Chapter 7 Blake: The Atlesian Way Part 3

Atlas proclaimed itself to be the best kingdom on Remnant. Much more grand and powerful than all of the others. The prideful boasts weren't made blindly. There was some level of truth to them. The military had been known to ham-fistedly display that power, true. However, Atlas had cultivated it. That fact couldn't be forgotten. They were the first kingdom to fully realize the complete potential of dust, both as a weapon and a tool for survival. That was irrefutable. Their leaps in technology couldn't be easily ignored. The kingdom was invaluable, not even Faunus could dispute that.

Honestly, it was a far safer place to live than most gave it credit for.

A strong council maintained firm command over the Kingdom. A strict patriarchal leadership demanded perfection among the people. There were pleasantries displayed in Atlas, as expected by its people. They were a principled society, holding old values aloft. Sometimes those values came at the expense of rights or privileges afforded to others. Many stated that Atlas merely protected the concept of social decorum. That Atlas didn't need to extend rights and privileges to those seen as unworthy.

Within their prosperous kingdom, the festering malignancy was seen as normal and common place.

Although Faunus were expected to follow the laws in Atlas, the humans were not expected to respect Faunus in the same way. Even a simple tilt of the hat would never be extended down from human to Faunus. It would have been laughable to expect it. A little black bow solved many of life's problems. Blake didn't hide as often as she used to. Still, some days it was just easier to run errands with her ears covered from view. Looking human offered a small taste of atlesian luxury.

Men tilted their hats to her ever so slightly. Happily going about their day, as she went about hers. That would never happen if they knew her to be a Faunus. Since they could only suspect, it was better to be cautious than to be insulting. One of the many comforts afforded to a lone woman in Atlas, was that she could ignore the men all that she wanted. She didn't have to pay them the time of day, and often, Blake just didn't.

So long as no one knew of her heritage, she wouldn't be expected to show reverence to the humans she passed by on the street.

She stopped by a corner store. She purchased a loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese, and a moderately priced bottle of wine. She fully intended to take her prizes back to the dorm. Perhaps if she were lucky, she'd come across a lonely huntress or two in one of the shared common rooms. Maybe she'd be able to strike up a conversation. Blake walked down the snow covered path, stopping only to look up a large billboard.

Her friend's image had been plastered across the top of it.

Weiss was the picture of beauty. Smiling elegantly while sitting in a white chair. One leg crossed over the other. In the palm of her hand, she carefully showcased a blue vial of dust. Immaculate script covered the bottom of the billboard. Blake couldn't read the lettering, she was too distracted. Weiss looked perfect, too perfect. The image itself was a poor representation of who the woman really was. The person Blake had come to know was so much more than a pretty face plastered over an advertisement.

It made her blood boil, thinking that this was the image people saw. They knew nothing of the blood, sweat, and tears it had taken to get there.

Before she knew it, her feet were carrying her in a different direction. Down the city blocks and beyond dark alleys. Blake made her way to the esteemed headquarters where Weiss just had to be.

Blake acted so quickly that she soon found herself in over her head.

Standing the immaculately kept office of the CEO. She felt awed by the immense pressure that Weiss had to feel daily. This was only one office of many, but, it was the one often presented in the paper. She'd grown up seeing the silent war between the Faunus and the SDC. A low simmering rage between both parties often ending up within the uproar of the media. So many lies had been told back then, cover stories mopping away bloody murders and years of rebellion. Looking upon this room now, an outsider would never know all of the sinister little details.

Not even Blake knew them all. Looking back into the history, one thing was clear. The White Fang had made a bloodbath of the humans they so openly opposed.

The room didn't feel so evil now. Somehow, the way Weiss appeared seemed a more fitting example of a true Schnee at work. She had the motivation to do well by the people. So beautiful, but so very busy. Blake could see it in the depths of blue eyes. The way Weiss glared at the holographic images. The sag in her shoulders, the hallmark of an afternoon spent at her desk. Finally, the absence of the china teapot that had become part of family's storied traditions.

