Okay, here we go, on the road again.

Review replies comin' up!

TheKazostkyKicker, Subject ZeroOne, centi108l, EMIYA KURO, Vinnypaul, The crimson trucker: Thanks to y'all for reading, reviewing, and liking this unscripted mess. And rest assured: There's more music, tiny Blake, and Lima-brand stupidity coming up!

WilliamLeonis: It's literally magic rocks, so yeah - probably no emissions whatsoever when used up. That's gonna be one of the things to overcome if Lima wants to make good ol' oil mainstream in Remnant - the whole emissions deal. I'm thinking that since it's safer to drill for oil than mining for Dust, people will try to bet on it. Then again, Jacqueass Schnee can draw the clean energy card if he commissions an emissions test.

ZILLAFAN (Guest): FINALLY! SOMEONE GETS IT! I'D KISS YA, MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!

Jhunt883: That was intentional. Glad you found it funny, though...! 'Cause I didn't when I wrote it.

Ailing Loran: And in due time, I will deliver! First, we gotta sort the fuel issue then the Caprice will be able to roam around Remnant turning heads and burning rubber... Though a Caprice PPV isn't that much of an eye candy, it looks like an old man's car (Unsurprising given it was a cop car). Now a Chevrolet SS/Holden Commodore SS-V? Or any damn HSV variant? That's dope.

Cchang3: Then I'll keep it coming! Thanks for sticking around to read my explanation, I thought you were gone for good. Music will come by, though mainly it'll be switched out lyrics in ELO songs to make jabs at certain RWBY characters.

M.U.M.M: No creo que pase lo que propones. Ya que si Ozpin, Salem, o sus respectivos peones se ponen a leer uno de los fics republicados por mera casualidad, se van a encontrar con un montón de situaciones, personajes, y conceptos familiares por más que se cambien los nombres de los personajes y/o locaciones. Pero podría ser algo que el Lima de la historia llegue a considerar en algún punto por los memes.

Chapter Two: "Works in Progress - Time to Work"

"So, what can you play uhhhh...?" I ask to a fidgeting young Kangaroo Faunus with blue hair, whose name I just forgot.

"My name's Huon, and I can play bass guitar" He replies.

"Can you read music?" Asks Kaeru, and he nodded.

Kaeru and I spared a look at each other, conveying a silent message. Kaeru started fumbling for some papers, and I got up to look for a bass guitar despite the kid already carrying one. Couple seconds later, I handed the bass to the youngster and Kaeru set up a music sheet for him to work with. She instructs the boy some things regarding the sheet that I don't fully get, and then we leave him to his own devices.

After taking a deep breath to ease himself and familiarizing with the instrument, the kid is playing the bass intro to 'Last Train to London'. Unlike most people who we've tried so far with the bass guitar, he can actually play it without messing up.

So, you might as well be wondering what Kaeru and I are doing, and it's simple. It's been two slow weeks since we met, and we're already holding auditions to start up Menagerie's very own orchestra out from Kaeru's shop. And boy, this ain't as easy as I thought.

First off: The sheer number of prospects. With Ghira saying most people didn't do much other than focusing on the day to day, I honestly expected fifty people max, not five hundred! That's a good chunk of Kuo Kuana's population if that half-assed census done by The White Fang a decade ago is to be believed!

Secondly: Then there's the fact that most of these people play the same goddamn thing most of the time. I've turned down forty-seven guitarists this morning alone. Because either they suck or they're redundant with me around. We probably need two guitarists max considering I can play myself, and those vacancies are filled. Not to mention the proper Orchestra section is oversaturated, how many people has Atlas vanished to Menagerie just 'cause they're Faunus, and just how many had good musical ed beforehand?! Jeez, what a waste.

After he's done, we start talking in hushed tones.

"So, what you think? I think he's good enough. He's even better than I am" She tells me.

My head cranes at her. "Damn, you think? Well, wouldn't hurt to do something else to test the boy"

She scrunches her face up in confusion. "Like what?"

A confident smirk creeps up my face. "Mercy Mercy"

She sighs reluctantly before getting up herself with the sheet with the bass parts for a reworked version of Don Covay's 'Mercy Mercy'. The boy's already in, but this' a little test we've agreed on to see how many of these people are gonna be limited to studio duty for a while before we can condition them to go on stage.

I get up from my stereotypical 'judge chair' before picking up that guitar from that time I played 'Let it Rock'. Kaeru's changing the boy's music sheet.

"Alright, you in. But, I need to see you performing under pressure" I hook the guitar up to the amplifier while Kaeru makes herself comfy on the drums. "This one's called 'Mercy Mercy'. It's a simple, straightforward R-an'-B. If you can play this, and not clam up, we'll consider you for stage duty straight up"

"Let's get this over with, we're wasting daylight" Complains Kaeru from the drumkit, and I don't blame her considering we've already done this a few times and all the bass guitar and regular guitar players so far jam up.

"Alright, alright" I grumble before striking a few practice chords. In my haste I forgot to grab a guitar pick, so I'll have to make do with my fingers.

