"I've spoken directly to Miss Salem, and she says it's imperative that you and your girls are happy with us, Glynda. We want you to be free to go in any direction you feel like going, as long as you're aware you have the spotlight on you now more than ever… and of course, we would like to provide some guidance of our own…"

Junior chatted merrily as he and Glynda walked through the pristine halls of Remnant Records. The walls around them held no usually tell-tale signs of a building where the intimidatingly famous worked. There were no framed autographs… no enlarged album covers. There were no windows, either. All that Glynda saw were doors after doors and slick white walls. Remnant Records needed no sign of how renowned they were. They expected you to already know.

Glynda adjusted her glasses and glanced at Junior. "Please slow down, Junior," she said. "You know I've been with Ember Celica Entertainment all my life. Who's Miss Salem?"

"The CEO. She's uh, more than that, really. Very active in all departments. She very much wishes everything to go smoothly."

"When should I expect to meet her?"

Junior seemed taken aback. "Probably never. I've never met her in person, even. She'll email you and call you, I expect, but don't think you'll just see her around."

"Oh."

The large man opened a door to a comfortable office, and beckoned his former client… and now, strangely, coworker… inside. "We've only got a few things to talk about," he assured. "Things to make the transition easier on everyone."

Glynda sunk into a large red armchair and made a mental note to get one just like it at home. She could fall asleep in that thing.

"Now, Glynda, first let's talk about your affairs. You've got a publicity manager?"

"An amateur social media coordinator, to be precise." Junior began to speak, but Glynda cut him off. "And we won't get rid of her for one of yours. She stays with the Queens of the Castle or we walk."

"Of course," the man agreed, running a hand through his hair. What a tell. He had definitely been about to argue. "Bring her in with some examples of her work. Provided she's only generating good publicity, we'll hire her full time for you."

That was a surprise. Velvet would be pleased. Glynda could think of no better job for the young woman than snapping new pictures and writing new articles about her friends.

"Now, your tour…"

"Starting in two months, domestic because Nora and Yang don't yet have passports."

"Are you ready?"

"Give me four weeks."

Junior coughed. "Could you train another girl in that time?"

"Why would I need to?" Glynda narrowed her eyes. A lesser woman might have said "certainly," and while she certainly could, she knew the old man's tricks way too well to get roped into something she didn't want to do.

Junior sighed heavily and leaned forward in his own chair across from her. "Here's the deal, Small Stuff. I've got to know something. Are you trying to recreate Summer Storm?"

In an ideal world, Glynda would not have hesitated.

This was not an ideal world.

She gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "I know that my girls are not Summer and me."

"And Cinder."

"And Cinder. They aren't who we were. The world wouldn't like them if they were. This isn't the nineties anymore. The nature of girl groups has changed, and I'm choosing to change with it rather than get caught up in my own thoughts and memories."

She was opening her mouth to begin the "But…" when Junior interrupted. "Great! That's just what Salem and I were thinking. The world's watching you and seeing where you're going with the Queens of the Castle. If we can show them that they're different, they'll want to know more. Lure them in, promise them a new show, not some back alley tribute. We thought the best way to do that quickly would be to shift the dynamic, bring in new talent. Sound good?"

Glynda blinked, slowly, incredulously. "New talent?" She was pleased to find her voice had a dangerous edge to it.

As always, Junior seemed blissfully unaware. A side effect, Glynda supposed, of their long-standing relationship. It was hard to be unnerved by a thirty-four year old woman when you knew how small and frightened she was at fourteen. "Sure! You'll pick a final selection, of course, but we'll do all the legwork, set up an audition and everything. It'll be great! You'll see how much better these groups work when there's an even number. Even if a member leaves you still have a group!"

"Is this a safety? Do you think one of my girls will bail?"

"I think it's a safe business move," Junior said. He looked Glynda dead in the eyes. "And Salem insists. I won't ask you to pick someone if you can't find a new girl that works. I do, however, have to ask that you give your approval for an audition to be held… and then attend it."

"And if I can't find anyone, you'll get off my back?"

"With pleasure."

Glynda rose to walk over to Junior. She put her hand out. "It's a deal."

"A new girl?" squeaked Ruby.

