Dies Irae

by Cyanide Sins

A vengeance for millennia, a hatred carried through the ages. A mother once, yet never again. "Of course, mama." Three words that brought the world to a halt, a covenant made between mortal and immortal, a soul damned and perhaps another redeemed. "Hush, my beautiful child. Mama is here." A bright, bold soul given a gift beyond mortal knowledge.

19. Mutatio Fidelis

Chapter 19: Mutatio Fidelis

More Beacon stuff, but we can't forget about the other sisters of Jaune!

---

Blue eyes that were warm and yet with that little hint of something serious were a serious killer of her knickers and general calmness. She felt the warmth pool in her groin as her mouth went dry and she felt the serious sting of something go through her as she felt the urge to shiver, her fingers curling up, pressing against his hand in a manner which was more intimate than she intended.

'Adelheid, keep it together. You shall not blush. You shall not blush at a teenager who is seventeen and who has very nice eyes and is just your type in a few years. You have self-control and you got laid last night. Didn't that feel good? You got an orgasm out of the deal too and you shan't blush at some hot blonde with deep blue eyes. You are a woman in control, you graduated school and you shall not blush at some well-built teenager whose sister is a friend that you're close to. A friend who is going to get interrogated on why her little brother looks so hot.'

She blushed, as her smile broadened. "Oh… If you'd be so kind?" Her voice was steady, thank the gods. She could keep it together, even as Saphron smiled at her with that kind smile of hers.

'He didn't look that mature on the camera! Fuck, Miss Umbra is going to grill me like a spit pig if I ever touch him…'

He tugged her trolley out of her hands and he smiled, and she felt another quickening of her breath. The poster of Sun Wukong that she'd gotten in Mistral was now pushed aside for one smile of the blonde. She hated her weakness for pretty blondes. It might be vanity, but…

"It's nice to have you here."

'Oh, it's nice to be here too, good-lookin'.'

She stopped that thought. Wholesome thoughts were better. Wholesome thoughts did not involve grabbing him and doing bad things to her career. She felt caught off her guard, as her eyes looked his side-profile over. A bit of stubble on his cheeks, a bit lower in the voice, when puberty finally faded…

'Juuust a bit of alcohol, yes… A bottle or three to get nice and loose… A few bottles of alcohol and a locked door and a biiiig… Let big sis Adel show you the ways to tie a cherry stem...'

She let that stare slide down a little, taking notice of the way his clothes fit, the hips and... maybe just a bit longer on his groin. She was allowed to look, and this was professional curiosity. One had to see whether underwear campaigns would show eh... manliness, yes.

'Gods, Adel, you're eye-raping him. You're actually considering banging a hot teen. Down, girl!'

She felt him nudge her lightly, realizing that she'd arrived with him to his team. She spotted the Great Nikos looking at her direction and she watched him smile. The smile she returned was warmer and more friendly than the clear-cut professional one.

'Oh NO! You're not telling me…'

"Hey there, Adel."

She smiled, her friend smiling back at her as she felt the warmth of the hug, her friend feeling a bit better now. The smile was nice and there was no sign of a raping douchebag who'd be putting his hands on any of the kids he'd made with whoever Saphron's mom was.

"How's my little adoptive sis doing, huh? Good flight?"

She smiled. "It was thirteen hours cooped up in an airplane, with really crappy movies. I spent a lot of time just working on some mock-ups… So… Eh, do the introductions, Jaune."

He smiled and introduced the ginger girl and the stoic-looking Mistralian young man… and then mentioned that his partner currently was being swamped by the media. The redhead was pointed out to her, and a miniature squeal was suppressed with the rigid thoughts of professionalism. She might have smiled a little broader than usually was the case, though.

'YES! I GOT PYRRHA NIKOS TOO! YES! SUCK ON THAT, BITCHES! I GOT NIKOS AND A CROTCH-THROB! FUCK YEAH!'

This was starting to be the moment of a great partnership. Now, she needed to chat with her new bestie-better-than-the-restie-sort-of-adopted-sister. Hotness could wait. First interrogating Saphron about why her brother was hot.

She grabbed Saphron's arm and then tugged on it, making a beeline for the nearest women's bathroom.

"I need some help, big sis. Bathroom, now. Girl stuff!"

As they entered the ladies' room, she turned to her friend, whose eyes were looking at her with what seemed to be concern. It just wasn't fair! She had a beefcake brother and she couldn't even tell her properly that the guy was just sex on two legs probably with a bunker buster between the legs!

"Why didn't you tell me he was hot!?"

An owlish blink from the other woman at those words. Clearly, Saphron did not see the impending danger to the young man's chastity! Which might lie in her orientation, of course, but damn! Jaune Arc had looked like a cute teenager from the camera, but now up close and personal, she'd found herself getting thoughts that were utterly unwholesome.

"Your brother! He's hot! He looked dorky on the camera!"

Saphron smiled at her, a warm smile that wouldn't look amiss on any good older sister. A conspiratorial smile too, now that she registered its presence fully. This was the smile she'd give to her friends when she'd found out that there was a boy in their eye. Not that they really kept in touch much, really. They'd all drifted away... She guessed that Saphron was probably the bestie that she'd need once she was here...

"Ooh… I think you said something about hot guys, didn't you? Like my little brother?"

It was a thought she'd never voice, but her own smile was just as bad. She wasn't on the job yet, right? She could be honest to her friend. She was her friend and this was her little brother, who didn't look so little anymore.

"I wouldn't call him 'little'. Shit, Saph… Even if he's your little brother, I'm going to push for adult photo material with him. Eesh, he'd be making pussies drench with those baby blues and a bit of scruff."

'I feel like a pedophile now. Still, hot dude… Mine. I'm gonna be RICH!'

She could appreciate it from a distance. She could put a hand on his muscular arm to guide him to a position, maybe linger a little longer. She wasn't some kind of nympho, no. She just… enjoyed the feeling of strong manly arms around her, maybe a beer or two… A little push of her rump against him and a whisper to get into the men's room so she could take a load off...

She was a healthy young woman!

"Ooh! Someone's got a crush! You'll be Adelheid Arc-Blau if this keeps up, lil' Sis."

She batted her hand against Saphron's side, the grin on her friend's face broadening. She didn't want to think about that yet! Miss Umbra was going to skin her alive if she'd get a whisper of that! That contract was a killer on her social life and on a permanent sobriety!

"Hush! It's my ass on the street if I do something with him! Literally! She's got me by the tits and the snatch! My contract's tighter than a Mistralian hooker's virginity pre-gangbang!"

Saphron had one of those mean smiles on her face that she didn't like much. That look screamed 'embarrassment' and a bit more. Adelheid was unfamiliar with a sister, but she could get the gist of it. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, as she checked her makeup.

'Better make myself look a bit more professional… Hooker chique isn't something that I'd like to wear…'

"Oh, someone's definitely got her eyes on my little brother…"

The warm smile, as those blue eyes looked into hers. Saphron Arc, her friend, was definitely someone who enjoyed picking on the stylish and cool. She pulled out her makeup kit and started to do some more work on looking professional. She'd blame the moment on needing to get her makeup adjusted.

"How'd you like me to ask him whether he'd personally escort you to your room, hmm? I'm sure you'd like to 'initiate' the bed properly."

Saphron's voice was insidious and teasing. It brought to mind a brief flash of being thrown onto the bed and pinned, of a rough hand grabbing her by the hair and jerking her head back, as a smack to her ass and his voice growled in her ear that she'd wanted this ever since she'd first met him.

'Bitch, you're doing this intentionally! Fuck, now I'm going to keep thinking about him just 'welcoming me to Vale'.'

It just wasn't fair! Why couldn't she have some hottie like Sun Wukong who definitely wasn't in her strike zone? This was so unfair! She could look but she couldn't take his whole load of virginities!

"Fuck you."

Saphron's grin broadened like the cat who'd seen the sausages fall off the counter. She realized what she'd said, as Saphron's orientation was remembered. Those eyes twinkled some more, as her 'big sis' friend started to laugh.

"Not like that! You're bullying me!"

Saphron laughed a little louder, as she got behind her and pulled her hair back. The look on her face was a little softer, as she gently pulled the hair back a little so that Adelheid could fix her makeup. Saphron's smile was gentler, as she turned serious. That expression looked like danger, like how her dad would look when he'd caution her about boys that'd want to do bad stuff to her.

"Seriously though… Don't do anything to my little brother."

Adelheid had a bad feeling in her gut, as Saphron's eyes looked at her from the reflection, as Adelheid started to add some more mascara to her lashes. One never could under-estimate the power of mascara.

"I might joke with you a bit, but…"

The gut feeling just turned into a block of ice. Saphron leaned against the washbasin, looking at her.

"Dad wanted to stop him from becoming a Huntsman."

'Fuck. If he wanted to stop Miss Umbra like that…'

That cutie, being sexually abused by his dad? Shit, now she really didn't want to meet the dad. She had bad images already. That spoiled her enjoyment a lot.

"Did you ask him?"

She asked, already dreading the worst answer. If a father could do that to his own son… Saphron's voice was soft, as she swallowed.

"He didn't respond fully, but…"

'Shit. That's about an admission as close as it can get. Guys are never open about that stuff.'

She didn't like this one bit. Miss Umbra was a scary woman, but such a cutie being abused by his dad? That was just way out of her expertise. They should continue this talk later, in private.

"We should talk about this in private."

It wasn't technically more than a friendly chat, but if it dealt with her client… She'd make an exception. This stuff could just blow up worse than a Dust explosion- oh, yeah, Saphron had lived through one.

The door opened and the redheaded champion entered, the green eyes looking a touch worried. Sharp eyes, looking around.

"Is everything okay? Jaune got a little worried, considering you just abducted his sister."

Adelheid smiled broadly at the champion. "Oh, just some girl talk… Sooooo… Miss Nikos…"

How should you ask whether they'd sign a poster- actually, she should just get a team poster and put it on her wall to showcase the team of beauties that she was going to be managing. That'd hit two checkmarks at once. It wasn't odd at all. Signed poster, the Great Nikos having her signature there…

"Is your leader always that charming, or is he putting on a performance to charm me?"

She smiled, feeling like the ball was in her corner now. If Saphron could tease her, she could tease this girl. The red colour that crept up on the champion's face was enough. The look down towards the ground as if it was very interesting was typical of a girl who liked what she was seeing.

