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Chapter 62: The Dance

The night of the dance had arrived and Arctus and Felix were among those students whom the promise of free drinks Lien for their time had convinced to help with final preparations for the event. Atlas Academy's design was massive and rectangular with a gigantic open courtyard in its' centre, this courtyard would be the venue for the dance which necessitated the erecting of dozens of vaguely gazebo like structures each with their own heaters to keep the Kingdoms' notoriously inclement weather at bay; in addition lighting rigs, a DJ booth atop a specially created balcony and a temporary but well stocked bar had been set up, giving the entire affair the feeling of being a fusion of a formal occasion and an outdoor music festival.

Arctus loved it, he had been helping set up the DJ's booth on it's raised platform alongside Razzmatazz, Diamond's old friend from Mistral and was currently leaning over the makeshift balcony watching events below as she made alterations to the set up to suit her personal tastes as she would be the one using it

"Sup?" Arctus turned and saw that Felix had come to join him, having finished hauling the last of the heaters into place. The Lion Faunus was dressed in a tuxedo that seemed to catch the light despite its' dark colour, a matching bow tie and white shirt; a pair of glimmering gold cufflinks being the only real decoration to his attire though he seemed to have spent an inordinate amount of time on his appearance, more so than usual as his mane of dirty blonde hair which could usually be described as a mane was currently worn in a curly style that some may have called feminine but clearly suited him well.

"Just watching your friend, no offence but the guy's an idiot"

"Who Grease? What's that Hick moron doing now?" Razzmatazz called over as Felix looked where Arctus had indicated. His fellow native of patch was currently trying to appropriate bottles of alcohol from under the watchful eye of Professor Soleil who was currently clad in what Arctus recognised as an Atlesian military dress uniform complete with countless medals

"He's trying to swipe drinks that he's already getting for free" he answered

"Why?" Razzmatazz asked with an exasperated sigh greatly at odds with the smile she wore as she sifted through her record collection, she had been called a vinyl purist more times than could remember and stood by her insistence that digital DJs were an inferior breed

"Probably gonna start selling 'em the second the dance is over" the Lion Faunus answered with a smirk, Arctus merely shook his head and sighed as he watched the finishing touches be added before the event began. His own attire was the three-piece suit that he had purchased from Edna Mauve, a lightweight pale silvery grey material which almost shimmered as the Bear Faunus moved, beneath the jacket and matching waistcoat he wore a black shirt and a tie in a pale shade of blue that matched his eyes, which was a sentence Arctus had assured himself he would never utter out loud.

"Looks pretty much done" he observed, Felix nodding in agreement

"Yeah, Professor Soleil is a bit of a slave driver" the Lion Faunus snorted "She nearly lost it when she saw Nyanza goofing off, I think she'd actually flip out if we ran late" as if to prove his point Ciel spoke, her voice clear and carrying throughout the courtyard

"We have two minutes until our scheduled opening. Are your designated tasks completed?" upon receiving a round of affirmative answers she gave a small, rare smile before adjusting her signature beret and continuing "Unfortunately General Schnee is unable to be here as her other duties require her presence but she wishes for me to remind you that while none of you will be chaperoned for this dance she expects each of you to behave in a way that reflects well upon yourselves and your respective schools. That being said, enjoy your evening; all of you have earned it"

"Let's get this cracking" Razzmatazz beamed excitedly behind them while Arctus and Felix shared grins as they watched her fit her personalised and glitter covered headphones into place and find the first few songs she wanted to play; Ciel uttered a few private words to the members of staff who would be manning the doors for the evening before leaving, either having her own duties to attend to or simply not caring much for social gatherings. Moments later the first students began to arrive and both Arctus and Felix waited for their dates, the first students to arrive were older students whom neither Faunus recognised, followed by a group of first years who weren't native to Atlas, eager for a chance to experience the icy Kingdoms' surprisingly lax attitude towards alcohol. Minutes passed by and the pair paid little attention to anything happening around them until two familiar faces made their way into the courtyard causing Felix to almost bolt down from the balcony while Arctus merely stood in stunned silence wearing a lovestruck smile, unaware of the fact his partners' old friend was practically squealing delight at the cuteness of it all behind him.

