Author's Note: Hello all, I'm back with more, as I've finally gotten a new idea for this story, so I'm going to reset it to "In-Progress" once again. That said, I sadly cannot commit to a regular schedule at present, as I also have papers to write and such, but there will be more to come, if you'll just bear with me. For now, here's a bit of a fluff chapter; enjoy! And please, feel free to let me know what you think.

"You can't be serious," Weiss stated flatly as she looked up at the sign in a mixture of disbelief and disapproval, "This has to be some kind of joke,"

"'Fraid not," Blake answered with a sigh, taking it only marginally better.

"Ah, come on guys," Yang dismissed their apprehension rather flippantly, "It'll be fun,"

"She did say that she'd gotten a job as a waitress…" Ruby added, though less confidently.

"But at a hostess bar?" Weiss fumed, "Of all the seedy places… I feel dirty just walking through this part of town!"

"Technically it's a Maid Café-,"

Weiss silenced Ruby with a withering look, "Either way it's positively absurd!"

It had been some time since things had cooled down after the unfortunate kidnapping incident, and things had more or less returned to normal. Well, perhaps Blake didn't get quite as much sleep, but that was neither here nor there. Mina's… nocturnal tendencies aside, the previous state in which Mina generally behaved like Yang, albeit with considerably more subtlety, had been restored; She'd changed a lot since Blake had left the White Fang, but now that she'd followed Blake out, and perhaps more importantly, Blake had laid out some ground rules, It was good to have her back.

Among the principle changes that Blake had observed in Mina was that now, she was considerably more self-sufficient. There had been a time in which Mina would look over her shoulder to get Blake's approval for even the most trivial of actions before taking them, so terrified was she of displeasing her. Now though, while she remained absolutely committed to Blake, to an almost unsettling degree, the naivety and uncertainty which had characterized her dedication when they were kids was supplanted by sardonicism and a sort of paradoxically conditional self-assurance according to which she had become both much more independent and decisive, so long as she thought that it was what Blake wanted. This, however, was what had led them, though perhaps indirectly so, to the doorstep of 'The Summer-Blossom Café…'

"Remind me again why we're even here?" Weiss demanded, turning back to her teammates, "This establishment seems more than a bit sketchy,"

"It's not like it's some kind of strip joint," Yang smirked, "And did you seriously use the word 'sketchy?'"

"I-, Um…" Weiss stammered.

Blake sighed sympathetically, shooting Yang a glare of her own, "Bad habits do tend to rub off, don't they?"

"Anyway," Ruby piped in, following Yang's lead, "We've gotta support Mina in her new part-time job, right? It's a team-building exercise… or something like that…"

Weiss recovered her powers of speech just in time to give in with a heavy sigh, "Fine, but after this Yang, we need to have a serious talk about being a good example…"

"Whatever," Yang completely ignored Weiss, now that she'd caved, and instead turned back to coax Blake in, "Come on Blake, you can't tell me that you don't want to see what she looks like in the uniform…"

Blake's ears twitched; Yang was right of course, but Blake wasn't prepared to give her the satisfaction of admitting as much, "Let's just make this quick, okay?"

Yang put on a mock look of mortified horror, "Blake! You can't rush that-!"

Blake didn't wait for her to finish the lewd joke as she walked into the café, prompting a little bell to jingle as the door swung open, but she stopped dead again at the sight with which she was met.

"Welcome home, Master!" No less than eight voices sounded at once.

Before her stood an array of waitresses fitting very nearly every conceivable description; there were blondes, brunettes, and redheads, some were short, others tall, and some wore ribbons in their hair, but all wore more or less the same maid outfit.

They uh… the really covered all their bases…

"How may I bee of service, Mistress?" Mina spoke alone this time, a devilish grin on her face as the only black-haired waitress in attendance stepped forward and did a little curtsy.

Well… Blake swallowed, trying not to stare, I can definitely see how she got the job…

"Sup Mina! Table for four!" Yang all but shouted as she entered the restaurant after Blake, slinging an arm over her shoulder and leaning in to whisper into her ear, "Told ya you'd like the place."

"Um…"

"If you would be so kind as to follow me," Mina beckoned, clutching a stack of elaborately decorated menus to her chest as she turned to lead her teammates to a booth for a seat, "Our specials today are the berry parfait, crab risotto, and…" Mina cocked an eyebrow Blake's way as the three slightly bewildered cohorts and Yang shuffled into the booth, "and grilled tuna on rice,"

"Uh… yeah… That sounds nice…"

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific, Dearest," Mina's grin broadened as she bent forward to tease Blake with a better view, "Of course, you could have it all…"

"The tuna," Blake quickly replied, trying not to redden.

