Next Update: Wednesday, April 18th.

Chapter 5

Blake slid open a hidden panel that acted as a sliding door. It took them into a personal sitting room. On the far side of it sat a door connecting to an outside veranda. It was a small area, protected by the trees. Blake plucked the matches that were resting by the table, using them to light the torches outside to illuminate the area. The fires flickered and danced, beautiful, but dangerous.

Ruby rarely came to this part of the house, as it was sectioned off and privatized by a thicket of bamboo that grew wildly around the area.

There was only a small swing made from the very bamboo that protected this space. This was the most private outdoor area around Blake's massive household. Two small stools rested in the corners, potted plants resting on them. A small boxed garden of herbs housed some of Blake's most prized plants. Even though Ruby had never actually seen Blake smoke, she knew that many islanders enjoyed substances that would be illegal in any of the major cities.

The cat Faunus came out here often when she wanted to be alone. Blake often found solitude away from the members of her household. As such, Blake's personal area was off limits to anyone she hadn't personally invited to invade her space. It was an honor to be out here with her, and on such a beautiful night, at that.

Blake walked to the far side of the outdoor sitting area, turning to Ruby as she leaned heavily on the railing, setting the last torch ablaze before blowing out the match. For a few short moments, she was quiet, calm. There was a tense undercurrent working its way into her gaze. "So then, where to begin?" She asked somewhat rhetorically.

"At the beginning?" Ruby returned, unsure of the why she saw such a troubled look in Blake's eyes.

"I don't make a habit of amusing most humans with our customs. They don't usually involve any of you. Seeing as the village doesn't normally recognize humans as part of our social grouping, the people are better off ignoring your existence. At least, more often than not." Blake said slowly, hesitating. "Furthermore…" She trailed off.

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby asked. "You can tell me anything."

"You live outside the village walls." Blake continued, golden eyes gently meeting Ruby's. "You live here, with me. Your dealings in the village…are to be honest….sporadic at best. There's a distance between you and the villagers."

"It's been that way for a while. It's not a problem, is it?" Ruby said, wondering if the anxiety she saw was due to Blake working herself into exhaustion. Without proper rest, Blake was known to stress herself out needlessly. It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it likely be the last. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I'm grateful for that." Blake replied softly. "It doesn't change the facts though."

"You're being hard on yourself again, aren't you?" Ruby accused gently. "You really shouldn't do that."

"Ruby, you need to understand, you humans were a social experiment of mine. To me, it proves that humans and Faunus can cohabitate wonderfully together. Under particular conditions, it's ideal for diversifying the island, trade, and commerce. However, here in Menagerie, there are so few of you. You're seen as my tools, and you're not equal here. The rest of the world offers humans a place of prosperity and privilege to those who work for it. The same benefits don't always apply to Faunus, but here, Faunus are placed first and foremost above humans."

"Blake, it's okay." Ruby said with a smirk. "You're rambling about hard stuff again, but, maybe you don't have to."

"I know, I know." Blake mumbled in agitation between gritted teeth. "Shit, I wish I could make this easier..."

"Sooo, maybe just make it simple. Just say what you want to. Don't worry about me so much."

"But I do worry, Ruby."

"Right, so maybe don't...at least, not right now."

"Look, as a general rule, for a human to be here, you must cast aside the privileges of being human. Some of you have chosen to do so for very personal and important reasons." Blake shrugged, looking to Ruby earnestly then. "I don't pretend to understand some of the ways you humans think. Just as I cannot pretend that you all understand the way Faunus think. Often, I find it too difficult to try to know the depths of your minds. Yours, particularly, Ruby."

"I don't really think I'm all that deep, Blake."

"Yet, disregarding human norms was a choice you made as well." Blake finally manage to say, forcing the words off of the tip of her tongue. "For that reason, Faunus culture doesn't need to be a concern for you, at least not usually. None of it applies, but, Ruby…." Blake sighed deeply then, as Ruby watched her intently. Eyes like the metal of a gun seeking her every movement, as the human woman clung onto the words Blake spoke. "That will change for you."

Ruby's face contorted in confusion. "But…why?"