Weiss had forgotten to eat lunch...again.

"I never thought you'd actually visit the main building on your own." Weiss said from beyond the length of her desk. The dark wood only further highlighting the snowflake etched between the layers of clear glass that topped it. She pushed a few buttons on her desk to dissipate a holographic map of Atlas. The glowing dots representing mining locations fell away along with it. "So, what brings you by?"

"You mean besides the propaganda being posted around town?" Blake asked awkwardly. "Please tell me that you didn't actually approve those billboards."

"Welcome to big business." Weiss returned loftily, gathering her long hair to tie it back and out of the way. "Why, was something the matter with them?"

"Nothing really, they just surprised me." Blake stepped forward to put the paper bag on her friend's desk. Her ears rubbed against her bow as they fought to perk against the sound of crinkling paper. It was a wholly satisfying thing to hear. A gentle rustle calling childlike memories to her in that instant. It was also completely embarrassing to think that she might crush the bag between her fingertips if given half the chance. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to put the temptation out of her mind. "I brought refreshments. I thought you could use a break."

"That was a fast deflection, even for you." Weiss, ever the skeptic kept an eye on her friend. The tilt of her lips lingered a second too long. It was the only indication she gave to her displeasure. Still, if she was going to be bombarded by someone in the middle of the workday, Blake was the least offensive occupant Weiss could imagine. "Blake Belladonna, what could possibly be wrong with those billboards?"

"It's fake, and it's obvious. That picture is nothing like the real you." Blake finally muttered, more disturbed by explaining that realization than she should have been. Obviously the image had wanted to convey a certain type of message. She just didn't agree with it. "Every Faunus in Atlas is going to look up at those stupid things, and they're going to get the wrong impression. You've got that…what did Coco used to call it?"

"Resting bitch face." Weiss deadpanned.

"No, not that." Blake shot back, bottle in hand. The liquid became much more interesting. "The other thing."

"I don't know which insult you're referencing. She used to call me many things. I eventually lost count." Weiss said mildly as she extracted herself from her chair. She decided she could use a break after all. The growl deep in her belly reminded her that she could desperately use a meal, even if it only consisted of bakery bread and cheese. "That's the nice thing about being friends with Coco. She's honest to a fault. She's crass, and she doesn't rightly mind who that might offend. She also expects the same treatment in return...It's refreshing, mostly."

"I'm sure you asked her about the advertisement before it went out." Blake easily surmised. "I'd be willing to bet she wasn't a huge fan of it."

"No, but she agreed with my plans. It got my intended message out into the world." Weiss busied herself by collecting the bottle opener and glasses. Across the room there was a liquor cabinet and accompanying glasses. Thankfully, she had such a diligent janitorial staff. Otherwise the polished wood probably would have collected dust. "You're not wrong, you know…"

"I'm not?" Blake bit her lip as she almost crinkled the bag again. Collecting the bread and cheese. It wasn't easy to let go of the distraction. Particularly, when Weiss proved to be a more captivating sight.

"No, of course not." Weiss agreed once more. "I'm fully aware that my image comes across as haughty to say the least."

"The very least..." Blake finally let herself agree. "Why do you let them do that to you?"

"It's a public image, nothing more." The white haired woman brought the glasses to the corner sitting area. "It's not any of my concern what the public truly thinks of me. I learned long ago that money speaks more than public image." She took the offered bottle, removing the cork with practiced ease. "The two may go hand-in-hand, but, those qualities are not mutually equal."

"It's off-putting." Blake sighed, watching Weiss pour two glasses before carefully replacing the cork. "You'd gain more Faunus support if you'd go back to your older campaigns." One of those photos had been a crowd favorite. Weiss sat side by side with her employees, a metal cup of soup in one hand, and a few playing cards in the other. Velvet had taken the photo in their younger years, but somehow the media had gotten a hold of it. The entire image made front page news. "They really like seeing the real you, Weiss..."

