Listen to… me." He paused to hack violently before continuing. "Blake, you have to make it back to… the hideout. The foot locker; take… Gambol Shroud. Your mother would want… you to have it."

Her amber eyes stared right back into his, tears pouring forth from her cheeks, head shaking slowly. "No… no, you have to get up! We have to go home!"

The smile was so resigned that it was literally painful to look at. "Sorry, Beebee. It's not going… to work out that way. But you be strong for me, okay? You…" Again, he broke off to convulse, turning away so he wouldn't spray red droplets onto his daughter. "You can't trust humans, but don't do… what happened here today. This was wrong. You be strong. Always fight the Grimm, and always fight oppression. Train hard. Make… me proud. Make us all proud."

"Please don't leave me! I don't want to be alone," she begged, this time wrapping her arms around his shoulders, nuzzling into him. She didn't care about the red that would permanently stain her clothes, nor that anyone could come around the corner and see them. She needed the last of her father's warmth.

As he embraced her for the last time, he whispered, "That bow… smart thinking. You look beautiful in it, Beebee-girl."

"Daddy…? Dad?!"

The arms wrapping around her turned limp; the movements of his chests ceased. His eyes closing one last time. Shaking her head frantically, she grasped the collar of his shirt, trying to hold him up, to shake some sense into his bones. But Ghira was already gone.

"Yes. And I know, the name is both clever pun and somewhat of a rude term, but Winter claims it's a wonderful club to work for. If you want to do that sort of work, naturally."

Though Yang Xiao Long had been the one to ask, it was her classmate, Blake Belladonna, who replied with a curl of her lip. "Ugh. I mean, I used to look at a lot of futanari stuff, 'shemale' porn. It's partly how I started to figure myself out. Doesn't mean I'm good with them using a slur like that right there in the name."

"I dunno, it's kinda funny," Yang chuckled as she leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers behind her wild blonde mane. "Plus kinda cool that girls like us have their own club. Even if it's the nudie kind."

"Hmm, I'm not sure I agree." Of course the shy, poised Pyrrha Nikos took a less positive stance. Weiss looked up to the tall athlete and thought she was spectacular, even if she was also a little jealous of how effortlessly she pulled off an elegance she could never hope to achieve. "Isn't it even more exploitative to feature any person purely because they were born differently?"

"Exactly, it's kind of the same thing as having an ebony night or an Asian night," Blake said, poking at her cheese fries with a plastic fork. "Or even worse, a little person show when you use the m-word. But I suppose, to be fair… it's gross, but everybody has different tastes. Might as well highlight shows that cater to those tastes for their clients."

"Yes, it does make business sense to target a demographic. Still seems a little inhumane, reducing their dancers to a single physical characteristic… but then again, any exotic dancing or sex work is potentially dehumanizing, depending on the conditions."

"Alright, alright," Weiss sighed irritably. "I didn't bring this up so you could debate the validity of the name or the function of the club. Haven't we all been discussing that we need to find a way to make real money? This might be less than ideal, but-"

"Ohhhh, no," Blake half-laughed without any hesitation. "Are you kidding? Us, strippers?! I mean, I know we look pretty good and we’re far enough along to be passing, but we don't know the first thing about dancing - and besides, I have no desire to let it all hang out for a bunch of strangers."

"Same here," Pyrrha agreed with a lot more apprehension. "My body is private."

Smirking, Yang said, "Just for you and Jaaauuune, right?"

Immediately, the athlete's cheeks became nearly as red as her hair. "That… is also private. But if you really must know, y-yes, we've… our date last Friday went very well. And that's all I'll say."

The rest of the girls cheered and clapped, which seemed to be enough to at least get Pyrrha smiling again. They had all been a little suspicious of Jaune in the beginning, since cis men did not have a great track record with women like them.

Trans women. Not for the first time, Weiss reflected on her very atypical journey. Years ago, when her older “brother” had come out as a woman and thrown the Schnee dynasty into turmoil, even then she hadn't been able to admit to herself that she felt so similarly. But it didn't take much of watching her sibling cast off the shackles of 'Walter' and embrace the truth of being 'Winter' to show her that her big sister wasn't the only child in the family that had a transformation in her future. Luckily, her mother had already made the worst of the mistakes with Winter, and was so much more attentive and supportive with Weiss; it was painfully unfair, but she was grateful at least one of their parents could learn to do better, and was there for her when she needed it. Too bad their father and younger brother weren’t nearly as willing to listen and put forth effort.

Especially since her friends had much more positive stories, fraught with less disheartening bigotry. Yang’s father was endlessly kind and supportive, and her absentee mother actually talked to her more now that she had come out than before. Pyrrha’s parents supported her a hundred and ten percent; she had lost her father to heart disease, but at least all of her memories of him were fond. Blake’s father was a bit awkward and standoffish now that she had come out, but her mother took it in stride and seemed to treat it as nothing more dire than finding out her child liked to paint, or was an inch taller than previously recorded. Just a fact that didn’t change how she loved her at all. In comparison, Weiss’s mother was a nervous tryhard, but at least she was trying now.

However, when you live in the same small town and attend the same small school of higher learning, it’s hard not to find all the other queer students. Especially the other trans women. Blake and Yang had already known each other, and Weiss had studied with Pyrrha a few times - but once they all met each other, the convergence seemed to solidify them into something more than mere acquaintances.

Friends. Real friends. Weiss was both so grateful that she had them, and so regretful that she never really had any before. 

“Weiss? Hellooooo, wakey-wakey!”

The middle Schnee child blinked dazedly. “Hm? I’m sorry, my mind wandered.”

“I was asking if you’d wanna check it out with us,” Yang was saying now that she was paying attention. “Like, I don’t think I’d be any good at dancing, but hey, even if we only work there a couple weeks, it’s still money in the bank for our surgeries. I wanna make the girls bigger someday!”

Blake scoffed, “Why? So you can’t even see your feet ever again? They’re already a great size! Just let them be.”

“I’m not in the market for many more modifications like those,” Pyrrha said much more mildly as she sipped at her protein shake. Which, apparently, was all she was having for lunch. “I’m pleased with my body. I only need one further change and I will be content.”

“Yeah,” Yang sighed, attention diverted from checking out her own boobs to a little further down along her body. “The big one. Uh… we really all gonna do it?”

“I am,” Weiss answered with no hesitation whatsoever. “I don’t want a single person to ever question my validity as a woman again, and if that’s what I have to do to achieve that, then so be it. The peepee has got to go.”

“I’m not so sure,” said Blake. “But I definitely want the money saved up. At the very least, I could use it to stack the girls, or for future laser hair removal treatments. God, all this shaving…”

Pyrrha grimaced. “Agreed - about shaving. The estradiol and progesterone helps a great deal, but especially with all my training… it imbalances my hair growth hormones a tiny bit more than they would be ordinarily. It may not be genetic as it is with you, Blake, but it’s frustrating being hirsute nonetheless.”

“Me, too,” Yang grunted as she popped the last of her burger into her mouth. “Like, about the training, even if I’m no future Olympian. But the hormones keep it from going crazy.”

They all turned as one to look at Weiss. “What? I can’t help it if I’m petite and naturally not-hairy! I mean, I had one or two little chest hairs and chin hairs before I transitioned and that was the worst of it, so… sue me.”

“From twink to chic,” Blake snorted with a shrug. “Tale as old as time. Anyway, let’s go check it out Friday night. That way, no class the next morning.”

“Cool,” Yang said easily.

“Wait just a moment,” Pyrrha laughed nervously, glancing between them. “I am curious, of course, but… are we really going to enter a gentleman’s club? I’ve never been to such a place before - I never expected to enter one!”

“C'mon, suck it up, buttercup. I mean, it’s just gonna be a bunch of girls twerking - and maybe we can talk to some of ‘em, find out if it’s even worth looking into it more. Unless… I mean, we could talk to Weiss’s sis.”

Sighing, Weiss set her empty cup down. “We don’t talk that often, actually. It’s… we disagree on whether or not Mother should be allowed to live, and the conversations are strained. But we’ve been trying to smooth that over.”

“Right… sorry,” Yang breathed, looking genuinely regretful. 

“We’ll just go,” Blake said more firmly. "See if they have openings, figure out if it’s even worth applying. No pressure.”

“No pressure,” Pyrrha echoed with a sigh. She still didn’t look thrilled with the idea, but with her other three friends interested, she didn’t want to seem like the wet blanket. Weiss felt for her, but was much more focused on earning the money for her surgeries; if Pyrrha didn’t show up and it turned out to be a great job, then that was her loss.

“Sweet!” Yang crowed. “Friday night, we see what it’s all about!”

“See what what’s all about?”

All four of them froze in place. When they turned, they saw a small, trim figure wearing a black Hatune Miku shirt and a frilly red-and-black skirt standing just behind Blake and Yang, a pleasant smile on her rosy features. 

“N-nothing, sis!” Yang burst out anxiously. “Uhh… Friday, it’s the day before Saturday, right?”

“Hi, Ruby,” Blake said with a smirk, amused at Yang’s reaction. Weiss, too, was very curious about how weird Ruby and Yang could be around each other at times; they had grown up together and most of the time, they behaved like normal sisters - moreso than she and Winter, at least. But sometimes they were awkward around each other like new friends. Bizarre. It could have been because they had a common father but different mothers, but it seemed like more than that.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby even gave an eager wave, making the red streak in the front of her short hair swish from side to side. "You going out drinking Friday night, or watching a movie or something?"

Clearly, the girl wanted to be included. Weiss could understand that - and she liked Ruby, even if she drove her a little crazy sometimes. But this wasn't exactly your average fun group activity. Maybe she could dissuade her. "Oh, it's… a study group, actually. Classes you don't have yet as a freshman."

"U-uhhh, yeah!" Yang agreed with a smile way too big. "It'd be super boring for you! Sorry!"

Her little sister frowned, adjusting her grip on her backpack straps. The poor thing was too cute, so being mean to her felt like kicking a puppy. "Aww… I mean, I wouldn't mind. I could make snacks!"

"Nope, we're, uh… we're drinking, too, and you're not old enough to drink. Any other night…"

While they were all watching her pout, Blake rolled her eyes heavily, debated for a moment, then turned to look Ruby square in the eye. "We're going out to a club. You wouldn't be allowed in, anyway."

"Oh." For a second, she just accepted that - then stomped her booted foot. "Hey! Why didn't you just tell me that? I know some people like alcohol, I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Spoken like a little kid," Yang grumbled - and then yelped when she was kicked. "HEY! Okay, okay, sorry! Jesus!"

"We're just doing some research about working there," Weiss told her, deciding that maybe she wouldn't throw as much of a tantrum if she knew it wasn't only for fun and games. "It wasn't that we intended to leave you out, we just couldn't include you in the first place, and didn't want you to feel left out."

Ruby was still scowling around at all of them. But after a moment or two, she announced in a delicate tone, "Very well. I guess I will forgive you guys… for now."

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha told her sincerely. "But perhaps Sunday, we really could have a study night? All five of us."

As the others nodded, Ruby's good humor began to return. Weiss was glad; maybe they still weren't telling her the entirety of the truth, but it felt less cruel than the bald-faced lie. Plus, she had privately been hoping they could spend more time with Ruby and get to know her better, since they didn't have any of the same classes. Everything seemed like it was going to work out okay.

    "Does this feel like it's not going to be okay to anybody else?"

There were a chorus of non-committal noises in response to Weiss's comment as they looked up at the glaring neon sign of Club Futopia. The two coconuts above a pair of cherries and a big ripe banana, arranged in such a provocative way on the side of the large building, also made it pretty hard to misunderstand what one might expect once they entered this particular den of sin.

"Perhaps… we should just leave," Pyrrha whispered, barely audible above the thumping bass muffled by the front doors.

"Oh, don't be such a chicken!" Not that Yang sounded any less nervous than the rest of them. "Let's just go in and check it out - have a beer or two, ask around. If it seems sketchy, nobody's gotta come back ever again."

"Yes, I agree," Weiss put in. "If Winter is still working here, it can't be that terrible. But if it is, we'll find something else. Perhaps we really will get jobs at another bar?"

Blake shrugged one shoulder. “We’ll never know if we stay out here.”

They all looked between each other and nodded, then headed for the front door. There had been a couple of people in line to get past the bouncer while they hesitated, but they were now inside so the way was clear.

"See some ID?" the rough looking man asked.

"Uhhhh, hey," Yang said as she flashed her own. "How much to get in?"

"Free, one drink minimum." His head tilted to the side. It seemed like he was studying them up, but it was hard to tell behind his rose-colored glasses. "You just clients? Or new talent?"

"What?" Blake asked.

"Talent. Dancers." The bouncer sighed. "Look, if you're new dancers, you might as well know the boss hates when you come in the front entrance. Unprofessional. Just head around back."

"How do you know we're dancers?" Weiss asked delicately, sizing him up right back.

"Too pretty to be clients, but I can almost always clock trans women," he offered easily; not smug or condescending, just stating facts. “No shade. Just comes with the territory when you work here long enough.”

"Hmm. Well, thank you for your assistance." She even handed him a ten, and he nodded appreciatively as Yang herded them all away from the door with her usual winning smile.

Once they were near the corner, Pyrrha whispered, "I hope you aren't considering what I think you're considering!"

"What? Sneaking in and seeing what it's like back there?" Weiss shrugged easily. "It's the easiest way for us to observe what it's really like, and not just hear their biased sales pitch! Don't you think that's worth at least attempting?"

"I'm with Weiss," Blake said before Pyrrha could protest again. "Cut through the bullshit."

When she saw Yang nodding as well, the athletic ginger sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Weiss figured she was summoning the willpower to deal with the rest of them; it wasn't all that uncommon. Having been raised to observe a certain amount of decorum herself, she understood where Pyrrha was coming from, even if she herself spent a lot more time breaking out of that mold rather than desperately cramming herself back into it.

"Very well. We can at least see what it looks like back there, and then decide how to proceed."

"Great!" Yang crowed as they began to circle the building. It took a minute, given that the building took up half a city block, but before long they were rounding the corner.

