RWBYond Happily Ever After
AN: Well, I've been saying I'll do another one so here it is. I was going to have this take place like, a month or so before RWBYond War, but I thought, for that, I kind of have a chapter in RWBYond planned to show that part. So this is more or less set up for it I guess. I don't know, it's just a cool idea, take from it what you will.
Chapter 130+13: Cool Like the Rain
Weiss had only been in Atlas Academy a few times in her lifetime. This was actually the first time she had gone in since Winter became the headmaster. Winter had invited her for lunch and to catch up. They hadn't seen each other since a little after Ruby and Jaune's wedding.
"Hello Weiss." Winter said as Weiss walked into the office. It was a pristine porcelain office. There was already a table set out.
"Hey Winter." Weiss gave a curtsy as Winter stood from her seat. They embraced in an awkward hug before taking their seat.
"What would you like to drink?" Winter asked like a proper host.
"Scotch if you got it." Weiss answered somewhat ashamedly. Even though she knew Winter would likely be drinking wine, it still didn't make her position any less awkward.
"Alright." Winter grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured Weiss a glass. "So, how are you?"
"I'm…an absolute train wreck if I'm to be completely honest." Weiss sighed.
"Anything I can help with."
"No…it's…quite petty actually. It's not like when I was stressed over work."
"So what is it?"
"Men." Weiss knocked back her drink and set the cup down before refilling it.
"Well, wish I could help but…I'm not exactly one for romance."
"I know…that's why I didn't want to bother you with it."
"Well, have you told your friends?"
"I whine to Yang sometimes. Penny wouldn't get it, Ruby is too high on cloud nine to be bothered and Blake…well she gets it too but at the same time she doesn't get how hard it is when I'm so damn busy."
"Well that is unfortunate." Winter said.
"Yeah, I'd actually rather talk about…literally anything else." Weiss lamented.
"So, are you keeping up with your training?" Winter asked.
"A little…I actually mostly use my semblance for novelty things around my office."
"Pull glyphs to bring yourself a new bottle?" Winter asked.
"Yeah." Weiss wanted to say: 'Sis you know it!' But that was something more for if she had to have this conversation with Yang.
"Same." Winter chuckled. "Only I imagine your vice is scotch whereas mine is wine."
"How did we both end up like this?" Weiss asked.
"Well, didn't help that Father, may he rest in peace, wasn't exactly father of the year material."
"Also the stress of war." Weiss added. "Hell, I'm surprised there aren't more of us who have become alcoholics."
"As am I." Winter said. "Not that I'm an alcoholic, I do try to temper myself."
"Well aren't you just all high and mighty." Weiss said sarcastically.
There was a knock on the door and Winter buzzed the visitor in. Flynt Coal came in with his usual jazzy outfit. He gave a nod to Weiss followed by a smile and a wink.
"Hey Ice Queens." He said.
"Hey Flynt." Weiss waved.
"What is it Mr. Coal?" Winter asked.
"I've been digging through the old files…just as I thought those…guys you've been searching for, they were here about a hundred years ago."
"What's going on?" Weiss asked.
"Official huntsmen business." Winter answered.
"And I'm a huntress." Weiss said.
"Very well." Flynt said. "What do you know about a group called Cipher?"
"Never heard of them." Weiss answered.
"Neither had I until a few months ago." Flynt said. "An old friend of mine works security on the Isle of Storms and overheard a visitor and a prisoner talking about it."
"Which prisoner and who was the visitor?" Weiss asked.
"Well…" Flynt hesitated until Winter gave him a nod. "It was Taurus and some bloke named Allister Briggs."
"When I caught wind of it, I decided to look into it in my free time." Winter answered. "I dug up nothing. There is nothing on record here in Atlas."
"So the gang and I went to River of Knowledge to see if we found anything." Flynt added. "They were here a hundred years ago, that's all I found."
"I could ask Yang." Weiss said. "She's an Arbiter and they're supposed to have a lock down on the information highway."
"I already talked to the Arbiters." Flynt said. "You forget that Rubrum and I work in the same building and he's buddy-buddy with August."
"So what did they say?" Weiss asked.
"That's the interesting thing." Flynt took a seat. "Apparently, Nevermore hasn't said anything about them to her subordinates." He poured himself some scotch earning a distrusting look from Weiss. "August wasn't even sure if she knew. He knew…because Griffon, the older Griffon, his teacher and predecessor…"
"Yes I know who Griffon is." Weiss huffed out.
"Once upon a time Griffon worked for Cipher…before he joined the Arbiters. He and August had a run in with them back in the day." Flynt took a drink. "Cipher is apparently the bastard child of the Arbiters created when one of the Arbiter's ambition didn't gel with the way Avarice ran things."
"He wanted the power of the Primordial?" Weiss guessed. Avarice had been quite adamant about not letting anyone other than himself catch that power…to the point of openly opposing both Ozpin and Salem at various points.
"My guess too." Flynt said. "But that was thousands of years ago. "From what I found, it seems like it was never a consistent organization…not like the Brotherhood or the Arbiters anyway."
"How so?" Winter raised an eyebrow.
"They die out and come back." Flynt said. "From what my friend has said on Mr. Briggs conversation, they got a new guy in charge and he's raising hell within the organization."
"Do we have a name?" Winter asked.
"No." Flynt sighed. "This guys a ghost. Couldn't even verify his appearance, species, gender, nothing. It's like he doesn't exist until you squeeze someone who knows him. Even then, they don't know anything, all the trails just lead to Allister Briggs, who just works as a middle man between the Commander and the scrubs."
"That's good enough for now I guess." Winter said. "Briggs has only been concerned with how much Taurus knows."