I start slow for the intro, then speed up three chords later, at five seconds that's the cue for the both of them to kick in, Kaeru starts strong with her drumming and so does Huon with the bass. Normally the vocals kick in at ten seconds, but I don't want to distract myself by singing so I remain silent, that doesn't stop me from humming the lyrics, though.

At a minute and forty-odd, the instrumental break starts and the end of the song rolls by before we know it at three minutes, so Kaeru cuts us off with the timbals.

"Ugh, finally. Someone can finish a number" She muses before letting the drumsticks drop on the snare unceremoniously and getting up.

I watch her get up and rush back to the improvised judge table we had assembled for a second before going back to our newest recruit. "So, Huon, right? You're in, and with flying colors. Be back on Sunday, alright? You'll meet the rest of the crew then, so get going, keep your head up, and be proud of yourself"

Huon looked nothing less than completely ecstatic, jumping out of the store like a Kangaroo would do.

"Isn't this place a giant bowl of stereotypes..." I grumble as I sit back down and wipe my brow with my forearm.

"Excuse you?" Says Kaeru offended.

"I mean, that's like the fourth Kangaroo Faunus I've seen acting like a stereotypical Kangaroo at times, and some of the ones before him were drummers and they were nearly gonna wreck the kits! Then there's that Ram Faunus grandma from two weeks ago who tried to impale me with a broom since some sick fuck cut off her horns..." I groan as I lay back on my seat. "And you've seen Blake? Kali's daughter? She's like, the living incarnation of every cat stereotype known to mankind! Loves fish to death, threatens by hissing, and loves cramped spaces to read! I mean, what the hell is wrong with Blake?!"

"Okay, but those are exceptions to the rule, but not everyone behaves according to the stereotype"

"Thinking that'd be racist, I know. But I can't help but feel that belief is somewhat grounded in reality" I grab my Contigo mug and gulp a good swig down. It's just water so nobody should be worrying about me being drunk AF. "So, we keep going?"

"I'm thinking we should call it a day. We've got a bassist, a guitar player, and five new string players today" She recounted.

"Then we're missing a provisional drummer, a keyboardist, and a few choir people. But we'll hold off the last one 'till next week's Sunday"

"Plus, we've held a lot of auditions today. I stopped counting past thirty"

"Does it really count when we've turned down a chunk of people just 'cause they told us what they played?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Lima, we've been here for hours and breakfast seems like the faintest of memories"

"What time is it anyway?" I take out my A25s from my pocket and I pale. "Good lord - it's a quarter past four"

Kaeru groans in frustration. "Geez, no wonder I'm hungry. I'll go close up shop"

"I'll go handle the crowds"

Each one of us did as claimed, with me telling people to come back tomorrow, and Kaeru closing up the store's shutters. After everyone scattered, I catch Kaeru struggling with hard-to-reach shutter that's apparently stuck.

I get closer. "Need a hand?"

"If you'd please"

I put both of my hands on the ledge of the shutter and start pulling down, only for it to not budge. "This shit's stuck, push it up"

She pushes until she can't reach, and then I end up pushing it all the way up and it goes without complaint. Then I pull all the way down, it tries to get stuck an inch past the half but then Kaeru also helps pulling it down, continuing until it gets stuck about four inches before the ground.

"Great, now what?"

I look at her like she's an idiot. "What do you mean 'now what'? Just stomp it the rest of the way! You take the left; I'll take the right"

"Stomp it?! Are you crazy?!"

I get in position, putting my foot on the rightmost part of the shutter's ledge. "Got any better ideas? You can oil it up when it's closed, but you ain't gonna get nowhere if it's stuck like this"

"And what if we break it, huh? You think the Belladonnas are gonna pay for it?" She deadpans.

"It's not gonna break, I've done it tons of times before. Just roll with me"

Reluctantly, she copies my stance on her side of the shutter, then we start stomping. Eventually we clear the last four inches, and she throws me a lock and key, which I lock around the ring on the shutter, closing it in place.

"See? What I'd tell you?"

She looks at me before rolling her eyes. "Thanks. I appreciate it"

I open my arms in a wide gesture as I walk two steps backwards. "Hey, I've been hoarding your store, using your instruments, and pestering you for days. It's the least I can do"

"You can thank me by making this idea of yours work!" She says before turning around, lazily waving me off.

I wrap my hands like a tube around my mouth. "Trust me! When we're done here, the mothership'll take off and we'll be all over the world! Sold out venues in Vale and Mistral, playing at Amity Arena!"

"It's 'Colosseum', you know that?" She screamed.

"I told ya, doesn't sound as cool!"

With that, I'm all alone. Normally after the auditions I go straight back to the Belladonna manor, but today Sleet invited me for lunch so we could discuss his most recent findings about the Caprice, which I left with him a week ago so he could tear it down.

Let's just hope he isn't pissed off because I'm late.

"It's five P.M, human. I told you to come have lunch, not dinner. Unless your biological clock is so skewered that you think this is a reasonable time to have lunch"

I had to tempt fate.