Yang's eyes were narrowed, and Nora was practically bouncing for joys. "I doubt it," Glynda said, choosing to reveal her honest feelings. "I agreed to his terms to appease him. They're our new bosses; we can't afford to get on their bad sides. I'm not looking for any new additions, and I'm sure you aren't either."

"You should have discussed this with us, even if you aren't planning to let anyone new into the group," said Yang. Under the anger in her eyes, Glynda sensed hurt. "We aren't kids, Glynda. We've got as much of a right to say yes or no as you do."

"You're right," admitted the older woman. "I can't back out now, but if anything else like this comes up, I promise I'll consult with you three first."

"Well I think it'd be great to have someone new!" Nora exclaimed. "I'm all for new friends, as long as they can take a little pain."

"That sounds like you're planning to break their legs," Ruby said.

Nora grinned. "Only if I decide I don't like 'em."

Over by the piano, Velvet shifted. "I'm with Yang. I like our current dynamic. I don't even want to take the chance."

"How about we all attend the auditions?" Glynda asked. "That way, we can firmly evaluate not just based on skill, but based on how well the candidates might fit in."

Reluctant shrugs all around, except from an enthusiastic Nora.

Glynda decided for them. "It's the least we can do. I expect you all at Remnant Records on Monday."

Monday came all too fast for anyone's liking. Glynda was the first to admit that she hated the idea of the auditions. It brought to mind her own try out… the start of the best and worst times of her life.

The morning of, she stopped into the ice cream shop and got a hot travel cup of coffee to go. Ozpin made it himself, but it wasn't until Glynda was on the way back to her car that she glanced at the paper cup and found a note: Good luck today! A little doodled smile accompanied the message, and Glynda gave her own very real smile. Ozpin had heard all about the audition; she'd mentioned it over a phone call, and he'd sympathized with her frustration. It made her feel warm inside that he'd remembered, though. The call had been days ago.

By the time Glynda and the Queens of the Castle walked into Remnant Records, it was bustling with girls in high school and college. The current members seemed to shift into their more public personas as soon as the candidates were in sight. Velvet almost melted into the crowd, wary of being spotted, identified… everyone knew Ruby had a girlfriend, but nobody was quite sure who it was, and Velvet liked it that way. Yang held her head high, aloof and cool (funny for Glynda, who knew she was about as cool as a fire). Ruby and Nora almost had to be pulled away from the crowd. They were already engaging with people.

Junior began a group routine to weed out the worst of the group. Ruby, Nora, and Yang stood up front and helped walk the candidates through it. Junior tapped girls out, narrowing the group by more than half.

For her part, Glynda watched. She remembered that she was chosen as a member of Summer Storm as much for her pre-audition choices as for her performance. Did any of these girls stand out, even now before she saw them individually?

No. Not yet, anyway.

The group finally retreated into a more private studio room. He introduced himself formally to the current Queens, and gave a respectful nod to Velvet (he'd met her a few days earlier, when Glynda had brought her in, as per his request). "Now, Small Stuff. You ready?"

"I'll never be," Glynda replied dryly. "Let's get this over with."

Junior grinned and pressed a button on the intercom. "Send the first girl in, Octavia."

"Right away, sir!" promised a female voice.

Then, the real fun began.

They weren't even halfway through before Glynda began to get exhausted.

Around her, the others seemed to be almost enjoying themselves. Velvet was hiding out on her blog, answering live questions from people curious about the audition. Nora and Ruby were talking animatedly about the last girl they'd seen, a possible contender if they had been actually planning to allow anyone else in. Next to her, Junior had struck up some sort of banter with Yang… banter Yang was undoubtedly winning.

"Look, Blondie, I have nicknames for everyone," Junior explained. "Small Stuff over here, your cousin Little Red over there…"

Yang's eyes gleamed. "I'm not doubting that, Junior, I'm just saying I'm not so fond of being called Blondie."

"What should I call you then?"

"How about sir?"

The intercom beeped before Junior could formulate a response to that. "Mr. Xiong, sir," said Octavia, "Should I send in the next girl?"

"Please," he responded.

"Alright. Number 104, Weiss Schnee."

Schnee? Glynda blinked. Schnee was not a common name, and she only knew it from the locally based Schnee Pharmaceuticals Corporation. "Is that…"

The door opened, and in walked a poised young woman. She smiled, but it didn't seem to be fully genuine. "Weiss Bianca Schnee," she introduced herself. "Contestant 104."

