Chapter 4 Blake: The Atlesian Way, Part 1
Blake had always appreciated tranquil mornings and time to herself. In her youth it had been a precious resource that she fiercely guarded with her aloof temperament and silent glares. With four young women in a stuffy dorm room, what else was she to do? Her teammates ran the gambit from rowdy to uptight. Each of them had been similar enough to get along, and different enough to spark arguments that even the walls of Beacon couldn't properly contain.
Weiss maintained liberal use of dust. Yang was equally willing to use her fists. Between the two of them team RWBY caused more than its own fair share of property damage. In fact, it ran in the blood, or so Ozpin jovially commented on their graduation day. The unmitigated destruction only rivaling that of team STRQ in Beacon's storied history. Given the destruction Qrow and Winter managed to cause every time they crossed paths, it wasn't hard to assume that such hyperbolic displays of power were actually genetic.
As they grew older, the years had been kinder to their collective sanity and Blake's sensitive hearing.
Yang had been high energy partner, always in need of a way to pass the time. Weiss had insisted on keeping busy strictly on principle, her honor as a huntress always remaining at the forefront of her mind. Even when the two of them had left the team, Blake hadn't been allowed to rest for too long. Ruby had been a tireless leader in the wilds, Blake often forgot how to relax while within the confines of the kingdoms.
Blake had been happy the first day that she managed to read a thick tome cover to cover without a single interruption. The novelty soon tapered off, a few quiet mornings quickly turned into too much time with absolutely nothing to do. It was too quiet in her solitary dormitory. Now, there was only silence to return to. No one to greet her, or to idle away the hours at laundromat. There was no mindless chatter, no soft breathing besides her own to fill the otherwise empty void. No sounds of a team living life around each other.
No one to share her life with…
"And that's what it comes down to at the end of the day, doesn't it?" Blake sighed then as she closed her book. No one was around to hear even that small admission. No one was there to tell her how ridiculous she was being, or to distract her from the cynicism that inhabited her lonely thoughts. She pulled her blanket up around her knees. Another day passing by without her. The outside world would continue to turn no matter what. Even if she chose not to participate in the goings-on around her.
She wasn't the center of the universe. She never had been, and ultimately never would be. Logically, she knew that. Yet, her time among a team had proven otherwise. It had murmured little promises against her deepest fears. It had promised that her desires actually mattered. That she actually mattered. For that brief time that they were whole, Blake hadn't felt so pointless. The three people around her had given her a place to belong. Agency, in a world where Faunus had so little of it.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I really hate being alone…"
Only silence could answer back.
There was only so much solitude Blake could take before it weighed heavily on her mind.
Finally she joined the blonde at the local gym. Yang had only increased the number of hours a week she spent pumping iron. She refused to let her body or her aura become sluggish after retirement. Blake often wondered if Yang had actually managed to grow stronger from her new routine, in spite of having no life-threatening adversaries to go up against. One thing was for sure though, even the Atlesian military noticed. The recruits would often gather to the beaten down haunt that Yang liked to frequent, gaping at her like fish out of water. Young men and women alike coming to test their might against a true huntress.
Even Winter occasionally attended, reminding herself just what a huntress trained to battle Grimm could do.
"And to think, there was once a time that Weiss stood as her equal." Winter commented, watching Yang pummel another boisterous recruit into the ground without even trying. This particular young man built of nothing but muscle and blind bravado. Neither of which could stand up to Yang's speed or pure experience. "She must have been freighting to face off against in her prime."
Blake only glanced to the side, a knowing smirk plastered heavily across her face. "You're no slouch yourself."
"I'm no huntress either. I leave that work to those far braver than I could ever be." Winter replied in return, blue eyes fixated on the next unofficial round that was about to kick off. "That being said, I am indeed an Atlas Academy graduate. My training was not too dissimilar from yours when I was young."
"All I know for certain is that I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you." Blake said, admiring the striking features of the older woman. Poised, regal, and still able to do battle with the best of them in spite of her age. A full decade and change older than her sister, Winter hadn't slowed down one bit. Slated to one day take General Ironwood's place, her time to rise to greatness was fast approaching. "I'm surprised you haven't stepped into the ring yourself."
