Pond behind Xiao Long Home, Late afternoon

Blake sat on a log in front of the lake, watching as Weiss paced back and forth.

"I'm not sure how this happened. I've always liked boys before; I mean... at first I didn't even like Ruby, like, at all. I wish my sister was here."

Blake listened but didn't respond. It didn't look like Weiss really wanted a response, anyway.

"I mean, Ruby's a bit naive but it's not like I was forcing myself on her. She asked me out, Blake. Me. Not the other way around. Besides, she's pretty cute. And she tastes good." Weiss suddenly looked over at Blake, her face a bit afraid.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't have a problem with it. I was in a relationship with a girl when I was Ruby's age."

Weiss sighed, nodded, and then resumed pacing. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I should back off."

"Maybe you should. Don't you think that's something you and Ruby should decide, though?"

"When did you get so smart, Blake?" The faunus huffed in annoyance, but smiled when Weiss offered to pull her up and took the offered hand. "Do you think they'll be okay?"

Blake nodded, and they began to walk around the lake. "Ruby and Yang know this area well, and they're capable of taking care of themselves."

"Do you think they'll make me leave?"

Blake shook her head. "Yang told me that her dad doesn't have a problem with it. I doubt he will, but Yang wouldn't let him. And if they tried we'd all eave together; we can all go back to Beacon if we have to."

"What do you think I should do about Ruby?"

"I think you should talk to her. Why don't we go back to the house and wait for her to come back?"

The two talked amicably as they returned. Weiss was grateful for Blake's support, and a bit worried about Ruby.

When they arrived, they found a sheepish pair of sisters waiting for them, full of apologies for their behavior and for their uncle. Or dad, as the case may be.

"I am not calling you sister/cousin. That makes it sound like our parents were siblings." Ruby was responding to Yang's teasing.

"Well, they do say your team is your family while you're at Beacon, so..."

Weiss took Ruby's hand. "Honestly... Ruby, can we talk?" When the girl nodded, Weiss lead them off into the house.

"So, guess that just leaves us kitty-kat. Whatever shall we do?"

Blake shrugged but said nothing.

"Let's hit a club tonight, dance and get our flirt on!"

"Yang, I'd really rather not. Besides, isn't..." but Yang wasn't going to let her finish. The blonde reached over and closed her friend's mouth, holding a finger over her lips.

"Nope, we're going. Maybe those two will go with us, but you and I should hit the town tonight. Well, what little of it there is. Besides, we just got those new clothes and I think you'd look incredible in what we picked out."

"You mean what you picked out for me."

"Whatever. Come on!" Yang pulled the faunus into the house, and up the stairs, laughing. Even Blake had to smile.

Beacon Airfield, the following morning

Winter was not a morning person. She'd slept a few hours in Blanc's bed, surprised at the lack of smell and how tidy it'd been, and stumbled into his bathroom to do her morning routine. There were two toothbrushes, but unable to tell which was his and which wasn't, she decided she'd deal with her morning breath and take care of it on board the Stygian, which had all of her toiletries, and better, her own toothbrush.

The Stygian had been a graduation gift from her father, despite his reluctance to let her enter Atlas. He'd seen the advantages of letting her, willingly, join the Atleasian military, and her successful entry into the specialist program guaranteed her a rank with command upon completion. Not just something to be proud of, but something the SDC could potentially use in future contract negotiations for Dust and other profitable ventures.

It wasn't really a combat vessel, though it was fast and equipped for long trips, with larger than typical fuel tanks and extra storage areas at the cost of some of the more luxurious accommodations available on similarly sized yachts. It's armor was significant, however. Jacque Schnee may be controlling and greedy, but he did not toy with the lives of his children, even if they weren't eligible to run his financial empire.

