So, this is an early update for Hushed Dreams (and, yes, no update this Saturday because I'm moving ahead of schedule)...

And there is a reason for that.

Gotta a question to ask ya'll.

So how does everyone prefer the weekly update style?

Do you prefer it more, or would you like it if the chapters were updated as they were finished?

Kind of want everyone's input on this one as I'm about seven, almost eight chapters ahead on this point, and not sure I can sustain that lead all too well going forward.

Although it would be quite some time before updates would eventually catch up to me.

I do like not having the pressure of having to worry about a story when I have chapters ready to go...

But then again, when I see the dwindling chapter count in that buffer, it does put pressure to make sure that buffer is still there.

Whereas there isn't as much of a one if you just want to wait for the next update when I'm ready.

So I just want to hear what everyone's thought is do you like having a consistent date or just whenever they're done and dusted?

Put this up as a poll, but I would also like to hear your opinions on it as I'm conflicted as both sides have the benefits and stresses to it.

Will give everyone about two weeks or come in and decide as late...

These last two months have been rather stressful, and with a serious injury to my back, after I update this last Saturday, I need to reevaluate how to approach things.

This one is a pretty solid 50/50 split for me, and I thought I'd ask everyone's opinion.

Anyways, onto the story!

"Trivia?" A droning voice drolled out as she looked at the teenager lolling at the table before her, almost drooling on it from her expression. "Do try and pay attention. The lesson may be complex, but it is quite necessary…"

Aurelia frowned as Trivia flapped her mouth and rolled her eyes as she continued to doodle on the paper before her. That was peculiar. While defiant, she usually listened…

"Oh, I see." Aurelia sighed before tapping the desk with a ruler, drawing Trivia's attention. "If you would, pay attention. I am sure you wouldn't want to make anyone suspicious if they walked in, no?"

"So I'll play the part if you do, Neo."

Where was it?

Where did they keep it? She needed her records to have any possibility of succeeding.

Unfortunately, she only had a few ideas about where they could be kept, and none were readily obtainable to her.

Trivia grinned as her silhouette shimmered, silently stepping through the manor's hallways to the next place. She was more grateful for Naruto's assistance training as he was far stealthier than he looked! Who knew someone wearing bright orange could ever be considered stealthy?

Thankfully she was very adept at learning from watching his movements more than his instructions as he wasn't proficient at giving them…

He didn't have a way with words. Well, he did if he was expressing emotion and intent, but that was entirely different!

Trivia froze as she carefully slid into the room, her eyes drawn to a lone figure. She silently fumed as her mother sat silently in one of the study's armchairs, resting as she calmly read what seemed to be a novel.

This was the last place she needed her to be, knowing her mother was home while her father did whatever he did for the company. If she had other checks, she would have left for them, but this was her last check, and she was out of options.

She didn't know where else to look for her medical records or certificates. She needed them, and she had a distinct feeling they might be in her father's desk in the study or one of the cabinets here.

But Mother was here, so how could she sneak around her? She was surprisingly apt at sensing her illusions and had always been oddly observant, now that she recalled. In all her memories, when she hid when something terrible happened, and she hid, and her father came to punish her, her mother always noticed her and directed her father.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Trivia stepped forward as a cold sweat trailed down her collar. She had to do this now. She only had a few opportunities left, and who knew if she would get a better one than this?

There was only a month before she was sixteen and possibly shipped off to that dainty little academy for prissy girls!

Keeping a single eye on her mother, she carefully approached the desk. No activity so far, but now came the issue.

Trying to open the drawers silently. And, her father loved his rustic, noisy…

Carmel's eyes lifted toward the desk as she heard something, and Trivia winced, knowing she did. Her mother's gaze pierced through her translucent silhouette as she scanned the spot, looking for what possibly could have caused the noise.

Trivia released her breath as her mother's vision returned to her book, and she sifted through the papers in the drawer she opened. But to her dismay, there wasn't anything she wanted!

Oum was cursing her! How could this be? What was her…

"You won't find what you're looking for in there, my dear Trivia?" Her mother's voice, silky smooth response shattered Trivia's reality as she calmly lifted a small manilla envelope beside her. "I believe it is this you are looking for."

She knew! Her mother knew all along what she was trying to do! But how? She was…

"Do not underestimate me, Trivia." Carmel's gaze lifted from her book again and pierced straight into Trivia. "I've been doing this for quite some time. I've known for some time that the boy has been visiting you for a while now and that Jim's security has been utterly wasteful as he is quite talented. A true operative, I must say. The bandit has raised him well, and he is such a generous boy to bequeath you some of those marvelous skills."