The back wasn't nearly as seedy and vile as Weiss had been expecting. Instead of a dingy alley, there was a well-lit parking lot with a security booth positioned by the entrance, multiple cameras observing multiple angles. A car had just pulled up, and as they watched, the woman inside had to flash a badge to a sensor before the arm would raise and allow her into the lot. The guard in the booth looked rather bored and was flipping through a magazine, but at least he existed; she had a feeling most dancers at other clubs, like the fairly popular NDGO, weren't nearly as well-protected.

By the door were two figures. One was another bouncer, though this one was a woman - a very, very brawny woman, but attractive. The other-

"Oh my God, it's Cinder Fall."

The others turned on Blake, observing her stunned expression. "Who?" Yang asked.

"I thought I saw her name on the marquee… but then it changed…" When she realized they were still watching her, she ducked her head with a slight wince. "Oh - I, uh… you know how I said I looked at a lot of porn of girls like us before I realized I'm 'girls like us'? Well, I kinda still do, and I've seen her stuff before. Like, she gets decent views, and racks up a ton of subs. Most of it's just thirst trap material, but one or two videos are more graphic. And she's pretty hung."

Weiss glanced again at the trim brunette puffing away on a cigarette. She didn't look like anything special from that far away, but she was feminine and attractive, as far as they could tell through the trenchcoat. Red polish glittered on the toes peeping out from her clear heels, and her brown hair was meticulously coiffed.

"You like her dick, huh?" Yang asked. Blake only seemed to shrink further. "Well hey, let's go meet her. Might as well, since it's kinda what we're here for, right?"

"That's true," Pyrrha said with a smile, clearly relieved they weren't seconds away from trying to force their way past security. Weiss had been a little anxious that Yang might try that tactic, as well.

"Fine," Blake sighed, knowing she was going to catch no shortage of hell for admitting all that later. Weiss smirked at the thought of that future harmless fun.

Cinder and the guard did look over at them as they approached - and now that she got a better look at her, Weiss had to admit that she was pretty sexy. Not tall enough to be as glamorous as Pyrrha, perhaps, but her proportions were perfect, her face flawless. Her golden eyes seemed dangerous and wicked, which added a completely different type of allure.

"God, not more hags," the girl breathed through a cloud of smoke. 

“What?” Yang asked.

“Oh… wait.” Her delicate hand waved the smoke away and she squinted at the friends as they came to a stop a few feet away. “Oh, you’re too young for that. Unless you really are back here trying to get free dick.”

“Wh- no, we are not!” Weiss protested, scandalized. “We just came to ask you about-”

“Are you sure? You seem like the type who always gets everything handed to you.” Her eyes flicked to Pyrrha. “You, too. You…” She squinted at Yang. “Alright, you and Princess Darkness don’t fit with the rest of the group. So what the hell is this?”

“EXCUSE ME?!” 

Luckily, Pyrrha stepped forward and cut Weiss off. Even if she was offended, she knew this probably stood a better chance of getting them more favorable results, so she didn’t protest. “Ma’am… Miss Fall?” Cinder nodded, so she continued, “We were just curious about employment opportunities at your… um, establishment. But we certainly didn’t intend to intrude on your break, so we’ll leave if we’re bothering you.”

“Employment?” Cinder tilted her head to the side. “Wait, wait, hold the fucking phone. You’re trans? Wow… bitch, you have had some incredible work done. Wow. Fooled me completely; I didn’t clock you at all.” 

“Yes, well, that was what I was hoping for,” Pyrrha admitted with a pained-yet-flattered smile.

“That’s amazing. All five of you are family, huh? I never would have clocked most of you without knowing. With blondie here, I can kind of see it - no offense, I’ve just been around a lot of us and I pay attention. Frame is pretty masculine but you’ve built some curves onto it that will work for you.” While Yang frowned, Cinder nodded her chin upward at Weiss. “This one looks a little like a twink, but that’s because she hasn’t paid for the good titties yet. Voice is incredible, though.”

Though Weiss had been opening her mouth to shout something scathing in retaliation, she wound up saying, “Thank you.” 

“Wait,” Blake said in confusion. “Did… did you say all five of us?”

“Yes. What are you, deaf?”

That was fairly odd. They glanced around to figure out how Cinder could have miscounted - only to discover it was they who had miscounted.

“RUBY?!” Yang burst out in shock.

“U-uhhh… hey, guys!” the girl greeted them, as cheerful as ever. Her outfit was much the same as the last time Weiss had seen her, except she had on a Paramore tank top and a little leather jacket over the top; something more suited to a club experience. Clearly not this club, of course.

“Rubes, what the hell are you doing here?! I thought we told you we’re going to a club - you’re not allowed!”

“Well, you also said you were studying!” the younger sister hissed at her. “I started to wonder what the heck you guys were really up to, so I figured I would follow you and just… find out for myself!”

“We drove here,” Blake observed with narrowed eyes. “Did you really follow us in that old, broken-down Nissan without us spotting you?”

“And that clown ornament on your antenna?” Weiss added, folding her arms over her chest.

As Ruby opened her mouth to explain herself, Cinder let out another plume of smoke. “Well, this has been cute, and weird. I suppose. But I have to get back, and clearly none of you are all that serious about getting a job here. Bye.”

All four of the older friends clamored to stop her. Cinder’s lip curled - and the buff woman flexed her muscles, pounding her fist into her open palm. They fell silent.

“Miss Fall,” Weiss went on in a much more deferential tone now that they had been threatened. “We’re sorry about all the fuss, we just… we really do want to see what it’s like to work here, and talk wages? We want to start saving for… well…”

“Cutting your dicks off?” A couple of them winced, and Cinder smirked as she flicked her cigarette off into the parking lot. “That’s how most of us start. Some of us just want any job and don’t think we could find anything better; some of us genuinely enjoy the work. There’s all kinds here - of dicks, and of the women that own them.” She glanced at the bouncer, who just shrugged. “Fine. We’re always looking for talent - but not just any talent. And I’m not even the one you have to impress… I’m just tonight’s gatekeeper.”

“That’s fine,” Yang said with a shrug of her shoulders. “We’re not even for sure we wanna work here; we just wanna see what it’s like, ‘cuz all we have so far is word-of-mouth.”

For a moment, Cinder had looked irritated, but by the end she was nodding. “Reasonable. Follow me - Elm? Keep us company. Just in case.”

They all took a step toward the door. All of them. Immediately, Yang turned back and said, “Ruby, no. You’re not old enough, remember?”

“How old are you?” Cinder asked, before anyone else could speak.

“Me?” Ruby squeaked. “Oh - um, I’m eighteen.”

“She’s old enough. And it’s a free country; you can’t stop a legal adult from entering the establishment. Only Elm is allowed to do that. Don’t hassle her or Elm can hassle you.”

They all looked up at the towering woman. Weiss again felt her heart flutter, especially at the way her bangs fell into her eyes, the muscles her olive skin was stretched over flexing. Even though she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about women, this was a hell of a woman. Elm noticed her looking but all she did was raise an eyebrow.

Maybe she wouldn't have minded being hassled by Elm. But she tried to put that thought out of her mind immediately.

Now they were in a small vestibule. There were a series of lockers for personal items, and there seemed to be a bathroom branching off to one side. Before they even took another step or could look around curiously, Cinder was holding up a hand to forestall them.

“You are all at the first gate,” she informed them in the tone of someone who had memorized this speech long ago, but still thought it was important. “At any point, you may turn around and leave; there’s the door. Nobody’s going to stop you. As long as you stay and do not protest, anything you do will fall under the category of ‘informed consent’; we are not legally responsible for something that happened of your own free will. This, naturally, does not include injury or death, though we are not in the business of those things.”

As she continued to speak, Elm brought over a clipboard with a sigh. There were row after row of printed names and signatures and dates, though the bottom half of them were still blank. Weiss unclipped the page, turning it over to flip through the pages that had been underneath the signatures.

“Hmm…” 

“Yes?” Cinder said irritably.

“Okay, this is fairly sound. I presume the ‘no recording of video or audio’ is for our own protection as much as the company, but it is a little ominous.”

The dancer raised an eyebrow at her. “Alright, so you’re not a dumb twink after all.”

“Will you please stop calling me that?!”

“Yeah, it’s pretty rude,” Yang grunted. “Like, we’re all supposed to be nice to each other since we’re in the same boat.”

“Mm, really?” There was a glint of amusement in Cinder’s eyes, but just as quickly it was gone when she shrugged. “None of you have to sign. You do if you want to get past this room, but I don’t care either way.”

So they signed. They didn’t even have to discuss it much further; Weiss had vouched for the waiver’s validity, and the longer it took them to get into the club, the stronger their curiosity became. Ruby was the last to sign - and Yang’s grunt of disapproval didn’t even slow her down at all.

“Good. Now line up. You’re heading through here and then we’ll go meet some of the other girls.” As they started to form a line, Cinder smirked even wider. “Just a tiny little test first.”

“Oh yeah?” Blake asked, already suspicious. Most of them were of this petulant little dancer by now.

“Yeah. All you have to do is walk through.” But she wasn’t moving from the doorway; she stood off to one side, giving them enough room to edge past her body, but didn’t seem inclined to do more than that. 

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” Weiss sighed irritably and strode forward to push past her as fast as possible. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but all we wanted was to- AH!”

Now she understood. By the time she noticed the movement, Cinder’s hand was already cupping her package through the fabric of her skirt. The fingers gave a gentle squeeze that wasn’t gentle or stimulating exactly, but it wasn’t unduly rough, either; just a slight caress and squeeze. She barely had a chance to register a tingle of recognition that she had been touched before the touch was gone.

“Wh-wha… excuse me?!”

“Go on,” she told Weiss with a dark smirk, nodding behind her. “Next.”

As Yang stepped forward, Weiss only took a slight step through so she could turn and hiss at her, “Are you- what is the meaning of this? Do you fondle all your potential employees?!”

“You signed the waiver.” When Yang stiffened and shivered, wide eyes turning to stare down at Cinder as she finished groping her, Cinder shrugged and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. Still clearly rattled, Yang glanced at Weiss as she moved through, as if to silently remark that perhaps they were getting in over their heads.

The same thing happened to Blake, and then Pyrrha, who both did their best not to look incredibly uncomfortable. Just when Ruby stepped closer, Yang moved to fill the doorway, staring down at Cinder with a furious expression. “Alright, you wanna tell me why you’re grabbing all our dicks before you do the same thing to my baby sister?”

“Oh, you two are sisters?” She glanced between them, then shrugged. “I don’t see it. Move out of the-”

“You really think it’s weird that I’m asking? I mean, Elm is tough, I don’t wanna get in a fight, but I’ll still knock you to the fucking floor.”

Even while Elm narrowed her eyes warily at them, Cinder rolled hers in annoyance. “I’ve never met five people as dense as you.” No change in Yang whatsoever. “Ugh, you can’t be serious - you need me to spell it out?”

Yang started to open her mouth to snarl something else, but then Pyrrha said, “You wanted to see if we’re… qualified. Didn’t you?”

“Oh my God,” Weiss breathed, glancing between Pyrrha and Cinder. “Are you serious? You had to feel for yourself if we have dicks? Wouldn’t it have been very obvious by the time we began dancing?!”

The dancer shrugged, though she was still smirking. “No point in even letting you inside if you’re cis women trying to get good pay in a space that’s not yours. What, did you want me to tell you to flash me in the parking lot?”

Annoying, but it was very difficult to argue with that. Yang rolled her eyes, but Ruby piped up. “It’s fine. It’ll… be like at the doctor! Y’know?” 

“I don’t think it will,” Yang grumbled, but still stepped aside to let Cinder get personal with her sibling. The dancer waggled her hand in the air just to rile her up further - but when she cupped Ruby, it was the same brief touch as everyone else. Ruby's eye twitched but otherwise she seemed fine.

“Fine, you all pass. Two of you don’t have much to work with, but that’s not a problem, I promise. I’ll give you the nickel tour. So… as you’ll see, this is the bathroom. Showers are through there, and dressing rooms are that way. If you wanna see Emerald’s junk, she’s rinsing off the sweat and glitter, but otherwise let’s continue.”

As they turned toward the changing rooms, Weiss could hear a strain of humming from the showers. Whoever Emerald was, now she found herself curious; she hadn’t seen any other trans women in the nude. Unlike Blake, who was obsessive with her pornography addiction, Weiss’s research had been a lot more academic; she had glimpsed some porn, but never truly investigated because she was more focused on the science of gender and its many expressions. But she had a feeling she was about to see a lot more bodies like hers if they weren’t rejected through some weird clandestine screening process of theirs.

The dressing rooms were much more populated. No sign of Winter, but there was a diminutive girl with two-toned hair putting the final touches on her makeup, who looked away from the vanity mirrors and up at them with a curious gaze. Further along, a girl with sunglasses was checking her phone, and a pair of twins - twins, very interesting - were preening the feathers on each other’s elaborate costumes. 

“Wardrobe’s through there,” Cinder sighed in a bored tone, gesturing to a door at the far end of the dressing room. “We need a lot of outfits to keep things interesting. Offices are this way.” She turned to go through another door, which led to a very small vestibule - this one a much more garish red-and-black color scheme - with two more doors leading off from it, and a red leather couch along the doorless wall. Gesturing to the one across from the couch, Cinder said sternly, “Careful - don’t head through that door, or you might meet clientele. They also aren’t allowed back here except under very special circumstances.”

“Such as…?” Blake asked.

“Such as none of your business. Just pay attention and keep your mouths closed.”

Instead, she led them through the door opposite the one they entered through. There was another lounge there, complete with reception desk. No one was there currently, but they could see a couple of women beyond it. A man in a white trenchcoat with a bowler hat was standing at the desk, waiting impatiently.

“Sorry about the delay, Mr. Torchwick,” the prissy-looking blonde stated firmly as she returned with a clipboard. She looked older than most of the dancers, by at least a decade, and was wearing a silk blouse and oval-framed glasses. "Everything seems to be in order."

"Say, that's what we like to hear." The man's voice was pleasant, almost musical, but there was a sinister thread hiding beneath the light-hearted tone. Weiss had to fight down the instinct to recoil from him.

"Excellent. Sign here, please."