She knew he'd hoped to persuade Weiss into taking over after him, and failing that to make herself useful to their family business in some capacity, but she also suspected that in the end it wouldn't happen. Weiss hadn't inherited much of her father's make; other than her hair coloring, she looked almost completely like their mother. She had inherited his temperament, however, which made for some explosive fights. Whereas she got along rather well with her father, having a temperament more like their mother, Weiss and their father grated on each other constantly, despite Weiss always seeking his approval. Whitley was conniving; seemingly easy to control while apt at plotting and being patient, and having their mother wrapped around his finger. She was level headed and straight forward, easily accepting direction from authority and also giving direction. Weiss was very independent. Like her father, she wanted to succeed on her own merits.

She knew that Weiss thought her father married her mother for the family name and company, but their mother had told Winter a different story. Jacque had been a dispossessed refugee from a small village outside Mantle. He'd survived the destruction of that village and the loss of his family, and worked from being an orphan with no name into a leader in her father's company. Intelligent and with the right combination of risk-taking and discretion, he'd been leading the SDC in all but name even before their grandfather had stepped down into retirement, and the boss' daughter fell into lust, and then love, with him. She'd pursued him, and everything he'd achieved had been on his own merits. And in that, he and Weiss were the same.

No one handed Weiss success. She had the financial advantages of her heritage and the education it could afford, but she'd taken advantage of the opportunities available rather than settle for what was handed to her, and earned her reputation rather than depending on her parents. Weiss' mother had been taken in by drink and socialization, and while Winter had enjoyed the attention of both her parents, Weiss had seen them become more and more separated as she grew up; Whitley being the result of what was likely their last night together. Winter was aware that her mother had then gone through a succession of men, while still remaining to her work-aholic father, but they lived in different residences and rarely spoke, and as Winter's mother had aged, she'd taken on a perspective on men that was destructive and self-indulgent. Her affairs were the fault of their father, not her own weakness and lust. Winter no longer spoke to her mother, but she knew that the woman had a greater hand in Weiss' upbringing, and worried at what such an attitude might do to her and Whitley.

But Weiss had succeeded despite Winter's fears. She didn't know Weiss' attitude about men; they didn't talk about their love interests, if Weiss was old enough to even consider such things seriously, but Weiss' musical career, which her father had encouraged despite his desire for her to take over for him at the SDC, had taken off, and talent wasn't something you could fake with an appeal to the successes of your parents. Her academic career had been stellar as well, and her admittance into Beacon, despite Winter's preference for Atlas, was another feather in Weiss' cap, especially because she'd had to hire the private tutoring herself; her father refused to support another daughter risking her life as a huntress.

But now she'd seen the results of Weiss as a parent. Blanc was covered in scars and poorly healed wounds. The thin lines were undoubtably the result of her sister, and she couldn't attribute the abuse to either of her parents. Jacque was stubborn and could be heavy handed, but he'd never once struck her, or to Winter's knowledge, any child or their mother. And while their mother could have a biting tongue, she wasn't the sort to physically attack anyone. Blanc's explanation of training might make sense, but what sort of person trains a child by stabbing them? There were too many to be accidents.

And yet, this was a future person; how could she condemn the sister she loved for something she hadn't yet done.

Blanc was carrying his bag containing his clothing and equipment on board. He was wearing his new duster, which while a lot darker than the previous version she'd seen in the screens of him fighting, looked a lot sharper on him and fit his shape better, if only for the way the black fibers contrasted with his coloring. She heard the approach, and while remaining relaxed, dropped her hand to the hilt of her blade.

"I doubt there will be any need for violence, Ms. Schnee. Or may I call you Winter? General Ironwood sends his regards."

She turned to face Professor Ozpin. "I expect you are correct. Is there something I can do for you or the General?"

He shook his head. "No. I'd hoped to see you both off and perhaps have a word with my student."

"We were about to depart, but I have not yet requested clearence from control, so that should be acceptable. Please give me a moment to get his attention."

Blanc stepped off the ramp. "No need. Good morning, Professor."

"Good morning, Blanc. It is good to see you. I hadn't expected you back so early. It's my understanding you'll be spending the remainder of your break in Patch with the Xiao Long family?" Blanc nodded. "Please, extend my regards and mention to Taiyang that his skills would be welcome at our prestigious institution."