Right now, we're at Sleet's garage, where he's apparently running a test given the Caprice's engine is running, and the car looks the same as the last time I saw it.

I pursed my lips, looked at the heavens, and silently asked 'Why me?' before addressing Sleet. "Look Mr. Root, I didn't want to come late, okay? It's just the auditions dragged on - man, how many people does Atlas send here even? 'Cause I can't for the life of me explain how does Menagerie have so many amateur musicians by any other means"

He starts walking inside, and I follow him. "Well, Atlas has a law against buskers, and if you're a Faunus the courts usually give out the punishment of 'Vanishment'" He starts shuffling a few things on a table filled with edibles. "Not to mention given Menagerie is a penal colony, they keep sending people here as a punishment. According to the Belladonnas, it is on a monthly cadence"

"The fuck?"

"They also send monthly rations, they don't last even a week - here you go, bon appetite" He hands me a very stacked hamburger.

"Wow, thanks" I grab it along with the Styrofoam plate and I take a bite. "Whas da dil wit da rashion?"

"Good Oum, please chew before you talk" He sighs. "The monthly rations are meant for a population of eight hundred or so people"

"Eight hundred? That's about as many people who came auditioning for the Orchestra!"

"Exactly, and according to my calculations, Kuo Kuana alone has about six thousand inhabitants. You can only imagine that isn't sufficient for anyone"

"So, what happens with the rations?" I ask out of curiosity.

He grimaces. "Well, The White Fang goes to the pick-up spot, receives the forcefully sent new citizens of Menagerie, then hoards the supplies that arrive - some of them bleed into the economy and the general population for commercial purposes, but most remain under White Fang control, who ends up rationing either among members, or gives away some at a big public kitchen at the square" He pauses before motioning me to get closer. "Of course, a good chunk of edibles and Dust end up at the Belladonna manor. Ghira and Kali have quite the stockpile, though eventually it becomes too much for them to keep on the down-low and they give some away to people like me"

I snort. "Who would've thought Ghira and Kali had that kind of bone on em', what about shortages, though?"

"Kuo Kuana's actually self-sufficient when it comes to foodstuffs, most of them are grown close to the mountain range you see over there on sizeable farms" He points to the thing he mentioned in the distance. "And water comes from an upstream river that's heavily guarded so nobody pollutes it. There's a lake in the hills which is where it most likely the river comes from, but Grimm are a pain to deal with so only Hunters could ever dare to explore to comfirm it. The farms haven't been overrun by Grimm because they're owned by The White Fang and they clean up Grimm frequently"

I realize something. "But I drove all the way here from the desert! I even drove around them hills and through the forest! I even saw some of the farms!"

He looked at me with the most amused face ever. "You're one lucky motherfucker"

"Let's agree to disagree. You don't know half the shit I've been through my whole life" I shake my head and give the burger another bite before swallowing. "So, what's the deal with the Caprice? What've you found out?"

"So far, I've seen the potential by reverse-engineering the body, and I see at least three more body styles we could get from the same platform. A pick-up truck, a two-door coupe, and a station wagon. Not to mention we could cut down the wheelbase a few inches and get a sports sedan"

"Basically, we could get a Ute, a Sportwagon, a Monaro, and a Commodore. Nothing new there, What else?"

"I still need to look at the engine. The whole cylinder deactivation technology amuses me, plus the engine type itself"

"Well, what're you waiting for? I'm sure you'd have a ball designing a big block V8"

"That I did, and I'm testing something regarding the fuel this can run on. Right now, the car's running on Combustion Dust. CD and Gasoline are apparently similar to one another, but Gasoline offers better performance and fuel economy..."

He motions me to get closer to the Caprice with him. "At the expense of emissions. Gasoline is the dirtiest fuel I've ever had the displeasure of working with. CD gives out no emissions whatsoever in comparison... But this engine chugs it faster to compensate for something. Look at the fuel economy estimate"

With that suggestion, I go to the cabin and sit down on the driver's seat before changing the mode of the driver info screen which sits between the tacho and the speedometer with those awkward controls in the blinker lever, and what I see baffles me.

Instantaneous Fuel Economy

9.2 MPG

"NINE?! NINE MILES TO THE GALLON!" I freak out. "What has the car been doing? Tell me you've driven it a bit, please"

Sleet grimaces. "It's been idling for the last two hours"

"Ay Dios mio. When it moves, it's gonna be awful! I normally get 14 MPG in a bad day! 12 if I'm flooring it!" I smack my head against the steering wheel, accidentally sounding the horn. "Ugh, Combustion Dust must be like E85 to give this kind of mileage. Have you heard any knocking from the engine?"

"None, if I had heard some I would've shut down the engine and put the gasoline back in the tank"

I turn to him. "What happened to the gas in the tank anyway?"

"I have it in a few jerry cans on storage. So don't worry about it"

Silence ensures for a few seconds before I break it.

"... Wanna go for a joyride?"

