It's me. Ya chapter.

Cover Art: JustFun101

Chapter 19

One speech, two expulsions and six suspensions.

It was more than Adam had expected, and more than he'd ever cared to imagine might be warranted, not only for a faunus but for him specifically. He wasn't sure if it was the recent revelations over his feelings for Blake leaving him in a state of shock or not, but when Ozpin announced it to him in the privacy of his office, Adam's legs wavered.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Ozpin asked, visibly confused. The headmaster was particularly ruffled today, his mug settling down just a little harder on the desk and his eyes sharp. Adam and his team hadn't been present for the speech delivered to the school – to hear it from Pyrrha, it had been ripping into everyone for their short-sighted ideals. Doctor Oobleck had told them they didn't need to attend as it would be pointless for them to feel guilty over something they were the victims of.

One thing was clear; the headmaster hadn't pulled any punches. The whole school was quiet and introspective, guiltily moving around through the day with nary a peep. Such indiscriminate lashings felt unfair to the faunus and those who sympathised, but Adam could understand it was as much for them as the racists. They also had to know someone was standing up for them.

Was this Ozpin's way of ensuring his loyalty, by making a show when the tide turned against him and winning him over? His jaded and paranoid heart said yes, but his instincts suggested otherwise. It was hard to fake the kind of indignant rage shown on Ozpin's face.

"Why expel the perpetrators?" Ozpin asked. "An example had to be made. No, that suggests they weren't deserving of the punishment. Once I had the team brought to me in private, one of their members was prepared to confess in exchange for a suspension. What he told me left me so disgusted that I had no option but to expel the perpetrators."

"What was it?"

"I cannot say. Confidentiality. I'm sure you understand why I can't inform a student as to my findings into another. Suffice to say you were not their first faunus victim, only the first to sufficiently fight back."

That didn't feel like enough to generate so visceral a response. Adam could only assume the two had targeted faunus in a far more heinous way than they had him, or that they'd even gone so far as to commit hate crimes.

"I suppose it's a good thing they chose to target me."

"No." Ozpin snapped. "No, it is not."

"I didn't mean it that way. Only that I could fight back."

"Even so, Mr Taurus, I will never celebrate one of my students attacking another with the intent to do harm. When I accepted your position here, I did so against the counsel of my fellow professors. Only Doctor Oobleck spoke up for you. I expected, even accepted, that we were placing the other students at risk with your inclusion. It pains me – nay, it angers me – that the opposite has proven true. That somehow it is not a once terrorist causing problems, but our own students."

"Racism is embedded into people when they're young." Adam said. "You can't spot it easily."

"I know. Believe me, I know. That does not make it any easier." The headmaster sighed and sat back in his chair, making the hinges creak as it rocked back. "I feel that I should thank you."

Adam frowned. Thank him? "For what?"

"You have helped expose things about my school that I, that we had all, overlooked. I genuinely believed I'd created an academy where faunus and humans were seen as equal. I truly believed that. Alas, that is not the case. We can begin to address these issues now."

He sounded so upset, so frustrated, that Adam felt compelled to say, "You tried. That's more than many have."

"Thank you for saying that." Ozpin smiled. It was a happy smile, and Adam wasn't sure what to think of it or why he'd felt he had to say something. "I've lived a long life and made many mistakes. It seems this is but one more."

"Don't be pathetic." Ozpin paused, one eyebrow raising at Adam's sudden outburst. "Everyone makes mistakes," Adam continued with a fierce glower. "Babies touch hot things. Kids steal sweets. Adults lie and cheat on one another. Show me one person who hasn't made `many mistakes` in their life and I'll call you a liar. It's acting on them that counts. Learning from them. Fixing them."

"Mr Taurus. Are you trying to comfort me…?"

"If you need the comfort of someone my age, that doesn't say much good about the school."

