Ding, dong!
"Alright class, that's the bell." The stoutly Professor Port said to his class of first years students. "Remember, I expected those reports to be on my desk by Monday, no exceptions. So don't go slacking off over the weekend as I won't be taking any excuses. Remember, it's only twenty-thousand words. Nothing a little elbow grease won't solve. As I'm sure you know by now, there's nothing a little hard-work can't do. So be diligent and ensure you triple check everything."
At this, Amber let out a heavy sigh as she started gathering her things, biting her tongue to stop herself from retorting that no amount of hard work would extend the day by the twelve hours she needed to actually catch up with her school work.
After the conclusion of the mission, team AACE found themselves completely swamped in homework and essays they needed to catch up with their classmates who had only been gone for a few days compared to the week and a half long mission they had been on. And that wasn't even counting the time they spent in the hospital getting their wounds treated. And while they had all done their community service, that had left them even further behind them before.
Their only saving grace was that they had been taken off any practical training, such as sparring or gym, letting them use the time to catch up on their assignments. But even that had been taken away as, just last week, they had been cleared by the school doctor to resume activity training despite the fact Eric was scheduled for a checkup in Vale today and that Amber was still waiting on the replacement parts for her staff.
Meaning on top of their mountain homework, they now were expected to return to actual fighting.
Now, Amber knew this is what they signed up for when they came to Beacon. Being a huntress wasn't easy after all. But sometimes looking at the sheer amount of work they had to catch up on, she almost wished they could go back to guarding a group of three man children from a gang of dangerous degenerates.
Of course, with that said, some members of her team were taking a much looser attitude toward their catch up work. Aka, not bothering with it at all.
"Man, I'm beat. That guy sure can talk, can't he? Though, I am curious how listening to his story will make us hunt better. I mean, what kind of idiot goes after a pack of Beowolves without a weapon?" Cinder said, throwing her hands behind her head as she followed Amber out of the classroom.
"Well, there is such a thing as learning what not to do for a hunt." The dark skinned girl replied with a small smile. "Besides, don't think it's kinda interesting to learn how things were done back when he was our age? How much the world has changed since then?"
At this her partner let out a laugh, turning to her with a smirk across her face.
"Oh come on. Don't tell me you actually believe that nonsense." She joked, her grin not faltering in the slightest. "It's just a bunch of hullabaloo! No way he took an Alpha at age eleven with nothing but a pair of nose hair clippers. Not even the strongest huntsman of Vale could do that!"
Amber, not wanting to call her partner out on this, simply laughed along with her as they made their way out of the classroom, casually changing the conversation as she went.
"So, Adam's still at the hospital getting his check up?" She asked as they made their way toward the school's docks, with the intention to go pick up their teammates. "I know it can't be easy to heal liquified organs and am kinda surprised he was cleared for combat practice. I would have thought he would need another week at minimum."
"Apparently, they weren't completely liquified." Cinder replied as she dug out her scroll. "The doctor said something about only a small part was turned to mush and they had a machine that could hold it together until his aura healed it. And when you combine that with Eric's semblance, you get faster healing time and even recovery from stuff that would normally be career ending."
"That's one impressive semblance." Amber said with a smile. "Healing, defense, offense, it's so versatile. I'm so glad he got put on our team because I don't think it's any exaggeration to say that without him, we'd be dead several times over."
"Yeah, it's definitely handy to have around." Her partner replied. "But still, I wouldn't want an ability that leaves me vulnerable whenever using it. Way too risky in most combat situations and its offensive power really isn't worth the trad-. Oh! Look at this!"
Scooting over to her partner who shifted to allow her to see the message her scroll, revealing a picture of Adam waiting outside an operating room, a very familiar shield lying next to him.
"Looks like Eric's getting the collar put on." Cinder said, bumping shoulders with her partner as she leaned in, using her fingers to get a closer view of the room. "Man, who would have thought such expensive Atlas technology would get here so quickly. Luckily for him, it's just in time to start combat training."
"It's lucky for us Jiao was willing to pay for it to be made and shipped here." Amber countered immediately. "Without his funding, there was no way we could ever afford something like that. And after everything we put the school through, I highly doubt they'd be willing to pay for it either."
The dark haired girl fell silent at these words, her hands tightening into a fist as she bit her lip. After the events of Music Fest and the publicizing of their reports to put Howard on trial, they had been bombarded by negative press and accusations about how Beacon vetted their students.
Their story had been covered by every major new outlet, each one giving their own, unflattering commentary on the subject of if people like them should be allowed to be huntresses.
"Uncontrollable teens causing havoc for their own personal gain." The Vale's daily paper said. "An inexcusable lapse in the judgment of the so-called protectors of the kingdom." Xyz called it. "The end of Beacon!? How four students destroyed their reputation in a single day." Buzzmail reported. "A disgrace and failure of both the school system and modern parenting." Said Vixen news, as well as a follow up article call, "how parents' indulgence in children's misbehavior caused the death of over a hundred people." Which mostly consisted of their usual fabrication of actual facts in favor of pushing their narrative. Something they could pull off as Bobby had sent them the video the day after his lawyer got him a safe, solitary cell with plenty of access to the outside world.
"Irritating bastard." Cinder snarled, tightening her grip on her scroll. "I still can't believe he just sold that stupid video to the new outlets! Doesn't he know the kind of repercussions causing this much civil unrest can cause? The Grimm have been seen moving much closer to the kingdom thanks to him! At this rate, if something isn't done soon, we'll be facing a full scale invasion!"
Amber turned her gaze to the floor, trying to fight off the guilt already starting to fill the out of her stomach. All this chaos, this fear, she knew there would be backlash over this, but with the media milking the story, things were starting to get way out of hand.
"Well, as long as nothing too serious happens before Howard's trial, I think we should be good." The dark skinned girl said, trying to hide her uncertainty and cheer up her partner. "I mean, the police have already started investigating and from one interview, they seem pretty confident that he'll face some jail time. And once that's over, the rest of their findings will be released to the public. Hopefully, restoring some of the faith in the huntsmen and huntresses."
Amber conveniently neglected to mention how that could just as easily cause the people to lose even more faith in the system, but right now, that was the only solution she could think of.
Right now, the students of Beacon had been confined to the school and were only allowed to leave its grounds when on missions, or with a special permit they had to get from one of the teachers or the headmaster. Those with that being said, many students didn't feel safe leaving the school anyway.
For the past week, mass protests had been organized outside the air dock from where ships to and from Beacon landed. There, people waved signs or shouted through megaphones to the school, demanding punishment for the damage team AACE had caused. Saying after the danger the public had been put in by their stunt, all four members should face prison time or in some extreme cases, death.
