Hark, doth mine eyes deceive me? A Tuesday chapter?
Why yes my strange, time traveling reader, a Tuesday chapter indeed! And in this economy no less!
I don't know where I'm going with this bit. It's hot, I'm sleepy, and I'm fairly certain my car could cook an entire rack of ribs in seconds.
Hooray summer!
The plan had too many holes. A fishing net plot, that was what Blake had heard them called once. Ideas that fell apart the second you put them to scrutiny.
Would robbing the storehouse of food change much?
No, not really. Sooner or later what they took would run out and people would be back to square one. Lack of food. No equality. And the city's guard would be on higher alert around the clock. Slavery would continue. Indentured servitude would continue. That inherent knowledge that nothing would change, just as nothing ever changed when she acted, bothered Blake just as much as it ever did.
But they had to do something. Even when she pointed that out to Sun he gave his blessings - she didn't need them, she'd act with or without his cell - and offered whatever help he could.
"You'll only get in the way."
He had taken that in stride, laughing and acknowledging as much. Too easy going. Too friendly. As standoffish and difficult as a man like Manon could be, she preferred their ilk; people who let you know upfront who they were and what they thought of you. If Sun truly led these people, then Sienna had either gone insane, a possibility, or just didn't care about Pradalia.
With her back pressed against a chimney Blake eased out and peered across the rooftops. No guards to watch her race across them, thankfully. The flatter roofs made traversal easy. Her smothering black attire against the bleached white stone made her stand out, a blight on a brilliant pale backdrop. People didn't look up though she knew and as she darted from building to building no one made a cry of alarm. Forty-five degrees. Most people's field of vision didn't move beyond that. So long as she kept out of view, and didn't cast any shadows on the streets below, she would be fine.
Speaking of which… Blake eyed a drooping willow at the street below, traced the shadows to discern the distance, how much magic she might need. Amber eyes twinkled over her scarf and she nodded to herself, willing magic to coalesce around her.
No one noticed as a plume of smoke appeared on a rooftop and reformed in the boughs of the tree. A moment later when she emerged, her black cloak exchanged for one of blood red, hardly anyone bat an eye as she joined the crowds moving along the streets. Aside from the cloak her dirty peplos made her blend in with others like her.
Faunus. Each bearing filthy clothes, faces spattered with dust and dirt, grime and sweat. She hoped the soil smeared on her face would help her match.
A few city guards spotted her cloak and called to her. Frowning, she lowered her head and answered them by shuffling forwards, feigning a limp and bowing her head.
A spear haft slammed into the ground at her feet, a not-so-silent gesture to stop. "You? Who is your house?"
"Iona, sir."
The guard looked her up and down, studied her. The spear haft lifted her chin and he studied her face. Her chest. Blake willed her hands to remain limp at her sides as he licked his lips, turned her head and hummed appreciatively.
"They treat theirs well, don't they? You've filled out nicely."
Calm. Breathe. Blake turned her eyes downward and swallowed. "Please, sir, I'm just trying to get water from the wells."
"Water, eh? Going to wash the filth off?" His companions chuckled and Blake inhaled sharply. "That's a nice cloak, doúlos. Steal it from someone?"
"Please sir, I just need to get water." Terror didn't make her voice tremble but Blake let the guards believe it. She hunched her shoulders and drew Ruby's cloak tighter around herself, didn't fight back as the guard made her look up again.
"Hurry along then. And don't get your master's cloak dirty. Such finery is wasted on animals."
Laughter. Laughter from the guards, from a few passing citizens. Blake glanced behind herself and clenched her jaw as children, children laughed at her. Called her names that any parent should be horrified to hear pass a youth's lips. Might be horrified if they weren't standing right beside their child repeating them.
A look of sympathy from another servant. Downcast, defeated stares from others, a silent shake of a head.
Don't fight back. Don't make it harder. Don't make trouble for yourself.
For us.
Blake hobbled away with laughter pursuing her the whole way. Kept her head down as they called her unclean. Animal. Untouched.