Diamond had found herself leaving Team FADE's dormitory alone after Eagle had announced that she needed a little longer to get ready and assured her that it was fine to go on ahead. Fortunately she had run into Helios who had found himself in a similar situation a little way down the corridor and the two of them made their way towards the dance together. He was clad in a simple black suit with a crimson tie which managed to accentuate his impressive physique, the outline of the bracers which never seemed to be removed from his forearms could be seen pressing against his clothing and the faintest hints of his tattoos could be seen reaching from beneath the collar of his shirt. Diamond in the least vain way possible, looked amazing tonight and knew it; she wore a sheer black dress that clung to and highlighted her favourite parts of her own figure and featuring along the right side which left a considerable amount of her incredibly toned thigh on display, her usually tied back her fell around her shoulders in silvery waves; Diamond couldn't remember the last time she'd owned a pair of heels, it was certainly before she had discovered her Semblance and as such was wearing a pair of stylish yet comfortable flats

"We really should hang out more dude" Diamond noted conversationally

"Our teams are together almost daily" Helios pointed out, still wearing the same distracted look that he had been the whole walk thus far

"I know but I mean just us, like the summer I moved to Anquan-Jia remember?" Helios nodded, he did indeed remember the summer that the Nikos Tribe had acted as guides and protectors for a convoy moving through the wilderness that separated Mistral's cities which had included the Sustrai -Black family

"I remember that you'd never seen so many trees at once before and honed your Semblance running vertically up the tallest ones you could find….You fell more than once"

"Was kinda hoping you'd forgotten that last part" Diamond snorted as she laughed, something she would deny endlessly "You okay though Heely? You look nervous"

"I am" he answered simply

"Dude you're a dumb-ass sometimes" she sighed "Seriously you and Felix are great together, just 'cos this is a more fancy party doesn't change anything"

"Thank you" the redhead murmured quietly, clearly fighting the urge to run his hands through his spiky crimson hair with barely controlled anxiousness. Diamond gave him a reassuring look and a playful nudge, becoming slightly distracted as the music, muffled by distance began to reach her ears

"Oh this is one of Razz's favourites" she gasped "She didn't tell me she was the DJ tonight"

"Your friend makes music?" Helios asked, seemingly eager for a distraction

"Yeah, she plays keyboard as well" Diamond nodded enthusiastically "We had a friend who played drums at Sanctum, his cousin could sing….we always talked about putting a band together but could never find a guitarist"

"You should talk to Ether sometime" Helios suggested

"I always meant to but never seemed to get around to it….honestly though I doubt he'd join another band while Creatures of Grin are on hiatus" Helios merely shrugged as if to say it was her decision to make and the two of them fell into an easy silence, the sound of music growing louder as they drew closer and the door that would lead out into the courtyard came into view

"Hey Heely" Diamond nudged him again as she made to open the door "Have fun tonight dude" with that she opened the door and embraced the sound of festivities as they washed over her and felt the bass thrumming in her chest; the two of them made their way passed a pair of professors who merely nodded in recognition. She planned on searching for Arctus, knowing that he and Felix would be together but before she could do so she felt someone tap her shoulder and turned, coming face to face with Bracken Thorn; the taller woman looming over her wearing even more dark make up than was the norm for her and a deep green dress

"Hey Dee-Dee" the Bat Faunus greeted her, flashing a smile that showed her fangs

"Please tell me Sin didn't put you up to anything" Diamond gave her a glare which only softened when Bracken shook her head

"Nah, he's not even gonna be here tonight; he decided against it….I just wanted to say sorry, he was acting like a dick and we all stood by and let him"

"Yeah sure it's fine" Diamond assured her, she and Bracken had always gotten on well since Cinnabar had first introduced them but in all honesty she simply wanted to end the conversation and look for Arctus; something the Bat Faunus seemed to pick up on

"Anyway Dee, I'll see you around" with that Bracken stepped away and seemed to vanish into the crowd, leaving Diamond glancing around and realising that Helios had also disappeared; the curse she was about to utter as she heard a familiar voice

"Hey"

"Hey yourself big buy" she beamed as Arctus came into view "Looking snazzy" Arctus merely blushed, clearly unable to look away from her

"You look great" he whispered in her ear as her wrapped his arms around her waist, she gently kissed his cheek

"Hey have you seen Felix? I came in with Heely and-"