"It would be beneath me to show off like that in front of my newest recruits." Winter replied with a somewhat thoughtful expression. "I can competently hold my ground against any foe I may come up against, but, that's what makes me a specialist. It would be exceedingly rare to expect my skill from most of our forces. I would never draw my sword simply to inspire awe in such a brash manner."
"It's sad to think you won't display your skill. Although, you've hunted Grimm before, haven't you?"
"Part of military duty is to defend those who cannot fend for themselves. That may include doing battle with Grimm on occasion. However, I find that's best left to hunters. Besides boarder defense, we don't take action against Grimm without direct commands from our council. The military specializes in calculated battle, decisive combat. We thrive when we have a methodical adversary. Grimm are baser, unpredictable, they rely on instinct. On principle, we just can't provide the same sort of countermeasures that a team of hunters can."
The newest contender was an Atlas Academy first year enjoying her Saturday off. The girl stood far more of a chance than any adult fresh from the recruitment offices. Her aura had already been trained to take a few hits. Still, even she was wise enough to know that she'd be entering a losing battle. Yang's already charged semblance could cut through the student's aura without much effort at all. Yang grinned either way, red eyes disappearing entirely with a blink. She wanted to have fun with the huntress-in-training.
"Atlas Academy hunters are some of the best, and I don't say that lightly." Blake watched the boxing match begin. It was already off to a explosive start. The student and Yang connecting fists and trading blows left and right. "Why haven't you absorbed most of them into your ranks?"
Perhaps the aspiring general wasn't keen to share those details. She scowled at the question as though it had offended her. A soft sigh was the only indication that it hadn't. She leveled that stern gaze upon Blake, searching the Faunus for any ill intent. She found none and licked her lips, considering the question in a new way. It was a remarkably good inquiry, and one that Winter herself struggled to comprehend the nature of. After several long moments lost within her mind on the subject, she looked around the room. Recruits and students of Atlas Academy alike had gathered together.
The students interacted differently with Yang. Rough and tumble, brash and excited. They traded grins with gleeful insults. To the huntresses, a playful bout in the ring had nothing to do with honor. It was just a good time. For the young huntress currently in the ring with a superior, that's all it had to be.
"I'm not sure, but, the nature of your ilk does tend to partake a more relaxed dynamic than the military ever would. None of my recruits, or even the students, would ever approach me for battle the same way they do with Yang. It would be an insult to my honor, and the military inherently understands this. I only spar with equals unless I am teaching. That's a line I do not cross. Quite simply, many students refuse to join after graduation. Furthermore, hunters use different tactics than we do." Winter explained. "It also doesn't help that our military has something of a reputation…"
"No shit." Blake bit out lowly so that others couldn't hear the unkind comment. "It's full of bigots and assholes."
"Aristocrats, and those who idolize us, I'm afraid." Winter said simply. "No everyone is so obscenely narrow-minded."
Blake was quick to note the woman's unapologetic nature. Winter wasn't a bigot, but, she was part of the inherent problem. She allowed the malignancy of racism to fester among the people of Atlas without speaking out against it. Silence in the face of wrongdoing might as well have been approval. "It's your values that are different, Winter, not just your tactics."
"You think so?"
"I know so." Blake shot back. "It's like you say. Hunters value honor in a different way. Teams would probably be more willing to join if the military housed more likeminded people."
"Whatever the reason may be, hunter recruitment is at an all-time low. We do battle with our technology, it remains our bread and butter." Winter continued on, never taking her eyes off of the student. "Most of our recruits have not endured four years of harsh academy training. They will require that technology to be even remotely effective in the field. Atlas Academy graduates receive an instant leg up in the military, but they rarely accept. Skilled huntresses like yourself always seem to be in short supply."
"We probably wouldn't be so difficult to recruit if hunters didn't have to argue with the military so much." Blake grumbled, her grievances weren't aimed at Winter directly, but they lingered unpleasantly all the same. "The military makes traversing the kingdoms a complete nightmare. Most of us would rather take our chances with the Grimm. That goes double if you're a Faunus."
"Well, that's not my doing, I can assure you of that. Blame the people of Atlas and our esteemed council." Winter murmured under her breath in agitation. The statement not only true, but also very irritating. "I'd like to take this moment to reiterate that not everyone acts so disgustingly. My unit has plenty of Faunus, and we would treat you with the respect you deserve. I agree that it isn't a particularly charmed life, but, you'd likely adjust well to it."