A stone struck her back and she hissed, lowered her head and continued up the road. Cursed the people mocking her, her apparent station…
Then smiled.
Four guards stationed outside of the storehouse. That spoke to how little they considered the Faunus there a threat. How certain they were they had beaten down the city's servant class.
And maybe they were right. She had seen the dejected faces of those walking the streets and toiling in the yards. Once hopelessness set in, people stopped fighting back. Stopped caring. Even if their lives were miserable at least they were stable; people liked certainty. Comfort, familiarity. If that came from a cruel hand it still felt better than the unknown for some.
Blake couldn't fault these people, her people, for feeling that way. But she could curse the men outside the storehouse that reveled in tormenting her. She wouldn't kill them during the raid, she considered herself better than that.
But a small cut or two would be fine.
Not just for herself. She had been called far worse, had endured far worse, than to care about those people she left behind. But for the Faunus in the city she would gladly bloody her blade a little, if only to remind them that they weren't invincible or above reproach.
Her feet froze before the rest of her did, eyes widening as she stared at her feet.
Hurt them… And then what? Even if they weren't White Fang she knew other Faunus would be punished for their actions. Understood that her own selfish wish to inflict harm wouldn't change anything.
Killing people wasn't her, wasn't how she operated. Not anymore. She'd leave that to monsters like Adam. She would leave no traces that night then, infiltrate the building and abscond with as many crates as her magic could transport before anyone knew what had happened. With no explanation as to where it went the city guard would be in turmoil, scrambling to explain just what had happened. Between that and Yang's surprise she would have enough to soothe her anger. It would have to be enough.
Someone bumped into her, called her a name and spit on Ruby's cloak. Glaring, she caught the man's wrist and slammed the heel of her hand into his jaw, vanishing in a swirl of smoke before the man had hit the ground.
In the shade of another tree she reappeared, smiling to herself as she listened to the man cursing, stealing a glance from the canopy to watch him howl at people around him, searching for whoever had struck him. Blake chuckled and stuck out her tongue, ears twitching in amusement.
"You're having fun."
Her ears snapped around and her head followed suit. Narrowing her eyes at Sun she stalked over to him and snatched the clothing out of his outstretched hands. "Considering how they all spoke about us, that's the least I could do."
Sun stepped in behind her and put his back to her, folding his arms as she began to change back into her regular clothing. "Sure, but it didn't help anything, did it?"
"Lecturing me? Please." Blake shrugged off the peplos and threw it down the alley. On with her undershirt first, then her tunic. A leather belt fixed it into place around her waist, her trousers fastened down with another. "Aren't you supposed to be in the White Fang?" she asked as she slipped on her fingerless gloves.
"I am, but we're not monsters."
"Sure." Blake slipped her feet into her boots and wriggled her toes inside the cool leather. "You follow Sienna Khan, you're hardly a saint."
"That crazy lady? Nah." Blake raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Seriously, we don't. Me and my crew never have," Sun insisted. Giving him a pointed stare he held up his hands, making sure she had clothed herself before following her down the alleyway.
"But you're White Fang?"
"Well yeah, but there's more than one kind of White Fang. Not all of us are total psychopaths, you know. We follow a different school of it!"
Schools? "I was unaware the White Fang had subsets," she mumbled, slipping past crates and stepping over a sleeping man, nostrils burning at his stench.
"Well it doesn't exactly but everyone's got different ideas of how to run things, you know? Some of us think killing folks is the way to go. They're wrong," Sun added, "Before you start wondering which one I'm siding with. I prefer doing things the old fashioned way!" He leaped over the crates and fell into step beside her, folding his hands behind his head as he walked.
"An 'old fashioned way'?" Blake asked.
"Yeah! Do things a little more peaceful! Protests, trying to support folks just by stealing some food here and there, try and find them better housing. Get 'em out of the city if it's real bad." Sun beamed proudly. "We'll fight back if we're attacked, obviously, but it's never the first step. Kill 'em with kindness, I say! And… Maybe bruise em if they're real jerks."