Among Faunus circles, the image was still spoken of. Words tinged with hope, and Blake was not keen to let such a spark die out so soon.

"That's the problem. Only the Faunus seem to care, and only if it suits them to do so." Weiss didn't make eye contact. She didn't need to. Instead she fished a slender pocketknife from the depths of her business jacket. A press of a button summoned the deadly blade. "One photo happens to be grounded in reality, the other is not. The image on my current campaign is what the public assumes to be true. When I please the Faunus, it doesn't change the sale of dust either way. Humans are the ones with the large sums of money, and they're the ones that pay."

"And yet, here you are using a pocket knife to lob off hunks of bread from a full loaf." Blake pointed out. "Is this suddenly beneath you too, now?"

"According to many." Weiss replied as she moved her task onto the cheese. "I see no need to correct them, and neither should you."

That concept didn't sit well. It couldn't, not within the complicated culture that Atlas prided itself on. This new campaign would be even more important as underwater deposits were about to be harvested for the first time. It was a breakthrough that might give rise to new discoveries in the field. Only the Schnee Dust Company had the technology, money, and manpower to see such a lofty ambition come to fruition. It would be a new breath of fresh air within the industry, and it would surely encourage a whole new level of economic growth.

But, it still begged the question; who would pay the price?

"You're better than the blood in your veins. People deserve to know that." Blake finally said, her eyes locking onto the symbol that had been given far too much power in the past. The forbearers of the company had committed many atrocities that they would never answer for. "You may not feel the need to correct the public, but if you don't, who will?"

"No one, and that's by design." Weiss said as she handed Blake one of the glasses. "I did not become the CEO of this company to upheave everything my grandfather painstakingly built from the ground up. I became the CEO to return to his methods. That dream died ingloriously the moment I sat at this desk for the first time."

"You fought so hard for this, and now you're telling me it's all for nothing...?"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. It's not nothing, far from it." Weiss said. "I was just naïve. Grandfather's methods are no longer reasonable. Due to the era, his practices were accepted as enlightened. They probably were revolutionary back then..."

"Past tense..."

"Yes, well, the same cannot be said for the world of today." Weiss went on to say, her expression soft against the cruel accusation. "I've been forced to rethink my methods, and, so that's what I've been doing. I have big changes planned, but, I must not act too quickly..."

"So you're putting up a front?" Blake asked quizzically.

"If you wish to call it that. I'd like to think that I'm redefining what it means to be a Schnee. I'm acting in my own way." Weiss said, her eyes looking up to the bow upon Blake's head. "Frankly, my choices to befriend Faunus puts me in a rather precarious position. I want to stand on my own merits, and for my accomplishments to reflect who I am as a person. Surely you can understand that."

With the bow still concealing her ears, she understood better than most.

Weiss had sent Blake home with a packet of information, but, the Faunus didn't have the heart to open it. Instead she tossed it onto her bedside table. It felt off, somehow. The envelope had weight to it, plenty of originations around Remnant looking for hunters with licenses like herself. Opening the packet felt like an entire commitment in and of itself. Just the idea was daunting enough. She had no clue what could possibly be in her future. Just considering those extensive possibilities seemed suffocating.

She wanted the old days back, and that would never happen. To distract herself from the obvious fact in front of her, Blake took a currier mission the next morning.

Several hours were spent on board an airship. Her mission was simple. Protect the piolet and the cargo from the airborne Grimm that saw fit to attack the small mail shuttle. Military outposts received care packages from loved ones. Nearby mining towns received supplies and loaded dust to be sent back to Atlas. There wasn't much to her task. It left more than enough time to regret the decision to take the work at all.

It was lonely. Her eyes focused on the long horizon and the clouds below the ship. These were missions best suited to partners with valid airship licenses. The sort she used to take with Yang or Ruby on a lazy afternoon. One would fly the ship, the other would run interference on any passing Grimm. The hours were usually spent in comfortable banter. The extra earnings covered a night out for dinner and drinks, even if little else.

