[A/N: Hello and welcome. A couple of points before you get stuck in. Due to the way I intend to structure this, I'll be releasing the first two chapters in rapid succession (i.e. Chapter 2 will be put up within ~30 hours of this one). The reason for this will hopefully become pretty obvious once you see Chapter 2. Also, at the point of publishing/writing, RWBY Season 2 has finished, just in case more information is revealed as we go. More after you've actually read this chapter :)]

"Have we got a deal?"

"Not quite," I replied languidly. Situated at a small table in my office, I waited with a keen eye for my client's response. My office, by the way, was a lovely new piece of architecture that was less than a decade old at the time. In the latest style, naturally, with clean lines and elegant scalloped cornices. Gaudy cherubs need not apply.

The man lounging in the luxuriously padded chair across from me raised a casual eyebrow. He thought he'd had this sewn up. Considering the length of our negotiations, an unexpected additional condition from me so late in the game was not ideal. Of course, that was rather why I'd chosen to unveil my surprise at this particular juncture. Leigh's reaction had the potential to tell me so much more about the man than I already knew.

Leigh Benoit was a man after my own heart; he's charming, composed, drove a hard bargain, and dallied with the young and the reckless. My sources told me that he enjoyed being the mysterious benefactor for the up and coming of the social scene. Then he got in their pants. It wasn't difficult to see why. Impeccably dressed in a well-cut business suit and tie, dark hair cut in the latest fashion, exuding confidence and poise. It was almost as though I was doing a business deal with someone exactly like me. Well, other than the fact that I don't have dark hair.

I also happened to know his secret and intended to use it to good effect.

"Be honest, Leigh. You sought me out because you were hoping for an in with my brother." I had a preemptive hand raised to stop him before he could even start spluttering a protest. "No no darling, don't lie to me. I completely understand. You see the Schnee name, and it's only natural to think there would be a way to link up with the most promising new company on the scene."

Did I say he was exactly like me? I was wrong. I'm certain I wouldn't look nearly as embarrassed as Leigh did if I was confronted with an inconvenient truth.

"Ludwig… look, it might have started out that way but," he began awkwardly.

I had to chuckle as I completed his protest for him, "But you found out what a charming and wonderful person I am and now your intentions are pure?." I scoffed, "Please."

Outrage of course, as put on as the rest of him, "And why not? You shouldn't make yourself out to be some kind of demon. You and I are the same! We have the same habits and tastes, our families expected too much of us, our siblings are more successful than we. Maybe I had a change of heart."

Behind steepled hands, it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. "Leigh, you're embarrassing yourself. I don't need a song and dance about how we could be long lost brothers. Cut the bullshit and just admit it. After all, it's normal for businessmen to want to be close to success." Now for the trap.

I rose from my seat and began to circle, gradually closing the space between us, "What isn't normal, however, is your penchant for those among us who have tails. And sometimes furry ears, or claws. Which, in this day and age is…unusual, shall we say. We might even go so far as to call it dangerous," I added with just the hint of a smirk.

Leigh's eyes widened, the only evidence of his shock. But he recovered his aplomb with admirable speed. "Well, it seems that you have me over the proverbial barrel," he said, spreading his arms with a wry smile, "Have your way with me." His response was interesting. He was more embarrassed about forming business ties with my brother through me, than with liking a bit of fur on the side. I hadn't expected that, but I could certainly work with it.

Stopped before him, I crossed my arms and frowned, "I merely wanted you to be aware that I know who you are and what you're really about. I'll keep your little taste for Faunus between us, but should I require assistance, I would expect it. We'll call it an unspoken part of our deal. Agreed?"

Leigh got to his feet in one smooth movement, tense but still in control, "Well how could I possibly say no to your generous offer, Ludwig? In this day and age, when humans try to ignore or pretend Faunus don't exist. Despite the fact that we were the ones who found them and upset the balance of things with our pretty little war 30 or so years ago. Yet as soon as any human expresses an 'unbecoming' level of interest in Faunus, they become pariahs. Or 'disappeared'."