"I doubt he would have built a home in Patch if he'd intended to work at Beacon."

Ozpin chuckled. "Oh, I know. It annoys him that I always ask, so of course I continue to do so. Besides, with all of his children now here, one would think his interests might have changed. I'm sure Signal Academy could find an instructor to replace him by the time the next semester comes around."

"Well, I'll be sure to mention it then. Was that all? You could have scrolled him yourself."

"Not quite, no. I was wondering if we could speak about some particulars regarding your upcoming education."

Blanc figured this for code. "Why don't we talk inside. Winter is aware of the particulars of our relationship." Ozpin's eyebrow rose, but he seemed to accept the suggestion and walked up the ramp. Blanc followed him, and Winter behind, closing the ramp and joining them in her small living room.

"Blanc, how much does Winter know?"

"Well, to start with I clued her in on being a maiden. Shouldn't Ironwood have done that by now?"

Ozpin looked down and chuckled, then raised his eyes to look at her. "We find it's usually easier if they come to us when we know the new maiden. The change isn't always immediate, as in Winter's case sometimes there is a delay in the manifestation of the maiden's power, and it's easier on the new maiden if we allow them to broach the topic and help them to understand what's happening to them in such cases. If we have to seek the maiden out then we have to use a more direct approach to explain our presence and the need for our protection. Winter, I'm sorry but your case has been an especially long instance and I don't know that James is aware of your transformation. Have you been keeping it secret?" She nodded, and he continued. "I'll be certain to let him know at once. Perhaps you should head to him at once and let me take care... you said she's aware of your relationship, correct? Is she aware of all the aspects of that term?"

Blanc shrugged. "She knows I'm her nephew from the future and that I also contain the fall aspect. I offered to help her with her powers because I remember how she helped me with mine."

Ozpin stared at him saying nothing. "Well then, I suppose it does make sense for you to continue with your nephew. I'll be sure to let the General know; you should expect he'll either want Winter to return to where he can ensure her safety, or to join you himself."

Blanc rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, does he still not get along with Grandpa Qrow?"

Winter glared at him. "You didn't say anything about Qrow."

Blanc looked bewildered. "I didn't know I was supposed to." He looked over at Ozpin, seeing the sly grin on his face. "You cheeky bastard..." he whispered under his breath.

"Very well, if I must I will tolerate him." She then left the room, headed up to the cockpit.

Ozpin chuckled. At Blanc's confused look, he responded. "There was a rumor that Qrow and Winter had taken up with each other, and then suddenly neither could stand being around the other. While I make a joke of it, you should consider how disruptive they'll be when together. Are you certain you going to Patch is a good idea? I can offer facilities here, or I'm sure General Ironwood could make some accommodations."

Blanc sighed. "An Arc keeps their word, Professor. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. I expect you'll be returning directly from Patch, probably with James and Winter among your group. Our group will want to talk then. You should be prepared to present your plan to stop this coming catastrophe you have warned us about at that time, so that we can work with our Atlas partners in preventing it."

"Okay. I'll make sure I'm ready. I think I should tell you that I'll probably have to go to Atlas; I need to talk to Dr. Polendina."

Ozpin looked concerned. "He is a notoriously private man. I will speak with James to see if he can help you with this."

Blanc rose, shaking the professor's hand, and walked with him to lower the ramp and allow him to exist the Stygian. "Thanks for everything, Professor."

"Blanc, I know that time is short and you have a great deal on your mind. I believe there may be a way to complete your mission without necessitating the sacrifice you claim. Are you open to it?"

Blanc paused a moment. "We can talk about it when I return. I'm not sure there's much point."

"Oh? And why would that be, Mr. Arc?"

Blanc didn't answer, instead shutting the ramp. As the Stygian's engines began to ramp up, Ozpin walked away. He'd known so many men and women in his time, but only a few had seemed so bent on self-destruction, yet in all that time, only this man seemed to be going into it with his eyes open. He couldn't deny that Blanc had a rational reason for his choice, but he'd hoped that he would develop an irrational reason to avoid it. When he and Glynda had discovered the relationship between their students Yang and Blanc, he'd thought that might be it.

