Emerald Sustrai was not happy. Decidedly so.
She was not happy to be some glorified babysitter. She was not happy that the insufferable hemorrhoid with a name that rhymes with 'Jerkury' was doing well at his new job just across town.
She was most defenitely not happy that her boss had just skipped in, literally skipped, at this ungodly hour with an energy that had to be illegal from anyone older than nine. She had brought coffee though, some crimes could be forgiven. Emerald knew that all too well from experience.
"Good Morning Ms. Sustrai " the woman greeted teasingly. Her platinum hair shimmering as she turned. Stark blue eyes glowing with mirth. "Before you say anything, we have attempted to kill each other on several occasions, we are well into first name basis." - harsh, but true - "how is Mr. Black ?"
"Good morning Mis-... Weiss." Emerald caught herself. "The ball of lint so lovingly named Mercury is good. Classes begin later today, but you probably already knew that, and he's been talking my ear off about" she made a show if trying to remember " 'Whipping the little snots into shape' I think we're his exact words." accepting the cup offered, she took a swig of Salem's Nectar, and shuddered as the heat dispersed along with any sleep still lingering around the edges.
Weiss shrugged off her coat and turned back towards her bodyguard. She was dressed entirely in the usual blues and whites of the Schnee heritage; fashionable boots fresh from the runway, a pair of slacks and accompanying vest that would probably be able to cut aura with how sharp they looked, and of course her ever-present trio of hairclips.
Emerald, by comparison felt so… Uninteresting. Her green hair was still styled the same as it had been all those years ago. Her boots were sturdy and clean, but more for function than fashion. Her own slacks and shirt were ironed, but nowhere near as crisp looking as her employer's. She may as well just be in a sweater and yoga pants, in comparison.
"Well I hope so, Jei passed her entrance exam and dust knows she'll need everything she's about to learn once she graduates, or far before if nothing goes to plan." Weiss seemed to stare off a bit at that. Emerald couldn't really blame her, though she could certainly blame Emerald. "No sense dwelling on it, unless you're currently planning another upheaval of life as we know it. If that's the case, I expect a full report on the matter within three business days of being too late to get ahead of the problem." Weiss added with a wink. "I love the boots, by the way. I miss my old combat outfit, high fashion can go kick an Ursa compared to the comfort of broken in Huntress gear."
She strode into her office, leaving Emerald alone with her thoughts. Thoughts and a half dozen camera feeds she kept an eye on. Until her Scroll buzzed, then it became a half dozen feeds and a string of messages from none other than the mint licker she once called her partner. Mostly pertaining to his students trying to figure out just why "The Butcher" was teaching a class at the very academy he had once been instrumental in the downfall of.
Life had certainly led her down some strange roads, after all, now "The Thief" was heading SDC security and making more lien an hour than some did in a week. It wasn't even a cover job for some shady hitwoman position! They did expected her to hire her own team though, with hefty bonuses if they were from situations like her own had once been.
Emerald Sustrai was not happy. Happy didn't begin to describe what she felt while giggling at Mr. Black's video of a certain golden-haired Faunus absolutely schooling her new combat teacher.
Nine Years Ago:
Emerald was warm.
Maybe uncomfortably hot to some - but she had spent far longer in far warmer embraces. From the sands of Vacuo, all the way to foundries of Atlas during a production crunch.
Emerald had strode through the fires of a city set ablaze. She had fought in the middle of a burning forest, only able to breathe by way of chewing crystallized wind dust; it had tasted like a mix of some exotic fruit and earwax.
I can still taste it when I cough, She mused. Letting the not-uncomfortable weight responsible for said heat snuggle even farther into her. No, this heat was wonderful.
Contact of any sort really - Emerald had spent far too long before learning the absolutely amazing feeling of a pat on the back. People had touched her on occasion before that, but usually it was a warning hand on her shoulder.
Often it was a hand placed at high speeds against any and every part of herself. She was glad those memories were years behind her now.
Hugs were also wonderfully warm - some did border on hot, but those were years behind her now too. She still wondered if the sensation they left behind was due to the heat, emotion, or something less mundane.
The weight shifted. The body stirred, and unfurled itself in the first motions of waking. Golden ears twitching at sounds beyond Emerald's own ability to hear. Their owner now roused, she chuckled at just how warm the sight made her feel.
"Emmy, why'd you let me fall asleep? You promised." the young faunus shot a frankly terrifying set of puppy dog eyes towards her caretaker.
"I have literally committed war crimes less deserving of judgment than those eyes. Who authorized the creation of such a weapon?" Emerald teased as she tickled her young ward in revenge. "Was it Auntie Winter? She always was a loose cannon."
Breaking into squeals of laughter, Jei could barely answer between breaths "Nooo!" before being subjected to such terrible torture once more.
"It wasn't Winter? Where's your proof you little spy?" Emerald demanded before the little bundle of cute wriggled her way free.
"Auntie Winter can't be a loose cannon. She's like, a super tight cannon!" Jei presented an irrefutable case. With the confidence that only comes from youth - or bribes thereof.
"Ha! Well I guess I can't argue with logic as sound as that. But I'll find out eventually." Emerald fell back onto the couch, her quick but devastating tickle attack completed for the moment. "Maybe it was Doctor Polendina. He's just crazy enough to try and weaponize cuteness unironically."
Jei looked at her in the most perfectly quizzical way, head tilt perfected down to a degree. "Doctor Polendina? Like Henna?"
