AYangThang: Happy 2017 everyone. I said this over on "I Want a Cub" but for those of you who might have missed it, new update information on the profile page if you happen to care. If not, on with the fiction. Short chapter today, just because I feel like getting back into the swing of things.

Blake made her way through the window, closing it behind her. She was hoping that her presence would calm Yang down, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Blake, damn it…where have you been?"

"Out on the ledge, Yang." Blake deadpanned as she carefully placed away her project. "I told you, I've got some things to take care of, and I'm taking care of them. You don't need to go around badgering Weiss."

"I should be badgering you." Yang frowned, her impulsive attitude getting the better of her. She put her palms upon the wall, trapping Blake between them. "What's really going on? Whose face do I need to bash in?"

"Yours."

"Not kidding, Blake. I'm worried."

"Neither am I, Yang. You don't have to be worried. Now move."

"Nu-uh, nothing doing. You're going to spill, because I don't like all of this weirdness."

"I didn't ask you to like it. I'm telling you to back off." Blake ducked under her friend and partner, the tips of her ears brushing up against Yang's elbow. Ruffling around in her satchel, she grabbed a paper bag. "Ruby, think fast." She said, tossing it to the youngest among them. "Take that to Weiss, and there's something in there for you too."

"Sweets?" Ruby asked cheerfully, her worries about Blake mitigated as soon as she saw the calm, placid look on the woman's face.

"Two strawberry tarts for Weiss, a few chocolate chip cookies for you." Blake then grabbed another bag, all but smacking Yang in the face with it, smirking as Yang fumbled with the sealed box of protein bars that she most favored. "And that's yours, so keep out of mine." Blake warned, guarding her own breakfast bars tooth and nail.

"You…had to take care of the shopping?" Yang guessed wildly, as Ruby headed out to the library, where she was sure Weiss would be. Yang only spared a partial glance before sighing offhandedly. "You can't fool me, Blake. I know those cookies were just a diversion."

"Not hardly." Blake said with an offhanded laugh. "Can't I do something nice for my teammates without it seeming like I have some sort of agenda?"

"Blakey, come on…I know you better than that…"

The Faunus shrugged, relenting the point. She couldn't get out of it, that lilac gaze drifted ever deeper into speculation. That was a place a woman like Yang Xiao Long never belonged, because her mind could take her to some incredibly outlandish assumptions. "I'm well…I'm making something…and while I'm making this…thing…I suppose you could say that I really don't want a bunch of people around. It ruins my concentration."

"Oh..." Yang said rather blandly, not entirely sure she believed it. "What is it, a new mod for Gambol Shroud?"

Blake shook her head. "No."

"So, like, what then?" Yang asked, plopping herself down onto Blake's bed, crossing her legs, and waiting expectantly.

"Something personal, and delicate, Yang…please."

"Like I would ever do anything to hurt you." Yang commented. "I'm just asking for a little trust is all, and you can't blame me when you're sneaking in and out of windows. I'm not trying to be a total pain in the ass, but you got to admit, it kind of looks fishy."

"Not one word. Not to anyone." Blake demanded. "And I'm not going into detail. What you get, is what you get, no complaining."

"Err..."

"I mean it." Blake said seriously. "Do you agree to my terms, or don't you?"

Holding her hands up in surrender, Yang nodded. "I agree, but this had better be good."

"It's a Faunus thing."

Yang waited, but when no other information came, she pressed again. "That's it?"

"That's it." Blake nodded. "And I'd really rather you don't go snooping around where you don't belong…" Blake finally said, knowing if she didn't give Yang at least something, the Blond would keep worrying. A worried Yang would keep pawing at her for information. "Even if I tried to explain it, you'd only understand the textbook logic, and you'd never be able to apply anything I tell you…"

"Oh…" Yang murmured rather befuddled. "Well, why not?"

"Because you don't have my senses." Blake all but sighed. "Yang, I wish I could just give you Faunus senses for just one day. Then maybe you'd be able to understand all of the little things that pass by your notice…since I can't do that, the only thing I can ask you to do is respect my heritage. This is one of those times that if you were a Faunus, you'd know you can't interfere."