"Faunus don't often speak of who they intend to mate, or the reasons why we choose the mate that we do. Those things are personal to us, revered because of the importance of the occasion. Although some Faunus take more than one mate over the years, each one is unique, and the individual is to be highly regarded and respected…the problem with this, Ruby, and why it concerns you…." Blake took a breath and licked her lips. "It's because I've chosen to claim Yang."

"Really?" Ruby asked. "That's great, though, isn't it? Isn't that like one of the biggest milestones for Faunus?"

"It is, in a way." Blake said. "But, at the same time, it isn't."

"Well, that's not being simple Blakey." Ruby said with a small smirk. "You'll just go in circles if you keep worrying yourself…"

"I'm the chieftain's daughter." Blake said pointedly. "I have duties to this village that go above and beyond the usual call of Faunus nobles. As a result, Yang's status becomes paramount to the people here on this island." Molten eyes of gold sighed as she stepped forward. "Some of that notice will extend to you, Ruby. As Yang's half-sister, you share her bloodline. In Menagerie, where taking multiple mates can be a common thing, half-siblings are seen as equal to those of full-blooded littermates."

"Soo, this is a problem, because?"

"Your status here will be elevated simply because you're related to her." Blake said. "The people will begin to treat you differently."

Ruby took pause with the statement, almost flinching violently under the information. "But, I don't want that." She said, almost as if to shove the entire notion away. Ruby stepped forward, leaning heavily on the railing as well, looking up at the sky. "I like things just the way they are."

"I know, Ruby, trust me. I have no intention of stressing you out, or upsetting you." Blake sighed, hugging the woman to her chest. "To be honest, it's why I didn't choose you as a mate last year, even though I heavily considered it."

"Why would you even want me as your mate anyway?" Ruby said, nuzzling into Blake's warmth. "I'm not that great…"

"You mean, besides the fact that I care deeply for you?" Blake asked softly, eyes narrowing a bit in humor.

Ruby nodded, a small hiver slipping though her body.

"You're everything a person of my political stature would expect of a female." Blake told her. "You're intelligent, and you're kind, but you're also generally obedient. The village would see your nature and approve of your inclination to not make a spectacle of yourself. Your working knowledge of Grimm would make you respected as a village guard, and you're successful leadership skills would warrant consideration to be part of my father's elite unit. Furthermore, it would have paved the way for me to claim more humans in the future, should I desire to do so."

"You can claim Yang now, though. Well, I mean, I think you can. I don't know of all of this mating stuff, but I do know you care a lot about her." Ruby said then. "If you ask her, you know she's going to say yes."

"I know that, of course." Blake nodded at this, however, she knew the dilemma was lost on Ruby. The woman didn't have a spiteful bone in her body. She didn't have the inclination to judge people. "The issue is that, in spite of my wishes, Yang isn't an ideal mate."

"You must think she is." Ruby said, pulling away slightly. "Don't you?" Her voice wavered. "I mean, that's why you'd choose her, right?"

"Yang is not by any means docile…" Blake explained, cording her fingers through Ruby's short tresses. "And she doesn't listen to orders if she doesn't agree with them."

"But she always does her best." Ruby shot back.

"She has a big heart, Ruby, but her personality is even larger. It can be very hard to handle with care. I was reminded of that today." Blake began, a fondness trickling into her words, even though exasperation did too. "She's rambunctious, and easy to agitate. The fact that she's not male is a multifaceted issue. She gets into fights all the time, and she's more than happy to cause a scene if she's provoked. All of this is made worse by the fact that she cannot sire progeny, and therefore, I won't be able to breed with her."

"But, you're choosing to claim her as a mate with her anyway." Ruby said with a smirk. "That's got to mean something, right?"

A smirk that Blake returned. "Yes, I am. To me, it's a very big deal, and it means a lot. Frankly, I shouldn't even be telling you until the village matchmaker gives Yang and I our tattoos. However, I know this will change the way the village looks at you."

"Things won't be that different for me, will they?"

"People will have to part the way for you in the village, and obey you when you speak. They won't be able to look you in the eye unless they're of noble birth, or you've told them to. The shopkeepers won't be allowed to take any money from you, not even as a gift. You'll be considered part of the extended Belladonna family, the highest ranking family on the entire island of Menagerie. So, if you ever want to pay someone back for something, it'll have to be in the form of good deeds, or favors. They will repay you with deeds or favors in kind."