As a solo huntress, she could only act as an escort for a piolet she had never met before. He wasn't one for small talk. Blake silently did her job, respecting the impersonal task for what it was. The sounds of the engines were the only thing keeping her company between the stops. With the mission complete and a wad of lien in hand, it was already late afternoon. She pocketed the money and went back to her dorm.

That night was spent alone.

The next few days followed in a somewhat similar patter. An easy mission in the morning, and an empty room to return to. Sometimes she spent hours in the canteen, but the faces were always changing. Missions calling away those who she might consider acquaintances. The Schnee Dust Company ran their commercials on television, and Weiss made a short announcement an atlesian radio broadcast. Yang seemed busy, and a call to Ruby only lasted for half hour.

She'd read every book on her shelf twice over, and the stack she'd managed to get from the library wasn't able to hold her interest.

With her mind wandering, and the silence becoming too much, Blake finally made a long overdue phone call to her parents. Kali was more than overjoyed to take a call from her elusive daughter. Blake called so rarely these days, a fact that Kali was sure to remind her. She visited even less often, which was reason enough for the two women to bicker good-naturedly over the phone. After the usual pleasantries and catching up on each-others' lives, an uneasy disquiet began to edge its way into the conversation.

Blake mentioned retirement, the offhanded thought bringing Kali to a pause.

"If you're truly considering retiring as a huntress, then I would suggest you come home." Kali suggested hesitantly. "At least for a little while."

"I don't think so..." Blake declined.

"Why not?" Kali was so keen to let the small hope pass by. "Who knows, you might learn something useful for your future endeavors."

"I'm never going to like Menagerie..."

"If only you'd give it a chance..."

"No, I don't like it there. I can see why others would, but, it's not home to me." Blake muttered unhappily. Her parents knew that she was opposed to leading Menagerie. They held hope that she would change her mind. "You and dad are there. That's the only reason I go back to visit at all."

"I know that dear. I think I've always known that you would never end up overseeing the island." Kali sighed, hating to admit it. "It's just that you're the only child we have. We thought you might be willing to give it a chance at the very least. Your father could certainly use the help."

"Mom, listen to me, that island is nothing more than a tumor." Blake chose her words carefully. "When the rest of us ask for rights within kingdom walls, naysayers point to that stupid little island. As if every Faunus should just move to Menagerie. Worst of all, the Faunus of Menagerie want nothing to do with humans. The longer those people stay there, the more brainwashed by their own biases they get." Blake know no good could ever come from those sorts of views. Both extremes harbored hatred that wouldn't heal the scars of time..it could only do harm. "It's dangerous, and I won't perpetuate that."

"I'm sure that you're right, Blake. It's not that your father and I don't believe you. It's just that there are two sides to every coin. Menagerie offers an option that never before existed. It might not help the plight, but, the world itself will never be ideal." Kali paused then, as thinking of something more. "I've learned that no matter what you do, negative biases will always exist. In cases where resolutions cannot be agreed upon, peaceful separation sometimes yields the best results for everyone."

"True, I won't argue that." Blake said. "But, when I prefer Atlas over Menagerie, I think that says something."

"Regardless, you're not escaping out of a trip that easily. You need to come home for a visit." Kali finally said simply, as if the decision had already been set in stone. "Even if you refuse to help your father with the island, we miss you. It's been too long, and your missions have always been the reason you've been unable to make the time. If you retire, you'll have plenty of it."

"It's not just work. Last time I came home, dad tried to set me up on that blind date, remember?" It was a memory Blake wished she could forget. "If I come back home again, you have to promise to stay out of my personal life. I can figure that part out on my own."

"He meant well." Kali said, but she couldn't hide the amusement out of her voice. "Your father and I aren't getting any younger. He worries about you. We both do."

