"Blond…?" Cinder mused quietly as she looked at herself in the stylist's shop. "Hm. Too colorful…"

She felt vulnerable, and not only because there were at least a dozen more costumers that might recognize her as a wanted criminal being tended to in the same shop, but also because of the very nature of her current dilemma… Masterful infiltrator as she was, Cinder had never taken the effort to change her appearance so drastically. There had no reason to – she was that good at her job.

Had been, she corrected herself mentally.

"…Maybe some shade of brown." She shook her head. "That would barely be a change…"

"How about red?" Her assigned hairdresser suggested cheerfully. "I bet you'd look good in red!"

"No." Cinder replied immediately, a frown appearing on her forehead. "I'll just go with blond."

"As you wish." The hairdresser shrugged, mystified by her customer's strong refusal. "So, shoulder-length, tinged blond. That's it?"

Cinder sat on her chair and met eyes with her reflection. She knew she was making too much of the occasion, but that would be the last time in a long while – maybe forever – she would ever wear that look. She felt both relieved and sad.

"Yes." She closed her eyes. "That's it."

The styling took an hour of her day, and she went through it silently, glad that the hairdresser gave up on engaging her in conversation after her first failed attempts. When she was done, Cinder barely recognized herself on the mirror: her hair fell orderly to her shoulders with a much brighter shade. She suspected most people would mistake her for someone much younger than she actually was, now.

She paid with the money Ozpin had lent her – for this purpose exactly – then exited the shop, pondering on her next move. Her face might look different, but her clothing… The red dress was not meant for someone younger than her.

That quest was significantly easier. She didn't want to draw any attention, so she settled for a few white t-shirts and skirts that fell to her knees. In a spout of irrationality, she also bought a red cloak… And she only realized that when she had already paid and exited the shop.

Her eyes sparked with anger – she had been smart enough to not tinge her hair red, yet not long after that she went and bought that damned cloak. She was really beginning to doubt how she had ever had the focus to become a master criminal.

Last on her list… Getting a job. That shouldn't take too much time, she thought hopefully. ...Right?

Weiss examined Blake intently, her eyes narrowing so much the sight was almost comical. She wouldn't, couldn't, miss a single movement from that sneaky faunus… She who had had the audacity to lie to her face and to commit so many nefarious crimes against her people… She would pay for all that.

When Blake sighed, Weiss almost jumped to stand on her seat.

"Weiss." The faunus said dryly. "It's your turn."

"Oh. Right." Weiss looked down at the chessboard. "Sorry."

The heiress went on staring at the board for another five minutes, time during which Blake became increasingly frustrated and bored. Finally, Weiss reached her hand forward and, as if her life were on the line, gently pushed a peon forward one space.

"Done." She said, and raised her chin proudly.

"Okay." Blake rolled her eyes and moved a piece casually. "Checkmate."

"What." Weiss glanced between the board and her teammate. "But- My plans- That's not fair!"

"Everything's fair in love and war." The faunus leaned forward to rest her head on top of her joined hands, staring intently at Weiss as she did. "And this, Miss Schnee, appears to be both."

Weiss' blush was interrupted by a snicker from Yang and a groan from Ruby, who were doing their own activities in their beds.

"Get a room!" The redhead whined, making a disgusted face.

"Don't get a room!" Yang exclaimed cheerfully. "Well, it's like you two need a room, am I right?"

"For the tenth damned time, Yang, we did not do anything… improper, during our first date. We just watched the stars." Weiss crossed her arms proudly. "Unlike some people, Blake and I are not the type to rush our affairs like a speeding train. I'll have you know, in fact, that we have not even kissed."

Blake faked a cough.

"Liar."

Weiss' face turned a deep crimson shade, and she stood up stiffly and went to sit on her bed, making an effort to avoid any of her teammates' gaze. Yang nodded to Blake proudly.

The heiress was saved from further humiliation by the loud noise of Ruby's scythe firing off. Weiss covered her ears and looked up at the upper bunker furiously.

"What the heck was that, you dolt?!" She scolded. "Are you trying to kill someone?"

"No! That's the opposite of what I'm trying to do, actually!" Ruby said cheerfully. "You see, I was looking through some weapon catalogues yesterday-"

"That's a surprise." Yang deadpanned.

"And I saw this innovative, non-lethal round that's compatible with Crescent Rose! So I can shoot someone and not kill them!" The redhead finished.

"That makes absolutely no sense. How can a sniper round not kill someone?" Weiss asked.

"Uh… There's science." Ruby frowned. "Here, let me demonstrate!"

Ignoring everyone else's screaming protests, she pointed her scythe at Blake and aimed carefully. The faunus was about to jump out the window when Ruby pulled the trigger, shooting a round rightly into her shoulder. Blake winced and grabbed the impacted area, which started to release an almost invisible white smoke. Her eyes fluttered, and after a few seconds, she fell unconscious on the ground.

