Black Widow
Chapter 1
Trifa stared at the man as he writhed in place on the bed, futilely grasping at the stab wound in his carotid artery. His eyes were wide with fear and pain, and thin gurgles of panic erupted out of his mouth with every passing moment as he tried in vain to stem the spray of blood pouring out of the wound in his neck. She stared even as he turned and looked at her, his eyes meeting hers with a silent, desperate plea for help, all while his blood dripped from the dagger in her hands onto the bed below.
It was over almost as soon as it had started, the man losing himself to unconsciousness as his blood pressure dropped with every pulse of his heart that sprayed across the sheets and the wall. After a few seconds, his eyes fluttered and then closed, and his hands fell away from his wound. His heart gave one final, desperate beat, sending one last crimson fountain of arterial spray out across the wall, before even it fell silent. Trifa watched as his chest rose and then fell one last time, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been an absolute pig, an outspoken racist, and an enemy of everything she stood for, but even his death hadn't been easy to watch. No matter how many times she went through this, it never got any easier in the end.
Trifa let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding, then climbed off the man and the bed, letting her dagger fall to the bed sheets below. She stood there under the hotel room's cheap fluorescent lights, naked as the day she was born, and brought a hand up to rub at her eyes for a moment before checking herself over to see where blood had covered her. Her right arm – the one that had killed him – was predictably stained a deep red, not to mention the spots where blood had sprayed over her as the dying man writhed in agony and terror, but it was nothing that a quick shower couldn't fix.
Then again, maybe she was just looking for an excuse to take a shower. The dead man hadn't penetrated her before she had dealt the killing blow, but simply remembering him leering at her naked body, soaking in every inch of her with that predatory gaze of his, plus remembering how his nude body felt when it was tangled up with hers atop the bed sheets, was enough to make her skin crawl. The thought made her involuntarily shudder, and she cast a glance over at the nearby nightstand, where a cheap digital clock was sitting atop some old travel guides. The cracked screen told her that it was a few minutes to midnight; she'd be behind schedule for sure, but at this point, she didn't care. Yuma and the others would bitch at her for not making it on time, but they weren't the ones who'd had to play the part of seductress for the evening, so they could go fuck themselves.
With slightly shaky steps, Trifa made her way to the hotel room's shower. The bathroom was no more ornate than the rest of the room was, but right now, the old shower felt like heaven. She stood there as the warm water cascaded down her front, hanging her head high and simply losing herself in the gentle caress of steam and cheap body wash. A low sigh escaped her as the shower washed away the blood on her hands, and the shame in her soul.
No, that bastard in the other room hadn't quite gotten the chance to fuck her, but he had come damn close, and that was enough for her. It wasn't her first time doing this, and it wouldn't be her last, but something told her this one was going to stick with her for awhile.
"For the White Fang..." she whispered to herself.
As expected of a cheap hotel, the warm water soon turned cold, and Trifa wasted no time in ending it there. By her estimate, she had spent about five minutes cleaning herself. That would make it harder to get out without someone noticing, but she didn't care – most of these interrogation sessions didn't come as close as this one had. A full shower hadn't been necessary to get the blood off her hands, but the feeling of cleanliness that came afterwards was worth it.
Trifa dried herself off with a towel, then tucked it under her arm and took it with her as she traveled back to the main room. Her eyes fell on the dead man again, and she scowled, then quickly averted her gaze. Her clothes were lying on the ground next to the bed, and she grimaced when she saw them. From what she could see, the dark blue evening gown had been spared the arterial spray, but it was going to have to go despite that. The same was true for her high heels and her lingerie, plus the bathroom towel she was holding. But for now, they would serve to cover her modesty as she made her escape.
She dressed herself, breathing a bit easier when she pulled her gown's final strap on to her shoulder. Yes, the bastard was dead, but even now she could still feel his eyes roaming over every curve of her body, tracing every black vein back to her heart, and then to her breasts. She held back the urge to shudder, instead stepping into her high heels before grabbing her dagger, wiping the blood off on the bed sheets, and slipping it back into its concealed sheath on her right thigh. Once she was fully dressed and armed, she stepped over to the window, then threw it open and looked outside. A quick look around showed her that the alley below was clear, and Trifa made her move, jumping off the balcony towards the ground below.