"Ha!" Ozpin laughed loudly, rocking back and clutching his chest. "I suppose you're right. Thank you for your words either way, I will not wallow in defeat when there is work to be done, of that I can assure you. Thank you again, however. I would rather be disappointed in myself and able to help than blind to the plight of a portion of my students. There will be changes ahead. Believe me on that."

/-/

If there was one small mercy as the day's lessons ended, it was the fact that Yang had managed to stay quiet on their talk the other day. He knew because there was simply no way Ruby or Weiss could have stayed quiet if they heard he'd considered leaving Beacon. Ruby would have gone off like a bomb, probably hunting Blake down and demanding answers. He was grateful for that not only for avoiding a run in with Blake, but also because as much as he appreciated Yang's advice, he didn't want his sordid personal problems bandied around the team.

Being the centre of attention helped keep them occupied anyway. Since the speech had been because of an attack on him – and everyone in Beacon knew it – Team RYST had become minor celebrities within hours. It'd wear off, he was sure, but the girls couldn't so much as enter a room without everyone in it going dead silent.

It was decided therefore, mostly by Yang but with the support of everyone else once they heard, that they should retreat into Vale for a shopping trip. None of them actually needed anything, but at least the average person in the city wasn't going to recognise them, stop and stare. Beacon was such a pain in the ass that even he was eager to get out. If it wasn't humans giving him a wide berth out of fear they might bump into him and get expelled, it was faunus looking at him like he was the second coming of Ghira Belladonna.

In Vale, no one cared for three teens wandering around with a young adult, except for a few young men who gave him jealous looks because of course a guy walking with a bunch of girls just had to be dating them all. Idiots. Somehow still more bearable than panicked students.

"Ahh. Finally." Yang stretched her hands above her head, doing all sorts of interesting things to the guys at the nearby table whose eyes were fixed on her chest. "If I had to deal with one more person clamming up at the sight of me, I'd have gone insane."

"More insane than you already are?"

"Can it, Weiss. Tell me you feel any different."

"You know I don't. Why else would I be here?" Sighing, Weiss prodded at her eye. The bruise had already begun to fade as a result of her strong aura, and the rest had been covered up by makeup she was currently at risk of smearing away with her finger.

"You can't tell," Yang said. "But everyone will if you keep drawing attention to it." Weiss snapped her hand back down. "Better. So, all in favour of camping out here and not going back to Beacon until this all blows over?"

"I wish we could," Ruby said glumly. "I mean, it's good that this is happening…"

"It is good. Definitely good. Guess we just need to put up with the downsides. How long do you think it'll take to blow over?"

"Give it the weekend," Adam said, sipping at his iced tea. The guys were staring again, this time at Yang as she lounged back. If it had been Blake, he might have felt a possessive desire to glare them into submission, but Yang could handle herself. He knew that first-hand. "Everyone is on edge now. One or two days of them realising no one is going to bite their heads off for existing and they'll be back to normal."

"Here's hoping so."

A waiter stepped up and asked if they wanted any more drinks or snacks. The diner was a small one Yang promised served the best ice-creams, and Ruby had certainly shown that with the amount she'd stuffed down. With the hot weather and oncoming festival, they even had a chance to sit outside.

They'd already had their meals; Adam would admit the banana split had been delicious, even if the amount of sugar Ruby and Yang put down would have been enough to induce diabetes.

"Hey…" Yang said suddenly, leering his way with unmistakeable glee. "How about some drinks?"

"I thought we were already drinking."

"Nah. I mean some drinks." Her hand came up, miming taking a shot. "Unless you're a lightweight?"

"You do realise I'm older than you. I've had alcohol before, Yang. Much more than you have given you're seventeen." Even if she'd been drinking since she came of age at sixteen, he had more experience. Most people didn't imagine the White Fang as a frat party, and it really wasn't, but life on the run risking your life could be so damned miserable sometimes that getting drunk was the only way to unwind.

