Trust is something that is easily exploitable. The people of the city trust Cyril and in turn he uses that trust for his own means. While he sold information about people for money, it wasn't always about that. This entire project started because he was interested in the lives of people who came to his store. It was only with time that he involved himself in actual criminal behaviour.
Well, until he accidentally let it slip to a certain criminal.
Ever since that day, he'd been involved with all sorts of people. But none were worse than Roman Torchwick and his assistant. But he was thankful to them. They showed him what the true value of information is.
Messy divorces, fights, drug deals, and even murders; Cyril had seen it all. Something about knowing people's darkest desires was oddly enjoying. Information that you shouldn't be having was often the most appealing.
To make things even better, no one suspected a thing. From the "impenetrable" Beacon to the lower classes of Mistral, there wasn't a place his dirty hands didn't have some sort of presence in, and it gave him a feeling he couldn't explain.
He knew he'd be caught one day, but he had failsafe's for when it happened, for now he'd enjoy what he had.
In a few weeks Beacon would enrol new first years, and this is when business was booming for him.
Students often came to buy all sorts of things from him and so it was an opportunity for him to get new victims.
The best thing to bug for students is either their clothes or their pens. Some students had a tendency to never take their pens of their body, which was perfect, the more they carry it the more he can use it. Their clothes, however, were much harder to bug. But when it happened, the payoff was huge. Though the problem with it is that there's no way he can hide the bugs unless they personally give him their clothes.
That's the beauty of bugging someone. The work you put in always pays off. You can't do anything half-assed or with no effort, everything has to be calculated or your done. It wouldn't be fun if it all came easy. The challenge is all a part of the job.
Listening to people really just revealed to Cyril the monsters that we all have within us. Just like in The man with two souls, humans do have duality. There's a side we hide from people, a side which we all have.
The bright and upcoming Mr Green, who is being considered for a promotion at the Bank he worked for, is actually an alcoholic who was ruining his family's lives one by one. The owner of the bookstore down the road is actually a former terrorist and is living his days in peace.
Even with Cyril himself there is a side he didn't anyone to know about.
But was that natural? Was it something everyone had to live with?
Probably at least that's what Cyril thought. It was only natural that people had repressed feelings, there's no way anyone can live completely happy.
Before Cyril could think more on it, the bell rang, meaning someone came in.
"Welcome to Cyril's Antiques. I hope you can find your treasure today."
If you want something done right, then do it yourself.
If you want something done well, then it's worth getting your hands dirty. After all, who knows what you want more than yourself.
From the Faunus to Roman Torchwick, people were prone to making mistakes and in her line of work mistakes meant death. There was only room for perfection, but perfection was unattainable.
Cinder Falls' greatest trait was her ambition. Ambition is the root of all evil, but it was also the root of all things which are needed to survive. Adaptability, resilience, innovation and most importantly it gives you a wanting to survive. When there's something you want deeply, then you have to get it by any means necessary.
Ambition was king in this world.
"Another day, another success." A voice said as they entered the warehouse.
While Roman was content with the small tastes of success, Cinder dreamed of something bigger, something which would satiate her ambition and desires. The small accumulations of success only taste good when the bigger goal has been achieved. There was no time to celebrate.
"Do not become lax Roman, it will be your own undoing." Cinder called out to him as he entered.
"Success is success. No matter how small or great and don't you think success deserves praise?" He asked.
"You'll know when it deserves praise. Do you personally think this is worth of any praise?"
"In fact, I do. Stealing from most of the dust stores in Vale while also completely tarnishing the reputation of the Police department, no other criminal could pull it off."
Cinder had to admit to herself that was right. Roman had stolen from an obscene amount of dust from the stores in Vale with the police hardly ever getting close to him. He was two steps ahead every time, and it piqued her curiosity. This complete embarrassing of the Police Force, only gave more spotlight to Roman as the criminal who always fooled the incompetent police.
He had to be as attention grabbing as possible to divert attention from herself. Romans dust robberies gave them a lot of resources but that wasn't what Cinders goal was.
"I've been meaning to ask how you've achieved that. We were definitely expecting you to gain a lot more attention than you did, but you've subverted my expectations." She asked.
"I have an 'associate' helping me out. He gives me updates about the police department before time and he keeps them off my tail." He answered.
"I assume you have a mole in the police department?" She half asked.