Trivia's eyes bulged. She knew that her parents must have known about Naruto's visits to some extent. But to comprehend that he was helping her…

"Take them. Do what you feel you must." Carmel's brown eyes pierced into where Trivia's translucent eyes were. "They will be of little benefit to you as it has already been decided. You will attend to Lady Browning's when you turn sixteen, dear. It is what's best for you."

Shattering into visibility before her mother, her eyes shimmering with furious rage, Trivia ripped the envelope from her mother's hands. And with a single motion of sign language, she told her off before reapplying her Semblance to leave and head back to her tutor session with Aurelia so no one else could report what happened.

"Choice…" Carmel muttered as she lowered her as she felt her daughter leave the room, her eyes mist. "I am so sorry, Trivia. But the moment you were something exceptional, the choice was taken from me."

"Forgive me."

"What do you mean it's not going to be enough?" Naruto contracted his eyes, frowning as he handed the envelope to Qrow.

"It's exactly what she said to her, kid." Qrow sighed as he slicked his hand through his hair and leaned back on his couch, Naruto had come to his apartment to give him the envelope. "She's still a minor until she's seventeen or until she gets her trainee Huntsman license which only happens after you successfully pass the initiation test at the higher academies."

"You're joking, right?" Naruto gazed at Qrow incredulously while clenching his fist. "Come on. There's got to be a way. This was our best shot!"

"Afraid not." Qrow grabbed a bottle of gin, poured a glass, and took a deep swig. "Like it or not, she has to abide by their rules, even if unjust and cruel. It's not technically illegal what they're done to the poor girl. Immoral and unethical, not illegal."

"It wasn't a bad plan, either," Qrow admitted seeing Naruto flustered and attempted to calm him. "There are many other plans you can use, but think about the long run, kid. She is going to be admitted to that school, no matter what you two do in this scenario, but did you think about breaking her out for a few days before initiation so she could go to Beacon? And if she passes there…"

"She gets her license…" Naruto muttered, his eyes grew as he thought about the implications. "And then legally…"

"They have no hold on her as she's a Huntress in-training and has legal control over her own actions." Qrow grinned as Naruto quickly caught on before tilting his head to the side. "There are many other things that could go wrong after, but I suppose one step at a time. I'm unsure what the variables are yet, and I still want to see what lies beneath."

"And what better way to flush them out as this Carmel woman has been pissing me off for quite some time?" Qrow threw back the rest of his gin before slowly standing up, staggering as he did so. "Well, better get this to Oz so he can work on his end…"

"You shouldn't go anywhere in your condition!" Naruto tried to stop his uncle from leaving his apartment, seeing how sloshed he was, and knew he shouldn't go anywhere. "How much have you been drinking? I thought you went to work today!"

"Which job is more interesting?" Qrow grinned, and Naruto cursed as he knew he worked for both Signal and the weird headmaster of Beacon.

So there was a strong possibility Qrow was out drinking most of the day while on the job.

Fingers trembled as she traced the message on the screen before her. She read it repeatedly to ensure it wasn't some sort of trick.

But it didn't go away. It was all too real.

Her heart shattered.

It wasn't going to be enough?

Was all this for naught?

No…

No! This was unacceptable! She had tried too hard to escape this cursed fate, and they still failed at the finish line!

She trained day and night to get into better physical shape so she could be prepared for the rigors of combat! It was why she wanted Naruto to come over daily, besides having someone to talk to, as the loneliness was soul-crushing!

Trivia was locked in this cage without an escape, and now she was told there was still no way out! She was only trading cages!

No!

Glass shards built around her, filling the room as Trivia screamed in silence as her body shook. Her lungs burned like fire as it prolonged. Her throat tightened and squeezed as tears streamed and flooded down her cheeks.

Her eyes shimmered through those tears, filled with a passionate rage and demoralized sadness that could not be quenched. Her lips moved as she tried to express her despair, but the words could not be uttered.

No…

This would not be how this ended.

She would not let this be how her story was written!

Trivia Vanille was tired of others writing her story!

Lifting the parasol from the desk, a sullen smile twitched on her lips.

It was one of the items she lifted when she first left the house with Naruto that day…

Her eyes glowed with intent as she stared at her door. She knew what she must do as glass shards built before it, creating a horror from one of her fairy tale books.

Dozens of cries were heard throughout the mansion.

And Trivia Vanille strolled out of her room with the parasol on her shoulder with a wicked smile. Tears dried on her cheeks as she cranked her head and looked at her father's pathetic guard, responding to what happened.

Glass shimmered around her as her appearance shifted, her hair matching the appearance she so chose as she held out her parasol, pointed it at the guard, and manically grinned.

She would show them how useless they truly were!

