"So, they just… brushed you off?" Persimmon's voice is answered with the clatter of my food tray as I set myself down across the table from him. The cafeteria is boisterous with people on their lunch breaks, people whom I'd rather not know about the humiliating situation I endured the other day. I gesture for Persimmon to lower his voice. He responds only with a sip of his coffee and an unsatisfied shrug.

"Essentially." I make sure to keep my own profile low. "I haven't seen them since our interaction yesterday. I believe they're in a meeting now with the general discussing whatever their purpose here is." I begin to vigorously stir my own coffee, watching trance-like as the brown liquid slops over the cup edges and onto the polished silver surface of the table before setting down my spoon. I wipe the burning mess away with my napkin.

"Well, do you want me to change the subject? This subject seems to make you frustrated, which is totally and completely understandable, but you're really no fun to hang out with when you're angry." My eyebrow naturally arches upwards towards him.

"What? I'm just being honest. You'd just get mad at me if I wasn't clear with you."

"Yes, I would. I suppose I should thank you for your candidness. Anyways, yes, talk about yourself for a little bit. How has Ashton been?"

"Alright… I guess. It hasn't really been long enough to properly judge him and his skills. No one can beat you though."

"Thank you, although I'm sure Ashworth has much more experience than I." I reach over and pat my friend on the forearm as he inhales his salad. He gives himself a moment to swallow before responding.

"It's not just about the professional experience a person has." Persimmon shrugs in a manner that seems almost sheepish. I'm distracted from his statement for a moment as I notice he has a lettuce chunk seemingly draped across one of his canines.

"What do you mean by that? Also, you have a, uh…" I trail off, gesturing at my own mouth before freezing. My pause is not because of the awkwardness, but because I notice Qrow sauntering through the bulky cafeteria doors. I drop my hands to my lap then duck so that my line of vision to him is broken by a man's rather large head. "He's here."

"What?" Persimmon's back suddenly goes erect as he scans the cafeteria's crowd. His hand mechanically combs out the piece of lettuce. As he spies Qrow, which I know he does due to the meticulous descriptions I've given him in my ranting, his posture seems to relax. "Well."

"Well? Is that all you have to say?" I straighten my posture while my hand gropes for my sword before I remember that weapons are prohibited in the cafeteria for lower-ranking militia.

"That and he's coming over."
"He's what—" I go to turn around but Persimmon seems to spontaneously grasp my bicep.

"Don't turn around!" He hisses. "Have you never been a teenager? This is common knowledge!"

"I was never really approached in this manner—"

"Hey, Ice Queen." Qrow seems to teleport behind my shoulder. I thankfully manage not to jump, I don't need to humiliate myself any more.

"Greetings, Qrow. Should you not be in a meeting right now?" I say it coolly, keeping my eyes off him as he forces the soldier sitting next to me to move over, leaving room for him to flop onto the bench. My hands twitch as I notice from the corner of my eye he has an elbow resting on the table.

"It was boring. Anyways, I thought I heard mention the other day that you had some, exciting, I'm sure, although really, I'm just paraphrasing, tourist attractions you wanted to show off."

"Did I say any of that?" I'm looking at him now, making eye contact in fact. I continue to eat as well to show his presence doesn't affect me.

"Note the word 'paraphrasing,' Ice Queen. But, getting back to my original point, I figured since you know everything about this wondrous city, you'd know a good place to take me for lunch." After Qrow finishes his statement, and he certainly says it like a statement, Persimmon glances worriedly at me. At least, I presume so. I am unable to break eye contact with Qrow. I can feel his auburn eyes on me. Then again, it feels like every operative in the cafeteria has their eyes on me.

"Well, I certainly have some advisories, but not many." Qrow's eyebrow quirks upwards and my grip on my fork tighten. I continue speaking. "I am afraid, however, I do not understand what you meant by 'take me.'"

"Take me out for lunch. Jimmy gave you an infinite amount of lien for this trip, so I don't see why you can't use some of it to treat your guests."

I gently put down the fork before I use it to stab Qrow in his arrogant face. I take in a steady breath of air as I gently pat my mouth with my napkin. "Firstly, please refer to General Ironwood with the respect he deserves as your superior. And, secondly, my budget is only limited, so I'd prefer not to spend it on your frivolous whims. If you want a paid-for lunch, here." I slide him my personal scroll. This action seems to genuinely shock him. I force myself to stay composed as I resist a smug grin.