Sleet smirks. "Thought you would never ask"

"Three quarters left, the needle's going down before my very fucking eyes" I said while jokingly tapping the glass over the gas needle, like they'd do in those old-time movies to see if the needle is working as it should.

We were driving along the treelines of the forest surrounding Kuo Kuana, very far off the dirt trails I usually traverse when around here. Perfect spot for testing a car without hurting anyone on public roads - or more accurately - public walkways which is what's around in Kuo Kuana at this time. These grass shortcuts are hilariously even for usually being unexplored, and so, the Caprice's beefed up suspension deals with the imperfections of the 'road' without issue.

"Current fuel economy?" Asks Sleet from his seat, holding a clipboard and a ballpoint pen.

Instantaneous Fuel Economy

6.6 MPG

"Six-point-six MPG"

"Good Oum"

Eventually, we come across a quite jarring clearing of trees flanked by two pairs of three in each side, and even then, those pairs of trees have quite some distance between them and the usual treeline.

My brow furrows. "Weird, looks like these trees are planted and the originals were chopped off. This looks oddly symmetrical for being natural"

"Most likely this clearing is used by The White Fang in some shape or form, I wouldn't be surprised if they train here" Sleet theorizes.

"Train? I thought they were protesters and political activists?"

"They are. However, you must remember that the Fang also takes care of law enforcement in Menagerie, but there's also a significant part of the Fang which thinks not enough is being done for the Faunus - and so - they're thinking about becoming freedom fighters and are training most recruits behind Ghira's back"

I pull over, and my left eyebrow rises as I glance at him. "They do know Atlas' gonna brand them as terrorists, right?"

Sleet shifts on his seat. "Probably they know, and they don't care. You know how fanatical some people are - heck, some might see it as a plus"

For fuck's sake, Sienna.

"So little time, so many goddamn things to do. I gotta talk to Ghira later, we need to make some progress with something - anything, really - and pronto" I let go of the wheel, sigh, recline on my seat, and take my hands to my face. "Whatever, let's focus on the matter at-"

Once I take my hands away from my face, I take a good look at where I am. I'm in a position that lets me see the clearing in its entirety, with the trees in formation flanking the Caprice left and right. An image of a parking lot flashes through my mind, and I smirk.

"Hey... We did come here for a joyride, didn't we? Pass me a sheet and the pen. I've got an idea"

He complies and I begin writing a simple checklist, he looks skeptical. "What are you scheming, I wonder"

"Nothing that you wouldn't do with a car like this..." I pass him the finished checklist and move onto disabling the traction control. "There you go. Give me a minute to get ready. Once I'm done, count down to three and from there, I'll have a minute to complete the checklist. If you need a stopwatch just say so"

"No need, I have my scroll right here" He eyes the checklist before pulling the seatbelt. "Something tells me that I should buckle up and brace for the completion of this list here"

"Eyeup!" I confirm, and to my delight, the TCS OFF and StabiliTrak lights come up in the dashboard and stay there, along with a message on the info center.

Performance Mode Enabled

Traction Control OFF

StabiliTrak OFF

As the screen reverts to its previous state displaying the fuel economy, I put on my seatbelt, turn off the AC, prepare some music on the radio, and move the column shifter to neutral position.

I start revving the engine. "Count down!"

Alright baby!

Sleet nods and obliges. "Three"

Here comes the Go-Go Train!

"Two"

I got my ticket!

"One"

You stay here.

"Go!"

With nearly superhuman speed, I put the transmission in Drive and let it rip. Excessive wheelspin is the result, sending bits of dirt flying all over the place, but the Caprice carries on.

"Burnout - check!"

Get yo' pencil and yo' paper, count the days I'm gone.

The Caprice makes it up to 53 MPH, and I slam on the brakes before we get to the treeline. When the car stops, I put on the transmission on Reverse and floor it. The wheels spin until they find traction and the car moves again.

"Speed - check! Brake test - check!"

Get yo' pencil and yo' paper, bae! Count the days I'm gone.

The car reaches 36 MPH, and I sharply turn the steering wheel to the right, forcing the Caprice to sharply change direction, with the front now aiming where the rear was going and viceversa. I put the transmission back on Drive and move it.

If you wanted me to stay.

"Reverse one-eighty - check!"

You shouldn't have done me wrong.

Before reaching the treeline, I turn left and slam it on the throttle, making the Caprice go sideways around the turn. In the rearview mirror, the rear end nearly graced a tree.

Cryin' won't help you now, it won't make me stay.

"Powerslide - check!"

Cryin' won't help you now! It won't make me stay.

I keep driving around the clearing, and when I make it to the next turn, I slam it on the parking brake pedal, turn sideways, and scramble to disable it as quickly as possible, performing a one-hundred-and-eighty turn in the process.

You know the Go-Go Train? It's gonna carry me away.

"One-hundred-and-eighty turn - check!"

I come to a complete standstill as the parking brake still isn't off so I keep fumbling with both brake pedals. Once the light comes off on the dashboard, I floor it and start weaving around each one of the trees that are in formation one after the other, doing a slalom.

"Slalom - check!"