"We were on the balcony, he took off the second you two walked out here" Arctus assured her, pausing as he stepped back and reached into his jacket to produce a long thin jewellery box "I uh, I got you something" Diamond took the box, cherry red eyes widening as she opened it; the necklace within contained more of the stones she was named after than she could count and glistened under the lights

"Holy Oum big guy" she breathed outlining "You didn't have to"

"I know, but I wanted to" Arctus shrugged, carefully taking the necklace and fastening it for her "I love you babe"
"Love you too" she reached up to cup his cheeks and pull him into a slow kiss "Now come on, I'm calling dibs on your first dance"

"Goes without saying" Arctus laughed, wrapping an arm around her as the two of them made their way to the dance floor.

"Carcharodon is an idiot sometimes, he should have joined us" Onyx chuckled as he adjusted a suit that fit didn't fit him as well as he would have liked, he had simply made do and gifted the majority of the budget he had accumulated through gambling in the capital to Hellion; appreciating just how badly she seemed to want to make an impression

"You knew he wouldn't" the Dragonfly Faunus in question answered "He'd much rather meditate alone"

"His exact words were; if I wanted a meat market I would have sailed back to Anima and stolen cattle….the debauchery disgusts me" Raffia recited in his best imitation of Carcharodon's distinctive rasping voice before his composure failed and he was reduced to cackling like a madman. Hellion gave the Axolotl Faunus a bemused sigh, noting that he had had simply worn the shirt and trousers from his Halo Academy uniform rather than purchase a suit with whatever Lien he'd managed to accrue through means best left to the imagination. The three of them had claimed a relatively secluded corner of the courtyard as their own and were currently enjoying drinks together; Hellion waiting for Eagle while Onyx and Raffia simply waited for someone to catch their eye

"Thank you for this" Hellion murmured to Onyx for the umpteenth time as she gestured to her outfit for the evening; after hearing her grumbling about the impracticality of dresses the Puma Faunus had spent a considerable amount of Lien on buying her a slim fitting suit in a dark colour that appeared black at first but seemed to have various shades of violet, navy blues and deep emerald greens, she had forgone wearing a tie and left the top two buttons of her shirt undone; the tailor responsible for the outfit had also thought to cut precisely measured holes into both the shirt and jacket for her gossamer wings; giving her freedom of movement without the lack of coverage a backless dress would have offered.

"I've already told you it's fine, it's only Lien" Onyx assured her before downing a glass of something with a smell that made Hellion's eyes burn; the Puma Faunus then slapped a meaty paw of a hand down on her shoulder and turned her towards the entrance to the courtyard "Now go and look for your blonde"

"She'll be here" Hellion breathed out, instinctively reached to pet Marauder only to realise that both the bird of prey and the heavy armoured gauntlet he used as a perch were both in Team GORE's dormitory

"Maybe, but you're gonna drive yourself crazy until she gets here" Onyx snorted "Go on, have fun"

"Make sure Raffia doesn't cause too much havoc" she joked as she made to leave, knowing exactly what gestures the Axolotl Faunus was making behind her back despite not being able to see them.

Making her way back inside the campus proper, Hellion's footfalls echoed as she stalked the empty hallways in search of Eagle Arc; she found herself subconsciously slipping into practices that had been honed through her upbringing within the Frost River Tribe, controlling her breathing and keeping to the shadows as she altered her stride to minimise the noise she made as much as feasibly possible. Hellion had almost forgotten just how proficient she was at her craft of scouting ahead with how little opportunity Atlas provided to maintain her skills and as such was almost surprised when someone she had heard approaching rounded a corner and nearly collided with her, having evidently not heard Hellion

"Oh my Oum I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to….Oh Hi, um….wow" the slightly stammering but perpetually enthusiastic voice of Eagle Arc chattered out and Hellion took a moment to drink in the sight of her before her mind promptly went blank.