He returned to his office as Winter's yacht left Beacon headed southwest toward Patch. It was time to call his friend and counterpart in Atlas.


Xiao Long home, Patch, late morning

Yang groaned and covered her eyes from the sun filtering in through the window on her right. Her head ached, her eyes hurt, and the noise from outside wasn't helping. It sounded like someone was cracking a tree in half, but she knew the sound of chopping wood well enough from personal up-close experience, doing the chore herself, to know that was what it was. She also felt grimy and a bit sticky. And she was nude.

"I wish he'd stop. My head is pounding." Blake was laying next to her. They were together, in bed, and she was nude. Looking under the cover briefly, she needed to correct herself. They were both nude. "Remind me next time you want to go out while you're angry not to join you in any drinking contests.

"Blake, what did we do?"

Blake looked over at her, eyes lidded and he hand trying to cover her eyes. "What are you talking about? We went drinking and dancing last night, remember?"

"Not really. I remember coming back and sort of dragging you off to change and... that's not what I mean. Why are we naked?"

Blake closed her eyes, sighed, and replied. "I need coffee. Do you want some?" She then got up, not at all self-conscious about her nudity in front of Yang. Yang's eyes still hurt, but she had to admit her friend and partner had a gorgeous figure. Blake slipped on her panties, then began to dress. "Are you going to get dressed? The coffee will help. I think."

"Are you going to leave the room?"

"Why? I've already seen you naked. We had sex, Yang. What do you have to be self-conscious about now? Besides, you look great, even like this with your hair messed up."

"I feel gross. I'm covered in dry sweat and... I don't know. I don't remember doing... this."

"You don't? Do... do you regret it?"

Yang turned to look at her, mustering her courage and then slipping out of the covers to get her own clothes on. The strange thing is that she'd never been shy about being nude in front of Blake or the others before; not really. She'd never paid attention to it before. Sitting on the bed to pull on her boots, she replied, thinking she'd probably made Blake too nervous by not responding for so long. "I don't know. I never thought about it before. Now I have to worry about what the others will think, and about what happens to us, and how things are going to be when Blanc... oh. Oh dust. What've I done. What'd you make me do?"

She turned and her eyes were red. Blake put her hands up. "Look, I didn't make you do anything. You came onto me."

Lilac. "What? But... I mean you're beautiful but I never..."

Blake responded, scrutinizing her closely. "Never? You never thought about it? Do you mean being with a woman, or being with me? Honestly?"

"No, I can't honestly say that. You know, idle thoughts and... well you're hot, you know? But I never meant to act on it."

"Well, neither did I, but we did. How about we get that coffee and talk about it? My head is killing me." Blake didn't wait for an answer and left the room.

"Dust damned it, what've I done." Blanc entered her thoughts, and then she remembered; he was supposed to call her. She decided to check her scroll. She'd had to search for it, finally finding it under the bed where she'd found her shorts. Three missed scrolls and two memos. "I'm a shitty person."

"I don't know about that. You were taking a long time, so I brought you coffee up. It really does help. What's going on?" Blake had gone and retrieve coffee while Yang searched.

Yang reached out to her and took the cup. "I was supposed to talk to Blanc, but not only did I miss his calls, I spaced it and never called him back. He's on his way here; he'll be here ... dust he'll be here in a few minutes at this rate. What am I going to do Blake? I can't greet him with a hangover looking like I just got fucked, which I did, and trying to explain to him how I got drunk and cheated on him with my partner!"

"Why not? It explains why you didn't answer my calls." She turned. She'd never seen a harder face on him in the short time she'd known him.

"Blanc, I..."

Blake tried to whisper to her. "I didn't know he was here! I swear!"