When I exit the improvised slalom course, I turn right and start going around the clearing, making a lap. The speedo hovering around 30 and 50 MPH all the way.

"Lap - check! Eight seconds left!"

With that warning, I let go of the gas, fling the steering wheel to the left, floor it again, and let the car run around in a full circle.

"Three-sixty - check! Stop!"

I slam on the brakes, and once the car stops, I slump against the wheel and let out a breath I didn't remember I was even holding.

"How..." I take a deep breath. "How'd I do?"

He shows me the screen of his scroll, which shows 00:00:59.37 on the stopwatch app. "Fifty-nine seconds with thirty-seven. That was a close one"

I exhale. "Damn... what wouldn't I give for a normal handbrake... That would've shaven two seconds"

"Yes, that standstill you had while disabling the parking brake ate a lot of your time" Sleet relaxes against his seat. "But still, that was quite a show of skill. Where'd you learn to do this?"

I lay back against my seat, panting. "I... I went to an advanced driving academy. Took a weekend crash course... I was on holiday and I just wanted to do something I'd like. I love racing games, but that doesn't stack up against reality most of the time"

He chuckled. "Won't argue with you there. How's the fuel tank?"

I glance at the needle, and it shows we've got a little less than half the tank remaining. I look at the fuel economy screen.

Instantaneous Fuel Economy

3.9 MPG

"Little less than half a tank left, fuel economy's on the rocks. We better go back to your house before we have to push it. Do me a favor and tear down the engine when you can. Learn what you can, and see it's on tip top shape, will you?"

Sleet gives me a ghost of a smile along with a nod. "Trust me, I will. Now let's go before the tank runs out, human - would you kindly?"

I shook my head. "Sure, sure. This is Bioshock and saying 'Would you kindly' makes me a mindless slave, right"

"What?"

"Just a reference to a game from back home, pay it no mind" I dismissed while putting my foot on the right pedal.

As I moved again, Dr. Rubberfunk's 'Northern Comfort' started playing, soothing our ride to Sleet's home.

"Lady Khan, what are we learning today?" Asks a grunt.

"We will reinforce what you've learnt so far. It's no use learning something advanced if the basics don't stick in your mind" She replies, her tone authoritative as usual.

Sienna Khan walked confidently to the training clearing she had spent quite some time preparing to train the new recruits. Ghira might not see it, but she does. Training just a small portion of the Fang so they can enforce the laws of Menagerie and keep the crops near the mountain range Grimm-free is not going to suffice for championing faunus rights, neither is keeping this course of bitching and moaning and hope someone will listen and take pity of faunuskind. No, faunus need to hit back in order to prove they're a force to be reckoned with. We've waited for the carrot, but all they've gotten so far is the stick. Perhaps then the world will be willing to listen and comply with their demands.

Keeping her whip out and ready to strike any stray Grimm who could've breached the walls, she walked in front of the pack with all the poise fitting of a leader. Perhaps she will lead the entire Fang someday, but for now, this will do.

She then heard a roar followed by some crackles and pops. She signaled her group to stop to assess the situation.

"Anyone heard that?" Inquires a young recruit, a girl with a whip also at the ready.

"Sure did, I've never heard anything like that" Replies the first grunt to the girl.

It was distant, and it didn't sound like any Grimm or wild animal she's heard or seen before. It could be dangerous. It also sounded like it was coming from the clearing. She gripped her whip tighter.

They better not be...

She placed her center of mass low. "Everyone, lay low and let's get closer. Time for a stealth crash course"

She gave the order and the recruits complied as best as they could, which meant some were good (That young girl with the whip was a natural) and others completely sucked. Well, she would have time to admonish their failures once she figured out what the hell was roaring and growling at the clearing.

In about a minute and a little longer, they reached their destination. She climbed up a tree to get a better view, and what she saw was a glimpse of metallic silver leaving and skidding about at the edges of her vision, and the clearing she spent so much time preparing to use as training grounds ravaged by skid marks apparently left behind by car tires.

And long story short, there was only one thing left to do for Sienna Khan.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Scream in frustration! Of course!

An hour or so later, I went back to the Belladonna Mansion, sat down on the PC and killed some time playing Mafia 2... Well, that was until Blake decided that she wanted to read more of my old stories. I stuck around with her just to make sure she stuck reading my stories and avoiding accidentally reading the RWBY fanfiction folder.

"And that's about all I wrote before dropping it" I say as I motion to the final written chapter of Kofuku: Origins proudly on display in Word 2025. A story I made as a companion piece for my NS nation - Stanier.

"Well, that's a shame. I liked it, it had a good mix of eerie and suspense... Though the main character's backstory was a bit..."

"Out there? Nonsensical? Don't worry, I'm used to it. I deliberately made her backstory cartoonishly sad. As a matter of fact - I also changed a lot of things in the setting in order to enable that kind of backstory"

"Yes, I noticed. Particularly with the fact you went above and beyond in describing how a computer could replace a brain and its downsides, despite the fact that kind of thing is technically impossible with the technology that we have both in here and in the story" Blake pointed out.