As Mr. Torchwick signed, he smirked up at the woman waiting impatiently. "By the way… as long as I'm here, you wouldn't know if Neo happens to be working, would you? I do so enjoy her displays of athleticism."

“She’ll be on stage in fifteen,” the woman sighed irritably as she snatched the clipboard back. “Thank you, and goodbye.”

“Oooh, touchy, touchy.” When he turned around, they got a better view of his swooshing ginger hair and the cigar dangling from the corner of his mouth. He was fairly young; the look didn’t quite suit him in Weiss’s opinion, but he seemed to be doing his best to make it work. “Ladies,” he bade them. When he passed Ruby, he reached out to flick her dyed forelock. “Ooh, hello, Red. Hope to see you soon.”

Yang started to growl, but Blake put a hand on her forearm to bring her back to reality. They were in foreign territory, in which the dancers were expected to enjoy this attention - not to slap the ones giving it with harassment lawsuits.

“Good riddance. And who might we have here?”

Upon being addressed, Cinder’s passive expression turned to another smirk. “New prospects, Glynda. They want to make their parents’ worst nightmares come true.”

“Don’t be so rude all the time. It’s simply uncalled for.” Glynda sighed and adjusted her glasses as she peered around at the rest of them. “They’re all quite beautiful young women. Two of them look as if they’ve done previous work. Ages?”

They all spoke. She only raised an eyebrow at Ruby’s age, but made no specific remark about it. Once they had finished, Cinder said in a less teasing tone, “I’ve checked their ‘references’, and they’re qualified, at least. They aren’t sure if we’re good enough for them but at least they’re curious.”

“Mm, I see. Have any of you danced before? Either exotically or otherwise.”

“Ballet,” Weiss provided. “I gave it up eventually, though.”

“Ballroom,” Pyrrha explained. “At the finishing school. We did some ballet, as well, but it was more introductory than with the intent to be professional, as Weiss’s was.”

At that, Glynda held up a hand. “No names. We’ll record your legal names for our records and for payroll purposes, but otherwise, you will be known as your stage names around here; it helps to maintain anonymity, so your work doesn’t spill into your professional life.”

“I don’t even know most of these bitches’ real names,” Cinder provided with a casual shrug. “A couple of them, but honestly, it doesn’t even matter; in here, I’m Cinder, that’s Glynda, and you five are whoever you tell us you are.”

“I’m sure you know how important chosen names are,” Glynda went on pointedly, though not unkindly. “Though if you cannot find one on your own, we will assist you; they still need something to announce when you take the stage, after all.”

While most of the girls nodded, Weiss cleared her throat. “I was thinking ‘Snow Queen’.” When Pyrrha raised her eyebrows at her in surprise, she hissed, “What?! Hey, it’s just something I thought of on the way over! 

“I’ll just do ‘Shadow’,” Blake sighed. As if it were her default.

“I would like to go by ‘Olympia’,” Pyrrha said in a shy voice. “It will help remind me of my other aspirations.”

While Cinder was raising an eyebrow, Yang said, “Sunbeam! Y’know, because of the hair?”

“Sunbeam is right,” Weiss snorted.

“And Snow Queen is right for you,” Blake shot at her, making her scowl. 

“Great, that’s wonderful,” Cinder cut them off before they could keep bickering. “Get all that, Goodwitch?”

The austere blonde nodded very slightly as she finished jotting down notes on a legal pad. “Yes… Sunbeam, I have it. What about you?”

When Ruby saw the pen was pointing at her, she gave a little start. “Oh! Um… I didn’t even think of- I mean, are we really doing this? I didn’t even know what we were doing until I got here, and I don’t have a fancy-dancy name thought up, so what- I mean, is ‘Ramona Flowers’ good?”

Everyone in the room was nodding - right up until Blake sighed. “Don’t steal a name from a manga.”

“Oh, well… I was thinking about the movie? Because Mary Elizabeth Winstead is so cool… but I guess ‘Rosebud’ is fine instead.” Her head cocked to the side. “Does it count as a manga if it’s made in Canada?”

“Well, some people would say ‘no’,” Blake admitted with no malice. “But it’s very manga-stylized, and it is released in black-and-white graphic novels, like Japanese tankobon. So it-”

“Whatever this is can be over now,” Cinder sighed wearily.

“Very well,” Glynda cut in before there could be any more bickering, finishing her notes and then looking around at all of them. “If you aren’t certain about applying, then would you perhaps like to watch a show? To become better acquainted with what you’ll be getting yourselves into.”

The girls all looked between each other and nodded. Weiss was fascinated by the very idea of a club like this - even if she hadn’t truly anticipated working there. Mostly, she was curious about where Winter worked. The money sounded wonderful, and like a great way to relieve her mother of the burden of paying for expensive gender reassignment surgeries, but at what cost? Having to wave around a part of her anatomy that she wanted to eject as soon as humanly possible? She supposed it didn’t do much harm, but still… seemed a little counterintuitive.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe getting as much use out of the unwanted appendage as she could for the purpose of changing her body to reflect her soul was poetic, in its own way. Still tawdry, but poetic.

Now Cinder was leading them all through the doors she had cautioned them about previously. Toward customers. They were all dressed very normally, so it wasn’t as if they might be mistaken for dancers. At least they were still just in another hallway, rather than the club proper. Their guide reached into a small bag she had taken from Glynda when they weren’t paying attention and pulled out a handful of lanyards with little silver discs on them.

“Keep these on you,” she stated with a sigh, tossing one to everybody. Weiss fumbled before catching hers and inspecting the pendant. “They’ll let the staff know that you aren’t talent and aren’t customers, either; you won’t get hassled to buy drinks or pay for lapdances and shit like that. Think of it as your backstage pass. If you lose it, you’ll have to come to the back door all over again, or find me - and I might be dancing by then.”

“Right, got it,” Yang said as she slipped hers on, pulling her hair through the loop of fabric. “What time do you go on?”

“Why? You wanna see what I’m working with?”

“Maybe.” 

Cinder smirked a lot wider upon seeing Yang rising to her teasing instead of backing down from it. “Hmm. And maybe you five aren’t a complete waste of time. I’ll be going on in about an hour, if you’re still here by then. Grab a seat close to the middle stage early; I attract quite a crowd.”

“And you have the ego to match,” Blake muttered. Weiss had to wonder if she was irritated by Yang putting up with Cinder’s attitude, or jealous over the attention her porn-crush was giving her.

“Maybe. But it’s a well-earned ego; I put in the work on my body and my performance. You all will need to do the same if you want to make more than the hourly rate here. Tips are everything. If you can’t, then you might as well go sling burgers at Shopkeep’s for the same minimum wage.”

A fair point. It was Pyrrha who nodded and said, “Alright. Let’s see what you would want us to do.”

Without another word, Cinder pushed open the doors.

Sin. Weiss had never been to a place anything like this, and her first thought was that it was rife with sin and frivolity. She knew that was her mother’s voice speaking in the back of her head, but she couldn't help it; all the booze and the racy color scheme and strobe lighting, the loud music, the scantily clad girls pacing up and down between tables… it was something she had done her best to avoid throughout her pair of decades on the earth. 

And that wasn’t including the dancers. Oh, the dancers! On the stage immediately next to them, she could see two thick ass cheeks clapping as their owner rolled her hips hard, forcing them to undulate in just the right way to be “appealing” to the customers. She also could tell she had a decently-sized package underneath those booty shorts - not erect, but nothing had been done to hide it from view as she might have if out in public in something so revealing. Stealth was not a requirement for these girls in this space.

That seemed so… liberating.

“That’s Thunder Thighs,” Cinder told them in an undertone. “Kind of an insult she reclaimed because she used to be heavier, apparently - before she transitioned and started hitting the gym. Now she could literally crush a watermelon with her thighs. Some guys are into that.”

Even as they spoke, the dancer flipped over and crouched down low, crawling toward them with slow, measured movements. Weiss could now see she was fair-skinned with light ginger hair, and about their age, if perhaps a year or two older, and was somewhat thick-set - but indeed it was from an abundance of muscle. Her chest was also of a size rivaling Yang’s. When she saw Cinder, her head cocked to the side for a second, but when she glanced at the other girls… 

“OH! Hey, Cindy, are these newbies? That’s great! We could always use more!” It was hard for Weiss to resist laughing at the flip-flop in her personality; she had bedroom eyes before she saw them, and now she was acting like… well, almost like Ruby when she was talking about anime. “You can just call me Thunder! Sooo, you’re thinking about swinging some sausage around with us, huh?”

“Ew,” Blake breathed at that particular phrasing.

Eyelid twitching, Cinder hissed, “Get back to work, Nora. You can chat with the prospective talent later.”

“Aww, what’s it really gonna hurt?” A couple of boos from the customers seated around her stage made her dip her head. “Okay, okay, it’s gonna hurt my wallet. But you guys seem cute! Especially legs there!”

Pyrrha glanced down at her legs when she realized Thunder meant her. “O-oh! Well, thank you, very much!”

“Sure! Anyway, I guess I’ll get back out there and let ‘em see my junk! Have a good time!”

As Nora - or “Thunder Thighs”, rather - turned to attack the pole so aggressively that just about everyone gasped, Ruby whispered, “She seems so… cool…”

“Not the word I would have used,” Weiss put in. “I can’t believe how casual she is about just… putting it all out there! It’s not uncomfortable or embarrassing for her?”

“Not when you’ve been doing it for a while, I guess,” Yang sighed as she looked around at the other stages. The center was where that girl with the sunglasses was strutting her stuff, her outfit still mostly intact; she had probably started just before they arrived. The farthest one from them held a pale, freckled dancer who remained covered by her string bikini, collecting her bills and waving to the audience, her ginger bob and the big pink bow in the back shifting around continually as she bounced so cheerfully. Weiss noticed Ruby smiled as she watched her take a little bow and head for the curtain.

“Everybody loves Pretty Penny,” Cinder sighed irritably. “Goddamn ray of sunshine. She never even takes it all off and still makes bank.”

“Ehh, some of the clients are into the cute ones. What are ya gonna do?”

“THUNDER!”

As the other ginger scuttled back to the center of the stage, Yang chuckled. “You guys seem like you have a lot of fun here.”

“It’s a job.” Cinder shrugged as she led them closer to the center. “Not a great one, not a bad one. I enjoy it thoroughly but I won’t say it’s always easy; some nights I’d rather put my fist through someone’s face than be cute and shake my ass for these clowns, depending on the audience, but I still have to suck it up and be professional. Pay attention to Coco; she never misses a step, never breaks character. That’s what we’re looking for in our talent.”

So they paid attention. That was what this whole adventure was about, wasn't it? As the group of friends looked on, Coco paced out into the middle of the stage, shifting her hips from side to side alluringly. Her skirt was still in place so that didn't do much to flash the goods that most of their clientele came for, but her casually dominant attitude, firm, toned body, and how confidently she walked in those clear, open-toed heels was riveting regardless. This woman knew exactly who she was and what she was doing, and there wasn't a chance in hell that anybody would mistake her for a newbie or a pushover.

Then the skirt came off.

This was difficult for Weiss because she wasn't used to nudity. Moreover, the only times she had seen anyone in the nude were her own family members, when she was much too young to really remember details - other than her mother’s body had been lovely, and she secretly wished she could have one like that. Now she was finally making that a reality.

This was, however, her first time seeing a woman like her in the raw - and one so well-endowed. Coco might not have been aroused, but she was still a goodly six inches regardless. As they looked on, she tossed the skirt over her shoulder toward the curtain and swayed her hips a little more, letting the mostly-soft appendage swing like a pendulum. A thrill of heat shot into Weiss’s stomach - which was funny, since she didn’t even really want to date women.

Did she? No, not that she knew of - but she wasn’t at all opposed to seeing a lovely example of a penis like this one. She just somehow hadn’t been expecting to see one today, in the middle of a crowded room, despite the type of club they had willingly walked into.

“You paying attention to the dancing or to the dick?” Blake murmured in her ear.

“AH!” she gasped, clutching at her chest. “You startled me!”

“Just asking. And there’s no shame in it; she does have a pretty nice one. I just thought you might need a little help refocusing.”

With an annoyed sigh, Weiss simply nodded her thanks, still too miffed about the way Blake teased her to thank her aloud. Now, she really was focusing on the way Coco moved, the sultry twitches of her hips, where she placed her hands. How she alternately drew attention to her package, then back up to her face, or her breasts - which had just recently been put on display when she whipped off her brown vest and tossed it back to land neatly atop her skirt. Now she was working everything, watching the countless bills rain down on the stage as the customers hooted and hollered, showing their appreciation in more than one fashion.

Then she took it up a notch. When one man just in front of the gawking girls waved a larger bill, she dropped to her knees and began to crawl toward him, sunglasses slipping down so she was looking him directly in the eyes. He twirled his finger to tell her to turn around and she smirked, spinning expertly to stick her bare ass directly in his face. For a moment, Weiss had been worried that he might take advantage of her - but all he did was caress over her package with the edge of his cash offering, causing her to shiver, before sticking it into her garter belt. She shook her ass for him one more time, flexing her cheeks to grant him even more of a show, before rolling to sit side-saddle and wink at him. Such a playful flirtation for two complete strangers.

Then she executed a very impressive kick that brought her back to her feet in one fluid motion, without stumbling at all. Yang couldn’t help letting out a “Whoa!” while the others gasped or covered their mouths. Pyrrha applauded, though the sound was mostly lost in the pulsing beats of the club.

“Wow, Cinder, I see what you mean,” Ruby breathed in awe. “Cinder?”

It seemed their tour guide had vanished. As Coco moved to another customer, hoping to entice more money from him, Weiss looked around to see if she could spot Cinder, but there was no trace of her. Apparently they were supposed to be taking some initiative.

Now seemed like as good a time as any to investigate the rest of the club. It gave her a welcome break from having to see more nudity, after all. One thing she noticed was that the waitresses were fully-clothed; maybe not too much better than they would be on the beach, but it was something. A girl with fluffy orange pigtails was on rollerblades, even, though they didn’t seem to hinder her ability to hand out food and drink. The clientele near the stages were almost entirely men, but the rest of the tables had sort of a mixture of women and people whose gender she couldn’t quite identify - and many of them seemed like they were definitely of the queer persuasion. That made sense. Of course men would be focused on paying for a girl to shake her ass in their faces, regardless of what anatomy lay beneath said ass, but this was also a haven for women who had dicks; it would draw a crowd that didn’t feel comfortable in a lot of other clubs. Weiss knew she felt a thousand times safer here than she would at a typical strip club - even if she would never enter one willingly.