"I wasn't. We just got here, and Qrow said you were inside. I may not be a faunus, Blake, but I'm not deaf either. I take it you were both drunk, then?" He quietly shut the door behind him. He looked like he'd just arrived; he still wore his duster and she could see the handle of one of his tonfa through the gap. He looked mouthwatering. Underneath the coat his shirt was tight, showing his abdominal muscles. "We don't have a great deal of time; Winter's here and so is Qrow. I had no idea they hated each other so much."

Yang looked confused. "Who's here?"

"Weiss' sister. I guess she and Qrow know each other. Pretty well if their screamed descriptions of each other are at all accurate. And what's with Ruby and Weiss?"

From outside, they heard Winter scream. "You're doing what with her? She's 15, Weiss!"

"Oh." Blanc didn't look as shocked as she thought he should. "Okay. So explain. I'm here and it's too late to lie to me. What's going on?"

Blake looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. "I'll just... I'll just go."

"No, you'll just stay. You've made yourself part of this."

Blake responded angrily "What are you going to do, Blanc? Hit me? Are you going to fight me for her?" Blake stepped into his face, huffing, close enough to feel his breath on her cheeks.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll fuck you both." She stepped back, startled at the response, and even Yang looked shocked. He sighed. "Maybe I'll just walk away. See if Winter can take me back to Beacon. I really don't know. Was it a mistake? I mean, did you get confused about who you were with?" He was talking to Yang.

"I don't know. I... I don't remember." He turned to face Blake. "Did you...? of course not. I'm being stupid. Look, it happened. Dust, your relationship with her is stronger than your relationship with me, Yang. I guess I should have expected this. Maybe it's for the best."

She wanted to speak up, say something... anything. She couldn't find the words.

He turned to the faunus. "Not going to speak up? Take all the blame, or put it on her? What did I ever do to either of you that you would do this to me?"

"Nothing. You didn't do anything to me, or to Yang. I just... we went drinking and dancing and we were flirting and it got out of hand."

He leaned forward, into her space as she'd moved into his earlier. "I can smell her on you. You two haven't even showered. Dust... I need to think." He turned and left the room. Neither moved or said a word until they heard a door slam. The yelling outside stopped.

Blake turned toward her, finally. "I'm so sorry Yang. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Blake, it wasn't supposed to be at all. I was... I am involved with someone. But it's not your fault. It's mine. Oh, what am I going to do?"

There was a knock on the door, which swung open the rest of the way. In the doorway stood her uncle, who leaned on the frame, hands in his pockets.

"Well, that was a short conversation, firecracker. What happened to..." he looked between them. "Oh. Ohhhh. I guess that explains it. Your boy charged off without a word, and Winter left after him. Hadn't even had time to get to the fun part." He turned, reaching for the knob to quietly shut the door as he left. "I'll let you two talk about this." The door closed, but they could hear him ranting about something in the water at Beacon. Blake didn't turn toward Yang, waiting, but Yang said nothing.

"Maybe we should take a shower. Showers. Separately." Blake took her shower kit off the dresser and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her as Yang began to cry.


Pond near Xiao Long home, Patch

"Can you at least tell me why you're out here marching back and forth like that? I'm getting tired just watching you." Winter had followed him. At first she'd said nothing, but her patience was wearing thin.

"I... its personal. She... she had sex with her partner. They'd just got up; I could still smell it in the room. Dust damned it... I don't know what to do."

Winter said nothing, waiting, but his pacing continued. "Don't do anything. Why is this a problem? They're both women, correct? You wouldn't need to worry about her getting pregnant."

Blanc stared at her. "She cheated on me. We've been away from each other for a week, maybe, and in that time she's already cheated on me. With her partner, who she sleeps in a room with every day. I mean... their relationship is stronger. They've spent more time together, and... Dust what do I do."

"What's the part in this that bothers you, Blanc? That she was unfaithful in a relationship that'd barely begun? That it's her partner?"

"She'll leave me for Blake. It makes sense; Dust, I should want her to... I'm a broken mess who's going to die soon anyway. I mean, if I loved her wouldn't I want her to be happy? Maybe..."