She hit the ground and rolled, her aura cushioning the fall and preventing her from taking any damage. Her roll stopped after a few feet, and she picked herself up, shaking her head to clear it as she did so. Again, she looked around, and another sigh of relief escaped her when she saw that it was still clear. Without missing a beat, she turned and ran, weaving through the darkened alleys of downtown Vale with practiced ease.
The others were expecting her back at the hideout, but more importantly, she didn't want to be near that hotel any more than she had to be.
"You're late," Yuma observed as she walked in.
Trifa rolled her eyes. "Bite me, Yuma. I said I'd be back by a quarter after midnight."
"Yeah, and it's just over half after." He put a hand on his hip. "What happened? Did the bastard get to you?"
"He wished," Trifa said with a scoff. "He got as far as they all do these days. Do I really need to tell you more than that?"
He relaxed slightly. "...No, guess not. Just wanted to be sure you were alright, since you took a shower and all."
"Had to," Trifa answered. "Fucker bled all over me. Figures that the SDC executive would bleed like a stuck pig. I guess we should consider it a fitting end for him, in that case."
"Did you get the information?" Yuma asked, anxious.
Again, Trifa scoffed. "Of course I did. I always do. I'm telling you, the corporate types are too easy, and of all of them, the men are the easiest. They're so high-strung and backed-up that they'll tell you anything if they think there's good pussy in it for them. After a few drinks, they don't even care that I'm a Faunus. Hell, for some of them, that's part of the charm – they like the idea of dominating a Faunus woman like she's their personal slave."
"Sick fucks," Yuma commented, shaking his head. "Anyway, what can you tell us?"
"The SDC is sending a shipment of AK-200s and Paladins into Vale," Trifa replied. "It's supposed to bolster the security forces for the Vytal Festival. What happened at the docks has the military spooked, and they want to prevent anything like it from happening again."
"They don't seem very confident in their soldiers if that's the case," Yuma observed. "Then again, if I were them, I wouldn't be, either – the infantry's a joke. It's the air force that has me worried."
"Don't I know it," Trifa said. She handed him the towel she was carrying. "Get rid of that for me, would you? And these clothes, too."
She kicked off her heels and began to strip down in front of him, uncaring even as she pulled off her lingerie and stood there naked, save for the dagger on her hip. Yuma, for his part, didn't leer at her in the slightest, instead collecting her clothes and setting them aside to be burned later, then offering her some fresh clothes. Trifa accepted, hurriedly throwing them on.
"Thanks," she said as she finished zipping up the pants, and then threw the shirt on.
"Don't mention it," Yuma replied. He crossed his arms. "I'll be honest, Trifa – I don't like that you're still doing this."
"It's for a good cause," she argued. "Besides, it's not like I'm actually sleeping with the fuckers."
"I know, but just the fact that they're seeing you naked bothers me," Yuma said. "It's more than scum like them deserve."
"Yeah, well, they only get a minute or two to enjoy it at most, then I make them pay for it in full." Trifa adjusted her sleeves, then looked back to him. "How do I look?"
"Like shit," he commented. "How long have you been up?"
"Too long." She cast a glance around the hideout, pursing her lips. "Love what you've done with the place, by the way. Reminds me of simpler times."
"If we can call them that." Yuma crossed his arms. "Get some rest, Trifa. There should be an unused bed around here somewhere. If there's not, just kick out whoever's in it – after tonight, you deserve it more than them."
Trifa nodded, then took her leave. Behind her, she heard Yuma gather up her clothes and approach the fireplace, then throw them in. She paid it no mind, instead continuing through the house, looking for an unused room.
This house was a new hideout, one that a fresh recruit had given them access to. It was on the outskirts of the city, which was perfect because it meant the police were less likely to come knocking. Ever since the incident at the docks, police and military presence in downtown Vale had skyrocketed, so in response, the White Fang had decided to look into getting more hideouts and laying low until they were needed for the next phase of the plan.
What that was supposed to be, Trifa didn't quite know, but then again it wasn't exactly her job to know.
