Here we go - enjoy

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 39

It was probably inevitable that her team would find out about the date. She wasn't sure what she'd been thinking trying to keep it secret. The chocolates were a big enough clue, especially with Nora's big mouth and her inability to perceive – let alone respect – personal boundaries. It had been a choice of telling her or having her ask so loudly that Ruby and everyone else heard as well. Naturally, whatever she told Nora was as good as telling Ren, and Blake had been kind of dragged into the whole thing by virtue of being Nora's partner.

So, yeah, her team knew, but it wasn't a big deal. Even if they hadn't, they would have now when she was digging through her wardrobe looking for something to wear. There would have been no hiding the preparation for a date.

Funnily enough, her biggest supporter and helper was Nora.

"Ooh, I've never been on a date before," the bubbly girl said, almost like this was hers and not Yang's. "You're so lucky. Do you know where he's taking you?"

"No, and it's not like that." Yang ignored the way they all rolled their eyes. "Can you pass- thanks, Nora."

"Can I brush your hair?"

Yang's immediate instinct was to say no, and then to deploy Ember Celica when Nora tried anyway, but there was something about the longing look on Nora's face that had her sighing instead. "Okay, but be gentle with it, please. It's important to me."

"I will be!" Nora laughed and scooted behind her on the bed, taking a lock between her fingers and running the brush through it. To Yang's surprise, she was very gentle indeed. "I always wanted long hair but it's not very good with my weapon. It would get caught in Magnhild." The thought of what damage that might cause when she was swinging it around earned a wince. "It's fine, though. I keep trying to tell Ren to grow his hair long so I can brush it, but he won't."

"I would look like a girl," Ren replied.

"More like a girl," Yang teased, earning an exasperated eye-roll. She idly wondered how emasculating being stuck in a room of girls preparing for a date must have been. She'd heard it wasn't what most guys considered fun. "I think you wouldn't look bad with long hair, so long as it wasn't too feminine."

"I'll take your advice into consideration," Ren said, flipping a page in his book. He obviously wouldn't.

"What about where he's taking you?" Nora repeated. "What are you going to wear?"

"He didn't say, but I figure it'll be some café and then a club or something." Yang leaned forward to pick up a blouse from the pile of clothes in front of her and inspect it, all the while Nora brushed her hair from behind. "As for clothes, I'll just go for jeans and a blouse with a jacket over the top. I'm thinking classy but not overdoing it." She didn't want to send the wrong message, after all. "I'll make it work."

"Probably a good idea," Blake said. "Do we have to set a curfew or do you not plan on coming back tonight?"

"It's only the lack of a pillow to hand which spares you, Blake. Yes. I plan on coming back."

Nora giggled from behind, and Yang had the sinking suspicion that was another reason she'd asked to brush her hair. The two were working together – curse them. Any and all attempts to explain her plan to get Jaune with Ruby had fallen not on deaf ears but comically raised eyebrows and insincere sounds of agreement. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or embarrassed, but she'd settled for something in the middle.

It's not like I'm the one trying to jump him or anything. Gods, this is such a mess.

It wouldn't be after tonight, though. Things would be back to normal, back to where they made sense. Jaune would be a friend, and the two of them could move on, him specifically to a point where a cute younger girl could pick him up on the rebound. Aaand now I feel uncomfortably like my real mother and with Ruby being Summer. Talk about awkward.

At least she wasn't leaving a daughter behind, as if she ever would. If she had a kid with Jaune, then she'd be the best mother ever and – and she was thinking stupid thoughts. Yang cupped her hands over her face and smothered a scream.

"Did I pull your hair?" Nora asked, worried.

"No, I think that was more of a horrified with herself sound," Blake commented. Her lips tweaked into a tiny grin. "I wonder if she thought something naught- OW!" The faunus rubbed her forehead, which had just been struck by a small metallic bowl of concealer. "What was that for?"

"I warned you. Pillows aren't the only things I can throw!"

Blake grumbled something in return, but Yang only laughed and closed her eyes, savouring Nora's tender care. Teasing aside, and all the embarrassment too, there was something relaxing about the current situation. Back in Signal she'd dated once or twice, but it had always been fraught with risk and gossip there. She couldn't ever have imagined something like this, with friends who were so relaxed – and were even cheering her on (as much as she wished they wouldn't).

Honestly, this kind of felt like what she'd imagined Ruby's first ever date would be, with her helping her little sister to get ready to shine. Having herself at the centre of this was different, but not in a bad way. It felt indulgent. It felt nice.

"There," Nora said, patting her hair from behind. "It looks good. I like your hair. It's soft."

"And you're good at brushing," Yang replied, pushing off the bed and grabbing her outfit. She shot a meaningful look to Ren, but he'd already turned one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and continued reading with his face to the wall.