She got up, putting her hand on his shoulder to turn him to her. "Is that what you want? I doubt that's what she wants. Look, I'm not exactly the best source for this. I've cheated on every romantic partner I've ever had, including Qrow."

"So that's why you two don't get along?"

"It's... more complicated than that, and a lot of it's his business. I may not respect his alcoholism or the way he lives his life, but..."

"So it's about Summer? What'd you do, bring home a girl who looked like her to share with him?" At her deadpan stare he responded "Sorry, Dust, I'd have never thought. Did that... does that work?"

"What, bringing home a copy of your sexual partner's dead spouse so he maybe he can work out some of his issues? Not particularly, no."

Blanc coughed. "Uh, no. I meant bringing... having another person in your relationship."

"Well, not for most people I suppose, but it wasn't a problem for us until then. Or maybe it was and he just put up with it. I'll probably never be a monogamous person, Blanc."

"Huh, okay. You know, this isn't how I expected our relationship might be. You're actually much more... maternal than I remembered."

"Well, I had hoped to see Weiss, and I did, but I... I hadn't expected she'd take up with Qrow's neice."

"You know about his wife but you don't know about Ruby?"

"Wait, you do? Oh, of course you do. Well, yes it came up while we were together. You don't stay romantically involved with a widower for more than a year and not know some secrets about his personal life and relationships. I suppose that's another reason we don't get along so well anymore. I didn't realize anyone else knew."

"Well, you can thank me for that. I wasn't aware she didn't, and spilled the beans."

Winter nodded but said nothing.

"Okay, well, how about I try to take my mind off this for a bit and we'll start some of your training. No one followed us, and I've been keeping my eyes open to see if there were any visitors or strange avians. We should be okay to start working on understanding your power." He gestured for her to sit on a log, then sat next to her, their backs to the lake, eyes open and watching for anyone. She did her part as well, but listened attentively.

"So, some of this is what you taught me, and some of it is what I discovered on my own. Part of this process is just that, discovering how it works for you on your own. I can only guide you so much. First, there are a few aspects you should be aware of. Your power is magical in nature; no one can explain it via science. It's also grounded around the concept of the season; winter in your case. By concept, I mean what you think when you think of winter. What you think of, personally, okay? So what do you associate with the season of Winter?"

"Snow, Cold, Wind... clear skies. Ice. Seeing your breathe."

"Those are good, most of them are obvious. Clear skies?"

"Growing up, I remember being fascinated with the way the sun reflected off the snow outside our home. Not quite a mirror. It always seemed like, if it wasn't snowing, that the sky was so much more clear and cloud-free than in the other seasons. I suppose it's not, actually, but it felt that way."

"That's good. Your powers will be associated with the things you think about when you think about the season your aspect represents. Cold and Wind are obvious, so a lot of what you can do, and already do I imagine, revolve around that. What that also means is that as your concept of what winter as a season represents to you grows, so will the variety of what you can do with your power. Does that make sense?"

"No, it doesn't. Why would the power change because of what I think about it?"

"Because it's magic, remember? It's a power rooted to a concept of the season of winter, and how you interpret that will shape how the magic represents that concept in the world. This is what I want you to think about while you meditate."

"This sounds insane. Who told you these things?"

"You did. Now, for the part you'll undoubtable discover on your own but will freak you out, so I'm going to save you some of that. It works a bit differently from me, but... well you're going to start hearing voices. They're both real and not real, okay? No one else can hear them, but they're not a manifestation of mental illness. The power itself... I don't know how to explain it. It keeps an impression of those who've held it before. The longer they held it and the more they used it, the more powerful and common their voice will be. And they'll also partially begin to shape your concept of Winter, do you get that? What I mean is that they'll start to make you think a certain way, and that will adjust what you think of as winter. That sounds bad, but it's not. There is a wide variety of experience among the voices; over a thousand years of it from woman to woman, and their thoughts about your season will have varied quite a bit in that time, and because the effects are sort of cumulative and selective, some things you wouldn't normally associate with Winter will seem to associate well for you, and will allow you to manifest your power in unique ways."