"I keep telling you not to worry about me." Blake sighed, rolling her eyes. "I can't help that you always think the worst is going to happen."

"I wouldn't need to think that if you would choose a safer profession." Kali shot back, but it lacked heat. "You've always been such a free spirit, Blake. I don't claim to understand most of what goes on in your mind, sweetheart. Even so, I do worry about you. To be honest, I felt better about this whole huntress idea when you had your teammates with you. Besides, wandering around out there for so long must be cumbersome. It would be nice if you had a companion to accompany you. It would put my mind at ease to know you weren't alone."

"Somehow, I doubt you'd like my companion to exclusively be my hunting partner…" Blake groused out, her mother snickering on the other end of the line. "What did I tell you about my dating life?"

"I know, I know, I'm staying out of it." Kali laughed. "Still, it's a nice thought, isn't it? Having someone to curl up with under the stars?"

"If that's some sort of backward request for grandkids, it's never going to happen…"

"Not with that attitude it won't…"

"Mom!"

"Really, Blake, it's a request to be careful out there. I just want you to be safe." Kali stated, her tone softening. "Although, if you're going to keep assuming that I'm going to meddle in your love life anyway, I might as well be guilty of it. I happen to know a nice accountant who just so happens to be single…"

Blake felt her ear flick. "Mom… No… Just… No…"

Her ideology couldn't last in the form it currently took. Blake knew that. Eventually, she would come to hate being a huntress. She couldn't continue like this. Stubbornly affixed to the past as though the future itself was an apocalypse. She had learned long ago, there was such a thing as pointless sentimentality. Holding onto something for the sake of it wouldn't offer her any comfort. Eventually, it would just poison the things she loved most. Missions no longer provided any sense of fulfillment. They rarely sufficed as a suitable distraction. Kali's words held layers of truth to them, too.

Blake hadn't needed her mother to spell it out so blatantly, but, she had. That seemed like proof enough. Kali was often right about many things, even when Blake chose to deny it.

She caved in, opening up the envelope Weiss had given her. None of the options were satisfactory. The reason wasn't something that Blake wanted to admit. Still, she would ultimately have to come to terms with it. The years of denial weighed on her shoulders. Those same years of inaction were entirely her own doing. Loneliness itself would be an inevitable prophecy. It would continue to be that way so long as the title of a huntress came before everything else.

There would only be one way out of this mess. Brutal honesty would be the only solution. Deep down, Blake had known that. She had been completely aware of it. Yet, love was was also a comfortable burden. One that she revisited privately with startling regularity. Unless she broke the cycle, it would continue the same way it always did.

Alone.

Coming clean was wholly unsatisfying. Telling Weiss the truth, that was the easy part. The aftermath was entirely too complicated, and yet, stupidly Blake found herself doing it anyway. The three little words felt so vastly insignificant. They had been soured by the years that had buried them. Saying them in the first place wasn't a guarantee at happiness. Instead, it was a very intimidating start to a difficult future.

"You love me…" Weiss parroted, the words managing to sound delicate. After all, Weiss was not in a position to make many mistakes. The ones she did make could have far reaching consequences. The ones that hit closest to home were the ones that worried her the most. It showed in her hesitance and her skepticism. "You do realize how completely insane that sounds, right?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" And yet, that was the only way that Blake expected it to go. She'd already prepared herself to be let down. She knew that her affections might not be received well. She had handled them so terribly over the years. She couldn't even fathom another outcome.

"Blake, you have no idea what you're asking to get into. Saying something like that…" It was not anger that first reached her ears. It was a soft, almost melancholic. "The commitments you'd be forced to abide, the status you'd have to willingly inherit and uphold." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, a scowl formed at the edges of her expression. The same sort of look she would give a textbook while puzzling out complex dust equations.

"You don't seem very surprised…" Blake murmured then, hearing her own heart hammering away in her chest. That tidbit of insight was enough to force a salty lump to lodge itself into her throat.

