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Le Spork

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"All the way to Beacon! They demanded I come all the way out of Vale to Beacon, just for a deposition meeting!" Quill shook his head, flicking the camera a look and sighing wearily. Dramatically, to play up his exasperation and feigned sadness over it all, Weiss was certain. Chuckling, he went on, "But the real reason was to intimidate me."

"No!" Lisa Lavender gasped theatrically, "How could young Nikos possibly think to intimidate you?"

"By having Beacon harangue me over every little regulation they could dredge up. By having security monitor me, direct me, escort me, inspect every bit of my personal property for 'safety'..." Quill sighed and smiled, teeth all pearly white and face a mask of ease and weariness all at once. "But I sat right through it, of course. And got to the meeting to make the settlement offer."

"What was the offer?"

"Oh, you know I can't tell you that." Quill laughed and waved her off warmly. "But, given Miss Nikos' fame and influence? A reasonable one, I assure you. Given who she's involved with, it would honestly be a pittance."

"I believe you, I do." Lisa smiled, "Moving on, you mentioned you were a Huntsman?"

"A lifetime ago, yes." He nodded, letting out a long breath as he pretended to think about it.

But, as he began to talk about his first Hunt, Weiss concluded all of this was rehearsed. Not just some of it, a few lines rehearsed in the morning, but the whole ordeal. All of it. Which was probably why he'd opted to go to Lavender with it. She was known among higher society to be ruthless, always digging for an excellent scoop. So trading one to her for a favorable news show the morning after their meeting, so soon after the incident that even Weiss Schnee would be unable to keep up?

The tactics were clear as day…

And not just to her.

"He's rather clever, for what he is." Her Father said, voice crystal clear and face a mask of displeasure over the CCT-carried vid-call. Flicking her a look he frowned, smoothing out his moustache and sighing. "Were he willing to negotiate the price down, and your Pyrrha Nikos were willing to offer something in return, I would happily settle on your behalf."

"He already stated his unwillingness to negotiate." She said for the second time, though she hid the irritation of it well enough that her father didn't notice.

Though with his apathy, he may not have cared even if he did.

"My, how very typically vindictive of it." He sighed, as though he wouldn't have been just as vindictive if the shoes were reversed. "Tell me you have a plan, Daughter."

"I… Do not." She heard him sigh wearily, no doubt already planning to abandon her 'little project', and rushed to argue, "My plan had been to use her status as a Huntress, but he's a Huntsman. So that fell through. But I'm already thinking, trying to find a new approach before the court date, and… And I hoped to call you for," she grit her teeth and had to struggle to get the words out, "your advice, Father."

It was an obvious enough play to his ego, and she saw his eyes narrow knowingly, so she suspected he saw it for what it was. But, at the same time, she knew her dear father wanted nothing more than control. For her to owe him. So, after a second, he just sighed and nodded.

"I can… Make a few calls." He said, "You already have the best lawyer I have to spare in Vale, but what you need, dear daughter, is a display."

"A display?"

"You've displayed your power, and that failed." He answered simply, "So… What other displays are Weiss Schnee capable of?"

"But being a Huntress won't help against-"

"You misunderstand." Her father cut her off, sounding… Entirely too amused. "Imagine, if you will, if word got around that you were, say… Holding benefit concerts to collect donations to pay the settlement that this Quill character is demanding. Why, that would give you a unique way to stand against him that he cannot quite counter, wouldn't it?"

"And… It would tell the world that the amount itself is large enough that even the SDC is not easily able to pay it, or I would not be needing to put myself to work to do so." She filled in as she thought the idea out, "In the best case, we get the settlement funds. In the worst-"

"You get some, and you have a moral display against your opposition." Jacques nodded, smiling thinly, "And with it, you can apply all manner of pressure. You are both famous, daughter. Weaponise it."

Weiss hummed and nodded, standing, "I… Have a few ideas to that end now, Father."

"Don't you owe me something before you go…?"

"Of course." She dipped her head and recited the tired old line, "Thank you, Father. I love you, Father."

"And I, you, Daughter." He smiled, "Best of luck."

He ended the call before she could and Weiss frowned and turned, leaving while her mind raced. There were arrangements to make…

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"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this, Weiss…"

"I know." She sighed, sitting in the chair as it pulled up in front of Signal Academy's low perimeter wall until it came to a slow outside the closed, wrought-iron gate. Inside, Signal was just a few buildings - a tall one in the center, for courses and the offices, a longer auditorium to one side and a workshop on the other. Quietly, she mused, "I wonder if that is where Ruby made her scythe…"

"You could always ask her."