"Well, thanks. So, where do I take this?" He begins twirling the scroll in between his fingers.

"To the counter by the serving station. You're not a member of the Atlas military, so your meals come at a cost. Civilians are fed over the 2500 calorie per day limit that all military personal are forced under here in the cafeteria, so consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky… yeah." Qrow frowns at the scroll and slowly stands up.

"And don't worry about the food itself. Daisy and her team always serve the most satisfactory meals," I say as he begins to walk toward the checkout counter.

"Daisy? You know the worker's name?" He looks back at me in a quizzical fashion.

My brow furrows. "Well, of course. Why wouldn't I?" Qrow mumbles an incoherent response before actually walking away.

"I wasn't expecting him to actually call you Ice Queen." Persimmon says once Qrow is out of earshot.

"It seems we should expect the unexpected with that man." I toss my napkin onto my tray, my hunger seems to have dissipated. I would gladly leave, but just abandoning Persimmon, who still has a large portion of his lunch break left, to the likes of Qrow felt wrong. The longer I stay though, the more the large and airy room felt stuffy and small. I never enjoyed the bustle of lunch break on regular days.

"Hey, do you maybe just want to ditch this guy while he's busy? You probably have my schedule memorized, so you must know I have plenty of break time left to go eat somewhere else." Persimmon's lighthearted voice helps ground me. That, and the throbbing pain that comes from me forcefully gripping my hands together.

"No." I gently unclench my hands and massage my knuckles. "No, we shouldn't do that. As much as he unnerves me, my promotion is on the line. I can't become a Specialist if Qrow tells General Ironwood I abandoned him during lunch."

"Yeah… I guess. Also, Specialist? You just kind of vaguely described being promoted to a high rank, you didn't mention that."

"Well, at the time that's all the information I had, plus, it's meant to be under wraps until I actually get promoted." I can't help but feel proud of myself. Adding to my unprofessionalism, I glance around the populated room; my gaze lands on the man who was sitting next to me before Qrow moved him. He scowls at me in return then proceeds to move away from the table, barely touched tray in hand. A sick feeling tickles at my stomach.

"Hey buddy, if you're not going to eat all of those leftovers, I'll gladly take that tray off you." Once again, Qrow manages to take me by surprise. I need to be more alert to all of my surroundings.

"Well? Is all of that food going to waste, or are you just miffed that I made you move two feet to the left?" The man is clearly taken aback by Qrow's demeanour, as most normal people are. The soldier seems to just scoff in reply and shrug off Qrow's words as he walks away. Qrow returns to his claimed spot, setting down his own tray and my scroll. His disposition is highly relaxed for someone who essentially just had a standoff. "You Atlas people."

"They're not all like that, only the pricks," Persimmon declares.

"And how large do you think the percentage of pricks to non-pricks is in this city?" Qrow retorts.

"Oh… I… I'm sorry Winter, I can't help you out of this one," Persimmon turns back to his nearly empty tray, dejected. Qrow chuckles under his breath, then, seemingly just remembering I'm present, slides my scroll back across the table. He begins to forcefully dig into his food.

"I'm surprised," he says in between (and during) momentous bites, "that someone like you is friends with the Ice Queen over here."

Persimmon instantly bristles. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Persimmon—" I start.

"Oh? You think I'm talking about the Faunus thing?" Qrow just outright says it in a shockingly candid manner. "No, I just meant that I'm surprised she is friends with someone who has a remote sense of humour."

Persimmon deflates with relief. "Oh, well, thanks, I guess, but Winter has a good sense of humour too!"

"Oh, does she now?" Qrow turns to me, a quizzical smirk on his face. "Tell a joke."

"I'm sorry?" I glance over to Persimmon for assistance, but he just nods encouragingly. Qrow just waits, seemingly excited for my humiliation. "Well, um… a lady came up to me once and said, uh, said she had seen me at a salad bar before. This was strange, of course, because I had never seen herbivore."

I feel immense heat rise up to my cheeks as Qrow lets out a booming laugh that seems to rise above the mess hall chatter. Persimmon looks immensely disappointed in both of us.