"Admirable," she laughed, and she meant it. Not pacifism but close enough to it that it felt refreshing to hear. A bygone approach to equality. "Does this 'school' of yours have a name? A… Teacher?"
The sun returned as they passed into a quieter street, one cramped between buildings and littered with trash and waste. Blake pulled her hood up despite every visible face belonging to a Faunus. Her eyes passed over them as she and Sun traveled along, ignoring the pleas for Lien every time someone called. Her empty pockets wouldn't help them, nor would any Lien if she had it. The two- and three-story buildings here blot out the sun and left the filthy passage in a state of dusk, and even the cooling, fresh winds from the ocean seemed to be absent there, rendering the corridor stiflingly hot.
Admittedly, wearing all black probably didn't help that much.
"Uh, not a name! Never really named it. Doesn't have a teacher either, but…" Sun paused briefly and tapped his chin, staring up at the distant blue sky above them. "Well, I guess it's from a guy in Vale. Used to be a pretty big shot there too, in the whole Fang really."
Vale. Blake nodded once. "I see. And did this 'guy' have a name?"
"Oh yeah! Uh, well he had a name, but I forget what his name was. First name! I know the last one though." Sun laughed. "Belladonna, I think. He had a great way of looking at things, I think. Way better than whatever Sienna's got going now."
The words spat at her earlier rolled off her easily as a breeze. Hearing that name felt like a dagger buried in her breast. Blake grabbed her shirt and closed her eyes, exhaling shakily before allowing herself a smile. Well dad, looks like you're famous. You'd probably be horrified to hear it though.
"Oh, by the way!" Sun nudged her and tilted his head back the way they had come. "The plan still gonna work? Seems doable?"
Blake eased her hood back just a bit and let Sun see her face. Study her if he wanted. He lived in Mistral, fought here, and probably had never set foot in Vale. Even if he'd been a member of the movement back then he'd never have met Ghira or Kali in person, just as she'd never met Sienna. So when no flicker of recognition appeared she counted it fortunate, expected, nodding and smirking as she eased her hood back into place.
"Doable? I've had tougher fights in my sleep," she answered, winking before continuing on. "I'll still bring Silva as a lookout but we should be fine. Those guards won't give us any trouble."
"For real? Your magic must be pretty crazy, huh?"
Blake hummed to herself. "I suppose it could be." Her eyes slid to the corners and her lips quirked upward just a bit. "Care to find out?"
"Wait, you can show me? I mean I've kinda seen it before, but it just looked all… Poofy." Sun glanced down as she took his hand, raising an eyebrow in question. "Uh…?"
"Hold on and whatever you do, don't let go." Blake grinned and let her magic begin to dance around them. "Oh, and if you feel like you're going to vomit, please do turn your head away from me."
"What are you -" Sun began, his voice cut off as the world vanished around them in a blink.
To her it felt as natural as breathing. In and out, gone from the world one second and back the next. Her feet hit the soft grass beneath them and she preemptively released her hand, stepping back and tilting her head as she watched Sun turn from pale to green.
And promptly folded her ears shut when he rushed over to a barrel.
One of these days I'll find someone who can stomach that. She watched Sun lean into the container and frowned. Did she just make a pun? Oh gods… Yang, this is your fault.
/+/+/+/+/+/
When they reconvened later the sky had turned a dark, soft red, the daylight making way for the starry night sky. Above them Pradalia had already begun to give itself to the shadows. Inside the cave, beyond the few standing torches they had erected, the entire space assumed a chilled darkness. Not suffocating strangely enough. As Blake returned and heard the sound of a mother singing to her children, and listened to others playing in the pool at the head of the cave, the lack of light had never felt warmer.
Relaxing, welcoming, but distant. They had a long night of planning ahead of them and too much preparation to enjoy it.