"I suppose…" She hummed, then sighed as a burly man in a sleeveless vest and shorts. He was joined by Mister Blue a moment later and she flicked Pyrrha a look and a smile. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"It won't be that bad." Pyrrha assured her, grabbing her wrist when Weiss only shrugged and reached for the door. Turning back to her, Weiss watched… Something pass over her face. A mix of confusion, fatigue, and something Weiss couldn't place playing across her face before she finally smiled, let her go, and said, "After we're done, we should- I-I mean, could we… I-I'm sorry, I don't know why I am suddenly so tongue tied, I…"

"What is it?" Weiss asked, a bit of worry creeping into her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just…" She sighed, "I wondered if you might… Like to eat? After this?"

"Ah." She blinked, smiled and nodded, "Sure. Something to eat will probably be delightful after this mess."

"Wonderful." She smiled, "I know a Vacuoan place Ren and Nora swear by."

"Sounds fine." She nodded, bobbing her head at the more and more impatient looking men outside. "Shall we? Preferably before Xiao Long's father rips the door off?"

"Oh, but of course." Pyrrha smiled, opening her door and stepping out.

"Miss Nikos, Miss Schnee!" The blonde man smiled as they stepped out and joined the two men on the sidewalk. He offered his hand and Weiss took it, wincing the tiniest bit at the powerful grip he shook her hand with. Leaning just a bit close, he said, "My daughter, Ruby? She's told me so, so much about you, ya know?"

"A-Ah." And that explained the bone-crushing grip… "Well, um, your daughter is a positive delight! Um, sir. We just had some… Rough spots to get over?"

"That is putting it quite mildly…"

"Pyrrha." She hissed, shooting the woman a look for her betrayal. "Really?"

"Regardless." Mister Blue sighed, flicking Mister Xiao Long a look until he held up a hand in surrender and backed up, chuckling. Mister Blue pulled out his Scroll and opened it up as the four of them turned and Mister Xiao Long let them into the campus. While they walked he read, "We're doing two hours here, paid for by Signal Academy, and then we have half an hour to get to the park for your concert, Miss Schnee."

"The press will be there?"

"Of course." He nodded, "I have seven channels scheduled to show up. And all have been informed that every cent of the event's proceeds will go to Miss Nikos' settlement fund, and all expenses for the event will be covered by your father and the SDC."

It was less than a pittance to the SDC, of course, and even less with the favors she knew he'd called in with the Council to get the park to herself like this. But even so she was… Grateful, for the help. Even if the gratitude was laced with so many other emotions. Eventually, as always, she just took a breath, let it out, and forced herself to move on.

It was all she could do.

The academy was surrounded by flat, gently uneven ground sectioned off by logs into sparring pits of various terrains. Some had sand, some naked dirt, and others simple grass. One, three times as long as the others and set up along the path leading up to the school, even had a few small trees scattered throughout it and a very purposefully dilapidated shack in the middle. At the end of this one was where all the upper class of students were waiting, the ones only a year or two away from graduating out and looking at places like Beacon to go to. Most were Human, but she spotted a small cadre of Faunus off in a spot a bit away that paid her more than merely unhappy glances.

"Alright, class, listen up! I may only be filling in, but that doesn't mean I won't give you extra homework if you act up!" Mister Xiao Long called out, more or less silencing the couple dozen teenagers with more ease than Weiss had expected while Mister Blue filmed the whole thing on his Scroll to release later as a part of their publicity play. "Miss Nikos and Miss Schnee are here to talk to you about Beacon Academy, and what it takes to make the cut."

"And show us a few fighting tricks, right?"

"Yeah!" A younger looking girl with strawberry hair and bright, blue eyes called from the center. "You can't show us the Champion of Mistral and not have her show us something!"

"That's up to her, Sarah." The man said, turning to them and raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Well, there aren't really… Tricks to fighting." Pyrrha started after a furtive glance Weiss' way. Taking a breath when so many eyes landed on her, listening so intently, "Fighting is… Skill more than tricks. There are a few, but you each will find them yourselves, incorporate them yourselves. I can't hand you mine because they are… Unique, to my style of combat."

"As are mine." Weiss said, drawing Myrtenaster and using it to form a simple, low power, Gravity Glyph above them all. It was only enough to tug their hair up and make the smallest lift ever so slightly into the air, but it was enough. Paraphrasing what she'd heard long ago, she killed the glyph and lowered Myrtenaster, "Semblances, wealth, skill, taste- It all comes together in what my instructor called our 'song'. Something only we can create."

"Then what can you even teach us?"

"Matteo, behave." Mister Xiao Long sighed, shaking his head.

"It's fine." Pyrrha chuckled, shaking her head when he gave her a look that asked 'are you sure?' Quietly, Pyrrha explained, "What we can teach you is… Duty."

"Duty?" The brown haired young man, Matteo, scoffed. "We're gonna be Hunters! We know what our job is."

"But you don't know duty." Pyrrha pressed, flicking a look across the entirety of the class. "You don't know what it is like to stand, seemingly alone, against the wall. To know that you sink or swim. Live or die. Succeed, or lose everything. When you face that… You will know who you are, and who those nearest to you are."