'Oh my god! SHE LIKES HIM! HOLY SHIIIIIIIIT!'

"He has his flaws, but he is generally very charming, indeed."

The girl admitted, and Saphron and Adelheid shared a look. With how momentarily embarrassed Pyrrha Nikos looked, it definitely showed that the girl was perhaps a touch more into the young man than mere partners.

'Yes, sister! She wants a go on the Arc ride.'

This would be a good distraction from abused blonde cuties! Management! She'd have to track down some big-dicked bastard to get her fill tonight, but today was definitely a great day! Just some alcohol, a good roll in the hay with someone and she'd be in business!

"Good, that's something I can work with… So, what do you think of your team leader? As his publisher, I will need to work with him, so… Spill the details, Miss Nikos." The redhead gave a smile, as she looked around a little.

"He's a nice young man who has some issues getting started as a Huntsman, but suitable as my partner. He saved my life."

There was no blush, but Adelheid could feel that it was the truth. This was big news. If Pyrrha Nikos, the invincible girl, had been rescued by someone, if she'd fought something that she couldn't beat and her leader saved her.

'Eeehhh, so romantic! It's just like in The Girl in the Tower!'

She could already see the two of them together on a poster. A roguish, charming smile on his face, with the Invincible Girl looking like the poster icon that every girl above the age of five wanted to aspire to be like. It was a marketing goldmine.

'Alright, Adelheid… She can have him. You're not going to be preying on your friend's brother. You like your guys mature, with a bit of that male direction that dad didn't exactly provide.'

She hoped she'd keep that resolve. She wasn't going to fuck the client. She had restraint, she was aware that it was her friend's brother and he'd probably been… treated badly.

As they emerged, with The Great Nikos in the lead, Saphron lightly touched her shoulder, leaning to her ear.

"Let's go shopping for something nice tomorrow."

She smiled at that thought of shopping with her friend. Her client smiled at her too as he saw them. She managed the smile, thinking to herself that he was his redheaded partner's property and that she should just see him as the fortunate fellow who was going to be produced by her.

'It's just after-flight jitters, Adel…Didn't those guys make you feel good last night?'

"Hey Pyrrha, glad to see you again."

The girl's professional look was back, but Adelheid could see in the girl's eyes that she was charmed by the casual way that he referred to her. People would be in awe of the invincible girl, but her client made it look as if she was just one of his team.

"Is everything okay, Adelheid?"

She was having serious problems keeping things professional, as his eyes looked into hers. Whatever Miss Umbra had with her gaze, it also was within this young man, a very pressuring, intense gaze. It sent a shiver through her body as she realized that she was the only one who held his attention, the directness of that look making her feel almost modest.

'Just a client, just a client. He's seventeen! He's seventeen and you can't touch him. Think of the money! Doesn't mom want to move to a better place? You won't be touching him if you know what's good for your bank account and financial situation…'

"Yes, I had to do my makeup. I've got to look professional when I appear, don't I?"

She saw him smile and felt a serious weakness in her legs. Saphron nudged her a little, nearly jarring her out of the fugue state.

"I think you look nice, if this is you not looking professional."

She had a problem. She had a fucking problem and she needed a drink now. Blue eyes looking at her with a look that made her feel like she was the only girl in the space, telling her that she looked nice. It wasn't a 'hey girl, you look fine', but just a simple statement of the fact that she did.

'Fuck me. Fuuuuuuuck meeeeeeee. He's not even conscious that he's making a girl's crotch wet, with those innocent blue eyes and that statement.'

She gave a smile, regardless of her personal feelings on the subject.

"Thank you very much, but I prefer to look my best when representing you. My client deserves nothing but the best, or else Miss Umbra will roast me over a low-burning fire."

'You can control yourself, Adel, you can keep yourself under control. He's seventeen, he's not legal fully yet. You like your guys around the mid-twenties, mature, maybe with a little scruff on the chin.'

"Well, I'd say you're pretty hot already."

He winked in a manner that was awkward and she sighed. This was not helping. This was so not helping. Why did she have to be saddled with someone who was crotch-throb material? What was next? A glowing endorsement of the Schnee Dust Company's heiress?

Her Scroll rang, the caller tune familiar. The starting notes to the Funeral March of Mantle.

'Oh fuck, it's the boss lady…'

She answered it with the grace that was afforded to her, the face of the woman who'd been at the hospital the last time she'd seen her and was now probably in Atlas looking at her. The room that the woman was in looked better than most hotel suites.

"Good day, Miss Blau, I see that you've met Jaune."

'Yeah, you can say that again.'

The woman's gaze went to Saphron, who smiled at her with a warmth to her eyes and her smile. "Good day, Saphron. I hope everything is as you'd like?" Her friend's smile was a touch shyer than before.

"Thank you, Miss Umbra."

A warmth in that voice, something that she'd missed a little from the bright woman that'd been her friend for under two weeks. It was nice to hear and to see Saphron's face light up.

"The future will hold wonderful things for you, my dear. After the bad always comes the good."

Adelheid wasn't sure how that saying went, but it sounded alright.

"Hello Mama." The woman's smile turned a touch more radiant, as she looked at the young man. "Are you okay?"

'She was raped… But do you know that?'

Adelheid doubted that. It'd make the young man bitter, which wasn't going to be a good state to be in. Broody emo people sold well a few years ago, but now their market stock fell.

"As fine as can be, Jaune. I will bring you some souvenirs from Atlas when I return from my affairs here."

The natural smile on the young man's face was warm and kind, and she wasn't the only one staring at him. She noticed that the members of his team were looking at him with expressions that seemed almost fascinated.

'Yeah, keep on smiling like that.'

"Miss Blau…"

The woman's attention turned to her again, as the Scroll was turned around.

"Would you care to explain why I have received word from Mistral about your… activities?"

'Oh fuck.'

She smiled with a hesitant smile. She knew that she shouldn't have gone clubbing, but it'd been time in-between the flight and those guys had been so nice.

"Eh… I wasn't on the job yet? A girl's gotta have fun?"

A look that could make most adults uncomfortable, as the woman gave her a look that a mother would give to a very misbehaving girl that'd just wrecked the fancy dinner.

"See to it that you have your 'fun' whilst on vacation, Miss Blau. Saphron, my dear… Do take Miss Blau shopping. Something modest will do. Miss Blau… Do be aware that I will not tolerate 'incidents' for the time of your employment."

The look of disapproval just made her feel like there was a bombshell going to land on her.

"I do not want to have to read in the news that the woman I hired to be Jaune's publicist was caught with three men, inebriated and engaged in… affairs which should be between a single man and a woman."

'OH GODS, SHE KNOWS!'

She flushed red, as she nodded.

"Yes, Miss Umbra… I'll be good. It won't happen again. I swear on the life of my mom and dad."

The look she got from the woman was enough to make all thoughts of getting hot and blonde and studly giving her the personal tour of her womanly facility with his manly bits evacuate. She'd just wanted some fun, not-

'Oh shit, she really cares for the guy…'

Her plans for drinking and getting laid just got cancelled. Permanently. The contract would last for five years, as per the standard, unless a breach of contract was registered. With how she'd been acting… She was lucky that the woman hadn't terminated her contract on the spot.

'Mom and dad would lose the house, at the least…'

"Good. I have a long memory, Miss Blau. It is for your best interest that I do not have to fetch a chastity belt for you… Though I am sure that we can find one if you really do persist in soliciting the services of those of… questionable origins."

She gulped. This was the boss who'd probably tan her hide, skin her and then tan her hide again before rolling her up in a salt mine and turning her into the most dried up sausage imaginable.

"I'll be good. No stuff that'll get in the papers."

The look she got from the woman was definitely one of those looks of 'You will be in so much crap if you lie to me, girl' that only a mother could have. The implication that anything that wouldn't get into the papers would also be disapproved of sternly was there too.

"She'll be good, Mama. She's here now."

A warm hand on her shoulder, as she looked back at the young man who'd offered her the comfort.

'Fuck, this is going to be hard…'

"This is for your own good, Jaune. I will not have her be some slanderous harridan who will go cavorting with low-bred mongrels. Your reputation is your life."

The woman said, but Adelheid could see a softness in the woman's features, an indulgence. Selene Umbra genuinely seemed to care for the young man.

"Are you a slanderous harridan who will go cavort with low-bred mongrels, Adelheid?"

He asked her whilst turning his gaze back to her, to which she shook her head. He turned back his gaze to the camera, giving the woman a smile. The smile that the woman gave in return was something that made her looks decades younger.

'I'd almost say that she'd be Saph's age if she let her hair down…'

"See? Adel is a good woman, she won't do anything bad. Right?"

His blue eyes met hers again. Curse her weakness to blue eyes and a manly tone. Her pussy just felt like it'd been pulled to the open faucet way. He'd just taken the pressure off her and made sure that she'd get out of the firing line.

'Yes, daddy... I'll be a good girl.'

Curse her cravings. Curse her preferences. That look was going to cause her sleepless nights if it kept up.

"Right, eh… Yes. Straight and narrow, no drinking, no hook-ups. I'll uninstall Cindr immediately… Adelheid Blau is going to be a good girl, yep!"

She felt his hand stroke over her shoulder. It was hot in here. She was blushing, as his easy smile made her day a little better.

"Good. Do have a very pleasant day, my dears. I have a meeting with Jacques Schnee to look forward to… Joy of joys."

Adelheid swallowed. That was not a man who would easily be left waiting. Miss Umbra was not moving in the circles of the people who were nice and pleasant to deal with.

"Have a wonderful day, Mama."

Jaune and Saphron said at the same time, looking at each other and grinning. Whatever went on between brother and sister, it was amusing to the both of them, as the woman shut down the call.

'Alright… I guess that's one application that can be shoved to the bin…'

"Embarrassing moment, Adel?"

Saphron said, as she flushed, looking down.

"Yeah, well… I thought 'last one before I go and then eh… Things happened'. I might've overdone it a little on the drinks and the guys were pretty cute." They'd been damn cute too. She'd enjoyed that little outing.

The girls were a little red in the face at her open admission of her own faults. She was only six-ish years older than them, so it was all acceptable. Her client would no doubt understand. He looked at her and he was serious.

"That isn't good. What if you catch something from them? My sister Violet always says that condoms are good… Do you want me to go with you to a clinic to get checked out?"

She found it odd, but Saphron looked awfully touched by the little speech for some reason.