She had a good voice, speaking at least. When she switched into singing, Velvet accompanying her on piano, it was even better. She had emotion, technique. It all seemed classical, though, like she had no idea what a real girl group was like. Junior perched on the edge of his seat, seeming entranced. Finally, Weiss finished, gave a quick curtsey, and left.

"She was good," said the man, just as Glynda suspected he would.

"She was also not at all what this group needs. We've got a certain dynamic. I doubt she'd fit." Glynda looked to her girls for backup, but they didn't seem to support her. Neither, though did they support Junior. That was fine, she supposed. "She seems almost haughty," Glynda added. Weiss Schnee rubbed her the wrong way.

The door opened again after a brief interlude, and Glynda blinked in surprise. A couple seats down from her, Yang sat up straighter, all of a sudden paying attention. They knew that face, that shy, hesitant expression, that low voice that was introducing herself as "Blake Belladonna. Number 105." There was a brief moment of silence before Blake continued. "I'll be singing a song I wrote myself. I don't need any accompaniment, thank you."

For the first time, Glynda noticed the soft guitar case on the girl's back.

Blake pulled out her acoustic guitar and slipped the rainbow strap over her shoulders. She fingered the strings for a second, plucking them lightly to check if they were in tune. Then, the music grew loud, confident, strong. The song she sang sounded versatile… it was heartfelt and simple now, but Glynda doubted it had to be.

"Now it's time to say goodbye to the things we loved, and the innocence of youth. How the time seemed to fly from our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew."

Blake's voice rose and fell, low and persuasive at times and loudly brutal at others. Yang practically had stars in her eyes, though Glynda was sure she was biased. But no, even Nora, Ruby, and Velvet seemed entranced.

She might be our girl.

The music ended like it began, with a quiet couple plucks of the strings. Then, Blake looked into the eyes of her judges. "Thank you," she said, and turned and left.

"I want Blake," said Yang as soon as everyone had auditioned.

Ruby snorted. "We've known that for about a month now."

Yang blushed and narrowed her eyes. "I meant I think she'd be a good addition. She wrote that song! Did you see how she sang it? She was fantastic!"

"I agree," said Velvet. "That took talent. I don't know if she'd work well, but she's someone we at least know a little bit, and she has the skill. I'd trust her."

Nora and Ruby nodded agreement. Only Junior protested. "I liked the Schnee girl."

Glynda frowned "She wasn't what we're looking for. And as you'll recall, Junior… it's my decision." One glance at her group was all it took to amend that. "Mine and my girls', anyway."

Junior nodded, though disappointment still played on his face. "I'll bring her in."

Blake was surprised.

It was written all over her face. The arch of her eyebrows, the bend of her mouth, and even the blink of her golden-brown eyes spoke of confusion and shock. "Look," she said to the group. "I came here to audition because my girlfriend wanted support. I didn't mean to… I didn't think I'd…"

"Do you not want to?" Glynda asked, hands folded across her chest. "Whether or not you came to support your girlfriend, it's not entirely polite to audition for something you don't want." Oh, you hypocrite, she thought to herself even as she frowned at the younger woman.

"I want this," said Blake firmly. "I'm just in shock. Forgive me. Of course I'd love to be included in Queens of the Castle."

Junior smiled. "Alright then! I'll get the paperwork set up, unless Glynda has anything to add?"

"We aren't changing rehearsal schedules for you. You'll have to work around them."

"I'm getting paid for this, right?"

"Of course."

Blake shuffled her feet. "I'm sure Ozpin has to understand…" she mumbled.

Glynda grinned, a rare sight, and Blake seemed to immediately take notice. "If it helps, I'll personally go up to him and tell him I insisted that you join the Queens of the Castle. I consider him a… personal friend. He'll understand. I'll make sure of it."

Two golden eyes widened. "Oh! You're the woman who always comes in…"

I'm surprised she didn't notice sooner. "That would be me, yes. Anyway, we can all go to the shop tonight, if it works for you. A celebration, of sorts."

"Yeah, okay. Do you mind my girlfriend tagging along?"

"That should be fine. Which contestant was she?"

"Weiss. Weiss Schnee."

Of course. Of course she was. Glynda's smile was no longer so genuine, instead plastered to her face. "Alright. Let's meet you there at seven, then. I look forward to working with you, Blake."