As she passed by them, Weiss caught the attention of one such waitress. Her white shirt and thigh-high spats and blue beret and skirt offset her dark skin nicely, and she was quite petite and cute, much like Weiss herself was grateful to be.

“Yes? Would you care for a beverage?” Then she glimpsed the pendant and said, “Oh… you aren’t a customer? A VIP, or… a prospective?”

“Prospective.”

“Ah.” She set the beer bottle down on the table before turning, holding her tray in front of her by the bottom so her elbow-gloved arms were laid straight down across it, her smile polite and pleasant. “Then you’ll have questions. I’m Cerulean.”

“Wei- uhhh, Snow Queen.” That would take some getting used to. “So, have you been working here long?”

“Only for a few months. I joined with my friend, Pretty Penny? You may have just seen her perform.”

Glancing over at the empty stage where Penny had been, she said, “Yes, I… well, I saw her leaving. You two dance together at all? I don’t even know if they have multiple dancers on a stage.”

“Well, sometimes for Halloween events or similar. But no, I’m not a dancer; I decided to stick to waiting tables.”

“But… don’t you do lapdances, too, at least?” Cerulean shook her head. “Oh.”

Shrugging, she began to head back for the bar, and Weiss followed. She could catch up with her friends later; they were still watching Coco with rapt attention. “We’re discouraged from doing any sort of dancing if we’re waiting tables; it muddies the waters too much. Though some of us who choose to flirt for more tips are more than welcome to do so, there are to be no lapdances or nudity. Though in my case, I specifically chose the job for that reason.”

“You didn’t want to take it all off?” When she shook her head, Weiss sighed and nodded. “I can relate.”

“You… aren’t sure you want to do this?”

“Exactly. Maybe I’ll become a waitress, like you? At least I would be earning toward my surgeries, without having to be so… immodest.”

Cerulean made a slight face. “Well…”

“What?”

“Well, I don’t want to discourage you, or change your course of action. But I don’t make too terribly much more working here than I would at any other bar. We are given some generous tips from time to time, but the onstage talent earns a higher starting wage, and always pulls in more tips from patrons. Still, it’s a very safe club to work in, made especially for women like us, and my compensation is more than fair.”

That was something to think about. Weiss was still leaning toward being a waitress now that she knew that job was an option, but the allure of making more money, and faster, certainly was appealing. 

“Penny is also not comfortable removing all of her clothing,” she went on when Weiss didn’t respond. “Though she still has her fans, and enjoys the dancing. I think all of us want to be seen as ourselves, and as attractive as our true gender. It’s… gratifying. Even for me, simply being a waitress who gets flirted with occasionally, though I don’t return the flirting.”

“Not even for more tips?” Weiss asked with a half-smile.

“No. That just isn’t my style.” As a raucous cackle went up from the other side of the club, Weiss and Cerulean turned to see the orange pigtailed girl throwing her head back and smacking a man lightly on the shoulder. “Neon, on the other hand… she is very comfortable exchanging flirtations for larger tips.”

“Blue!”

Cerulean blinked and turned back to the bar. “Yes?”

A tall woman with a similar skin pigment but wild dark-green hair nodded upwards at her. The motion drew attention to her small accenting facial tattoos; more ornate designs were adorning her muscular arms. “You gonna talk all day or sling drinks?”

“My apologies, Joanna. This is a prospective; I was simply-”

“Ah,” she sighed, a little of her ire fading though her grumpy disposition didn’t. “Fine, fine - leave her with me a minute. You need to get these out to tables five and six.”

“Yes, Joanna.” The girl acted as if she had been reprimanded by a superior officer, bowing her head slightly before exchanging her empty tray for a full one. “Good luck, Snow Queen,” she offered with a small smile as she headed for the floor.

“Soooo,” Weiss said as she took an empty stool. “Joanna. How is… bartending?”

“It’s boozy. Look, you don’t wanna hear about that; you wanna hear the dirt, don’t you?”

Raising her eyebrows, she leaned in as the bartender did the same on the other side. “What kind of dirt?”

They both held an intense gaze for a moment before the other woman’s face split with a wicked smile. “Well, there is some, but it ain’t really that bad. You pick up things as a bartender. If you wanna know if this is a good place to work for women like us? Yeah, it’s pretty good. I got no interest in shoving my dick in people’s faces personally, but I can mix drinks. And it’s good to be supported.”

“Supported and safe,” Weiss breathed, and Joanna nodded. “Right. So, um, I guess what I’m mostly still wanting to know is, how safe is it? Do you have a lot of… customers who try something they shouldn’t try? Are there a lot of drugs here, or prostitution, or… I don’t know, gambling?”

“Gambling?!” she cackled as she held onto the bar, shaking from the force of her mirth. Weiss was tempted to scowl but she still wanted to know the answers to her questions, so she stayed put and silent. “Alright, alright. Yeah, occasionally we gotta bounce somebody out, but they usually don’t get anywhere; most of ‘em get the message when they see the big dude at the entrance, and the other bouncers standing around in the rest of the club. Just not smart to be that reckless.”

“Makes sense. So none of those other things, huh?”

“Nope.” Joanna leaned much closer, and said in a whisper that sent a shiver down Weiss’s spine, “Except for maybe the second-to-last one. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

After mentally counting backward, she realised she didn’t mean gambling. “Really? You mean people can come in here and pay for-”

“Shhh, it’s not that simple.” Another glance at the other people near the bar; they were far enough away that their conversation was more or less private, thanks to the volume of the music. “In case you’re a really undercover cop, I ain’t gonna tell you any more. Won’t be my ass. But let’s just say that it can be arranged , even if it ain’t that common.”

“Wha- do I look like a cop?” Weiss hissed, eyes wide with shock.

“No. Could be a stoolie.” When she just blinked with no recognition, Joanna explained, “An informant. Not that I really think you are, just, y’know… because a couple girls want some extra money on the side, I ain’t gonna be the reason the whole place gets shut down.”

Put in that perspective, Weiss saw her point. Perhaps a woman like Coco or Cinder would be comfortable whoring out their bodies for profit, but when girls like Cerulean were only waiting tables and they felt safe and secure in their jobs, it did seem very unfair to get all of Club Futopia busted. Maybe prostitution was illegal and unseemly besides, but she supposed there was no reason to blow the whistle on them - unless she found out the women were being mistreated.

“Fair enough.” She cleared her throat, deciding to drop that topic so she wouldn’t make Joanna any more suspicious than she already was. “So! Do you think I could have what it takes?”

Looking her up and down, she hummed. “Definitely. I wouldn’t mind seeing what you’re working with.” When Weiss blinked and drew back, she chuckled. “I’m a lesbian - sue me. Not that I’d ever do anything about it, if we were working together and all that. And I ain’t about making the talent feel uncomfortable, either.”

“Oh. Well… if I begin working here, I trust you will look but not touch.” The woman laughed again, and she couldn’t help smiling a little. “Not that I can promise I will, but so far… it seems like a decent place. I’ve also noticed you attract a pretty big LGBT crowd.”

“Yeah, they do.” But this wasn’t from the bartender; it was from a sweet looking blonde a couple of stools along. A brunette with red-rimmed glasses was in the seat next to her, resting her hand on the blonde’s forearm. “We were a little skeptical about it, too, because it’s a strip club, but a long time ago we said we would support any and all queer businesses in this city.”

“We can’t discriminate,” her companion chuckled softly. Her voice was lower and huskier - and Weiss was fairly sure she was a sister, but tried to never make that assumption. “But we’ve visited a few times now, and don’t mind the atmosphere nearly as much as we thought we might. It’s good to have more safe spaces.”

“Saphron,” the blonde finally introduced herself, and they shook hands.”And this is Terra.”

“S-Snow Queen,” she managed, still stumbling a little but at least not coming so close to revealing her true name. 

"Oh - you're a dancer?"

"Not yet, no. Just… looking into it, and they encouraged me to choose a stage name."

“Ahhh, I see, I see,” she breathed in interest as she glanced at the stage and then back at Weiss. “I can’t imagine you doing all that, but I assure you that Terra and I would be pretty curious to see you in action.”

Weiss just barely had a flash of someone’s ass in the air before she turned back with a dark flush. “Y-yes, well… as I said, I’m still very unsure. But thank you!”

As both of the women in front of her were smiling at her, quite possibly undressing her with their eyes, she saw Cinder standing near her group of friends, waving for her to come closer. Bidding them goodbye with a wave, and privately hoping she might at least get to chat with them again sometime, she scuttled over to rejoin the tour.

WARNING: ROOSTER TEETH RAMBLING. You don't have to read this, it's not about Princess And The Dragons! You have been warned.

So as everybody probably knows by now, Rooster Teeth is on death row, and the fate of RWBY is totally up in the air. If you're learning about it this way… I'm very sorry; here's an article with more details. TL:DR, Warner Bros Discovery swallowed their parent company a while back, and that led to some cool collabs like Justice League x RWBY, but…

I'll keep this rant brief. David Zaslav is a callous corporate jerk that hates art, and has no business being in charge of a content creation company when all he cares about is money. His body count is rising (Batgirl, Final Space, Adult Swim Games, etc), and I hope he generates enough hate that he gets fired and never finds work in his field again. That is all.

Anyway, because RT couldn't turn a profit in the 1.5 years since they became part of WBD, they're getting shut down in a couple months, and they're going to try to shop its various properties around to other companies. Crunchyroll is a good candidate for RWBY, since they already aired volume 9, but nothing is certain yet at all. It's entirely possible we will never see a volume 10 - or it might be in some other format, like a comic book. All we can do is wait and see.

I found RWBY through a friend in 2014, which led me to RT as a whole. It's one of several things that changed my life that year - most of them for the better. I spent a lot of time with Achievement Hunter and Rage Quit videos, the RT Podcast and Always Open… went to see Lazer Team (and RWBY volume debuts) in actual theaters. I wish I had been able to make it to RTX, but it was too far away for me to be able to get there. At one point, it was a pretty huge part of my life. Then, like with most things, I sort of gravitated away, though I kept going back for the podcasts, and kept up with RWBY of course.

But I knew RT might not last that much longer when it was announced that Always Open was cancelled for a second time, and that RWBY Volume 10 still wasn't even greenlit. There were too many controversies (we don't have to get into those). Some of the founders were already gone, I hardly ever saw the people I was most fond of onscreen. For the first time in almost a decade, I cancelled my First membership, because it felt like my favorite content wasn't coming to the platform anymore… and I'm broke. I feel a little bad, of course, but I think we all kind of knew that they might not survive the changing landscape of streaming content. The minute they became part of WBD, their lack of profitability spelled the end.

Sorry, I'm all in my feelings about it, and I don't want to make the comments or the end of this fic all about RT, but I felt like I couldn't post a new chapter of a RWBY fic without at least addressing the situation, and giving my own history and perspective on it. This is just the state of the fandom, and I'm really sad and depressed about it, and wishing that something could have been done. But at the end of the day, it's actually pretty amazing that a bunch of drunk guys created a company in their bedroom that lasted 21 years and gave us a hundred shows. Just sucks it had to end because of mergers and nonsense, but I guess nothing lasts forever.

Thanks for listening, if you did; no shade if you didn't. I'm just really going to miss those guys and that content-creation family always being there to provide amusing and comforting content, like friends you could hang out with whenever you wanted. Thanks for all the memories, RT, and for being one of my safe spaces when I needed one.

-NBW

----------------------------------------------------

=Chapter 60

  Weiss Schnee took a deep breath, eyes closing as she let the aromas of roasting turkey and gravy fill her nostrils. This was always her favourite part about Thanksgiving. Sure, pumpkin pie and potatoes were wonderful dishes, but the centerpiece was the artfully-prepared bird, without a doubt.

Especially with Kali cooking it this year. Their chef had been lost in the family scuffles, and it made no financial sense to hire another when they could all learn to pitch in a little more instead.

Besides, Willow seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Since she had no head for business, she allowed the interim director to stay on and only asked for updates from him once a week – with Kali in attendance, naturally. That was enough to ensure that nothing unscrupulous was going on beneath her nose. Meanwhile, that left Weiss's mother with little else to do besides taking care of house and home… which suited her in a way Weiss never would have expected. Though it had begun as penance for years of absentee parenting, now it was more like a calling. A place she felt she belonged.

“Ready to head down?”

The princess leaned a little more fully against Yang as they lounged in their bed. Their bed… even this many weeks later, it still sounded strange to think of it that way. “Just about ready.”

“Why?” she insisted with a fierce grin, a hand drifting up to turn Weiss’s face up to look at her. “Careful, Schnee, or I’ll think you caught… Xiao Long Madness.”

“Xiao Long Madness?” Her hand pressed into the center of her chest as she heaved a theatrical gasp. “What on earth could that be?”

“Well… it starts out slow.” Two fingers began to tiptoe up along her thigh. “You don’t even know you’ve got it until it’s creeping up on you.” The hand smoothed along her stomach through the soft material of her party dress, and Weiss had to suppress a shiver. “Makes you a little tingly, breathe faster… heart beating louder and louder…”

“Yang, you little…” Pushing her hand away with a giggle once it reached her breast, she admonished her, “We have to get to the table! Without messing up our clothes! Just grab those earth pads so we can join the others.”

Chuckling with her, the Dragon turned and got up from the bed, snatching up two pairs of shoes from the floor. “Alright, alright. Even though both our parents know? What, they’re going to be shocked that we got a little frisky today, too?”

“That isn’t the point! I want to be presentable for our families, and the Belladonnas!” Her brief indignation subsided as Yang started lovingly putting her heels on. “Oh… I know, I’m being silly. But can we please have a lovely, respectable family dinner? Just this once, for the holiday?”