After his laughing dies down into a chuckle, Qrow pushes away his lunch tray. The silver platter is near empty despite him only eating for a singular minute. "You were right, great food. Anyways, since there tons of time left in the day, why don't we go somewhere?"

"Like where?" I interject.

"Don't worry, somewhere free. I know how much of a cheapskate you are," in a singular swift movement that reminds me of his incredible speed, Qrow is out of his chair and stretching. "So, since you were talking about city tours and whatnot, I presume you know… say… the tallest building in Atlas with a flat, accessible rooftop with plenty of space?"

"The Fiend Hotel on one-hundred and ninety-second street and eighty-seventh avenue," Persimmon answers without missing a beat.

"Well, let's go." Qrow flashes one of his trademark roughish smiles. "Persimmon, was it?"

"Yes?"

"You might as well come with us. You seem to know more about this city than the actual tour guide."

We're all now piled into the back of a stale taxi. Currently Qrow and Persimmon are in a rapt conversation with each other that I'm only half-paying attention to. Whenever one of them says something remotely amusing Persimmon laughs in a way that causes him to accidently elbow me in the side without him noticing.

I'm content with not saying anything, I prefer to just watch out the window. The panoramic view rolls by at a sluggish pace. The driver comments on this by telling us there seems to be a traffic jam. "Lunch hour, you know?" The escort fumbles for a moment as he pulls out an aerosol can and perfumes the small interior with the artificial floral scent.

"Yes, but there really is nothing you can do about it," I disclose, trying to hold my breath against the pungent aroma.

"Really I should've known not to take this route at this hour. Forgive me, Miss Schnee," he's apparently still discontent with the smell of the car, so he lets out another spray of the aerosol.

"It's really quite alright," I reply, trying to keep the impatience out of my voice.

"Really? Well thank you for your kindness—"

"You know maybe we can just walk," Qrow cuts in. He glances over at me between Persimmon's horns. "All of the other drivers are stopped, I'm sure they won't mind if we cut in front of them to the sidewalk. I presume we can just pay now?"

"Well, yes, but really I insist that you don't—"

"I think we should, what about you Winter?" Persimmon chirps.

"Well, alright," I sigh. "I presume you want me to pay, as you seem to think I'm made of lien?"

"Well of course, Miss Schnee. If you want, I can even do it for you," Qrow smirks in return. I fume as I fish my scroll out of my jacket pocket.

I reach for the pay machine. "Miss Schnee you really don't have to," the driver splutters. "It's fairly cold out and it is a full two blocks—"

"Only two blocks? Thank goodness, I thought it was more," I forcefully swipe my scroll and exit the vehicle. Qrow and Persimmon hop out of the other side, trailing close behind. We pass in front of multiple car-packed lines. Every vehicle looks polished and new, the drivers give off the same polished look and the same fumes. It isn't until the three of us reach the sidewalk and I notice camera flashes coming from some of the vehicles that the weight of my action hits me. "I should go back."

"Go back? Ice Queen what you did back there awesome and brash, don't ruin it," Qrow laughs.

"I just should've acted more properly. At least let me apologize—"

"Ice Queen, relax," Qrow pats my shoulder reassuringly. "Besides, that man is probably already too busy blasting out some of his braincells point blank with that aerosol can."

"Qrow!" I try to be frustrated, but I involuntarily let out a shocked laugh. Qrow's eyebrows tip upwards, and his smile is hidden behind a polished silver flask he pulls out of his vest, which also tips up.

"Let's just keep moving, how about that?" Persimmon offers, successfully holding back a laugh, much to my jealousy and frustration.

"So this is the place?" Qrow uses his flask to gesture at the glittering sign with 'Fiend Hotel and Resort' scrawled in with green calligraphy that stands taller than the three of us combined. Persimmon and I nod proudly in response. I of course knew of this hotel, I even considered it as the place for Ozpin and Qrow to stay before deciding it was too expensive and excessive, but I didn't know the interesting trivia that Qrow inquired of. The fact that this place might have the largest open roof in Atlas was no surprise though. The hotel was in fact two separate spire-shaped structures that stood close together at the bases and came together at the top in an entwining fashion. Connecting the two main structures at the base was a square building with a sign saying 'Lobby' that matched the olive-lettered sign in front. Jade green veins in the structure help the building to pop out compared to the chrome backdrop of the rest of the city.