"Should I be?" Weiss asked quietly. "This isn't some mindless revelation you had overnight. This has been around for a long time." Even thinking about that was exhausting. "The question is how long, and I know I don't want that answer. I have enough of an educated guess to last my lifetime. I'm not going to ask the details, and you're not going to say them."

Sitting side by side in the massive SDC office, Blake wished there wasn't a gap between the armchairs. That it was just one long sofa, that she might be able to bridge this gap. Weiss seemed further away than ever before. Pensively studying the snowflake rug as though it would oblige her desire to swallow her whole.

"What do you want me to say, Weiss?" Blake asked.

"What else is there to say?" Weiss shot back, this time more icily than either one of them expected. It showed clear on her face before a mask covered it back up. Indifference protecting her from even herself. "You come in here spouting ridiculous notions about love out of nowhere. Do you truly expect me to cobble together some sort of cohesive response to that?"

"I'll do whatever you want me to." Blake said.

"That's the problem." Weiss shot back. "You don't understand."

"Tell me to go." Blake said. "I'll leave. No hard feelings. I won't bother you with it ever again."

"You'd no longer be able to be a huntress." Weiss commented, grasping onto logic when emotion itself stunted her. "Provided that we were…compatible…you would need to accept what your position in my life would eventually mean." She still didn't know how she felt about Blake. It wouldn't matter if Blake couldn't rise to lofty expectations. "I'd need you in the home, and as I've told you before, that's not easy. Choosing to be a high profile housewife is by no means a simple task. Do you even think you could be that sort of person?"

Blake shrugged wordlessly. She had no idea. It never crossed her mind.

"You would have to be sure, Blake." Weiss sighed. "You would need to be willing to make commitments well beyond the scope of commoners. Having stood in that place, I promise you it's not easy. If you don't believe me, just ask Velvet. She knows all about having to dance to Coco's tune. Even if there are times she doesn't want to, if she doesn't act like an obedient wife in the public eye, it would look bad for Coco. It works for them because Velvet's very secure in her place in life. It wouldn't work otherwise."

"Being a huntress is the only life I've ever known." Blake said, the admittance a rather dim one. "I'd be willing to bet that if things wouldn't work, I'd find out pretty quickly." Blake muttered, somewhat disturbed by how inviting domestic life seemed. She knew it wasn't so perfect, but in that moment, it seemed that way. "It's the best I can say."

Weiss seemed to consider that at length. "As an unmarried owner to my company, I am not currently expected to maintain social graces. That would change the moment I begin seeing anyone. Suddenly I'd be expected to make the rounds in certain social circles, and so would you. That means attending dinner parties and hosting galas at the estate. You would be expected to socialize gracefully with others in my social circle, no matter how racist they may or may not be..."

Blake nodded, that she had already known about. The way Weiss folded her hands in her lap made the anxiety rise anew as they both absorbed the quiet.

"I'm one of the last people you should be getting involved with." Blake knew it to be true. "And everything makes this look like a bad idea."

"What about Ada?" Weiss posed a moment later. "You never have been fond of children, and yet she would become a very large part of your daily routine…"

"It's not that I don't like children…" Blake said uneasily. "It's just that I know what they can be capable of, and that's terrifying. Even thinking that some little kid is going to look up to m…" Blake didn't have an excuse for it, but it chilled her to the bone all the same. "You know my past. Unintentional or not, there's a nasty history there. I don't want to be the sort of person anyone tries to emulate."

"You are not the worst influence she could possibly have to look up to." Weiss sighed, her thumb and first finger pinching the bridge of her nose. The entire notion was completely ludicrous. "As for any unsightly histories, she'll have plenty of that on her own. As long as she's my daughter, she will always be prone to the forces that our bloodline can impose. If she picks up any behavior from you, it'll be the least of many evils."