Fortunately, the punishment of students of the academy were under the jurisdiction of Professor Ozpin and Professor Ozpin alone. Meaning, even as certain members of the consul agreed with the general public, they were just as helpless to do anything against them.
"Yeah, you're right. You always are." Cinder said, trying her hardest to blindly believe her partner's words. "Once that bastard is proven guilty, we'll be in the clear. No way people can possibly fault us for-."
"Aww. That's so cute. You actually believe that load of crap? How adorably naive."
Both girls turned around as a new voice rudely interrupted their conversation. There, standing behind them was a girl around of Mistral descent and clad in the Beacon school uniform just like them. She was the same age as the two girls, with long black hair held back in a braid with light skin and slender arms. Her dark eyes were fixed on Amber as she held a large fan with thick steel edges and bladed spikes sticking out of the top in front of her face, covering her mouth and nose before she snapped it shut, revealing her unfriendly smirk.
"Tell me, did your brains rot while being blasted with all the loud music, or are you normally this stupid?" She mocked, her tone dripping with condescending glee, as well as a hint of irritation. "Honestly, I find it shocking that both of you weren't expelled for that little stunt you pulled. Tell me, did you know having famous parents would get you off scot free? Or was this just what normally happens when you two were growing up?"
Immediately Cinder took a threatening step forward, her hand already balled into fists as she made for the girl. "You wanna go?" She snarled as she advanced. "Because I have no problem breaking off your arms and feeding them to you, you self-center, spoiled little b-!"
The girl broke off as she found Amber's arm extended in front of her, blocking her path.
"I'm sorry if we inconvenienced you, but can you please leave us alone, Zetian?" She asked as politely as she could to her classmates. "I know you're upset with us, but acting like this isn't going to help anyone. We are very sorry for causing you trouble and we promise we'll try not to cause you anymore."
The girl, Lee Zetian, crossed one arm under the other, flicking open her fan to cover her lower face as she looked down at Amber's quizzical expression. Then, she let out a heavy sigh.
"You know, you have a lot of nerve acting like a simple apology is going to cut it, Alsprings." She said harshly, no longer hiding her anger behind a vale of taunts. "Because of you and your team, the entire school has practically been put into lockdown and we're now stuck stepping on eggshells despite it being your screwup that caused all this. Now, the school's rep is being dragged through the mud and we're all at risk of having a bunch of new restrictions placed on us. You can't honestly think sorry is going to cut it, do you?"
Amber bit her lip and didn't reply. She wasn't stupid. Ever since the report had gone public, their classmates (except Fang.) had been making a point avoiding them at all costs. As if they were afraid of catching something if they stayed too close. And to an extent, they weren't wrong.
Right now, the entire world seems to be their enemy. Some people had even been trying to Doxxing people who were known associates and managed to get a hold of the Rose family home address, letting people begin swatting them relentlessly. It was pure dumb luck that Patch was such a small community as the cops knew Summer and Tai by name, and when responding, did so calmly and without actually fear of someone waiting to ambush them like the fake callers claimed.
And while the local police seemed incapable of tracking these hackers, with a little help from Fang, they had managed to…ehh…dissuade them by…threatening to leak their home address to much more scary people.
Yeah. Despite his somewhat gentle demeanor, Fang could do a lot of stuff that made Amber very happy he was on their side.
"Oh wow. How noble of you caring so much about the school's reputation. Are you going to earn a prize for that kind of defiantly sincere spirit?" Cinder said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Can you just stop pretending you actually care about any of that stuff and just say you're a bitch. You've been bullying everyone since day one and never once cared who called you out about it. If you really cared about the huntsmen dogma, then why are you only bringing this up right now when we're the ones being chastised?"
Zetian didn't even twitch in response to the dark haired girl's accusation, not coming close to breaking its calm facade.
"That's rich coming from you." She countered smugly. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who beat up people for looking at you the wrong way. If my behavior is how you justify yourself, then I'm afraid you have no legs to stand on. For all my alleged bullying, I never got to the point where I almost got my entire team kicked out."
Cinder bristled at the verbal stab, but found herself struggling to find a counter. Her own actions weighed on her as what Zetian said rang true, forcing the prideful girl to bite her tongue. As much as she wished she could argue, she knew that this little brat was right. She was the reason all this had happened in the first place, she really didn't have any ground to stand on.
Seeing the girl fall silent in defeat, Zetian swung her fan closed, revealing her smirk as she turned to once again address Amber.
"Well, with that out of the way, do try to stay out of trouble, won't you? We wouldn't want you causing any more trouble for either the school or the huntsmen at large." She said mockingly as she brushed past her fellow leader, making a point of bumping her in the shoulder to force her out of the way. "After all, I hear Vale's a ticking time bomb, the slightest spark just might set it ablaze. And with a leader like you in charge. Well, let's just say I'd appreciate it if you let us proper huntresses clean up your mess before you cause another."
The pompous girl let out a shrill laugh as she walked away, fanning herself as her hips swayed with each step she took until she finally turned a corner and disappeared from sight, the sound of her voice slowly fading as she got further and further away.
"Annoying little bitch." Cinder snarled as she made a rude hand gesture after the girl before she turned to her leader and shifted her weight so she could take off sprinting on a moment's notice. "Want me to go after her? I can still beat her black and blue if you want."
Amber laughed lightly at her partner's suggestion, calmly waving the idea away.
"Tempting as it is, it's probably not the best idea." She joked. "We can't really afford to cause anymore trouble and technology, she didn't really do anything wrong. Freedom of speech is something Vale takes very seriously. Maybe a little too much."
In response, Cinder let out a snort, folding her arms as she glared after the girl.
"Yeah well, I still hate people who throw their weight around despite not having anything to back it up. Piss' me off." She snarled. "I mean, if she had been in our shoes, I'll bet anything she'd have caved during the first fight. Given up the moment the odds were stacked against her."
"Well, sometimes knowing when to call it quits is an important skill too." Amber replied softly. "Remember, something the ends don't justify the means. Right now, everyone is calling for Beacon to have stricter oversight by the counsel, something Professors Ozpin has been against because he's afraid of involving politics with wars and military deployments, something that has historically never mixed well."
"That, and nobody actually likes dealing with all the red tape they'd add." Cinder joked, plugging her nose and waving her hand as if to remove a bad small. "Who wants to deal with the bs of, go fill out form b34d in triplicate. No, that's form b34dd, go wait in that other line to receive the proper documentation with three kinds of identification and a clear fingerprints for to prove who you are."
Amber giggled at her partner's impression, pressing her hand in front of her face to stifle it.
