Blake Belladonna was running. Not the usual morning exercise run that she'd grown somewhat proud of, that was for fun and to keep herself in tip-top shape. Nope, Blake was running for her life and it was flashing before her eyes. Each step was a step away from her pursuer that she was glad to have. Her morning exercise was definitely paying off and not in the 'I'm hot' kind of way she was hoping. But instead a, 'thank my lucky stars I do the things I do' way. Luck was a funny concept to Blake anyway, being born a black cat seemed to be a cruel joke played by destiny.
Trees passed her by as her pace increased and she cursed her choice in footwear Heels for running! Who in their right mind wears heels for running! She thought to herself as she continued to push forward beyond the Grimm infested woods. Truth be told she questioned entire outfit and mostly why she decided that it would be a brilliant idea to go on a picnic without her weapon. On her own. Because she ran away from her date. Yep, Blake was really glad she chose to keep up with her morning routine.
Besides, it's not like she really needed to do much of anything anymore. The world was saved, her people no longer had to face horrible spiciest laws. The world was a place that anybody could be themselves now without fear of being persecuted by the law. Which meant that Blake could finally appreciate the finer things in life like tuna sandwiches, tuna bakes and a world where she can go outside without fear of somebody spraying her with a water bottle while hissing.
The key word being could, as she definitely had the option now, in reality Blake still wore her bow and still tired not to bring attention the fact that she is a faunus; you could change the law all you like and people will still be jackasses as she had learned. Still it was a step in the right direction of civil rights. Now if only Blake could stop her compulsion to run away at the first real sign of trouble. Taking into account what everybody way saying to her, it was likely due to stress.
Why Blake was stressed was definitely a different issue though. She'd long ago come to terms with her past as a dangerous criminal, put it all behind her and began to rely on her friends more and more. It was a value Blake placed above everything else but recent events lead to her really needing to get away from it all. There was a question her date asked which became the straw that broke the camel's back. The daily grind had gotten to her and Blake needed a real escape. Somewhere to relax, to break from the difficulty of life, even if only for a short while.
Where is the nearest spa around here? Can't be very far and I'm a good way from Vale on foot she thought as the jumped off a small ledge. Blake likely would have continued thinking if she hadn't been hit by oncoming traffic she was too distracted to notice. "I hope I didn't hit another cat" an extremely familiar voice called. Blake really hated being born a black cat. "Oh my God is that Blake!?" No doubt Blake really, really hated being a black cat.
An hour or so passed before Blake woke up, finding her partner and best friend, Yang Xiao Long, standing above her. "Oh thank God you're ok" Yang cried, a tone and a half away from her usual care-free tone and attitude. "I thought I was gonna have to add another sticker to my bike" a quick glance showed what seemed to be a tally chart of animals and Grimm that Yang must have run over in the past. Counting all the Grimm would take a long time, all the animals a far longer time. Only two cyclists and a car from the looks of things though so it definitely wasn't all bad.
"What are you doing in the middle of nowhere Blake? The same thing I am?" Yang asked
"Are you running away from something?"
"So not hunting Grimm then, all the more for me!" Yang snapped at Blake's answer in her usual cheery tone, which meant that puns were sure to follow soon. Now that was something Blake would like to run away from but her head was still spinning from her badly failed jump routine. If it were any consolation, the two would make an appealing slapstick act. "Well if you're not killing Grimm then you want a ride to the next town?"
"That would be appreciated" Blake replied with a groan, using the ruck just under her head as a pillow. Yang, meanwhile was getting her bike to stand up before flicking the ignition and just checking for any damage done to the beautiful machine. A few scratches here and there, with Blake's bow caught in the front time. Blake's favourite bow caught in the front tire. Maybe Blake's a little too out of it to notice Yang dared to think, her small flame of hope snuffed out after by Blake screaming at the top of her lungs "WHERE IS MY BOW!?"
It was all going well, easy money killing Grimm, fun times staring bar fights and the best part was that she didn't even have to pay for collateral damage. Yang Xiao Long was living the high life of a drifter on the open road killing Grimm and saving the day. Nothing was more perfect that her life was at this moment. Especially because the Kingdom of Vale graciously gave her a fortune to track down and kill the Grimm that destroyed the walls of an important mining village. Yep, it was a good, good, good day. Hell, the new "Humming Bird Way" that opened up recently made traveling between Vale and its surrounding villages a lot easier; the fact it was a joy to ride down made it that much sweeter. Then she ran into and a friend.