He was a real gentleman like that. They hadn't had a single incident. Well, it was actually more of Nora trying to sneak peeks of Ren that was the issue, but he liked to get changed in the bathroom, much to Nora's despair.

The blouse went over her head, and she pulled the jeans up, tightening them around her hips. She'd only gotten out of the shower thirty minutes ago, so she was still fresh and smelled good – not too strong on the perfume, but enough to show some effort. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to her teammates.

"Good," Ren replied, appraising her lightly.

"I think he'll be impressed," Blake said.

Nora stuck out her hand with one thumb up. "Perfect!"

"Good." Yang took a deep breath and let it go, feeling her confidence come back. She looked good and felt even better. She was in the zone – in control. She stuck her scroll in her pocket, pulled a pose, and grinned. "I'm ready."

And not a moment too soon either, for there was a knock at the door. Jaune was five minutes early, which she'd kind of expected. She headed over, interested to see what his reaction would be despite her desires to push him off onto Ruby. Would he be impressed? Would she shock him into silence? Heh, it would be fun to see.

She yanked the door open. "Why, hello ther-"

Her mind died.

"Hey, Yang," Jaune said, smiling down at her. "You look fantastic."

Yang slammed the door in his face.

"I'm not ready!"

"What?" Blake sat up and sighed. "Don't you think this is a little late to be having second thoughts? Please don't tell me you're having another breakdown because he brought you flowers or something."

"No!" Yang surged into the room, dragging her blouse up over her head. Ren coughed and tried to cover his eyes, but Nora beat him to it – smashing a pillow into his face so he couldn't see anything. Yang barely paid attention, even as she frog-hopped across the room, one leg out of her jeans. "He's in a suit," she gasped, falling over and cracking her head on the wardrobe. Aura flared to protect her, but the woodwork was dented. "He's in a dinner suit! With a bowtie, waistcoat and everything. I'm screwed. I'm doomed!"

"What do you-?" Blake squawked and fell over as Yang's trousers caught her in the face, wrapping around and dragging her off the bed. When she managed to extricate herself, and drag her head back above the mattress, it was to see Yang tearing into a black bag. "Wait, isn't that your prom dress?"

"No time! I'll rent another!"

Oh Gods, why hadn't he told her this was some kind of formal event? Why was he even taking her to something like this? Where was he taking her? Those thoughts and many others whirled around her head as she half-climbed, half-stumbled into a dress she'd intended to save for later. I don't do formal, she groaned. I'm going to look like an absolute idiot.

"How do I look?" she asked, whirling about once she was done. Her hair was in a little disarray, but she patted it down as best she could in the mirror, one leg held up as she struggled to get her heels on. He was still waiting outside, wasn't he? Oh crap, what must he be thinking?

"You look-"

"Good enough. Thanks!" Yang didn't even wait for Blake's answer, hurling herself across the room to the door once more. Her eyes were wide, her skin flushed, but she pulled the door open once more and tried to pretend nothing had ever happened. "Why, hello there, Jaune!"

He blinked back, obviously a little confused.

"Hey, Yang. You look… uh… even better?" He looked her up and down, as she did him. He'd gone with a black dinner suit that was perfectly tailored to fit his body. It showed off the distribution of his weight perfectly, most of it being towards his chest and broad shoulders. His waistcoat was black, too, although he'd gone for a white shirt with a black bow-tie.

She'd never seen someone her age dress like that before, and certainly not for her. She was used to denim and trainers – not shiny leather shoes with little patterns on them. The most effort someone had made for her before was tucking their shirt in. This was… this was way too much. Blood suffused her cheeks and she tried to laugh, only for it to come out high-pitched and nervous.

So much for me being in control…

"I brought you some flowers," Jaune said, breaking the silence. His hands came from behind his back, revealing a small bouquet of red roses, their petals still wet from moisture. They glistened between the two of them, and Yang felt her heart beat a little faster.

"O-Oh, thank you." It wasn't the first time she'd accepted flowers from him, but they'd never felt quite so charged with electricity before. With him dressed as he was, looking like some kind of older gentleman, and with her the nervous teenager, it somehow felt so much more serious. They were roses, too. She didn't know much about the language of flowers, but even she knew what they represented. "I-I'll just put them inside," she said, smiling and stepping back. "Would you like to come in?"

"I'll wait out here. I don't want to disturb your team."

He was probably trying to follow her request of keeping this secret, for all the good it was going to do. She nodded anyway, slipping back in with the bouquet in hand. Nora's smile split her face in half, while even Ren watched with amusement. To her relief, Blake stepped forward, taking the flowers from her shaking hands.

"I'll handle them," she said. "You go have fun."

"Help me," Yang whispered back.

"She's ready to go, Jaune," Blake called. She then lowered her voice and grinned evilly. "That's for the stupid bell."