Ruby crinkled her nose. "Why aren't the Belladonna's allowed to use money?"

"The highest ranking family is never allowed to use currency on the island. All of the money we tax goes directly back into the economy for goods and procurement of supplies. As a result, the Belladonna family only takes money from the coffers when we're about to travel. Or to dole out currency to our merchants for trade on the mainland. We are provided everything we need here on the island, in return, we serve and protect the island to the best of our abilities."

"But I like paying for things." Ruby said.

"We pay in other ways." Blake replied. "Remember, Kuo Kuana is the main hub to all of Menagerie, but there are smaller outcroppings of Faunus only villages that we have to lend an ear to. Both on the island, and on the mainland. We are the largest haven for Faunus, but that means we also curate the most notice and sway from the large mainland cities. My family has pull that no other Faunus family has, and it's our responsibility to use it to protect and aid all Faunus across Remnant."

Ruby could understand that, on some level she even respected it. "I just don't want to be treated differently…"

"It's just the way it is." Blake said softly, giving Ruby a gentle kiss on the forehead, and hugging her as tightly as she dared. She could smell Ruby's scent, and if it were any other time during the year, she would have thrown the shorter woman over her shoulder and carried her to bed. Reluctantly, she pulled away just enough so that she didn't feel inclined to amuse such a thought any further.

Not on the very week she would be publicly announcing her claiming of Yang Xiao Long. "You will become used to it, it might just take some getting used to."

"I'm perfectly happy here, outside of the village." Ruby said. "I like it here, with you and everyone else. I don't really want all of that attention."

"My intentions for you have not dwindled, Ruby." Blake replied then. "Not even slightly. If I thought for even a moment you'd be able to handle the sudden change in status, I would claim you right here, right now. I know that's not fair to you though, and that you wouldn't do well with the sudden change of social and political status. To be honest, I'm sure Yang is ill-suited for it too, but I know she will approach the situation with a positive mindset moving forward."

"Maybe one day I'll agree to it…" Ruby trailed off. "But only maybe…it's not a promise. Maybe it's because I'm human, but I like you for you...not because of all of this mating business."

"What about those things you humans do?" Blake asked, trailing off. "Marriage, was it that?"

"I don't think I need that either." Ruby said with shrug. "Maybe I'm just weird...or maybe I'm just not at that point in my life yet. Who knows?"

"Even if the answer turns out to be never, at least I can say enjoyed the pursuit." Blake said then, tousling the dark tresses upon her head. "That reminds me, Pyrrha requested your help, you should go and help her prepare. Otherwise, she'll be down by the storage units all night."

"What about you?" Ruby asked then.

"I'm just fine." The warmth in her voice was proof of her honesty. "If you feel like going into the village tomorrow, stock up on cookies while you have the chance. You won't be needing any currency you have after the claiming festival. Any leftovers that you have from your missions will go directly into Menagerie's coffers from then on."

"If I bought that many cookies, I'd be able to give one to everyone on the island." Ruby laughed. "I hardly ever spend the money at the bakery when Yang and I can just make our own whenever we want." She narrowed her eyes a Blake. "Although, now I know why you always insist on doing the shopping on your own…"

"My mother and I don't get any time to chat unless we visit the markets." Blake shot back, her voice filled with amusement. "It has nothing to do with a lack of payment, I promise you that." Blake said, her eyes glancing back to the door, and to the work she knew she had left to do in her office. "Now shoo, I have hunting reports to write. I'll never be able to do them if I'm too distracted. Go help Pyrrha, and with any luck, I'll see you at the morning feast tomorrow."

"Don't count on that, I'd rather just eat a bowl of cereal than be out there with all those people." Ruby said, giving Blake another hug before parting ways. "Buuuuut, if you do get bored of all the partying and noise, you know I'll be around here someplace. I'll probably start reading a new book with Yatsuhashi. You're always welcome to join us, all curled up in a bed, munching on fruit all day. He always finds the best ones."

"My ideal afternoon." Blake said then. It was too. She loved her reading just as much as she loved sampling for the daily foraging of fresh fruits. "Sadly, this time, it won't be written in the stars for me."

"Another time then?" Ruby asked hopefully.

With a smile that could only come from the comfort such a question offered, Blake answered softly. "Of course."