That friend was now pouting on the back of her bike, facing the wrong way and trying to hide her seething anger. Yang would try to lighten the mood with a joke but that wouldn't work, nothing got through to Blake when she was like this. Not even a shot-gun gauntlet blast to the face. Yang would know, she tried it years ago. Aura is a thing, though why it didn't stop Blake from falling unconscious was probably something she shouldn't think about. Besides Yang was holding back when they fought at a particularly heated reunion, the floor could not hold back.
Blake on the other hand was slouched in her pouty face, facing backwards so the wind didn't hurt her exposed ears. Otherwise she wouldn't be so desperately afraid of falling off the bike and losing another hour or so of her life. Other than that the free breeze was very soothing to Blake, it had been a very long while since she took the bow off and allowed herself to feel the liberation of being free. Being near her partner was a prize that returned some nostalgia to her. Good times were gone, their best years behind them. I wonder if we'll ever be able to really relax like we did back then letting out a sigh of both frustration and relief. The relief was mostly due to having Yang around. It was good to have a familiar face, especially when you haven't seen one in a long time.
Yang piped up with "You know there's rumours of this place, opening a resort for hunters to chill out and relax in. Could be nothing but it'd be worth checking out, don't you think?" Yang couldn't help but ask her friend, probably on the same wave-length somehow. Yang just had the ability to tell when something was wrong, always the mood maker in any given situation. "If you're not planning to continue your little run, maybe we should see if there's any truth to it" poking fun at her friend Yang clearly had that little smirk on her face that she always had when causing trouble. Blake didn't have to look at her to know that.
"If it is true, who's paying?" Blake asked.
"Whoever's in charge!?" Yang replied, revving up the engine on her bike. She could pay for both of them if she really needed to, but where was the fun in that? Wouldn't it be better to wing it and see if you could get a freebie? Yang certainly thought so.
If it all went well, maybe they'd even invite Ruby and Weiss, have a team get-together and swap stories of killing Grimm and whatever other crazy adventures everybody was having! They were heroes, adventurers and top-class beauties; they all must have had something going on the fact that Blake was running in the forest proved it.
"So what've you been doing since we all went our separate ways?" Blake asked, not entirely sure if it was the best subject to be approaching, A question like this gave Yang the right to ask the same though that didn't really mean Blake had to give an answer. Mysteries lose all appeal one they get explained.
"Fighting Grimm, beating up bad guys. Helped found a settlement in Vacuo with those Indigo girls and that Scarlet guy from Sun's team" Yang replied, sounding quite proud of herself. "What about you?"
"Doing contract work for villages here and there, mostly trying to find a place where my bow won't be questioned. And, well, taking enthusiastic runs in the forest" Blake replied, leaving out the biggest reason she was out for a leisurely rub in this heat.
"Getting hit by bikes part of your exercise plan now?"
"No, but then neither was hitting my head." Blake replied in her usual tone, pouting seemed to be over now.
"Ok, real talk time. You said you were running away. From what? You never said" Yang asked, the curiosity clear in her voice.
"My creepy landlord with a faunus fetish. Or maybe I'm running from fluffy, you remember fluffy?"
"Please not fluffy" the cold fear shot up Yang's spine for a moment "Ok so you don't really wanna tell me, I'll just have to get you drunk enough." The devilish tone Yang took told Blake that it was going to happen, even if Yang had to drag Blake to the bar it would happen. Since Yang got her new arm it wouldn't be difficult to drag anyone wherever she wanted.
The shining chrome that was Yang's right arm created a reflection of the trees that passed. Her metal limb was normally covered up by a longer sleeve, giving her a full asymmetrical appearance. People are uneasy around anybody with prosthetics, though that may be because of the usual human condition. People just tend to fear what they don't understand. In the chrome there were yellow trims, just something to say that the arm was indeed a part of Yang and not just some prosthetic-robotic attachment that would be traded in when the next model came out.
As the town drew closer and closer Yang could only think of how much more fun she'd be having if her friends from Beacon were sharing their adventures even after they'd saved the world. Just having Blake close was a feeling she'd missed for a long time, if this resort place was the real deal then it would mean that she could relax for a bit with a friend. Maybe a cold drink and some hot guys by the pool, if there was indeed a pool; especially since they were in the best parts of the summer. Oh yeah, this'll be good.