Betrayal…

Jaune said something from outside, reminding Yang that she not only didn't have the time to get her revenge, but that there was far more to come. She glared weakly at Blake instead, before she swallowed her nerves – or tried, anyway – and made her way back to her… to her date. A proper date. A romantic date. Not just movies, or a cinema, or some groping teenager.

He looked… he looked like a gentleman. Her cheeks heated up again, and she couldn't quite meet his eyes as she hooked her arm with his. She tried to tell herself it was because she was humiliated at everything being misunderstood.

It wasn't very successful.

/-/

Mercury's eyes narrowed as he watched the two leave Beacon. Their intent was clear, though what was less so was whether he should bother to follow them or not. Cinder hadn't given any specific instructions to look after him, and there was no White Fang activity tonight that he knew of. Then again, judging from how they were dressed, combat was the last thing on their minds altogether. No orders from the boss, so I might as well leave it, he decided. If she finds out, I can just pretend I never saw them leave in the first place.

"What are you looking at?" Velvet asked. She turned in their direction, but he caught her before she could and distracted her.

"Nothing. I was just thinking for a second. Let's try again."

Velvet nodded and took a deep breath. It took a few more before she felt confident enough to speak, and even then, she looked around to make sure they were alone. He'd chosen their spot well, however. It was outside of the gardens of Beacon, and with it being later in the afternoon, the area was deserted.

"Whenever you're ready…"

"I'm trying," Velvet said, a rare hint of rebuke in her voice. "This… this isn't easy."

"The faster you say it, the easier it will be."

"I-I know…"

He made an exaggerated motion to check his scroll. "I don't have all day."

Velvet bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut. Her entire body shook, like she was trying to fight through some kind of mental block. It took a few deep breaths, but she finally opened her eyes and stared at him – her cheeks red.

"Will you go out with me!?"

Mercury shrugged. "Sure."

"D-Don't agree!" Velvet punched his chest, her face incredibly red and her ears standing at attention. While he recovered, she looked around again, just to make sure no one had overheard. "I-It's weird if you actually answer me…"

"It shouldn't be. You are hoping for an answer from him, remember."

"I-I know…" She played with her fingers, and Mercury let out a long sigh, rubbing his arms to generate a little warmth. Standing outside helping a shy girl practise asking someone to a dance wasn't exactly what he'd wanted to spend his afternoon doing, but he'd agreed without really thinking about it.

The better choice would have been to make an excuse or tell her Cinder needed him. He could still do that, to be honest. Velvet was too shy to argue. He didn't, though. No idea why, only that he knew it would upset her and that somehow wasn't something he was willing to put up with. Maybe it was just easier this way, or maybe he took some perverse amusement out of watching her flounder and struggle like she was.

"Do you think I'll be able to…?" Velvet asked, suddenly far more nervous. "Tell me honestly, Mercury. Do you really think I have a chance?"

Considering what he'd just seen? No.

But Velvet looked so desperately hopeful, so alive, that he couldn't bring himself to say that – even if it would be the easy choice.

"I think you'll do fine."

Velvet laughed and spun around, talking to herself to build up her confidence for another try. Luckily, Jaune and his date had already passed out of sight so she didn't see them. He wished he hadn't, either. No matter what he said now, Velvet was bound to be in for some pain later. He had a feeling she wouldn't be accompanying Jaune Arc to the dance.

He had no idea why that bothered him so much.

/-/

Yang was painfully aware of all the people staring at them as they waited in line at a restaurant she'd never seen the inside of, let alone ever dreamed of visiting in her lifetime. It was called el'Effestro's, and from what she knew, it was some kind of restaurant set up by a chef famous all across Remnant. He had one in each major city, and their standards were considered to be of the highest quality. Even the people who worked for it had to be the best of the best, right down to the waiters and waitresses bringing out the meals.

Naturally, that also made it prohibitively expensive, hence the reason for much of the snooty looks being sent their way by middle-aged and older couples. Apart from the restaurant staff, they were the youngest people there by at least twenty years.

Could Jaune really afford this kind of place? She knew he had money, as evidenced by the way he bought Ruby that limited edition comic she'd loved their Mom reading to her. This was on a bit of a different scale, though. This was the kind of place Weiss' family would go if they had an important meeting or something. Even the Schnee family wouldn't come here frivolously.

And there goes my plan of paying for half of the meal, Yang thought, glancing at a menu on the wall and wincing at what she saw. I could maybe afford a starter if I wanted to drain my account in one go. The mains would bankrupt me.

She was just relieved she'd had the prom dress to dive into. If she'd come here in jeans, trainers and a jacket, she'd have died. It was bad enough she was as she was, in her white dress with little else. This was the kind of place where most of the women had pearl or diamond necklaces. Even in a prom dress, she looked underdressed.

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked.