"So, what's the plan now, may I ask?" I turn to Qrow, who still is taking in the building. Whether it's because he's impressed or not, I can't tell.

"Well, we go up to the roof. I would've thought someone of your level of perception would be able to pick that up easily."

"I thought that was the plan," Persimmon sucks in a hissing breath between his teeth. When he puffs out the inhaled air it forms a little cloud in the chill atmosphere. "Well, this is the end of the line for me."

"Really? I don't see why it should be," I respond, being more concerned about being left alone with Qrow than anything else.

"Winter, I just…" his puffy coat heaves as he shrugs in a sad frustration. "I would like to come, but I should really get back before my break is over. I'm alright, though. With going, I mean." He adds on the last part hurriedly.

"Oh, well, would you like me to call for transportation?" I offer.

"Could you please? I'll make sure to pay," he smiles at me, but something about it is off. My inner alarms start to go off.

"Nonsense," I wave him off. "Take care, alright?" Persimmon nods in response, and with a few more parting words Qrow draws me towards the lobby as Persimmon waits for the driver I contacted. "But really, Qrow," I say, attempting to shake off my worry. "What is the plan. I believe we have to be paying customers for us to get up to the roof."

"Ice Queen, that part's easy. All you have to do is walk through like you own the place and not talk to anybody. No one questions someone who looks like they belong." We're getting closer to the glass doors of the lobby and Qrow's hand on my forearm is preventing me from turning around.

"Really? Qrow I don't know if your apparently perceptive mind realizes this, but it's rather hard for me to blend in."

"Hey," he laughs, guiding me through the automatic door. "I never claimed to be perceptive, I just said you weren't. Anyways, use your fancy Schnee talk to get us in there if anyone points us out. Easy." The inside of the hotel is as lavish as the outside, as to be expected. The walls are the same gleaming silver of the exterior, the floor is a green marble. Grey carpets with black leather and glass furniture set atop them are placed in precise locations across the room. There's an occasional pillar that serves no purpose other than aesthetic reasons that look identical to the spiraling towers outside. The singular lobby is larger than my quarters.

Sitting in the back of the plush space was more lettering reminding us that yes in fact we are in the Fiend Hotel. Underneath those is a reception desk that seems to grow out of the floor with a glass top. The man standing there notices me immediately, of course, and seems to perk up. "What can I do for you?"

I try to give Qrow a signal with my eyes that says "See?' He sends a look back that says 'Just do what I told you.' That is, if he even picked up on my message in the first place. It's a possibility he could just be mocking me.

"Oh, we were just hoping to go up on your roof." My mind gives me multiple different reasons why that request is abnormal. I hide it with another one of my signature fake smiles. "Do we need to pay?"

"Oh, no, of course not. Just, take either the elevator to the left or to the right and you should get there easy," the man seems disappointed. If I could think of something normal to say, I would give him a rueful response. Instead, Qrow and I turn to the left and move on.

As we're turning away from the desk, my eye catches an unadorned sign stuck to the side of the marble desk. 'No Faunus Allowed.'

I look away promptly, my eyes now level with the bridge of Qrow's nose. His brow furrows as he scans over my shoulder. Now I'm the one urging us forward.

The elevator is as synthetic and costly as the rest of the damned place. I mash the top floor button with what might be too much force. My heart is hammering despite me not undertaking any recent exertions. I grip the handle of my sabre.

Qrow is standing at the opposite end of the minuscule box from me. A long silence passes by. The elevator pings that it's on the third floor. Dammit it's going to be a long ride.

"So, I hear you're getting a new family member," Qrow comments. I nod silently and shift my position. "Are you… not excited?" He seems genuinely curious.

"No no no no no no, I am. There's… um…"

"It's complicated?" I open my mouth to speak, but he shushes me with a gesture from one hand while the other pulls out his flask. "You don't need to reply. I know I couldn't if someone just sprung a question like that on me. Especially if it's someone like, well, me," he takes a sip. "I also have a new addition who recently came into my life." I nod because I know congratulations can be tiring, along with questions. "No, yeah, Summer Roes and Taiyang's kid. Don't worry, I'm single still. What? I notice how you've been eyeing me. Ha, look at you now. You think you're so tough but you're obviously in love. Anyways, yeah, it's also complicated. So, I get it. Although, it's funny, no matter how many times I said that to your friend, Persimmon, he still wanted to hear it. It wasn't like some other people when they continue to ask about it, he just seemed like… an eager puppy."