Trifa heard a pair of heavy footsteps from around the corner and frowned, and it only deepened when Adam Taurus came into view. He paused, and she swore under her breath, cursing the fact that sleep was going to elude her for a few more minutes.
"Trifa," Adam greeted. "Was your mission tonight successful?"
"Very," Trifa confirmed with a nod. "You can ask Yuma about the details if you want."
"And the executive?"
"Dead, as always. You know I don't leave them alive."
Adam nodded. "Glad to hear it. Of course, now there's the matter of your next assignment."
Trifa had to resist the urge to scowl. She had been hoping for a reprieve after this most recent one, if only to get some time to compose herself, but it seemed Adam had other plans. "What do you have for me?"
"This one will be simple," he assured her. "I want you to find a Beacon student and figure out what they know."
A chill went down Trifa's spine. "...Are we involving the Academies in this now?" she wondered.
Adam scowled. "What if we are?" he accused. "Would it affect your loyalty? You're not doubting the cause, are you?"
"Not at all," Trifa hastily added. "What do you want to know? I'll get it as easily as the rest."
Adam crossed his arms. "That's more like it. I'm not looking for anything too in-depth – I just want to know about the military's involvement, and how thick security is going to be. If they know anything about how guarded the CCT is, consider that a bonus, but not necessary. Your main objective is to learn about security around campus, specifically with regards to the festival."
Trifa nodded without hesitation. "Consider it done. For the White Fang."
"For the White Fang," Adam repeated.
He turned and walked away after that, and Trifa exhaled sharply. Adam may have been on her side, but she found it hard to trust him, for some reason. She couldn't explain why, but ever since Blake had defected, he had become more and more off-putting somehow.
Shaking that thought from her mind, Trifa continued on her way. She needed to rest, both to get ready for the mission ahead and to try and rid her mind of the memories of her most recent kill.
For once, the mission actually felt somewhat natural to her, in that she didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't. The flashing neon lights and ear-shattering music rife with reverberating bass felt downright refreshing after all the stuffy, high-society galas, events, and dinners she'd had to sneak into for her earlier prey.
The high heels, lingerie, and evening gown were gone, replaced with some new more club-appropriate clothes – torn cargo shorts that showed off just enough of her ass to be eye-catching, a short-sleeved shirt with some metal band's logo on it that was just tight enough to show that she wasn't wearing a bra, and just enough jewelry and makeup to make her features pop.
And pop they were, if the looks she was getting from all the guys and some of the women were any indication. Trifa couldn't help but smirk. Honestly, they were all small fry, and beneath her notice. She preferred a challenge more than anything, though the longer the night went on, the more she doubted she'd find one among this crowd – almost everyone had already checked her out in some way, and more than a few of the boys were blatantly eye-fucking her from afar, no doubt too intimidated to try approaching her. She couldn't blame them; she had done everything in her power to look as predatory as possible, like she was a stereotypical maneater. Part of that was trying something new, but mostly, it was for her own amusement.
It was funny to her, seeing so many humans leering over a strange-looking Faunus. She liked the knowledge that the majority of them were probably at least wary around Faunus, but that they were willing to break that rule if a hot enough piece of ass happened to drift by. It was funny in the same way that a dead SDC executive was funny.
Trifa swirled the bourbon in her glass a bit as she sat at the bar, then cast another glance around, frowning. Junior's wasn't her first choice of hunting ground, mainly because nobody of value ever came here, but it was a favorite hangout of the Beacon crowd, given that Junior tended to accept IDs no matter how fake they were. She had hoped that someone here would pose a challenge, if only to make her job more interesting, but this was almost too easy. Hell, that tall, musclebound ginger had flat-out tried to grope her at one point, though she had noticed and had moved away just in time to make him trip over himself like an idiot. She let out an irritated sigh, again raising her drink, when she caught sight of something across the room that made her pause.