"Trying to pluck me away from Vale?" Blake asked quizzically.
Winter could only issue a small smirk of her own. The tiny shrug that followed one of simple honesty. "Word gets around fast. Shame to retire so young and have so little to look forward to. There are always alternatives Blake, remember that."
Blake didn't feel the need to placate the eldest Schnee sibling with an answer. She doubted Winter expected one, either. Those with atlesian blood were a prideful people to a fault. The military had treated Winter well over the years, and no one could dispute that. The sword at her hip was always kept sharper than Winter might ever admit. She was a force of nature not to be taken lightly, an icon beloved by the people. Still...
The military life wasn't even a consideration Blake wanted to make. So few in the military knew the concept of humility, fewer still putting it to practice. Their reputation preceded them, and as a Faunus, Blake's own notion of pride wasn't one to scoff at either. She couldn't stand willingly in a fighting force that looked down upon everything and everyone that didn't fit their mold. She despised that concept for all it was, and all it would ever be.
She wondered how Yang survived the mundanity of retirement so well. It was a question worth asking. As the military slowly began trickling out of the gym, Winter also said her goodbyes once the sparring had ceased for the morning. For Yang, it was little more than a warm-up. A morning of sparring wasn't complete without a full routine of lifting weights to go along with it. Blake knew she would regret trying to keep pace with Yang, she was always sore the next day, but she followed Yang's routine anyway.
"So what do you and Yatsuhashi do to keep busy?" Blake asked to keep her mind off of the burning in her arms. Many found it terrifying to find out the level of training hunters subjected themselves to on a daily basis. For Yang, that training went to a whole new level. "Besides pummeling unsuspecting muscle heads."
"We work out, we have sex…" Yang took a breath, grinning at Blake with a fifthly little gleam in her eyes. "We have a lot of sex."
"Hobbies, Yang." Blake deadpanned, losing count once again as she deftly placed the barbell off to the side for the obligatory rest between reps Her fingers lifted up to drag away the sweat from her forehead.
"Hmm good question. We eat out a lot, I guess. More than we should." Yang said, her own set of weights firmly in her grasp. "I can't really think of anything we go and do regularly. We've both been a little busy with our own things. By the time we get home a good dinner and terrible movies are about as exciting as we get." It was then her eyes lit up, something else coming to mind. "Oh, porn. We watch a lot of porn, mostly because it can be fun to laugh at. We've gotten some great ideas from some of the better ones though."
"It can't just be erotica with you two." Blake huffed out, an annoyed cadence slipping into her voice.
"It's not just the sex." Yang agreed then. "Never had to marry him if that's all I wanted. He and I crossed that line way before he popped the question."
"So, what keeps you sane, then?" Blake asked again. "You've got to be doing something to pass the time. You've always had way more energy than I do, and I'm sure that the television and library card aren't enough to keep you within the kingdom walls."
"What, looking for ideas for after you retire?"
Blake shrugged, and Yang sighed.
"Gotta be honest here, Blakey, it was a tradeoff." Yang told her. "I had to weigh my options. A little bit of boredom, a whole lot of emotional security. It was an easy choice."
"It doesn't seem so east to me..."
Yang set down the weight and grabbed the towel bunched up on the metal bench. She tossed it around her neck, patting her face with it, stalling for time. Finally, she sat down beside her friend, reaching for her water bottle before regarding Blake earnestly. "The way I see it, if you're going to retire from missions you need a damn good reason." She said as she unscrewed the top and downed what little was left, crinkling the plastic in the process. "He was mine..."
"It's that easy?" Blake said. "Really, Yang, because I don't buy it."
"Well it's not all sunshine, Blakey. I won't tell you that it is." Yang laughed. "I mean, I miss the mission running, sure. I think everyone does at first."
"You could have kept doing it." Blake noted.
"Wasn't going to do that to Yatsuhashi, though." Yang said with a somewhat sad smirk. "One wrong move, I'm dead just like that." She said, snapping her fingers to prove her point. "I wasn't going to let him worry about me. It's not my style. If I went out there, he'd be afraid I'd end up as Grimm chow…and, you know… there's only a matter of time until he'd be right."