"You look incredible" the former raider breathed out, followed by an exclamation in her native tongue under her breath

"You think so?" Eagle asked, freckled cheeks reddening at the praise; she was dressed in a deep crimson dress that matched her eyes and whose thin straps left her freckled and well muscled shoulders on display, her blonde locks had been carefully styled and Hellion noticed that for the first time that she could remember Eagle was wearing make up, her lips and cheeks a few shades darker than their natural tone

"I don't think, I know" she answered with a smile that bordered on predatory, causing her date to flush an even deeper scarlet in response; seemingly struggling to form coherent thoughts and sentences as she stole lingering glances at Hellion

"You….uh you look really nice tonight" the blonde managed to mumble out somewhat distractedly "Like really, really nice" Hellion not chose to respond verbally, instead sauntering forwards and taking Eagle's hand in hers and gently pulling her close enough that she could finally brush her lips against the blondes', Eagle gave a surprised sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeak before melting into the kiss; Hellion taking the initiative without thinking and gently pinning the taller woman against the wall, her lips moving to Eagle's neck

"Hey, hey can we….can we slow down please?" the worried edge in Eagle's voice brought Hellion to an immediate stop

"Of course little canary" she assured her softly, gently caressing her cheek

"It's that well, I've only ever kissed one person before….and that was kind of a sympathy thing" Eagle explained with a self conscious shrug

"I only want to make you feel as special as you truly are, I can happily do that at your pace" the Dragonfly Faunus murmured quietly, gently squeezing Eagle's hand and causing the blonde to almost whimper in sheer delight. Eagle leaned into the slightly shorter Huntress and allowed Hellion to hold her for a while, neither of them keeping track of time until Eagle's brow furrowed in concentration; realising that the sound of distant music soundly undeniably familiar

"Oh I know this song!" she exclaimed "Aunt Nora and Uncle Lie had the first dance at their wedding to this, apparently Team JNPR did a whole dance routine to it when they were at school together"

"Then we should keep the tradition alive" Hellion suggested with a sly smile; Eagle needed no further encouragement and hurriedly led her date in the direction of the dance, the music hitting them as an almost physical force as they stepped out into the courtyard where Hellion's face became a soft smile when Eagle began singing along to familiar lyrics and pulled the Dragonfly Faunus onto the dance floor with her signature boundless energy

"Baby, it's time to make up your mind! I think tonight is when our stars align!…."

Arctus and Diamond had spent hours blissfully unaware of their surroundings; sharing almost every available dance with each other, as well as sharing several intense lingering kisses, the few moments rest between each kiss growing ever briefer until the two had been all but inseparable on the dance floor, a condition that had only ended when Diamond had kissed her partner and lovers neck before whispering in his ear and leading him away from the dance in the courtyard by the hand. It was mere minutes later that they found themselves staggering through the unlocked door of an empty classroom, kissing every available inch of each other; necks and collarbones were left with marks and both of them were gasping in pleasure and panting heavily by the time Diamond looped her arms Arctus's shoulders and wrapped a toned leg around his waist while the Bear Faunus pinned her against a wall, teasing an earlobe between his teeth

"I love you so much babe" he breathed gently as his hands moved from her hips trailing upwards, Diamond's response was to curl her fingers in his shaggy ivory hair and pull him into a searing kiss which left him breathless and almost dazed

"Love you too big guy" she paused for a moment, seemingly considering something before pulling him into another, slower kiss while she ran a finger along his chest, tracing where knew the scar he had received in the Breach to be

"Hey Arctus" she almost purred, red eyes half lidded "You wanna help me out of this dress?" Arctus paused, throat suddenly dry

"You're sure about this?"

"Yeah, yeah I am" she nodded, reaching up to unfasten Arctus's tie; taking this as encouragement the Faunus slipped the shoulder straps of Diamond's dress down and return to kissing her neck and eliciting deep throated moans of pleasure from her as he carefully pulled her dress down a little lower, exposing her breasts

"Wait!" Diamond gasped, eyes suddenly wide as a thought occurred to her "Please tell me you've got a condom, I don't have pockets on this dress"

"Shit, I don't" Arctus opened his wallet and searched regardless, as if one could somehow have appeared without his knowledge

"Dude….no way" the silver haired woman laughed somewhat bitterly, slouching against the wall a little

"Wait, don't you have some in your drawer?" Arctus asked, expression hopeful "We can go back to our dorm?"