I'll admit, his outburst surprised me, but you play the hand you're dealt. "If you think slighting the War and what people like my father did there is going to distract me, or alternatively make me very angry, you don't know me nearly as well as you think. I would be one of the first to concede that we made mistakes. Yes, we as a society would rather look the other way from the unknown quantity that is the Faunus. Dangerous? Yes. Stupid? Possibly. Would I do it differently? Very likely."

I stopped in my pacing and turned to face Leigh. "But that is rather beside the point. We are talking about you. You obviously have not been trying to ignore the Faunus or pretend they don't exist. And society is starting to do the same. The rumblings about the Faunus and what to do with them are only going to worsen. The implications for you should your...tastes be discovered could be disastrous."

He knew all of this, of course. But I've often found that articulating the obvious to others can sometimes be just the little push they need.

Although he didn't like what I was saying, Leigh was a man of good sense. He conceded, albeit reluctantly, "Alright, Ludwig, fine. You win. I know you like to hear that. Yes, should you require assistance I would be capable of providing, I will happily render it in exchange for you keeping my private tastes private." He paused and then nodded to himself. He turned to me and smirked, "And since you know so much about me now, how about we go get a drink? I know just the place."

Look, I'm a lot of things but I'm not stupid. I had misgivings about what lay behind that smirk. On the other hand, this had the potential to take my company, not to mention the Schnee Dust Company, to the next level. The forms must be observed. I nodded, "Of course. You must let me buy you at least one."

I should probably tell you a little bit about myself.

Hello, Ludwig Schnee. Pleased to meet you. Oldest child of Marion and Jerome Schnee, business consultant, social butterfly, romancer of the beautiful and willing, occasional drunkard, and designated black sheep.

You may also be familiar with my aforementioned brother, Tomas. Apple of our parents' eye, youngest son, loving husband and father, successful businessman, entrepreneur, and founder of the Schnee Dust Corporation. He's also heartless, demanding, charismatic, arrogant, and highly driven. There are words for that kind of man but most of them insult my mother which would be unfair to her, really.

To summarise, I'm bad at the good things and good at the bad things. Except for business. You could say that runs in the family. I have my own theories about that but we'll leave those for some other time. My dear brother is approximately the opposite of me. All of Remnant is beginning to recognise his name. I'm lucky to be a footnote.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not jealous of his success. He earned it fair and square; he had an idea and put in the hard yards to develop it into something real. I just wish he wasn't so insufferable about it.

Me? Well, the weight of expectation was placed on me from a young age. As his eldest child, my father had big dreams for me, never mind that they bore no resemblance to what I wanted. I'm not proud of it, but I eventually buckled under that weight. I used alcohol, sex, and general bad behaviour to run away from my problems. I know it sounds cliche, but it made sense to me at the time. Fortunately, Tomas was there to pick up the pieces. Capable, clever, dependable Tomas.

It took a stand up, screaming fight with my own mother of all people, to bring me back to reality. My inheritance, as it were, was obviously gone, neatly scooped up and passed on to my ever so deserving brother. I took up consulting for other companies instead. Despite my best efforts, it seems, I had managed to retain enough of my training for that. And to my surprise, I was quite good at it, particularly the part where you wine and dine.

The next few years were difficult, but I'm now well-placed enough to pick and choose my clients, while also maintaining a certain lifestyle befitting the Schnee name. I even occasionally bat some business Tomas' way, not that I get any thanks for it. For those who don't know, building a profitable business is not easy. And sometimes there are things you do for the sake of business, making the right connections, and sealing a deal.

Thus how I found myself attending a Faunus whisky bar with my latest client.

To look at it, you wouldn't have thought the bar Leigh took me to had only been around for a decade or two. There was a solidity to the place and the structure it was housed in. The furnishings were carefully aged but sound, the lighting tastefully dim, and a variety of seating arrangements available, all of them seeming capable of sustaining the weight of the world. It felt well-established, like it had always been here and always would be. Maybe that's why it's so popular. Granted, I don't know much about Faunus. But after all the upheaval since the Great War 30 something years ago, I'd imagine they'd like a bit of stability in their lives.