"Yang…"
"Nah, Blake, I mean it." Yang told her. "I fight with my fists. My semblance relies on taking hits, and that means putting myself in danger. How long can that really last? I didn't want to find that out the hard way. Missions aren't the only thing I can do. I found out that I'm more useful as a workhorse in the kingdom. I don't need to be an exterminator outside of it."
"And that's good enough for you?"
"Yeah, actually..." Yang said after a moment's thought. "It's more than enough. More than I ever thought I'd get, anyway. If you want to retire out of missions, then you just need to find what works for you…and, you need your reason. Probably best if you find that first."
A good reason was the one thing Blake didn't think she'd ever find. Her life could be boiled down to a list of justifications, being a huntress was just one of many. She clung to them when she had nothing else. Recently, it felt more and more like she was missing something. What was so great about being a huntress anyway? Why did she even want to continue the task? She didn't know. Her reason had once been her team. The ideology no longer served her well. In fact, she suspected that's why she felt so unhappy.
It wasn't that she cared about being a huntress at all. Rather, she cared about the life it had granted her. The people she'd been fortunate to meet because of it. Letting that end felt like a disservice to herself, and everyone she had come to care for.
Blake didn't imbibe very much anymore. There weren't many types of alcohols a Faunus with her sensitive senses could stomach.
She used to tip back a glass or two after every hunt, but that stopped when Ruby became pregnant. The younger huntress couldn't drink with a baby on the way, and Blake had no interest in going to the tavern alone. That was a good way to end up with a long list of regrets. She had fully planned on spending her night among others at the canteen. There was a comfort in trading stories around the rickety wooden tables, and comfort was what she wanted most. A text on her scroll derailed that plan in favor of a quiet night elsewhere.
Who was she to refuse?
Each breath made for a soft cloud in the northern climate. Aura helped to mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures. It ensured the body stayed hydrated for longer. It killed harmful bacteria quicker. It healed wounds faster. A powerful aura made for a powerful hunter. Blake had been blessed with a robust aura. It was more than capable of withstanding the abuse she put her body through on a regular basis. On long hunts in unfavorable weather the resiliency of her aura mattered more than her fighting ability or her survival skills.
Without her aura, the elements would kill her long before the Grimm had a chance.
She took for granted the frozen temperatures as she stepped outside her dorm in her casual attire. The civilians were bundled from head to toe, shivering against the cold. Blake hardly felt the artic winds splashing her face. Even in the worst blizzard, she could have trudged on for hours this way. It would take a full night before frostbite nipped at the thin barrier between her body and the elements. However, aura required training to remain useful. A wealth of aura wouldn't do any good if it became weak from disuse.
As she walked down the busy street to the waiting limo, she took notice of her friend. Weiss leaned heavily on the white car with blue tinted windows. Nowadays the white haired woman kept a heavy coat on hand. A pair of leather gloves covering her dainty fingers. There once was a time when Weiss needed nothing more than sensible clothing to withstand the gusting wind. A red scarf and thick leggings offering all of the protection Weiss needed against snowy climates. Her aura had weakened considerably in her retirement, and while the cold itself wasn't yet a threat, she found the sting of the wind to be uncomfortable.
Blake knew her aura would be quick to turn weak if given the chance. There was very little use for it within the confines of the kingdom. It only served her well because she used it so often in the heat of battle, training it to the limit. If she were to retire, she would soon be like Weiss, bundled for warmth against the chill.
"I can't believe your office is so close by." She said as she stopped and placed her hand on the limo, admiring the expensive vehicle.
"I own several buildings in the vicinity. I chose to end my day at a nearby location." Weiss said clicking her scroll shut. "Furthermore, I believe we had something to discuss."
"Right." Blake said, feeling her fingers curl themselves into fists. Her thumb brushing against her fingers. "I'm still just thinking about it. Retiring from missions is a big decision."
"Indeed, and you should take your time." A gentle nod, from the shorter woman was all the reassurance Blake needed. Weiss opened the door, gesturing for Blake to go first. The Faunus climbed into the limo, taking in the cream and black leather interior. Weiss climbed in on the other side, closing the door behind her as she settled in, gesturing for the driver to begin heading for her home.