The cave wouldn't work as a hub for Faunus refugees. Sooner or later guards would find the tunnel they had taken inside. The waterfall that crashed through the open roof above provided plenty of opportunity for a wandering Hunter to stumble across them. These people would have to be moved again, hidden elsewhere, perhaps even outside of the city.
Sun had already directed Manon to burrow another tunnel to the city's limits, and considering Blake saw no trace of the man still she could only assume he still labored to finish his task.
Housing would be their responsibility. Sun had assured her that they only needed to help secure food and he would see to the rest. Given they had no knowledge of Pradalia or the surrounding area they had little choice but to trust him. And given that they seemed to be a less radicalized White Fang cell Blake figured they could cooperate together.
To no end but to assuage her own misgivings and guilt. This impromptu mission of theirs had come about on a whim, borne of her need to help her kind whenever and wherever if given a chance. If Yang and Ruby protested they kept it to themselves.
Hells, they had taken to their assigned roles with a gusto. Yang seemed more than happy to assist in planning, eager to provide whatever assistance she could.
Children squealed and Blake paused, smiling as she watched children flee from the pool with Ruby hot on their heels. Even crippled without her magic she could catch the kids easily but she kept well back, arms outstretched as she growled and nipped at the air. Harmless fun, the sort that the children so desperately needed at that moment. The kind they all needed if she were honest.
When Sun returned not long after they gathered to go over the plan once last time. Considering she had the easiest part, if not the most taxing, Blake felt little need to repeat herself. Create a link between the cave and the warehouse and let her magic flow, connecting them and allowing her to abscond with as much food as they might need. Although she'd never used Shadow Walking for theft she had transported people, and a living being was harder to move than a flimsy box of wheat and fruit. At least Blake hoped so.
Which left Yang's part of the plan. Underwhelming but necessary, Yang would linger outside of the warehouse and be ready to cause a distraction if need be. Sun too, although without knowing his magic - he hadn't told them if he even possessed a kernel of it - Yang's magic would be all they had.
No fires or burning buildings like Blake had initially proposed. A proposal that in hindsight had been stupid. Dangerously so. A fire in the city could spread and endanger the very people they intended to save.
No burning then, as eager as Yang had seemed.
All said, that left Ruby to remain with the civilians and keep an eye over them. While they doubted there would be any trouble having someone capable of fighting would be useful, magic or no. And to Blake's shock Sun revealed that only he himself, Manon, and Silva were trained for combat, the others of their group serving as extra bodies to help around.
While not her scythe Ruby looked to be content with the staff given to her by Sun. Thrilled even as she twirled it during their meeting, testing its weight and muttering not-so-quietly to herself about potential modifications she could make to it. The 'add a scythe head to the stick' modifications Yang mused, grinning when her sister flushed at being so accurately read.
That would be that. Blake would ferry away goods while everyone else would be on standby, ready to spring in to action if something went wrong. In theory the job couldn't be simpler; create a door and push boxes through.
The simplest plans always had the highest likelihood of blowing up in her face though, Blake had found.
So she considered contingencies. What she might do if confronted by the guards, or if some of the crates were already moved, or the food inside of them no good. Whether or not they might encounter someone from the Church from her expending so much magic.
Oh, and how much she might take some for herself and her friends.
Sure, the mission they had set out on would be done for the benefit of the Faunus in Pradalia. They needed food too though, and they had no Lien thanks to their ship sinking. Assuming Sun hadn't scoped out the warehouse and counted the crates she doubted he would notice one or two missing.
With everyone's roles given and their plans set there would be little to do but wait until nightfall. The guards would change shifts and Blake would use that opportunity to slip inside, locate the goods and begin to sequester them away. Once they had that, and once Weiss finally decided to join them in the city along with Qrow, they could set out into Mistral. To what end she didn't know; none of them seemed to have an idea of what to do next. Secure help for Ruby and Yang, help Weiss sort out her own issues.
Amusingly, in a sordid way, Blake counted herself among the only member of the girls not with an immediate pressing issue to address. Nothing to weigh her down and make it feel like an axe hovered over her neck.