There were four of them there – two girls and two boys. From what she could see, none of them were drinking. Of the four of them, only one – the short, energetic redhead – actually seemed happy to be here. The other three looked nonplussed (in the case of the Mistralian boy), nervous (the taller redhead), or completely lost (the blonde). And it was the last one that got her attention, because the others weren't an option – the smaller redhead was so energetic that she would get annoying to deal with, the taller redhead looked nervous enough that she would probably squeak and run out of the building if Trifa so much as dropped a pick-up line around her, and the Mistralian boy was so outwardly stoic that he'd likely reject her outright. But the blonde, though? He could be fun. If nothing else, he was worth a shot before she went with someone less satisfying to play with, but much easier to seduce.
Trifa downed what was left of her drink, then stood up and began to make her way over to the group of four. They noticed her coming, and all of them turned towards her, eyeing her curiously. Trifa did her best to put on a friendly face, and greeted them with a wave.
"Hey," she said as she approached. "You folks new here? You all look a bit out of your depth."
"They're just being sticks in the mud," the little redhead said. "Come on, guys, let's party! We only get four years of this, and the first one's almost over!"
"I'm… not much of the partying type," the taller redhead offered.
"You just haven't tried it yet," Trifa said. "Surely someone's tried dragging you to the dance floor? I can't imagine a girl as pretty as you hasn't had to deal with that before."
Just as Trifa had predicted, she flushed red. Trifa feigned shock. "Truly? Girl, come on, you have to live a little!" She looked to the shorter girl. "Why don't you go show her a good time, as friends? After all, you can't expect everyone here to loosen up just because you dragged them here."
The small girl lit up. "That's a great idea! Come on, Pyrrha – let's dance!"
She took the tall girl's – Pyrrha's – hand, and the two of them rushed off to the dance floor. To Trifa's surprise, the Mistralian boy sighed tiredly, then stood up.
"I'm going to go make sure that Nora doesn't turn the dance floor into a mosh pit," he stated. "Be back in a bit, Jaune."
To Trifa's surprise, he left after that, meaning it was just her and the blonde boy. Jaune… she tried the name out in her head a bit to see how it sounded. If nothing else, it seemed to fit his personality – he looked confused and a bit dim-witted, like he was out of his element.
Almost paradoxically, that made him exactly what she was looking for. He seemed just dim enough to need a little push before he realized she was coming on to him, but he also seemed like just the kind of dork who would leap at the opportunity to spend a night with someone like her. He'd be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one, which was exactly what she wanted.
Sure, she had a job to do, but why not take her time and make it fun? It wasn't like she was actually going to sleep with this idiot, so she'd just have to have her fun in some other way.
"Jaune..." she said aloud, getting his attention. "I like that name. It suits you well."
He blinked, apparently unsure of what to think of it. "Uh, thanks." He looked around. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"You could say that," Trifa answered. "Honestly, I'm a bit bored. It was a tough day at work, so I figured I'd come here and have some drinks, plus try to have a little fun. The drinks were easy, but the fun? Well, I can say I haven't had much of it so far tonight."
"Sorry to hear that," Jaune said. "Did you want to dance, maybe? I'm a better dancer than I look."
Trifa made a show out of pretending to think for a bit. "Mm… honestly, I'm actually having a good time just talking with you right now. Mind if I take a seat?"
He blinked again, this time out of surprise. "Uh, sure."
He moved over a bit, letting her slide in. Trifa made a big show out of moving in, doing her best to give him a view of her ass as she took a seat, but he didn't seem to notice or care. She frowned slightly, feeling more than a bit incensed that he seemed to be ignoring her, but pushed it away.
"So, what brings you here tonight?" she asked. "Looking for a good time?"
Jaune shrugged. "Eh. Nora wanted to go out and do something as a team, so she dragged us all to this club. Apparently, it's a popular hangout with Beacon students, since the bartender barely even looks at any IDs that come his way. Can't say it's my scene, honestly – I don't really like to drink, and this isn't the kind of club I'd like to dance in." He seemed to think of something, and caught himself, giving her a sheepish grin. "Heh, sorry – you probably think I'm a real stick in the mud like Nora said, huh? I swear I'm not usually like this, I'm just… out of my element, I guess."
"No shame in that," Trifa replied. "At least you're trying something new. That's always fun. I'm sure your girlfriend appreciates that about you."
Jaune flushed red. "Actually, uh… I'm single."