"I'm pretty sure that's just the DMV, but point taken." She replied, smiling from behind her hand. "Either way, considering who the current council members are, I think everyone can agree that more oversight is the last thing anyone-. Oh! Look at the time!"
Amber broke off, pointing to the clock on the wall, indicating that the time was nearly 4:45.
"Oh shit!" Cinder cried, immediately jumping as she saw the time and practically taking off In the opposite direction. "Crap! Sorry Amber, I've got to dash! Fang will have already be waiting for me. And brothers know the last thing he needs is more ammo to antagonize me with!"
Watching her partner run off, Amber let out another chuckle. "Are you sure you didn't mishear him?" She called after her. "I mean, why would he ask you for help practicing chess? He's beaten you in every single strategy match you two have played. And isn't his partner a master of cheap tricks? Why not just ask him for help?"
"He's practicing for a charity chess tournament that's being held tomorrow!" The dark haired girl called back. "He wants all kinds of experience to get ready for it! Even less experienced players, and cheats. Says it all builds character or some crap like that!"
As she reached the end of the hallway, she spun around clasping her hands and bow slightly to her leader.
"Sorry to ditch you like this, but I really want to beat that white haired asshole!" She said. "You're good to go pick up our two idiot teammates by yourself, right? Great, thanks!"
"Yeah, no problem." Amber called back, her hand waving her partner on. Who, after sending one last smile, turned and ran off down the corridor, disappearing behind the corner that led to the library, leaving the dark skinned girl to lower her hand, still staring at the point where her partner disappeared.
"Yeah, bye." She murmured, any form of her happy mask completely disappearing revealing her true, sad, face as blood dripped from her hands and onto the floor, adding to the already massive poodle that lay at her feet.
Down in Vale, Amber made her way through the streets towards the hospital. Keeping her head down as well as dawning a dark cloak that covered her head with a large hood as she tried not to be noticed.
Once the report had been published, their team's full names and faces had been released to the public, resulting with not only a mass slander being immediately attached to them, but also a storm of media outlets trying to storm Beacon to get an interview. Some even managed to get into the school and ambushed them in the hallway after their class, resulting with Cinder punching him in the face out of surprise.
And while security had been increased and no other reporters were able to sneak in, their team was still the most notable first year students in the entire school's history. Which was something none of them were thrilled about.
And it wasn't just the rampant reporters and the fear of Professor Goodwitch's wrath that scared her.
The once peaceful city had become much more dangerous since Music Fest. Trash littered the streets, police were seen in pairs at every corner, and shady people loitered around businesses that bore the SDC logo, or any other sign of Atlas for that matter.
Fear filled the air as everyday people hurried to complete their errands and get back to their locked homes where it was safe. Others stood around holding unemployed or Howard is innocent signs, desperately trying to find handouts or anything to feed their families. A sight that filled Amber with crushing guilt.
After Howard's arrest, his assets were temporarily frozen save one his personal account, meaning every business that he owned couldn't pay their employees and had to let them go or lay them off to avoid the risk of going bankrupt. Resulting unemployment in the kingdom was at record high.
Howard, for all his wrongdoings, had done some incredible things for the kingdom's economy. The jobs he offered as well as the many lifelines who worked cooperatively with his businesses had supported most of the low to middle class, providing not just jobs, but a higher quality of life that they could comfortably afford. And now with them gone, times were harder than ever. And it didn't seem like they were going to get better anytime soon.
Amber came to a stop next to a newspaper stand, her gaze falling on the headlines from a few days ago that, when read even now, sent a chill up her spine as she saw it.
"Isaac Howard, released from jail pending trial of attempted murder!" It read. And while it was a little off on the charge, it still left a very bad taste in the girl's mouth.
After all that, they hadn't even been able to put Howard behind bars for a month. And while she knew that obviously there still was a trial and the police were investigating the man, she couldn't shake the feeling that due to everything his incredible public record and how popular he was, the charges wouldn't stick.
Now, the reveal had split public opinion right down the middle. Some people had agreed with the report, while others called it slander. Sticking to their guts and claiming the facts false, as well as pushing not only for Howard's release, but also the imprisonment of team AACE. A sentiment many people were more than happy to jump on the bandwagon.
The reason for this split was because It was their word against his. And the story he was spinning was that, upon realizing something was amiss with one of the bands, he had tried to aid the team in their efforts to protect him. However, there was a misunderstanding resulting in a fight between them, ultimately ending in the junkyard where their final showdown had been.
Now, the police (obviously) hadn't released any information, so she had no idea which way the investigation had gone. But no matter which way it went, she knew there would be serious problems after words.
Grimm had already been reported to be in Mountain Glenn, diverting from their regular migration pattern in response to the negativity emanating from the city. On top of that, griffins had been seen circulating above the forests right outside the city walls, as well as massive Nevermores suddenly becoming uncomfortably more common on the Emerald forest, so much so Fang's team, as well as two third years teams had been dispatched to kill them.
The reported overall negative in the city had practically doubled. And this ranged from with people living in fear to people letting out their anger on others, feeding into the growing terror and rage. Creating a never ending cycle that brought the Grimm closer and closer everyday. If something wasn't done soon, Amber feared the worst might become a reality.
And speaking of that…
"You are listening to lies! This isn't a false accusation, it's the start of the second Great War!"
Coming to a stop at a bus-stop, Amber turned to find a man in a leather jacket shouting into a megaphone to a crowd of onlookers, his words carrying to many others, drawing their attention.
"What happened at Music Fest is a non-hostile takeover! Right now, our rights as Vale citizens are at risk!" He yelled as some more people made their way over to listen. "Isaac Howard is just the first of those who shall be wrongfully imprisoned! Soon it'll be you and I locked up in a cage! We shall be the ones being beaten and whipped for daring to speak out against this coming catastrophe!"
Folding her arms, Amber tried her best to tune out the man's words as she waited for the bus to take her closer to the hospital. She was already exhausted and didn't want to hear anymore of this man's nonsense. Unfortunately, his voice reached her, drilling into her head like a Centinel.
"The loss of your jobs isn't just an unfair tragedy, but a planned, coordinated move to start stripping you of your homes, of your way of life! And these actions are only the first! Next, they'll come after your savings, your rights, your families! Because they know no mercy, nor compassion! They are mindless beasts, no different from the Grimm! And they are already here, stealing your jobs, polluting your air, and trashing your city! And I think you know who I mean!" As the man spoke, Amber chanced a glance over he shoulder, eyes landing on the side of his jacket, revealing what looked like an angelic wing with a matching pair on the other side, immediately telling her what he was going to say before he actually could say it.
"It is Atlas!" The man, an Enlightened Seraphim aggravator, roared. "Those greedy bastards are the ones who put you in this situation! They're the ones who robbed you of your jobs! All for their own benefit! They haven't forgotten the war, and neither should you! Because now, they're coming with a new strategy to destroy us permanently!"