It was also safer to drink beer than water sometimes. Not all streams and rivers were potable, and if you couldn't take the risk of boiling water for fear of detection then alcohol was a good way of ensuring a drink's safety. Obviously, it was discouraged to drink before a raid or battle, though he personally knew that plenty of his recruits would take shots or drinks to fortify themselves. He'd never stopped them. It was a dark person who would risk their life without fear, and he couldn't be the one to tell people how they should handle their own.

"Hey. Looks like we have a pretty confident guy here. Four shots of vodka." The waiter gave Ruby a very pointed look and Yang rolled her eyes. "The fourth is for me to prove I'm better than this guy. Orange juice for her."

The waiter returned quickly enough with five glasses, one much taller and less alcoholic than the rest. Once he was gone, Yang winked and handed one of the tiny glasses to Ruby, who cradled it with nervous excitement.

Poor Ruby. She must have thought it would be delicious, and while plenty of drinks were, shots weren't normally designed for flavour. Adam would have warned her if he wasn't morbidly amused himself. It wasn't like a single shot would be enough to get anyone drunk, anyway. He raised his own to his lips and waited for the signal.

"Bottoms up!"

Bitter and hot, the fiery liquid burned its way down his throat and left his breath roar and tasting of vodka after. Adam put his glass down far more gently than Yang did, while Weiss held her own head back before placing hers down and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Ruby hacked and coughed around her own, gasping in distress as Yang laughed and rubbed her back.

"Ewww! That's nasty!"

"Aww. My little sister is such a trooper. Here, wash it down with your juice."

Adam smothered a laugh – it would have been unfair when she was his partner – and turned away as the fifteen year old guzzled juice like it was going out of fashion. He wasn't surprised Yang knew how to down a shot, but Weiss Schnee? Yang was also staring at her.

"What?" Weiss snapped. "Just because I grew up in the Schnee family, you think I've never tried alcohol? Please. Wine was a staple at dinner and balls since I was twelve, and my sister is in the military. They're not exactly the girl scouts over there."

"Well, well, well, I'm surrounded by veterans," Yang said. "We should all go out sometime."

"No thanks. A drink is one thing, but I really don't like the idea of clubbing. Far too many people in an enclosed space for me. Not to mention sneaking Ruby in would be next to impossible."

"Eh. Shame. How about you, Adam? You ever clubbed?"

"I've been to a rave once or twice."

Yang's jaw dropped open. Not only hers. "You!?" Weiss spluttered. "You… You don't seem the type."

He supposed he didn't. Surly and taciturn at the best of times, always focused on training and fighting. It wasn't always like that, though. Sometimes the White Fang would strike such a big win that even he was caught up in the celebrations. There weren't many clubs on Menagerie, but the beaches were expansive enough that you could light some bonfires, set up a DJ with speakers and party the night away.

No one could party harder than when they'd just come back alive, adrenaline pumping through your body and the death defied against all odds. Drink, drugs and a whole lot of stupidity marked those rare occasions. It was because they were rare that he accepted and took part. "I'm not a stick in the mud all the time. Sometimes I like to let loose."

"The way you say that makes it sound so boring." Yang leaned over to Weiss to whisper, "I bet his idea of `letting loose` is the tamest shit ever. My name is Adam Taurus and today I'm going to hum along to the music. Gasp!"

Weiss smothered a laugh while Ruby, recovered from her shot, giggled openly. Adam let them have it for a moment, but only so he could reap the rewards of bursting Yang's bubble.

"The last time I went to one of those parties, I danced topless in front of a bonfire and auctioned my trousers off for charity."

The look on Yang's face as she choked on air and went progressively redder and redder was beautiful. Weiss and Ruby were shocked, too, Ruby blowing bubbles into her juice.

"Bull!" Yang accused.

"Yes. I am a bull faunus."

"Not that! Wait, wait!" She leaned over the table, eyes wide and smile wider. "Seriously!?"