Leigh and I were seated in a corner of the bar, facing each other in high-backed leather armchairs, what appeared to be a small tree in a large pot providing us with a semblance of privacy. With glasses of whisky in hand, fine quality considering the relative youth of the establishment, we were observing the niceties in relative style. I was smart enough not to query how the proprietors of the Vine and Barrel had managed to acquire a bottle. Expensive though, obtained on Leigh's recommendation but my coin. The bastard.

Once we had settled down with our drinks, Leigh chose to initiate proceedings. He idly swirled the whisky in his glass, watching me with an amused smile. "Let's play a game, Ludwig."

"What? No foreplay? A little idle small talk?" I smirked, but couldn't help asking, "What sort of game?" He was playing to my worst instincts and I knew it.

"A child's one, ultimately. But as our fates are seemingly entwined for the present time, and considering the circumstances, it seems appropriate." He paused to sip his drink, "For every question answered, the asker must finish their drink. We alternate, naturally, until one of us can no longer answer coherently."

"What could I possibly gain from a game like this?" Not that it mattered; I was covering out of reflex. I was far more interested in pitting myself against Leigh than about what I might gain. After all, the man had a reputation on the scene, which also meant he had an experienced head for drink. Drinking him under the table might be a challenge. He continued to smile at me in that confoundingly enigmatic fashion as well, which got under my skin and made me want to get the better of him all the more. I wasn't kidding about his appealing to those worst instincts.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Information, I suppose. Since you seem so keen on obtaining that from me. It goes without saying that we'd both have to answer honestly."

Very nice. He hadn't wheedled, and he didn't oversell. I knew he was trying to play me, but that didn't mean I couldn't admire his technique.

"Well, if you insist," I conceded. I may have added a bit of a dramatic flair to it, just to let him know I was onto him. People like us live for games within games, and playing along despite knowing what he was doing was another way for us to try to best the other. "As financier of our first round, I believe it only appropriate that I begin then."

Leigh gestured graciously with his glass for me to proceed. I gave the room a cautious glance before continuing with my question, "So, Faunus. Is it all noble sentiment? Or is there something more that intrigues you about them?" I was hitting him with a more troublesome question than was seemly, but I had no intention of taking it easy on him. It was his game, after all.

Rather than answer flippantly, my opponent gave the question due consideration. I'll confess to some surprise at the time. There are rules of the game and then there are guidelines. It also meant I had to do the same when it was my turn.

"No, it's not solely noble sentiment. More like… curiosity. The Faunus are people; they just look different than us. It's the human condition to be fascinated or repulsed by something new and strange to our eyes; I'm simply one of the former. I believe that the Faunus have a lot to offer us and that we could learn much from them. What we do to them by shunning and ignoring them is shameful, particularly after we were the ones who pulled them out of their settled lives and patterns to begin with. You were right with what you said earlier. I, too, am aware of the discontent of late with the Faunus. It may take some time, but I don't doubt for a moment that it will build until a confrontation is unavoidable. Do we know what will happen to us as a result? We cannot even say where the Faunus truly came from. Our ignorance could very well be our undoing when that confrontation eventuates."

Leigh paused for a moment, seeming to gather himself before he continued with slightly less intensity, "I won't pretend to nobility; I think we humans deserve whatever we get for our wilful disregard and inability to see what a healthy relationship with them could have provided to us. But that wasn't the focus of your question. What intrigues me about them? Their potential. In everything."

I took a moment to digest what Leigh had so passionately put forward before tipping back my drink and downing it, savouring the slow burn. Interesting, and certainly not what I had expected. His logic was sound, and grounded in the practicality that a businessman must have. And he had articulated much that concerned me about our treatment of the Faunus as well.

Before I could sink deeper into my meditation on Faunus and humans, Leigh lobbed his question my way, carefully refilling my glass as he did so. "It's known in the circles we run in that you don't get along well with your family. Why do you accommodate people like me and serve as a middleman for your brother and his company?"

I recall reflecting at the time that if all his questions were like his first, it was going to be even money who came out on top of our little arrangement.

Let the games begin.

[A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Just in case it wasn't clear, Ludwig is not Weiss' grandfather, he'd be her great-uncle. He does mention that his brother Tomas founded the SDC, and we already knew Weiss' grandfather created the SDC. Feedback appreciated, I'll try to respond to them via PM as relevant. See you in Chapter 2!]