Amber prayed the bus would hurry up, she didn't want to hear anymore of this nonsense. Especially not after Howard had played her so easily. She didn't need a reminder of her failures and would do just about anything to forget them for a day.
But unfortunately, she was given no luxury.
"It was Atlas who orchestrated the arrest of Isaac Howard! Professionals say they planted one of their very best here to do just that! Weiss Schnee! The greedy little bitch of a daughter of the dust industry giant who has had Ironwood by the balls since he was elected to office! She blackmailed the orchestrator! And once she had stolen the first place prize at Music Fest, she set to work setting a series of events to trick both parties involved to try and kill each other! And what was her reason behind this heinous act?! Pure spite!"
All around her, Amber could feel the mode shifting as people began muttering amongst themselves, asking themselves if this was true or not, a question Amber couldn't believe they were even asking.
"Howard saw Atlas for what it was! A greed corporation that would crush us all if it could, so he made sure never to ship to or from that horrible place! And in an act of revenge, Atlas decided to take him out! By using their little dress up doll as their tool" The man raved, his movements becoming more erratic as more and more people started to gather, listening to his words.
"Truth! Many Atlesian are taught that they did nothing wrong in the Great War! They whitewash their history to turn themselves into the rightful rulers of the entire world! According to the renowned philosopher, Samsun Hearter, said that Atlas is the truest bane of freedom! And now his words ring more true then ever. Look around you, they are everywhere! Infesting every corner of the kingdom, devouring everything in their sight without leaving anything for the rest of us! All while they whine and complain that they aren't getting treated fairly. Deliberately drawing Grimm closer and closer to OUR borders!"
At this, Amber felt like she was ready to just throw up. And not just because of the complete lies he was spitting but for the complete out of context quote that was used!
The philosopher, Samsun Hearter, said that Atlas' goal of suppressing art was the bane of freedom, not the kingdom itself. What's more, he said it in a quote about why it was so important to work together with the kingdom as because of its more strict nature, they had not only made advancements in technology that other kingdoms were decades away from, but also that too much freedom results in complete anarchy as not only would law enforcement struggle to arrest criminals, but a justice system without strong will and terrifyingly punishments, there would be no deterrent to crime.
And secondly, his works were nearly sixty years old now! Even his most devoted followers could agree that without question, some of his opinions were outdated. And that was put mildly given that he was known to be both homophobic and completely against any form of non-traditional marriage. So, you know, not exactly someone you want to use as a role model for anyone in the modern age!
Amber was pulled out of her history nerd rage by a buzzing from her scroll.
Pausing immediately, the girl scrambled to pull it out as she checked her messages. It was from Adam, and it was very strange. Saying a simple, "change of plans. Meet us here." Followed by an address.
Confused, the dark skinned girl thought about asking what was going on. But as the man behind her continued to preach his nonsense, she decided to just take the excuse to get away from him.
And so, turning on her heel, she left the bus stop and made her way towards the outer district of the city, closer to the wall.
A little while later.
Amber came to a stop outside a large, dome like building that sat firmly in the slums of the city. Several large wind turbines sat on the roof, completely inactive as not a gust passed through this part of the city that practically lay in the shadow of the wall. Double checking the address, she was surprised to find this was the place of their new meet up. It was set just outside the refugee camp set up by Atlesian who had fled their kingdom after the war. It didn't bear any of the White Fang's markings, so she knew it wasn't one of their buildings.
What's more, there was a throng of homeless people gathered around the place, human, Faunus, and even children gathered around all bundled up in rags to fight off the chill in the air. Some had even brought some tattered books that they were almost finished reading, almost as if they had been camping there for hours, talking aimlessly with one another as they seemed to wait for something, something very important.
But what completely confused the girl was the atmosphere. Normally when you'd walk through the slums, you could feel the desperation, smell it in the air. Yet these people seemed to be in very good spirits, especially given the anger and fear that currently permeated through the rest of the city like a black smog, poisoning everyone who lived here.
It was almost like there was something shielding them from the negative emotions that were rapidly consuming everyone in its p-.
"Can I help you?"
Amber was ripped from her thoughts as a female's voice behind her spoke, making the girl spin around in surprise. She hadn't sensed anyone approaching from behind until just now, which had been pretty unusual given how on edge she had been since Music Fest.
Acting on instinct, he hands flew to her back to rip her staff off her back to level it at her opponent. She might not know if she was a threat, but better safe than-!
Suddenly, she froze as her fingers found nothing but air where her staff was supposed to be, immediately making her mentally facepalm as she remembered her staff had been destroyed during the battle against Howard and she was still waiting for the replacement parts to come in to make a new one.
Swallowing hard, the girl turned her attention back to the woman who had approached her from behind, hands tightening into fists. If they were part of the Seraphim thinking about taking revenge, she'd have to defend herself with her bare hands! And while she was much better with her staff, she was confident she could at least hold them back long enough to escape!
However, all her tension melted away as her gaze fell onto the woman.
She was dressed in a plain old coat that was ragged and well used. Her hands, while rough and calloused, were raised in surrender to the dark skinned girl, her sleeves sliding down her arms revealing no hidden weapons. She wore tough, combat boots with a small jewel dangling off her right heel, an amethyst brooch that went with her bright purple eyes and shoulder length dark hair that matched her darker skin and while somewhat ragged, could put even Cinder's to shame in terms of beauty.
Strapped to her waist, Amber saw a scimitar with a revolver style chamber built into it just below the guard, (though without any noticeable barrel.) and a beautiful ribbon hanging off the hilt with the other end tied around her belt. A strange glow seemed to be emitting from the inside of both weapons and the dark skinned girl could practically smell dust chemistry coming from them. And combined that with the woman's slender, yet muscular build, it told the younger girl a very clear story.
This woman was a huntress, and a skilled one at that to use something that small against the Grimm.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." The woman apologized, her hands still raised in surrender. "It's just, you were staring at my family's soup kitchen for so long, I thought you might be lost or something."
Amber, slowly lowering her fists, let out a sigh of relief. This girl wasn't a part of the Seraphim, she was just worried why there was a strange girl staring at her…
Wait…
"Soup kitchen?" The dark skinned girl asked, confused. "This is a soup kitchen? You mean like a place where the financially troubled can come to get food?"
"Correct." The woman said, lowering her hands as well. "My grandmother runs it and I help out when I can. And recently, there have been so many people coming here, she can't keep up. So I've been swinging by almost everyday to help where I can. Even been getting to know some of the regulars too. Although I suppose that's not really a good thing, is it?"