"Yes, and no. He just has eyes and ears in the police department. He's got the place bugged. Think of him as an informant." He clarified for her.
An informant? Now that was interesting. There were a few people who traded information. There was that man, Junior, who Roman had told Cinder about before, but they used him more for henchmen than actual information gathering. So it was interesting that Roman had someone who could give him information at a moment's notice. It was definitely appealing to Cinder.
"This man, you've never told me about him. What is his name?"
"He's called Cyril, but I'm certain that's not his actual name. He's a real enigma, using fake names and all." Roman answered.
"He's piqued my interest. Tell me about him." She ordered.
Roman sighed at this. He clearly had a distaste for this man. "He's a genuine freak. Everything from the way he dresses to his hobbies puts you off. I don't know much about him but he said he's originally from Vale."
"You sound scared of him, Roman." She smirked.
"No, it's nothing like that. Physically he's nothing to worry about."
"Then what is their to worry about him?"
"His presence. The moment you strike a conversation with him, you feel like there's something eating away at your brain. You start to double think everything you do or say. It's his semblance and there's nothing you can do to avoid it."
That was certainly interesting. If Cinder had to base a first impression on him from what she'd just heard, then he was a threat. She wanted more information about this power. A lack of knowledge will always come back to haunt you, no matter who you are.
"But when he's acting like a normal person, he's less annoying. He's a big fan of books, won't shut up about them. Every time you enter his store he's got his nose in one." He sighed.
"He works at a store? Quite bizarre." Cinder commented.
"It's his base operations. It's the perfect place to set up if you think about it. People buy from shops without a second glance. When was the last time you checked the actual contents of what's inside what you buy?" He didn't get an answer. "Exactly. He's taking advantage of a common human flaw and is reaping the rewards."
"Resourceful and intelligent. How far is his reach?"
"Beacon to Mistral. You need information on something he'll get it for you." He answered.
From the first word, Cinder was hooked. Beacon. It would make sense why he had information there. If what she inferred from Roman was correct, then this man was bugging the products he was selling. Students buy all sorts of things from shops ranging from equipment to items for their dorms. It was genius.
"I've made up my mind. I want to meet him."
"What, exactly for?" Roman asked.
"He seems like an interesting fellow." Was all she said.
"There's no point in asking. I know all I'll get are vague answers." Roman sighed. "He works at downtown vale at the commercial district. You won't miss him."
"Thank you Roman, you are dismissed for now." She said.
"Word of advice, don't look away from him at all." He said as he left the room.
This man was a gift from fate. The potential he held to help Cinder not only let her plans run smoothly but to also give Cinder eyes and ears everywhere. While she had people scattered around the city, such as the White Fang, who could help with information but they were largely incompetent.
He was the last piece she needed. Infiltrating beacon, infecting the CCT, and everything that was to happen at the Vytal Festival. At every step of the plan, if he was as good as Roman declared, he could be there to help her.
Yes, he was the missing piece to her almost complete puzzle.
The newspapers were always a nice way to waste time.
Just a bunch of exaggerated lies used to promote big business. From a little bit of research, Cyril found out it's the Ads that are put in a newspaper first and everything else is an afterthought.
Cyril adjusted his reading glasses and flipped the page. The title hit him in the face like a wave.
"FAUNUS CIVIL RIGHTS PROTEST TAKES DARK TURN"
Cyril laughed at the title like it was a joke. Every week something like this popped up in the news. It was like a recurring part of Cyril's life. Every time the Faunus try to have a "Civil" protest, the white fang came along and made themselves the centre of attention. If the same thing happens, all the time why bother at all?
"Don't you think newspapers are old-fashioned? We're in the age of technology after all." The only woman in the store said. She had one hand tracing Cyril's treasured books while the other was holding a red umbrella.
Cyril had seen her come in, and she wasn't here to buy. She'd been in for around 10 minutes and she was clearly watching him. She was a new face to him, he'd never seen her around. From a single glance up and down, he could tell she was trouble. She gave of an air of authority which was similar to Roman, but she was clearly different. It was the look of power on her face that was a clear giveaway.
"I work in an antique store, I have to have some taste for the things people find boring." He said while flipping the page of the paper.
While sneaking a glance, Cyril couldn't help but notice how tall she was. It wasn't odd for Cyril to encounter women who were quite tall, but it was always a welcome surprise. But that wasn't the only thing that caught his eye. She was clearly a fighter of sorts. While it wasn't obvious the first time he saw her enter, it was clear she was stronger than him. The muscles on her were all bigger than Cyril's, who was quite barebones.