Meaning she could focus on helping them too while she was at it. While Ruby played and the rest of the Faunus relaxed she grabbed Yang's hand before she could wander off, dragging her away from the group and into a cool, dark corner of the cavern. With a finger to her lips Blake made certain they were well and alone before she spoke, and even then kept her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yang, there's something you need to know about this cave."
"What, that hoarding loads of food and people in it is dumb?"
Yes, but not what she had wanted to say. Blake nodded slightly towards the rock wall behind her as she released Yang's hand, making a show to fold her arms and casually lean back against it. "Check the stone here."
Confused but willing Yang only nodded before approaching the wall. With nothing to break away stone she accepted one of her daggers, using the blade to drive into a cracked surface. Sparks shone and Blake winced, shaking her head and making a soft sound she hoped resembled an explosion. Enough for Yang to appreciate the danger as she used the handle of the dagger instead, sparing one of Blake's two weapons an unceremonious end.
The small gemstone encased in rock sparkled like an emerald but thrummed with life. Even though she didn't hold it herself Blake could detect the lingering magic within, licking her lips as she watched Yang turn it over in her palm and study it.
"Dust?"
A small nod. It could be small pockets or the entire cavern. They could have just struck lucky and found a few scattered pieces. Either way they had a small supply of Dust just waiting to be taken. Blake arched an eyebrow and gestured to Ruby; her point made clear. Yang's eyes widened and she turned to go to her sister but jolted to a stop, frowning and clenching her fingers around the stone, concealing the faint green glow.
"How much?"
"I don't know." Blake looked around the room lazily, scratched at one ear and sniffed. "Could be just that and the stalagmite by the entrance, could be the entire place."
Yang whistled and pocketed her prize. "Do you think they know?"
She doubted it. If Sun had any clue about what laid in the cave his approach to things might change quite a bit. Adam and his likeminded allies had developed a fondness of utilizing Dust as explosives. Blake supposed she counted it fortunate they didn't realize the stones served as a substitute for magic, that even the most mundane, unassuming White Fang grunt might become lethal if given a single piece.
His loss would be their gain though.
"Let's give Ruby some. See if she can't figure out how to burn it," Blake said. "We'll still help her get her magic back, don't worry, but she'll be better able to protect everyone here if she can use magic. Even a copy of it."
"Right. So, basically Weiss' proposal then, eh?"
"I, well, yes I suppose it is. I just figured she might like a chance to have magic again, even if temporarily."
"I getcha. And I guess it's not the worst thing in the world. I mean, magic is magic at the end of the day, yeah?" Yang pawed at the stone in her pocket then snorted. "Those kids are gonna hate you, ya know." Blake tilted her head and Yang grinned. "They think it's hard to get away from her now? Wait until she's flying around with magic again."
/+/+/+/+/+/
By the time Weiss and Qrow arrived in Pradalia the sky had been painted with honey, streaks of cherry red and hints of orange zest sprinkled in between. The analogy made her stomach growl as their ship docked and the hunger continued to harry her as they disembarked, taking with them two leather bags with their meager possessions. The crewmen sent to ferry them ashore didn't bother to offer help and Weiss didn't ask either. Equally glad to be rid of one another she and Qrow climbed onto the docks and left without so much as a word edgewise, joining lingering fishermen and sailors on the darkening waterfront.
Leaving the Maiden had taken longer than Weiss would have liked. It had been wonderfully awkward to wait for Rhodes to gather the documents she'd demanded, to have supplies delivered, and for a ship to be arranged. After the scuffle she had imagined she and Qrow would storm off the ship with their heads high and dignity intact.
Instead, they had to endure four hours of waiting, sequestered away in what had been the girls' room to avoid further confrontation. Only when they were summoned by the same bearded man whose face Weiss had clawed at did they leave, all too happy to be rid of the place.
Considering Rhodes didn't bother to see them off she assumed it had been a mutual feeling.