“Of course,” she promised with an earnest tone, smiling up at her before she kissed Weiss’s other foot. “Princess Toes.” Then she slid the other heel on and grabbed for her own – but Weiss snatched them away. “Hey, what gives? I mean, you actually got me into a dress and now you’re trying to keep me from-”

“Shush.” Weiss returned the favour, sliding the very un-Yang-like heels on while Yang’s cheeks went the tiniest bit pink. They always did when she was doted on since it was such an uncommon occurrence for the bruiser; Weiss adored that. And she adored being the only one trusted to be sweet to her in that way.

“Mkay, Weiss. Now I’m all dolled up for you. Like a pig wearing lipstick.”

Sighing, she swatted Yang on the arm. “Don’t be stupid. You are a beautiful woman. Being strong as an ox doesn’t change that.”

“If you see me that way, then that’s all that matters.” They shared a brief kiss, humming against each other’s lips before they broke apart and stood. “Let’s go strap the ol’ feedbag on.”

“How charming,” she deadpanned.

As they walked past Weiss’s dresser, she glanced at the framed photograph on the wall. There they were: the Dragons. Every last living member, with the youngest arranged in the front. Even if it was a little incriminating, she had decided in the end that it was much more important to the little gangster princess to have this memento than it was to “play it safe” - especially now that the only Vale citizen who would have thrown a tantrum about its existence was long dead.

Emerald and Cinder with their arms around each other. Ilia hanging off Blake despite how she was rolling her eyes. A grinning Coco who still had Velvet on her arm instead of lost to another continent – the picture had been taken with her camera, after all, set on a timer. Even Salem was smiling, albeit in an irritated and resigned way. Happiness in a wooden frame.

“You coming?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” she sighed as she tripped after her girlfriend into the hall. “Hold your horses.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my snooty girlfriend?”

“HEY!”

Downstairs, Blake, Ilia, and Whitley were all seated in the living room, chatting politely about the weather and other surface topics. Though her brother wasn’t thrilled terribly to know the Dragons, he had seemed to accept it – and to accept them as humans rather than foul beasts that were beneath him.

“Hey, good lookin’,” Blake bade her.

“Good evening.” Weiss actually curtsied, and Ilia giggled. “I'm excited. Is that silly?”

“Maybe a little. But I think we're allowed to be a little silly after the Autumn we've had.”

True enough. Weiss flashed a tight smile before she turned toward the kitchen.

“Watch that gravy!”

Raven's hands quickly moved toward the stove while Kali hastily crimped the edges of her pie. The latter was poised and pristine; the former, a sweating nervous wreck. But she was trying. Most of the dishes were already arranged on the counter, kept warm by potholders and waiting to be served.

“Oh my God,” Yang muttered in Weiss's ear. “Where's Rod Serling? Because I think we just entered The Twilight Zone.”

“The what?”

“Oh, it's a new show. Don't worry about it. Just meant watching Raven really cook is like science fiction.”

Meanwhile, Willow at last noticed they were standing there and waved them over to the dining room. “Hey, girls! Come help me set the table.”

They did as they were told. Mrs. Schnee was humming and cheerful, eyes full of light as she made sure all the silverware was properly placed, each napkin neatly folded.

“You're really excited, aren't you, Mother?”

“Ohhhh yes,” she told her immediately, grinning from ear to ear. “Very! It's our first big dinner with everyone together, isn't it? Our ragtag little family. And it already feels more like…”

When she didn't finish, Yang prompted, “Like?”

“Like a real Thanksgiving. Far more than the past few years.”

“I know what you mean,” Weiss said as she placed the last few forks. “You weren't yourself, and Father was… well.”

But Willow brushed it off with an elegant hand. Still no calluses forming from her sudden uptick of housework, but they would, eventually, if she didn't keep up conditioning them. Pampering herself. Honestly, Weiss had no idea if she would go one way or the other.

“All in the past. We're starting fresh, aren't we, Weiss?”

“We sure are,” she said immediately, beaming back at her mother. Proud of her progress and new outlook on life. “Annnnd… I think the table’s ready. What's next?”

“Not much.” A bell sounded throughout the house, and her eyes lifted. “Oh, could you see who that is? I think I should help Raven and Kali.”

Her daughter obeyed, moving through the living room where Whitley was just standing. She waved him back down and pulled the door wide.

And found herself face to face with such a haggard, unenthused face that she instinctively took a step back. The man's ominous eyes almost looked through her. Her fight or flight instincts were starting to kick in, but she knew she shouldn’t literally attack someone who had done nothing more than come to her front door – not without further provocation.

“U-um…”

“Hey!” From around his back popped Ruby's cheery face, and she added a little wave. “Sorry we're so late; Grumpy Gus didn't wanna get ready.”

“I was ready,” Qrow growled as he pushed past Weiss without a word of greeting. “You didn't like what I was wearing.”

With a dramatic sigh, Ruby followed, stopping to hug Weiss. Penny was close on her heels, freckles seeming to glow with excitement as she hefted a casserole dish. Yang was next in line for hugs while Qrow seemed magnetically drawn to the wetbar in the corner.

“U-um!” came from the door as Weiss tried to close it. Pulling it wide revealed a very flustered neighbour. “Hello again!”

“Pyrrha?! What are you doing here? I thought you would be sitting down with your folks right about now!”

The athlete shrugged, cheeks rosy as she fidgeted in her lovely golden-hued frock. There was clearly an internal struggle playing out behind her bright green eyes, which remained mostly pointed down at her black pumps. “Well… I just wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving! Before we all dig in! So… so now I have! And, well, bye!”

However, as she turned to stride down the steps and away from the house, Weiss jogged after her. “Wait!”

“Yes?” she asked as she turned.

“There's something else, isn't there?” No immediate answer. “Come on. What's a best friend for if she can't help a girl through thick and thin?”

After a brief internal debate, the redhead let out a long sigh. “Jaune is coming to dinner.”

“Really? That's fantastic news!” Again, Pyrrha hesitated, so Weiss asked, “It's… not fantastic news?”

“Well… ordinarily, yes. But Cinder and Emerald are already there.”

“WHAT?!”

“SHHHH!” she hissed at her friend, green eyes wide. “I didn't think I would get as close to him as I have since the dance, and… I had already invited them before he asked me to homecoming! Then I forgot, and they showed up with a whole ham, and it would have been so rude to turn them away…”

Weiss laid a gentle hand on her arm. “Relax, okay? I'm sure everything will be fine.”

“But you know how Cinder is around boys! She hates them! And I know she has good reason, but Jaune is very important to me, and… and I don't want anyone to have an unhappy holiday thanks to me!”

“They won't. I promise. You are the nicest host, and the sweetest friend. And Emerald and Cinder have each other now; they're much less bitter and unhappy.”

“Oh… I know you're right. Thank you. And I shouldn't get flustered every time they try to kiss me anymore, I- I have to get used to that eventually, don't I?”

“Of course!” she chirruped with a patient smile. “Just keep rebuffing those advances; they will get the message.”

At those words, her childhood friend fell silent. Seconds ticked by while she squirmed. Then she whispered, “It may be too late for that plan.”

“What? I mean… what do you mean?”

“Well, if I were to rebuff their advances, I probably shouldn't have let Cinder steal a little kiss at homecoming.” When her fellow paper-shaker only gaped, the red-faced track star’s face grew yet redder. “Or behind the malt shop last weekend. Or just before I walked over here.”

“PYRRHA NIKOS!”

“I'm sorry! I told you, she makes me feel… swept away,” she breathed with a shy smile. “Even though I'm more attracted to Jaune, like him more and get along with him so well, I don't dislike Cinder… and she's strong, and confident, and beautiful…”

A laughing Weiss reassured her, “You don't have to explain anything to me. I have my own similar arrangement with a blonde and a brunette, so why on Earth would I throw stones in my glass house?”

“But what do I do? Poor Jaune has no idea women go around with other women as much as we do – a-and what about Emerald? Ordinarily I would be concerned about her feeling jealous, but she watches Cinder tease me – encourages it! That seems so dirty, and that's without the things they threaten to do to me if I let them!”

“Holy moley,” she breathed. “Pyrrha! You're a Dragon in sheep's clothing!”

That smile was still shy, but also a little excited. “Am not. But the kissing is… women's lips are so soft!”

“Aren't they?” Both girls sighed dreamily, then giggled. “Your secret is safe with me, but I think the sooner you explain all this to Jaune, the less bad it will be in the long run.”

“You… are probably right. But not now. I don't want to ruin the holiday for my parents.”

“Of course. You should probably get back.” As Pyrrha nodded, she tilted her head and asked, “What did you tell them about Cinder and Emerald, anyway?”

“Just that they're new friends of yours, and mine. And that they had no family to dine with. It's true, after all.”

Weiss nodded sagely. “And you wanted them to have a big slice of Pyrrha pie for dessert.”

“Mmhmm! I thought it would be… very- oh, you're so mean to me!”

“Maybe,” she cackled, leaning closer. “Or maybe I'm jealous because I want some for myself.”

And without waiting for a response, Weiss gave her a quick peck on the lips. Just a fun little tease without any deeper meaning behind it. Pyrrha was too startled to respond until Weiss's impish grin began to slip a notch – and then she laughed, loudly and freely.

“Oh Weiss! I think we both have our hands full enough as it is! But… thank you. For more than just now, for so, so much.”

Curtsying playfully, she giggled, “And thank you, madam. It is Thanksgiving, after all; we should be expressing our gratitude.”

“True!” As she skipped away, Pyrrha sang out over her shoulder, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“You too, best friend!”

When she re-entered the living room, it was to a highly stressful scene. Qrow and Raven were seated one each upon the armchair and the couch, ranged across from each other, and if ever the phrase “glaring daggers” applied, it would be to those two siblings.

“You look good, sis,” he rumbled with a poisonous smirk. “Really got some color in your cheeks for once. What's your secret?”

“Staying away from things that are hazardous to my health. Like you.”

“Wow,” Penny breathed from Ruby's side, as surprised as anyone at how venomous they were toward each other. From her, Weiss glanced around at the various uncomfortable guests and eventually spotted Yang standing in the doorway of the kitchen, indecisive.

“Ooooh, temper temper. Still haven't figured out that's what made Taiyang ditch you, huh?” When Raven started to sit forward as if she would attack, he raised up both hands, palms out. “Easy now. Didn't come here to pick a fight, just came to eat.”

Teeth clenched hard enough to grind corn into meal, she hissed at him, “Funny way of showing it. Then again, you never did know when to quit.”

“Seems to me like I knew exactly when to quit. Before the Dragons turned into the Bulldyk-”

“Who would like a drink?” Weiss called out in a voice far too high to be natural. A few of her peers turned in her direction, but Raven and Qrow didn't budge at all. “Anyone?”

“May I have a lemonade?” Penny said in her usual oblivious-but-pleasant tone.

“Alright, look,” Yang finally sighed as she walked a little deeper into the room. “You guys hate each other; we get it. But it's Thanksgiving, and there are more people here than just you two chowderheads. So can we just… put that on the back burner until tomorrow? Please?”

Silence reigned for a long few seconds. Then Qrow heaved himself to his feet. “Think I'll take you up on that drink, Schnee.” He returned to the wet bar to refill his glass. Luckily, it seemed like the breaking of their staring contest gave Raven the right to let herself relax, and she ran her hand over her hair.

“Are they always like this?” Ilia asked in a soft murmur, mostly to Blake.

“Raven, yes. I have no idea about him, I haven't seen him more than once in my whole life before now.”

Before Ilia could form a response, an “Ahem” came from the doorway leading into the dining room. Kali stood there with a polite smile on her face, hands clasped in front of her stomach; the picture of a polite hostess.

“I believe dinner is served. If you will all come through and seat yourselves, we would love to begin.”

Raven was the first to exit, seemingly to give herself at least a few scant seconds without her brother in the same room. Then her daughter followed soon afterward, and everyone else stood and began to follow the others.

“Wheeee,” Ruby deadpanned as she led Penny inside.

The spread look amazing. Kali had definitely outdone herself, and somehow Willow and Raven had not ruined all her good work with their awkward attempts to help. Turkey, dressing, casserole, fresh hot buns, and gleaming red cranberry sauce were already weighing down the table. Weiss's beaming mother stood behind the chair at the head of the table, waiting for the others to sit before she seated herself.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said in a quiet, nervously excited voice. “I know this will probably be strange, as some of you hardly even know who I am, much less have met me. But I'm happy to meet you all and welcome you to my home.”

“I am happy to be here,” Penny replied brightly as if she were being directly addressed. But Willow only smiled right back at her, and the girl grinned from ear-to-ear.

“Before we dig in, I'd like us all to go around the table and say something we are thankful for from this past year.” One or two groans sounded from the guests, but most of them were polite enough to keep their desire to eat right away to themselves. “Would anyone like to start?”

As she brought in a dish of beans, Kali said, “Go on, Willow dear. Set us an example.”

“Oh, very well.” As Whitley sat at her left, Weiss at her right, she composed herself for a moment. “I’m thankful for my family. My real family – everyone here, even if some of us are just meeting tonight. And that my eyes are open enough for me to appreciate that now.”

After a moment or two of silence, a few people nodding along, she turned to Whitley. Starting, he said, “Ah. Well, I suppose I’m thankful that all the nastiness is behind us. This year has been unpleasant but… well, looking around here, I must admit we’re coming out the other side.”

As Penny clapped for him, and a few others stifled laughter at her clapping, Kali spoke up, “I’m thankful for a certain little princess for bringing us all together. If not for her, this might have been an easier year, but a lot less interesting.” And she raised her water glass to Weiss, who waved her off – despite her cheeks tinting pink.

“Same here,” Blake agreed with a big smile. “She really shook things up in the best of ways. Still a little weird that I get to be friends with her. But thanks, Weiss.”

“And you could probably guess I’m going to say thanks for helping me finally get Blake’s attention,” Ilia sighed resignedly as the others chuckled. Hands were definitely being held under the table, and Weiss had a hard time not squealing with secondhand glee. Then they all turned to look at Qrow.

“Huh? Oh, uh… skip me.”

Ruby nudged him hard. “No skipping!”

“Fine. I’m thankful for this dumb squirt.” He ruffled her hair aggressively, and she laughed – even if she was hastily patting her hair back into place right afterward. “That A-okay, kiddo?”