The coffee shop was bustling. The last time Glynda had seen it like this was the Cinderblock concert, and she almost turned and left as soon as she saw the packed parking lot. All that stopped her was the fact that Blake and Weiss were supposed to meet them here, not somewhere else, and Glynda didn't yet have the new group member's phone number.

They snagged a table by the open picture window and waited. While the girls chatted, Glynda scanned the room for Ozpin. She couldn't find him, despite how busy it was. Was he on the bottom floor, with the books?

A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder. "What a crowded room," mused the very man she was looking for.

Glynda tried not to jump, instead turning to face him. "And you're standing here… sipping coffee."

"Even the owner of a business is allowed to take breaks," he said with a surprisingly cute smile. "I'm off for the night, in fact. May I join you?"

"For the time being. We're expecting someone soon."

Ozpin pulled out one of the chairs reserved for the soon to arrive couple. "How did the audition go? Did you manage to keep it to only you five?"

"Not exactly."

"Do tell."

Glynda hesitated. Was this truly her thing to say? Was she supposed to wait for Blake?

It was lucky then that at that moment the dark haired woman walked in, her small girlfriend in tow. The two scanned the room until they met Glynda's firm gaze and began to head over.

Ozpin didn't seem surprised to see Weiss Schnee sit down next to him, nor Blake to hover near the table. "How did the audition go, Weiss?" he even asked.

The girl narrowed her eyes. She gave off a particular vibe to Glynda… she was not happy about not getting the position, and though she probably was trying to be happy for Blake, she didn't seem to be succeeding. "Not well enough, apparently."

It was only now that Ozpin's face showed any sign of surprise or curiosity. "Then why…"

"It's me. I'm in the group," said Blake quietly.

Understandingly, Ozpin nodded. "I see," he said. "I suppose that means I'll be looking for a new employee?"

"Are you gonna be okay?" asked Blake. "I know it's hard for you to find people you like…"

Glynda almost laughed. The thought of Ozpin being discerning by any means was funny. He'd been kind, friendly, and open to everyone she'd seen him meet. He trusted her, Ruby… he even had a good relationship with Cinder Fall, of all people. Hard for him to find someone he liked? Not hardly.

Ozpin saw her stifling giggles, and raised an eyebrow. "It's true!" he protested. "Simply because I trust you shouldn't mean you should assume I trust everyone. Anyway, Blake, I've got applications on hold from last May. Don't worry about me. I'll find someone." His upper lip quirked slightly, into a wry smile. "I'll even keep your ice cream flavor. Considering Glynda's your manager now, I'd chance you'll be in here quite a lot."

"Of course I will, Ozpin. I'm not planning on forgetting this place anytime soon."

"I wouldn't let you. Now anyway, ice cream's free for you tonight." He grinned. "Glynda's paying for it, I'm sure."

Glynda's cheeks went red at the assumption (albeit a correct one). "Don't go around citing me as the official ice cream checkbook! You offered the free ice cream, you provide it!"

The man grinned. "Well, I have to stay in business somehow, and Blake's still a broke college student… for tonight, anyway. I'm sure you were already going to pay for hers anyway."

"I was… am… but still." Despite her mostly-mock anger, she couldn't help but look upon Ozpin with a faint smile. A flash of affection, warm and welcome, made its way into her heart. "Really, Ozpin, you shouldn't tease like that."

There was no verbal reply. Ozpin simply shot another smile her way, rose from his chair, and made his way out into the crowd of the café.

Next to Glynda, Ruby grinned. "So, Mom. You two are teasing now?"

Red as roses, Glynda blushed and began to sputter. "It's a purely professional relationship, alright?"

"Sure seems that way," Yang said, leaning forward. Her mouth was set in a knowing grin. "For now, at least. Glyn's too uptight to get into anything more, right?"

Velvet and Nora were full on laughing, and even Blake was smiling slightly at the teasing, though Weiss still seemed sullen.

They ordered their ice cream after a bit of the crowd had died down and ate it over questions, comments, thoughts. Blake had just finished her junior year of college at Beacon University and wasn't willing to take a break, but had already switched her next semester plans to online classes so she could work on QotC things. She was delightfully well read, something Glynda enjoyed hearing. It was to be expected from an English major, probably.