Shifting the bag slung over her shoulder Weiss kept right on Qrow's heels as they entered Pradalia. From the sprawling docks to the terraced city streets rising up before them it turned out to be much larger than she had anticipated. Busy too even at this hour. With the sun lingering on the horizon residents milled about, gathering outside of shops and taverns for drink, food, and company. The peculiar state of dress - Weiss swore they were wearing bathing robes and nothing more - were hardly the only unusual things about the new locale.
Everyone walked around barefoot for starters, or near everyone. In Vale that would be a great way to get a discarded nail through the foot or a smattering of dung on your soles. Here, no one batted an eye about it. In Vale where women wore closed dresses and tunics, here they sported loose, flowing garments that looked more like a curtain than proper attire.
Not that Weiss had ever considered herself overly prudish, but this seemed a bit much.
And the smells. Gods, the smells. A symphony of scents that she had never experienced before assaulted them as they walked up the paved brick road; smoothly paved, almost pristine and easy footing. Nothing like the rutted, cobbled roads that littered Vale.
Meats sizzled over open fires, vegetables skewered on sticks roasted, skins turned a light golden brown. Dishes Weiss couldn't begin to explain beckoned to her, the salty, savory, sweet, and spicy odors making her stomach do flips. Her hunger almost had her running to the nearest vendor and wolfing down whatever she could get her hands on. The paltry sum of Lien they had been given, money specifically for more supplies, refused to be spent.
More pressing than their lack of food, however, was the fact they had no idea where the rest of their group went. No welcoming party at the docks and as they continued their climb into the city no hints of what inn they might be staying at.
Weiss brought up the issue again with Qrow and had to try hard not to balk at his blasé response of, "If we can't find them, they'll find us."
Not exactly the best way of approaching things. Weiss figured they could at least stop somewhere and ask someone if they had seen them or check each inn they passed until they happened upon them. Qrow waved the idea off by claiming asking around too much would draw attention to them. Better to let happenstance lead them to each other again.
"Because our luck has been phenomenal thus far," Weiss grumbled. While they took a brief respite at one of the city's many fountains she rubbed the soles of her feet, clicking her tongue as water sprayed her back. "Have you given any other thought to how we're going to accomplish our other goal?"
Qrow, slouched beside her and electing to remain standing, bobbed his head. "Got some idea, sure. Short of throwing spells around it'll be tough to find a Hunter, unless we go straight to the source, that is."
"Storming their headquarters in the city is out of the question." Qrow nodded again, as though her statement hadn't been the most obvious thing in the world. Weiss chewed on her thumbnail. "So, barring that, we need a way to find a means to track a Hunter down without using magic, and without exposing ourselves to the city's entire force."
"And I've got just a way to do it."
Weiss felt relieved until she saw the twisted grin on Qrow's face. The same sort of grin that she had seen Yang wear before leaping off a bridge into raging rapids, or Ruby sport as she tried, and failed, to ride a sow like a steed.
"No." Weiss didn't know what Qrow had in mind, only that she wanted nothing to do with it. When he chuckled and began to stroll away she jumped to her feet, grabbed her bag, and took off after him. "No," she repeated, hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Whatever you have planned we'll think of something else." Anything else.
Qrow walked with the swagger of a certain man, one not plotting to do something wholly asinine and ludicrous. Weiss could only hurry after him and glare at his back as they walked. Tugging on his shirt to try and stop him only brought a crooked smile and bemused stare her way, winking before he continued on his merry way.
Right through a street lined with stalls closing up for the evening, past another plaza with twin warriors providing an eternal vigil over loiterers and drunkards passed out from an early evening's binge.
Weiss knew things were heading south the moment she began to hear the raucous, telltale signs of a bustling tavern. By the time they reached it she stopped herself in the middle of the street and stared, defeated, at the three-story building awaiting them. Staggered like a staircase, the building of pure white stone rose out of the sloping hills, its rooftops covered with layers of thin, billowing cloth dyed a rainbow of colors. Outside of the building people gathered around with mugs and glasses full of liquor, languishing in the humid air, commiserating over work, their marriages, and whatever other inane day-to-day quibbles they could think of.