Smiling, the woman glanced over at the crowd who had gathered, waving at a couple people who smiled and waved back before she turned her attention back to Amber.
"So, what brings you here?" She asked. "This is kinda out of the way for a Beacon student. Are you here to volunteer?"
Immediately, Amber raised her hands in front of her, taking a step back as she spoke.
"No, sorry. I'm not." She said somewhat awkwardly. "I didn't even know about this place until I wandered by. I'm actually here to meet up with my teammates, a tall redhead Faunus with horns sticking out of his head and a knight with messy dark hair and a neck brace. I don't suppose you've seen them, have you?"
Amber, having expected to be told she had the wrong address, was instead greeted with a wide grin from the older woman.
"Why yes, I do know who you're talking about." She said cheerfully. "You must be Adam and Eric's teammate. The one they said would be showing up. They really describe you to a T, beautiful eyes and all."
Amber blushed slightly from the compliment, turning away to hide it. What we're those two up to now? Telling lies to people? She wasn't pretty or anything, that was Cinder, not her.
Seeing her bashfulness, the woman smiled again before turning toward the side of the building and waving at the dark skinned girl.
"They're probably waiting for you inside." She said, slowly making her way towards the side of the building where a garage door with a padlock sealing it shut sat. "How about we go in and get out of the cold, I introduced you to my grandma, then the three of you head back to Beacon? Sounds good to you?"
"Y-yea. That sounds fine to me." Amber stammered, jogging after the woman after being caught somewhat off guard. "Thanks for the offer…umm."
"Violet." The woman, Violet, said, turning around once again to give her a smile. "And I assume you're Amber Alsprings, yes? The girl who's been all I've the news recently for calling out Isaac Howard? Beacon's newest rising star for all the wrong reasons."
Amber felt herself flush slightly as she nodded in response. A part of her had been hoping she wouldn't be recognized, but she knew how childish that hope really was. Her face and full name had been plastered on every tv and newspaper cover for a few weeks now. And much like Cinder, she had gained more than her fair share of unwanted attention.
And besides, even if people didn't recognize her, they definitely would recognize Adam. He was famous before the whole incident went down and everyone now knew it was his team that-.
"He was right, you're definitely different from how the media portrayed you. Glad I trusted his judgment instead of the media's."
Violet's words caused Amber head to shoot up in surprise and confusion. She had heard about her from somewhere outside the media? How?! The dark skinned girl definitely didn't remember meeting her before and the only person she was really close to in Vale outside of her team was the Arcs. And she had never heard of this girl when she came over after losing her village.
"How do you-?"
"We can talk more inside." Amber was cut off as Violet unlocked the garage door and pulled it open, gesturing the girl inside. "I'd love to tell you how I heard about your incredible talents, but as you can see, there's a soup kitchen to help open and I'm pretty short on time. I'll answer all your questions later, but for right now, I'm expected inside."
And with that, she disappeared into the garage, leaving the door hanging open behind.
Amber stood there for a few seconds, a part of her wondering if this was some kind of trap. She didn't know this woman and walking into a building that she had no idea what was waiting inside would be incredibly foolish even if she had her weapon.
However, if it was a trap, why did she put her on her guard by mentioning she had heard of her before the news broke? She must have known that would make her weary. It didn't make sense to do that if you were planning an ambush.
And so, after a couple more seconds of debating, Amber let her curiosity win and she followed Violet into the garage.
"Wow." Amber said as she was led through a lone hallway, doors on either side labeled with things such as, medical, clothes, or food. Each one shockingly large and with quite an assortment of supplies that definitely went beyond your standard soup kitchen.
"Impressed?" Violet asked, glancing over her shoulder to look at the younger girl. "This was originally a warehouse that held supplies for that war. Once it came to an end, it fell into disrepair until my grandfather bought it and refurbished it into a center for helping the less fortunate. We only claim it as a soup kitchen for tax reasons."
Amber glanced into another room to see it was a type of refrigerator, complete with pallets stacked against the walls of either side of the room, complete with its own thermometer built into the well next to the door.
"How do you afford all this?" Amber asked breathlessly. "This is more impressive than most commercial businesses and must take a ton of money on electricity alone. How on Remnant can you afford it?"
"Wind power." Violet answered immediately, smiling back over her shoulder at the girl. "My semblance lets me manually turn those wheels to generate electricity, and seeing as I rarely take jobs outside the city, every morning I use my semblance to generate the power we need to run the building. A good use of my power if I do say so."
Amber raised a confused eyebrow at this. Violet didn't leave the city that often? How come? She didn't appear to have any ailments that would remove her from active duty. And if her semblance was really powerful enough that she could generate power for this huge building, she must be extremely powerful.
But before she could ask, they reached the front of the building. There, the older woman throwing open the door revealing what looked like a large kitchen with multiple stoves for cooking as well as counters, pots, knives, ladles, and bowls, all spread neatly over a fairly compacted area with a small serving area jutting out one side with heavy metal shutters closed around it. This must be the area where they cooked and gave out the food.
And that wasn't all.
Gathered in the kitchen were three people, all spread out doing something different to prepare the food. And the one cocking over one of the stoves was Eric, his hair held back with a hair cover keeping his hair out of his face. A pink, well used, frilly apron hung around his neck that was clearly too small for him was Adam, diligently stirring the soup in a large bowl to make sure it heated evenly and didn't burn.
"Hey Adam! Your friend is here!" Violet called out, making the Faunus look up from his task, immediately locking eyes with his leader where he unflinchingly gave her a wave, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Hey, Amber. I see you found this place." He said, making the other girl nod.
"Yeah, your directions were spot on. Though I wasn't expecting to find you in a place like this." She said, looking around the establishment. "How'd you even find out about this place? I would have thought you'd spend your free time, I don't know, training or protesting with the White Fang. I never would have thought you'd be interested in doing something like this."
Adam, much to Amber's surprise, simply smiled up at her, no trace of animosity or irritation in his face at all.
"Honestly, can't say I disagree with that." He replied as Amber scanned the room. "If you had told me I'd be doing this when I started Beacon, I would have laughed my ass off right then and there. But this ended up surprising me as much as it did you."
Turning off the stove, Adam grabbed a tray of bowls off the countertop and poured some of the soup into each of them before passing them off to an older woman who took them toward a different counter closer to the serving area.
As she did so, Amber noticed Eric in an equally pink frilly apron pulling open the shutters. His back was turned to his leader so she couldn't see his face, but it was pretty clear to her he was in a pretty good mood.
And the very thick collar that went around his whole neck with a very large, cushioned backside that completely supported what remained of his neck didn't seem to be the reason. He seemed genuinely happy to be here.