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto cried as he served out large bowls filled with ramen filled with various toppings and vegetables on the table with some chopsticks and happily bounded into his chair, grinning as he put his hands in a prayer-like fashion and bowed before the meal.

"Itadakimasu!" Ruby and Yang followed Naruto's example as they picked up the chopsticks and happily dived into the meal, having been taught how to use the utensils.

"Well," Tai scratched his head with a wide grin as he watched his three children devour the meal before them. "I guess finding that stand in Vale and paying that chef to teach you how to make ramen yourself paid off. Before, there wouldn't be any veggies in it!"

"It's like you said!" Naruto took a breath from his slurp of noodles. "Gotta have a well-balanced meal if you want to keep getting stronger and get bigger. Don't think I would have grown this big on my own eating the way I used to!"

"Well, considering where you were when you came upon us," Tai muttered as he gazed at Naruto, noting how much he had grown before reaching down and patting Zwei on the head as he ate from his bowl beside the table. "Almost a foot taller and far more defined, yeah, I'd say."

"That's why I've gotta eat now!" Yang declared after finishing a tremendous slurp of noodles, much to her father's disdain as she picked up on his still atrocious eating habits. "Wanna get that big and strong!"

Tai could only shake his head as Ruby cheered in agreement, a mouth full of noodles. His children were a lost cause…

"We shall see." Tai looked over his eldest before smiling. "Seeing you look like you are taking quite a bit after me, you might get as big as Naruto is now, but probably not any bigger. I'd still say he has a little more growth left in him. Might even get as tall as me while at Beacon."

"What 'bout me?" Ruby excitedly chirped as she looked expectantly at her father.

It was as if he believed he was gazing into the future and could see what they would look like.

And she wanted answers!

Tai chuckled briefly and beamed at his youngest. "You are your mother's child, that is certain. So while it is too early to say for sure, I think you'll be as tall as she was."

"Yay!" Ruby squealed in delight hearing that and dived back into her bowl. "Tall as mom!"

"As long as that makes you happy." Tai smiled, satisfied with his daughters' reactions, before noticing a strange look on Naruto's face as he wasn't focused on his ramen.

In fact, he had hardly touched his dish, which was panto mont to sacrilege to the kid, especially when he made it himself. So what could have been so significant as to stop him from eating his favored dish?

Was he paying attention to his scroll?

That wasn't like Naruto. Yang, yes. Naruto?

And it was a holo call…

Oh, she called…

Tai sighed. He had to enforce the rules. "Naruto, remember, no calls at the table…"

"What do you mean where do I live?" Naruto responded to the call, his eyes narrowing as he picked up the scroll in his hand and gazed straight at the smiling Trivia on the other end, signing happily. "Trivia, what is that sound on the other end?"

Tai sputtered as he took a bite. That was not something he expected to hea!

She was, for all intents and purposes, kept home by less than moral means and kept away from the outside world. So hearing her ask where they lived…

"Is that sirens I hear?" Naruto gritted his teeth, and his eyes dilated as he looked at the grinning image on his scroll. "What did you do? Is that a car you are in? Are you calling me while driving, all while signing? Trivia Vanille!

"Oh, this can't be good…" Yang muttered as she stopped eating, looking at her big brother with wide eyes as Ruby dropped her chopsticks into her bowl, unsure how to process anything she was witnessing.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Naruto roared as he jumped out of his chair, shifting the table in the process, and rushed out of the kitchen and to the living room with Zwei excitedly following him, barking at his heels. "Oh, you idiot! Yeah, for the love of Oum, I'm on the way!"

As Naruto clicked off the scroll and headed up the stairs, Taiyang followed closely behind him with a worried expression. "Okay, you can't just go out without explaining what is happening? Naruto!"

"I'm going out to save my idiot friend. That's what's happening!" Naruto bellowed as he popped his door open and gathered his equipment. "I'm not sure what I can do to solve half the problems she just caused, but I can, at the very least, get her out of trouble!"

"Oum! That's a lot of cop cars behind her!" Yang exclaimed, and Naruto and Tai glanced at one another.

They then bolted down the stairs to see Ruby and Yang watching the scroll-vision with horrified expressions. And it was a sweeping shot of a single car followed by dozens of police cars.

As Tai looked at his adopted son, mortified, Naruto's eyebrow twitched as he dragged a palm over his face. "Trivia…"

"How? Just how? You expect me to be able to help after this?" Naruto groaned, unsure what he could do to help.

"Is her car flipping in the air?!" Ruby screamed, watching the broadcast as Yang's eyes bulged and responded in shock.

"Did she land on the other side of the median and is escaping down the ramp?!" Yang flipped out, wide eyes at the screen.

Naruto bolted out of the front door. He didn't have a second to lose!

The girl had lost her mind!