"Hey. From what I've seen in this side of Remnant in the realm of prosthetics and AI? Apparently, Blake - the sky's the bloody limit" I counterpoint.

She huffs in refusal to my point. "Right. An automaton will be able to have a soul and agenerate Aura if we go down that road"

Oh Blakey, if you only knew... "Remind me to let you play Nier sometime. I think I got Replicant as a digital copy in the PS3 somewheres, and the crappy PC port of Automata here"

Coinciding with the pause I made at the end of the sentence, someone cleared their throat, prompting us to look at the doorsill, where one Sienna Khan stood.

"Sorry to break up this conversation, Blake" She then looks at me with scorn. "But your father wants to see this man"

I wither a little under her glare before turning back to Blake. "Well, looks like we'll have to pick this one back up later. If you've got any ideas on how to continue the story - I'm all ears. I'd love to finish this one" I turn back to the computer and spam Alt and F4 until all programs and windows are closed before standing up, hands still in the keyboard and mouse. "Gimme a minute while I shut this thing off and grab a snack, I'll go to Ghira's studio in a minute"

"Typical, you think you can defer this for as long as you can"

"Hold up lady. I didn't mean that, but let's face it, I've been babysitting Blake for the past four hours and - while I enjoyed it - we both haven't gone out of this room since. I think both of us need at least a glass of water" I avoided eye contact up until now. "I know you don't have the highest opinion of me, but like it or not, I'm stuck within your line of sight for the foreseeable future, so could you at least not be such a hardass?"

"Like I could extend any sort of cordiality toward you. You think I don't know what you're doing?"

I plop back down on the plastic chair I've been using up until now and sigh and stare at her before profusely facepaming. "Oh-kay Sienna "Know-It-All" Khan. Enlighten the air with my brilliant plan to put Menagerie under human rule for the umpteenth time"

"How come you know I have been badmouthing you?"

At this Blake piped up. "Uhhh, Sienna. You don't particularly keep your rants with dad on the quiet side of things"

"Well, it's quiet for me as a human with inferior hearing - not to mention I'm half-deaf on my right ear - but Kitty Kat here lets it slip for me if I give her something to read" My face pales. "And now I realize I've just sold out my informant - remaldición"

Sienna turns to Blake, her facial expression conveying betrayal. "Blake! How could you?! We're practically sisters compared to whatever bond you have with him!"

"Hey, keep her out of this. She's a child and has nothing to do with this" I purse my lips. "I did get her involved but that's beside the point. She's a Kitten and doesn't know better"

"And then there's also your casual racism, have you got no decency?! Or a sense of time and place?"

"It's not racism! I don't mean any harm! Back home, my Godfather Orlando got himself the nickname 'El Negro' because of his skin color, and that's a badge he wears with pride. Geez, you're like one of those 'Woke' and 'Progressive' people in the States who take offense at anything despite the fact it's got nothing to do with them, and come up with stupid terms like 'Latinx'. ¡Latin-equis mis bolas! That's a word that could not exist in Spanish - or Vacuan as you folks call it - under any circumstances! It goes against any established grammatical rule and-"

"Are you done with your pointless rant?" She deadpans.

I cough awkwardly

"Right. Let's go get some water, something sugary, and let's see the big man Belladonna" I say as I stand up. "I wonder what he wants though. I'll meet you there Sienna"

One Ghira Belladonna sat on his office, with a gobsmacked Sienna Khan a few feet away from him and his desk. The human Lima nowhere to be seen.

Slowly regaining her composure, she croaked: "Run this by me again, High Leader?"

"I want for both you and Lima to go out on a trip toward Mistral to obtain construction supplies. The next exile drop is looming dangerously close, and I got word that we will need housing for at least 200 people, that is space we do not have, and I'd rather not leave anyone homeless here when they arrive"

"And how are we going to pay for the construction materials? Did the fundraiser in Vale turn out as we expected?"

"A bit below expectations - but we did get some funding. However, the funds still haven't dropped in our accounts. Still, it wouldn't hurt to make up some time until the money is cleared for spending"

"And may I ask why does he have to tag along?"

He fidgeted on his seat. "See, with the temporary lack of funding there is a problem. We can't afford for paying for a bullhead trip as usual - so - You and Lima will depart from Menagerie in a cargo boat, and will make the trip to Shion on his car. At that point the funds should be cleared already, so the purchases could be made and transport back to Menagerie in a bullhead should be affordable to avoid a lengthy trip back"

"Are you telling me - High Leader of The White Fang; Ghira Belladonna, the man striving for a betterment in Faunus rights all over the planet - is about... To saddle me in a road trip with a human behind the wheel?"

He nodded. "You forgot to mention the car is also owned by the human, but yes. That's about the gist of it"

"Ghira, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. But have you completely lost your marbles?! We're supposed to fight against the oppression of Faunuskind that his kin have committed! Not share road trips with them!" She absolutely seethed at the idea.