"Huh." Yang leaned her head curiously to the side. "That actually worked."

"I told you!" Ruby smiled widely.

"You shot my girlfriend!" Weiss exclaimed in outrage. "And take that grin off your face, Xiao Long!"

As the heiress dragged the unconscious Blake to her bed, Yang watched Ruby load a dozen of the non-lethal rounds on a side-compartment of her scythe. The redhead's eyes were sparkling happily, as if she had found the solution to a problem she had been struggling with for a long time.

"Ruby…" The blonde said cautiously. "Why are you so interested in non-lethal equipment all of a sudden?"

"Because killing bad. Duh?" Ruby giggled, but did not meet eyes with her sister.

"So this has nothing to do with Cinder." Yang rolled her eyes tiredly. "Ruby, I've already told you-"

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Ruby interrupted angrily. "If I want non-lethal rounds, I'll use them, and if I want to use them on Cinder, I'll do that too!"

Yang flinched, caught off-guard by her sister's sudden hostility. Before she could do anything, Ruby jumped to the ground and marched out of the room, taking her scythe along with her.

The blonde looked down at her lap sadly. Maybe she had been too direct, or outright wrong. Even if Cinder was free, that didn't mean Ruby was thinking of her every second she spent with her eyes open. There was no doubt she was still hung up on that rascal, but Yang was not helping by bringing her up so often.

"Uhm…" Weiss looked towards the open door worriedly. "Should we do something…?"

"Let her be. She has the right to be pissed off." Yang sighed.

"But… She's just discovered non-lethal rounds, and she took her loaded scythe with her."

Yang's mouth formed a perfect 'o' shape as she imagined her angry little sister marching through the halls of Beacon, shooting innocent bystanders to unconsciousness.

"That's a good point, princess." She gulped. "Let's find her before Ozpin expels us!"

Yang raced out of the room in a hurry. Weiss stood up, patted Blake softly on the forehead, then followed, cursing her bad luck with teammates once again.

Just as Cinder had expected, finding a job did take a long time. In fact, it was taking too much time. She had wandered through the busy streets of commerce in Vale, questioning owners of shops and restaurants about job openings. Some had been kind, others dismissive, and the majority impatient, and they all had one thing in common: a lack of what she needed.

She stopped searching as lunchtime arrived. Her failure left her crestfallen. She knew she could get a job… Not a glamorous one, something simple like washing dishes or waitressing. Whatever people needed of her. But apparently these jobs were so simple that, indeed, there were no vacancies for them. It was unfair.

Cinder wondered if that's how everyone felt when they started their working lives. She doubted those big restaurant owners had started small… Most had probably inherited their family's business. That wasn't something she had ever been able to count on.

She had no money left to buy a full meal, so she wandered to a familiar place – Iroh's Teashop. It brought back painful memories, but its tea was still fantastic, and she could afford a few cups. The way she saw, she even deserved them!

The place was not crowded, even at such a busy hour, so Cinder had the luxury to sit at her preferred table – one by the window, where she could stare at the street and ponder her predicament.

Her thinking was interrupted when a loud argument broke between the owner of the shop and one of the waiters. Cinder raised an eyebrow curiously. From the few times she had been there, she had observed that that waiter was the owner's nephew. They had always seemed to have a loving relationship, almost like they were father and son.

The argument came to a close with the nephew taking off his hat and throwing it on the ground, then storming out of the shop. The owner shook his head sadly as he picked up the hat and gently laid it on the counter. Then he took notice of Cinder's gazing, and without prompting, he sat on the seat across her and poured some tea for himself.

"I'm terribly sorry about that." He sighed. "I don't like to expose my clientele to such negative emotions. It heavies the soul, even if you are just onlookers."

"I see." Cinder took a sip carefully. "What is that about honor I heard?"

"Oh, that? My nephew's… Ah, he's a complicated young man. I won't bother you with his trials. He'll be back… And if he doesn't… Well, he'll find the place where his heart belongs." The man smiled. "But that's enough about him. You, young lady, seem to be rather troubled yourself."

Cinder stayed silent for a moment. It injured her pride that the man – Iroh, she assumed – had been able to read her so easily. She wanted to comfort herself by thinking he was very astute, but it was more probable that she had let herself be read by even the most oblivious of fools.

"Indeed." She said calmly. "Recent times have been… troublesome. I'm trying for a change."

"It's good that you're doing that, instead of clinging on to past injuries." Iroh nodded. "Yet you seem so sad… Is change what you really want?"

"Change is what I need."

He stared at her intently for a few minutes, his eyes wise and observant. Cinder did her best to not appear bothered or unnerved.

"What is your name?" He finally asked.

"I'm…" She paused. "I'm Jasmine."

"Like the tea!" Iroh bellowed gleefully.