"You'd have to want to be with me, though." Blake posed, that one large question looming over everything else. The details wouldn't survive without the both of them investing themselves in one another. "And I mean, you don't really seem overjoyed or anything…"

"I have only had one romantic partner in my entire life." Weiss bit out, affixing her smoldering blue eyed gaze to Blake. It was times like this that she wished for a dueling ring. If only so that she could beat some sense into the Faunus that sat beside her. A healthy spar had helped them to communicate in the past, but now, those luxuries were long gone. All she could do is let cold fury power her gaze. "I have never been with a woman in a way that might implicate myself in a lesbian romance."

"I know..." Blake said, her gut twist.

"I've never even considered being with a faunus either." Weiss continued. "You're both, and it's never occurred to me. Not once! Therefore, the fact we're talking about this should be your first clue…"

"Weiss, if you don't-"

"I need time." Weiss interrupted. "Frankly, so do you."

Blake nearly crumpled in on herself. "Sorry…"

"Let me be clear, I am not opposed to courting a woman, faunus or not..." Weiss said pointedly. "However, I am very much opposed to courting someone who cannot assimilate themselves into my lifestyle and household accordingly."

"You don't think I could?" Blake asked softly.

"I don't know." Weiss said honestly. "I have a child to think about, and company to oversee. I'm not willing to deal with anymore arguing over missions in the field, or complaints about the Atlesian upper-class. Those are fights I had with Nolan, and one of the reasons we divorced. I refuse to have the same verbal battles with you...but I'm afraid that those types of fights will happen. I need time to consider this, Blake. You've had years to determine how you feel about me. Please allow me a few days to gather my thoughts about you."

Weiss wanted time, and Blake had promised to do anything Weiss needed of her.

So, Blake gave her time.

It was agony going home that night to an empty dorm room. No clear answer, her affection waiting in limbo. Weiss hadn't been lying though, her words came from a deeper honesty that the Faunus could only respect. Even as she held the license in her hands once more, she couldn't help but feel that her time as a huntress was fading out. She slept horribly, tossing with every doubt and turning with every validation. It was almost nightmarish just how cynically she could rip to shreds her own arguments in both directions.

Finding reasons to both love and hate this cursed notion of time. She felt like she had wasted so much of it already. Time she could have easily provided Weiss long before.

It was foolish, perhaps, but she clung to it anyway. Hanging desperately onto even the slightest chance to prove herself. An old instinct echoed in her mind. Telling her that she needed to be a valuable asset. It was a side of herself she hated. It was responsible for so many bad ideas, like blindly following the White Fang in the past. Her logic was simple, prove herself and rise the ranks. Prove her worth, and make a difference. Her instincts went beyond logic, and often rejected reason.

Instinct was probably what enamored so many young Faunus. Allowing them to be indoctrinated into a system far more sinister than they'd ever assume.

Instinct was strange, a gut feeling, buried deep within the blood and the soul. It was hard to fight against. A struggle all Faunus had to contend with. Some were more aware of themselves than others. Some could detect where instincts ended and logic began. Blake loved them and hated them at the same time. She sometimes relied on her instincts when related to combat, catlike as they were. Her reflexes combined well with sensitive hearing. Together they had kept her alive more than once.

This instinct was different in every way. It struck so rarely, and yet it came to her now like a second skin. She could almost taste it in the air, feel it with every breath. The restlessness clawing at her. Figments of her imagination finding purchase in the unspoken promise.

Instinct told her that she would need to prove herself worthy to her potential mate.

It scrutinized every inadequacy, snarled at every imperfection. It wordlessly spoke to her. Telling her that this tiny room was not adequate. That these accommodations were not acceptable for a mate and offspring. Obviously, Blake already knew that logically. Her instinct alone made the notion uncomfortable. It mewled at her, warning that her weapon wasn't sharp enough to be sufficient protection. She had an urge to hunt, this one different then a human would understand. Her mind hissed at her when she stubbornly rolled onto her belly. Her face pressing into her pillow.

Instinct had saved her life more than once, but tonight, it was just flat out annoying.

Like an itch she couldn't scratch…