Again, Trifa put on a show, gasping exaggeratedly. "No way! You? Don't make me laugh."
"No, no, I mean it," Jaune said. "I've… been single my whole life, actually. I haven't really tried to get with anyone, save for this one girl back when I first joined Beacon, but that didn't really work out the way I wanted it to."
"It's her loss," Trifa assured him. "A guy like you? You'll have the ladies tripping over you in no time once you start getting older."
He perked up at that. "You really think so?"
Gods, how dense was he? Still, Trifa forced herself to give him a reassuring smile. "I know so. In fact, I think you're just my type."
His blush intensified. "W-wait, you? I'm your type? B-but you're so pretty..."
Oh, so he was a charmer, after all. How sweet. "Oh, yeah," she said with a grin. "Tall, blonde, and a bit of a dork? Exactly what I look for in a man."
She took a chance, resting a hand on his thigh, which seemed to make him quiver in anticipation. Her grin intensified. "What do you say we get out of here, hm? Just the two of us. I think I'd like to get to know you a bit better than this, cutie."
Somehow, his blush got even worse. It was almost comical. Trifa could tell just by looking at him that he was in uncharted territory – no doubt he'd never had anyone, let alone a pretty girl, come on to him this strongly. In all fairness, he wasn't ugly, or even average. He wasn't exactly her type, since he was a human, but he was certainly better than all the other men she'd managed to ensnare up to this point. But he was also a total dork, which was a turn-off, so she could see why he'd been alone his whole life.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Trifa locked eyes with him. Strangely, he seemed nervous more than anything, though she supposed that was normal – given his age and his inexperience, he was definitely a virgin, so of course he'd be a bit intimidated by someone like her approaching him and being so forward.
It almost made her feel bad that she was going to have to kill him.
Of course, that only lasted for a moment, until she realized that he was frozen, and unsure of what to do. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Trifa decided to go in for the kill. She pursed her lips, then moved in to kiss him on the cheek.
But at the last second, Jaune held out a hand, stopping her. She pulled away, giving him a confused look, and was surprised that he'd seemed to have swallowed his nervousness enough to speak with her.
"S-sorry, but… isn't that… I don't know, moving a little too fast?" he questioned.
"...What?" Trifa asked, genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"
"I-I mean… not that I don't want to k-kiss you or anything, but… we haven't even been on a date yet," he said timidly.
A date? Who the hell was talking about a date? She was trying to fuck him, at least as far as he knew. Where did he get a date from all of that?
"I think you're confused," Trifa chanced. "I'm trying for something a bit more intense than a date."
Again, he blushed. "O-oh… um… well, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not really interested in a one-night-stand. Sorry."
What. "What," she deadpanned.
He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, just the kind of guy I am. My mom always said I was an old-school romantic, and I guess I'm living up to that reputation now."
Was he an idiot? What did he think he was doing? There was a cute Faunus girl trying to hop on his dick right in front of him, yet he was willing to refuse her? He wasn't oblivious, because he seemed to understand that she was trying to sleep with him, and he was receptive enough to her advances that she was sure he wasn't gay, so what the hell was happening?
"I'm not sure I understand," Trifa said slowly. "Are you rejecting me?"
He winced at that. "I'm just not looking for sex, that's all," he said. "Sorry..."
Okay, scratch that – maybe he was gay, after all.
"Then what are you looking for?" Trifa all but demanded.
"At the moment, I don't know," Jaune admitted. "A date would be nice-"
"Okay. How does dinner at the steakhouse downtown tomorrow night sound?" she offered.
He gave her a surprise look. "I'm sorry, what?"
This time, Trifa blinked. The words had left her mouth before she'd even had a chance to think about them. Still, she was unperturbed – this situation could still be salvaged. At the absolute worst, she could just ghost him and move on to another target. At the moment, however, her pride wouldn't let her give up on him.
She'd expected some of her targets would inevitably reject her, but she had always anticipated those rejections would come in the form of some racist asshole calling her a slur or something, not some dorky blonde virgin turning her down because she was moving too fast for him, whatever that meant. She was a professional, and she wasn't going to let her first loss be to this idiot. If that meant going on one stupid date with him, then fine – her pride could handle a single date.