"I thought you hated using the limo."
"I do, that hasn't changed. It just proves to be the most useful mode of transportation between offices." Weiss replied as she opened the beverage compartment. "I've learned to pick and choose my battles more carefully. My father may be right about the impression the Schnee family sends, if little else."
"Never thought I'd hear you say that." Blake said jokingly.
"I may not agree with his ideology, but, his methods were effective." She poured two glasses of sparkling water into crystal glasses. "You'll have to forgive me, I don't keep wine within the confines of vehicles. This will have to do until we reach the house."
"That's fine. I'm still surprised you wanted to get together so late anyway." Blake told her, happily accepting one of the glasses from her fiend as she glanced out of the window. As they drove into a decorated part of the city, citizens clogged the streets, enjoying the nightlife that Atlas had to offer. She wouldn't have been surprised if Yang was in that mass someplace, guzzling down whiskey alongside Coco Adel, the only person that could likely keep pace with an inebriated Yang Xiao Long. "You never liked to be out at night before."
"I've grown used to it. I've had to, seeing as it gets dark in Atlas early." Weiss merely sipped on her water, glancing down at the slender wristwatch sliding along her skin. "It's almost ten. Ada goes to bed at eight, so she should be asleep by now. Klein gets off the clock at nine, meaning that he won't be in service to me at the moment. I had two choices. Either spend a few hours in good company, or proceed to get lost in a deluge of paperwork."
"Well, I'm glad I rank higher on your priorities than expense reports." Blake teased with a flick of her ear.
Weiss rolled her eyes, but she knew that Blake wasn't wrong. In a way she was making up for lost time. Filling in the gaps that were inevitable due to Blake's constant need to run missions. Blake was always on the move, restless, and never in a good way. "I see many people in passing, but, you are one of the few that I only see if I happen to plan it. I don't know if you're overly respectful, or just trying to hide."
"Can't it be both?"
"Is it?"
Blake took a breath. The offhanded remark biting into her with little chance to escape. Weiss had asked a rather incriminating question, and there was no simple answer. "Do you want me to act like Yang and just show up unannounced?"
"Now that would be impossible. You couldn't be as obtrusive as Yang even if you tried." Weiss laughed softly from behind the fresh sip of water that followed it. "Still, it does concern me that you're not obtrusive at all…"
"I'm just trying to stay out of the way and figure things out."
"You have your reasons, Blake, and I won't pry."
"You want to, though."
"Someone has to." Weiss reasoned idly. "If I don't, Yang certainly will. Everything will come out of the woodwork soon enough."
"It always does." Blake grumbled knowingly.
"Although, if I had to make an educated guess, I'd think you'd prefer airing your thoughts out to me, rather than to Yang." Weiss said, bringing the water to her lips once more. Her eyes didn't stray from their mark, fixated on the Faunus across from her.
"She worries…" Blake chipped out, losing the contest of wits. Amber eyes once again trailed to the window, her gaze following the pedestrians that the limo passed by. "And, the strange thing is, there's nothing to be worried about." Fewer and fewer people walked the streets as they approached the wealthier side of the city. Those that did walk the paths looked particularly well-off. "For once, every little piece just seems to be clicking together for everyone."
"And yet, bygone days seem more appealing by the second." Weiss said, knowing the feeling.
"We're too young to be reminiscing." Blake muttered, tipping back the last of her sparking water. She set the glass back down into in protected slot with a gentle click, the sound punctuating the thought.
"I must have missed that memo." Weiss replied dryly with an upraised eyebrow.
"Don't give me that look."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't do things to earn it." Weiss snapped back before sighing. "Yang wouldn't worry as much as you might think. She has a habit of bringing up the old days when we drink. She speaks of them fondly."
"She talks about a lot of things that way."
"True." Weiss said. "It's different about hunting. She holds the subject very close to her. I know that in some capacity, she regrets putting down her weapon. She betrayed so many promises that she made to herself. It doesn't help that she's still getting used to living life inside the kingdoms, either. Take it from me, though, Yang will be fine. She will adjust, because deep down, that's what she wants to do. There are some people that cannot live this sort of life. They're incapable."
"Like Nolan." Blake murmured.