"Is it really so bad?"

"It's not bad, Yang." Blake said honestly. "But it does include Weiss, and because of that, I have to ask you to stay out of it until you're told…and you will be, I promise, but all in due time…when there is something to tell…"

Yang just flopped down, her head landing squarely in Blake's lap, ignoring the way Blake's ear twitched in mild agitation for being used as a pillow. "You guys are going to be the death of me, you know that?"

It was two days later that the band was finished. During lunch, Blake was finally able to meet Weiss in the dorm room alone, without the sisters meddling. Blake was obviously nervous as she invited Weiss to sit on her bed with her, the quiet of the room a tense one at first. Weiss watched as Blake gathered her thoughts.

"Right…sooo…arm band…" Blake trailed off, shaking her head at her own idiocy. It was just Weiss…her teammate…her…girlfriend? It was all so confusing. A faunus would know her emotions and her intent. They would understand the expression on her face as more than just fear, but as excitement as well.

"You don't have to be so nervous about it, do you?" Weiss asked, not realizing that this was going to turn into some sort of ordeal.

"Well, kind of, yeah…I mean…damn it…" She growled to herself, muttering a curse as her ears flattened back. She rubbed her eyes, warding away the tension and began again. This time with a little more calm in her tone, but not much. "Well, you said it best yourself. You're human Weiss…I just don't want to screw anything up…that's all…"

Weiss nodded, more uneasy than she wanted to admit. "Well, maybe if you just…show it to me?"

Blake nodded, but hesitated. What if Weiss didn't like it? That was a terrifying prospect. Blake struggled to find her voice in the torrent of mental hurtles she had to jump through. Exchanging armbands wasn't exactly a complicated ceremony. Once in the White Fang she had been smacked in the face with one, and that was as far as the invitation had ever needed to go.

It was pretty simple, and yet, to some Faunus, it was the most complicated thing they'd ever do. For Blake, she was no acceptation. Her intentions towards Weiss were not exactly pure and platonic. Courtship began here too, at this one step of many. In fact, that was the entire problem.

If anything, she was banding Weiss for the expressed reason of beginning a courtship. It was a leap of blind faith at best. She dare not think the worst…and that blind faith went both ways. Weiss was not so immersed in such a deeply beloved and protected part of Faunus culture. Blake knew she had to handle the situation with utmost care, and so, her tongue tied itself rather ineloquently around her thoughts.

"Alright, then, um…this is it. This is a Faunus armband. Just like the one Velvet gave you." Blake said when she handed Weiss the finished product. "Now, before you put this on, you need to realize, Velvet glossed over it…a lot…these things mean a lot more than just friendship."

"Like what?"

"They can mean a lot of things."

"Give me some examples, Blake. Something for comparison."

"Well, like, promises or loyalty. Families use these, friends, people who want to identify as part of a social group. On a more complicated note, I suppose you could say that Faunus are more likely to band someone before starting courtship process. Then again, you don't exactly have to band someone…especially not a lone human. I mean, you can't smell marked territory anyway, and your family wouldn't follow the same kind of laws that a Faunus might, so really, this band is just because I'm nervous…"

"But why be nervous…I mean, this is what you wanted too, right?"

At the scent of unease, Blake acted pulling Weiss into her lap. Arms wrapping around the slender woman securely. "I want you to be my…my mate…but there are things, Weiss, that make it hard to do. I mean, there's a process that's not exactly unlike a human's own…it's equally long, and a bit drawn out…but like I said, I'm a lone Faunus, you're a human…we don't have to observe these practices but…"

Weiss let her fingers twine with Blake's. "But what?"

"But I know that we're going to have to follow human customs...and I don't want to forget who I am under all of that." Blake shook her head, burying her nose into the nape of that pale, exposed neck. Her words were soft, and a bit shy. "More importantly, it'd be easier on me…on both of us, if we follow Faunus tradition as well."

"So, I'll wear the band." Weiss remarked. "Correct?"

Blake nodded unsteadily. "I'm going to be marking this band as if you're part of my social group."

"It…seems easy enough...I mean, we are part of the same team...that is a social group." Weiss allowed, but part of her was more than a little unsure.