"I mean it," Trifa said after a moment's hesitation. "I came on too strong, I admit it. But I'll be honest with you, Jaune – you really are exactly my type, and I would like to get to know you better. So, what do you say? Does dinner tomorrow sound good?"
Jaune seemed uncertain at first, and for a moment, she was worried he was going to refuse her again. But he eventually nodded, and a sense of satisfaction took hold of her.
"...Yeah, that'd be nice," he said.
Trifa relaxed inwardly, then rose from her seat. "Tomorrow at five," she told him. "Dress nice – collared shirt and slacks."
She went to walk off, but the sound of him rising to his feet stopped her.
"Wait!" he called. "I don't even know your name."
She looked back, giving him a wide grin. "Trifa," she said.
She watched him try the name out to himself, then he nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Trifa."
She nodded in understanding, then turned and walked off. Only once she was back at the bar did she allow her smile to fade.
It was just her luck that the one guy who had caught her attention had been the old-school romantic. Still, she supposed it was better than having to spread her legs for some racist asshole. For the first time, she was actually almost regretting that she was going to have to kill her mark, but that wasn't about to stop her. This was war, and like Adam always took care to remind them, there were no innocent humans in this war.
No, Jaune would die, but only after she'd had her fun playing with him. He'd been tougher to break than she'd thought, but tomorrow, she'd have him begging her to take him back to her room.
She wasn't going to let him of all people beat her.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Yuma demanded.
Trifa glared at him. "I know what I'm doing, Yuma," she countered.
"Are you sure? Because last I checked, your job was to seduce him, interrogate him, and kill him," Yuma reminded her. "Instead, you asked him out! Are you crazy?"
"No, I've just realized that he's more useful to me alive than dead at the moment," Trifa said. "Think about it – I have his trust now. Tomorrow, I'll get him to spill. Hell, I might just get more out of him this way than I would if I'd just fucked him outright."
"I thought you took care never to sleep with any of them," Yuma said, confused.
"You know what I meant, you ass," Trifa said. She crossed her arms. "Anyway, if it bothers you so much, take it up with Adam."
"Take what up with me?" Adam asked as he stepped into the room, causing her to freeze. "Did your mission not go according to plan, Trifa?"
"You could say that," Yuma replied. "Trifa's got a date tomorrow night."
"Is that so?" Adam asked, curious. "With a Beacon student?"
"Of course," Trifa told him. "Did you think I'd have deviated from the plan that much?"
"No." Adam shook his head. "Though you did deviate from the plan."
"Because I think it's worth it," Trifa explained. "The guy's an idiot, trust me. I'll have him telling me everything soon enough. I think I can get more out of him this way than if I just seduced him outright."
"Hm. If we were on a tighter schedule, I wouldn't allow it, but with the Vytal Festival still a few weeks away, we have time," Adam said. "Very well. Get what you can out of him, then dispose of him. And you can consider that an order."
Trifa nodded. "It will be done."
Adam seemed satisfied with that, and turned and walked away. Trifa couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he left. She then looked over at Yuma, who was grinning at her.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"What are you planning on wearing to your date?" Yuma questioned. "Because your old dress clothes are now firewood."
"I'll borrow something from Deery. Does it really matter how I look? All I need to do is get the guy in bed with me," Trifa countered. "And given how he was looking at me towards the end, that won't be too hard."
"Are you sure you're not actually going to sleep with him?" Yuma questioned.
Trifa just flipped him off, then stomped away angrily while he laughed at her.
So far, Jaune was proving to be more trouble than he was worth, but that didn't matter. Come tomorrow, and he wouldn't be a problem anymore. She was sure of it.
"Did she really have to pick tomorrow night?" Weiss asked. "The least she could have done is give you a bit longer to prepare."
"I don't know about that," Yang said. "From the sound of things, she really likes Jaune. Can't say I fault her for knowing what she wants and jumping at the chance to get it."
"Look, all I need is a little help," Jaune begged. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
"What do you want us to say?" Ruby wondered. "Like, no offense, but most of us here are in the same boat as you, Jaune."
"I don't know, I just figured that all of you except Ren are girls, and that you'd be able to give me some advice," Jaune replied.