And there was the other thing, her date for the evening. All of those little plans she'd had seemed so far away now, and it was mostly thanks to him. With the date itself already being awkward as hell, she'd banked on a familiar setting to give herself some confidence. No such luck. This was awkwardness stacked on awkwardness, and made all the worse because he didn't seem bothered by the looks they were receiving at all.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You don't look fine. What's wrong?"

She'd have complimented his ability to see through her lies, but considering her mood, it was probably pretty obvious. "I'm just not used to things like this," she admitted. "You know, people staring at us and things."

"Staring at us?" Jaune glanced around.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"I noticed, but I didn't think it was us," he said. "I thought they were staring at you."

Yang winced. Well, he wasn't wrong – but that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, either. On a date scale, that was a black mark. She'd need to make sure he didn't say something like that to Ruby, as socially awkward as she was. "Wow, thanks," she said, rolling her eyes. "So good to see you agree I look out of place."

"Out of place?" He looked down at her and laughed. "Well, I mean, I guess? If you mean `out of place` in terms of being the most beautiful person here."

Yang's breath caught. "Eh?"

"You're beautiful," he repeated, with a confidence that left her speechless. "That's why they're all staring at you."

Yang's eyes, wide as they were, locked onto the floor once more. Her heart hammered so fast it was a wonder he didn't hear it. He was wrong, of course. That wasn't why people were staring at all, and she wasn't being unconfident or sensitive about it – she just wasn't an idiot. The fact that he believed it, though? That he believed her so beautiful people would actually stop and stare?

Damn him! Damn him for turning that black mark into a flipping black hole under her feet. If only she could dive into it and be sucked into oblivion.

"T-Thanks," she whispered, more because she thought it was necessary.

"For what? I was just being honest."

Would it be considered rude for her to pull a Ruby and freak out? Maybe punch him through the windows in sheer embarrassment and run for her life? Blake would give her a long and unimpressed glare, but screw Blake. She had no idea what he was like! He was dangerous; genuinely dangerous. She was at serious risk of a heart attack here.

"To be fair," he went on. "I'm a little nervous too."

That caught her attention. "You are?"

"W-Well, I've never been to a place like this before. Never even really dressed like this before." He tugged at his collar. "Not to mention this is my first-ever real date, and I'm with someone like you. I'm surprised I haven't passed out."

The earnest words, delivered in his usual bumbling manner, helped to relax her, and Yang laughed to herself. "Don't sell yourself short," she said, feeling a little more confident for knowing she wasn't the only one going through a panic attack. "You look good, and it's not like I'm going to grade you after this or something."

"You mean there won't be a surprise test?"

"Idiot," she laughed, nudging his side and earning a few disapproving glares from those around them. This time, she didn't back down – nor feel bad for them. She was having a laugh with a friend. What was wrong with that? They were the ones apparently on romantic dates and yet standing silently like they were at a funeral. "This place is a little fancy, though," she said. "How did you even get a reservation?"

"I didn't," he said – momentarily worrying her. "I didn't even know this place existed before now. I just asked my Uncle to arrange something since he knows more about Vale."

His uncle? So, he hadn't been the one to choose the actual venue. She wasn't sure why, but that made her breath a little easier. He hadn't chosen a stupidly expensive place to try and embarrass her; his family had just picked something and probably not known better. Did that also mean his uncle was covering the cost?

"Then how did you know to dress up like that?" she asked.

"Isn't this what guys normally wear on dates? In my books-"

"Right, your books," she interrupted, resisting the urge to shake her head. Everything suddenly made a lot more sense. Well, at least he'd lucked out and got it right, otherwise they might have been the most over-dressed couple to ever grace a cinema. The thought made her smile, and she stood a little closer to him. It wasn't so bad, really… especially knowing he was as in the dark as she.

"If the next couple would come forward," the man at the front said. He was well-dressed and sported a clipboard on the wooden podium before him. He must have been suspicious of two so young actually being guests, but if so he hid it with professionalism few others had. "Good evening, madam and sir. Do you have a prior reservation with us?"

"I do," Jaune replied, earning a sigh of relief from doorman. "It should be under Arc."

"Arc, Arc… let's see. Oh!" His eyes widened and he looked back up in shock. "Y-Yes, you are here, sir. Please forgive me – if we'd known you were waiting in the queue we'd have brought you forward. There's no reason for you to wait outside, sir."

Yang wasn't sure what to think about how the man acted, or even less so when he clapped and four waitresses appeared as if from nowhere. They looked completely fresh, like they hadn't worked even an hour all night. She looked to Jaune, but he seemed no less sure of what was going on than her.

"These will be your waitresses for the night," he said, "They will lead you inside and tend to your every need. Welcome to el'Effestro's, and I hope you have a magical night."