"I originally thought of making him do the trip alone but I think I told you he's not precisely a local, so he wouldn't know the route to Shion, and I would like for him to be protected from any Mistrali bandits should the need arise. Given you have the most extensive combat training out of our entire group, you were my first and only choice" Ghira admitted.

And at that precise moment, the devil himself stepped into the room. Chucking a disposable glass into a bin in the entrance and apparently... Eating something powdered?!

He licked his hand clean with a hum after swallowing whatever that used to be on his hand before he smeared it with his tongue. "Hmmmm... 'Ery noice... Oh, Chieftain! Noice nite innit?" He chuckled to himself before reverting to his usual accent and 'Cleaning' his hand with the inner seam of his esoteric Rose-and-Navy Blue colored jacket and approaching the both of them. "Being serious here. What's up? Sorry for the delay. I was grabbing a snack with Blake"

"I have a task for you and Sienna. Something so you can prove your willingness to help Faunuskind" Ghira nonchalantly explained.

"Well, hit me with it"

Ghira then relayed the information he had just given her to the human.

Any moment now. He will make some kind of racist remark. She thought.

"Ghira, are you sure? This' quite the big deal..." He glanced at her, and she snarled. "Not to mention my escort's more likely to kill me than to protect me. No offense to Sienna but we have quite horrible workmate dynamics"

"You are the only one in the island with a car that doesn't double as a commercial vehicle, Lima. I don't know who else to ask"

He looked around, pursing his lips before he began to pace around. After a solid 20 seconds of pacing around the studio, he sighed.

"You got it. I'll go on a road trip with Sienna. But only because Menagerie needs those building materials" He forlornly said as he looks out the studio's window.

"Oh, great. Now I've got to protect this bigoted human" She grunted before speaking up again, looking at Ghira. "When are we leaving?"

"Well, as soon as we can 'Morrow morning. I prefer the crack of dawn, about 5:30-"

"I didn't ask you" She glared at him.

"Maybe you should listen to him, he will be the driver after all"

He glanced at Ghira before going back to her. "Thank you, Chieftain... And as for you, Sienna - you heard me. Pack clothes for a week, wear something comfy because you're gonna be cooped up between the door and the center console for hours on end, and - if you want - bring a pillow and some covers for a nice sleep. The Caprice's AC is quite cold, and get ready to wake up real early. Now mates, if y'all shall 'scuse me, I'm gonna go pack up, and tell Sleet I'm gonna need my car running before dawn... And don't worry about giving me directions to your place, Sienna. I'll ask the good night owls of Kuo Kuana"

With that, he stormed off running out of the studio leaving her and Ghira alone once more.

"I'm going home" She said, dejected and making her way out

"To go pack I suppose?"

"No! To scream at my pillow because I can't believe this...!" She retorted sarcastically. "Though I might do just that!"

With that, she finished her storming out, leaving Ghira alone to put both of his hands on his face.

"Here's hoping he drives her insane so she gives up on the White Fang. I can't stand Sienna"

The next day, at 5:30-ish A.M...

Sienna Khan slept soundly on her comfy bed in her cottage in the outskirts of Kuo Kuana. Dreaming of a world where the faunus would rule over the humans without contempt, a world where everyone was equal, until...

BEEP! BEEP! GRRRRRRR!

"Sienna!" BEEP! "Sienna!" GRRRRRRRRRR! "Sien!"

Until she heard that infernal voice and beeping and growling. Prompting her to shot up awake on a murderous rage only fitting for the animal she inherited her faunus traits from. She opened and poked her head out the window with the angriest of scowls on her face.

"WHAT THE HELL IS IT THAT YOU WANT?!" She all but screaming, making the incessant sounds stop as the object of her hate moved in front of the car's headlights giving her a complete view of him and his outfit. This time around being a yellow polo shirt paired with a pair of brown chino pants and matching boat shoes. Totally dressed like the mature old man he surely isn't.

"It's time for us to go! I told you to be ready at 5:30!" He nonchalantly said, pointing at his car.

"You told me to wake up at 5:30!"

"Well it's 5:37 and the boat leaves at 6:10! So forget the make-up and hurry up, Sienna! We ain't got time to waste and I'm not sure if the tank will last enough! I'm running on high-performance Combustion Dust and I dunno about the mileage!"

"Fine! Gimme five minutes you bigoted prick!"

"Is it five minutes on real time, or woman time 'Cause time's a wastin'!"

She flipped him off before retreating to get ready.

"Fuck off!"

"Just talking from experience, woman!"

Seven minutes later she emerged from her house promptly locking it with her travel bag in hand.

"Throw me the bag, we gotta jet. Door's open so get in the passenger seat. I told Sleet to take out the separating plate so we could recline the seats. You brought your sheets and pillow?"

She snarled at him as she throwed him her luggage.

"Gonna take that as a no" He said once he catched her bag, then sprinting to the trunk, opening it and throwing the bag inside. She could've sworn she heard a muffled 'Eep' when he uncaringly shoved the bag inside before he closed the trunk shut "There's a pair of covers and neck pillows on the backseat. Take your pick once we're inside"

With that, she reluctantly got in the car with him, her following soon after he got in the driver's seat.