He looked around and stood up.

"For example, you might associate new life with Spring, and thus think it would be great for healing, but winter is often associated with cleansing and slowing, and so the winter aspect is good at clearing wounds, slowing and stopping bleeding, and preserving life. Now, having brought that to your attention, you'll start to find this ability manifest in you as your powers manifest, assuming you accept the concept of what I'm telling you."

She looked thoughtful. "How long does this process usually take?"

He sighed. "I couldn't honestly tell you that. I was born with my powers already manifested. And the voices? They're not friendly to me and they speak... they speak with the voices of people I know instead of those who held this gift before I did. And everything they say is hateful. I spent most of my childhood with whispers in my ear to commit suicide, spoken in your sister's voice, or Ruby's, or Qrows, or even for a time in your voice when you came to mentor me. It was you who taught me how to shut the voices out, and I can't thank you enough for that, because I'm certain it saved my life."

"So you no longer hear them? You can make them stop?"

"More like you can learn to consciously ignore them until they disappear, like ambient noise. I only hear them in my dreams, now."

"Can you converse with them?"

"Uh, I can't, but you could. I'm certain you'll be able to as well. Have you started to hear them?"

"I... I thought they were part of me going insane. I was afraid to tell anyone. I thought they'd remove me from active duty, and put me into a mental ward."

"I'm glad I could save you from that fear, though somehow you made it through without me before, so you would have again I'm sure. One thing about this... mentoring relationship between us? You need to understand that my experiences differ from what yours will be greatly. Both because I'm a man and because I've used my power to fight a losing war. You should embrace this power as part of who you are, but I can't do that. It'll always be adversarial with me."

"Perhaps you spent too much time around Qrow? Your life seems to be full of horrible things happening to you, over and over."

He barked out a laugh, unable to stop himself. "You may be right. And you don't even know the half of it." He sat next to her again, head slumped on his hands. She reached over and pulled him against her shoulder, holding him quietly.

"Blanc?"

"Yeah..."

"I think you should have a threesome with them both."

"Are all you huntresses perverts?"

She turned to look at him. "Did I ask to watch? Or to join in?" He shuddered. "Maybe if they're interested, you can find out if you can make it work. You're right; her partner is going to be with her for years to come; at least until they finish at Beacon. But it doesn't have to mean the end of your relationship. I can be the beginning of a new relationship instead."

"You're getting off on this aren't you."

"I'm not giving you advice I think is bad. I"m not telling you this because I think it's funny or because I find it sexually arousing. Honestly, if you don't want to do it, don't. But you're probably right in that your old relationship is over. I think if you want to stay with... Yang? Yes, well... if you want to stay with her, you'll have to figure out how to make things work. Maybe her partner will back off."

Blanc didn't think that would happen. Worse, how could he trust anything now? Yang knew too many of his secrets, and she had been having sex with someone he couldn't trust with them. One thing was certain, however. He couldn't wait any more; passive approaches to discovering Blake's nature and intent weren't working. He'd have to put her to the test, and soon. He thought about discussing it with Winter, but decided against it. Her mission was to keep him safe and secure; there's no way she'd let him do what he was planning.

It was time to take Blake on a ride out to visit some of her old friends, and see where she really stood.


I'm finding it harder to write this story. Mostly because Season 5 really wasn't very good, and somehow made Season 4 look better. The affair with Blake was something I pretty blatantly foreshadowed without showing Yang's end of it. I deleted the scene I wrote in the actual club, mostly because it was terrible. I also thought about making the affair just another tease in Blake's imagination, or even flipping it to be in Yang's, but I wanted Blanc to arrive and find out. I think it makes the betrayal so much worse when she's ignoring him and cheating, after everything he's been through, and while he's trying to deal with having cancer. And now he feels like he can't tell her anything, because he can't trust her, and he doesn't trust Blake.

The next chapter is going to be violent, so I'm warning you now. There may be descriptions of gore. This has also been planned for a while. Maybe if I write the action correctly you'll enjoy it.