"This is where we did our community service." Adam explained, grabbing some more bowls and filling them with soup. "At first, I thought I'd hate it here. But then, I saw something that completely changed my outlook and even made me want to come back. Eric felt the same. And so, now whenever we can, we try to swing by and help out however we can."
Confused, Amber raised an eyebrow at her teammate, not bothering to mask her emotions.
"You saw something? It must have been pretty impressive for you to want to come back and volunteer here. What could have-?"
But before she could finish, the shutters on the windows were raised and the doors flew open as a mass of people stormed into the building, practically shaking it as they came in.
Immediately the counter was swarmed with people, the homeless, receiving the food Adam had been cooking before shuffling away to the side where they sat down on the clean floors to enjoy their hot meal.
"Oh! Talk later!" Adam said, rushing over to help Eric and the old woman as they began aiding the disabled in while Violet served food to the others. "This is going to be really busy right now. Don't suppose you could help? We could use a few extra hands with the serving."
"I-! Wha?!" Amber began, but Adam had already disappeared into the crowd of people, leaving his leader staring speechless at what she had just seen.
Was that really Adam? He was acting so…different then he did at school. Normally he'd be appalled at the idea of food going to the people of Atlas instead of the Faunus. Yet here he was helping as if he was enjoying the work without a care in the world. What in brothers name did he see that made him so willing to help out a soup kitchen?
After standing dumbly in the doorway for a few seconds, Amber snapped out of her daze when she heard Violet call her from up by the counter.
"Hey! Sorry to drag you into this, but if you're planning on staying, I could use a little help!" She said, gesturing toward the cupboard above the cutting board. "Could you pass me some things from there as I need them? I unfortunately don't have extendable arms no matter how much I wish I did."
Amber stood there, staring dumbly back at the huntress for a few seconds as her brain struggled to register what she was being asked. Then, moving almost automatically, the dark skinned girl turned and made her way towards the cupboard.
A little while later.
Amber wiped the sweat off her brow as she finished cleaning the last of the plates and put them on the drying rack. All around her was the sound of comfortable chatter as the people gathered began happily talking with each other, all seemingly in good spirits.
Looking out at them, Amber was surprised to see that contrary to her original belief, the people gathered weren't only Atlesian refugees, but also the homeless or displaced people of Vale, many most likely fled here after losing their villages in the war, or to the Grimm attacks in their wake.
"Hey."
A voice from her side called Amber's attention. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with Violet who was smiling at her.
"Thanks for your help today." She said cheerfully. "Not gonna lie, it gets harder and harder every year as more and more refugees fill the city. And with Howard shipping and their associates being forced to close for the foreseeable future, jobs are in short supply. And apparently crops were bad this year too, so less people are donating. Keeping their bellies full is practically a full time jobs these days."
"I don't think Howard would have hired a good chunk of these people. I mean, he might have been very generous with people from Vale. But his opinion on Atlas, he probably would have turned them away at the door." Amber said without thinking, then upon realizing what she had just said, she immediately threw up her hands, instantly taking an apologetic tone.
"I mean-! Allegedly, of course! Everyone innocent until proven guilty and I don't mean to insult your opinions or anything!" She said so quickly her words began to mix together. "I'm sure if you had a good experience with him, I'm not trying to discredit it or anything! I also had a very positive experience with him and-!"
She broke off as Violet pressed a hand to her lips, stopping her mid sentence as she gave the younger girl a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about it." She said. "I'd probably not be his biggest fan either if he tried to kill me. I read your report and I just wanted to say I believe your side of the story. I know for all the good he's done for the kingdom, it doesn't, and shouldn't mitigate his actions."
Amber let out a breath of relief at this and placed her hand on top of her chest. With all the mainstream news outlets calling her a liar, a hopeless brat, or someone who's deliberately trying to sabotage the kingdom, hearing someone say directly to her that they believed her meant more than it possibly should.
"You don't get much of that do you?" Violet said, seeing the look on the girl's face. "Must be hard, huh. Having grown adults slandering your name because it's the more popular story. Well, don't worry. For what it's worth, once the trial is over and everyone sees you were right, I'll bet they'll all backpedal and throw some many complaints your way, it'll make your ears turn red."
Amber let out a weak laugh, resting her head on her arms as she leaned on the counter watching the people in the kitchen.
"Fat chance of that." She said defeatedly. "From what I've experienced, people aren't very forgiving. Especially if they have to admit to being wrong. Most people seem to just prefer claiming to always be right, even if it means ignoring reality."
A heavy silence fell between the two as Violet stared at Amber. Then, she turned her gaze to the room at large, a smile playing on her lips.
"Well, you never know. Miracles tend to happen when you least expect them." She said, directing her gaze to the far side of the room. "After all, if you told me that I'd ever see the day a Faunus of the White Fang and a citizen of the old Atlas monarchy being such good friends, I'd have laughed in your face and not apologize for it."
"Eric's father left Atlas before he was born." Amber didn't even look up as she replied, instead burying her face deeper in her arms. "And even then, they technically didn't get along until after they were forced together in a life or death struggle with no one else to rely on but each other. If it wasn't for that, I don't think-."
Amber broke off as Violet hand passed in front of her face, finger pointing towards something happening outside her line of sight.
Confused, the dark skinned girl looked up and followed both the woman's finger, and her gaze, eventually falling on the sight the older woman had actually been talking about.
There, just outside the building were a group of children, all playing happily together with what looked like simple sticks that they were pretending were swords as their parents watched, content to simply chat with one another.
But the part that caught Amber off guard was that the people were both Faunus and human. Humans from the old monarchy no less! A regime that refused to see Faunus as anything more than slaves who existed to fill their needs. All while using their control of the education system to teach their children that they were lesser in some way.
Yet as she watched them, both children, parents, and even the elderly alike, they were all getting along just fine. Hell, they seemed to genuinely enjoy each other's company! No signs of racism or discrimination in any of them.
Seeing the shock and surprise on Amber's face, Violet let out a chuckle as she turned back to the scene before her, smiling pleasantly as she spoke in a kinda distant tone.
"Miracles are everywhere, happening all the time. They're really not that uncommon. Most of the time, we just don't see it." She said, drawing the dark skinned girl's attention back to her. "But if we take a moment to stop, and appreciate the world as a whole, not just from our own perspective, I think we'd be able to see so much more than we can right now. And hopefully, create a world where acceptance is the norm."
Amber sat there for a few seconds, letting the words sink in, then she slowly turned back to the people gathered just outside the building.
A world where acceptance was the norm, huh? All with just trying to look beyond their current view? That really didn't sound so bad. After all, accepting people of all races or backgrounds did seem beneficial for everyone involved. The only people against it being those who profited off that discrimination, namely warmongers and criminal gangs.