"Apparently he had a run in with some of their goons when he was a kid." Flynt noted.
"Good work Flynt." Winter waved him away.
"Take care Schnees." He got up and finished his glass. "Say Weiss, if you're up for drinks tonight, Team FNKI is playing at a Jazz Club called Kuhl Regen." He finished before stepping out the door.
"Well I do believe that was an invitation to a date."
"Oh please…Flynt and me?" Weiss said.
"Well, can't hold out hope that you and Neptune are going to magically have a spark strong enough for him to uproot his life and move here."
"I'm not holding out hope." Weiss said. "I know it's never going to happen."
"That's too bad." Winter took a bite of her meal. "He was quite handsome but I think it would be good to get out, maybe meet more people."
Weiss thought about Winter's advice the rest of the meal and the rest of the day. After she got off work she decided to take Flynt up on his offer. The club was a small intimate place covered in blue mood lighting. Just Weiss' style…plus there was a bar, always a plus.
Team FNKI were on stage with three people Weiss didn't recognize. By the way they were dressed, Weiss could tell they were Flynt's music friends providing more instruments to the songs. Weiss got some scotch from the bar and sat there enjoying the music. She was more of a classical piano type of gal, but jazz was pretty good too. It was certainly better than that stupid club music Yang listened too, or the sappy emo music Blake liked.
"Whiskey on the rocks." Flynt said when the band stopped playing. He took a seat next to Weiss. The rest of the band broke down their instruments and went to a different corner. Weiss noted that Iris and Neon left. "And another round of Scotch for Ms. Schnee."
"You don't have too." Weiss said.
"I insist, my venue, my friend, my responsibility." Flynt smiled.
"Where are the girls going?" Weiss asked.
"Knowing them, probably going to make out…or something like that." Flynt laughed uncomfortably.
"Oh…" Weiss held back a laugh. "I couldn't help but notice you don't seem to be with anyone."
"Nah…don't have a girlfriend." He said.
"Me neither." Weiss joked. "I have kind of been trying to avoid that conversation though. I'm tired of bothering people with my relationship woes."
"What happened recently to get you in this funk."
"What do you mean?" Weiss said.
"I thought you were doing well. Something had to happen."
"That, is a third date kind of question." Weiss said.
"Well then I won't pester until the third date."
"That's awfully presumptuous of you."
"Call it confidence." Flynt grinned.
"Confidence will only get you so far." Weiss said.
"It'll get me far enough to have my charm take over."
"That remains to be seen." Weiss waved her glass around.
Weiss wasn't actually too opposed to dating Flynt. He was handsome enough. He was charming in a way. He loved music, that always gave them a thing to talk about. Which is exactly the conversation they broke into. Weiss was never really able to get into music, her one true artistic love, with Neptune. On top of how comfortable she was getting around Flynt, and their shared interests and experiences, Flynt lived in Atlas. Proximity is what ended up killing her relationship with Neptune. Anything with Flynt wouldn't have that same problem.
"Earth to Weiss." Flynt said.
"Huh…what?"
"You zoned out there for a minute. I asked when the first time you sang out in public was."
"I think I was six." Weiss said. "Maybe younger. My dad had a massive charity ball and had me sing at it. I sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
"I wish I could see that." Flynt said.
"Well sadly you can't." Weiss noted. "We do have some videos of some of my choir recitals growing up. My mom took a lot of video so that she could show my father."
"Did he ever watch?"
"Yes. My mom said it would help him relax after a stressful day…I'm not sure I believe that though."
"Well I'm sure despite whatever issues the two of you may have had…he loved you, in his own way."
"I…" A tear went down her eye. "I know but I…I was never able to hear him say it…I was never able to forgive him before he died."
"I know." Flynt put a hand on her shoulder and comforted her.
"And my mom died of cancer when I was just a teenager and Winter is too busy with Atlas and all my friends are spread out across the other kingdoms…"
"Weiss, you aren't alone." Flynt grabbed her hand. "Winter is right around the corner…both your sister, the maiden and the season. Ruby would race here in a heartbeat if it means making you feel any better. Same with Blake. I know Yang stops by Atlas on her off days sometimes."
"How did you know that?" A blush threatened Weiss face.
"She parties with Neon and Iris when she's here and you're too busy. Speaking of which, you know Team FNKI always has your back."
"Thanks."
"You just need to stop doubting yourself, stop trying to find comfort in a bottle, stop drinking alone and instead drink with people who care about you."
"If this is an intervention…"
"Don't worry it's not. The main reason why I invited you here is so that you can drink and vent with someone who cares…instead of going to your hotel room and emptying a bottle all by yourself."
"I don't…your right. That's exactly what I would have done had you not invited me."
"See, doesn't the truth feel good?"
"No, the truth makes me feel disgusting."
"You're the least disgusting person I know." Flynt grabbed her hand. "You just need someone or something to blow off steam with. This last year you've went from office to bottle without any breaks. When you were planning Ruby and Jaune's wedding, you were really happy. What you need, what you always need, is something to take your mind off of family legacy. Because I think that's why you drink alone."
"You're probably right." Weiss finished her glass. She was definitely buzzed but not quite dunk. Though right now…she had a different idea. "You want to go back to my place?" She asked. "Listen to music, drink some more without worrying about a ride home, things like that."
"It would be a pleasure." Flynt said softly.
AN: Well, that happened. If you read RWBYond Vale, you may have seen this coming. Well, what happens after this, you'll have to read RWBYond War to find out. Speaking of which, I really just wanted it to be Flynt that turns the huntsmen's attention to Cipher sense he's also a detective. Please review, follow and favorite.