"Like Ruby, too." Weiss said with a nod.
"Weiss-"
"Blake, you must understand, I'm saying this as Ruby's old partner." Weiss interrupted. "I know her."
"I'm not following..."
"I know what goes through her head at night. The things she would murmur to herself. The forced smiles and half-laughs...that brave face...all of it." Weiss said. "I was there for all of those stormy training missions. Every. Single. One. I watched her cry herself to sleep. I've seen her spitting blood only to stand up and keep fighting." Weiss could only trail off. So many other things she wanted to say passing away on her lips. "She will not relinquish Summer's ghost for anything. A Ruby Rose that ceases to be a huntress... That's a Ruby Rose that would cease to be at all. She would have to be dead, do you understand? Dead, killed in the line of action. That's the only way she would ever truly quit."
"Things change." Blake said, but that didn't feel quite right. "Or, maybe it's better to say that we've changed."
"By degrees, we haven't changed who we are at our core, none of us." Weiss pointed out. "She would never let go of being a huntress, never in a million years."
"I used to think that too." Blake said softly." Then again, I never thought Yang would put down her gauntlets, either."
"Why quit now, Blake?" Weiss asked then. "It could have been anytime, so, why now? Why not before?"
"I thought I'd be in a different place by now." Blake admitted. "I never had a plan for what my life would be like after Beacon, but, I was sure that I'd come up with something. I guess I was hoping it would just fall into my lap. That hasn't happened. I don't have anything to show for all this time. Nothing besides a few numbers in a bank account. You know how limited that sort of comfort can be."
"Indeed…" Weiss knew.
Life had bestowed many harsh lessons, but that one had struck deep. Lingering long after it had overstayed its welcome.
The driver dropped them off at the household before returning to the Schnee family manor for the night. Weiss didn't have a habit of keeping an entire household staff the way her father did. Only further proof that she scrutinized his methods carefully, only adopting ones that proved to be useful.
"One moment, please." Weiss said as soon as she stepped foot into her home and hug up her coat. "I make it a habit to check up on my daughter when I arrive home every night. I'll be right back."
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll just wait in the kitchen."
Blake wandered idly down the hall as Weiss made her way beyond the foyer and up the stairs. There was nothing lazy about the décor in a Schnee household. It might have been smaller than a mansion, but Weiss had spared no expense to have a home that rivaled the impossible tastes of her peers. She had been careful to accommodate her wealth into every fixture and piece of furniture. From floor to ceiling she had planned everything meticulously, and as the Faunus bypassed the formal dining room that was so rely used, Blake had to wonder why.
The breakfast nook was more casual, but even it had white gold surrounding the sides of a dust protected crystal table. The addition of the gold caught the light that caressed the surface. Even when she heard Weiss enter the room, amber eyes could only fixate on that expensive thin line glittering brightly. I was the sort of affluence that was only afforded to those with the money to pay for it.
"Red or white?"
"Hmm?" Blake asked, her gaze perking up from its place.
"Wine, Blake." Weiss said gesturing to the bottles in the cooler. "What sort would you like? I keep a collection."
"It doesn't matter to me, so long as it's not too dry."
"Vidal Ice wine it is then." Weiss said with a smile, picking out a sweet blend that would better suit the sensitive tastes of a cat Faunus. She removed the cork without much thought, pouring two modest glasses before arranging them on a hand carved tray. She added the bottle and a bar of dark chocolate as an afterthought. "Come, we should sit outside."
Blake shrugged, following Weiss out to the back yard. The sitting area was paved with stone, the outdoor fireplace burning brightly with the press of a switch, dust giving it the power to warm the vicinity in spite of the cold. The two sat side by side, watching it flicker, the shadows dancing along the paved stone. The wine sat in front of them on a small table. The balm of a tongue loosening beverage taunting both of the usually reserved women. They'd always played things close to the chest, and that was what made them such good friends.
Blake looked up, a dim light coming from a corner window on the second floor. Weiss followed her friend's gaze before allowing a little smirk. Klein had always been a night owl, busying himself with a pen to paper. She had no idea what he would spend his time writing about. She doubted he would tell her, even if she were to ask. There was only one suspicion she had worth finding the answer for, and even that seemed too personal a question.
The answer itself a tender one.