"Seriously." It had been an embarrassing memory at the time, but he didn't feel so bad about it now. "The rave was on a beach and it was hot with all the fires. I took my top off and someone shouted that they'd pay if I dropped my trousers as well. I was a little blitzed by then." That was putting it lightly. He'd had enough drink to knock a man out. Blake, too, red-faced and cheering along like seeing her boyfriend make a fool of himself was the best thing ever. "Someone offered five thousand lien for my pants." He shrugged. "I spent the rest of the night in my boxers."

"You stayed out there!?"

"I did."

In his defence, he hadn't been the only one like that. Have a party like that next to the ocean and it was almost inevitable that skinny dipping become the way the night ended.

"Whoah." Yang sat back with wide eyes. "Whoah!" she said again, awed. "I feel like my worldview of you just got shattered into a million pieces. Since when were you such a party animal?"

"It was a special occasion. As I said, I'm not always a stick in the mud."

"Weren't you embarrassed?" Weiss asked quietly. She looked a little pink around the face, and he was sure she was picturing him undressed even if she didn't want to.

"I was when I sobered up, obviously. Less so at the time. It was the atmosphere. People were dancing in their swimming gear. Boxers isn't that much different."

The reason he'd garnered such offers was more because of his rank than his looks, anyway. It was always tradition – be that in the military or even in terrorist cells – to try and get your commanding officer to unwind or make a fool of themselves. He'd rewarded the recruits responsible by training them into the ground later.

"I want to see this!" Yang crowed.

"Yang, no." Weiss said. "I already said no to going out."

"Yeah, you did, but Adam didn't. You and Ruby can head home tonight, and we can hit out on the town."

"I said I'm not always a stick in the mud, not that I want to go out and paint the town red." Though, Beacon was currently in a state of panic around him and his feelings were still running haywire because of the shocking discovery he might have fallen out of love with someone he'd been sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Neither of those things were particularly good reasons to go get drunk, but then not everyone got drunk because of good reasons, either. It could help take my mind off things and Yang was a helpful person to confide in last night. Maybe she could be again – and talking about heavy topics like that was such an easier thing to do when you were a few drinks down.

"Come on." Yang poked his arm. "You know you want to. I know an amazing place. Cheap drinks, great music, terrified of me after I beat up most of their employees."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Weiss drawled.

"What do you say, Adam? C'mon. It'll help take your mind off all the crap going on and it's Saturday tomorrow. No reason to be up and no lessons to speak of. Perfect morning to stay in hungover and not have to deal with idiots overreacting to some violent twats getting expelled."

That it was. That it most certainly was.

What else did he have to do? Blake was gone, changed, and he wasn't sure what he felt for her anymore. Maybe a chance to unwind was just what he needed. "Alright," he said, startling Weiss and Ruby, and leaving Yang with a delighted grin. "As long as you don't expect me to strip for your amusement."

/-/

The Club was run by the local mafia.

Adam recognised that the instant they arrived, and he wondered if Yang did. Judging by the nervous looks they sent her, they'd had a run in sometime recently. It didn't look like it was going to be a problem, though. The owner – whom Yang called Junior, and whom Junior referred to Yang as `sir` - assured them that if they kept their noses clean, so too would his people. It was a novel experience to have people scared of someone else.

The White Fang weren't strangers to working with information dealers and minor criminal groups at times, and he'd been in a few such places. Nightclubs were famous ways to launder money since everyone was drunk, drinks could be priced to whatever the hell you wanted, and they were notoriously difficult to audit. Luckily, the Club was much more affordable. Fortunate, since the first thing Yang ordered was a shot rack. A wooden block with two rows of six shot glasses of various colours set into small, embedded holes. The way she set it down implied she thought he would pale or go weak at the knees.

He raised his one visible eyebrow instead. "Starting hard, are we?"