But if all that hate went away, if people could learn to forgive and accept themselves as well as their neighbors, how much better would the world be?
And as these thoughts filled her head, slowly, without the girl even realizing it. A smile spread across her face. One that, while not as radiant as other times, still held a fragment of the peace of mind she had long since forgotten.
"Sorry to drag you all the way out there." Adam said as the team made their way from the air docks at Beacon toward their room. "I know I should had said something, but while we were at the hospital, I heard about how short handed they were and I thought-."
"Hey, you don't need to apologize. I get it." Amber said quickly, raising her hands in front of her face. "I can see why you like it there so much. It's definitely reassuring to see humans and Faunus getting along. It's definitely something to give you hope that eventually everyone can behave like that and or just those in dire straits."
"Here's hoping." The redhead replied. "I get that when people have nothing, they either become kinder or more cutthroats. But after seeing stuff like that, I do truly think change might not only be possible, but closer than we think. Maybe once we're off the hook for our last mission, I can swing by the White Fang headquarters and give them some suggestions on-."
"Now isn't a lovely show of devotion! A shame you couldn't have bothered to try it a bit sooner. Maybe then, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Looking up at the sarcastic tone they saw a redhead young man around their age walking towards them from the cafeteria, a bowler hat sitting atop his head. He was wearing a nice white coat and was spinning a fancy cane in his hands as he approached them.
"Roman." Amber said, greeting their classmate, her fellow team leader, and Fang's partner. "What are you doing out here this late? It's not like you to go on late night walks on campus grounds, and seeing as you're not really the type to pick fights, I assume you're here because you need something from us."
"Oh well aren't you just the sharpest tool in the shed, ain't ya? Roman said sarcastically, raising his arms to his side in a pompous gesture. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you might actually have something in that head of yours besides kitten and rainbows. Something akin to actual conscious thought."
Amber rolled her eyes at her classmate, biting back her retort that threatened to boil its way out her mouth. She didn't know what it was, but something about this guy always rubbed her the wrong way. And he made no attempt to hide the fact that the feeling was mutual.
"Of course I'm looking for you. I wouldn't be caught dead around you guys right now otherwise." He said with a patronizing wave of his hand. "Fang's wants a word with you, Alsprings. He and your hotheaded teammate are waiting in the library. He has a favor to ask in return from the, you-know-what. Said you would know what that means."
Amber felt her eyes widened in surprise at this. She had promised to repay him for everything he had done for Music Fest, but she hadn't expected it so soon.
And what on Remnant could he want anyway? She had seen him earlier today in class and everything seemed fine. Had something come up when she had been with Adam and Eric at the soup kitchen?
"He asked you to come as soon as possible." Amber was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Roman's voice as he turned around and began heading back toward the school. "The sooner the better, he said. So I'd hurry if I were you. Wouldn't want to go getting yourself into more trouble and being unable to help him out after all the grief you've caused, now would you? After all, while animal's can't read a clock, a human really doesn't have that excuse."
As Roman continued walking away, Adam made a rude hand gesture after him, a snarl slipping through his throat as he watched him disappear into the dormitories.
"Prick." The Faunus grunted as he continued to glare after him. "Remind me, are any of our classmates not insufferable assholes? Cause it sure seems there's a disproportionate amount between them."
"I mean, with all due respect, I don't think the guy who almost turned the ballroom into a brawl room on his first night has many legs to stand on." Eric said smugly, making Adam shoot him a glare and roughly shove his shoulder, making him shake like a bowling pin as he laughed in response. Something Amber found herself joining in on.
"I feel like most of our classmates are nice. It's just the bad ones are more memorable as…well. They leave a lasting impression." She said, walking backwards towards the library, her arms tucked behind her back. "Well, I'd better be off to see what Fang wants. Don't wait for me. Depending on what he needs help with, it might be a while."
"You sure you don't want help? We'd be happy to go with you." Eric asked, making the dark skinned girl shake her head in response.
"You guys have been working all day. Take a break, I'll be fine." She said with a cheery grin. "Besides, you just got that brace. You should be resting until your body acclimates to it. If I need help, Cinder should still be there. I'll get her assistance if it's too much."
Both Adam and Eric didn't seem to be convinced, but didn't argue the point, heading in the direction of the dorms instead, waving goodbye to their leader.
Amber waved back for a few seconds, then lowered her arm and made her way towards the library.
Amber reached the library not long after separating from Adam and Eric. However, at that point, the sun had still already started to set, bathing the room in a warm orange light. There, as she walked alongside the shelves of books making her way toward a set of tables in the back, she noticed that several students were gathering up their things and heading toward the door. They must have finished their assignments and were now looking forward to a relaxing weekend free of tests and homework.
Making her way to the back of the room, she found herself standing before the large tables that were mostly used for board games. From Remnant the game, to various RPGs, it wasn't uncommon to find nerds here in their free time, just enjoying themselves with their friends.
And of course, tucked away in a little corner with a small table between them sat Cinder and Fang.
The white haired boy was laying face first against the table, head resting on the part between the board and his chair as he seemed to be utterly distort about something as across from him, Cinder sat in relative calm, simply moving her pieces.
They were talking about something, but Amber was too far away to hear what. And as she approached, they both stopped talking to turn and look up at her.
"Hey." Cinder greeted for them, as Fang only seemed to be able to raise his hand in a motionless wave.
"Hey to you." The dark skinned girl replied, grabbing a nearby chair and pulling it up to the table as she sat down. "What happened to you? You looked like you just lost your job. Don't tell me Cinder actually managed to beat you in a round of chess."
In response, Fang let out a snort, moving one of his pieces without even looking.
"As if." He grunted as he pulled himself, turning to face the girl. "I could and have beaten her while literally blindfolded. Unfortunately, I have much bigger problems right now than a girl who can't strategize or even tell a successful trap from deliberately falling for one. No, my problem is that no matter where I go, I always seem to be at the mercy of someone else."
"That was a lucky shot." Cinder replied, taking his knight with her pawn, closing in around his king. "But more importantly, Fang's in a bit of a bind and needed some help with something. And after hearing the problem, I suggest you."
"O…Kay?" Amber questioned, her eyes shifting back and force between the two players on either side of the board. Her gaze temporarily falling to the game where she noticed Cinder had started to sacrifice her defensive line to try and trap Fang's king. "Then I'm guessing this has somehow the events of Music Fest. Could you elaborate more? I'm still kinda in the dark here."