"Hold on to your tits, I'm pulling all the stops" That is what he said before he moved the thick lever on the dashboard down and the car lurched forward with tremendous speed.

At 6:08, we had arrived at the port of Kuo Kuana. And true to Sleet's promise, the High-performance Combustion Dust held up and seemed to be doing as well as regular gas in terms of mileage, given the needle hadn't moved a bit even in the mad dash between Sienna's home and the port. She truly lived isolated from the rest of Kuo Kuana.

I sigh in relief as I put the transmission in 'Park' and shut down the engine. Waiting for one of the ship's crew members to entice us into the boat as I'm stopped in front of the cargo hold entrance. "Well, safe now. What do you think?"

I turn to Sienna, who looks like she's having a heart attack. "Don't. Do. That. Again"

"I did what I had to do. Otherwise we were gonna miss the ship, damn Ghira gave me the tickets in the early morning and decided to put us on the first ship out of the island. I thought we were gonna leave at 8 or 9. Have enough time for breakfast, instead we gotta board this while starving"

"I thought you would've somehow made time for yourself to eat" She responds while crossing her arms, now recovered from the joyride.

"I wish. Ghira gave me the tickets, I had to pick up the car in the morning because last night Sleet tore the engine apart and he had to reassemble it, prepare the snacks for the road, make sure the car was running properly, apologize for waking everyone up because I screamed with a stubbed toe" I list, and she snorts.

"How much of a racket can you make due to a stubbed toe?"

"Picture a lot of loud 'coño' 'verga' 'nojoda', and a bit of 'Maduro coño e' tu madre' as well. Hurts like a bitch, but I'd guess you'd know. Everyone stubs their toe once or twice"

"What would you know about pain?" She refutes.

I chuckle. "Right, I don't know shit about menstruation. My bad"

"No, I don't mean that... As right as it might be. I bet whatever pain you've suffered probably pales in comparison to mine, and that of the rest of faunuskind"

"Well, if you're gonna go for that? Sure. A stubbed toe is nothing compared to the shit y'all folk go through collectively, even that time I submerged my left arm in boiling water's probably absolutely nothing in comparison. But I've experienced some of your shit, at least on this physical side of things"

She regarded me unamused. "Like what? Did authorities beat you with batons?"

"Not exactly" I lower my eyeglasses and turn to her, showing my left temple. "You see that scar there? I got shot at during a protest back home. Rubber bullet that's for sure, and it grazed me, so I got lucky. But that don't mean I haven't been there"

That oughta shut her up. I think as I put my glasses back in position.

"Oh really? Then regale me with the tale"

Fuck, it backfired.

I shuffle in the seat uncomfortably. "I don't wanna talk about it"

"The reason why you won't talk is because your story pales in comparison to what some of us have been through, that's why you won't tell"

"Not sure, I don't wanna find out, Sienna. Just drop it"

Please, don't dig around for details.

"Pretty sure it's nothing. What did you lose I wonder? A scroll? A pair of glasses perhaps? Nothing important I guess"

ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! I draw the 1911 from under the seat and nearly shove the barrel down her dirty mouth.

"I LOST MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND ALRIGHT! SHUT THE FUCK UP! HE MATTERED! HE WAS IMPORTANT! ¡CIERRA LA MARDITA JETA ANTES DE QUE TE PONGA PLOMO POR ESA MIERDA!"

I heave for a while before I recover my breath. "Are you done spouting crap...? Good. There you have it. That's what I lost. Not a phone, not a watch, not a pair of glasses! I lost someone I held close to my fucking heart, and it was all my fucking fault! Now shut up! I don't want to hear another word, nor an empty apology! Shut up! Recline your seat and sleep! But don't even dare to talk to me until this rage I've got blows over! And don't even dare to squeak over what I'm gonna put on the radio, let alone touch the screen or the dials!" Someone started knocking on the window and I take my gun away from Sienna. "¿Qué coño quiere?"

"Tickets, sir"

I shrink in embarrassment. "Yeah, right. Sorry for the outburst. It just that this... This woman was prodding around where she shouldn't" I hand him over the tickets that Ghira got for us. "Here. All taken care of by the chieftain"

He analyzed the tickets and nodded absentmindedly as he did. "Everything seems in order... But I'm warning you, sir. Another outburst like that, and I won't hesitate on confiscating the weapon and separating you both"

"She can go to the cabin or whatever. I'll sleep in the car. I need the music - where do I park it by the way?"

"Park it in anywhere but the entrance. There isn't a lot of cargo to go around"

I started up the car out of impulse. "Right. Right"

Fucking Sienna. Let the dead rest. I thought as I suddenly got the objective to talk to her as little as possible during the entire the trip.

Yeah, there's this. Not a lot of humor IMO, a lot of drama really, and a set up for a mini adventure. Chapters for all my stories are stopping for an indeterminate amount of time after this. More info at "A False Rose" whose author's note will be updated shortly.