"And the flower." Cinder smiled slightly.

"Yes, yes… So, Jasmine, how would you like to take my nephew's position while he is gone?"

Her eyes widened with surprised, and he did not fail to notice it.

"I saw you moving from place to place all morning, lady. It's a tragedy, really, that you weren't accepted anywhere." Iroh sighed. "They all lied to you. Most of them do have open spots, but they saw your desperation and this burden you carry on your shoulders, and they wanted nothing to do with it. They would rather turn away than help a person in need."

"That seems harsh." Cinder said quietly. "Maybe they were wise to reject me. I do bring trouble, sir."

"You do?" He smiled. "Lovely! You're hired!"

She stared at him, flabbergasted, but before she could say anything, he went to the counter and threw her his nephew's old hat.

"Come on, Jasmine!" He said. "Let's make people some fine tea!"

Cinder put on the hat unsurely, then smiled and followed him.

When Raven entered Beacon's gymnasium, the last thing she expected to see was Ruby bashing a target dummy's head in with her scythe, but that was exactly what she saw. The woman made to leave, but hesitated as she watched the young girl vent her anger. It was a somewhat familiar sight, if not a haunting one.

"Did that dummy offend you personally?" She asked lightly as she approached the redhead.

Ruby looked back at her and stopped her motions, almost as if she were embarrassed of being caught doing them.

"Go on." Raven chuckled. "I don't mind."

Ruby promptly chopped the head of the dummy off, then swung her scythe skillfully until it rested over her shoulders. The corner of Raven's lips turned up, recognizing the young girl's attempt at showing off.

"I take it something happened that upset you a lot." The Huntress noted. "Do you have anything to share?"

"No, it's just…" Ruby looked towards her, not sure if Raven was the best person to talk to about these matters. "Just Cinder stuff."

"I see." Raven wished there was something she could say to help the girl, but she had to be honest with herself: being away for seventeen years did nothing good for her comforting skills… Not that she had been particularly good with those, especially when it came to romance.

Ruby moved on to another target and slashed at it absently-minded. Now that Raven was there, her thoughts strayed away from Cinder and to the mysterious mother of her half-sister… And first love of her father.

"Can I ask you a question, Miss Raven?" She asked hesitantly.

"Just Raven." The older woman corrected. "And, yes, you can."

"Is it weird for you that… That I exist?"

Raven frowned, not understanding what Ruby was talking about. Then the meaning of the question hit her like a brick, and she had to hide a pitying grimace.

"Not at all, Ruby." She said softly. "I did not expect Taiyang to wait for my return, especially when the years started piling on without any notice of me. I might have been a little bit hurt when I first learned of your mother's pregnancy, but after… I was happy for her and for him."

"Oh. But wasn't it… Well, I'm just two years younger than Yang." Ruby frowned. "A little less, even."

"Don't worry about it. I know Taiyang loved me. But he also loved Summer. And neither of them did anything to hurt me while I was there with them. If anything is to be said about the whole situation, it's that I let it happen by abandoning them both." Raven sighed. "I don't like to dwell on these matters. I moved on a long time ago, and it was for the best."

"Okay. But how did you move on?" Ruby frowned. "It all seems a bit too magical for me."

"Oh, I cried a lot and… Uh, killed some people." The Huntress coughed. "I held on to my happiest memories of Taiyang and didn't let them be tainted by anything. Yang was the key. As long as I remembered her, I also remembered that Taiyang loved me."

The redhead pondered the new information so intently, that Raven became sure she had been actually asking for advice in a very discreet way. Raven was impressed by Ruby's surprising skills at subtlety.

"That was a nice talk!" Ruby exclaimed suddenly, as if she had had a brilliant idea. "Thanks, Miss Raven!"

"It's just-" Raven sighed. "Whatever you prefer."

Despite her morning's disappointing nature, Cinder quickly found this day to be one of her best recently. Working her new job was simple: she was taught how to make the most excellent tea - love is the secret ingredient, Iroh revealed- and when she wasn't doing that, she was taking costumer's orders.

Apparently, the nephew had been the only waiter, and so she was inheriting a lot of responsibility from him. Still, the clientele was so small and quiet, that attending to them was actually very relaxing. She even got to learn a little bit about their lives, and she was surprised in herself for being interested in them – and not maliciously so.

As the day came to a close, Cinder thought that this life wasn't as bad as she had thought. Maybe after the White Fang fiasco was over and done with, she could go on working the shop… She could even see herself forgetting about Ruby.

Ruby. A small smile formed on her face as she set down a cup of tea for a costumer. For days now, she had been avoiding that name even in her thoughts… But now, she felt relieved to think it once again. I won't forget her, but… I think I can move on.