Dusk quickly settled overhead as Yang and Blake were pulling into the town, it was just like any other you'd see on the travels. A bulletin board with jobs a hunter could do, some sanctioned by the government and others were private contracts. Private contracts take a few different meanings but more often than not cover jobs that don't fall under what the government can sanction. Which means they typically pay a little more than your standard kill X amount of Grimm that normally get offered. Useful information for any hunters worth their salt, it's worth asking around the town for anyway.
Speaking of, it seems quiet. Too quiet, like somebody died. "Well that Resort is probably a bust. Can you see anything Blake?" Yang looked over her shoulder to see nothing. Did she run away again!? I swear that girl needs some bells or something, Yang thought before looking ahead. Blake was standing in front of the bulletin board, her mouth slightly open as she read the large sheet of paper that stunned her to silence. Yang casually waked over to her friend "what's wrong? Seeing a big reward? OH! Is it an easy gig?" Yang pestered her partner for the details till she followed the line Blake's finger presented.
The paper Blake was pointing to read as followed:
The Lord Arc is dead, this is a sad time for the community.
When an Arc passes their legacy is left to the most suitable heir.
Unfortunately the deceased Lord Arc hadn't named a successor.
Let us take this time of mourning as a reminder that age kills even heroes.
-Mayor Matalan.
"That can't be our Arc can it? I mean the Arcs are a big family… Right?" Yang asked, shaking a little. Blake just moved the last part of the paper that was obscured by the cluttered board. It added:
P.S.
His eyes were a beautiful and deep blue.
His hair was yellow as the bountiful wheat harvest of fall.
His simple shield was a bulwark against the tides darkness.
His mighty sword cleaved through the night to create a new dawn.
His cheerful smile kept the fire of hope alight.
He'll be missed but cherished, as he goes to his comrades in the stars.
As all the greatest heroes are.
"Somebody actually wrote that?" Yang glanced at who had signed it. Reading allowed both Yang and Blake said "by the seven Arc sisters." Looking directly at one another the only thing on their minds was language far too colourful to use in any polite way.
Oh shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Yang wanted to scream. This is decidedly not the way you want to find out about a friend passing away. Or that he was apparently a minor Lord this whole time and nobody knew. Well Ren probably knew, he could read minds and always showed up with everybody's preferred drink whenever they went out. He also always left before Yang got drunk enough to wreck the place.
"We don't get visitors this late. Yew here about the Arc?" A low, husky voice called out to the two clearly panicking girls. "If you wanna visit the grayve you should go up to the manner up-top that hill." The voice said, accent making it very difficult to grasp the finer directions. "Yew a couple huntress'?" The man asked, "Got a contract for a King Taijitu if yew want it" he took a few steps into the vague light given by the board. Looking Yang up and down before looking her straight in the eyes and asking "are yew a natural blonde?" Yang's answer was to punch him on the nose, he went down and backwards.
Am I a natural Blonde?! The nerve of that guy! Yang thought before sprinting to her bike, Blake on her heels in a flash and breath. Each of them thinking the same thing. Answers and confirmation were just atop that hill, in that big, big house. Neither of them could say they really liked the idea of popping in on a family in mourning but sometimes you just had to know. This was one of those times.
The ride up was maybe five, ten minutes at the absolute most. The speed Yang was going it's a wonder she even had time to react to the awkward turns on the assumed private road. Blake was just holding on for dear life for the second time today. There was so much she wanted to do: settle down, have a litter of her own. Maybe teach them to be really, really good at running. Give them the head start she never had and for the love of all that was good and right in the world buy them shoes that are made for running.
The fancy fountain in the small courtyard was low enough to make a ramp for a sweet entrance. Yang just couldn't resist. It was too perfect and despite Blake's brief protest Yang was already too into it. Revving up her bike once more Yang popped a wheelie and perched the front of her bike on the low fountain edge. Riding around in circles along the thick concrete that kept the shallow water inside. With all her Strength Yang hoisted her bike at the right moment and made a swing for the huge doors of the house.
Note: Edits of the other parts are coming, it was brought to my attention that there are some grammar and spelling mistakes. Some set ups for jokes could be done better as well. Considering adding the friendship tag.
Not the drama one though, each of the problems presented are motivation for relaxing. They will fuel the fun I have planned for later chapters.
Enjoy.