They were quickly ushered inside by the four women, who took their jackets and coats eagerly and fussed about them. Yang didn't even get a chance to speak before she was through the dining area, now earning even more stares from everyone due to how much attention they were receiving. She saw a table off to one side and assumed they were heading there, but they were instead led up onto a raised platform behind a pane of glass artistically coloured and carved into different shapes.

Yang's mouth dropped open when she realised they were being taken to some kind of hidden area, a table – no, an entire room – dedicated to just themselves. The walls were satiny red, and there was an open fire on a raised platform bathing the area in not only light, but gentle warmth as well. They had a table and seats, naturally, but also a lower table with two couches should they wish it. To the side of the dining table, a small river ran through the room.

Or, well, some kind of water feature she'd have more expected to see in a fancy garden than the interior of a restaurant. There were even little fish inside, many of them swimming to the surface to chase dancing lights atop the water.

"W-What the hell is this?" Yang whispered to her date.

"I have no idea," Jaune replied, equally lost. "I only asked for a table to be reserved. I didn't ask for all of this, I swear!"

The look on his face told her he wasn't lying, and they were settled down on the couches soon enough. "If you'd like to make yourselves comfortable until you've decided what you want to order, feel free," one of the waitresses said.

"And here is your champagne," another added, placing a large bucket filled with ice down on the table.

There were six bottles in it – six.

Jaune shook his head when she glanced over in silent question.

"This is… interesting," Yang said once they'd been left alone to peruse the menu's. She'd taken one look at them and given up – the names far too complicated for her to understand. She'd chosen some numbers instead, focusing on the ones with words she recognised. Words like beef. "I… I mean, I'm impressed, but this is a bit much." She wasn't sure how he would take it, so kept her words soft. "Is this your uncle again?"

"Probably..." Jaune groaned. "I didn't know anywhere in Vale to take you, so I had to ask someone for help," he admitted sheepishly.

"Hey." She kicked his leg gently and smiled. "I wouldn't have expected you to, buster. Remember, I'm the one who's lived in Patch and come here shopping my whole life. You've only been in the city for a month or two now. I doubt you'd know all the places to take a girl on a night out. I have to ask, though. Why here? Most people would have taken me somewhere a little less formal."

Jaune laughed. "I suppose you could say a little bird offered me some advice."

Okay… that was weird. She didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but she couldn't think of anyone who would actually advise Jaune to bring her to a place like el'Effestro's. It was well out of her league. The quality of all this food and drink was going to be utterly lost on her.

"Your uncle booked the table?" she asked, and waited for him to nod. "Then he must have requested this one."

"I guess so. I just don't understand why Uncle W-" Jaune froze, his eyes growing wide. "Oh, no…"

"What is it?"

Jaune groaned and slumped on the couch, his eyes drifting shut. One hand came up to cup his face, his other arm wrapping across as though to hide himself from view. "I think I know what's going on," he mumbled through his sleeve. "My Uncles are… well… they have ideas."

"Ideas?"

"Does Qrow ever do things that embarrass you?"

Yang paused to think. She shivered. "All the time."

"Yeah, well, same here – except mind think they're helping."

That wasn't so unusual. Her Dad and Uncle Qrow did that all the time. They never even seemed to realise why what they were doing was so mortifying until it was done. Kind of like the time Qrow tried to dress up as Ruby's favourite cartoon character for her tenth birthday, except he got drunk and passed out in his own vomit instead. Right as all the kids at the party came around to see him, too.

"I think that's normal uncle behaviour," Yang said. "Besides, this isn't so bad, I guess. Sure, it's a little awkward, but at least we're away from all those staring people, right? We have a whole room to ourselves. That's a win from my point of view."

"I don't think you understand. If my uncle is doing this, then there's a fair chance my Mom knows about it - about us." He sighed. "And if she knows about us…"

Jaune didn't get his chance to explain any further, nor did Yang a chance to ask him what he meant. They were both interrupted as the door opened and several men in suits entered. They brought with them several large boxes, and began to arrange them off to one side of the room. Out came a cello, and then a violin, and finally some instruments she didn't even recognise. But when they started to play slow, romantic music? Well, she figured out what he meant.

Her face turned crimson.

Jaune groaned into his hands.

/-/

A faunus supremacist, a wanted criminal and a Grimm in human form walk into a bar. Cinder was fairly sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but this was her reality as she sat at a table in a seedy and nondescript part of Vale. A place that was far below her usual standards, but which Roman had assured her would keep quiet about their meeting.

Still, as Adam Taurus, Roman Torchwick and Lavender Salem sat down opposite her, she couldn't help but wonder if the owner behind the bar had any idea who was using his private function room. Obviously not, or he'd have run away screaming by now.

"It's good to see you all," Cinder said, passing out some drinks she'd ordered ahead of time. "How are you finding Vale, Adam? I hope you haven't had any problems fitting in."