"Okay, here's some advice," Yang began. "That stuff you tried with Weiss? Don't do any of that, it doesn't work."
"Thanks," he deadpanned. "But really, what advice can you give me?"
"I don't think there's any need for advice," Weiss reassured him. "Just be yourself, Jaune. I know it's cliché, but there's a reason for that. Nobody likes someone who pretends to be something they're not. If she doesn't appreciate who you really are, then she's not worth your time."
Jaune blinked. "Wow, that's… actually very insightful, Weiss. Thank you."
Weiss crossed her arms. "What did you expect? Of course I'd help you out when it comes to something like this. Anything to prevent you from making a fool of yourself the same way you did back when you were trying to court me."
"What Weiss is trying to say," Ruby interrupted. "Is that we're happy for you, Jaune. She seems like a nice girl who really wants to get to know you better."
Yang snickered. "That's one way of putting it. From the sound of things, she was all over him the moment she laid eyes on him. You want some advice, Jaune? Wear a rubber."
Jaune flushed red. "There's no need for that," he stammered out. "I've already made it clear that I don't want to rush into anything. If we eventually get that far, then great, but at the moment, I want to take things slow."
"Admirable," Ren complimented. "Still, I'm sure she didn't appreciate that."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Nora said. "That could be what got her interested in the first place, you never know. Maybe the whole thing was some kind of test."
"What did you say this girl's name was, again?" Blake suddenly interrupted.
"Trifa," Jaune answered. "Why do you ask? Do you know her?"
Blake thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, not at all. But… I don't know, the name sounds familiar for some reason."
Weiss caught on instantly. "Is she White Fang, do you think? Jaune did say that she was some kind of Faunus."
"I don't think so," Blake answered. "No White Fang true believer would be caught trying to hook up with a human, especially not with Adam in charge of the Vale group."
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Ren asked.
"Yes, it is," Blake said without missing a beat. "The White Fang don't take kindly to interspecies relationships, the same way racist humans don't. Being half-human is enough to attract suspicion towards you, even if you support the White Fang the same as the other members. It carries a lot of stigma with it among the more radical members."
"Well, that's a relief," Yang commented. "At least Jaune won't have to worry about that."
"But I do still have to worry about the date itself," Jaune reminded them. "What do I say, or do? Is there any rhyme or reason to this sort of thing? I feel completely lost already..."
"Dude, chill," Yang said. "Trust me, getting yourself worked up over this thing isn't worth it. Either you both make a connection and the relationship continues, or you don't and you both find other people. It's really not worth worrying about. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that you'll get to see her again tonight."
Jaune frowned, then looked around the table, his eyes landing on Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, you've been pretty quiet this entire time," he noted. "Everything alright?"
Pyrrha flinched a bit, seemingly surprised at being called upon. Jaune didn't blame her – she had apparently been pretty deep in thought the entire time, though he wasn't sure what was on her mind. Whatever it was, he didn't think it was his place to ask.
Pyrrha was silent for a few seconds, then hesitated before giving him a small, reluctant smile.
"Y-yeah," she said with a nod. "Just… happy for you, really. It's good that someone has finally noticed you, Jaune."
"Uh, if you say so," Jaune said awkwardly. "Anyway, what do you think? Is there anything I should do the make an impression on her?"
"Just be yourself," Pyrrha implored. "If you really want to impress this girl, you've got to be yourself, Jaune. The last thing you want is to start your relationship off with a lie."
"You know, everyone always says to just be yourself, but nobody ever says what to do if yourself is boring and unappealing," Jaune joked.
"Jaune," Pyrrha chastised. "I mean it. Just give it a chance – let her see the real you. I'm sure she'll like what she sees."
Jaune wanted to argue, but he couldn't find a good response to that. Instead, he reluctantly nodded, then sat back as the rest of his friends continued to talk.
Idly, he wondered if Trifa was just as worried as he was.
"Okay, so try to remember that he's going to expect you to be nice and approachable," Deery said as she fussed over Trifa, who was sitting in a chair in front of the mirror. "I know that'll be hard for you given your mission, but still, at least try."