Oh, right. Watts offed the old man. She wouldn't have ever met him. Emerald found herself slipping into an old melancholy, her old life coming back to haunt her through the innocent questions of a child.
"Yeah, he'd be Henna's… grandad. Though he died before she came around." Memories tainted by her emotions at the time now held a different weight. They used that weight to slam against her mental walls. Walls seemingly intent on never really holding back the memories at all.
Emerald wondered if she should try to be more tactful around the young girl. Mercury probably would have regaled her with the actual event of the man's death - or maybe he would have tried to hide the entire idea of death from her altogether. He was always such a flip-flop in the weirdest ways.
Spring. Am I really missing that poor excuse for a flapjack? I've gone soft! Even my insults are food related, how is he a flapjack? You know what, yeah. He is a flapjack. I'll stand by that one till he proves me wrong.
Jei had always taken her moods and candor in stride though. Melancholy, spurts of sarcasm and casual mention of a life's-worth of mistakes were the norm when 'Emmy' spent the weekend watching her.
She was never Emerald Sustrai to the girl, not Ms Sustrai, or Em, or some awkward claim to family like 'Aunt Emerald,' or any other title. It made Emerald feel special that she had a name just for the girl.
Jei wasn't stupid, and her mother's didn't keep much from her. She knew that Emerald had once fought her family, extended and otherwise. She maybe didn't understand just how fiercely they had been against each other - the lives ruined by their conflict. She did understand that Emerald regretted the whole thing, and had long since been forgiven by the people she had tried more than once to end.
If only Emerald could do the same.
Feeling a pressure on her side, Emerald finally noticed her young companion had been hugging her gently for the past several minutes. Not enough to rouse her from her thoughts, but rather give comfort and stability to them.
So warm.
"You are way too good at that, you know. No kid should be able to tell the exact hugs to give. Means they have way too much practice." Emerald shared with a hug all her own.
"Mom taught me." she returned as if it answered everything.
Knowing Ruby, she has six binders full of types of hugs. Kept right next to her Binder of Birthday Plans, vol 3. A laugh escaped at a thought of all the binders bearing the Schnee logo scribbled over with a rose. Might explain why Mrs. Schnee seems to keep the supply room so secure, and they call me 'The Thief'.
"Where'd they go this time? It wasn't Grimm, mother took her nice boots. And momma packed her big hair brush." Jei broke her out of the reverie again.
"Not Grimm this time, no. They're actually going to try and find my old partner, Mercury. -"
"is he the one you always call weird names?"
"- Yes, Mercury is the one I'm always calling names. If you ever meet him I'm sure you'll agree with me that he's at the very least, a flapjack." mirth at the thought of Mercury getting insulted by the little eight year old flowed from Emerald.
"I hope they find him. You bring him up sometimes, were you friends? Did he fight my moms too? What was his weapon? Did he even fight? - " curiosity seemed to flow out of her like a burst dam. Each question bringing back a familiar pressure behind Emerald's eyes.
Leaning back into the couch, she let the memories come now. No mental walls to stop them. They flashed by, being searched for things far too heinous to show the pure soul beside her.
That one.
"Tell you what. Instead of answering a bunch of questions like you're trying to find me a date; I'll just show you? But you have to go to bed afterwards." A deal for the ages, and one that never failed to excite Jei no matter how often it was offered. "They probably won't be back till morning, anyway. Go get ready for bed and I'll get ready."
Emerald had little use for her semblance most days, but years of practice had grown it past its former limitations. Into something that could tell a bedtime story like no book or movie ever could. Memories were stranger, she had only her own vision to work with - leaving holes and gaps to be filled in with patchwork information or wild imaginings.
She was glad to use it for something that brought joy, instead of pain like she once had.
As Jei re-entered the room, hair tied in an adorable ponytail and pajamas covered with a familiar set of weapons, Emerald had turned the room into her canvas.
"Ohhh, team JNPR tonight, what's the occasion? Planning a hot date?" the Artist teased as she painted the image of her old self standing near a shop window.
"My CFVY ones are dirty. And my RWBY ones are for summer."
"Ouch, third choice pajamas, don't tell Nora."
"She knows. But now I have to use a Magnhild toothbrush. She made me pinkie promise."
With a chuckle, Emerald finished setting her scene, and gave a bow to her audience of one. "Then without further ado, may I present: the Sustrai Player's proud performance of 'Prank Queen' a true story of love, passion, and exploding snowmen."
As the events unfolded, Emerald settled in next to Jei. Remembering the hours spent filling glasses of water to fill an entire hallway with them. Or trying to find a glue that didn't smell like glue. All in the name of getting Mercury confident or riles up enough to try for the ultimate prank target; Cinder.
She had been furious of course, but they weren't in the middle of anything at the time. Just waiting for the timeline to move forward. The pranks were ultimately harmless - mostly. By the end she had even attempted a few of her own. They were pretty hit or miss, but fun just to see Cinder smile during the attempts. She still had pictures of Taurus with pink hair.
That had all led to one of the few hot hugs Emerald had ever received.
Soon it was over though, and the real world fell back into place.
A sleeping golden-haired faunus resting on the couch was gently carried to her bed.
Lights were turned off,
thermostats were adjusted,
windows were checked,
memories resurfaced,
and finally sleep was found.
The dreams were quiet things, about mundane events. Days spent with a group of people she dared to call friends only at her bravest. Lunches shared with a family of once-enemies. Hugs shared over the silliest things.
But each had something in common.
Emerald was warm.