Despite being both blind and new to the place, Mina knew exactly how to work the uniform. It consisted of a pair of polished black shoes and white stockings, and a black dress that went just past the knees. Perhaps more telling was the corset to accentuate her figure, and the white blouse that Mina, like all the other waitresses, wore under the black dress, visible because it covered the chest, which the dress would not have. It escaped no one's attention that the white blouse was very low cut across the bust, clearly illustrating the café's real selling points.

As the others simply stared, Yang going so far as to lean on Blake's shoulder for a better view, Weiss perused the menu, musing aloud as she went, "Grilled Tuna? Risotto? And Caviar? How the hell can they afford to…" Weiss trailed off as she looked up at their smirking waitress, and then back at the prices, "I should have known…" She rolled her eyes, "I'll have the risotto, and I'll be taking the check when we're done,"

"That's so nice of you Weiss-!"

"No, it isn't," Weiss shot her partner's enthusiasm down flat, "It's a necessity; none of you can afford to eat here,"

"Oh come on, it can't be… FORTY LIEN FOR A COOKIE?"

"My point is made," Weiss turned to Mina, "Don't take this the wrong way, I think it's great that you got a part-time job, but we won't be eating here terribly often…"

"I understand completely, Miss Schnee," Mina smiled, then turned to Yang, "Miss Xiao Long? What would you like?"

"The view's a nice start-," Blake elbowed her, quite hard, "Oh… um… That parfait thing sounds nice…With a cherry on top?"

Mina smirked again, "No cherries here, I' m afraid, Miss Xiao Long…"

Weiss slapped the menu into her face.

Ruby looked slightly dejected, "No cherries… I was gonna ask for that too…"

Without lifting her face from the menu, Weiss turned her head to just stare at Ruby, but thought better of explaining the joke.

"So that's one grilled tuna on rice, one crab risotto, and two berry parfaits?" Mina confirmed, "Any drinks?"

"Milk," Ruby and Yang said at once, though Yang's request earned her another elbow to the ribs.

"Milk for Ruby, and water for the rest of us," Blake corrected.

"Very well," Mina smiled, "I will be back momentarily with your drinks, mistress," and with that, Mina walked off, leaving them alone at their booth.

"I hope that you all appreciate this," Weiss snorted, "because the bill is going to be almost as obscene as the uniform!"

"Ah relax Princess," Yang waved her off, "There's nothin' wrong with sexy,"

"The dress is pretty…"

Weiss set the menu down, rolling her eyes again, "That dress is probably why the food here is so expensive… I shudder to think of the circumstances that have led these girls to-,"

"Mina told me that the tips are usually really good," Blake offered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Weiss scoffed, "And just think of it Blake, you should be just as worried; imagine all the greasy clods who're going to ogle her every day now!"

"Well… She does have a point there…" Yang reluctantly agreed with no perception of irony as her eyes roamed from waitress to waitress to very hot waitress…

Blake thought it over before giving a nod in agreement, if slightly forced "The outfit is kind of racy…"

"But then," Yang flip-flopped on the issue as she caught sight of Mina again approaching their table, "How much time to you spend reading that smutty book each day? You should love this,"

And she did, but…

"What's this about smutty books Dearest?" Mina asked as she set the drinks down on the table, feigning a hurt expression, "Am I not enough for you?"

"I thought it was weird that you two come back to the room so late…" Yang teased, causing her partner to redden further, "Makes sense though; I mean, look at her-,"

"Yang!" Blake objected, "Ninja's of Love is not-!" But then she realized what she was saying.

Mina blushed, "Well… I suppose such a book would explain a few things…"

"I-, Wait Mina-, I-,"

"No, no, it's fine Dear…" Mina leaned in to peck Blake on the cheek with a saucy grin, "you'll have to read it to me sometime…"

Yang whistled as Mina turned and walked off again, "That's just not fair Blake… I mean, how did you leave that? I mean, I just have to look at her to know she's sooo much better than some stupid book…"

"I couldn't exactly go back for her once I'd made my decision," Blake answered defensively, "But I really wish I had…"

"A great deal of unpleasantness could certainly have been avoided…" Weiss muttered, still somewhat miffed about having had to replace her jacket, "But what's done is done now,"

"It all worked out, right?" Ruby chimed in, sipping her milk cheerily.

"And now she's gone from terrorist to huntress in training and… maid…" Weiss added, shaking her head, "Honestly, this place is a gross misuse of her skills,"

"I dunno Weiss… She seems to have all the right… skills…"

"Yang," Blake warned again, not needing to elaborate further.