"And spend the whole night worrying about either Eagle or Felix coming back early, with or without their dates" Diamond lamented, readjusting her dress in a way that felt somehow like admitting defeat "Besides I kinda wanted our first time to spontaneous y'know….we're both dumb-asses, we just killed the mood for ourselves"

"It's still been a great night though" Arctus shrugged, sitting himself on a desk and motioning for Diamond to join him; she did so and leaned into his shoulder as both of them took a few seconds to catch their breaths and try and shrug off the buzz of alcohol that was beginning to cloud their thoughts

"Oh I spoke to Cinnabar recently, that's why Bracken was talking to me when I came in" Diamond told Arctus, unsure of why exactly she was doing so but feeling that it shouldn't be treated as a secret "We know where we stand with each other and I don't think he's gonna be any more trouble" Diamond studied her partners' face, while she felt sure that her actions had been justified she was unsure how Arctus would take it; Cinnabar would certainly have seen anyone de-escalating a confrontation on his behalf as an attack on his manhood. Arctus proved himself the better without ever realising there had been a contest when he simply wrapped an arm around Diamond's shoulders and squeezed gently while lovingly kissing the top of her head

"Thanks Dee….Oum I lucked out when I partnered with you, you've always had my back"

"Yeah well" Diamond nuzzled into him and made herself comfortable "You're a dumb-ass but you're my dumb-ass"

"Wanna head back to the dance?" Arctus offered, Diamond considered for a moment before shaking her head and gently pushing Arctus down on to the desk and straddling him

"Not yet" she whispered, voice sultry as she nipped at his collarbones "We can just stay here for a while"

Helios was unable to keep the smile off of his own face at the sight of the broad and toothy grin on Felix's, the Lion Faunus had by all accounts thoroughly enjoyed their first 'official' date thus far and Helios only wanted to see that continue. The two of them had shared several dances and laughed more together than Helios had in longer than he could remember, admittedly some of that could be attributed to the Nikosi brew they had been drinking which Felix had been encouraging him to add to some of the other drinks 'for the sake of tradition'. They'd also spent a sizeable portion of the night with their friend group as a whole; Ether and Olivine could be seen still occupying the dance floor swaying rhythmically to the current number, a far slower song that based on Razzmatazz's previous selections Helios assumed had been a request. Eagle and Hellion could be seen getting drinks, both seeming breathless and exhausted; whatever Helios's opinion was of Team GORE and the tribe of thieves and bandits that they hailed from he couldn't deny that the Dragonfly Faunus treated her date with something approaching reverence. Arctus and Diamond had only had eyes for each other all night and looking around Helios noted that they were no longer in sight.

"Hey, seen anything of Nyanza?" Felix asked, casually interlocking his fingers with Helios's as the two took a moment to relax at a secluded table in a corner of the courtyard

"He went for drinks and then never came back" Helios answered, unable and utterly unwilling to hide his smile as he held Felix's hand a little tighter while turning his gaze back to the dance in search of his wayward partner; he noted that Rusty Blackwatch and Lux Lumière of Team CLIR had just stepped onto the dance floor, the Vaccuan gunslinger against all odds appearing in public without his signature Stetson and having miraculously tamed his hair while Lux simply looked even more dapper than usual; nearby Iris Ramal was talking to a student Helios didn't recognise; following a hunch he cast his eyes in the direction Lux and Rusty had come from and was rewarded

"He's with your sister" Helios informed Felix with some apprehension, the Lion Faunus glanced over to where Helios indicated and saw that Nyanza was in fact talking to Corvid, his sister was currently wearing a multi-coloured and obscenely vibrant ensemble that she had shown Felix beforehand, describing it as 'So beautifully ugly I have to make it work'

"Please tell me he's not gonna try and ask Corey to dance" Felix groaned, the hand that was not currently holding Helios's covering his face, not wanting to watch the inevitable. Helios watched as Nyanza spoke only for Corey to laugh and playfully ruffle his hair before seemingly realising the bushy tailed feline was serious

"He didn't want to tell you" he told Felix with a sigh "He wasn't sure how you'd react" the redhead fought the urge to grimace as he realised just how easily the same could be said of himself, he was still looking for ways to broach the subject of his commitment to his people, instead he only found more and more ways and reasons to delay the conversation a little further.

"He's an idiot sometimes" Felix shook his head with an irritable huff "Corvid doesn't need me to defend her honour or whatever he's worried about….and he knows he can talk to me about anything.