"None at all," the surly man replied. He was, for once, without his mask, and Cinder was a little impressed at how handsome he looked for it. Not at all scarred or disfigured as she had first suspected. The benefits of wearing a mask all the time likely meant he was all but invisible with it removed. The only risk would be him bumping into someone who might recognise him. "As for liking it, it's better than living out in the forests, but not by much. Too many humans."

"But your men should find things easier, no?"

Adam grunted his agreement and shot her a wary, if not frustrated glare. He was much easier to read like this. "I can't complain about you not wanting us to capture live Grimm anymore, but why the sudden change? I don't like plans that don't stick, Cinder. It makes me wonder if those who lost their lives so far did it in vain."

"The plan hasn't changed all that much," Cinder assured. "Merely that I've expanded our operations a little and gained some new resources. It is precisely because of those deaths that I sought a different means to collect the Grimm we need." She smiled insincerely, not that he could tell. "A safer means to acquire the Grimm is now available to us. I felt it would be foolish not to share that with you, and even worse to continue allowing your brave warriors to risk their lives."

Adam hummed in response to her subtle praise. Of all the things he might complain about, her making his job less risky wouldn't be one, and she knew that. "Why are they here?" Adam asked, nodding to the two beside him. "Torchwick, I know, even if I'd rather not – but I won't work with yet another human. They can't be trusted."

Cinder made to reply, but Lavender beat her to it. "Oh, and would things be easier were I not a human?" Her skin paled rapidly and her eyes turned red and black, veins spreading across her face. "Does this help?"

Adam's chair scraped back. "What-? What is this? What are you!?"

"Not human." A lazy tentacle flicked in the air. "That's all that should bother you, no?"

"She is an ally," Cinder said, hurrying to prevent any kind of bloodshed. "She is working with us. Her name is Lavender and she will not harm you or your men."

"Not unless you move to harm me or mine."

Cinder shot her a look that made it clear she wasn't helping, and Lavender sighed and reverted back into her human form. The speed of it didn't do much for Adam's confidence, but he seemed a little more relaxed now that the tentacle had vanished.

"The rumours are true, I see. Then again, I was told you were a man."

"She isn't the same as the one you're referring to," Cinder said.

"Hentacle." Adam's grimace made it clear what he thought of the name – and she could understand and sympathise entirely. "Is he on our side as well?"

"In a way…" she hedged, aware that an outright lie in front of Jaune's sister would only come back to bite her. "Hentacle has his own objectives which don't exactly run in line with ours, but he has agreed to help us within reason. They don't run against our aims, either."

"They don't?" Lavender asked sarcastically.

"Of course not," Cinder argued, narrowing her eyes. "After all, what is your stated goal, Adam?"

"Equality for faunus kind."

"Exactly," Cinder said, smiling at Lavender. "He would be all for that, I'm sure."

Lavender sneered and rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. Jaune would have been in favour of what Adam suggested. It was just that the method Adam wanted to use was a little… extreme. Well, that was in her benefit, of course.

"He's agreed to aid us where necessary, and even be present for some operations if it will make your people feel better. Obviously, he's already saved several from various unfortunate events." Here, she glanced to Roman. "A Bullhead full of White Fang were allowed to escape the docks thanks to him."

"And yet more died," Adam growled.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Roman stepped in, eyes narrowed. "We were attacked by huntresses and huntsmen from Beacon. I can't be held responsible for you animals not being able to hold your own when things get serious."

"Call me an animal again and I'll show you just how much I can hold my own," Adam threatened, his blade clicking as it was loosened in its sheathe.

"Now, now," Cinder chuckled. "We're all allies here. Perhaps not natural ones, but our aims run together and we will work together as a result. The reason I wanted to talk to you, Adam, was to fill you in on why things changed. You did say you hated being left in the dark, after all."

He nodded gruffly. "I… appreciate it." It sounded like the words were forced out kicking and screaming.

"I also wanted to offer a hand in assistance if you or your men need help settling into Vale. I know it must be hard sneaking so many in, and some have lived out in the wilds for quite some time." She nodded her head in understanding. "If you have need of finances or such to help them infiltrate the city, I can provide. Just let me know."

A little generosity never hurt, and having his people feel indebted to her would only ensure their operation ran smoother. It would also be a staging point for her to slowly change their plans thanks to Jaune's interference and Emerald's failure. The loss of the Paladins would make their original plan all but impossible. Convincing fanatical terrorists to ram a train into Vale and die was a lot harder than ramming a train and using military hardware to survive. Sure, in the end they would have died anyway, but the important part was that they think they had a chance for survival.

That was gone, now. There would need to be changes. But that's fine. Only a fool would have embarked on this kind of endeavour without several contingency plans.

"I'll be in touch if we need it," Adam said. "You just want us to lay low for now. Is that right?"

"It is, yes. Although I apologise for not having any specific tasks for you, waiting until the appointed time will be safer than risking you and your lives collecting Grimm."