"Might as well start as we mean to go on." Yang pulled a stool out and sat down, picking one of the small glasses out. Adam mimicked her, same green colour and same flavour – apple, if his sense of smell was anything to go by. "Fair warning, I know how to handle my drink."

"As do I."

"Heh. We'll see. Bottoms up!"

Their heads snapped back, hands rising high as they downed their first shot, gasped and set the glasses down. It was much nicer than the neat vodka from before. Ruby might have even enjoyed it.

"So," she said, "Feeling any better from last night?"

"Are we talking now?" he asked, taking the second glass. "I thought we were drinking."

"No reason we can't do both. You were pretty bummed out."

"I feel better now." He raised the glass, its pink liquid glimmering in the low light. Yang echoed it, picking out her own and clinking it to his. They swung them back, peach-flavour invading his mouth.

"Ah! That's good." Yang grinned. "Not as good as being able to beat the snot out of one another, but this is a good way to unwind, too. I figured with Ruby being too young and Weiss being so boring, I'd have to find someone else to hang out with."

"Making assumptions about me already?"

"Can you blame me? You're not exactly Mr Personality. Or you weren't," she added after a second's thought. "Is this because of that girl?"

Blake? Maybe. While he didn't like to blame everything on her, there was no denying that Team RYST had only met him after Blake's betrayal. He wasn't that much different, but he was in some small way changed by that. Upset, angry, bitter. He'd not exactly been at his best when he joined Beacon. It wasn't so drastic that he'd turn one-eighty and blow their minds by becoming a party animal, but he wasn't always so bitter.

"A little," he admitted. "Don't expect too much. I'm still annoyed with myself for falling out of love with her."

"Why? People change. Feelings change."

"I spent years with her. I… will admit there's a part of me that wishes I could be in love with her again even if she doesn't return it. Things were easier."

"So says the abused. Not you," she said when he shot her a warning look. "I just mean that people who are abused will say the same thing, right? That they've spent years with their significant other, so they can't just up and change that now. Maybe that's an excuse when you're seventy, but you're not so old that you can't find someone else."

Find another…? That was the only choice now, wasn't it? Well, that and a life of celibacy, but that felt too lonely even for him. The thought of hopping back onto the dating market wasn't an encouraging one now, but maybe he could once the pain wore off.

"Third," he grunted, signalling the end of that line of conversation with a neon-blue shot that for some reason tasted like coffee. "What about you?" he asked, more to give himself time to think than because he wanted to know. "You know a lot about dating. Any tales of your own?"

"Not really. I dated once or twice. Never got serious. Most guys were only interested in me because of looks, but I think that's normal for a place like Signal. Hormones and all that. I wasn't much better; the first guy I fell for was an absolute asshole, but he was handsome and that was all I cared about. Until he dated and cheated on one of my friends. Lost interest in him quick after that."

Was that all? Hm. Yang was surprisingly innocent, then. He supposed it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. She was the same age as Blake, but their lifestyles were miles apart. There were laws within the White Fang, but they were lax and used only to prevent chaos. Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't betray the White Fang. Don't abuse your power. Simple things. The ideal had been that if Blake was mature enough to pick up a weapon and fight for their freedom, she was mature enough to drink and make decisions for herself. That included deciding who she wanted to spend her time with, and who she wanted to love.

"You act a lot more knowledgeable."

"I have the distance experience. Loads of friends coming to me for advice because of course Yang knows, Yang is the popular party girl." Yang laughed awkwardly, blushing and playing with her hair. "I was always too embarrassed to admit I wasn't as wild as they thought I was. It's stupid looking back, but that kind of thing feels like it's important in school. Being cool and all."

"Oh, really?" Adam leaned on one elbow, smirking her way. "Is the bold and confident Yang Xiao-Long admitting she puts it all on?"

"Hell no!" She slapped his arm and picked up the next shot. "I'm hot shit and you know it. I was just putting it on back then. I'm all natural, baby." She winked at him. "Nothing plastic here."