“Sure.” Then she cleared her throat and said, “I’m grateful for… well, a lotta stuff. But I can’t pick between the two big things: Penny asking me out, and…” Her eyes began to water. “And getting my sister back. They’re b-both pretty outta sight.”

“Nah, you should pick Penny,” Yang said with a wistful smile. “I ain’t that special.”

“Don’t say that! You’re my sister and you’re amazing!”

“Okay, okay,” Raven interrupted them with a sigh. “Break up the happy-fight, girls. Let’s hurry this along so we can all eat. Penny?”

Blinking her huge green eyes, the freckle-faced girl chirruped, “Oh! Well, I am thankful for Ruby, of course. And her family – which seems to be all of you! And for the food we are about to eat. Amen.”

“Amen,” Whitley muttered automatically, even though everyone else was blinking in confusion. Weiss wasn’t sure at which point Penny’s thanks had turned into grace, but it was even stranger to call attention to it. So no one did.

“And I’m thankful for Yang putting up with me,” Raven said simply. “Go on.”

But Yang wasn’t about to let that slip past. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“My attitude. I’ve…” Her sigh was weary, her glare burning a hole into the table. “I’ve been a terrible mother. Nobody has to tell me,” she said over the handful of protests. “Just because I did my best, tried to make my kid tough enough the world wouldn’t eat her alive, doesn’t mean my best was very good. But I think…” Her sharp eyes flicked up to Qrow, waiting for some kind of scathing comment.

“No, no, go on,” he told her smoothly. And though his face might have been slightly smug, he didn’t goad her any more than that.

“I think Willow’s been good for me. I’ve done worse than her and she’s trying so hard to… fix what’s wrong. Have to be a real dope to not try the same thing. Guess that’s what I’m glad for this year.” Then she flung at her brother, “So you can sit on that, Jack.”

“Gladly,” he rumbled, lowering his glass of something strong-smelling and regarding her evenly. “I ain’t no prince, either, Sis. Louse everything up every day. All we can do is our best to make up for it.”

While Raven was busy blinking at the almost-nice sentiment from her estranged sibling, Yang cleared her throat and stood up. That already surprised Weiss before she even started talking – and then she surprised her even more.

“So I’m not that good at speech-making,” she chuckled, scratching the back of her neck. “Or wearing heels. But I’m gonna do both at the same time, I guess.

“Life has been pretty kooky since this princess fell in my lap. Honest, I thought she would snub me and that would be that – or that I could have a little fun before I got the cold shoulder, maybe. But this amazing, beautiful, talented, strong knock-out…” For a moment, Yang just laughed, trying to figure out what else she was saying. “She changed me. Changed my whole life in a good way, and I can’t even imagine what I would do without her now. And I don’t wanna. So yeah. Thanks, Weiss, for taming this Dragon.”

Weiss was just smiling tearily up at her proud, cocky features that were currently gazing right back at her with a megaton force of love, when most of the others began to clap. Starting, she covered her face to hide her blush, but then she felt Yang’s lips gently pushing into the back of her hand.

“I mean it,” she whispered as Weiss cooed. “On the hook for you, Schnee.”

“My sweet angel,” Willow breathed softly, beaming at both of them.

“Oh, stop it, all of you,” Weiss blustered, but the pink-cheeked grin somewhat undercut her words. Then she spoke up a little louder. “As for me… oh, I don’t have anything.”

“You don’t?” Blake asked incredulously, folding her arms over her chest and smirking. “You? Nothing comes to mind for the girl who can normally talk the hind leg off a mule?”

“Everything does. It’s everything. I mean, other than a few unpleasant things I had to witness, but… I wouldn’t trade this year for the world. I have a real family now, and some of them are even my actual blood relatives. So thank you, God, for ALL of this.”

“Amen,” Whitley said again a little more firmly than before, and this time Yang snorted a little.

“Amen!” Willow put in brightly. “And with that, let’s dig in!”

“Thank GOD for THAT!” Ruby burst out, and the others all giggled. For a tiny little slip of a girl, she had a voracious appetite.

-----------------------------------------

    Dinner was everything the Schnees had desperately hoped it would be and more. Though Raven avoided speaking to Qrow at all costs, the upside of that was that she actually didn’t resist all of Kali’s attempts at conversation. They would likely never be the best of friends again, but it was a start toward reconciliation that Weiss found extremely heartening.

However, there were a couple of hiccups. Kali and Raven got into a very terse argument about the best path for Yang’s future that didn’t particularly go anywhere. Ilia spilled gravy all over Qrow, earning her a strong glare; Willow hurried him upstairs and gave him some of Jacques’s clothes to change into while they were washing his shirt, which fit at least well enough. Whitley made the mistake of casually mentioning that his sister was a “deviant” in a room full of such deviants, though he hastily apologised and insisted he did not mean any offense when he noticed all the eyes glinting with doom. Still, all in all not a bad evening.

“I couldn’t eat another bite,” Yang burped as she helped them move all the dishes to the sink. “But I want to! It’s all so good, I haven’t even tasted Kali’s food that was this good before! And hers is always the bee’s knees!”

“Flatterer.” Kali herself came in behind her and put the empty casserole dish on the counter, then pulled Yang in for a little cheek-kiss. “But keep it coming; I might save you an extra piece of pie.”

As Yang laughed nervously, her mother strode over and said, “Hey, cut that out. Stop tryin’ to be my kid’s mom. That’s my job.” And then she kissed her on the cheek, as well, leaving a very shocked Yang glancing between them. As if waiting to have to break up a fight should it flare up from nowhere.

But all Kali did was smile and say, “Good.” Then she started scrubbing a pot vigorously, humming a light little tune.

“Um, let us do those,” Yang volunteered. “You cooked, it’s the least we can do.”

“Oh, that’s alright.”

“No it’s not. You do so much, Mrs. B, and everybody takes it for granted. I’m not gonna anymore.”

As Yang moved into position in front of the sink, Kali pressed a hand to the center of her chest and fluttered her eyelashes. “My my myyyy, Weiss, you certainly have found yourself a stand-up woman. Good thing for you I’m-”

“Watch how you finish that,” Raven warned. “Talking about my daughter there.”

“That I’m… not twenty years younger,” she finished slyly. “And I will leave it at that, alright?” When Raven nodded curtly, she rolled her eyes and tittered as she moved to stand beside Weiss. “Come with me.”

Confused, she let herself be taken to the dining room again, which was mostly empty. Everyone had moved to the living room by now. “Yes?”

“I thought I should tell you sometime when we had a moment; there’s been too much going on before now.” Glancing around, Kali whispered, “Salem has agreed that we’re rebuilding Shopkeeper’s. The money will come out of a nest egg she had set aside to renovate her own home and to retire on; she won’t be able to do those things now for a while yet, but at least we’ll all have a home again.”

“That’s fantastic news!” When Kali only frowned, she asked, “Or is it? What’s wrong?”

“Well… to be frank, I’m a little disappointed you aren’t looking at my chest.”

“Huh?!”

Smirking, she whispered, “My hands were wet when I held one to my chest a moment ago, so now the top of my dress is all damp. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice! I must be losing my touch.”

Unable to help briefly glancing at the more pronounced outline of Kali’s bosom, she stamped her foot and hissed, “You stop that! I thought there was a real problem!”

“How is this not a ‘real’ problem? My looks are fading!” The back of her hand flew to her forehead as she clutched the neckline of her dress like a silent film starlet. “It won’t be long now, little Weiss; you’ll be seeing me in a casket, old and wrinkled. Past my prime and with no bevy of saucy young things surrounding me, weeping their eyes out at the loss!”

“Oh, enough!” Kali’s laugh made her smile against her will. “Your breasts are as magnetic and splendid as ever, if you must know. Just… have other breasts on my mind. And things besides breasts.”

“Of course. It’s quite alright, really.” Cupping Weiss’s cheek tenderly, stroking with her thumb, she whispered, “I just miss chasing you around my kitchen and being ogled; it was harmless fun.”

“Me, too. We’ll do it again soon, okay?”

Kali’s grin was genuine. “Please. You might be with Yang and my Blake, but that’s a game I’m not willing to give up.”

Still playing this game, were they? Well, Weiss wasn’t going to keep being a helpless target anymore. “That’s good. Neither am I.”

Nothing could have prepared Kali for Weiss reaching back to pinch her on the rear end before she walked past into the kitchen. The squeak of surprise was as flustered as she had ever heard Blake’s mother, even if it was brief and not terribly loud. Weiss had to swallow down her own giggle – and the slight thrill of how nice that pinch had felt, fleeting as it was. When Kali followed her in a few seconds later, she was markedly more composed, but grinning wolfishly and had the faintest of blushes in her cheeks.

And her chest bore the evidence of the pinch, as well. Blake, who had been dropping off the last of the plates, noticed the stiffened peaks within seconds and hurried to finish putting them down before excusing herself. This time, Kali noticed, but only seemed vaguely curious and puzzled rather than scandalised. It seemed her daughter’s secret would remain safe for a little while longer.

Once the dishes were done, Weiss cleared her throat and made an announcement to everyone congregating in the living room. “Attention! If you all would be so kind as to join us in the drawing room, Ilia Amitola and myself will be performing ‘Ave Maria’. Just a little post-dinner entertainment.”

“Ooh!” Ruby gasped, hopping up and down in her seat. “You’re gonna play something?”

“Ilia will play, I will sing.”

“OOH!”

Qrow sighed. “I’m staying down here. Maybe Donna Reed’s on.”

“I’m game,” Raven said with a careless shrug. The others seemed to have similar opinions, and began to make their way upstairs.

On the landing, Weiss’s mother hesitated. She backtracked into the hall to ask her, “What’s wrong?”

“Unpleasant memories of that room.”

“Oh… of course.” A flash of seeing her father struck over the head with a vase filled her vision before she blinked to clear it away. “Tell you what, Mommy. Let’s start making some new memories in there, right now. Can we try that?”

Swallowing hard, her mother’s eyes flicked back and forth a little as she took up Weiss’s hand and gave it a would-be firm pat. “You’re right. I’d love to hear my angel sing again.”

Chest puffing out like a male frigatebird, Weiss turned and strode toward the piano where a clearly-nervous Ilia was playing a few scales very quietly. Blake was leaning against one wall, watching her with a genuine fondness in her amber eyes. That gave Weiss some comfort; it looked like their budding relationship was truly heading in the right direction.

So she played. And Weiss sang. The voices that were muttering seconds before fell silent. Every day of her life, she had let her father’s insistences that she needed to practice more, to make sure her instrument was honed to perfection before she displayed it to others, keep her voice caged and silent. She was through letting her past bar her way to her future.

By the time the final note wavered and faded, several hands were pressed to mouths. Kali had to sit down. Ruby and Penny were huddled close, sniffling. Even Raven’s eyes were slightly damp, though she was trying to appear her usual detached self. Everyone but Yang and her own mother were completely stunned. The issue was, several of the Dragons had heard Ilia play already and knew she had talent, but Weiss’s was brand new to most of them.

So Weiss barely had time to curtsy before they were being swarmed.

“Oh my GOD, Schnee!” Blake was gushing. “How did I not know about this?!”

“That was INCREDIBLE!” Ruby piped up, literally hopping up and down. “I’m flipping, what a gas!”

With a slight chuckle, Raven said, “How are we supposed to understand what these damn curtain climbers are saying these days?” But instead of leaving it at that, she looked Weiss dead in the eyes and added, “Nice pipes. Really.”

“Th-thanks,” she breathed. The grumpy woman only nodded and turned back to Ilia, patting her on the back too hard and making her almost fall over into the piano.

“Maybe you ought to be chasing me,” Kali told her, gripping her hands firmly. “Oh, I’m so proud of you, though. A songbird on top of everything else!”

“S-stop,” she tried again with a huge, bashful grin, but it was useless; Penny and Whitley were clapping again, and Yang was massaging her shoulders, and…

And the room was full of love, and reassurance. Camaraderie and affection. Family.

“Okay, okay!” Ilia finally cackled as Ruby gave her a big showy kiss on the cheek, causing it to change colours. “Who wants to hear something else? I could play ‘Night Train’, but it doesn’t have any words.”

“What about ‘Chances Are’?” Raven suggested with something like a grin. And Weiss had to fight down a laugh; she should have known Johnny Mathis would come up sooner or later. The woman was addicted to the crooner. “O-or ‘Misty’… doesn’t matter. Forget it.”

But Ilia was thoughtful. “I haven’t tried either before, but the piano parts are pretty simple. Weiss? You up to the vocals?” When Weiss nodded, she cracked her knuckles. “I could probably pick it out if you give me a-”

“HEY!” interrupted a gruff voice from downstairs. “Some dame’s tryin’ to break into your house!”

Stunned by that proclamation, Weiss and her mother quickly stole down the stairs to see what Qrow meant. The others were hot on their heels - and they nearly ended up in a heap, since the Schnee women had stopped dead in their tracks at the bottom of the staircase.

“Am I too late for dinner?”

It only took a few seconds of awkward smiles and heavy silence before Weiss burst out “WINTER!” and went flying across the entryway and into her big sister’s arms. Winter Schnee was several inches taller, and her trademark Schnee white-blonde hair was pulled into a taut bun. Her arms dropped the heavy duffel bag just barely inside the front door and instantly clamped around Weiss, expression melting into one of affection.

“Ohhhh, Snowball,” she whispered into her shoulder. “I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

“Winter, I don’t understand!” her mother laughed, dashing after her younger daughter and resting a hand on the elder’s shoulder. Winter looked both delighted and surprised to see her so lucid. “What are you doing here so soon? I thought Christmas…”

“Well, after I got the telegram about Father, how could I stay away?” Her brows were furrowed despite the smiles. “Are you all doing alright? I can’t imagine…”

“Oh, fine, fine,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand. Both Raven and Kali rolled their eyes in the background. “You aren’t AWOL, are you?” Winter shook her head. “Oh good. Then how did you manage to slip away? How will you finish your tour of duty if-”

“I’m not. Mother, I’m staying right here in Vale, and taking over the business.”