"I don't know why you're telling me this," Trifa grumbled. "It's just a date."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you went on a lot of those," Deery said. "How stupid of me. I suppose I'll just leave you to figure things out on your own."
"That would be appreciated," Trifa said, only to recoil in annoyance when Deery flicked her in the forehead.
"Don't be dumb," Deery chastised. "This is a lot different from seducing some old, ugly bastard. You're going to have to actually put some effort in personality-wise, because your looks and experience won't be enough."
"And what makes you say that?" Trifa said.
Deery sighed. "Were you not paying attention to what he said to you in the club? This guy's old-fashioned, despite his young age. If you're too aggressive with him, he won't take the bait. You're going to have to be more subtle than you usually are."
"And you think that'll work?" Trifa questioned.
"I know it will," Deery said. "Plus, you can turn it into a blessing in and of itself. Get him hooked with some small talk – about himself first, and then turn it to his time at Beacon. If you're lucky, maybe you can get him to spill some stuff he otherwise wouldn't."
Trifa grumbled again. She had to admit that was a good point. "...Fine. But it had better work out your way, because if it doesn't, I'm afraid that my only other option is to start jerking him off under the table or something."
Deery paused, instead giving her an odd look. "I thought you never did anything more with these guys than taking your clothes off around them."
"It was a joke," Trifa insisted.
"You don't have to hide the truth from me, you know," Deery teased. "I don't have the same hangups about humanity that a lot of the other White Fang members do. Sure, I'm against them on principle, but I see no problem in acknowledging a cute boy when I see one, whether he's human or Faunus."
"What are you getting at?" Trifa demanded.
Deery smirked. "Is he cute? Because he sounds like he's cute."
"He's an improvement over the usual crowd I seduce and kill, but that isn't saying much," Trifa admitted. "He's still a dead man, and no, I'm not going to make an exception and sleep with him, so don't even bring that up."
Deery held up her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright – forget I asked. Now, sit still; I have to finish doing your hair and makeup."
Trifa obliged, thankful for the fact that she had finally gotten Deery to shut up. They were allies and all, but Deery of all people knew just what buttons to push to start getting her riled up.
"So," Deery said, much to Trifa's chagrin. "Is this your first real date ever? Keeping in mind that one-night stands with other White Fang members don't count, of course."
Trifa hesitated. "...Shut up."
Deery giggled, and Trifa closed her eyes, wishing that she could just kill the blonde idiot already and be done with it.
Welcome, everybody, to the new fic. First order of business: Thank you all so much for checking this thing out. I know this is different from my usual fare - and if you're coming from Problems, then it's probably very different from what you're used to seeing from me - but I figured I'd try my hand at something new.
Now then, some housekeeping items to take care of.
First off, I owe this story's concept to my good friend AxDevilman, and the many hours of conversation I've had with him regarding writing in-general. This concept came about while we were brainstorming ideas for White Fang-centric fics, so I'd like to thank him for his inspiration here.
As for the story itself, this one is gonna be short - around 8 chapters or so. I figure that if it ends up being good then it won't overstay its welcome, and if it ends up being complete ass then it's only eight chapters to suffer through. You can think of this story as me dipping my toes into the shallow waters of romance, so to speak - I've got zero experience with romance either in writing or IRL, so this is all new to me. I'm kinda figuring out how it works as I go. Hopefully it comes together nicely enough, because I'm finding that I'd really like to do more with romance as a genre. In fact, after this story concludes, I might try my hand at another romance before trying to go back to more crack.
I should note that I'll be updating this story in two-week intervals, same as Problems. Hopefully I can go the distance without taking a break.
One last thing before I go: If any of you out there were reading my other Ruby-centric fic, The Seventh Circle, that's just come off hiatus after 11 months (fuck me, 11 months...) so give it a look if you're somehow still interested in it after that content drought. I'll be working on that one regularly now and hopefully finishing it as soon as I can, though I'm obviously not going to rush through it. I'll be taking my time with TSC, but I also would very much like to finish it as soon as possible, if that makes sense.
Now, with all that out of the way, I'm taking my Benelli M4 out to the range now. Hope you all enjoy the fic.
Next update: Saturday, July 2.