The hearty plink of a lute echoed from inside and Weiss fought the urge to plug her ears, drawing up her hood… Only to remember she did not have a cloak either. Qrow lingered at the threshold and grinned at her, challenging with a slight tilt of his head. She could stay outside and let him handle this on his own or go inside with him and bear witness to the plan. Let Qrow go somewhere alone with alcohol…
Weiss let out a groan and stormed after him, slipping past a stumbling pair dancing to the music. Ducking beneath the ocean blue cloth that served as a door she stepped inside and had to stop breathing to keep from gagging.
Sweat, the burning, acrid stench of ale, and other bodily smells Weiss couldn't begin to name assaulted her. The building itself looked to be fine, with clean hardwood floors and spotless pale brick walls. The tables reflected hanging chandeliers and the barmaids didn't resemble women of the night, clean and well dressed. The few glimpses of food Weiss spotted confirmed it would be edible, and likely delicious. No, the nauseating smell came from the sheer volume of bodies packed into the building.
From the tables packed to excess with people, bodies pressed snug together to form walls of flesh. Almost every foot of space available had been taken up and the barmaids slid and scooted between patrons with practiced ease, balancing trays teetering with drinks and food with admirable deftness.
The stairs were overflowing with people too. Workers who couldn't find a table and instead took to leaning on bannisters while they dined or sitting on the steps. Weiss marveled at how anyone could manage to sit in such a place and not be disgusted. Maybe everyone present was just too deep in their cups to notice, the staff too accustomed to it to be bothered. She could not imagine herself ever becoming numb to such a galling place.
Her pleading look to Qrow went ignored as he sauntered in further, clapping complete strangers on the back and grinning broadly. Left to either linger at the door or step outside Weiss groaned and followed him, ducking and weaving to avoid everyone else around them.
Although the bar itself had no space Qrow still managed to secure himself a spot along it, squeezing between patrons and flagging down one of the harried barkeeps. After a few quick words and some Lien he stepped back and joined her in the crowd, thrusting a chilled, metal mug into her hands, slick with condensation and almost overflowing with a bubbling, foaming liquid.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Qrow winked and raised his glass. "Even Hunters need to unwind from time to time, kiddo. Especially Hunters," he clarified, offering a toast then shrugging when she refused. "They'll want a nice place, and despite this one being a clusterfuck it's nice enough." She strained to keep listening over the voices and music, stepping closer and craning her neck as if it'd help. "Let's wait here a bit and see if anyone comes in. If not," Qrow took a swig and chuckled. "We'll try another one."
"Your plan is tavern hopping?!" Weiss screeched. "That's not a plan, you oaf!"
"If you've got a better one then I'm listening."
Weiss opened her mouth to retort, swallowed it, then scowled into her drink. The pungent, bitter flavor left her sputtering as she almost gagged, grateful for a change to have no food in her stomach. With watering eyes she glared at Qrow, trying and failing to stomp on his foot and succeeding in only spilling ale on her hand. While flicking it off she wondered if she should just go off on her own, try and find a Hunter some other way.
Except then they would be even more divided. Like it or not too she needed Qrow with her to keep the Warden's mark from acting up, to keep Salem from getting in. So, as much as she loathed this plan, if she could even call it that, Weiss remained firmly planted where she stood.
Silent, and raging inside as she watched Qrow begin to chat with other patrons, drinking and making himself at home in no time at all. Perfectly content to make himself known to these people. All while a pouty halfling girl with snow white hair and an oversized bag stood at his side, wishing she could be anywhere but there.
No one will ever guess the name of the next chapter. No one. My machinations are absolute and I have successfully duped you all.
Thanks for reading as always. Stay cool, stay safe, and beware spindly bird-men that want to take you into stuffy bars!