"You remembered her little speech?"

Her client smiled and she knew that he was a good one. "I was fifteen, Saphron. It's not like I could forget when Rouge and Mom were giving the speech about condoms and Violet just piped up about the clinics if someone got sick from it. I've been using condoms too! I'm not a baby!"

Adelheid supposed that it was a good thing. Babies and scandals were not good for the career. But she guessed that she'd have to do with the blonde hunk. The dark-haired Mistralian member of his team looked a touch too effeminate for her. That guy should grow out his moustache, rather than being smoothly shaven… Which turned her eyes back to the blonde client.

'Yeah, a bit of a haircut, some scruff on the cheeks…'

If she was going to be abstinent… well, Saphron needed help too! She'd be a good friend! She could focus on her other blonde Arc!

'You can do this! If you fuck another dude, or gods-forbid, your client, your life is over.'

Selene Umbra looked the type to have her killed for even daring to go and think about getting that blonde some Adel-action. She didn't have to guess much about that, the woman had her followed and had undoubtedly had the men interrogated…

'Yeah, not like the papers wouldn't be able to spin a good yarn about 'lewd publisher engages in orgies'. It would have been fun whilst it lasted!'

"You're my baby brother, you little goof. Adel's my adoptive younger sister, so you'd better call her that! And don't be making cow eyes at her like you did with Jay's best friend! The singing was horrible!"

The play between brother and sister brought a smile to her lips, as she could imagine doing something terribly inappropriate. Mistralian comics had their whole niche, not that she really read them, of course. Nope. Her collection was still safely tucked under a few old work magazines back in her old room.

'Ara ara, Jaune-kun… Let Oneesama show you how love works.'

"How was I supposed to know that she was gay! Jay didn't invite her over anymore either!"

Saphron's hand ruffled his hair, as she grinned with sisterly affection.

"All in the eyes, little brother! Now, are you going to be a good little boy and help Adelheid with her luggage?"

She was definitely going to stick to chastity and moderation! No more alcohol for Adelheid! She could contain herself!

'Now… business… Do I take him to the hairdresser first to tame that mane of hair or do I go look for some introductory events for young Huntsmen? There are some marketing gigs that I scouted out in Vale before leaving Argus, it'd be nice to leave a card…'

Adelheid Blau was going to be the best publisher she could be! She'd be on the straight and narrow, without alcohol or some nice guys to give a poor girl some male comfort, yep!

The road to hell...

---

Saphron had to say that she was amused as she sat next to her newest best friend in the car. Adelheid was looking a little nervous after mama had scolded her for doing something fun with a few people… It wasn't like Saphron had been the good girl of the pack, not with her sisters there.

As they sat in the back of the car, Saphron noticed that Mister Callows looked a little out of sorts, something about the man's demeanour a little less vibrant and exciting. She worried for a moment that it'd been something that she'd done, but it was just an observation.

Living with the man for nearly a week had been an insight into how the man functioned. A dancer's graceful steps, mixing with what seemed to be an impeccable sense of balance, the man moved like a shadow on a moonlit night, barely perceivable by her until he spoke. It was creepy and yet not discomforting.

'Some people are just a little weird.'

Jaune and his team had been left off at the airship dock, leaving her to sit next to her friend. "It's a very nice place, you'll like it." She was sure that the younger woman would. For a place in the district, it'd be an exorbitant sum and her own room was spacious too.

"I'm sure I will…"

Adelheid looked a little distant, as her eyes were looking out of the window, her face showing some discomfort, her friend not feeling so super, it seemed. "I'm just…"

"It's a new place. I had to adjust too when I moved to Argus."

She wouldn't get sad. Terra was in the past, she was now in the future. She knew that Terra hadn't been what she had promised to her, that she'd been the stupid girl who bought the lies and the dreams.

"At least the guy I've got as a client is hot."

The wry grin, Adelheid's face turning sour for a moment after she said that. Saphron knew that look. Adelheid liked Jaune more than she should. It might just be her profession that made her get in contact with Jaune, but Saphron could see the interest in her friend's eyes.

"He'll be a great hit with the younger ladies."

'And with you, it seems. You called him hot, Addie. You like my little brother, but if you hurt him…'

Dad had hurt him.

She was sure of it.

She'd dreamed of it, watching as her brother was violated. She could recall something of the sort happening, hearing the creak and the groan, the muffled thump-thump-thump and the moaning, the damn moaning of a man who was supposed to be their dad. She'd played it off as mom and dad getting intimate again, but had it really been dad with mom? With how their rooms had been, it could've been any one of her sisters or even her brother.

She loved her sisters. Sure, the twins were the worst of the lot, being the party girls and never really too kind with their words, but she was sure that they were all good people. Her little brother was special, though. He was the baby out of the eight of them, and he'd been such a cute little brother to show off to her friends, before she'd finally accepted that she'd liked girls more than boys.

Terra had come around at that time and that'd clinched that deal for her. Damn her and her memories. She still didn't want to go back to the bedroom she'd had back at mom and dad's place. Remembering the times when she'd eaten her ex out, the toys that they'd managed to play with, the hidden little games with the switch and those vibrating eggs and seeing who'd break first…

'Fuck her and that asshole that raped me too…'

She wasn't going to lie and say that she forgave her. That lying cunt could rot for all she cared. The dark fantasies she'd had, vengeful, horrible fantasies, stuff that'd make most of her sisters go pale and quiver, all had been wonderful. It had been such a beautiful thought to see Terra pleading with her not to do it, but then again…

She was just the nanny, the blonde au pair raising the bastard spawn of a woman and her boyfriend, being used as the whore for the man's pleasures if the black bitch didn't want to put out. She hated them. She hated them more than she ever could hate someone.

Adrian had been a good, nice boy. She'd accepted him as her own flesh and blood, even though she couldn't formally adopt him, because both of the parents were still alive. Spousal regulations had been absent in Argus.

'Just as you wanted, right? You were the one who said that we should move to Argus, that you loved me… Guess what it got me, Terra? It got me nothing but pain, and your black cunt is getting stuffed by that asshole.'

Mama understood. She'd talked about the dark fantasies with mama last night, and mama had been positive. It had been the process of working through the feelings, or something. Rouge would know better, she knew.

"I want her raped! I want her to feel like she's nothing but a piece of black grilled meat, treated like a common animal, mama!"

She had been so angry that she'd just blurted out that dark fantasy of hers, that vengeful and wicked fantasy, before she'd caught herself.

Mama had been raped by her father. Talking about it was hurtful, and she'd hurt the woman unintentionally in a fit of rage.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." The smile on the woman's face was warm and understanding, as her eyes looked at her with what might be a sinister light in them.

"Not always can we control our emotions, Saphron. You are right to demand vengeance for what was done to you."

That was right. Mama would demand vengeance as well, if she didn't care so much for her and her little brother. She was being stupid, wanting to just see Terra cry and whimper. It was so much better than to imagine her laughing behind her back, the nanny going to care for the baby and keep it safe whilst Terra protected Argus…

"I'm just… so hurt. Why would she do something like that? If she'd just wanted a girlfriend, I'd have-"

She'd liked darker skinned girls. It was something of a preference, though it wasn't one she really advocated. Being intimate with her had been wonderful.

"Why did my husband kill my children? I ask myself that question once every decade or so, but answers I do not get."

The words of the woman were morose, as her expression barely changed.

"Your little brother is the one who managed to rip open that wound once more, a memory of something I had long-since forgotten coming to the fore once more."

The woman smiled, almost like the memory was some pleasant one. "I shared with him a gift that nobody else will have, once I have my way." Saphron wondered about that. What could the woman share with Jaune that would be so important? It wasn't sex, at least. She felt somewhat happy about that. Sex was…

Sex was when your wife's boyfriend put a baby in you and you couldn't remember it. Hearing Mama's voice call her name drew her back.

"Such an ugly expression on your face, my sweet little Saphron… Do you want them dead?"

It was an offer that was hard to resist. The woman had money. Terra and her bastard of a boyfriend would be dead, if she asked. Mama was trustable, she was someone who cared for her.

"No. I-"

She didn't know what she wanted. Did she want Terra raped in front of her? Did she want to see Terra's partner die for what he did to her? She could feel the leaking from time to time, remembering how it felt to have a man cum inside her. It was a disgusting, sickening feeling, and she knew that she'd been hearing the screaming of someone in her dreams for daddy to not hurt the others, that they'd be good. She thought it was Jaune. Other times, it was herself, being raped by her father. Just like her mama had been raped by him.

He'd been the best and only little brother that she had. She'd be a good big sister to him.

"I want them to suffer."

It was a savage feeling, but it felt so good. She wanted Terra to enjoy her life, building it up again…

And then tearing it down. She'd just rub it in the woman's face, just to make sure that the lesson was learned. Mama's approving smile was there, as she looked at her expression in the camera feed. It wasn't a pleasant one, but it held a certain grimness.

"Now, shelf those thoughts for a moment, my sweet. Tell me, how are you settling in?"

She smiled. It had been nice for the past few nights. Mister Callows was really knowledgeable about cooking with meat for some reason, which made her wonder whether he had been a professional chef or something. The way that he'd prepared a simple minced meat lasagna had been worthy of respect with how easy he made it look.

"Mister Callows is a man who might be a little odd, but I don't think he means anything bad. He's eh… a bit different, but he enjoys working for you."

The man had called Miss Umbra a goddess more than once on his little manic rants, the enjoyment of his work something that she'd seen before.

Mama smiled at her. "He is a Huntsman, Saphron. I will have need of his services as a bodyguard from time to time. Mister Rainart can't be there to protect me at all times…" The woman's face seemed to twist into anger for a moment. "As has been noticed."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, the woman's face perking up again, her eyes warmer than before. It was a slow nudge to the happier side of things.

"Don't you worry, Saphron. It is in the past. Your father will get what he deserves…"

Saphron was perhaps a bad daughter for thinking like this, but she remembered the horror on Mama's face when she'd suggested that Jaune had been molested by dad. She couldn't stop thinking about the sounds that she'd heard in her dream, the guttural moans and groans of a man, and the nebulous fragments of her youth that tried to fit together.

"I'm concerned for my sisters. Violet is… well…"

She didn't dare to tell Mama that Violet was a prostitute, the woman's eyes sharply regarding her.