"That's du-"

"That's exactly right." Mister Xiao Long cut Matteo off, shaking his head. "It's even more heavy when you're out there. You see someone get hurt, someone go down, someone die- And you panic. Your team panics. And the only thing, the only thing, that will get you out alive is how well you can stick to what you're supposed to be doing. What you are."

"In Mistral," Pyrrha started, frowning a bit as she said the name, but going on without comment, "we are taught that this is why we are trained as teams. If one is injured, we have a duty to each other. To help. Recent times have taught me that Atlas teaches the same, or close enough to. Isn't that right, Weiss?"

Not at all, but Weiss just nodded curtly and murmured, "I suppose so, yes."

"Always remember, Hunter's lives are often short." Mister Xiao Long spoke up, raising a single finger and wagging it at them meaningfully. "One moment, one person, one mistake- Our lives come down to one point, and we find out who we are. Some of us will retire after. Some will live long lives, fighting because that is who they are. And some? Some will die."

"Like your wife…?"

"Yes, Matteo." He sighed, "Like my wife. Thanks, Matteo."

"Sorry, Mister Xiao Long…" The boy murmured, "I-I didn't mean- I didn't think-"

"You need to learn to." He snapped, hotter than Weiss had seen him since they arrived. But then he took a breath, clapped and smiled, "Alright! Who wants to see our guests spar then, hm?"

The class' hands all rose instantly and Weiss sighed, turning and asking, quietly, "Have mercy?"

The Mistralian only smiled more toothily.

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Pyrrha watched Weiss step out of the restaurant with more than a little favor for her right leg and smiled apologetically as they turned to walk the couple of blocks to get their Bullhead back to Beacon. Quietly, she said, "You know… If I had known you couldn't see quite as well on that side, I would not have swept your leg as I did."

"I can see fine." She sighed, "I was just… Distracted by your spear."

"Hmmm…" Pyrrha had feinted with it, true, but her sweep had itself been a secondary feint that she only took to the quick when Weiss didn't respond. But, rather than argue, she simply nodded and said, "Of course. Regardless, it was an excellent fight."

"I lasted five minutes." Weiss argued quietly, "And only hit you once…"

"I rarely get struck at all." She argued, "So even that is an accomplishment."

"Oh, now you sound so very humble." Weiss snarked, paying her a smile so she would know it to be a joke. Pyrrha chuckled and Weiss seemed to take it to mean Pyrrha had noticed and moved on. "Still, it is only a demonstration that I need to improve."

"Only in your thinking."

"Oh?"

"You're too defensive." Pyrrha counselled, "You would do better to use your Semblance to off-balance me and strike more quickly. More viciously."

"I have been told that before and-" Weiss flinched as they passed an alleyway and a man in a greasy suit lunged out, holding a microphone and trailed by a greasy looking man in a dirty t-shirt. "Who in the hells are-"

"Ray-Ray Stevens." The man cut her off, "Reports say you're doing charity venues to go to paying for legal settlements. What do you say to viewers and readers that see you out at a restaurant, seemingly happily partying the night away?"

"I-" Weiss flinched, blinked and backed up a step. "What?"

"Some might say that you're overblowing events." He said as if it were an answer, "Response?"

"I-I don't-"

"Do you seriously have no comment to any of this, Miss Schnee?" The man pressed, turning to Pyrrha, "Are you worried that associating with the SDC will-"

"That is quite enough. If you think you can just insult my friend, you will learn very quickly that I will not let it stand." Pyrrha snapped hotly, cutting the man off and scowling deeply as her anger spiked. "As hard as things have been made by greedy people like you, I do have friends that I enjoy spending time with. Because, in spite of what some would want, my life is not ruined. I will live and thrive in spite of them and to spite them."

"Is that an officia-"

"The only official statement you're going to get from me is a restraint statement from the courts if you ambush us again." She snapped, turning and taking Weiss' hand to lead her away. "Come on, Weiss. Let's not let this churl ruin our night out together, hm?"

"R-Right." She stammered as Pyrrha let her go and Weiss jogged to catch up. "You're right, I'm sorry, I was just surprised and-"

"Don't worry about it." Pyrrha paid her a smile, "We should do something else, don't you think? I would hate to ruin our night by ending it with that."

"I…" She paused and pursed her lips, "How about a trip to the cinema? I've always wanted to go."

"That sounds wonderful." Pyrrha nodded, feeling some bit of the ease of their dinner come back once they were far enough from the sleazy reporter. Sighing, she pulled out her Scroll and pinged the map for directions. When she had them, she waved for them to cross the street and went on her way.

In spite of everything, she was glad for the good night they could have together.

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MitocondriaIsThePowerhouseOfTheCell :

Ahhhhh. I recognize the name a bit now. Regardless, you've met the lawyer on Weiss' side - Mister Blue.