"Okay, Ruby. This is nothing big." Ruby mumbled to herself as she stood in front of the teashop, her hands trembling ever so slightly as she reached for the door handle. "Hold on to the memories… Don't let them be tainted… And move on…"

She went inside, holding her breath as if she were diving into the mouth of hell without a way back. She was greeted with a serene sight – there were perhaps a half dozen customers spread around the shop. The owner was sitting behind his counter, preparing some tea for himself, while a blonde waitress was chatting quietly with a couple near their table.

Ruby smiled lightly. That wasn't hard! She sat beside a window, proud of herself for taking such a big, mature step in her recovery.

"Jasmine!" The owner sung cheerfully. "We've got a new customer!"

"On it, boss!" The waitress said one last word to the stranger couple, then turned to walk towards Ruby.

The blonde paused, her eyes widening ever so slightly as she saw Ruby. Then, as if nothing had happened, she resumed her walk until she was beside the table.

"Hello, miss." Jasmine said, trying to sound calm, but her hands were shaking and her eyes were going everywhere but Ruby.

"Uhm… Hi. Are you feeling okay?" The redhead inquired worriedly.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay!" The waitress smiled shakily, as if she were amused by her costumer's attitude. "What would you like?"

"Hmm…" Ruby scratched her chin, struggling to remember what she had ordered when Cinder and her had gone to the shop for the first time. "Oh! Jasmine, please!"

"That's her name!" The owner shouted suddenly, as if that were the world's happiest coincidence.

"…Right." The waitress mumbled. "Jasmine it is."

She turned around to walk to the counter, and in that moment, realization struck Ruby. There, on the waitress's upper back, was an intricate, familiar tattoo, barely concealed by her white shirt. Ruby sunk into her seat, her lips forming a straight line as they closed together.

After a few minutes, Jasmine came back carrying a cup of tea. She deposited it in front of Ruby, and in doing that, noticed the girl's odd look.

"Is… Is something wrong?" She asked, knowing she was taking a foolish risk in talking any more than she had to.

"No, Cinder." Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Oh, sorry. It's Jasmine now, right?"

The waitress's eyes widened with panic, and in a desperate measure, she sat in front of the redhead and approached the window, so that the owner couldn't watch her very well.

"Yes, I'm Jasmine!" She whispered desperately. "Ruby, what are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?" Ruby shot back defensively. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I think you're an escaped criminal!"

"Shh!" Cinder covered her face with her hands. "Damnit, Ruby. Everything was going so well. I just… I'm making a change, okay?" She looked at the redhead sorrowfully. "I'm moving on."

The statement hurt Ruby, but she didn't let that show. Instead, she crossed her arms and looked away.

"Well, I've already moved on." She lied firmly.

"Oh. That's… I'm happy for you." Cinder stared down at her lap. "I… I know I hurt you. And I don't expect you to forgive me. But I need you to believe me when I say I'm sorry, and that I am really changing. Once the White Fang is eliminated, there'll be no trace of my past life left. Just… Don't ruin me. Give me a chance. You're good at that sort of thing, aren't you?"

Ruby's eyes focused on her ex-girlfriend once again, as if she were judging how honest she was being. Cinder seemed desperate, and she spoke so convincingly that, even if she were lying, Ruby doubted it was for bad reasons.

"Okay. But you have a lot of explaining to do." Ruby said cautiously. She looked down at her cup. "So, Jasmine, how about you get me some more tea?"

Cinder smiled lightly, figuring that was some sort of odd punishment Ruby was unleashing on her. The blonde got up and, after a few minutes, returned with two cups of smoldering jasmine tea.

"So…" Jasmine said. "What's new?"

"I discovered non-lethal sniper rounds." Ruby told casually. "In case I needed to shoot someone."

"…Do they work? I mean, they are non-lethal, right?" Cinder gulped.

"Yep. Blake was knocked out cold in a couple of seconds." The redhead's eyes widened with excitement, and she leaned closer to Cinder as if to share big news. "Oh, you won't believe this! Blake and Weiss! They're dating!"

Cinder leaned back and took a sip of her tea.

"That's actually kind of surprising." She smiled. "Tell me all about it."

*trumpet sounds* YAAAAAAY THEY'RE BACK BUT NOT TOGETHER

Anyway. This was a weird chapter for me to write. It deals with things I'm not used to write about... Like Cinder styling her hair and buying clothes? Pff. Ain't nobody got skills for that! Also, I hope no ones mind that part where I took the AtLA reference to the next level. I had to restrain myself from namedropping Zuko (but I still giggled at the honor joke. That was just too good.)

To clarify a statement I made in the previous author's note: we're currently on Act 2 of 3. I'm theming the act's chapters to whatever I want to. Act I was fire. This act's birds - and that was a bad choice, 'cause I don't know what to name the chapters anymore. Damnit! Shoulda gone with colors or something.

Honor-sized thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited Falling Roses Burn Brighter!

-Zeroan