"She's a frail girl, she's pretty too and... Dad…"

Violet loved them all. Saphron remembered the times when she'd done her sister's hair before. It'd been the prettiest. Out of the sisters, it was Violet who had the greatest beauty and bust. A woman who would be the trophy piece to any collection of beautiful women. A perfect target for a strong Huntsman to ram his cock into.

Violet might've gotten into the line of work because daddy had been raping her whenever he was in Vale. Daddy wouldn't have had enough, she'd heard gossip from some of the housewives in Argus about the Huntsmen that they'd married. Stamina for days, or so the red faces said.

"I just don't want to… I don't want to lose my sisters."

Violet, for all her flaws and her personality traits, still loved her family. Dad had been a man who'd kept a tight rein on the household when he was there.

"Sweetheart, sometimes, you cannot rein in a beast. People die, the sweetest and kindest people oftentimes first."

Her mama's tone was soothing, as Saphron could already hear a door creaking, hearing the thump-thump-thump of a bed rocking, hushed little whimpers, a manly groan. Apologies, whispered by a voice that she told herself was just a dream, that her dad didn't do anything like that.

"And then you get raped."

Her voice spoke up, as she could hear the whispers, a strangled plea, a moment where she'd almost gone to the door to hear what was up, to know what was done and-

"And then they get raped."

The woman repeated after her, phrasing it differently. Saphron turned her gaze away. Whether it was her own imagination already at work or just the bad memories being pushed away, she didn't know.

She wanted to crawl into bed and forget. Mama looked at her, as she softly smiled with the care and love that a mother should show her. Her own mom would never give her that look. She'd be lucky if the woman didn't hit her for daring to insinuate that her dad would do such a thing to his daughters.

"I love you, mama."

She said at barely a whisper, the woman smiling softly.

"I'll make you into a beautiful rose, my dear Saphron. No-one shall dare call you a filthy prostitute or anything of the sort…"

The dark tone she didn't mind, as her mama said that to her. Violet was the prostitute, but she was a good girl either way.

"Thank you. You've been nothing but nice to me, even though we hurt you so."

Salem's eyes met hers and the woman smiled softly. "All is forgiven. You've got a friend to pick up, haven't you? You'd better be well-rested… There are a few… minor complications, but I am sure that the girl will shape up to be a good publisher for our Jaune." The voice spoke with pride about her little brother. He was their Jaune, yes. Mama knew it, she knew it.

"Anything bad? She's my friend, Mama. Please don't be upset with her, she's a good woman!"

The woman gave a faint sliver of a laugh, as she paused for a moment, deliberating there.

"I would say that she is perhaps a touch too easy to spread her legs when properly inebriated." Saphron winced. She could understand it with Adelheid's personality. Adelheid was just a bit like the twins, a free spirit who loved to enjoy life and the benefits of it.

"Ah… Please forgive her? I'm sure she's not intending to do it again."

The ill-pleased look on Mama's face spoke volumes about her trust in that.

"That is what my husband said, before the maid got pregnant."

Saphron winced, as that definitely was a thing that she'd find pretty hurtful. She'd been the maid in her relationship, she just hadn't known it.

"Good night, Saphron. May you have sweet dreams. Do not worry… Everything will be taken care of."

She trusted her mama to do right by her. That was the least she could expect.

"It's silly, y'know. I could've not drank, but I did it anyways."

Adelheid said, Saphron returning to the present. It was perhaps a silly thing to Adelheid, but it was logical to her. Sometimes, you needed a little bit of support when the days got dark. She pulled her friend in for a hug, but Adelheid seemed to recognize it, shaking her head slowly.

"No, it's… It's really stupid, Saph. I could've left the drinks and could've gone to a hotel and slept, and I did just what was fun. I wanted to get laid. Dad doesn't drink, and he's always said that the stuff makes monsters out of men."

It was normal, she guessed. Saphron didn't have such urges, not after what had happened. Her sexual desire was lower now than it'd been, even with the days of Terra teasing her with perhaps something fun, only to drop down onto the couch and just be listless, drained from a 'long day of working'.

She'd not minded helping her wife with some relaxation. She wondered how many times she'd tasted Jeremy's cum from Terra's sex, after what must've been a long hard day of working to protect Argus, rather than fixing the communications.

"You're able to change. My sisters, the twins, are regular party animals. I hope they'll change too. " Jay and Ver were very different from Adel, sadly. They didn't think it was very important to keep decorum. Rouge had said that it was the whole 'psychological absence of a father figure' or some sort of stuff.

She could believe it. Dad always grounded them when he was home.

"Here's to hoping, Saph."

Her friend's words made her smile. Adelheid was a good young woman, someone who she thought she could build a friendship with. If Adelheid turned out to be like Terra, she might re-evaluate her, but as it was right now… She was a friend.

"I'll be watching you like a hawk, Adel." Her friend's smile was broader. "No alcohol for you! Fruit juice and perhaps a bit of water!" The mock gasp was real, as Adel clutched her chest as if struck by some unimaginable disaster.

"However will I survive!? Big sister Saphron, I beseech you!"

The laughter that Saphron felt bubbling up inside her exploded from her lips like it was natural. She liked Adelheid, her dramatics reminding her a little of her younger sister Azora.

A lot of the traits of her sisters she tried to find in her friends. Miss Moor had been a nice neighbor, occasionally cooking something to eat for them when she'd been trying out recipes, Adrian looking a little sick from time to time and needing something to get him perked up. Miss Moor had this recipe for pepper soup that just made you feel like your tongue was going numb, but it did wonders on a clogged nose.

"I'm sure we can open a bottle of wine sometime…"

She should indulge her friend a little. After all, Saphron knew that a bit of unwinding might be for the best.

"We've arrived, Lady Saphron."

The voice of Mister Callows came from the driver's seat, the man's head turning in that eerie manner, those golden eyes looking at her like he was about to strike at her like some scorpion. "Please exit so that I may park the car in the garage."

A polite man, even if his odd manners made him look somewhat stranger than most. She grabbed Adelheid's luggage and then got it out of the boot of the car, Adelheid looking a little sheepishly as she did so.

"Sorry, Saph."

She winked at her friend. "No, it's okay. I need to be strong! My little brother's the buff one!" She mock-flexed the non-existent muscles on her upper body. Adelheid's smile was faint, Saphron feeling emboldened.

"But if you prefer me, I'll gladly show you the joy of being with a woman?"

The 'ewww' face that Adelheid made clued her in pretty well as to whether the pickup-line had worked or not. It wasn't a problem though. More fish in the sea, even though some were off-limits like that Pyrrha girl. The girl was so obviously crushing on her little brother that it was like lighting a lamp in a dark night.

"I'll pass on that offer for now. I'm not nearly drunk enough to care for that. We should get to my room now, or is it going to be bunk beds? I'd always wanted bunk beds with a big sister or a little sister, it was pretty lonely in Argus."

Saphron felt a tingle of joy go through her at the part where Adelheid said that she wasn't drunk enough to care for that. That meant that there was some sort of open space for that sort of thing.

'No, Saph… She's straight. Don't be like dad, don't go doing stuff that you'd regret.'

She felt bad about it immediately afterward. She shouldn't be thinking about her friend like she'd wanted to spend a night doing the whole graze on her. That was disrespectful to her friend.

"You just had a pervy thought, didn't you?"

Adelheid teased her and Saphron flushed, Adelheid posing lightly, the business outfit looking fashionable on the woman. "Want to see these babies, Saph?" The breasts were pushed out. A nice size, Saphron mentally judged, as her tongue slid over her lips.

"Nope, men only. I got you back for that jibe earlier, sister."

Saphron felt a bit embarrassed, but she knew that she'd deserved it. She'd teased Adel a bit at the airport, knowing that Jaune had grown up remarkably well since he'd went to Beacon.

"I guess my little brother's got the key card for those babies then, right?"

She teased her friend right back, instinctively. The image of him using his 'key card' on those babies was… awkward. Adelheid turned a little red around her cheeks, as she coughed.

"Hey, I've got a nice pair. You're not that bad yourself."

Saphron smiled, feeling a touch more confident about herself. It had been tougher now that she'd gotten out of the hospital, to get herself feeling sexy. Her emotions were dark, especially as she remembered that dad had done something to another woman.

As Mister Callows opened the door with his key and carried Adelheid's luggage upstairs, Adelheid looked at the man. "Hmm… Time to see whether the room is bigger than my own back home!" She was excitable, Saphron noticed, nearly skipping through the hallway. The door to Adelheid's room had been furnished with a nameplate of 'Adelheid', the last name forgotten. It was a nice touch, she supposed. Her own room had Saphron on the door. It was her own room too.

"I hope the room is suitable, Miss Blau."

Mister Callows' voice was careful and respectful, with none of the weird twists and turns in the spoken phrases, as his eyes looked at her friend with that careful manner of someone who had been in dangerous situations.

"Thank you, Mister Callows! I'm sure it'll be better than the closet-like space that I've got at my own home."

Adelheid was polite, the man smiling broadly, his hands lightly tugging the jacket off, unveiling his buttoned-up undershirt. Several of the scars on his collarbone looked recent, but the man was a Huntsman that fought to protect people.

"Thank you, do call me Tyrian, though Mister Callows is what others may call this Tyrian. One must always be aware of one's station, indeed… This lowly Tyrian is known to Master Jaune as a servant, one who obeys the whims of the Master."

The language was flowery, but Saphron guessed that it was a measure of introduction, the man's head cranking up, looking at Adelheid, who looked a little odd with her face half-set in disbelief.

"I shall prepare something of a light snack, there must be a welcoming! Master Jaune has ordered this Tyrian to ensure that his dearest sister is kept safe… We wouldn't want any sneaky assassins to come forth to claim the lady's head, no, no!"

The man disappeared, fast like he always was, the rambling a bit strange, but there was good in the man, she supposed. Jaune had said to her that if she ever needed anything, she could use Tyrian to get it for her. Seeing him look at the man and hold his gaze whilst telling him that his sister would be safe had been something that had sent a shiver of warmth through her.

It'd been that caring and protective side of him that made her feel wanted, that had made her feel safe. He might've been abused by dad but he was still her little brother, the boy who'd boldly said that he would be the Huntsman who'd keep them all safe.

As Adelheid opened the door, the room was already furnished for her. Saphron noted with a minor interest that the bed was similar in size to her own. A big bed, for a small woman. It was a nice touch, Adelheid throwing herself on the bed with a whoop, grinning at her.