Their mother’s expression slackened. “Oh… oh no, dear, you mustn’t do that. You enlisted to serve our country, a-and we can get along just fine while you do. It shouldn’t mean you have to drop everyth-”

“Please,” Winter said a little more firmly, finally releasing Weiss as she straightened into a more military stance. “Let me do this. I… what Father has done…” Her voice cracked slightly, even if it was her only overt display of emotion. “I should have been here to protect you, and Weiss and Whitley. And I wasn’t.”

At the mention of his name, Whitley moved into Weiss’s spot and hugged Winter soundly. Though he let go immediately afterward. “There was nothing you could do, I’m afraid, Sister. Though it still pains me to admit his wrongdoing… our father intended to kill Weiss’s friends. It was the response of a coward, and… and he was a killer, and had to be stopped. By death, I’m not quite as sure, but he deserved some sort of justice.”

“Even more reason for me to be here,” she insisted. “I am trained in combat; I could have put his head through a wall before he so much as laid a hand on any of you.”

“Don’t worry,” Willow tried to reassure her in a gentle tone, petting her daughter’s strong jaw. “We had everything well in hand. Oh, I am so very glad to have you back, though!”

Eyes finally lifting to scan the room properly, Winter smiled very slightly and said, “Yes, I see that you have a very… full house, Mother. Who are all these people? You said ‘friends’ were helping you, but…”

“Where are my manners?” Kali chuckled gently as she strode forward, offering her hand. “Kali Belladonna. I’ve been helping your mother through the legal aspects of the divorce and the will, and trying to help clean up around the house. That’s my daughter, Blake.” On cue, Blake waved. “And… well, I’m sure this must be a surprise, such an odd assortment of-”

“Dragons.” When there were a few gasps of surprise, Winter nodded at the leather jackets hanging from the coat rack, her expression vaguely thoughtful. “I remember them well. Wandered into Shopkeeper’s by mistake when I was in my junior year at Vale High, and… well, that was a rather eye-opening experience.”

“Ohhhhhhhh,” Kali suddenly breathed. “That was you? I remember that curious little lamb now. We don’t get many strays like that.”

“Wait, wait,” Weiss found herself saying, shaking her head out. “You’ve seen the inside of Shopkeeper’s, and never mentioned it? And you’re not freaking out that there are Dragons in our house?”

The corner of her mouth did twitch upward in bemusement. “Well… I have to admit, it’s a little unusual, but if you invited them in, you must think of them as friends.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

“Are they?” Weiss nodded vaguely, and Winter folded her arms over her chest. “Are any of them more than friends?” When the only response she got was widening eyes and pinkening cheeks, Winter blinked in surprise. Clearly, she had not expected her teasing to turn up anything pertinent. “Oh.”

“I… it’s not… you probably think I’m some sort of deviant.” Whitley cringed at the use of that word, memory of being admonished still fresh. “Sorry, this isn’t how I-”

“No, no, don’t apologise. Let me show you something.”

From within her plain black purse, she withdrew a battered-looking leather wallet. Flipping past a few bills and identification cards, eventually she came up with a small photograph of a petite, dark-skinned girl in a beret. Her eyes looked clear and clever, and her lips as if she were trying to suppress a smirk.

“This… is Ciel. She’s someone very special to me. Or… was.” Her eyes were sad as she added, “Her parents are marrying her off, and she told me that we had our fun, but it was over. And honestly, I believe her; I want to say she’s just scared and I’ll ‘win her back’, but I doubt it. Once Ciel’s mind is made up, it’s set in stone.”

However, Weiss was laughing. Everyone else remained quiet, but a little at a time, Winter’s hands moved to her hips as her little sister doubled over with mirth, nearly staggering over into the umbrella stand.

“And what’s the matter with you now?”

Still giggling, she turned around and beckoned Yang closer. The blonde immediately hopped to, edging past her mother and Penny to stride over to Weiss’s side. Immediately, they locked their hands together, and Yang’s eyes widened just a bit. The elder sibling couldn’t help gasping, though she didn’t look displeased. Not in the slightest.

“Oh, Winter,” she breathed with an excited grin. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”

“Maybe we do, Weiss.” Winter leaned their foreheads together as she added, “And I would love that more than anything in the world right now.”

“Me, too. But first, come see what leftovers we have; you’re probably really hungry.”

“Yes, please!” Willow provided with a huge grin – and the fact that she also wasn’t fazed by Winter’s outing herself seemed to make the older of the sisters completely bewildered. “Come inside, dear – Whitley, can you take her bag upstairs? She must be so tired, and we have so much catching up to do!”

“Can’t one of these brutes do it? You know I have minimal upper body strength.”

“Brutes?!” Raven fired up – but Kali’s hand on her arm helped her reign it in. Through her teeth, she growled, “Sure. Anything for the Schnees.” Then she grabbed the bag with one hand, hefting it as she glared briefly at the boy before carrying it toward the bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Weiss was on cloud nine. Winter was there. Her sister was the only missing piece from her family; now it was complete. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby jump up and down a little before she rushed over to her side.

“You’re a little sister, too!”

“Yes,” she chuckled quietly as she watched her mother leading Winter into the kitchen, both of them chatting easily. And Winter looked so happy to see her mother wasn’t a lush anymore; was bright-eyed and invested in the world around her. Just like she herself was happy about it. “So what?”

“So it’s really COOL! Maybe that’s why we’re friends, huh? Like, aside from you dating Yang… I always thought we had more of a bond, a-and that’s what it is! We know what it’s like to be little sisters with big strong sisters, a-and that’s neato, huh? Right?”

To stop her from jumping around, she paused to give Ruby a warm hug. “We’re friends because I like you. That’s all. But… you’re right, it’s pretty neat that we both have strong big sisters.”

After only a brief pause, Ruby squeezed her back and whispered, “Yeah. Little sister club!” Then she pulled back with a huge grin. “Go hang out with Winter. She seems so hip.”

“She is.”

As she stepped across the threshold into the dining room, she heard Yang calling out, "Announcing the arrival of Her Majesty, Princess Schnee!"

“Okay, okay!” she laughed easily, turning toward the kitchen. “You got me.”

“Yeah, I do,” Yang whispered as she pulled her in close for a hug and a kiss, ignoring the coos from the other side of the door. “Got you, Schnee. All mine forever.”

Weiss’s blue eyes sparkled with affectionate glee as she leaned heavily against the Dragon. Having so much to say, but finding in the end that she didn’t need to, anyway. All she had to do was whisper a few choice words against Yang’s smirking lips before they connected yet again.

“Hmph. What a brute.”

Once their prospective recruit was on her way home, the others made their way to the diner to hang out and chat for a little while. Cinder, Emerald, and Ilia were already waiting for them with plenty of dimes for the jukebox and half-empty malted glasses. Coco had apparently taken Velvet home because she was inconsolable.

“That's right,” Weiss sighed as she slumped lower in the booth. “I was going to do something about that. But my father turned into a-”

“We know,” Blake reassured her. “Too much going on. Nobody's blaming you.”

After a few seconds, Cinder spoke up, carefully looking out the window instead of at her companions. “Perhaps it's not too late.”

“What?”

“Well, Schnee and her mother could probably persuade the interim chairman to take on a new hire. I know they have a lot on their plates right now, but it is still possible.”

“You’re right. We should at least try.” With a decisive nod, Weiss pulled her malted closer and took a sip as she thought that over. “I’ll ask her tonight and we’ll see if she can take care of it tomorrow morning.”

However, once they got back to Salem’s abode, they found something that certainly waylaid those plans.

“Oh… we’re moving back.”

“We are,” Willow grunted as she and Kali heaved the last of the bags into the latter’s Ford. “I… have left Whitley alone to his own devices for far too long as it is. Besides, there is so much to do at the house; we need to-”

“Take it slow,” Kali said, and her tone definitely suggested this was not the first time she had said as much. Her mother gave her a watery smile.

“Yes, of course. I will. But taking it slow is not the same as doing nothing, and I can’t sit around here doing nothing any longer.”

Clearing her throat, Yang spoke up. “Um… I’ll help, if you want. With anything I can.”

“Awww, thank you, dear,” she breathed with a small smile as she gripped her shoulder. The Dragon smiled back at her, a little shy but mostly just pleased. “It would be appreciated. Your mother and Kali are already doing so much, though…”

Kali was already shaking her head as they closed the trunk. “No more than I’m happy to do.”

“I’m sure Raven will be by for similar reasons,” Weiss said with a tiny smirk. Willow cleared her throat and said nothing on that topic.

And someone else cleared her throat. The women turned to see little Neo Politan, out of everyone it could have been, holding out a small makeup mirror.

“Oh?” Weiss’s mother dug in her purse for a moment, then sighed and flashed her a grateful smile as she accepted it. “Why, thank you! Must have fallen out when we dropped the larger suitcase.”

When Neo only smiled a little, and her mother seemed to be waiting, Weiss stepped closer to whisper, “Neo is a deaf-mute. She won’t be able to say ‘you’re welcome’.”

“Ah, I see. Then thank you all the same.” She said the latter part much louder and clearer, as if that would make up for the girl being hard of hearing. Neo smiled wider and touched her on the arm, then turned to head back inside.

“She’s doing better,” Blake told Weiss before she could ask. “Salem’s been keeping her on a short leash after the betrayal, but… I think that Torchwick guy dying took all the fight out of her. So she just accepted it.”

“As well she should,” her mother put in next, holding the passenger door open for Willow. “The High Dragon was well within her rights to execute her for the level of betrayal she dealt us.” Weiss saw her own mother blink in sheer alarm, but she did not interrupt. “Though I admire her mercy in simply punishing Neo and giving her the chance to redeem herself.”

Once they were back at Atlas Heights, Weiss did finally inform her mother of Velvet’s plight. She said she would be happy to help, stealing a page of official Schnee memo paper from Jacques’s study – which definitely did not thrill her – and jotting down all Weiss, Blake, and Yang could tell her about their friend’s father and what his most useful skills were, assuring them she would look into it as soon as humanly possible.

“So now the big question,” Blake said as the younger girls unpacked Weiss’s bags.

“What’s that?” Yang asked.

“Is Mrs. Schnee going to invite my mother or yours to live with her?”

Weiss dropped her hair curler all the way to the floor as she stared at the smirking brunette. “Blake! Don’t be silly, she’s not- that is- you be quiet!”

“Hey, don’t be so hasty to dismiss the idea,” Blake said with a smirk while Yang giggled. “The three of them are like us, pretty much. Snug as bugs in a rug.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Your mother told me that she didn’t see my mother that way. She thinks she is attractive, but beyond that she has no such intentions with her.”

“And you don’t want them to end up together?” Blake pressed Weiss with a slight raising of her eyebrow.

“Well… I want them to end up as good friends. Or more, if that's what they want! But I think I made a mistake in pushing them too much; Raven and Kali both think I was being silly, and who on earth could blame them?”

Given that Weiss had turned more serious in her ruminations, Yang slung an arm around her neck and nuzzled the side of her head. “Hey, Princess, don’t fret. Your queen deserves friends, too. If my mom or Blake’s decide to make a move, and Willow decides she’s cruisin’ for a bruisin’, then… then that’s that. But I’m not gonna try to push them together, either.”

“Then we are agreed; we keep our meddling to our own weird three-way relationship.”

“Yep.” She kissed Weiss’s cheek, and Blake kissed the other. Then Yang kissed Blake’s nose just to make her laugh – which she did, despite the full blush in her cheeks. “Sorry.”

But the brunette just shrugged. “It’s fine. I like it, even if you’re just playing around.”

“Heh…” But Yang looked more guilty than amused.

“And I know you are. So don’t look so down in the mouth, or I’ll have Weiss kiss it.”

“Hey!” Weiss burst out. “You say that as if I’m your personal servant! I am the princess, remember?”

They were still giggling when a knock echoed from the door. A very disheveled Whitley stood there, dark bags under his eyes and hair in disarray, clothes wrinkled for the first time in his life.

“May we help you?”

“Weiss… I have something for you.”

Their curiosity prompted all three Dragons to follow him all the way out to the enormous garage in the rear of their house, muttering to each other. What could this be about? As far as Weiss knew, she and Whitley didn’t have two words to say to each other; a difference in opinion about whether or not their father deserved his untimely demise kept them from seeing eye to eye on anything else.

“Okay, yes,” she finally sighed when the lights came on, revealing the long row of autos. “Father had a lot of money to spare on cars. I know this.”

“Patience, dear sister.” He motioned for her to follow, leading to the very end of the row. And there…

“OH!” Yang burst out.

It was a lovely example of a European motorcycle. Mostly black and chrome, polished and looking as good as new. In the middle of the cherry red of the tank lay the word “Panther”, proudly displayed.

“Well… okay.” Blake walked around it quickly, nodding with her thumb and forefinger on her chin. “Not a bad little bike, especially for a foreign model. Pre-war or post-war?”

“Ah,” Whitley laughed with a slight edge of nervousness. Obviously he was not terribly happy that Weiss’s friends had tagged along, but was determined to press on. “Model 100, 1954. 598cc, four-gallon tank. Can make it up to seventy with a good tailwind.”

A somewhat bitter smile came to Weiss’s lips. “You were listening when he gave all those lectures about his automobiles, huh?”

“I was. Well… the last few years. Before that, I was disinterested.”

“Four-speed?” Blake asked. When Whitley nodded, she poked and prodded at the engine and the shocks a little, pressed into the seat. “It’s been fairly well maintained. Probably only took it out for a joyride once a month.”

“That sounds accurate,” Whitley sighed with a curt nod.

“Nice bike. Want to see ours? Show-and-tell?”

“Harleys,” he sighed with a dismissive wave. “They are wonderful machines, make no mistake, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”

“Wow,” Yang muttered as she checked it out as well. “Alright, are we… taking this out for a test drive? Or what?”

Swallowing hard, he said, “Actually… I thought Weiss may want to.”

“Me?” his sister squeaked. “Oh, no, no. I’ve barely even tried – I almost toppled the last motorcycle I tried to drive down the road at a snail’s pace!”

“But if you’re going to be its new owner, you may want to try a little harder, right?”