"Can I talk to you about anything?" Helios croaked out, almost forcing the words passed unwilling lips; his sudden nervousness enough to ensure that he had Felix's full attention

"Sure, what's wrong?" the urge to say it was nothing, it didn't matter was almost overwhelming but he set his jaw and took a slow breath through his nose; reminding himself of exactly who he was and what was expected of him

"You understand what my position is within the Nikosi yes?" when Felix nodded in understanding, evidently unsure of where the conversation was going Helios continued "I have a duty to my people, one day I will be called back to Anima to succeed my mother as head of my tribe. It's not a role I can abscond from and I don't know what it means for our relationship" Felix took a few moments to silently process the information, Helios took the fact that Felix was still holding his hand to be a good sign

"I've never known you to shy away from doing something just 'cos it's hard anyway" the messy haired blonde noted before adding something that caught the redhead completely unawares "Is your Mum okay man? It sounds serious?"

"I….she's….my mother is fine?" He sputtered, taking a moment to compose himself before continuing "I just wanted to be honest with you Felix, I like you and a care about you but I don't want to feel like I'm leading you on….If you want to end our relationship here I'll understand"

"You fucking idiot" Felix murmured before pulling him into a hug "You just got us both worried over nothing y'know that?"

"I-"

"So at some unspecified point in the future, possibly decades from now you'll have to go home?" Felix ploughed through any objections Helios may have had "So what man, we've got something good right now; let's just enjoy it"

"Hopefully it won't be for a long time" Helios nodded, a sudden lump in his throat as he realised he was discussing the mortality of the only one of his parents he'd ever known "But life beyond the Kingdoms is harsh Felix, people die often"

"You wanna talk about it?" Felix offered, sensing that something else was bothering the redhead

"Not tonight" Helios assured him, flashing him a bright smile "You're right we should enjoy what we have while it lasts….if you're sure that's what you want?" Felix simply leaned into him, allowing Helios the rare privilege of being able to play with his curly dirty blonde mane

"Exactly and if any problems come up we'll deal with them the same we deal with everything else" the Lion Faunus reached up and gently stroked the scar Helios had received along his cheek fighting Phobos the sentient Alpha Beowolf and Helios responded by leaning down and cupping Felix's cheeks, pulling him into a slow kiss; everything around them fading into irrelevancy until the sound of glasses being set down at their table broke them apart

"Get a room" Nyanza snorted as he joined them, finally bringing the promised drinks

"You okay man?" Felix asked "I know Corey can be pretty brutal with refusals….don't take it to heart man"

"Ah fuck, you saw that?" he grumbled "Y'know what it's fine….was always a long shot anyway" Felix merely took his glass, the smell revealing the contents to be brandy before the first sip as he scanned the dance floor; searching for any of their other friends who were yet to return, he caught sight of Corvid's jarringly vivid outfit and almost sprayed his drinks everywhere as he realised who she was currently dancing with so competitively it almost seemed to be aggressive

"Oh come on sis!" he cried, Corvid never hearing him over the music and continuing to dance with Onyx Ursabane.

Far away from Atlas Academy and revelry she almost wished she could be present for, General Winter Schnee turned to address Matte Skye, the head of her fleet and Qrow Branwen a confidant whose opinion she held in high esteem when it came to matters of secrecy and urgency. The three of them were currently the only living occupants of a hangar designated even more secret and high security than the rest of the base it was a part of; no small feat considering that this installation was one used to service and refuel ships belonging to the Specialist Branch as well as house several other classified projects. Behind Winter several Atlesian Knights that would later have their hard drives reformatted and memories wiped in the name of security were busying themselves with the task of loading a tall cylindrical matte black onto a vehicle which would in turn load it onto an Atlesian warship.