"C'mon, Saph! Bounce on the bed!"

It was childish, but she did as Adelheid asked. Adelheid had no siblings, whilst she had many. It was perhaps a fantasy of a young Adelheid to be childish with a sister, and she'd indulge her friend a bit.

The bed was nice and springy too, as she laid next to her friend, the door half-closed now. She should close it, since they'd need to have that talk.

"What we talked about earlier, Adel…"

She didn't know how to say it in the best manner, her eyes flickering back and forth to try and find the right way. She got up, shutting the door. The isolation of the rooms were really great, she'd noticed. Mister Callows often worked out, she reckoned. He was in great shape.

"Your brother."

Adel was serious immediately, getting up, Saphron sitting herself down once more. Adelheid looked a little more business-like than before, as a tender look came to her eyes.

"He didn't say with as many words, but… I think I remember hearing something, when I was younger."

It might be silly, but the dream came back to her. The grunting and the thumping. She'd been young, she knew. Younger than now, but still…

"He didn't answer me when I asked whether he'd been molested. Dad would've done anything to make him stop being a Huntsman. He told him to go be a farmer and-"

She could see it in her mind. Jaune struggling, held down by strong hands. Hands that'd once hugged them all tightly. Pain for him, as he wouldn't give up on his dream, no matter how hard his father 'punished' him. Jaune was strong, stronger than most of them. He was willful and without any sort of restraint in his passion. Azora was like that too, but she'd been the youngest for a while, until Jaune had been born and out-stubborned her.

"It's alright to cry, Saphron."

Her friend's voice was light, her breathing heavier. She felt so bad for her little brother. She hoped that there would be some happiness for him, that girl he mentioned, Weiss or something like it, probably being a great friend for him.

"It's not fair, Adel. He's such a nice boy and daddy did that to him and to Miss Umbra."

Saphron looked at her friend with pleading eyes, as the tears came.

"He probably did it to my sisters as well, if I know the man. He always grounded the twins."

Adelheid looked understanding, trying to make her feel better. She was such a good friend. The tears just kept on coming, as she sniffed.

"Oh, I've not shown you a picture of them, have I?"

She pulled her Scroll out of her pocket and then called the gallery up, selecting a picture that didn't have mom or dad in it. One of the few pictures that'd been taken before she'd gone to Argus with Terra.

All seven of them with Jaune, aged fifteen. She'd been younger and happier then, still trying to explore her sexuality.

"Ooh, good-looking girls!" That was a compliment, she guessed.

"Hmm… I like this one."

The finger pointed at Violet, aged nineteen. The best-looking one out of the whole bunch, in the unofficial opinion poll. She was in the process of putting Jaune in a headlock, smiling at the camera. The utterly scandalous top that she wore showed a lot of cleavage, which Jaune was half-planted in due to the headlock, trying to get free.

"That's Violet. Younger than the twins, older than Azora. Beryl, the one in the green dress, is the one who is the tomboy of the family."

"Guess they're getting another member of the Arc sisterhood to go with Saph coming back for the show."

Adelheid pulled her close in a hugging manner, her smile brighter. "It's going to be okay, Saph. I've got a good feeling about you and your brother."

"You've got a wet crotch thanks to my little brother, Addie." Her friend groused and pushed her a little. "Still… He's the youngest."

"Yeah, it makes me want to do my best. The guy doesn't deserve to be some evil bastard's son. Ah, no offence intended, of course."

Adelheid made an apology, but Saphron agreed with her somewhat. Her father was a rapist, he'd done that to Miss Umbra.

"It's what he is. Dad is a rapist."

She admitted it aloud to her friend, feeling the tears come again. She felt it again, that feeling of being raped. They'd put a baby in her and they'd aborted it. Adrian had been enough, the little dyke girlfriend-nanny shouldn't get pregnant…

She'd not minded being the housewife for someone who loved her, or so she thought. She had loved her Terra, for all her flaws and the late nights. She'd thought they'd had a future, only to have it all so cruelly blow up in her face.

'Dad had been so angry…'

He must've taken it out on her sisters for her being a mistake and being gay. Terra had been with her, and she'd not paid much attention to the others around her, canoodling together within the bedsheets' warm embrace with her girlfriend and soon wife.

Had she not heard the soft cries for mercy? Had she been too focused on her love for Terra that she'd blocked everything out, not hearing the cries of her brother or of whatever sister he'd picked to vent his frustrations? Mom had been out, as she often did. Had dad just vented himself inside her little brother, leaving him with a grim reminder to not tell and to banish the idea of being a Huntsman from his mind?

"Saph? Saph, are you okay?"

She noticed that she was getting a big hug from her friend, even as she tried to imagine what she'd missed. Her sisters didn't talk to her very much and it'd been like pulling teeth at times to get information from them.

"No. Daddy probably raped my brother when I came out as a lesbian."

It had been a mistake. She should've kept it secret because she knew how it'd go over. Why had she been so stupid? She'd been in love, she'd wanted to share it with the world and Terra had said all the right things…

"I was too stupid to just bring her home. It was a friend, I said. We'd been together for maybe a few days since I met her and… well, daddy caught us. He was so mad, Adel. He turned red and it looked like he was going to hit me. He only hit Jaune when he wanted to be a Huntsman, saying that a farmer is the best he could do."

Her friend's face looked gentle, as she felt the squeeze. "He only hit Jaune, did he? Where did he hit?" That was a question that she didn't really want to know the answer to, but… she did remember.

"The buttocks. Always on the buttocks, never higher. Always when we were watching, because he didn't want us to be stupid like Jaune was."

She felt bad. Adelheid's face was turning darker.

"Saph, honey… It's not normal to only punish the boy for doing bad things. You said your sisters were grounded often, but… Do you remember something happening to Jaune? I've not got the psychology degree, but we did a lot of study of Huntsman psychology in our courseload. Triggers and the like, certain bad stuff that can happen and…"

Saphron didn't know. She'd remembered some bits and pieces. Dad was always gone, and she'd have to see Rouge take more of a motherly role, because mom had her social activities and the household. It wasn't something that she'd thought about, because dad was gone for a lot of the year, making the money they needed to survive.

"I think Dad threw Jaune against a wall when he was like… five or so? He'd grabbed dad's weapon and wanted to do just like dad did, and he smacked against the wall and started crying. Mom went to soothe him but dad just… stared. He looked angry."

She didn't know. She'd not known much. She'd never paid attention, there'd been school and she'd have to study for her tests, her little brother having been an annoyance at that time.

"And… How long has he been a Huntsman? Thirty years?" Saphron looked at her with a confused look. "It's important, Huntsmen tend to pick up bad habits over the years. Older Huntsmen especially, who've been through stuff, tend to just vent."

"Thirty? Thirty-five? I know that Rouge was born pretty early in his career. He'd always come back with souvenirs. It was only when Jaune was born, when I was a teen, that things started to really get rough. We didn't have the money to feed that many mouths."

Adelheid looked sympathetic, as she hugged with a little more force.

"It's been tough, hasn't it? It's okay. He's far away and isn't returning anytime soon."

A small blessing, she supposed. He'd be gone for months, she knew. Saphron Arc was a lot of things, but she was not going to let him harm her sisters. "I just feel like I should've done something."

"What would you have done? Sucked his dick to take the edge off? Spread your legs for him?"

The soft accusation was there. Would she do that for her sisters? Would she just bend the knee for her own father?

The feeling of his hands on her, touching her and spreading her, the brief pop of pain as he entered her and his grunts, groaning her name out like some wild beast. It wasn't the gentle love that she liked, the love that a woman could give to her, the control that she craved at times when her emotions ran high and the tension entered her body. She was not someone who minded the loss of control if with her lover, but with her father…

'If…'

It was disgusting to think about, but she knew her sisters and their faults. Verde and Jade wouldn't make much of a fuss. They'd do what dad asked, because he got really angry at times when they didn't obey him. It was always going to be like that with those two. To hear them getting the dad sausage would be agony for her.

'If I had to, I'd…'

She'd never admit it, but for her sisters, she would. She couldn't let that man touch them. They were her sisters, they shared blood. Jaune was important too, and she would rather get raped again than to let Dad rape Jaune.

'He'd never tell me willingly, because he's a man.'

"I would. Anything for my sisters. I'm just the gay one. I'm…" She started to cry louder, feeling the emotional release.

"I'd fuck him if it meant that they'd be safe. Not all of my sisters are great at times, but they're still my sisters."

Adelheid patted her back, the hug intensifying. Adelheid had asked the question and she felt bad about it. She didn't want things to be like this, she didn't want to have her family hurt but she'd rather suffer herself than to let anything happen to her sisters and brother.

"You're too loving, Saphron."

It was what she needed to hear, as she sniffled.

"I envy you for your love. I'd just cut the bastard out of my life and move to Vacuo or something if I was in your shoes."

She couldn't. She was one of seven. Her sisters mattered to her! She couldn't give up on them. Rouge was the one who held them all together as a replacement mom from time to time, the twins didn't mind her being gay, Berry and Fifi were pretty much wrapped in their own excesses…

"They're my sisters. He's my little brother and…"

And she'd failed him. She'd been a bad sister and she couldn't tell anyone about it or they'd all be distraught. They'd all be distraught and empty at the thought of their dad taking liberties with his daughters, with their little brother.

Jaune wanted to be a Huntsman to protect them all and he'd bore the burden. He'd been such a strong boy, no, rather, he'd been forced to grow up into a man that could be respected.

She felt warmth inside her well up, remembering how he'd looked at that moment when she'd come home from Argus, feeling how he'd been there for her. Mama loved him, she loved her too. They were not related by blood, but she cared for Jaune enough to be horrified at the thought of something like that happening to him.

He was a little light in the darkness that fell over her. He was strong, stronger than she was. She wouldn't broken long ago if dad had raped her over and over, trying to make her into the daughter he loved again.

'What I had with Terra felt real, but what if it was all a lie?'

She sighed deeply. Adelheid's arms pulled a little tighter around her, keeping her in her grip. "If I had to be raped to make sure nothing happened to my sisters, I would. Jaune is a good young man and he doesn't deserve… that."

"I hear ya, sister… It's a damn dark situation you're in, Saph, but you're going to make it out of there intact. I believe in you." Saphron felt a warmth in her, as she smiled, wiping at her eyes.