"Hmph. Drink."

The fourth shot went back. Adam grimaced. Aniseed. Liquorice. He hated it. Yang was the same if the way she stuck her tongue out after was any indication. They each placed it down and chased the taste away with the fifth, a much more refreshing strawberry.

"I'll admit, you're more fun than I expected," she said, laughing. "You not feeling it yet?"

"After five shots in as many minutes? This hasn't hit either of us yet."

"Ha. True. Last one and then go for a few rounds on the dancefloor?"

"If we must." He picked up the final shot, then held it up. "Cheers."

"To Team RYST," Yang said.

"Hmph. To Team RYST."

Their glasses clinked and the final shot was down, Adam breathing out the tangy citrus flavour as he set the small glass back in the wooden slot, Yang's following a moment after, the rack now empty. Yang stood and crooked her finger his way, leaving Adam to roll his eye and follow.

The dance floor was a huge open space with flashing neon lights, loud music and over a hundred bodies stamping and gyrating away. The lights flickered and changed so quickly that you couldn't focus on much other than the person in front of you. That made it easier to ignore the people around them as Yang dragged him in with a challenging grin, obviously expecting him to back down and bow out.

Did she think him a liar? Ha.

Adam weaved through the crowd easily, pushed up into her face to make her freeze, then backed down and started to move. Nothing complicated – that was the mistake most people made. If you flung your arms around and started moving too much, you drew attention to yourself. An attractive girl or expert dancer might be able to get away with that and even dominate the dance floor, but the casual clubber was better off keeping it simple. Moving with the music. Maintaining eye contact with the person you were dancing with.

"Not bad," Yang mouthed over the music, sliding up to him and starting to shake her hips. The crowd closed in around them, all stamping feet and bumping shoulders that would have pissed him off in Beacon, but which he knew was just par for the course here.

When one guy stumbled and crashed into him, knocking Adam aside, Yang's eyes widened and she rushed to intervene, only to back down as Adam pushed the man up and back to his partner, earning an apology neither could hear over the music.

The intent was what mattered. These people weren't trying to get on his nerves, and so they didn't. It helped having something to fight for, a verbal sparring match to win. Yang expected him to be a walking catastrophe, and he fully intended to prove her wrong.

Let's see who is carrying who back tonight.

The music blurred into one long beat as they stomped and danced, Yang getting fully into it once she realised he was fine. A few guys attempted to vie for her attention with clever moves and whispered words, but she'd just laugh, place a hand on their chests and gently push them away. No intervention required. There wasn't a single woman who came onto him, but he didn't expect it. His bandage was too striking and his horns a turnoff to many. He'd also freely admit he had a face like thunder. Even Blake had found him imposing at first, saying later that she fell for who he was underneath.

Yang dragged him out the mass after half an hour, flushed and already a little sweaty from both the workout and the sweltering heat of all those lights. "You're good!" she said, giggling as they crashed against the bar. "Hey Junior! Two Strawberry Sunrises!"

"Please." he scoffed. "One sunrise for her and a Bloody Mary for me."

Their drinks came, both red but his tall and imposing. Yang shied back. "Ew. I hate those things. Way too spicy."

"It's an acquired taste," he said. The spices dusted around the rim burned his lips, and the tomato and vodka soothed. It was a polarising drink for sure, but one he enjoyed.

"Mine's better. Try it." Yang offered him one end of the glass, the opposite to where she had sipped, and where he could still see the wet prints of her lips. He leaned in and let her tip it back, sipping lightly.

"Sweet," he complained, wincing.

"Oi! That's my favourite drink."

"And your favourite drink tastes like candy. You really are Ruby's sister."

"Ass!" Yang laughed and swatted his arm. "Ass! Ass! Ass!" she repeated as if it were some great joke.

"Tipsy already?"