Oh, this was fun!

No wonder Naruto got lost in Vale so often before! This place was a maze! How could anyone ever find their way through this place?

All those driving simulators she convinced her mother to get her had paid off! Getting the wheel and rig so she could simulate all the aspects of driving helped her for this very moment!

Driving her father's sports car was just like them! Despite having to pull the seat to the edge in order to reach the pedals, and even then, she just could floor it.

She didn't know she could go so fast on the highway!

Was the speedometer now at one hundred and fifty?

It had been stuck there for quite some time, but it felt far faster than that! It could be because that was the top speed the speedometer was set to track, but the car was capable of much more…

And with her reaction times, she could easily weave in and out of traffic!

Neo! Have you found the location app yet? You have! Excellent! Patch is the location! Maybe we can finally shake these pursuers now! With a firm direction, I can start evasive maneuvers!

Now if it worked like it does in those games…

Woah!

Trivia silently giggled as she hit the emergency brakes and spun the car while traveling at such a high speed that the momentum flipped the car end over end.

It only made her laugh gleefully wiggled in her seat, watching the fruit of her simulator practice, prepared to see if it would pay off...

Yes! It worked! Right on the wheels!

That didn't sound too great on the chassis or the axles, but the car was still intact and operable!

Neo grinned, and Trivia didn't think twice as she punched it, driving through oncoming traffic, her eyes flickering with fire. Her partner grinned as she stuck out her finger at all the officers looking awestruck at what they saw, giving them a particular finger as they passed by.

Trivia mock laughed as they drove down the off-ramp before turning to her construct with a wide grin.

Now where to Neo? Need to get to patch my friend!

Got to meet up with Naruto!

"Got to say," A man dressed in a green(*) overcoat that fit rather snuggly around him and a black bowler hat thumbed through a large stack of bills, a broad grin adorning his face as he stood in front of a bar. "This was much easier than I expected."

Looking at the holo screens above the bar as music blared and colored lights flickered, a scene displayed around the man.

Several bodies lay unconscious, bloodied, and beaten.

One was severely burned next to a smoldering crater.

A man with a matching beard and mustache stood behind the bar, opposed to him gritting his teeth as he leaned back away from him as an object was held at his throat.

A cane.

He, however, refused to back down as he spat on his bar and spat at the man before him. "Just what do you think you are achieving here? The police may be occupied, but once my family hears of this, whoever you are, your days are through!"

Upon hearing this, the auburn-haired man's eyes sparkled as he pressed the cane against the man's throat. "Oh, is that so?"

Stumbling back, seeing the excitement in the man's eyes after hearing his threat, the bearded man struggled to gulp. The can was still pressed against his esophagus. But he refused to back down. "Yeah! Don't you know who you are messing with? I'm Junior! I'm…"

"From the Xiong Family, yes, I'm well aware, my dear friend. After dealing with what I have dealt with, you can say I am not impressed with this lot over here and unafraid of their retribution." Junior's face turned cold as he stared into twinkling emerald eyes. "For you see, I chose this place very carefully for my first-ever theft here in Vale as I wanted to send a message."

"What?" Junior trembled fearfully, suspecting he was participating in something much bigger than he was. "Wait, if you do anything to me, my father will…"

"Oh, don't worry. I won't harm a solitary hair on your head." The auburn-haired man's eyes held a devious twinkle as his cane had yet to relax. "As long as you do exactly as I tell you, all will go well, capiche?"

"I'll do whatever you say!" Junior begged as the hairs on his neck stood on end.

"Good." The man wickedly grinned, his eyes lit up with joy. "Then, when we are done here, tell your father exactly what happened here and what is to come. That there is a new player in town that is here to teach this cesspool how this is done properly. From what I've seen, you all lack style, and I will break this town of that!"

"I'm planning to lie, cheat and steal my way to the top as I do what I've always done best! Survive! So your father better get ready to lose his position as the top crime lord of this pathetic dump, as there is a new boss in town!" The man stuck the cane deeply into Junior's throat before pushing him down behind the bar, slapping down a card onto the bar, and walking away cackling.

"Roman Torchwick, remember the name! And I'm here to take Vale!"

Chapter 26 Preview:

"You!" Naruto growled before suddenly dropping a balled fist on Trivia's head and smacking her, catching her off guard and causing her to scowl at him. "Idiot!"

Trivia popped back up, swearing wordlessly before signing in frustration about what that was for. She thought he'd be happy to see her out here and greet her with the warmest embrace. Possibly receive her first...

This wasn't how it happened in the books!

* - In a Roman Holiday, Roman wore a Green Overcoat he stole in his opening chapter before he was made and gifted his Volume 1-3 outfit by Neo.