"And if it was Jaune who wanted to fuck you, huh?"

It was perhaps a mean thought, as she looked into her friend's eyes.

"Would you be a good big sis and let him?"

Adelheid flushed a little red, looking away. "Hey, it wouldn't be rape if I said yes, now would it? I've… eh, I've had a few thoughts about being the damsel in distress, if you catch my drift." The smile on her friend's lips just begged more questions to be asked.

"Do tell."

Saphron felt a little better, as the subject went to fantasies. It was better than the heavy subject, as Adelheid shifted a bit with her body, her eyes meeting hers.

"Well… I've had a bit of a thought about him just throwing me onto the bed and just keeping me pinned there. With a bit of scruff and a good haircut, I wouldn't mind getting the good gasp and groan routine for him. Hell, I'll act the shy virgin if he wants, needing that really big hard cock to split me open wide." Saphron couldn't really relate. She wasn't much for force. She'd been forced too much, but…

Adelheid wasn't done yet. "And just tugging my hands behind my back and putting it right in. God, does that turn me on like no tomorrow. It's great if there's another guy you can blow too, especially when you've got that tingly feeling in your skull that's just like whee… "

Saphron didn't like more than one partner at the same time, though. Sex was something done between two people, she'd had bad memories of Jeremy and Terra. She'd want to be held and told that she was loved. Give her partner a kiss and then service them.

"at once, of course. You've got to get properly lubed up before you get it there but it's just so nice. Did it once, but it still stuck. Couldn't go to the bathroom properly for a week because of eh… yeah. It wasn't a well-thought-out thing." Saphron had sort of tuned out Adelheid, imagining herself at that moment with the person she loved.

She'd like to eat them out, to hear their gasps and groans, to make them feel the shudder of pleasure that she brought. She was a pleaser, not a taker. "totally suck his cock, I mean…"

"Eh, what?" Her thoughts returned to the present, trying to get the confusing thoughts out of her mind. Adelheid smiled at her.

"If I'd get the opportunity with your brother, I'd totally suck his cock. He's hitting the proper spots, though I've not had him to work with me, but…"

She supposed it would be a thing for Adel. Sucking her brother's cock, knowing that her friend… well, probably best friend now, considering they'd both shared intimate stuff together and knew more about things from each other than most would.

A dark little thought in her mind was already wondering how it'd feel to watch Terra get raped by her brother. Would she whimper and moan, or would she resist? She hoped that she could watch, because that bitch deserved to feel the pain that she felt. And if Terra was pregnant by Jeremy… Well, there always were the abortion pills, right?

'Stop it, Saphron. He's… he's your brother. He's a hurt boy who needs love and kindness. Don't go and get revenge fantasies now.'

She wondered though. Huntsmen were stronger than the average human and Terra… well, probably was stronger than her, but against her brother? She'd be pinned down and helpless. Miss Umbra had been raped like that, struggling and resisting, the fire going out of her after a few good shots… Oh, she'd just love to watch the tears on Terra's face as her brother made sure that she would be the one getting her just desserts.

'See how you like it when you're coming home to your new life as a nanny, Terra… Oh, it'll be the baby that my brother put in you… Payback is a bitch, isn't it?'

"Adel to Sapphy, come in, Sapphy."

She was jolted from her thoughts, aware about the smile on her friend's face.

"You were looking all amused, Saph. Had to call you out a few times… Now, what's my sister thinking about right now, eh?"

'Very unhealthy thoughts, Adel.'

"Just something amusing. Miss Umbra said that there was going to be a reckoning for my father."

Mama was someone who listened, someone who cared. Someone who knew what the world had in store for those who were her family and who wanted nothing but the best.

"That's good… Now, kinky thoughts! What makes you tick, Saph? Toys?"

The discussion was innocent, in the sensual way. Saphron smiled a little, as she hugged her friend.

"Well… There's something to be said about getting up close and personal with another woman's groin…"

Adelheid might not be into girls, but they could still chat. Wasn't that what girlfriends were for?

Mister Callows knocked on the door nearly thirty minutes later, balancing a tray. The man smiled at them, as he held it out for them. Saphron's mouth watered a little at some of the fancy things that'd been prepared. Mama had undoubtedly informed the man of what she liked. She wasn't too sure about the liverwurst though.

"Do enjoy! The Mistress has given this lowly Tyrian the task to ensure that you are fed and watered! Not like plants, no, no! Like a garden whose gardener is tasked with ensuring that you are fit and healthy!"

The man's words were poetic and with their own charm, Saphron noted. Mama had undoubtedly asked Jaune what she'd like for snacks, and Liverwurst had been one of the Atlesian snacks that she'd heard about.

"Hmmhm… It's been a while since I last had liverwurst."

Adelheid said, taking a little slice off the plate and putting some curry ketchup on it. The man had provided some of the stuff as condiments, as Saphron plucked a few things out.

"Aren't you eating, Mister Callows?" The man shook his head.

"I have… refined tastes, Lady Saphron. This Tyrian is defined by routine and by skill. A strict regimen, to be the best of the best, for the Lady I serve." The man was honest. Perhaps it was just a religious thing? Saphron knew of some avid vegetarians.

'More meat for me.'

She liked these sausages. They'd been grilled just right and stuffed with a nice blend of mince and spice. She'd have to get the recipe, if the man knew how to cook this well.

"Here, have some liverwurst, it's really good."

The man's fingers cracked a little, as he flexed them whilst he watched them. The man was perhaps a bit odd, but his attention to detail was good. The taste of liverwurst with curry ketchup though was still something that she'd have to get used to. She smiled at Adelheid, who had a little bit of ketchup on her lips.

"See? I knew you'd like it. Mom used to make this when I was in need of a snack during winter. Winter season is the worst with all the snow."

She remembered the slippery streets in Argus. It'd been lucky that she hadn't slipped and broken something during those months of ice and cold.

She grinned. "Probably the only kind of meat that I'd find a bit odd-tasting." Adelheid pursed her lips, looking somewhat amused by her reticence.

"It's great, Saph. Just enjoy the flavour."

She munched on it, the man's eyes looking everywhere but at them. The man was a professional, mama had said.

She would be safe in this house.

---

The rush was enough as the next challenger went down, her knuckles bloodied and battered. Beryl Arc grinned as she raised the guy by the long hair he'd kept carefully tied back, the loose band that kept the hair from slipping loose already gone.

"The winner takes the pot! Thank you for watching tonight, ladies and gentlemen!"

She let the guy drop, the rush continuing as she walked out of the arena, the bloody marks on the tiles enough to warn her. It was a slow rushing in her veins that calmed swiftly with the thrill of battle being done.

"Nice fight there, Berry."

Red Tide commented, the twin holding out a towel, which she took. Wiping off the blood and the spit from her face, she let her eyes go to the other twin, already standing there.

"Boss wants you in his office, said he's got the next match lined up for you."

That was new, but it wasn't unexpected. She'd been tiring of the competition, as it was far too tame. She knew that there was going to be another big match in a few days time, one where there'd be some real cash thrown around. Not the chump Lien that you'd get for beating a few bozo's up with your fists.

'Maybe it'll be good for the finances…'

She hoped that there'd be a good pot for the final challenger. She could get enough to make sure that the others wouldn't have to chip in so much. She worried at times. She wasn't good at things like finances, but Violet was generally the keeper of the books. Mom just had to spend the money in the account, whilst they'd all chip in a bit.

The door to the office opened up, Hei Xiong looking at her with a look on her face. "Good job there, Berry. Your winnings for the night." The man slid over a good five-hundred Lien in chips, unmarked of course, the man's eyes looking at her.

"Now, we've got a bit of a conundrum here, you see… you're good."

She was the best. Nothing aside from punching someone's face in a few times made her feel alive. If she got punched back, it was just the punishment that she deserved for being unable to punch down.

"Would you like to enter the big leagues?"

'And get my ass beat by ex-Huntsmen? No thanks…'

Torchwick wouldn't like that much. The man ran most of the underground, and Junior was just like another of his brokers. The man had some power, of course. Red Tide and Pasty were his enforcers, bitches that ate their own mom for breakfast and spat their dad out when they wanted to get blood, or so she'd guessed, but they would drop the man like a stone if he'd showed weakness.

"Nah, I'm good. Striking Berry doesn't need to go pro."

She didn't want the attention. The man looked at her for the longest of times before he nodded.

"Make it to the final round and face the guy and win and you win two thousand."

There was a hint of something in the man's tone that told her that she'd better give a good showing. "There's a bet made on you that we'd like to see happen." The man's eyes were sharp for that kind of cash, as his gaze intensified behind his shades.

"Bring it on. No person's gotten the best of the Striking Berry before."

She'd have to put in more hours in the gym, making sure that she got herself in top shape. If there was some money put on her winning, it'd be something big. Someone had noticed her.

"Any guess as to who might be betting on me?"

The man looked at the twins and tapped the desk twice, the twins giving a little huff as they vacated the room, the man having given the signal for privacy.

"Some guy who placed ten thousand Lien on you reaching the finals. This bout is going to be big, and you can't lose this."

There was caution in the man's tone, the 'or else' implied. The competition would be brutal, as the prize was already something that people salivated over. She did it for the rush and the easy cash doing something that she enjoyed, but the motorcycle that was the lead prize looked like a darn better way of getting around than a crappy bike.

"I won't let you down."

The man looked at her before nodding. There was a look in his eyes that was none too pleased.

"Considering who it is, I don't think you should. There's danger in the world, girl."

The man looked barely comfortable with the subject, as he turned away. "Still… Do get prepared, train as much as you can and be well-rested." The standard terms for every bout she fought. She was aware that the chump change would change, and her knuckles felt sore for a moment.

"If you need some space, get the twins to take care of anyone who makes a mess for you. You're a good fighter, Beryl."

She was a darn good fighter indeed! She'd be sure to take the money home for mom to get the bills paid off.

Seeing Saphron again had been nice. She wondered for a moment about her older sister's own need for some privacy, debating whether she should place a quick visit. There'd been talk of a friend called Addie, but she'd not paid much attention.

"I'll make sure to knock em out, boss."

She wasn't formally a member of the gang, but she knew the people in the gang pretty well. The Club was a front, and she was there to be one of the prize fighters around it.

As she pushed open the door, she came across one of the twins, already in the process of getting her coat on. A glance at the clock said that it was around twelve-ish, the look on her sister's face impatient. "Hey there, Jay."