"You're right, it is." Blake said softly. "However, Ruby's the team leader, in that context, she's in charge of the team's social group...what I'm talking about is a little more abstract. Think of it more like a community. They can be small, or they can be very large. Some Faunus are part of more than one. Velvet also banded you, so technically, you're part of two social groups. Other Faunus will identify that, and one's she's banded will treat you friendly, even if they've never met you."

"It sounds rather like a family crest in that way." Weiss said, hoping to steady her quickly beating heart. Blake had already proven herself to be very territorial, and Weiss had no idea how Blake would handle encounters with others in the future. This band was supposed to help fix that, but to what degree? Weiss had no way of knowing. "…but, it's not so easy, is it?"

"Well, it is, actually…more or less." Blake said, picking up the unspoken question. "If someone has a problem with you being part of my social group, they can contest it. Since you're a Schnee, some might. If that happens, there's going to be a fight about it. I can't back down from it…"

"Why not?" Weiss asked, looking at the silk band. "Why can't you just be the bigger person and walk away?"

"Basically, it's because we Faunus just don't think that way. Walking away is kind of like a tactical retreat." Blake told her. "That's like saying I'm afraid to fight for you, or that you're not worth protecting. If someone picks a fight with you, they're doing that to provoke me, and I have to answer in reply."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Weiss already felt like the eyes of the school would be on her.

"Maybe not, but you're going to have to get used to it." Blake admitted, tucking herself further into the cascade of perfectly kept white hair. "When it comes to your family, we'll do things your way. When it comes to other Faunus and our friends, I need control. Faunus have a somewhat strict hierarchy that we follow. The strong lead the weak, that's just how it goes. The stronger you are, the better respected you are. Intellect has value as well, but not over brute strength. If I can't dominate the territory I claim, I'm as good as worthless."

"You're never worthless." Weiss retorted. "Never think that way."

"But if I can't protect you, then I am worthless." Blake shot back, ears flattened down. "I'm not just some lowly omega who needs to be protected from everyone."

"A what…?" Weiss asked, eyebrow raised.

"Omega…" Blake murmured, finding the terms rather uncomfortable. Then, she felt Weiss move, and she curled into herself. There was something entirely intimidating about those blue eyes when Weiss turned to look at her. The pure disconnect between the phrasing out of Blake's mouth and Weiss's ability to understand was alarming. "It's a…Faunus….thing…"

"I gathered that." Weiss replied as evenly as possible, not realizing that the sterility in her tone was actually worrying Blake even more.

"It's…" Blake sighed. "It's going to sound bad."

"I've noticed a lot of things sound bad recently…"

"It's in my nature to want to be an alpha. There's a pride that Faunus like myself have. We feel an inherent need to provide for our social group. That's the alpha's job. It's a huge responsibility. I want to own territory. I want to be well respected. In the White Fang, I could clear a room with a single snarl. If someone even looked at me the wrong way, all it took from me was one little sound of aggression, and they backed down. There's power in that, and it's power I want."

"That's more than freighting…" Weiss replied. "Blake, you promised me…"

"I did, and I'm keeping it." Blake promised, finally finding the courage to looking into those deep blue eyes properly. "When a strong Faunus makes a stand, over time fighting doesn't happen. An alpha's word is absolute law. If I can maintain that kind of dominance, others will willingly submit to me. If I can do my job right, I won't have to scare anyone away. They'll want to garner my good graces. If I was a lesser Faunus, I'd have to do more fighting for you, Weiss, not less."

Weiss merely sighed. "I don't understand this, Blake. However, I get the distinct feeling that no matter how I try, I'm never going to. The best I can do, is tell you that I trust you enough not to do anything too extreme."

"I promise you I won't be aggressive purely for the sake of it." Blake murmured honestly, though a tiny grin, one laced with slightly worried humor tugged at her lips. "Besides, Velvet and her group will be keeping an eye on you too. If you think I'm aggressive, you don't want to see what happens if someone get's on the wrong side of Coco...and she's not even a Faunus. If you want something confusing to figure out, try wrapping your head around that."