"No way! Okay, way." Another giddy laugh. "But you are, too. Don't think I didn't see you sway as you sat down."

Six shots would do that to a person once the alcohol had time to hit. Adam was pleasantly buzzed, the kind of halfway there between sober and drunk where everything felt so relaxed and unimportant. "A little. So, do I meet your expectations?"

"You exceed them! You really can club!"

"You sound amazed."

"I am amazed! Who could expect Adam Taurus to be this cool!?"

He felt like he should have been offended but `offence` was hard to reach for at that moment. Adam laughed instead, shaking his head and drinking his Bloody Mary.

The last time he'd been out and laughing with people like this was… six months ago if he remembered correctly. Before they set out on the ill-fated mission where Blake left, and he defected to pursue her. That actual day had been several months into their journey, but before they left Menagerie they got together with Ilia, Trifa, Yuma and a few others. Mostly on Yuma's insistence.

It hadn't been anything special. Work colleagues getting together to drink, joke and boast about what they'd do to further the cause. Looking back, he could now recognise the first signs of Blake's doubts beginning to grow, but at the same time he realised he couldn't have known. Instead of coming to him with her concerns, she'd kept them to herself, putting on a smile and even singing a little karaoke with Yuma. How could he have known something was wrong.

You could have told me, Blake. Why didn't you trust me?

"Another!" he called to the bartender, making Yang raise an eyebrow. He wanted away from such thoughts, back to the present with his loud, friendly and much more honest teammate.

"Hey. This isn't a race. Another for me, too."

"Not a race and then you instantly match me?"

"Can't have you thinking you're better than me."

"Please," he said. "I know I'm better."

"Oh! Oh! Oh, that's fighting talk, buster! Junior, two bottles of your cheapest beer." Yang wore a smug grin as she took the bottles but didn't pour out the contents into a glass. "First to down their bottle wins. Loser has to do anything the winner says. Anything goes."

That kind of deal was bound to backfire, Adam couldn't help but feel, but his eye took in Yang subtly stealing a straw from the container behind her back. Suddenly, the clever grin made sense. Really. Did she think he was born yesterday? He knew what a strawpedo was. Yuma had caught Trifa out the same way. The trick was to put a straw in the neck of the bottle turned up outside your mouth so that as you tipped it back and drank, air would filter in through the straw, making the contents drain into your mouth at impressive speed. All you had to do was not choke.

"Anything goes?" he asked slyly.

"Yep. Unless you're scared."

"Not at all." Adam took his bottle of cheap beer by the neck. "How about a cheers for good luck?"

"Huh? Sure. If you need it, tough guy."

Yang slid her bottle along the bar, still held in her hand but offering it for him to knock his against. It wasn't until the last second that she realised his plan, Adam swiftly bringing his up and firmly tapping the bottom of his bottle atop the opening of hers.

The pressure caused the contents to bubble and foam up instantly, causing Yang to squawk and sela her lips around it. Froth caused her cheeks to balloon out as she struggled with the carbonated drink, leaving Adam to tip his back and drink it quickly.

"Ack! Hack!" Yang pulled away once the volcanic eruption was dealt with. "Cheat! Cheater!"

His empty bottle saluted her. "You said anything goes. Not my fault you're too slow."

"Alright, smartass. I see I'm dealing with a devious bastard here." Yang struggled through her bottle and set it down, almost toppling it over as she did. "What do you want, then?" She pursed her lips. "A kiss?"

"I wouldn't," the bartender said. "Didn't end well for me."

"Shut up, Junior."

"As tempting as that may be," Adam said, "I'll pass. Instead…" He leaned back. "Junior. Two Bloody Marys, please." Seeing the writing on the wall, Yang whimpered and pleaded with big, round eyes just beginning to water. "Ruby does it better. I'm not moved. Enjoy."

Yang gagged and chugged her way through, grimacing and cringing at first but quickly getting used to and forcing the rest down. Only when it was all gone did she slam the glass down, gasp agonisingly into the air and grab the glass of water Junior offered, swilling it around her mouth before swallowing.

