August 9th or August 16th the latest

*Looks at date, sees its October.*

Well, that plan failed.

I had taken almost a week-long break from thinking about the fic. When I came back, I had a massive bout of writer's block. I tried to start this chapter a few times over the last couple months, but always got stuck, until recently when I thought of the characters meeting in this chapter at 6 in the morning. During these months without update, I got a bunch of new ideas for where to take the fic. This chapter is partially reflective of that, as this is not what I originally planned for chapter 7. On the bright side, for those who waited long, I think this is the longest chapter of BFoB I've written so far.

I've also decided that while there are couple aspects of the earlier chapters I no longer like, I won't be doing the rewrite until after I finish this fic. I don't want to start over and then never complete this thing, because of my rampant inner critic.

I forgot to write this before, in part because I thought it was implicit, but I do not own Blue Exorcist nor RWBY.


Rin's stomach growled as he walked toward the dining hall. Terra won't be mad if I just make a tiny snack for myself, right? He shivered. What she won't know, won't hurt her. He paused when he noticed there was a light on behind the door windows. There shouldn't be anyone else here this late at night. He pushed open the double doors. They made a creaking sound as they parted. Rin peaked inside. The tables were deserted. He heard something drop on the floor to his left. An onion rolled out from underneath the kitchen door, where the light from earlier was coming from. Rin walked over and picked up the onion, only to be smacked by the kitchen door opening.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?"

I'm gonna get a concussion by the time I leave this world. Rin clutched his head. He looked up and saw...snow? His vision cleared up and he could now make out a girl with snow white hair in a white dress. "How many fingers am I holding up?" She said.

"Two, and I'm fine," Rin said. The girl held out her dainty hand. He grabbed it, and she helped pull him up with ease. "Thanks."

"It was my fault anyways."

"So, what are you doing here this late at night?"

The girl was taken aback by his question and began fiddling with her fingers. "I, uh, didn't want to disturb my teammate," she paused, "team leader, who was studying on her own. So I decided to study outside our dorm room." Right then, the girl's stomach growled. "After I got myself something to eat." She sent him an accusatory look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Similar reasons. I was going to make myself a late night snack as well." Her shoulders slouched and her face eased up.

"Right. I should have expected you were here for the same thing. I really must be exhausted tonight."

"Eh, it's pretty late right now. I'm sure even Ozpin makes mistakes at this time of night."


"Checkmate," Ozpin said. Professor Oobleck sighed.

"That would be win number three tonight," Oobleck said.

"Don't be too down, Bart. I'm sure I'll get tired and make a mistake eventually." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "That's strange. I don't remember my coffee tasting so...rough."

"That's because you're drinking from my thermos."

Oh. "I meant to do that. They say you can tell a lot about a person by their choice in coffee."

"I've never heard that saying before."

"It's quite common in Vacu-is that fire dust I'm tasting."

"Well, it's a thermos that's also a torch. It's not gonna light on fire from the bottom."

Ozpin spat out the coffee.


"Here's a deal. I won't tell kitchen workers we were here if you won't," the girl said.

I am one of the-oh right, I probably look like a student right now. "Deal," Rin said. "I'm Rin, Rin Okumura."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the girl said as she curtsied.

After a few minutes, Rin and the girl sat opposite each other at one of the tables. A single ceiling light illuminated them. The girl had made herself a small salad. Rin had a sandwich in front of him. "So, I never got your name."

The girl stopped her movements and gave him a confused look. "You don't know who I am?"

"What, are you famous or something?"

"You're joking," she said. He shook his head. "You're not joking," she said. The girl sighed. "I'm Weiss Schnee." Rin gave a half-hearted smile. "As in Schnee Dust Company." Silence. "The largest supplier of Dust in all of Remnant!"

"Oh! That Schnee! Haha." Who the fuck buys dust? "How much money does a company selling dust make anyway?"

"Not dust, Dust!"

"..."

"The crystal that's used in everything!"

"Wow, technology here is really advanced to be powered by du-I mean Dust! Of course! I know everything about...that."

Weiss had a disgusted look on her face. "Do you not have electricity where you're from? What kind of backwater village did you crawl out of?"

"Hey! Just because you're from some big company doesn't mean you can be so damn rude, princess!"

"Princess!" Weiss slammed her hand on the table. "First off, I'm an heiress."

"Wooh, Big distinction there."

"Second off, how are you training to be a Huntsman without knowing what Dust is?"

"He's not."

Rin and Weiss turned to see Terra standing next to them. "Hey Terra. Uh, fancy meeting you here," Rin said.


Terra was escorting the two back to the student dorms. Terra stood in front while Rin and Weiss kept pace behind her, refusing to look at each other. The three walked in awkward silence until Terra spoke. "Just this once, I won't inform Glynda," Terra said. Rin and Weiss let out a sigh of relief. "I won't be as accommodating next time." A shiver went down the two teens' spines. "Here we are," Terra said as she stopped in front of the student dorms. "Don't sneak into the kitchen at night again."

"Understood," Weiss said.

Once Terra left, Rin and Weiss walked next to each other quietly. Rin tried to think of what to say, but Weiss beat him to it. "I," she sighed, "I may have overreacted a bit."