“That would only matter if…” The words finally sank in, and Weiss turned to blink at her brother – who had his hands in the small of his back, looking off into the corner of the garage. “Wait…”

Blake stood upright and folded her arms over her chest. “What’s your game? I thought you hated all of us, especially because we ride.”

“That is… well…” Sighing, he looked back at the motorcycle. “I don’t pretend to fully understand this whole situation. I don’t believe you that Father was as bad as you say… but I can’t deny it is not impossible. Either way, there is no way I can drive every one of these vehicles. Mother may have a more sensible sedan, and you may have this because it suits your… current interests.”

“So you’re giving me this motorcycle?” she asked, still not quite able to believe it. Because it was so… un-Whitley-like. “Just like that?”

Shrugging tightly, he went on, “You seem to have acquired the least of us. And this motorcycle will bring you more joy and… it will also be practical, since all of your friends ride them.”

“It kinda suits you,” Yang observed, running her hand over a handlebar. “British bike, since you’re my royal highness.”

Even while Whitley was raising his brows and Blake rolling her eyes, Weiss felt her cheeks warm very slightly at the sudden praise. “W-well, when you put it that way, I… suppose… well, I would be a fool to have a bike handed to me freely and turn my nose up. Thank you, Brother.”

“Of course, Sister. We may be a broken family, but we are still a family, and…” After a moment of quiet, he simply shrugged, and gestured toward the house. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I don’t understand… anything, or know what to believe. Father was a strong, intelligent, amazing man, but I cannot forget your injured faces, or his anger with you, or… with me, sometimes. If a motorcycle will make you happy, and I have one that I am not using, then-”

He didn’t get any further before Weiss caught him up in a crushing hug. Several seconds passed before he raised his own hands up to pat her on the back, clearly anything but comfortable with the display of affection.

“Thank you,” she repeated when she stepped back, eyes only slightly damp now. “I hope… well, as hard as all of this is… I hope we can all live together again. Like a family.”

“As do I. Now if you will excuse me, I think… I would like to be alone for a while.” And with no more words than that, he turned to make his way back to the house.

“Warm, fuzzy guy,” Yang muttered.

“He's doing his best,” Weiss sighed as they turned back to look over the vintage bike again. “To be honest, I expected him to hate us forever once he heard about Father, but…”

Both Yang and Blake slid comforting hands onto their girlfriend's shoulders. “We know,” the latter whispered when Weiss never finished her sentence. “A death in the family is… strange. Affects everyone differently. I was too young to remember Dad at all, but I still feel sad when I see Mom misses him.”

“I miss Summer every day,” Yang put in, looking very uncomfortable with the topic but doing her best to soldier through. “Weird how I think… Ruby bounced back a little easier than I did. Even though she was her real mom. We both miss her a lot, but Ruby seems fine now, right?”

“Better now that her big sister is talking to her again,” Weiss whispered, patting the reassuring hands. Yang rolled her eyes but made no further comment.

--------------------------------------------------

    Soon after, they did take the little European bike out for a spin. Everyone took a turn, and Blake and Yang were able to help give Weiss some pointers. She started to get the hang of it by the time it got close to time for a somewhat late dinner.

But when they got home, there was a surprise guest waiting for them. Raven had stopped by… and miracle of miracles, she was wearing a dress. It was very old-fashioned and an olive green that didn't particularly flatter her, but still far beyond what any of them were expecting.

“Mom?!” Yang burst out, eyes nearly bugging out of her head. “Did you lose a bet or something?”

“Shut up, runt.” But it was clear to anyone paying the slightest shred of attention that she was nervous.

“You girls be kind,” Kali said with a knowing smile as she edged into the room from the kitchen. Her hands were buried in a towel; clearly she had been doing most of the cooking. “Raven, you look lovely.”

“Nobody asked you.”

“It wasn't asked, it was offered freely. Do you have to bite the hand that feeds?”

“Oh, you know how hard I can bite.” A look passed between them so intense the younger Dragons all shivered. But eventually, she rolled her shoulders and backed off. “How's the move going?”

“Go ask her yourself, Branwen. I'm not your messenger girl.”

So she did just that. Kali pursed her lips but wasted no more breath on her old friend’s retreating back before she stepped forward to hug her daughter. “How did you girls enjoy your afternoon?”

“Was fine,” she answered while her mother moved on to hug Weiss, then Yang. Weiss noticed Blake’s cheeks had pinked at the brief embrace, but decided to pretend she hadn’t. “How are things looking around here?”

“I'm not really sure. I helped with a few things but then decided my efforts were better spent getting dinner started. One less thing for Willow to have to worry about.”

Weiss went in for another hug. “She's really lucky to have you around.”

“Tell that to Raven,” she chuckled, even as she hugged right back very warmly. Again, Weiss had to marvel at how she had gone from no mothers to two in such a short period of time.

But their reverie was interrupted. Just then, they heard a startled “Oh!” from the kitchen. Glancing at each other, they all went to investigate.

Willow's hands were resting on Raven's shoulders as they stood frozen in time by the sink. That alone could have been pretty damning, but on top of that, Raven had her own mitts latched very firmly onto the other woman's waist, gazing in mingling surprise and concern into the startled Schnee's eyes. The sink was still running in the background, unnoticed.

“Whoa,” was all Yang breathed – and it had been very quiet. But whether it was from that or a mere coincidence, the two suddenly broke apart, Raven clearing her throat and one of Willow’s hands falling to the center of her own chest.

“Sorry,” Raven said immediately, voice attempting an approximation of her normal indifference and failing. “I'm… I didn't mean to- I was just trying to hand you the towel. Swear to God.”

Hastily, Willow shook her head, cheeks a rosy tint as she took a half step forward. “No, no. It's quite alright. My fault for turning so suddenly without watching where I was going.”

The room remained silent for a moment. Just as Blake began to back toward the door, motioning for the others to follow her, Raven stirred to life and tried to push past first.

“Nope,” Kali said immediately, throwing out both arms to bar her exit.

“Relax, Belladonna. I just… need to use the powder room.”

Yang's eyebrows shot up. “Since when do you call it that instead of ‘the latrine’?”

“Since forever, you ornery little brat! Now let me through, will ya?”

“If I hear that old rust bucket of yours start up, I'm going to chase you down. You had better know that.” When Raven gave her a curt nod, Kali stepped aside and let her old friend pass.

“Wow, that was ridiculous,” Blake muttered under her breath. But when her mother nudged her hard with her elbow, she yelped and hissed, “What?”

“Look,” Kali breathed as she nodded toward the center of the kitchen.

Never in her life had Weiss seen her mother look quite so lost and confused – and there were a great many other times she had seen her in similar states. Willow backed up to clutch at the counter behind her as the water continued to pour from the faucet, eyebrows furrowing as she stared down at the linoleum. And it wasn’t just the confusion, either; she also seemed very vaguely hurt.

“Mom, it's okay,” she whispered. But somehow that seemed to be the wrong thing to do. The woman started, eyes wide and wild as she looked around as if she had no idea anyone else was in that kitchen. Which might have been true.

“Oh! I'm sorry, Weiss, did you need something? Dinner is almost ready…”

“That's good! I'm sure it will be wonderful. But... are you sure you're alright?”

“Of course! Why wouldn't I be all right? Simply… simply marvelous. We're back in our own house, and Whitley even said hello to me… I think everything is looking up.”

Having heard enough of that back-and-forth, Kali moved over to lean against the counter next to her. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you know. Not a thing.”

“Really?” she laughed softly, eyes still full of pain. “Then why do I feel like every step I make is the wrong one? This is just… the latest one. And you’re still upset with me…”

“I am not. You know that.”

“Yes, you are,” she said more firmly. “And why shouldn’t you be? What I let happen w-” Suddenly, she cut off, casting a fearful glance at the other girls.

“You said you wouldn’t do it again. Everyone makes mistakes.” She lowered her voice a little, but Weiss still caught the next words: “Weiss isn’t upset with you, and she’s the other person whose feelings matter, anyway. So… you really ought to quit flogging yourself.”

Once the meaning caught up to her, Weiss said, “Oh. Mom, if this is about what happened in the bath, I already told them. You don’t have to worry; nobody’s mad at you.”

The Schnee matriarch’s entire face and neck flushed scarlet. “I wish you hadn’t done that… but… oh, Weiss, I really have made so many mistakes…”

“I’m sorry,” Kali persisted, frowning hard. “I was very shocked, and… I overreacted. You probably already felt mixed up enough about it as it was.”

Yang and Blake drifted over to Mrs. Schnee’s other side. “Hey,” the latter said softly. “If it helps, I can tell you Weiss really enjoyed herself. But you’re still her mom; she isn’t disappointed in you, didn’t lose respect for you, or anything like that.”

“Yeah,” Yang added. “And I just think it’s kinda kinky.” When Kali scowled at her, she shrugged. “What? Am I supposed to lie?”

“You’d want a mouthful of Raven’s breast?” Kali demanded.

“Don’t think she’d give it to me if I asked,” Yang chuckled easily enough. “I hear what you’re saying, Mrs. B. - I know it’s different when it’s your own mom. But… nobody got hurt. They both had a good time. The only part that’s a real drag is that they both think the other person hated it, and hate each other. But everybody’s fine.”

Amazingly enough, it turned out to be Yang’s sentiment that helped the most. Maybe it was more due to seeing four of them all being unwaveringly supportive of her, but either way, that was when Willow started nodding. “Well… if you all are sure, then I guess I should stop punishing myself. For that.”

“For everything,” Kali persisted, hugging her from behind. “All that is in the past; just learn from it, don’t dwell. And as for Raven…”

“As for Raven?” she prompted in a nervous tone.

“She’s yours for the taking. No one is going to call you a lesbian,” she spoke over the budding protest. “It doesn’t mean you’re betraying Jacques’s memory or anything. You’re still Willow, and still a wonderful mother and a dear friend.”

Her head shook very gently as she whispered, “How can I… with a woman? You all do it, a-and that’s fine, but I’ve birthed children, Kali. I’m not like you are!”

“Wow,” Blake muttered, clearly offended by the accidental implication that she didn’t exist.

“Besides, what in heaven would a dynamo like Raven want with my old, used-up body anyway?”

“You forget, her body’s just as used-up,” Yang put in with a shrug. “Well… only from me, but still, she’s been through the same thing. Pretty sure she’s not expecting you to look like some teenager when she gets you in the sack.”

“Yang!” Kali hissed at her – but Willow was chuckling.

“It’s alright. She’s blunt but makes a very good point; I’m… getting so far ahead of myself, and being silly. But I don’t have anything else to offer, either; an old drunk who couldn’t even protect her children, and has no useful skills.”

However, Yang was already shaking her head even before she finished. “Pretty sure that’s not how she sees you. More like… a princess stuck in an ivory tower who’s been really lonely for a really long time.”

“Kind of like herself,” Kali commented with sad eyes. “Though she did lock herself in her own dungeon, it’s… still awful.”

At that moment, there came a vague sound from the doorway. When they all saw Raven standing there, hands clenched at her sides, they thought she was either going to shout at them for talking behind her back. Or turn right back around and storm out. Her jaw was set, eyes piercing, chest heaving. Willow stood forward from the sink with a gulp, hands clutching at the chest of her dress.

“Willow… I’m sorry.”

“For what? You haven’t done anyth-”

“No, hang on.” She glanced at the others. “Can you maybe scram? I got somethin’ to say to Willow and I don’t need an audience.”

Kali smirked. “Is it going to be that damning?”

“FINE!” she growled, and Willow flinched – making her hastily hold up both hands. “Wait. Don’t… just… I’m sorry about that, too. I got a temper. Real tired of people taking advantage of me, or… making fun, or… and I ain’t good with words.”

“Not everyone is meant to be a bard,” Willow told her as she started to breathe normally again.

“Sure. But you deserve… Kali. Somebody who’s gonna be able to be all ‘high society’ with you. Just not that kinda woman and never have been, and I don’t think I could be if I tried.”

Stunned, Kali glanced between the other two mothers, and briefly at their daughters – who had backed all the way to the refrigerator, trying to seem unobtrusive now. Then she began delicately, “Willow and I are only friends. I promise you.”

“Please, both of you,” Willow urged them as she swallowed. “I’m only friends with the both of you, and I’d like to continue to be. Besides, I… I’ve never been a very, um… sexual person.” While Weiss was squirming in her shoes, her mother cleared her throat and continued, “But the both of you have made me feel so safe, and cared for, and… I don’t… I very much dislike this notion you trying to decide who ‘gets’ me when I just w-want-”

Raven and Kali were clinging to either side of her before she could finish. Weiss couldn’t help feeling the tiniest flicker of amusement as she slid both of her arms around Blake and Yang’s backs; it was like a mirror through time. Like mother, like daughter, times three.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Raven told her very firmly. “Never again.”

“And Raven is moving in with you.” When the woman in question opened her mouth angrily, Kali held up a hand. “Permanently. Her house is a hovel, and yours will be emptier now. I think it’s safer. I would offer to do the same if mine didn’t have so much history – plus uprooting Blake.”

“Hey, don’t do me any favours,” Blake muttered.

“What about Yang?” Raven snapped. “She can get uprooted? She doesn’t matter like your girl matters?”

Even while Yang was smiling a little, overloaded with the very rare show of parental protection from the woman who seemed so indifferent, she said, “I don’t care about that house, Mom. And I know you don’t, either; you say all the time that we could burn it down and the ashes would be cleaner.”

“What?” Blinking a few times, she looked away. “It’s… pretty rotten, huh?”

“Yeah. But it’s not your fault; you tried to make it a home.” The older woman tensed as her girl approached, hugging her around the middle. “And we could make this home, if it’s what you want. Really. As long as I’ve got you and my bike and stuff, the rest is… well, it doesn’t matter that much to me. People make a home.”

Chuckling harshly, Raven finally let an arm fall around her daughter’s shoulders. “Guess I can understand that mindset. Home is where you hang your hat – or jacket in your case.” Then she considered for a long few seconds, looking down at the floor. “I’m… well, it won’t kill me. And I do like Willow… and even her daughter, a little. Maybe.”

After a few seconds of watching the extremely rare bonding moment between Yang and her mother, Weiss couldn’t resist a happy little wiggle as she hopped closer. “So we’re serious about this? Really?”