"As you can see it works-"

"I can see that it works on paper, against an AI representing an average Grimm….we don't have the data on the sentient kind" Qrow interrupted, his cynicism evident

"And we'll never get it unless we're willing to be bold" Winter countered impatiently "This isn't a blind gamble, it's also the best chance we have at turning the tide….Project Snare represents the future Qrow" her voice rose as she spoke, becoming more impassioned with each word and the footfalls of her mechanical leg echoing a little as she paced

"I understand that Winter-"

"I don't think you do" the General the one to interrupt this time "Think about it Qrow, we can already create pheromones that can redirect Grimm with limited success. What if we can find a sentient Grimm and study it, we can keep them away from our borders completely. This is going to change the face of Remnant entirely if it's successful"

"I can see the possibilities" Qrow murmured "But I remember the last scientific breakthrough Atlas got itself excited about; those robot soldiers turned on you in their first real test….And we both remember what happened the last time Atlas tried to control Grimm, hell I'm sure everyone remembers Project Hexxus"

"Too far" Matte warned breaking their silence, hand resting on one of the pistols at their hips until Winter waved them off

"I'm just saying that this technology it might change Remnant, but it might not be for the better" Qrow sighed, suddenly feeling all of his sixty plus years "Even provided that it works and it doesn't end getting your best scientists butchered by escaping Grim; if this ends up in the wrong hands it'll be a catastrophe….And that's not even considering the revolution that this will cause"

"Revolution?" Matte raised a questioning eyebrow

"How have long has Remnant relied on Hunters?" Qrow gave them a haunted looking stare "You seriously think that all those Hunters and soldiers are just going to roll over and accept the fact that this technology could replace them? It'll mean war"

"I've already had these concerns and measures will be put in place" Winter assured him, unable to entirely shake her own doubts "However as I said, progress requires us to be bold….I'm not asking for your permission Qrow; merely keeping you informed so that your own objectives don't interfere with ours"

"I know you're not asking for permission, General" Winter's eyes hardened at Qrow's use of her title rather than her name "I'm just asking you to be careful, as a friend" Winter nodded in silent understanding before turning to her former first mate and right hand in all military matters outside of those she entrusted to Gangrel

"Matte"

"Yes General" Matte straightened up as they awaited orders, eager to please as always

"There are student training missions taking place soon, ready your ship accommodate a team. I'll have Professor Soleil draw up a list of prospective candidates"

"Understood"

"Winter you can't seriously be trusting this to-"

"Matte I trust you're aware of the troubles on the shipping routes off of the west coast" Winter continued as if Qrow hadn't spoken, Matte nodding in response to her question "It may be a chance to test Project Snare's real world capabilities; attach the students to the strike team you send in….take the Baba-Jaegers with you as a precaution"

"Yes General" Matte saluted, a small grin on their face at being given permission to take the next generation of war machines for testing and the trust in them that Winter had. As Matte turned on their heel and left Qrow turned to Winter

"Students Winter?" he growled "I thought we agreed that we didn't bring kids into anything, no more-"

"This isn't related to the Maidens" Winter snapped, taking a moment to calm herself, aware that the opportunity before her was making her a little irrational "They're training to be Hunters Qrow, if they're not on a mission with Matte they'll be on a mission somewhere else….but if it'll put your mind at rest I'll ensure that Team FADE are kept off of Ciel's list"

"Thank you" Qrow nodded before paying her what he knew she would understand as a backhanded compliment "You were always a cut above the rest, but old Jimmy really would be impressed with how you're carrying on his legacy"

"No need to get catty Qrow; come my own ship is being refuelled but I have a full liquor cabinet on board" despite their differences of opinion on this subject Qrow gratefully followed after Winter who decided to throw one final barb over her shoulder as they set off towards the Atlesian flagship "And let's not forget which of us keeps a network of spies and has a hidden base of operations beneath their house" she paused for effect "Hiding things in plain sight and misdirecting the public's attention was something I learned from you"

Authors Notes:

There you go have some more cuteness, and a little foreshadowing.
One more chapter and then we'll be making our way into the climax of Vol.5, the second year missions….Vol.6 is the one we've all been waiting for the tournament.
Also I'm aware that a few of my American readers have started college and that some of British readers will soon be in a similar position, to those of you living away from home for the first time I want to say congrats, good luck and stay safe.
I also have an idea for a writing event, if you follow me on Tumblr keep an eye open on there I might make a post over the weekend.