"A bit?"

"Look, I'm trying-"

"I'm kidding," Rin held his hands up in mock defeat. "I may have overreacted a bit too."

"Let's start over. I'm Weiss Schnee."

"Rin Okumura," Rin smiles a big toothy grin at her.

"So, why did you lie about being a student?"

"I didn't lie. I just didn't bother to correct you. And I didn't really want to burst your bubble when you thought you were pulling one over the kitchen staff."

"Now that you mention it, how does someone as young as you get a job here at Beacon? I would have expected you to still be in combat school."

"Don't students enroll here at 17? I'm only a year younger than you."

"A year too young to be here, as far as I'm considered. And you still haven't answered my question."

Rin scratched the back of his head. "I only came to Vale recently. My money turned out to be no good here. As I was going to be staying here for a while, I needed lien in order to eat and crash somewhere, which means I needed a job. I tried to get a job elsewhere, but..."


"Read the sign" The gruff man said. Rin looked to the man's left and saw in big bold letters, "No Faunus Allowed."

"I'm not a Faunus or whatever," Rin said.

The man said nothing and pointed to Rin's waist. Rin looked down and realized he had his demon tail out. In the blink of an eye he stuffed it back in his pants. "I have no idea what you're pointing to." The man raised an eyebrow. "Look," he only saw my tail, that's not enough to connect me to Satan, "my demon blood won't be a problem-"

"No exceptions," the man said. He slammed the door shut.


"I'm sorry, but we were looking for someone with more experience."

Rin's shoulders slumped.


"...someone with more verifiable experience."

Rin fell back in his chair.


Rin walked in-

"Stop. Turn around and don't come back until you've taken a shower."


"We were hoping for a candidate younger and cheaper."

"Younger? I'm 16. Is it even legal here to hire someone younger than me?"

"You think with humanity on the brink, the kingdoms are going to be strict with labor laws?"

"I guess not?"


"What am I gonna do?" Rin said.

Rin leaned back on the bench. Kuro crawled from his shoulder to his lap. As Rin looked to his right, he saw a sign posted on the window he was leaning against. "Beacon: Help Wanted."


"...and here I am," Rin said. He finished recounting his tale, leaving out that he had a tail. "As for why I'm not in combat school, I, uh, didn't have an opportunity to attend one back home." Please buy that last part.

Weiss said nothing in response. Her face looked contemplative. For a moment, Rin thought he saw a pang of guilt on her, before she looked at him and spoke. "Uh, look, if Beacon doesn't work out for whatever reason, I...might be able get you a cooking job at the Schnee manor in the future."

"If it ever comes down to it, and I'm still here,"-and not back home-"I might take you up on that."

"Well, here's my destination." Weiss stopped in front of one of the dorm rooms. She turned around on her foot, and then bowed in front of him. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Uh, likewise."

Rin walked toward his room, until he stopped halfway. "Hey, it looks like we're neighbors."

"That's nice-" Weiss paused. Her eyes traced a path between her room and his. "You!"

"Me?"

"You're the inconsiderate philistine from down the hall."

"...who the heck uses philistine as an insult?"

"Weiss," drawled a voice from behind her door. The door opened to reveal Ruby, rubbing her eyes and walking out in her sleepwear. "Why are yelling so loud-Rin!"

"Ruby?" Rin said.

"You two know each other?" Weiss said.

"Uh, I may have headbutt him trying to rush into the dining hall-"

"Never mind, not important. He's the one kept us up last night!"

"One," said a blonde girl popping out out the dorm room, "you're the only one who cares, Ice Queen."

"I shouldn't be. And stop calling me that!" Weiss said.

"And two, the only person keeping us all up right now is you," the girl said. She turned to Rin. "I'm Yang, by the way." She winked.

"I-I'm Rin," Rin said. Yang had lilac eyes, long flowing blonde hair, and-oh god why did he look down.

"See something you like?" Said Yang, who looked like she was barely containing a laugh.

"How unsurprising," Weiss said.

"Jealous?" Yang said.

"I am not!" Weiss said.

While the two started arguing, Ruby stepped forward. "Uh, Rin? Why are you over here?" Ruby said.

Her words knocked him out of his stupor. "Oh yeah. I live down the hall. Looks like we're neighbors."

Ruby looked at the argument between Yang and Weiss. "So, does that mean I sneak into your dorm when Weiss is being...Weiss?"

Rin chuckled. "Sure."

"Would all of you shut up!" Yelled a student from inside their room nearby.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Rin said.

"I agree," Ruby said.

"Night everyone," Rin said.

"Wait!" Weiss said.

Rin turned back around, only to get smacked in the face by a pamphlet. He grabbed it and turned it over. "Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals?"

"Read that, and the two of us will avoid any...unwanted incidents in the future." Weiss eyed Ruby, who gave a nervous laugh.

After Weiss, Ruby, and Yang turned in for the night, Rin was lying on his cot, thinking back to his and Weiss' earlier conversation. All my interviews ended terrible except for Ozpin's. And the only difference there was when I brought out Kurikara. Rin turned to his side. Does he know?


This will probably be futile, but I'm aiming for the next chapter to be released between October 25th-28th.