"Come on, Verde! We'll miss the bus!"

Beryl's eyes caught sight of Verde plucking out a Lien card from the pot, a two-hundred one. It'd been from Violet's job, she reckoned, Violet always got paid out when she could. Being a secretary or something must pay decently well.

'Those little bitches!'

She grabbed a hold of Verde's arm when she passed by, her eyes looking at her sister. "You're going to be putting that cash back in the pot when you can, Verde. It's for all of us to keep a roof over our head, ya hear?"

The irritated look from her sister was enough, as Verde shrugged herself out of her grip, looking at her. "Live up a bit, sis. You need to unwind a bit, go out with the two of us." She'd rather not. Her sisters were party girls, so they'd always have something to do.

'Fuck, if they've been skimming off the top, no wonder money is always tight.'

"I need sleep and comfort, not getting to parties and- Wait, what do you need two hundred Lien for?"

Her sisters weren't that expensive in their partying, so she didn't know what they'd need that amount of cash for. She liked the rush of fighting, that pinch of adrenaline that sent her body into a spiral of activity.

"Bit of extra enjoyment, sis. How about we bring you back a shot?"

She shook her head, disgust showing on her face. That was enough to clue her in on where most of the Lien would go to.

'Drugs…'

Damn it, she couldn't deal with this kind of stuff right now. She was tired, her knuckles hurt like fuck and she just wanted to hit the hay and sleep the day away or something.

"I'll pass, and you guys should kick that habit, Ver. You're going to end up dead or a vegetable if you continue like that."

Verde grinned broadly. "Life's fun when you've got a bit in you. You should really give it a go, sis. It'll make you feel tingly and happy." The disgusted sound evacuated her throat, and she groaned at the twins as they shut the door.

'Fuck. Drugs. What's next? An overdose?'

She had no way of knowing how true that thought was, as she got herself into bed. She was asleep a moment later, as she cuddled to her comfortable pillow, the irritation of earlier fading with a dream. Beryl Arc couldn't really bear the thought of not sleeping right now.

Her Scroll blew up with messages and a call nearly two hours later, as she grabbed it and looked at the caller. Jade Arc.

'Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me…'

"Yeah?"

She was wide-awake a moment later, the sound of her sister yammering on about how Verde had stopped responding, half-stepping into her jeans and getting her coat, promising that she'd be there.

'Fuck, I need to call in that favour…'

"Hey, Junior? Do we still have that doctor under contract? I need a few of your guys and a cart… Yeah, think of it as an advance for the fight."

She was calling whilst on her bike, making double-time towards the bad part of town. This was just fucking great.

Her sister had just overdosed on something that'd been injected into her.

'Alright, things are going to be fine… You can do this and just make the others think it was just a bad night getting hungover…'

A thousand Lien she'd taken from her personal stash, enough to pay the guy off. She owed nobody anything if she could help it.

'Alright, Verde better be alive when I get there, or else mom's all Jade's when she's finally coughing up the reason why Verde's now in a coffin…'

---

A slow smile curled on Salem's pale lips as she got the picture. The girl looked very pale, but it was hardly her business now. The twin looked like she'd had the scare of a lifetime… Good.

'Now, to see what you'll do, little mouse… Do you call for your mother, or do you call for the sister that's got some connections with true power?'

The game that one played with the silly mortals was always something that she enjoyed. The thought of their father laying a hand on her poor darling Jaune… There would be a reckoning… She couldn't deny that, because it would be sweet, grating and wonderful…

A call to the sister who'd been fighting in the fighting tournaments in the less legal side. It was interesting that they'd gone for that sister… Saphron was woefully unaware of the true nature of her sister's interest in the bloodsport of knuckles and pain.

'A little morsel that may yet be spared an execution…'

The test for the twins was now. There would be a manner of recovery for the girls… Recovery and a touch of something special. The dosage had been carefully measured to make sure that the girl would be out for a while…Or die.

'Will you expire, little creature, or will your sister do the thing I suspect she will?"

It was such a wonderful gift to the world, life… A pity that some people squandered it. She would not suffer the whore or the wastrel… They would have to be eliminated. One chance… That was all they would get. A fair treatment, where life and death were measured out.

'My dear Saphron, you're such a good girl…I am so proud of you.'

She had passed her trial. The girl had been coaxed into the proper state and had then succumbed to the feelings inside her. She supposed that it was right, given their conversation of the last day.

The girl had confided in her that she'd wished to have her partner raped… A noble sentiment, one that she could get behind. An eye for an eye, she surmised… Terra Cotta was sadly, someone who did not see what a gem she had in her hands. That a man had stained it was regrettable…

'You shouldn't have told me about the abortion, my child…'

Now, it was personal. If her little Saphron wished it…

'Well… I was going to have her be shown her place as a filthy creature that is unworthy to touch one of those chosen by the Goddess of this world…'

Dirt remained on the ground, as dirt should. Terra Cotta had earned her unhappy ending. She had wondered whether she could get the woman gangraped on short notice… It would be awfully telling that the poor woman had her body ravished by the scum of the earth…

But Saphron had intimated that she'd want to watch. She couldn't deny the little dear, even as the soft mention of Jaune had made a light bloom in those eyes… Oh, it was such a delight to see the girl already feeling that dark rush of inspiration go through her. Terra Cotta would loathe the feeling of her former brother in law raping her… And the drugs in her system would keep her weak and unable to move much…

Such a pity…

The trash would be discarded after having had a late-stage abortion… Perhaps she'd let the dogs eat her ill-bred spawn in front of her. Low-born mongrels that did not look divine were to be discarded, after all. The child would be a mutt and unworthy to be kept in the family.

One did not wish to breed degeneracy into the family, that only would arouse conflict…

The right of the strong was to rule, of course. Jaune knew that, as he had the power to back his words up. Saphron would be a fine princess, related to the king of this world… And Miss Blau would learn to be professional, if she did not know yet how to. She had little tolerance for idiocy and foolishness.

'A good publicist for my sweet little man…'

There would be no room for fault or for shame to the young man who owned a space in her heart that had been empty for ages. Adelheid Blau, selected for her skills, would suffice…

The contract would ensure that her mother would be bankrupt and penniless. It was so easy to ensure the loyalty of people if you held money over their head.

A picture of the family that belonged to Ashton Arc appeared, and her finger smudged the face of Saphron Arc. It was all the grand game she played.

'No matter what… I will make sure that you lose everything, Ashton Arc…You will return and I will be there to watch you break as all that you love has been twisted and divided.'

The dark pulse of desire flowed through her loins as she looked at the young man that'd taken the picture of him and his sisters, standing there. It was a softness of his features that drew her in, as she looked at the others.

'Your fate has been sealed, girls…'

The Arc Family would be getting a little smaller in size. Saphron Arc was now hers…

'The irreverent twins, who do not hold their brother in their sight as anything resembling respect-worthy… they will know what suffering is…'

It would not be so bad to let the other twin be raped a few times, she supposed… That boisterous and callous attitude would sink into despondency after the first few rapes. Addicts never learned after the first time…

She hated addicts.

They were too easy to control. Take away their little obsession, their drug and they were like putty in your hands...

'You always have girls who don't listen…'

It was a simple fact of nature. Stubbornness was something to be expunged from the little creatures. Saphron was such a darling… But her sisters were not.

She allowed her fingers to trace over the edge of the Scroll, her eyes deliberating the next course of action to take. For the plan to work, it would require an agent within the Vale CCT, inserting the program into the servers…

'Perhaps it is time to check on what is less important…'

The number that was connected to Cinder was pressed and the call connected, the look on the young woman's face serious, as she'd undoubtedly been distracted during whatever.

"Are the preparations already started?"

The question hung in the air, Cinder's head bowing once, before she spoke. A queen did get bowed to by the lesser creatures who wished to curry the favour of their ruler. Cinder Fall was but one option, a Maiden of some import, but in the grand scheme of the world utterly unimportant, until she achieved the full powers of a Maiden.

"Yes, Lady Salem."

The minions for her little acolyte looked uncomfortable, as a cold smile flickered onto her face. The dark-skinned one held a Semblance of hallucination, whilst the other one was an assassin. A modest gathering, though she had expected more… She had four primary agents, with many others spread through the world… One never left things to chance, after all.

"Good, and the Dust has been prepared properly?"

Dust was such an inelegant thing, compared to magic. The woman nodded, and another piece of the puzzle was pushed into place.

"Good, good. You may take a moment to enjoy your time before it is time to appear at Beacon."

Little favours, something of an indulgence… Perhaps some praise for the girl who had wanted power. "And Cinder? Remember…" The cold smile on her lips turned even more frigid, as the eyes peered into Cinder's. "My will…"

"Is to be enacted, as you give me the power to do so."

She could see the betrayal already from the girl. It was such a silly little thing, something that she'd seen over the centuries. Cinder Fall did not know of her immortality. Others did, but they would not inform her out of spite.

"Good, it is important that you remember that…"

She would be a good pawn, perhaps with a little shred of power… But compared to her Jaune, Cinder Fall was but a weak baby, trying to appear intimidating towards a well-forged warrior. She should give the young man some instructions…

'Yes, I do hope that he will start on his homework soon enough…'

The loyalty of minions was something to be obtained. He would need to beguile people into his service through word, deed or offering. She looked forward to that, as the other plans already continued to tick down towards their conclusion.

---

The morning was a groggy affair, after the time that he'd spent getting Adelheid at the airport. She was a friendly woman, someone who had been a friend to his big sister and calm and reasonable, without being too serious about things. Mama might have been a bit cautious, but he could see Adelheid already making her way into his Mama's heart, because she and Saphron just clicked together.

As he pushed open the door to the bathroom and passed by a set of clothes that'd been hung up, he noticed the steam in a faintly conscious part of his brain, the groggy state of his mind enough to ignore that bit, as he shed his clothes and hopped under the shower, noticing at the last moment that he wasn't alone in it.

'Oh, showers aren't turned on when you're going for one…'

Pale skin stood out, muscles that were well-defined there, as a tattoo stood boldly on the back of Lie Ren, the other young man pressed against the slick tiles of the shower wall, having been turned away from him. A pink sponge was held in his hand, and he noticed that Nora had forgotten to pull her pink towel off the rack, where it hung. The tattoo was kick-ass though.

'Woah, that looks really well-made.'