That being said, let's summarise:
I wanted to give Atlas's dance a distinct feeling that separated it from the one at Beacon in canon, having it outside as a direct fuck you to Atlas's climate seemed to work.
Seriously an event like the dance would have students who are into music involved in some way, I know Rooster Teeth used it as a chance to sneak in a Daft Punk cameo but it's my fiercely held belief that Neon Katt was also a DJ, in this case Razz did the honours….I keep working Team GRAY in, they'll get proper descriptions, weapons and Semblances at the tournament.
Felix got all dolled up for Helios….and the idea of him in a bow tie is hilarious to me for some reason.
Can you imagine Ciel Soleil as an events planner? Also headcanon that she doesn't actually own any clothes suitable for a party so she just wears her dress uniform.
Headcanon (Which considering that he's my OC makes it canon) that Arctus has worn so many standard black suits to so many formal events he will never buy another one willingly, hence the silver suit.
So yeah, Helios and Diamond basically got the cliché slow motion entrance, shippers…..you're welcome.
Seriously Diamond doesn't need to be told she looks great, she isn't arrogant about it but she's more than comfortable with her appearance….Also yeah, another new (Head)canon, Diamond doesn't wear heels, flats give her more surface area to channel her Semblance.
I kinda want to do more little aside conversations like the one between Helios and Diamond that don't really add anything to the plot but make the characters feel more real.
Onyx is a big softie under all that alcohol fuelled violence and gruffness.
Also Carcharodon is asexual and sex repulsed, he missed the dance because the idea of that much necking makes him squeamish, being soaked in other peoples' blood he can handle, spit swapping is a step too far.
Hellion in a suit….Cyberpet shippers, you're welcome.
You know that Team GORE still find themselves slipping into old habits, moving silently, always looking for weak points and potential entrances/exits, working out who to take down first when the violence starts.
So yeah Eagle still has some self confidence and body image issues, combined with her lack of experience she and Hellion will be taking things slow….but they're head over heels for each other.
A little bittersweet headcanon that you can pry from my cold dead hands, Ren and Nora totally did the Team JNPR dance at their wedding and dedicated it to two people who couldn't be there.
But on a lighter note, Eagle and Hellion danced to Shine….enjoy.
And so my legacy of cock-blocking lives on….but seriously the dance would have been to cliché of a first time for Diamond Dust anyway.
Also, use protection.
Okay for the people who asked what I meant when I said Cinnabar is 'Toxic masculinity' personified "Cinnabar would certainly have seen anyone de-escalating a confrontation on his behalf as an attack on his manhood" pretty much sums it up; you know people with this mindset, you know you do.
The dance had a bar and Felix still wanted Helios to spike the punch, 'You can take the boy out of Patch….'
Little reminder that the Nikos and Frost River tribes hold each other in contempt; Nikosi think Frost River are nothing but pirates with no honour or morals; the Frost River think the Nikosi are lapdogs who bow to Mistral's authority, making them traitors to the Anima tribes' way of life.
Lux and Rusty needs a ship-name, Olivine and Ether are background characters and they have one (I still think 'Gunmetal' is a great pun)
Corvid could pull off a typical suit or a dress….but why on remnant would she want to do that.
So yeah they had "the talk" and Battle Cat is still going strong.
I was tempted to use the conversation as a chance to mention why Helios's dad isn't around (Remember that Syneffo is his half sister, not that he treats her any differently).
Corvid and Onyx, because the idea amuses me.
Matte Skye is 112% ready to throw down for Winter at all times.
I feel like both Winter and Qrow have valid points here, yes Project Snare (Considering she doesn't know about Ozymandias's double dealings) will potentially change the world; at the same time plenty of people would be willing to use violence to maintain the status quo.
Remember the Baba-Jaegers, Matte's new toys from Vol.4….'cos I haven't.
So yeah a student team is going to be involved with Project Snare.
Winter may have looked up to Ironwood but she understands Qrow's opinion of him and that if Qrow compares anyone to Ironwood he means it as an insult.
And the winning point in that Verbal sparring match goes to Winter.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander, FleetOfWarships, iSassenach and ShadowAlex2000 for their reviews on the last chapter; also congrats to iSassenach for being the 400th review on FF Net.
Oh yeah Weiss will have those officers destroyed in completely legal ways and smile while she does it.
Well Sin was there because he just happened to be driving through that part of town, running into Arctus was a coincidence.
Onyx may have all the subtlety of blunt force trauma but it works.
Look I gave you a break from the angst.
When life gives you lemons, stab your readers in the feels and use the lemons to clean the wound…..or demand to see life's manager, one of the two.
I will try and work in more Gangrel, he was my first RWBY and I'll always have a soft spot for him.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.