She wore a short-sleeved white shirt, which was accompanied by a light red coat. While she took lengths to cover her upper body with the coat, the same couldn't be said about the lower half. She had black shorts which were incredibly short. While it was probably against store policy to wear something that short, Cyril didn't say a word about it.
It took her a while to pick out a book. She seemed to have trouble picking out a book which was common amongst customers, though she did end up picking one. The Corpse doctor. A fantastic story. A story about how man has to take responsibility for the horrors the creations they create can commit, which can be said about our world now.
"Boring? No, I wouldn't call it that." She said while walking to the till. Her eyes were piercing Cyril's. The two didn't break eye contact once. "I'd say that you've surrounded yourself with so many books and paintings that you've grown to have a distaste for technology."
"That's quite the assumption. Everyone relies on technology, I won't lie and say that I don't."
Interestingly, the woman paused before she continued. Cyril wasn't using his semblance, so clearly paused for something else.
"You dodged what I said." She laughed. "We all rely on things we dislike. I rely on the expensive salons because I can't cut my hair to save my life." She placed the book on the till, but her hand never left it.
"I guess there's some truth in that. I just find there's more to find in our books than our scrolls." He sighed.
Cyril extended his hand to take the book, but he couldn't take it. The book was unusually warm, and she seemed to apply a powerful grip to the edge of the book.
"Is there a problem, madam?" Cyril asked with a fake smile.
She said nothing, only a smirk formed on her face. The book burned from the end where the woman held it. On reflex, Cyril let go of the book, but she didn't flinch.
"Do you know who I am?" She asked.
"I can guess." Cyril placed his arm underneath his apron. And when he felt something, he continued. "You're Roman's employer. I've been expecting you, actually." Cyril calmly said.
The smoke of the burning book rose. But after his words, she took her hands off the books. However, almost straight away, she put it back on.
"Are you scared? Please don't be." He comforted her. "I knew Roman would eventually let my existence slip. I'm Cyril, It's a pleasure to meet you,". Cyril took a seat on his chair and took off his reading glasses.
"That's a surprise. I guess this book went to waste." She said, while taking her hand off the book. "You are as good as Roman said you were, he's normally all talk but you impress me."
"It was a wonderful book, but easily replaceable. What's more important is what's inside, which is why I assume you're here."
"From the moment I heard about your skills, I knew I needed you. Our conversation before only cemented it. There's something about you, I don't know whether it's your unique semblance or your way of talking." She said.
"Need? That's a strong word. Am I really, necessary to your cheap dust store robberies?" He asked, but almost instantly he continued. "Unless you're just using Roman for something. Interesting. What is your name, Madam?" Cyril questioned.
"Cinder. Cinder Fall." She stated. "I came here to request your assistance for. You are a blessing in disguise, how you've managed to go under our radar for this long is a surprise."
Cinder had used information brokers before. Most of them were useful to an extent, but none were good enough. They had limited resources or were fools or were trying to make a quick cash grab. There was always something wrong with them. They didn't respect the craft, but the man in front of her respected it. No, he didn't respect it; he feared it. From what she'd heard about him and gauged from their conversation before she could see the fear in his eyes when he spoke about his job and it was clear it wasn't fear for herself, no, he feared the power of information.
"I'm not one for being the centre of attention. It was fate which brought Roman and his assistant to me, and now they've brought you to me. But there's one thing you seem to not understand, my services are not for free. I am willing to co-operate but everything comes at a price."
Cyril was willing to work with her not out of fear or boredom but of of interest. Cyril had all these tools at his disposal, all these pieces set in place, and he had nothing to do with them. Now there was a chance for Cyril to be a part of something and to see how things unfold.
"I expected that. What is it that you want?" Cinder said.
"First, why don't you tell me why you need me? And don't bother lying, I'll know."
END
AN:
3,000 words, that sure did take a lot out of me. This week has been hectic. School, work and this morning the prince died so the country is sorta in panic for some reason.
But it's been fun writing this and it's a nice way to get away from everything.
Also I started to re-read Coeur Al'Arans' "In the kingdom's service", which did serve as an inspiration for me to start writing this though I doubt I'll be on his level of writing any time soon.
Also why are the women In rwby so short. Give me some tall ladies damn!