"Ugh. This tastes like ass! How do you drink it?"

"Skill."

"Pft. Yeah, right. Another shot before we go dance again?"

Again? Well, the night was still young, and he supposed it was cheaper than buying overpriced beer by the bottle. "Deal." He flipped a little more lien onto the counter. "But let's double up."

"Oh. Now you're talking my language!"

/-/

Several drinks and hours later, Yang hauled him back onto the dance floor yet again, both of them stumbling to the late-night classics being played when most people had already called it a night. The music was no better, but everyone was drunker – themselves included – so it didn't really matter. Yang danced between a group of guys before coming back to him when they tried to suggest they go off to get to know one another. This time, he had to fix them with a quick glare to get the message across.

"My hero!" Yang slurred, hanging onto him.

"More like their hero. You'd destroy them."

Yang laughed, knowing it was true. Unarmed as they were, she was a bigger threat than he was, and being a few sheets to the wind wasn't going to mean much when their opponents would be as well.

The rest of the night was a blur. They danced, retired to a table, drank, chatted, drank, danced and then slumped at the bar to rant about nosey teammates and drink some more.

Somewhere during the night Yang returned from the bathroom with a small packet and blew a big, pink condoms up, tying the end up like a balloon and attacking him with it until the bouncers threatened to throw them out. Up until a pair of girls in red and white took the bouncers aside, apologised profusely and left Adam to wrestle the condom away and smack Yang around the head with it instead.

There was a faunus girl who tried to talk with him as well. By that point, Adam was far gone enough to have forgotten about Blake entirely, but Yang flung herself over his shoulders and made such a scene of whining that he was ignoring her that the girl blushed and fled, covering her cheeks. Insults were exchanged. Boasts were made. Embarrassing stories were told. Drinks were consumed.

Blearily, he remembered Junior patiently explaining that it was three in the morning and the bar – and the club – was closing soon. He remembered stumbling out, stopping at an all-night kebab store and eating something he was sure was trash, and that tasted of unidentifiable meat. It was somehow the best thing he'd ever tasted in that moment, and they huddled together under a taxi rank with a tray between them, picking at the fries.

He vaguely remembered the taxi driver tiredly explaining to Yang that he couldn't take them to Beacon because it was surrounded by a Grimm-infested forest, and that they'd be murdered.

He also remembered mention of a hotel, agreeing, and the two of them being taken there. The rest was hazy, though presumably they'd paid for a room and managed to find it without knocking themselves out, because that would explain the white ceiling and dimly lit room he woke up to, the warm bed and the long mirror stood above a dresser that the Team RYST dorm did not have.

It did not explain the head of golden blonde hair splayed out over his naked chest, nor the bare leg slung over his own beneath sheets that had drifted down so low he knew without a shadow of a doubt that both him and Yang weren't wearing any clothing.

It didn't explain it, but Adam could make a few assumptions.

"Fuck."

Yes. Quite literally.

I balanced my clubbing and drinking experiences on this (minus the waking up to a girl I don't recognise). My friends and I in university, mostly female, would always start the night off with a bunch of shots because the bars were so expensive.

When drinks were like seven pound per bottle, it really makes sense to do pre-drinks to skip ahead and not have to spend a ridiculous amount on the night. We'd often stop at this place before the main club called "Twine" that did shot racks like these, except they'd come in test tube racks and even served in little test tubes. They were ten pounds for six, making six shots only a little more expensive than a single bottle of beer in the club.

Sometimes we'd even start at home before the night with games like Ring of Fire, Confidence or I never, just to make sure we were half drunk before we arrived. Good times. Expensive times. If you stayed late, they'd always play Disney music too for some reason. Everyone loved that. Dancing to "Prince Ali" from Aladdin.

Next Chapter: 24th November

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