Adam nodded. "I don't like sitting around, but I understand."

She'd known he wouldn't.

She'd been counting on it.

"Well, if you want something to busy yourself, I might have a suggestion."

His eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"The White Fang presence in Vale has been lax of late," she said. "You need only look at recent events to see that, with an undercover police agent managing to infiltrate one meeting and nearly capture the organiser."

"I hadn't heard about that," Adam growled. He looked frustrated.

"I'd imagine not. You have been busy out in Mistral, and more recently in the Wildlands between. And I think we both know that some people don't like to report failure."

"Hmm…"

"It's not just that, either. Time and time again the White Fang have failed, and I do not believe it a result of a lack of will or resources. Not with us supplying the latter. I think the cell here lacks organisation. It lacks a leader."

"Not anymore," Adam said. "I see your plan, Cinder. Don't think me so blind. I'll agree, however. I would have anyway. The White Fang will rise again, and if I need to purge some fools from this cell, I shall do so. Recruitment and training will begin anew. I will have these faunus as capable as mine within two months. This, I promise."

And she knew he would. Adam was many things, some good and some bad, but his ability to inspire and control his little insurrection was second-to-none. Even Salem had taken notice of his name, though Cinder doubted he could ever be convinced to join their side. She doubted she would even want him to, either.

"I'm relieved to hear that, Adam. You will have all our resources, of course. We have been supplying vast quantities of dust and lien to the White Fang here. I will see that forwarded to your control instead."

"And you will continue to supply us, I take it?"

"I will," she agreed.

"Then I know what I want," Adam declared, his voice taking on a vicious edge. "I want Hentacle."

The temperature in the room dropped. It wasn't just her, who felt a spike of immediate suspicion and annoyance, but also Lavender, who watched the affair with cold silence. "Why?" Cinder asked, hands clenched atop her knees beneath the table. "I am afraid that if you wish to try and control him, that will be impossible." As if she would ever allow that! He was hers, no one else's.

"Then I want to meet him – immediately," he countered. "I won't trust the fate of my people to someone I haven't met. From there, we'll see how we might work together, but that is the best you shall get from me, Cinder. Bring him to me, or our agreement might come to a sudden end."

Along with your life, fool, Cinder thought with a snarl. If he so much as tried to make a move towards Jaune, it would be a choice of who killed him first – her, Lavender or the Grimm. Still, Adam had his uses for now, and she'd rather not see him die pointlessly. "I shall see what I can do, Adam. Understand that I will have to speak with him and make arrangements. I cannot show you him immediately, as you say."

"I can wait a few days," Adam said, rising from his seat. He gripped his sword close to his side and gave Roman and Lavender the curtest of nods. "Until later. If you need to get in touch, you know how to reach me."

She remained silent as he stormed out of the room and away. Dealing with people like him was frustrating, especially when she had use of them. It would have been so much easier to kill him quietly and put someone more under her control in power. Sadly, Adam had things she did not – such as fervent control over his people, and the belief and awe of many faunus. His worth was in his identity, his brand.

"Well, what a jolly guy," Roman said sarcastically. "I'll certainly sleep easier knowing he's on our side. Why don't we recruit the Grimm while we're at it?" He raised his arms and looked to Lavender. "Oh, wait!"

"As amusing as you are, I have a task for you as well, Roman," Cinder snapped. "If we're to keep the new White Fang stocked and Adam happy, we'll need more dust." She pushed a folder across the table. "Here are several deliveries of dust headed for Vale. See to it that at least one is inconvenienced."

Roman took the folder and leafed through it, but suddenly looked a little nervous. "Yeah, about that…"

"Roman is currently helping me buy a house in Vale," Lavender said, smiling adorably. "I'm sure he can get on to your task after he's helped me with that. Isn't that right, Mr Roman?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She was aware of the tiny smirk dancing below Lavender's earnest expression, and of the panic evident in Roman's. So, he was trying to escape her, was he? That was annoying, but not necessarily a loss. More than anything, it was a direct insult – and she would make sure he knew that in time.

Not now, however. To show such emotions would only let Lavender know she'd worked her way beneath her skin.

"That is fine. So long as one is taken care of, I care not how you handle it. Just see it done."

"I'll get it done. Don't worry."

Cinder nodded as they stood and left, Roman shooting her nervous looks, as if he expected her to lodge a dagger in his back. She smiled cruelly at him, just enough to make him yelp and increase his pace to keep up with Jaune's bitch of a sister.

First Emerald had failed her, and now Roman's continued loyalty was in doubt. Things were becoming more complicated, but that would only make her eventual victory all the more satisfying. After all, no matter how many people she lost, there was always the agreement she'd made with her dear, adopted brother.

"Everything else is just a distraction," she hissed. "The power of the maiden will be mine, Ozpin."