"No, no, he's like that a lot. He's a very honest person. Very. So, don't expect anything less from him," I manage a tiny chuckle. "Anyways, that's what you two were discussing in the taxi?"

"What? You weren't paying attention? You just keep surprising me today with you lack of attentiveness. But yeah, we gabbed about newborns like two middle-aged ladies. Did you know he has two younger brothers down in Mantel?"

"Yeah, Paisley and Benedict. I would say I'm surprised he told you so much, but as I said a few moments ago he is extraordinarily honest." The elevator pings at us once again.

"People like him are just downright confusing. Especially to ingenuine people like us. Isn't that right?" Qrow takes another sip. The smell of the flask's contents is faint, but I still feel my stomach churn. He stares at the floor while I stare at him until the elevator pings again. "You have fought that."

"…What?" Ping.

"The sign. Don't play dumb. With a single word these people would eat out of your hand in fear of a lawsuit." He steps away from the wall he was previously leaning on and tucks away his flask. Ping.

"I couldn't. I can't."

"You can't? You could easily do it. You're clearly upset by it, so do something," his eyes are a turbulent crimson storm of anger and confusion.

"Yes, I am upset but—"/

"But you can't handle sticking up for something? Of course, it's not your problem so why should you deal with it. You probably wouldn't look like a perfect angel for four seconds, so why would you risk it?" He grumbles the last part.

"I never said nor insinuated anything of the sort. It seems I am the only one in this elevator who knows not to challenge anyone I please, especially not someone that I can't win a fight with," my hand twitches towards my sabre.

"I'm sorry?"

"Qrow I couldn't win against these people if they actually did come after me. Not only would they defeat me in any court case, but I'd have my father to deal with. How do you think he'd feel about me making statements like that for a company I'm not even a part of because of him?" The words leave my mouth before I can even properly think through the red haze that seems to fill my head. If Qrow is surprised by any of the words, he doesn't show it. He slumps back against the elevator wall. Ping. Ping. Ping.

"In case you're wondering," my gaze is now shamefully fixed on the floor, "no, you wouldn't have heard anything about this. You seem to be on top of my family mechanics, but this no one knows of. My father prefers to keep the more controversial part of our company under as many wraps as possible. That's all I have to say." Qrow only nods and drinks more.

The elevator shifts and pings for another thirteen floors, I count, until we reach the roof. We both walk out into the open expanse. Despite the grand height, still plenty of buildings in the surrounding metropolis loom above us. Even still, we stand above hundreds of the buildings in Atlas. Lights glimmer and dance below us in an artificial spectacle. However, the thousands of lights are insignificant compared to the view that stretches forever past the edge of the city. Mountains and snowy plains extend to the horizons and glimmer against the high-arching sun. Condensation hangs around the city edge, and a sharp breeze plays with my coattails. The chill and the view combine to give me shivers.

"I'd imagine you want to know why I wanted to come to such a specific place," I turn to look at Qrow. His eyes are set on the same view I was just staring at, his hands shoved in his pant pockets. His eyes meet mine. "Well, I was hoping for a rematch." He pauses for a beat and meets my eyes before continuing. "I honestly wanted it to be more relaxed. Try and see if I can… I don't know. Just have fun and forget about things? Atlaseans seem to make a mess out of anything enjoyable."

"Well let's do it." I turn away from the building edge and take a step towards him.

"What?"

"Have a rematch. Let's forget about everything, even for only ten minutes." My hand happily draws my sword from its sheath. I split the sabre into two separate blades and charge.

A/N. Long time no see. I was planning on posting this Saturday with a fight scene included, but toxic people plus my computer picking a fun time to kill itself said no to that. Since my computer is still very much on its last limb, I'll see if I can post this next little action scene in a whole separate chapter within the next week. I might just write on my mobile, but that us easier said than done. Anyways, hope you all enjoy! Until next time.