"Hey, I appreciate hotness!" Yang defended, "It's a passion of mine… like… Ooh… Hello glasses…"

Weiss rolled her eyes, yet again, "Whether she's suited to this work or not, I can't help feeling that we're not the intended clientele… And frankly, I'd rather not consider who is…"

"Mina seems to be enjoying herself," Ruby shrugged, watching as she made small talkat another table as she took the older man's order.

"Of course she is," Blake said dryly, eyeing the patron in question suspiciously, "Mina's a massive tease…"

"Oh really?" Yang asked in a suggestive tone, "How so, dearest?"

"Don't call me that," Blake ordered, not taking her eyes off the man a few tables over until Mina walked away from him, "Only Mina gets to use that…"

"Jeez," Yang huffed, "But you didn't answer the question…"

"And I'm not going to," Blake stated flatly, knowing what Yang was fishing for, "And don't you have a waitress to stare at or something?"

"Tempting, but I'm enjoying this too much right now," Yang grinned, "and I can always come back another time…"

"In which case I hope you don't plan on retiring," Weiss deadpanned, because you will never drag me in here again to pay for it,"

That deflated Yang a bit, "Aw…. but Princess…"

"I wonder if they also have butler cafes?" Ruby absently wondered aloud as a waitress with a bob haircut walked by their table.

Blake couldn't help but sympathize with Weiss on this one; the place made her more than a bit uncomfortable as well, even discounting how good Mina looked in the uniform. How much more unsettling for Weiss, given that she wasn't… well… inclined to this sort of thing…

So caught was Blake in her musings that she was mildly startled when Mina arrived carrying the tray with their orders, "Bon Appetite, ladies; I think you'll find the chef to be very good at his job,"

"He'd certainly better be," Weiss grumbled, her mind very much pre-occupied with the impending two hundred Lien check, and looked at each of her three seated teammates in turn, "Either way, you three are going to tip her, do I make myself clear?"

"But-!"

"We could split the check too, if you prefer,"

"No… that sounds fine," Yang's objection died, for once not wanting to push her luck, but her expression brightened anew as she got a look at the truly massive parfaits with which she and her sister had been presented, "Damn…"

"I'm told that most customers generally leave here… satisfied… with their dining experience," Mina said with a wink, "Please, don't hesitate to ask if you need anything else, Mistress,"

"Why do I get the feeling that she enjoys this more than any of the patrons do?" Weiss asked, examining her plate critically.

"Because she absolutely does," Blake replied, "She knows how people look at her, and she loves it… I mean just look at her other customers; they're like putty in her hands,"

"I could live with that arrangement…"

Blake shot Yang a dangerous look, but said nothing, instead turning her attention to the finely prepared fish before her.

The next few minutes passed in relative silence as the four of them tucked into their orders, some more zealously than others. Ruby devoured her parfait with aplomb, and Yang wasn't far behind, but Blake and Weiss took their time to actually taste the food.

"I must say," Weiss begrudgingly admitted, "It is rather good…"

Blake just nodded, taking another bite as her mouth watered.

"I trust that you are finding everything to your liking?" Mina asked, strolling up to their table again, then directed a question at Blake, "May I join you, Dearest?"

"Um… Yes…" She scooted towards the middle of the booth, shoving Yang towards the opposite end of the bench as she went, "But won't that get you into trouble with the manager?"

"I'm on break, Dearest," Mina assured, and then smiled devilishly, "And besides, we're encouraged to get… familiar… when it's not too busy.."

Before Blake could ask just how familiar Mina was talking about, the off-duty hostess plucked the fork from her fingers and collected a bit more of the grilled fish, before lifting it to Blake's lips, "Open wide Dear,"

On the one hand, Blake became almost painfully aware of the numerous stares that she was receiving from about the restaurant, some visibly envious that she was monopolizing the hot new waitress, but on the other hand… It was really good tuna…

"Are you sure that you're allowed to do that?" Blake asked weakly, not honestly caring at the moment, "People are staring…"

"Envy is good for business Dearest," Mina winked, popping the last bit of fish into Blake's mouth with one hand and running the other up Blake's leg beneath the table, "And business is good, that aside… I may have been afforded a certain leeway…"

"Oh?' Blake asked.

Mina smiled, "I may have advertised myself as an… insurance policy… as well as a waitress; this isn't quite the best part of town after all,"

"So Mina," Ruby asked, oblivious, "Why did you even want this job? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have…"

Mina smiled at Ruby, setting the now empty fork down, but not removing her other hand, "Well Miss Rose," Mina said, "A girl has to earn her keep on the straight and-," She paused to wink at Weiss, "Well, the narrow path… Ozpin was kind enough to allow me to keep attending Beacon, but some disposable income is always nice, yes?"