"Well, you're half right about it. Check." Fang said, making a reckless move with his queen across the board to his right side, putting Cinder's king in line of fire but also leaving it with nowhere to retreat to if threatened. "Basically, Lil. Miss wants me to run a bit of security detail around the docks. Something about an encrypted shipment coming in from Mistral that she can't afford to lose, I got no idea. But the problem is, she wants me there tomorrow, which seriously clashes with my schedule."
"Tomorrow…" Amber muttered, pausing for a second to think as Cinder moved her king out of check. Then, she brought her fist into the plan of her hand with an "Ah ha!" as she remembered what tomorrow was. "The charity chess tournament."
"Exactly." Fang replied as he made a casual move with his rock, positioning it where it could race across the board down his left side, a side which not only had less defensive on it, but also was the side Cinder wasn't paying the most attention to courtesy of his queen. "As you can see, I can't attend both. And seeing as I'm not stupid enough to ask a crime lord for a schedule change, I was hoping you could enter in my place. See if you could earn the cash prize for building homes for refugees."
"You want ME to enter the tourney in your stead?!" Amber asked, eyes wide as she stared at Fang, mouth hanging slightly open. "Are you sure? I mean-! I'd be more than happy to play on your behalf, but-. Are you sure that I'm-?"
"You are the best person to do it. Even better than me if I'm being honest." He said as Cinder moved her pieces in, surrounding his queen, aiming to try and take without realizing that he was baiting her. "I know you're not the most popular person right now, but that's all the more reason to do it. Once people see you trying to make amends, they'll be more likely to warm to you. And when Howard is eventually found guilty, I expect the majority of people will switch boats, saying they believed you the whole time."
Amber paused for a second, hand cupping her chin as she thought about the offer. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't see any merit to what Fang was saying. But her? In a chess tournament representing Atlesian refugees seemed counter productive given, well, given she had accused a racist for being racist.
And besides, she wasn't exactly a chess master. She had only played a couple times and while she had won, she wasn't entirely sold on having to compete against pros who could probably give Fang a run for his money.
But then, she did own him. And he really seemed to need her help. Who was she to turn him down after everything he had risked to help them during Music Fest. It wasn't like she was going to get killed if she performed poorly, and win or lose, it would help repair the damage from the blow to Beacon's reputation that she caused. This could very well be her first step toward making amends for everything she had done.
Besides, it wasn't like her opinions matter. Not after all the trouble she had caused.
"Okay, if that's what you want." Amber said, nodding as Fang subtly moved his bishop, blocking Cinder's king's only exit route while making it look like it was defending his king. "I can't say I'll do well, but I can at least try. After everything you've done for us, it's the least I could do."
Fang smiled up at the girl, leaning back in his seat with a grateful nod.
"Thanks. I know I could count on you." He said. "And don't sweat it if you don't win the whole thing. As long as you make it to the top four, then you'll be compensated with something, just not the grand prize. And as jobs are harder to find than ever these days, any amount will be greatly appreciated."
Amber smiled and nodded, fighting down the nerves that made her insides squirm. Too late to back out now. She was in it for the long haul. Like it or not, she was about to make her next public appearance since Music Fest!
"Well, if you don't want to, you might not have to."
Her partner's voice drew Amber attention back down to the board where she found Cinder grinning across the table at Fang, her eyes alight with smug glee.
"You might be smarter, but I've got more experience with the game. And now, I think I might be ready to move onto larger challenges. After all, I've finally got you, you annoying little pest!" The dark haired girl declared as she moved her knight in, taking down Fang's queen and blocking his king's escape route, pinning it between her aggressive front line and the edge of the board.
"Next move is checkmate." Cinder said confidently, leaning back in her seat folding her arms with a wide grin spread across her face. "Hah! Bet you regret challenging me now, don't ya?! That's what you get for not paying attention during the whole game! I finally got you right where I want you! So hurry up and make your next move so I can beat you and spend the next week rubbing it in your face!"
Fang, not seeming the slightest bit perturbed, continued his conversation with Amber, completely ignoring the dark haired girl as she practically bounced up and down in her seat, ready for a victory lap.
"The tournament is tomorrow at 1pm and it's planned to last until at least 3pm, but as a competitor, you'll have to show up at least an hour early. So bring your own lunch and prepare for a bit of a long day. Not gonna lie, these events can get really heated." He said as he pulled out a blank piece of paper and began scribbling on it. "Here's the address. You can find it in uptown Vale. It actually normally survives as a small-time music theater, so you can't miss it. Take my Scroll as well for verification, I'll let them know in advance so you don't have to worry about that. And if you need anything, I have a burner line that Cinder knows. If you need anything, call her."
With that, he reached up and handed Amber the paper with the address as well as his Scroll, which she took gingerly.
"Hey, don't listen to what the news is saying about you. They're just trying to milk this event as much as possible, results be damned." Fang said softly. "I know it's not easy, but just try to relax and enjoy yourself. You might even find yourself liking the tournament and the game in general. And if you do, I'm always looking for a good chess partner. After all, Cinder's horrible at it and I'm kinda getting tired of giving myself handicaps just to make it a challenge."
"Hey! I'm not horrible at chess!" Cinder snapped. "I'm just less experienced! And even then, I'm about to beat you right here and now right in front of a witness! You can't-!"
"Checkmate." Fang said, moving his rook across the board, putting it right in the middle of Cinder's forgotten defense, trapping the king between her own pieces and the only escape route she had left. And because of his last move, that way too was blocked.
"What the-?!" Cinder cried, head snapping down to the board, eyes wide in disbelief. "How did-?!"
"You are too reckless. You always sacrifice your defense for the sake of landing a killing blow." Fang said calmly, but with a smug expression plastered on his face. "You are impatient, unwilling to wait for the right time and lacking the ability to see that anyway. You attack my front line whenever I attack yours, trying to get me to back off. That makes you predictable and results in…how many games have you lost in a row now?"
"Bite me!"
Amber and Fang shared a laugh as Cinder unleashed a volley of strong words and rude hand gestures. Each one punctuated with something along the lines of "stupid game", or, "lucky shot". As well as numerous other excuses before turning away, crossing her arms as she let out a huff.
And in that moment, Amber forgot her self hatred and loathing, remembering only the reason she had chosen to keep living.
And it was at this point, while she didn't realize it, the blood on her hands had started to fade.
So, a bit of happy, a bit of sad. Amber is still struggling with her depression and while not as bad, still pretty prevalent.
Now, before anyone asks, while she is depressed, it's not as bad as during Music Fest. And the reason I'm pulling this thread is because I didn't want her mental issues to go away after basically one single talk session. Again, she's better, just not completely over it.
Anyway, not much else to say without overstaying my welcome, but I'll ask for feedback on the faster pace writing style as I personally prefer slower buildups and am not sure how well this faster pace feels.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time. Bye!