Weiss was a political science major at the same school and as Glynda had half-suspected, the daughter of the CEO of Schnee Pharmaceuticals. However, as the youngest child, she had no plans or expectations to work in the family business. She was unpleasantly prim and horribly expectant… not being selected seemed to be a direct spit in her face, as far as she was concerned. Still, she seemed to be relatively supportive of Blake.

At least, until the last bit of ice cream had been devoured, and the slight, light-haired young woman turned her expectant eyes to Blake. "Are you planning to tell them about… you?" she asked, in a voice that sounded like it was trying to be discreet, but not trying too hard at all.

Glynda frowned. Hadn't the entire conversation been about Blake?

Blake seemed to know exactly where Weiss was going. "It doesn't seem relevant."

"You're afraid it might change things," Weiss accused.

Nearby, Nora and Ruby were animatedly discussing something about Quest, and Yang was listening intently. None seemed to hear what was going on. Perhaps, Glynda conceded, Weiss was being discreet, and Glynda was simply too observant for her own good. Too curious too, maybe, as she continued to listen.

"Look, as long as it isn't public knowledge, it doesn't matter," Blake said. Anger was creeping into that low, soft voice.

"You're lying. To them, to yourself, to all your future fans."

No mistake, Blake was angry. Her golden-brown eyes had storms inside of them. "So what do you suggest? I tell them? What's it going to change for you? You still won't be in the group! Why does this matter so much? Can't I be happy? Do you think I don't notice how you're acting tonight?" Even upset, her voice was still hushed.

"That's not what…"

"I'll tell them. Okay? Will that make you happy? Then you won't be the only one to know. Hell, Ozpin can know too, where is he? And Sun. Sun's working tonight. Let's just tell the whole world!"

Somehow, that was what got Yang's attention. "What?" All of a sudden, it seemed the entire table was looking expectantly at Blake.

Blake went pale quickly. "I… I…"

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to," Glynda said with every bit of calmness she could muster. "I don't expect answers. Not, at least, in an environment like this. Public places aren't the best for getting to know new people or discussing business. I should have anticipated that." Despite calm words, Glynda couldn't help narrowing her eyes at Weiss. "It wouldn't do to have personal information get out. When you have fans, you tend to keep a quiet personal life if at all possible."

"Speak for yourself, Glyn," said Yang. "I live for that spotlight."

"And you also enjoy your sleepovers at my house, which might be harder to get to if you were surrounded by paparazzi day and night," retorted Glynda. She grew quickly serious. "Girls, you need to realize that things are about to change very quickly. Remnant Records is a company with means, not like Ember Celica Entertainment. They're able to do things quickly and on a very large scale, and from what I've gathered, they plan to do plenty with us. We're not in the small leagues anymore. It's going to be work from here on out, and I can't promise it'll be rewarding. Are you still with me?"

"Of course," Ruby agreed, and beside her, Velvet nodded.

Nora grinned her biggest grin. "Without a doubt!"

"For sure!" Yang offered.

Glynda looked to Blake.

Blake smiled. "Okay."

"We're in the major league now, girls. Ember Celica Entertainment may be small for now, but in ten years it'll be huge! I'm sure of it!"

Next to Summer, Cinder smiled, and the smile was small and surprisingly innocent. "Who would have thought? Last year we were just three girls with a manager and choreographer, and now we've got a record deal."

"We have to really put our all into it!" Summer decided.

Glynda rolled her eyes and looked up from her textbook. "Speak for yourself," she said sourly. "Some of us are still in high school."

"Drop out," Cinder suggested. She was obviously right back to being her old self.

"Not if you paid me."

"What? What's waiting for you in high school? Boys?" At that, Glynda and Summer exchanged a guilty, subtle look. The younger woman's heart twinged at the thought of their last secret kiss, exchanged under the bleachers of Signal High School a week before Summer's graduation. "Look, Glyn, the days of normal life are over. We're in the real world now, and it's fun."

"So you're dropping out then?"

"My parents wouldn't allow it. But you don't have parents, so…"

Glynda's eyes narrowed. "The Roses are legally my guardians and they'd have a cow if…" She trailed off. If she dropped out? No, more like if they found out she was kissing Summer.

Cinder shrugged. "Regardless. This isn't a time for looking back or complaining. This is a time for new beginnings."