"H-hey, Jaune."

The voice wasn't as calm as it was usually, and the warmth of the water washed over him, as he grabbed the soap and started to lather up.

"W-why are you up so early?"

'Because I woke up.'

"Thought I'd get a nice shower. That's a nice tattoo you've got there."

Ren didn't turn his head to face him, the muscles below the skin making the tattoo twist a little, the singular streak of pink bobbing slowly, the water still brushing over it.

"A-ah... I didn't w-want to show you. I don't want you to... judge me."

There was emotion in his teammate's voice, Jaune standing closer to the spray, washing the soap off. "It's... It shows what I am." The dragon looked kick-ass, as he applied the sponge to Ren's back, the muscles tensing up.

"Nora always washes my back but-"

The door opened up, Nora bouncing in with some enthusiasm.

'Oh, maybe that's why I woke up so early. Nora must've been making sounds.'

"Rennie, I got the shampoo for your hair!"

Nora peeked in through the counter, her eyes going wide... and looking down at him. At a specific part of his body, with eyes that looked... intrigued.

"Ooh! Hidden shower encounter between the boss man and our cute Rennie! Awww! It's just like Samosuke and Hiroshi!"

"NORA!"

Ren's voice was higher in pitch, embarrassment through it. Jaune thought they were both guy names from Mistral, but Nora's shark-like grin showed clearly her feelings on the subject.

"Oh... Enjoy your shower with my Rennie, Glorious Leader. Don't make too much noise... Pyrrha still sleeps."

He snorted, as she held out the bottle. He grabbed it and started to do the hair of his best male teammate, starting to rub the shampoo into the soft locks. It wasn't gay to do something like this, of course. He was just helping out a teammate.

"Tell him about the tattoo, Ren. He's a good one."

Ren's head turned softly and a smile came onto the stoic face, as Jaune continued to massage the hair. He was a bit jealous. Ren could have his hair in all sorts of elaborate styles if he wanted, but the muscles...

Ren exhaled softly, and a numbness seemed to flow through Jaune as well as the Semblance activated. He continued, before adding some of the shampoo to his own hair. It smelled nice and lotus-scented.

"I am Yakuza. It is..."

Ren paused, leaning against the wall, hands pushing away. Jaune saw the dragon tattoo move a little, almost slithering over the skin, though it was an optical illusion.

"It is organized crime, Jaune. I've killed people, just to make sure that we had the money to go to a Combat School."

He couldn't stop himself from feeling the urge to hug his teammate. He did. Ren's abdominal muscles tensed as he hugged his teammate and hopefully good friend from behind.

"You're my friend, Ren. We might've only known each other for a few weeks, but you're one of the first friends that I've had."

He'd never been really popular with people, except those that wanted to go look at his sisters. Ren stiffened a little at the contact, as Jaune's arms fit around the middle, a soft exhale coming from Ren's lips as the Semblance cut off.

"I'm glad you can accept it, Jaune. Pyrrha would be cautious, Mistralians don't really like the organized crime, even though they make use of it. We've been trying so hard to keep it a secret. A criminal wouldn't get accepted into Beacon easily, especially if you're the Aka Ryuu."

The name said nothing to him, as he smiled at his friend's back.

"Pyrrha will accept you, no matter what. She's a wonderful teammate and a great partner, Nora and you are great as well."

A soft mirthless laugh, coming from Ren's lips. The water streamed down and for a moment, Jaune could see something in those pink eyes as Ren looked into his eyes, a side-way glance that looked serious.

"Your sister asked us whether you've been abused by your father."

The thought was unpleasant. Dad was rough and gave him a smack to his bottom, maybe throwing him around a bit, but there hadn't been permanent damage.

"Yeah, he's not the best when it comes to me. He gets really angry when he's confronted with something that doesn't go as he wanted. Mom doesn't really interfere, and..."

It wasn't nice to be unable to sit for a few days. It hurt because his father's hands were big..

"Nora was nearly raped once. I killed all of them. They were going to rape her and I stabbed and smashed and broke them."

The admission from his teammate and friend was soft, and Jaune caught the sight of pink eyes looking to the shower wall, fists against the wall. "I said to myself that I'd never let it come to that again."

"You really love her, don't you?" He could respect that. Nora was a great girl and perhaps he should just make her stop the constant teasing about sex. Couples should be together.

"I do. I know that it's not okay to say it aloud given what I am, but she's all that I have. She's all that I needed, after some bad things happened."

There was a gloomy cast to his friend's face, as the water washed down, slowly whirling down into the drain. It didn't feel odd to give another squeezing hug to his friend. It was just what friends did.

"I'll make sure to be the best leader you can have."

He saw Ren smile at that, the thoughts coming to his mind about the question asked. Dad hadn't been a pleasant person, but he'd made sure that they had food on the table. He'd tried his best and had punished him when he'd been too bold about his dreams of becoming a Huntsman.

'Why would Saphron ask that? Something must've happened in Argus.'

"That's a nice sentiment, Jaune. Have you ever..." Ren blushed a little red, more emotion on his face than before.

"Have you ever had sex with someone in the... exit hole?"

He felt awkward. Was Ren asking him whether he'd done... something like that with someone? Or was he asking whether he liked to receive?

"No, I never really thought about it."

It was a topic that made him feel a little uncomfortable. Ren couldn't be gay, could he?

'Not that it matters, but...'

The tattoo stood out, as Ren seemed to be flushed, still turned away. His eyes rested on a behind that looked fine, and he didn't stay there for too long. In that way laid gayness.

"O-oh, that's good."

He felt decidedly uncomfortable now. He knew that Ren was still Ren, Nora's best friend and...

"It's not proper and..."Ren turned away, his ears a little red. "Ever since Nora was... I thought I'd ask. I wouldn't have wanted you to be... hurt, like that. With your father, I mean."

'Oh, he'd been talking about abuse...'

That made him feel a little bad about going to the worst conclusion immediately.

Ren was a good guy, concerned. "No, nothing like that. Dad only punished me when I was acting out. I've only had sex with two people." Mama and Weiss, and Weiss was by far his most regular partner. The thought of the girl made him feel a flash of arousal, Ren stiffening.

"It's... hitting my butt."

An uncomfortable moment, as he took a step back.

"Yeah, eh... sorry dude. I was just thinking about, eh, yeah. Sex, you know. Well, I better go and get myself ready for today... I'll see you in a bit. Thank you for trusting me with that, it feels great to have someone who cares."

Ren grabbed the sponge and started to wash his legs. Jaune turned away and went for the towels. He wasn't going to check out his teammate's ass. Nope.

Nora looked at him with bright and sparkly eyes. "Ooh! Ooh! Is my dear Rennie still intact? Have you destroyed that tight hole with your rampaging masculinity, dear leader?" He looked at the girl as he pulled a freshly laundered set of clothing on, feeling much better. For some reason, the other members of the team laundered theirs at the same time, probably due to Mistralian fabric being different. He'd heard that a washing machine would break if one used the wrong soaps or something from Saphron, whose dress had been ruined once.

"No, but Ren told me about being... Well, the tattoo. I'm sorry that something like that happened." Nora looked serious, as she looked at her. "It's nice though that you two are together."

"We're not together-together, silly. We're best friends! We do share a lot though... ooh, and Rennie has the best longest sexiest hair. You've seen it, haven't you?"

He had. It wasn't much different from most of his sisters' hair, on the first glance.

"Yeah, he's a cool guy."

Nora smiled broadly, as she helped him with his clothes. She was direct, her hands helping him with getting everything into place.

"Don't tell Pyrrha. She's not going to want to associate with us when the past comes to call." Nora looked serious, as she had a bitter smile on her lips.

"It's... It's still incredible that we're actually on a team with the Pyrrha Nikos and you, y'know? You're not much yet, but I know... I know a bastard when I see one. You're not one."

He smiled softly at her words. "My parents were happily married. Are happily married, I'd imagine. Not that I'd like to know." She punched his side with her knuckles, his Aura flickering once.

"Hush. You tucked me in when I was sleeping and vulnerable. A guy like you, in a room with a pair of hot girls at your disposal... That jerk Cardin would've taken a grope, but you just made sure that I was alright. Rennie and I usually sleep together, so sleeping in a bed is... different."

She looked tense, as Ren joined once more, the clothing that he wore fitting his body. It was normal now, if he wanted to hide the tattoo that he'd gotten.

"You were right, Nora."

His other male teammate said, as he smiled at his friend.

"He's not someone who would be taking advantage of us."

Nora looked at him with her eyes, as the dorm door opened and Pyrrha walked in, drowsy-faced still, her arm laden with the laundry basket.

"Ooh! The washes! Is my lingerie okay?"

Pyrrha snapped aware and she flushed. "It's very skimpy." Nora grinned and Jaune shared a look with Ren. "Why is the white one marked as special laundry?"

"Oh, that's just a little joke! It's for special service! We need to give our glorious leader some action! Boobies bounce, titties titillate... JNPR is going to propagate!" He blinked at the excitement that she showed and he watched Pyrrha turn redder in the face, her eyes looking away from the excitable ginger girl.

"Well... I guess it'd be okay to eh... do some more exercises?"

Everyone didn't look at him. They were busy looking at the laundry.

"What? I need to get more stamina! We should hit the gym after classes are done today!"

Nora smiled and patted Pyrrha's shoulder, whispering something in Mistralian in Pyrrha's ear, the redhead looking at him and staring with her mouth falling open. She looked scandalized, so it must've been something dirty and girly.

He wasn't quite sure what that was about, but Pyrrha's eyes were looking at his chest. He really should hit the gym a little faster... Maybe the magic inside him could help a little with keeping the stamina up?

If it could heal a busted up arm, perhaps it could help his muscles grow. Pyrrha surely would be able to help a little with that...

'And perhaps...'

She was his partner, after all. Mama had said that he had to find someone who he could control and command...

'Perhaps she will be a good person to ensure the loyalty of.'

---

Ren's a Yakuza! THE BIG SECRET UNVEILED!

They had to do some grim stuff in order to survive. Of course, you're not going to be taking a shower with the whole symbol of organized crime on your back around people you don't trust, you can only trust your girlfriend around you. Pyrrha would just go 'Shit, I know that symbol!'. Yakuza tend to be wearing mostly stuff that covers the tattoos, so there's that bit of shame that features about being a criminal and being around teammates that seem like genuinely good people.

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