"But why a maid café?" Weiss demanded, "Surely you could have found a classier place to work?"

"I could have," Mina shrugged, but then her smile broadened, "But yesterday alone I made three hundred Lien in tips,"

"See?" Blake said, referring to her own previous explanation as she resisted the urge to start purring.

Less naïve than her partner, but equally oblivious, if only thanks to the table, Weiss continued, "But don't you feel objectified? Or exploited?"

Mina's smile took on a slightly sinister quality as she moved her hand an inch or so further up Blake's leg, "I do believe we've discussed this at some length, Miss Schnee; exploitation is simply the order of things, and besides," she tugged at the already dangerously low neckline of her blouse for effect, "They can objectify me all they want; it won't change the fact that I am generally tipped quite handsomely… Who then would you say is truly being exploited?"

Weiss didn't have an answer for that one, but seated as she was on the same side of the booth as Blake and Mina, Yang, not so oblivious, took it upon herself to fill the conversational void., "Sooo, Mina… What's it cost for service like that?"

"An arm and a leg," Blake answered rather possessively.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" Yang backed off.

"Don't fret, Miss Xiao Long," Mina lowered her voice to a whisper, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the brunette waitress with glasses, "Clara is very single…"

"Oh really?" Yang asked, eyebrow raise as she stood from her seat, "Excuse me ladies…"

"Too easy," Mina chuckled as Yang walked out of earshot.

"I'm guessing she's…" Weiss didn't have to finish the question.

"Straight as a board, yes,"

"Mina! That's just mean!" Ruby complained, moving to go warn her sister, but Weiss caught her by the shoulder.

"Think of it as a learning experience Ruby," Weiss lectured, "Yang needs to know what it's like to be on the receiving end once in a while,"

"But-,"

"Apupup!" Weiss cut her off, "People learn a great deal from failure, Ruby, would you really deny your sister that opportunity?"

"Um…"

Their attention was drawn abruptly in Yang's direction as she was audibly slapped.

Ruby winced.

"… In this case it would seem that the lesson was in sexual harassment…" Weiss said, stifling a laugh at the blonde's expense as Yang returned to the table.

"She's totally into me," Yang stated confidently as she resumed her seat next to Blake, seemingly ignorant of the angry red handprint on her face.

"She does like to play hard to get," Mina encouraged deviously, "She'll be time-consuming, and very expensive, but almost certainly worth it; I have an … eye… for these things…"

Weiss, Blake, and Ruby all shot her a look at the choice of the word 'eye,' but Yang didn't seem to notice, "Challenge accepted!"

"Well, have fun with that…" Weiss said apprehensively, somewhat less sure of her previous suggestion to let Yang just crash and burn on her own.

"Sis…"

"Not now Rubes, I got work to do…"

Ruby sighed; maybe Weiss was right about this one…

Blake's attention was rather sharply re-focused on her own person at that moment though, as Mina moved her hand ever so slightly farther up her thigh, "Mina…"

"Yes Dearest?" Mina batted her eyelashes several times, feigning an innocent expression.

Blake swallowed thickly, "Maybe this isn't a good place…"

"A good place for what, Dearest?" Mina maintained the innocent look even as she continued to walk her fingers upward.

"Don't make me say it…"

Mina sighed, withdrawing her hand and standing, "Very well then… Regrettably dearest, that is all the time I have for my break…." She shot Blake a suggestive look, "Dessert will have to wait…"

"Dessert?" Ruby asked innocently, "You can still eat after that?"

"Not on my dime she can't," Weiss muttered dryly as she fished through her purse for the cash, too busy fuming about the cost of the outing to catch on to the innuendo this time.

Mina smiled again, "I'll be along with the check in a moment,"

"I'll say it again, you all had better appreciate this," Weiss muttered as Mina walked away.

Ruby cocked her head as she watched Yang continue fishing through her wallet after pulling out her share of Mina's tip, "What are you doing Yang?"

"The math," Yang answered, not looking up, "I gotta figure out how often I can come back to see Clara…"

Blake just rolled her eyes, "Good luck with that…"

Thanks for reading, and I do hope that you enjoyed it; The next chapter will be back at Beacon for a touch more relationship development, hopefully, but you'll have to be the judge as to whether or not I succeed. At any rate, while I do know more or less where the plot is going to go, I'm open to requests as to future fluff chapters, as this was admittedly kind of fun to write. For now though, see you next time.