/-/

"Okay, I'll admit – that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

"The food was really good," Jaune agreed beside her as their Bullhead landed back at Beacon. "I mean, the prices were high, but it definitely felt worth it."

"Mostly because we didn't have to pay," Yang teased, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. The two of them were now free of the fancy restaurant, and much to her relief she'd been correct about Jaune's mysterious (and apparently loaded) uncle paying the tab. The food had been incredible, though. She rubbed her stomach in memory of it. "Heh, and the entertainment wasn't half-bad."

"I didn't expect another band to show up…"

"I didn't expect the string quartet to almost attack the rock band. That was awesome!" Yang laughed, as did Jaune. The musical rivalry had been great, especially when they tried to outdo one another. It had turned a potentially mortifying situation into something far more comedic, which helped her feel less out of place.

"I'm sorry about them showing up," he said. "My uncle is… well…"

"Eager?"

"That's one way to put it. It's mostly my mom, to be honest. He probably did it to make her happy. I'm sorry if it was awkward."

"Nah, it's cool. Parents will be parents. I had fun."

And she was surprised to find she meant that, too. The initial horror had been enough to have her knees rattling, but the thing with the bands and the wine, and Jaune looking so utterly humiliated… somewhere along the way it just made her laugh. Nothing broke through the ice like that, and the embarrassing atmosphere had faded soon after. Left in its wake, they'd both ranted about family and over-bearing uncles, finding more common ground than she'd ever expected. She'd enjoyed it, both the food and the company.

And in a strange way, she'd kind of enjoyed being the centre of attention. It had only been the two of them in that room, except for when the food came or the bands played. Everything was on her, which felt a lot more special than the usual night out with friends. Her other dates, if she could even call them that, had felt like something she could have done with friends just as easily as potential boyfriends. This hadn't. It felt different.

"I'm glad," Jaune said, smiling. "I'll admit I was a little worried at first. I wouldn't have normally pegged you as someone who liked fancy places like that, but Q- someone told me you did. For a second I was afraid I'd done something wrong."

Someone had told him she liked fancy stuff? That didn't sound like her at all… or at least it hadn't. She usually hated it. "Being spoiled for a change was nice," she admitted with a nervous laugh. "I liked it more than I thought I would, but I don't think I'd do it every time. Next time let's make it a little more casual."

Jaune smiled. "Sure. That sounds good." He looked around. "Well, we're back at Beacon. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

From anyone else, she might have suspected an ulterior motive, but this was Jaune, a guy who probably wouldn't have known what to do with her if she turned up naked on his bed. Or rather he would, but throw her some clothing wouldn't have been what most would say.

"I'll be fine," she said, and on impulse stepped forward to give him a hug. "Thanks for tonight. It was great."

"I had fun, too," he said, hugging her back. "I'm glad you agreed to it."

It was a light and airy Yang Xiao-Long who made her way back to her dorm. She didn't even bother to sneak her way through the corridors, smiling and humming to herself instead. When she let herself in, everyone was still awake – it wasn't that late – and looked like they'd been waiting for her. Nora took one look at her expression and grinned.

"Good night?"

"I think it was," Ren replied, chuckling.

"It was okay," Yang demurred, kicking off her shoes and laying back on her bed. "Better than I thought it would be, for sure."

"Did you kiss?" Nora asked.

"No!"

"Boo. Lame!"

Yang flipped her teammate the bird, but didn't bother to argue. It was never worth it with Nora, and besides, the night was too good to waste on things like that. She busied herself getting changed instead, slipping into her sleepwear as Ren turned around to give her privacy. Yeah, there'd been no kiss – though she wondered if she would have let him had he tried. A part of her was relieved he hadn't. The other part could go jump off the cliffs of Beacon.

"So, did it all work out?" Blake asked once she was changed and ready to sleep.

"Yeah, I just said so. There were some awkward bits, but I had fun – it was the best `date` I've ever been on, not that there's much to compare it to. Why?"

"Not that," Blake denied, smirking evilly. "I meant your plan."

"Plan…?"

"You know… the plan to tell him how good Ruby is so that he'd date her instead?" Blake's expression made it clear she didn't believe that had ever been the plan at all. "How did that go?"

Yang froze. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

The plan…

Shit.

"Methinks the plan went abandoned," Ren teased.

"Methinks the plan never existed in the first place," Nora cackled.

Yang didn't rise to the bait. She turned and buried her face into her pillow instead, hoping they couldn't hear her muffled scream. She'd messed up.

Big time...

Poor Yang, and well done to Watts as expected – truly best uncle. Then again, one can likely imagine Salem having a hand in that little display.

"Did you make sure to put condoms on the table, Watts?"

"Ah, no?"

"Perfect! I might have killed you otherwise."

Next Chapter: 26th October

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur